vnto our Lord Iesus Christ hée kept himselfe very couert and close and was afearde to shewe himselfe a true Disciple for wée knowe that the confession of our faith is required in vs Iohn 2. 2◠1◠But when hée came to bury him he declared and confessed that he was of the number of the faithfull company Wherefore since he did so let vs at this day follow his constancy And although the worlde hateth and detesteth our Lorde Iesus Christ and the doctrine of his Gospell yet let vs stick vnto it Let vs also vnderstande that the greatest benefite and contentation that wee can continuallye haue is this whenas God accepteth and liketh of our seruice and besides although wée must suffer abide troubles here in this worlde yet let vs knowe this that because he hath gloryously rysē againe that he dyd it not to the ende to make a separation betwéene him and vs but that hee would when he sée his good time gather vs vnto him selfe Moreouer let vs not maruell although our Lorde Iesus rose againe the third day for it is very good reason that hee should haue some more priuiledge then the common order of the church And héerein is the saying of the Psalmist fulfilled Thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to sée corruption Psal 16. 10. And therefore it was méete that the body of our Lord Iesus should remaine vncorrupt vntill the third day but it was for that time so appoynted and established by the counsell of GOD his Father Howbeit wee haue no time assigned but the last day And therefore let vs abyde troubles and miseries so long as it pleaseth GOD and let vs vnderstand that he wyll in the ende when hee séeeth conuenient time restore vs after wee haue bene cast quite and cleane downe For therevnto Saint Paul exhorteth vs 1. Cor. 15.10 when as hée saieth that Christ Iesus is the first fruites whiche is to pull backe that feruent zeale wherewith wee are often times too too much carryed awaye for by our wylles wee woulde flye without winges and wee are gréeued with God for houldinge vs so longe heere in this worlde because hée wyll not bringe vs to heauen euen at the fyrst 2. Kin. 2. 11. and carry vs vp in a fiery Charit as Eilas was to be short we would faine triumph before we haue fought a blow Now that we might withstand this desire and these foolish lusts Saint Paul telleth vs that Iesus Christ is the first fruites wée must be contented that by his death we haue a sure pawne of the resurrectiō Neuertheles bicause he sitteth at the right hād of god his Father hauing all rule and dominion both in heauen and earth and although his maiestie hath not as yet appeared and that our life is hid in him let vs become like wretched dead people and although we séeme to be liuing héere in this world yet let vs bée as men quite forlorne and abide all this vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus For euen then shall our life be made manifest by him when as he shall thinke it good And thus we sée what it is that wée must obserue about the buriall of our lord Iesus Christ vntil such time as we attaine to the rest which will be a declaration that he hath not onely made satisfaction for all our sinnes but also hath by his victorie obteined all perfect righteousnesse for vs by whiche meane we are become acceptable at this day vnto the maiestie of God both to haue frée accesse vnto him and also to call vpon his holie name And in this confidence and beliefe Let vs fall downe before his diuine maiestie beséeching him to receiue vs all to his mercy and that we may not cease to haue recourse vnto his frée goodnes how miserable wretched soeuer we bée And although we dayly prouoke his heauy wrath and indignation against vs and iustly deserue that hée should forsake vs Let vs patiently wayte vntill hée sheweth the fruit and power of the death passion which his onely Sonne hath suffred by which we are reconciled and not doubt but that hée will be alwayes our Father so long as hée wil graunt vs this fauour as that we may be able to shew our selues his true children Let vs also beséech him that hée will cause vs to declare this by the effect in such sort as that we desire nothing els but to be wholy his and as hée hath very dearely bought vs so wee may also of right fully and wholly agrée to serue him And forsomuch as our weaknesse is such as that we are not able to discharge the hundreth part of our duetie without hée worke it in vs by his holy spirite because the infirmities of our flesh doe alwayes beare such a resisting and striuing sway as that we doe nothing els but euen créepe where we should in déede march as becommeth vs Let vs beséech him to ryd vs of all together that we might be vnited to him by that holy bond which bée hath ordeined to wit our Lorde Iesus Christ his onely Sonne That hée will not onely graunt vs this grace c. ¶ The ninthe Sermon is of his resurrection at which time was celebrated the holie SVPPER Matthew xxviii 1 IN the latter ende of the Sabboth day whiche dawneth the first day of the weeke came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the Sepulchre 2 And beholde there was a great earthquake for the Angell of the Lorde descended from Heauen and came and rowlled back the Stone from the Dore and sate vpon it 3 His countenaunce was like lightninge and his rayment white as Snow 4 And for feare of him the keepers dyd shake and became as dead men 5 The Angell aunswered and sayde vnto the women feare yee not for I knowe yee seeke Iesus whiche was crucifyed 6 He is not heere hee is risen as he saide come see the place where that the Lord was laide 7 And goe quickly and tel his disciples that hee is risen from the dead And beholde he goeth before you into Galile there shall you see him loe I haue tolde you 8 And they departed quickly from the Sepulchre with feare and great ioye and dyd runne to bring his Disciples worde 9 And as they went to tell his Disciples beholde Iesus met them saying al hayle And they came and helde him by the feete and worshipped him 10 Then sayd Iesus vnto them bee not afraide goe tell my Brethren that they go into Galile and there shal they see mee A Man would at the first sight thinke it straunge that our Lorde Iesus Christ woulde shew him selfe after his resurrection rather to women then vnto his Disciples Howbeit wee are hereby to consider that his meaning was to trye the basenesse and lowlinesse of our faith Because we must not build vpon mans wisdome but obedientlye receiue what soeuer we know to come from him Againe no doubt of it his meaning was
of God and humbled WE haue already begunne to treatise and say that although the Gospell shoulde bée published throughout the face of the whole earth yet that it should be very hardly receiued intreated by the greatest number which thing the Prophet hath also so declared to the end the children of God might not bée abashed whenas they sée the faithlesnesse of such as haue had their eares beaten with the doctrine of saluation and yet haue cared no whit at all for the same And is not this a strange kinde of dealing that when God as much as is possible calleth vs vnto himselfe and laboureth so gently and graciously to winne vs that we should peruersly drawe our heades out of the collor as wée say and euen for the very nonce refuse to receiue the benefite thus offered vnto vs A man woulde thinke that this were an impossible thing and yet wée dayly sée it by experience Loe here why it is that the Prophet cryeth out whenas God as it were by the sound of a truÌ„pet would publish his Gospel yet that there should be notwithstanding so fewe beléeuers hée addeth the reason that it was very méete that God should shew forth his power to graunt faith vnto those which naturally would be faithlesse What is the cause that wée sée so many people reiect loath coÌ„ceiue so great an hatred against the Gospell had rather be like vnto them which so set theÌ„selues against God then quiethly come néere him What is the cause I say Forsooth nothing els but that we imagine we haue faith tied to our gyrdels Howbeit the Prophet telleth vs another maner of thing for he saith that although god coÌ„mauÌ„ded that his word should be published to all both good bad yet worketh hée such a secrete effect in his chosen as if he made theÌ„ féele his arme power And therefore let this bée our obseruation that whensoeuer the Gospell is preached it wyll bée but as an vnprofitable sounde vntyll such time as our Lorde sheweth that it is hée him selfe which speaketh neither bestoweth hee this benefite vpon all men Thus wee see the power of GOD to bee hidde from the reprobate and therfore that this priuiledge belongeth but to a few whoÌ„ he hath chosen adopted to attaine to euerlasting life whenas hée telleth them that the Gospell is the doctrine of saluation and a most infallible trueth whereto they must sticke Thus we sée in summe the meaning of the Prophet in this place Nowe we must heereupoÌ„ be fensed armed against this obiect which the diuel setteth before our eyes wheÌ„as we sée such a mightie number of people withstand the Gospel euen of the greatest and highest in calling for theÌ„ we think it as a maÌ„ would say not to be the worde of God And why so verily because we depend too too much vpon meÌ„ thus we sée howe weake and vnstable our faith is And therefore let vs ouercome the worlde and let vs vnderstand that when God speaketh we must submit our selues vnto him and although none will accompanie vs héerein but bée all against vs yet let vs for al that be contented to receiue with a pure and cleane faith whatsoeuer God speaketh vnto vs. Moreouer to the end we might not be abashed to sée men so wickedly bent as to fight against their God yea euen their Creator Redéemer let vs therefore vnderstande that faith is not giuen to all men but is a singuler gift which God hath reserued as a precious Iewell for his elect and chosen and although we vnderstande that our duetie is to cleaue vnto him yet let vs notwithstanding know that euery of vs hath not faith of our owne proper motion but that God hath inlightened vs made vs sée by his holy spirite and in thus doing hath shewed his power that is to say hath giueÌ„ vs such a liuely féeling thereof in our heartes as that we may very wel know that the Gospell is not of men but froÌ„ him And this is the effect which we are to consider of out of this place To be short let vs boldly set our selues against the faithlesnes stubbornes of all such as are the enimies of God let vs march on whither soeuer he calleth vs receiue the benefit which he offereth vs to the end we may be found blameles of this vnthaÌ„kfulnes wherof the Prophet accuseth condeÌ„neth héere all such as would not obey the doctrine of the Gospell Nowe héereupon he sheweth that they vouchsafed not to beléeue Iesus Christ because they sée him as a forlorne and coÌ„temptible man Râ—m 9.32 1. Pet. 2.8 We know that our Lord Iesus Christ is called the stone of offence and stumbling blocke because the worde stumbled at him And yet God his father gaue him to vs for another vse which is that wée might bée grounded vpon his fauour and grace and as a stone vppon which wee myght all stande because there is none other sure stay but hée And therefore wée stand all in réeling maner and Hell mouth is wide open to swallowe vs vp Thus wée sée that our saluation hath no sure ground worke in this worlde and therefore must we stay our selues vpon our Lorde Iesus Christe Isaiah 8. 14 Wherefore sée why it is saide That he shoulde be placed as a precious stone vpon which the Temple of God shoulde bée built and such a sure stone as shoulde bee able to beare the whole building the Prophet also furder saith that he shoulde be a stumbling stone vnto the kingdome of Iuda and to the house of Israel And according héereunto it is nowe saide that he shal be as A small twigge and as a roote comming out of a dry and barren grounde And that when he should be séene no man shoulde once vouchsafe to looke on him but that euery man shoulde turne away his face from him and abhorre him Wée see nowe that there are but a fewe which will beléeue the Gospel for wée séeke continually to make a goodly outwarde shew and would gladly that all shoulde bée séene and come to light Nowe the dealing of the Lorde God was after another maner when he ment to redéeme vs For as Saint Paule saith because the worlde woulde not benefite it selfe by the wisedome of God whenas he in such sorte shewed himselfe the Creator as that the very beholding of the heauen the earth might haue sufficiently made it to haue come vnto him 1. Cor. 1.21 hee then made an alteration in the worlde and hath vsed as it were a certaine kinde of foolishenesse to teache vs For as I haue saide wée shoulde haue beene taught by the wonderfull wisedome of God which appeared both in the heauens and in the earth vnto the whole worlde but wee haue béen ouer blockishe théerein And therefore God hath vsed a kinde of foolishnesse when as he sent his onely sonne who submitted himselfe to all our infirmities whom the worlde refused
will get al the substance riches of the earth into their possession And thus we see that the messuage which was told them that they should find him in a Stable swadled in blankets was such a stumbling block vnto these poore men as was able to haue broken the very hearts of them and make thē to be of that mind neuer to come néere our Lord Iesus Christ but rather altogether to flie his company Now we sée that this was the signe which was geuen of the Redeemer that he was laid in a Māger as one not worthy the companie and felowship of men And yet woulde not all this withdraw their mindes from the visiting of him Their cōming then was for this cause to acknowledge him to be as it were the Lord cōfessing the God had cōpassion of them and would in the end accomplish and fulfill the promise which hée had made them from the beginning and so confirmed them selues thereof by this spectacle Seeing then these Shepheardes had so great fayth that it straue against all whatsoeuer might pull them backe from comming vnto our Lorde Iesus Christe wee shal be worthie double blame and without all excuse except wee learne and take foorth this lesson in their schoole and make not the byrth of our Lorde Iesus Christe although there appeared noworldly dignitie pompe or noblenesse therein a stumbling blocke to stay or withdrawe vs from the right way to come to submit our selues vnto him as vnto our siege king and vnto him vnto whom al power and dominion is giuen both in heauen and earth And surely this is an admonitiō very needful for vs for as I haue alreadie saide The doctrine of the Gospell is a very stumbling blocke to all proude and foolish men and to suche as thinke themselues wise we sée also that many fantasticall felowes spurne against whatsoeuer is contrary to their owne mindes On the other side there were many mockers skorners who were neuer touched with any féeling of their sinnes and because they are prophane people who neuer thinke to come to an account and know not any other better life then this whiche they sée héere belowe they thinke it therefore méere foolishnesse so to folow the sonne of God and to be acquainted with him And the more we sée this so much the more ought this aduertisement to strengthen vs to wit that the sonne of God loseth not a iote of his maiestie and glorie neither is any whit lessened because he hath abased himselfe for our saluation but we ought rather to woonder at it knowing his inestimable goodnesse loue towardes vs. We sée then howe we must put this doctrine in practise which is wée must not cease to come vnto our Lord Iesus Christ although we finde not at his handes at the first chop the thing which our flesh or naturall affection desireth And although at his birth he was swadled vp in cloutes and laide in a Manger yet let vs know be fully resolued that hee was notwithstanding a Mediatour to draw vs vnto his father to open the kingdome of heauen for vs whereout wee were vtterly reclosed And although euen at this day he reigneth not gloriously and his Churche despised yet remayneth there suche a playnenesse in his worde as the mightie euen of this worlde reiecte howebeeit let not vs for all that cease to holde our selues vnto him continually and submit our selues vnder his dominion in true obedience of Faith As for example when any man preacheth it is not the thing that greatly draweth vs according to our custome Wée heare a man speake and what is that It is of no great dignitie and credite and besides in effect there is nothing but the worde on the other side in that which is preached by the Gospell there are many thinges which séeme to vs to bée against all reason if wée shoulde iudge thereof after our owne mindes Let vs therefore vnderstande that wée shall neuer submit our selues vnto the thing which God sheweth and declareth vnto vs except we humble our selues in the first place And for a confirmation which hée hath added vs vnto his worde we haue the Sacraments And will one droppe of water suffice to assure vs of remission of our sinnes and that God hath adopted vs for his children and that although wée bée fraile shall we notwithstanding bée cloathed with his heauenly glorie which neuer shall decaye Is it possible for vs to take a pawne and pledge of so notable and great thinges in so small a deale of water May a péece of bread and a little Wine in the Supper of the Lorde suffice to assure vs that God alloweth vs for his children that wée liue in Iesus Christ and no seperation betwéene vs For this might seeme rather to bée a matter of nothing to sée suche Ceremonies wherein is no great glorie and pompe So then wée somewhat better sée this thing whiche is béere spoken by the Ministers belongeth to vs and that wée haue to make our profite thereof at this day to wit let not vs cease to drawe néere vnto our Lorde Iesus Christe and assure our selues that hée it is in whome wée must finde all goodnesse and all ioye and glorie although it séemeth that hée is yet as it were in the Stable in the Maunger and in his swadling cloathes to wit that there are many thinges which are able to make vs become dissolute or wanton or at the least bleare our eyes that wee shall not bée able to perceiue the heauenly glorie which GOD his Father hath giuen him I say in the same humane nature whiche hée tooke vppon vs. For in as muche as hée is GOD hée hath all thing of him selfe as it is said in the seuenteenth Chapter of Saint Iohn but in that hée is man whatsoeuer hée bringeth vs hée hath receiued of frée gift Iohn 17. that wée might drawe out of his fulnesse Iohn 1.16 and finde in him whatsoeuer is to be desired and so rest content our selues in him alone Moreouer let vs heere note that the holy Ghost meaneth to assure vs that we following the Ministers who are héere appointed for maisters and guides ought not to feare falling away for séeing the Shepheardes had none other signe but the Stable and a Manger wée may say Beholde a sorte of simple idiotes who are foolishly and without any reason made to beléeue that this was the Redéemer of the worlde and yet this woulde bée too too easie a matter for vs to doe And therefore wée might stande in doubt but on the other side the shepheardes were confirmed verie certainly that hée was the Sonne of God euen hée that laye so in the Manger to wit when the Angell appeared vnto them and after they had heard this songe which Saint Luke setteth downe where all the kingdome of heauen beare witnesse of our Lorde Iesus Christ that hée had all power ouer the creatures both of heauen and earth Let vs therefore
and state of life Howbeit it must néedes be that this must be openly séene in the person of our Lord Iesus Christ And therefore vineger gall was giuen him that it might be knowne that Dauid was but a figure of him in déed that hée was the true Redéemer promised from the beginning For why was the kingdom aduaunced in the house of Dauid except it had béen promised that it should longer continue then the Sunne and Moone And therefore it was the euerlasting kingdome which was established in the person of the Redéemer For it was méete that these thinges which were shadowed and figured in the person of Dauid should be made perfect in Iesus Christ as here we sée Moreouer as for that which the Euāgelist speaketh of for the théeues that were with our Lord Iesus Christ who mocked him that is set downe as a thing by it selfe Luke 23.39 as appeareth by S. Luke who hath declared these thinges more at large Howbeit this is a common maner of spéech as if a man should say This is spoken as if it were to yong children for if there were but one yet it would bee taken in the plurall number It was méete also that there should be some women amongst And yet there was but one And therfore after this maner it is said that al men set thēselues against him mocked blasphemed him euen the théeues themselues For when a man is hanged betwéene two théeues it is to the end the more to aggrauate this shameful death In déed this was the place where they were wonted to execute malefactors And yet they were not contented that they had put him to this foyle But it must néedes be that he must be estéemed to be worse then the arrandest and strongest théeues of the world when as they were both hanged one each side one to the end it might bée said that hée was the maister théefe amongst them all And heerein as S. Marke saith the saying of the Prophet was verified Mar. 15. 28. that he was accounted amongst the wicked Now and if he had not béen thus accounted of in what case should we at this day stand before the Lord For we could not obteine grace without iustice It is méet that God should hate reiect vs vntill such time as we were made righteous and cleansed of all our sinnes and offences in his sight And that it might be so could God deny himselfe Could he be robbed of his holinesse righteousnesse puritie And therfore whēsoeuer we shal come before him all filthy and besmeared hée must néedes abhorre vs. How should we then be iustified before God except our Lorde Iesus Christ had béen accounted amongst malefactors Wherefore we are exempt out of this ranke God receiueth vs and taketh vs as me according vnto his hearts desire as if we were altogether cleane innocent because our Lord Iesus Christ suffred such shame and slander before men And this is it which in summe we are to consider of touching théeues But to make a full conclusion we must set down the words of S. Luke which is that one of the théeues rebuked his companiō when as he sée him so obstinate What saith he it wil be hie time for thée now or els neuer to stoupe humble thy self For behold the cōdemnation punishment which thou suffrest for thy misdéeds faults thou art a man plunged ouer head and eares in all curses although thou hast bin so beastly as to delight thy selfe all thy life long in thy wickednes yet shouldest thou now begin to sigh and grone For the most dissolute man that is although he wantonly passe his time all his life long and neuer thinketh to come to a reckoning scorneth iustice and setteth himself against it because he thinketh he shal escape vnpunished yet whē he is laid hold on words wil not serue his turn Behold saith he in what great torments thou art and thou seest that both God men do bring thée to an account thy cōscience also telleth thée that it is for thy sins that thou suffrest this wilt thou for all this set thy selfe against God Thus we sée that this saying verie well declareth that this théefe was taught by the spirit of God And although we shal out of all cry as we say sée this verie often yet may we iudge by this saying what a good schoolemaster the spirit of God is when as he so well instructeth those who haue erred and haue become like bruite beasts that they haue not onely acknowledged their offences and submitted them selues for the obteining of grace but also haue béen able eftsoones to talke lyke Doctours and like men which had long time béene acquainted with the holy Scriptures For can we make a better and sounder exhortation to a man that is growne so hard hearted and which neuer ceaseth to storme against God when as hée should yéeld and come to repentaunce then such a one as this wretched théefe hath here made But how euer it is this kind of admonitiō did him no good whom Satan in such sort had possessed but to make him without excuse And although it did him no good to whom it was made yet let it auayle vs at this day And albeit God spareth vs yet let vs learne to feare him But chiefly and aboue all if hée scourgeth vs and will haue vs féele that hée is angrie with vs Let vs then bée the rather touched to groane and constantly and patiently suffer our afflictions as wée sée the poore théefe to haue done and not proudly and outragiously lift vp our selues as the other did Moreouer we sée these two to be as it were the mirrours of all mankinde because we sée in what miseries we are wrapped For this life is euen an hell of all miseries euen the verie fruite of our sinnes because we were depriued of the blessing of God by the fall of Adam And yet this is true that God of his inestimable goodnesse hath surpassed this curse when as hée continually hath shewed him selfe sundrie wayes a Father making vs to féele the gentlenesse and loue which hee beareth vs and the care also which hée hath ouer vs. Howbeit we haue many signes and tokens of our sinnes by which we may perceiue that God curseth vs both in heauen and in earth because that death is common to vs all For when we haue languished in this world and haue béene subiect to many diseases to heate and colde and haue béen gréeued and tormented diuers manner of wayes to be short that we haue suffered infinite miseries what will be the end of all Surely euen this That we must turne into rottennesse and dust Now we sée some whom God so toucheth as that the afflictions which they endure serue them for their benefite and are good helpes vnto them according to that saying of S. Paule Rom. 8.28 And others we sée to waxe worse and in steade of
Iesus came to stop the mouthes that is to say to make men astonied that they shoulde not be able to reply as we sée the Ganderlike gagling and iangling Infidelles and faithlesse doe Now it is true that there is such dealing and they cannot come to honour our Lorde Iesus Christ because as they thinke they haue some reason to say to the contrary Howbeit we are héere told that if wée did consider wherfore it was that our Lorde Iesus came and what the ende and fruite of his death and passion which hée suffered for vs was that then our mouthes shoulde bée stopped For when the Scripture speaketh after this sort it bringeth vs to a consideration of the sure established and setled woorkes of God For so long as our mouthes are open as I haue alreadie saide wée will enter into the cause and so reason as that God shall bee shut cleane out of the doores and whatsoeuer hée hath done shall be naught set by But when it is saide that euerie mouth shall holde it peace and be silent before the Lorde this sheweth that all our reasons should bée daunted and emprisoned yea euen to bridle our tongues that we might quietly cōfesse that God is to be glorified in the person of his onely Sonne And if this be saide of Princes what shall the common people doe Wée are therefore throughly to consider of the order which the Prophet héere setteth downe For hée giueth vs this animaduersion or warning that our Lorde Iesus Christ must be as it were vgly and yll fauoured and be refused of the worlde Wherefore since the holy Ghost thus warneth vs Let vs not thinke it straunge nor yet bée carelesse to embrase him with a liuely faith although his Crosse which is a detestable Gallow trée in the sight of men might withdraw vs and altogether estraunge vs from him yet let not vs bée slacke in séeking after our whole glorie to wit in Iesus Christ crucified Moreouer let vs not stay our selues vpō his suffring wherby we might conceiue a great shame in him whervnto he willingly submitted himselfe for vs But let vs ioyne his resurrection and his death together and vnderstand that although he was crucified yet that hée sitteth as Lieftenant to God his Father exercising the most excellent gouernment hauing all power giuen him aswell in heauen as in earth And here we sée why it is said that he shall bée exalted In verie déed that he was lifted vp exalted vnto the gallowes was in the sight of men a shamefull thing howbeit he mocked and beguiled the Deuil set himself against all the world in saying that hée should be liuely exalted and when he was put to this shame that euery mans tongue walked vomited out their blasphemies villainies against him yet sitteth hée in his throne as we haue alredie declared out of the place of S. Paule Colos 2. 15. And in an other place hée namely saieth that the Crosse although it was before time a Gallowes full of shame was now as it were a Charyot of tryumph and that Iesus Christ hath not only ouercome the Deuill therein but also hath shewed that we might nowe glorifie our selues forsomuch as we are freed from all condemnation that sinne hath no more power ouer vs and that al the deuils in hel are altogether cut off from all kinde of pretense whatsoeuer against vs. We sée then in summe that we must ascend vp by fayth vnto the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ to the ende we might not be ashamed to séeke for our saluatiō in his Crosse our blessing in his curse our life in his death our glory in his shame and our ioy in his anguishes out of which came water and blood And this is the summe which we haue to consider of in this place Luk. 22.44 Nowe the Prophet namely saith That he will bedeaw or sprinkle In very déede this saying by a similitude signifieth also to speake fayre But when we shall consider better of the matter we shall finde that the naturall meaning of the Prophet in these wordes That Iesus Christ shall bedeaw all nations is this to wit that although hée be a dry and fruitlesse blocke yet shall all the worlde be bedeawed through his power and vertue To be short he sheweth that God wil work after an incomprehensible maner and that the Iewes should not looke for any worldly helpe but beleeue that God will surpasse all mens thoughtes and imaginations For when we are told of myracles our sences must needes fayle vs and when we are tolde of misteries that is to say secrets we must vnderstand that we are not sufficient Iudges nor Arbiters or dayes men to say it must néedes be so But let vs worship the thing that cannot sinke into our brayne nor which we cannot finde out the reason of And thus much we haue in summe to consider of Now this admonition apperteineth to vs for as I haue alredie saide we should abide to be bedewed with our Lord Iesus Christ and although he hath appeared to be as one that were fruitlesse and that there can be nothing found in him worthy reputation yet when hée shall offer himself vnto vs and come néere vs let vs not thrust him back through misbeliefe but rather giue him frée accesse through fayth And this is in summe the thing which we are to learne out of this doctrine of the Prophet Moreouer hée saieth that all the world shall be bedeawed with our Lord Iesus Christ to wit by the preaching of the Gospell For they saieth hée who neuer heard any speech of him shall heare of him and they which neuer vnderstood shall vnderstand of him Héere the Prophet amplifieth his purpose shewing that God the Father would send our Lorde Iesus Christ not onely to bée a Sauiour vnto the Iewes although hée was liuely promised vnto them but also vnto the whole world Now to proue the meaning of the Prophet to be thus Rom. 15.21 S. Paul himself saith as much in his Epistle to the Romans applying this saying vnto his being sent into straunge countries hauing trauelled here and there filling all nations with the Gospell in such places as God was neuer spoken of preaching not only vnto the Iewes but also vnto the Gentiles Thus we sée the drift of the Prophete and this place ought to bée as a keye to open vnto vs the kingdome God For if Iesus Christ had not béene promised but onely to the ligne of Abraham what had wée béene the better for him For although hée was a Sauiour and Redéemer yet is this nothing to vs we haue neither part nor portion herein But because it was tolde of so long time before hée was sent that hée should bedeaw all people Forsooth because that they which neuer before vnderstood might vnderstand and that they to whom it was neuer before told might heare Let vs vnderstande that our God had adopted vs when as Iesus Christ
is laide open vnto vs to come vnto our Lord Iesus Christ because he hath stretched out his armes to imbrace vs. For we shall sée héerafter that hée was sent vnto those whose hartes were abased and cast downe Wherfore wée must bée sacrificed after this maner that wée might bée made like vnto our Lord Iesus Christ In very déede the sacrifice which he offered is our full hope and assuraunce to wit we must not presume to adde any thing vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ because he hath purchased ful saluation by his sacrificing of him selfe vnto God his father but by the way it is méete that wée shoulde be threatned by the iudgements of God to the ende we might vnderstand how gréeuos a thing it is that wée béeing poore wormes of the earth should lift our selues vp against the maiestie of our creator and violate his iustice considering that we are placed héere in this world to serue and honor him And therfore let vs haue a liuely féeling of this that wee might come vnto our Lord Iesus Christ Now it should séeme héere at the first sight that the Prophet had set downe a straunge reason when hée saith bicause hee was cut of from the lande of the liuing For in asmuch as Iesus Christ was exalted and hath now the rule both in heauen and in earth it shuld séeme that this was no fit meane without he had first bene as one cut of For this glory wherein now he is he alwayes had Iohn 17.5 before the world was made according to the saying of S. Iohn And therfore Iesus Christ as touching his deuine essence or being obtained vnto himselfe no straunge thing Now to bee cast downe into the bottomlesse pitte of death as it were was not the way to come vnto heauenly glory and to be condemned by a mortall man is not like that he should be made iudge of the whole worlde Howbeit the meaning of God was such as that he would worke beyond mans reason neither must wée bring our counsell hether with vs and think that wée are able to amend this counsel which wée know to be the cause and springhead of our saluation but let vs most humbly gloryfy God because hee woulde haue his sonne to be thus cut off from the lande of the liuing Now the Prophet namely speaketh after this manner as though Iesus Christ had bene vtterly abolished and would not make mention onely of a common death but euen of such a death as should vtterly root him out as if the remembrance of him had bene cléerelye abolished and defaced For although of necessitie all men must dye thereby are cut of from the land of the lyuing yet hath this ben specially séene in our Lord Iesus Christ that his death was to haue shut him quite out from the company of men For as we haue already said it was a most shamefull death and curssed of God and besides it was almost euen the very gulfe of hell yet not that Iesus christ was swalowed vp of it howbeit he straue mightely against the angushes of death And therefore it is not for naught that the prophet setteth him downe héere as one that had ben abolished from amoÌ„gst meÌ„ Neuertheles how euer it is he obtained by this menes such maiestie in this nature of ours as that at this day he being our brother Eph. 2.8 yet ceaseth not also to become our iudge And marke what S. Paul saith of it that he rendred himself obedient vnto death yea euen to the most curssed death of the Crosse in saying that he rendred himselfe obedient he noteth vnto vs that which wee haue already declared out of the prophet to wit that that which our Lord Iesus Christ suffered was willingly done But because wee are guilty before god are his enemies it is saide that Iesus Christ submitted himself for as S. Paul saith he who had all power and authority tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant the state of those that were vnder the yoke Thus we sée how obedient he was all his lyfe long would be vnder the law And not only in this but although he felt the horrible panges of death which made him sweat water blood draue him to say O father if it be possible I beséech thée Mark 14.36 let this so sower a cup passe ouer mée neuertheles he restraineth himselfe saith yet not my will but thine be done Now herevpon S. Paul saith that God his father for this cause exalted him gaue him a name aboue all other names that euery knée at this day might bow vnto Wherfore let vs vnderstand that Iesus Christ himself hath euen in our nature an excellent maiestie to the end we might come to him in full assurance for vpon what condition is he made iudge ouer all the world forsooth it is because that he is not onely made our Brother but also for that he offred himself to be our pledge borrow and hath borne al our sins He was scourged beaten by the hand of god that we might be healed of the wounds which we deserued to haue and for this cause is he now exalted to the ende we might bouldlye draw néere vnto him Now this is very true that the wicked ones the deuils must in despite of their téethes féele that the son of God is far aboue them for he must tread all his enemies vnder his féet Psal 110 1â— Howbeit we for our parts ar to do him honor willingly to submit our selues quietly vnto him acknowledge the maiestie that was giuen vnto him in his humane nature to the ende we might haue wherewith to glory triumph against sin Now that this is ment by the person of our Lord Iesus Christ sufficiently appeareth by the words of S. Luke for when the Eunuke was come to worship at the temple of Ierusalem he read this place Luk. 8. â—2 it was expounded vnto him by Philip whom God had sent by the liuelye ministerie of an Angell to the end he might come to this poore blinde ignorant man which sought after God hauing as yet no knowledge of him Howbeit this place was in such sort expounded vnto him as that with once preaching he was conuerted vnto our lord Iesus Christ crauing and requâ—ering that he might be baptised in his name And this is a thing that should greatly touch vs for in the first place we are admonished that although we are not able at the first chop to haue the sound vnderstanding of the doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ and what fruit we gather out of that which is dayly preached vnto vs yet must we not dispaire for all that but search out of the Scripture that thing which we know not and then God hauinge pittie on vs will giue vs his hand and set vs in the right way And since this poore ignoraÌ„t maÌ„ who gaue himself to read in the bible knew not what
And sodainly there came a sounde from heauen as it had been the comming of a mightie winde and it filled all the house where they were sitting 3 And there appeared vnto them clouen tongues like as they had been of fyre and it sate vpon each one of them 4 And they were all filled with the holie Ghost and began to speake with other tongues as the spirite gaue them vtteraunce WEe are all so naturally enclined vnto incredulitie as that it behoueth vs to haue the trueth of the Lord Authentically sealed in our hearts to the end we might receiue it stay our selues wholly thereon Ephe. 1.13 It is verie true that God sealeth it in the heartes of all his faythfull ones by the holy Ghost and marke also why it is called the seale of the Gospell yet they which are to deliuer this doctrine all the worlde ouer ought first of all to be sealed and besides God must so gouerne and guide them as that we might at this day be fully assured of the doctrine which they haue published vnto vs and not receiue it from them as from mortall men but as from God the true Authour thereof For we know that our fayth should haue a weake foundation if we should laye it vpon the authoritie of men And we shoulde then continually wauer and doubt if we lifted not vp our mindes farre beyonde the worlde and founded them in and vpon God since we know that this word of saluation which is daily preached vnto vs commeth from him Thus we séee why it is that this historie is set downe vnto vs in writing to wit because that as often as we read or heare the word of God we should remember that whatsoeuer is cōteined in the old and new Testament was not deuised by mans brayne but that God hath testified by a visible signe so farfoorth as was néedfull that men were but the instrumentes onely of his holie spirite For as concerning Moses and all the rest of the Prophetes they approued them selues to be sent of God Insomuch that if we should stande in doubt of their doctrine it were both vnthankfully and wickedly done of vs. Now it is here said That before the Apostles preached the Gospell throughout the world God sent downe his holy spirite vpon them to the ende we might know that they deliuered nothing as from them selues but faithfully distributed the thing which God had commaunded them We sée then to what purpose this present historie must serue our turnes For if we were not assured that the Apostles had as it were become newe men and that God had giuen them a sure and certaine token which declared that he allowed and authorized them what should become of our faith Surely it would be but a running opiniō For thus we might well enough say I think so or it should séeme so But it were impossible for vs to say that we were rightly and firmely grounded stayed theron For what is in man And therfore because this worlde is nothing but vanitie Hebr. 6.9 it is very méet we should according to the saying of the Apostle take Anker hold in heauen Here then we sée how we may ryde out all stormes tempests so that whatsoeuer either the world or the Deuil deuise yet are they not any way able to hurt vs But we shall alwayes haue a sure faith which shal neuer bend one way or other whē we shal take this for a grounded principle That it is God that guideth calleth vs to himself that the doctrine which is taught vs is his pure vndoubted trueth Loe then to what end we must referre the whole summe effect of that which we haue at this present read Forsooth euen to this ende purpose that whē God raised vp this mighty winde his meaning was to declare by a visible signe that he had chosen the twelue Apostles to carry the glad tydings of saluation hither thither In very déed there were at that time but eleuen of them But yet there remained alwayes a full and setled number because that Matthias was placed in Iudas stead Thus we sée that the number was filled vp which was before scattered howbeit this want was but for a litle while as appeareth by the words of Saint Luke in the first Chapiter going before Act. 1.26 Here nowe we sée the full number of the twelue Ambassadours of our Lorde Iesus Christ whom he had before chosen and marked Neuerthelesse it was méete hée should furnish them with graces sufficient and requisite for so high and wonderful a calling Wherefore it was behoueful they should be fashioned and framed from aboue and that God should miraculously worke in them far beyond mans reach and capacitie Now as for the sound of a mightie winde or tempest that shewed that the holy Ghost came not downe vpon the Apostles to make them onely partakers of his graces but also that the whole world should be shaken therwith For it was so spoken of by the Prophet Aggeah in these words After a while saith the Lord Agge 2. I will make heauen earth tremble Which was in déede fulfilled in the preaching of the Gospel We sée then that when the holy Ghost descended that it was not only for a handful of men but he came down to fill all the endes and borders of the worlde For otherwise we shoulde haue had but a colde pull of it as we say if we were not throughly persuaded that God all at one time sent his holy Ghost for vs also for the establishing of our fayth Moreouer God could haue sēt the holie Ghost after a mylder maner if he had listed But let vs note that this sodeine violent winde was to abate the pride of the flesh and againe to waken vs because we are ouer slow and drousie Surely there are two great faultes in vs which hinder our féeling of the power of the spirite of God for the submitting of our selues vnto the Gospell The one is That wee are proude and verie presumptuous Nowe all this must be pulde downe that both great and smal of vs might humbly learn so to worship God as to abase our selues altogether and be contented to liue by him and by his méere fauour grace And therfore it is méete that this pryde which is so déepely rooted in our nature should be violently reformed Because we are ouer much hardened therein On the other side euery mā féeleth such an heauy earthly burthē in himself as that our mindes are altogether occupied nusled in this world To be short we are become so blockish as it were as that we can féele no taste either of God or of the power of his holie spirit without we be wakened spite of our téethes We sée then why it is saide that there arose a tempest as if it had béen a violent or mightie winde Nowe we are to consider in the first place that the holie Ghost descended to shake
vseth these tearmes yet doeth he it only to fit himself vnto the time wherin he was because we shuld not say but that we haue a greater measure of knowledge For to say truely GOD neuer shewed himselfe so manifestly in the olde Testament as hée hath nowe doone to vs by Iesus Christe For where God had appointed the offerings to bée sacrificed in the old Lawe which were but figures and shadowes to bée oftentimes vsed that it might bée séene that men could not come néere vnto God but by the meane of a Mediator wée haue at this present the personall presence of the Mediator himself who once for all hath fulfilled euery thing by his alone Sacrifice And therefore there is nowe no Sacrifice to bée doone for the purging and sanctifiyng of sinnes Mala. 1.11 but onely the Sacrifice of thankesgiuing vnto our GOD who therewith is well pleased through our Lorde Iesus Christe And although it is said in the Scripture that at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christe Altars shoulde bée set vp throughout the whole worlde to Sacrifice vnto the Lorde our God yet must wée leaue the figure and rest in the trueth For inasmuch as the Altar was a signe of the worship of God because it is saide that Sacrifice should bée doone all the worlde through the meaning is that God shoulde vniuersally bee worshipped No doubt of it the Pope with all his Colledge of Cardinalls and all other his deare friendes the Romanistes wyll conclude vppon this place that there must néedes bée Sacrifices had And therefore when they woulde haue their Masse allowed they bring in this testimony of the Scripture Howbeit if it were so as they make themselues beléeue Surely surely they muste néedes conclude that Iesus Christe hath not yet appeared nor that his kingdome is yet come Neuerthelesse wée sée the contrary And therefore séeing the Prophets haue thus said it is not only to shew that God should be vniuersally worshipped in spirite trueth and not in figures Moreouer héere is to bée noted that the saying of Prophesie is not meant by the Prophet to tell of things to come as in the olde time it was taken but the meaning is that whosoeuer shal haue the gift of Prophesie shoulde bée able to teache and apply doctrine to the ende wee might bée brought to the knowledge of the trueth and profite therby And so the promise that was made vnto vs of the cōming of Iesus Christ conteyneth thus much that we should be more déeply séene in heauēly things then heretofore we haue béen For we sée in very déede that S. Paul calleth it the wisdome of God ◠Cor. 2. vnder which all things should be subiect Wée are nowe therefore briefly to conclude vpon all things That as our Lord in sending Iesus Christe his sonne into the worlde to make vnto vs a more liuely assurance of our saluation Euen so by sending vnto vs his holy spirite hée hath made vs greater partakers of his graces then euer hée did before The Prophet Ioel soone after setteth downe in this place That God will doe wonderful things in heauen aboue and signes in the earth belowe blood fire and vapour of smoke that the Sunne shall bee turned into darkenes and the Moone into blood These wordes shewe that greate and maruellous things must come to passe whenas Iesus Christ shall manifest himselfe And why so Forsooth because the the worlde shall then bée changed For they which woulde followe Iesus Christe must wholy alter their nature And therefore is the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe called the latter dayes Moreouer this is not spoken for a day or for a moneth But the Prophet referreth all that is héere spoken vnto the whole time frō the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe vntill the day of iudgement so that wée must inclose the wonders which shall bée doone at the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe from the time of his comming vnto the last day And to say truely the forwarder wee goe the greater thinges will hée doe as wee dayly finde by experience Nowe that we vnderstand the meaning of the Prophete let vs apply the same to our owne vse For where it is said in the first place that God will powre out his spirite vpon all flesh we are to consider that the greatest benefite which we can possibly haue is to bée partakers of the graces of his holy spirite And this is the most excellent gift which God bestoweth vpon vs in respect wherof all the worldly liberalitie which he rendreth vnto vs is nothing For whensoeuer wée are bereaued of this gift Iesus Christe is taken from vs and vntill suche time as wée are clothed with him all whatsoeuer wée doe tendeth to our condemnation Wherefore God saith that we cannot be his children without wee bee bedeawed and sprinkled with his holy spirite Nowe if wee bée not his children wée shall neuer be partakers in the communitie of Iesus Christe For although God offereth vnto vs his graces yet is Iesus Christ nothing vnto vs vntill such time as wée haue receiued the holy Ghoste Let vs then conclude héereupon that vnto the time that wee are partakers of the holy Ghost wée are reprobate and the children of perdition because it is hée which sanctifieth and maketh vs holy in the sight of God So then vntil such time we be as called by the knowledg of the holy scripture which wée can no way haue but by the gift of the holy ghost to lift vp our mindes on high wée are fast tyed to the earth as if it were in Hell And héereupon it is that Saint Paule speaketh when he saith Rom. 8.14 That they which haue receiued the holy Ghost guiding themselues according to the will of God declared in his word are I say the children of God and they without all doubt are the children of the Diuell who following their carnall affections giue themselues ouer to their pleasure and delight Thus we sée how necessary a thing it is for all those that would bee acccounted the children of GOD to haue the knowledge of Gods trueth Moreouer wée cannot excuse our selues if wée receiue not his graces because hée offereth them vnto al but wée are so accursed as that we forsake the benefite which hée would bestowe vpon vs. And héerein is knowne the goodnesse of God to vs warde that although wée striue alwaies against his will yet ceaseth hée not for all that to offer himselfe vnto all as it is héere said by the Prophet That young and olde men and women shal all receiue of one and the selfe same spirite And it is to this end that no man might bée able truely say O Sir I am vtterly vnlearned and therefore it is impossible for one to vnderstand the Scriptures whereby I might receiue the holy ghost Why I beséech you hath God promised vnto the learned alone the grace of his holy spirite to none other Nowe surely this is a very
fall from heauen and other wonderfull signes appeare In verie déede there are some which restraine this vnto the latter day howbeit the Prophet meaneth to speake of all the reigne and dominion of Iesus Christ vntill his comming at the last day to iudge the world And therefore we must apply all the signes whereof the Prophet here speaketh vnto our time For if we considered of the thinges which are come to passe euen since the Gospell hath béen preached in these dayes yet could not be possible but that the verie thinking of them would make the haires of our head stand vpright Surely if we had séene the thinges that were done at the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ we should haue been verie blockish if wée had not been afeard For if we did but rightly consider of the thinges that are continually done euen at this day we should haue matter enough to wonder at And therefore it was not the meaning of the Prophet to signifie for a season the signes that should here appeare at the comming of Iesus Christ For although at his comming hée poured out his great treasures to disperse them abroad vpon all men yet for all that we shall sée merueylous iudgements by reason of the vnthākfulnesse of men who will not receiue the thing that is offred them And to the selfe same purpose serueth that saying of Iesus Christ when hée spake of the destruction of the Temple For marke Mat. 24.3 the Disciples asked him when all these thinges should come to passe and what signe there should be of his comming of the destruction of the worlde for they thought as fondly as the Iewes that the Temple should cōtinue euen vnto consummatiō of the world and that they in the mean while should reigne peaceably like earthly Princes Thus we sée what the question was that they asked notwithstanding that Iesus Christ had no spéech of the last day Now hée answered them thus you shall sée saieth hée merueylous terrible thinges For you make this reckoning that yée shal dwell héere on earth peaceably and rule at your pleasure howbeit yée shall finde it cleane contrarie because there will sodeinely come deceiuers and besides the Deuil will do all hée can to spread false doctrine in euerie place There shal be pestilence warres and famine so that a man would thinke that the world should be turned vpside downe And when you shall sée all these thinges yet is not the ende come For Ierusalem shall be destroyed Wherby hée sheweth that it is so farre of that the Iewes should haue any peaceable life here in this world as that it cannot be chosen but that they must féele the iudgementes of God come vpon them for their vnthankfulnesse which shal soone after be dispersed throughout the face of the whole world And consequently hée goeth on and saieth That after the troubles in those dayes The Sunne should be darkened and the Moone lose her light that the Starres should fall from heauen and all the powers of the heauens be moued Which wordes agrée iust with the saying of the Prophet as if hée should haue said That great troubles shall not onely be séene here below but also if a man did looke vp vnto heauen hée should sée a generall confusion And yet must we not for all that but come for t our selues For although we sée both in heauen and earth many troubles and breaches so that if we went all the world ouer we should sée nothing els but all accursed yet must we take pleasure and delight in the maker of all these thinges This then is the summe and effect of the meaning of the Prophet And this is at this present spoken euen vnto vs For although God visiteth vs and bestoweth his Gospell vpon vs yet doeth hée not it to this end that we should in such sort liue heere as it pleaseth our selues in all ease and delight and be voyde of warre famine and pestilence But wée are aduisedly to consider that when such thinges come to passe and that we sée so great and generall a confusion so that we cannot tell which way to turne vs wee must euen then I say prepare our heartes paciently to abide those afflictions and not thinke them straunge because they light vpon vs for our vnthankfulnesse For the meaning of our good God is to shew him selfe a gentle and louing Father and if we paciently suffer these thinges at his handes it will appeare that hée calleth not vs his good Sonnes for nothing But if we be so rude and vnmannerlie as that we will not take and acknowledge him for our Father is it not méete that hée should correct vs for such a contempt For let vs vnderstande that hée hath as great authoritie ouer vs as any father hath ouer his childe Howbeit he is a Father for euer and therefore when as hée afflicteth vs be it neuer so gréeuously yet must we not dispaire for all that But wée must vnderstande that hée doeth it because we are vnthankfull Wée see then in summe howe we are to consider of the iudgementes of God and that whatsoeuer the Prophets haue foretold is fulfilled euen before our faces And nowe let vs come vnto the comfort which the Prophet setteth downe herevpon which is That whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of God shall bee saued If hée had saide no more but that which went before wée might then in déede haue béene meruellously astonished because it were altogether to discomfort vs but hée setteth downe eftsoones a comfort withall That if we call vpon the name of God we shall bée saued euen amiddest the greatest troubles and dissentions that may bée yea for although hell were readie to swallow vs vp yet haue wée this assured refuge that if we trust in our God and call vpon him wée are out of doubt to be saued When any man is gréeued and troubled then this is the comming of Satan to make him distrust to the ende hée might not come vnto God and call vpon him Howbéeit héere is a great comforte which wée ought to laye holde on to the contrarie in that God appointeth vs no set time to call vpon him so that whensoeuer wée are cast downe as it were into the bottomlesse pyt of hell yet may we euen then call boldly vpon him For as the Propet sayeth That hée which shal call vpon the name of God shall be saued euen so contrariwise he that calleth not vpon him shal be damned yea although he were as in a Paradise For if the verie Angelles did not call on him God might reiect them which is impossible to be done Nowe we may hereby sée that it is impossible for vs to continue here in this world one minute of an houre without we did call vpon the name of God And therefore we ought to call this lesson oftentimes to mynde For the Prophet pronounceth iudgement against all those which call not vpon the name of God in saying That whosoeuer
we to prouoke him against vs vnto whom all maiestie power glory and dominion is giuen to cast down euen into the pit of hell as many as resist him Now if wée throughly cōsidered of this without doubt we would kéepe so good a hand of our selues as that all the fleshly lustes and temptations of the world should neuer bée able to preuaile against vs. Saint Paule also meant to make a comparison betwixt the first comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe and the second Why then doe the wicked and vngodly contemners of the Gospell so boldly lift vp themselues as that they become dissolute and starke staring mad Surely it is because they heare that while Iesus Christe was héere on earth hée tooke vpon him the state of a seruant Phil. 2.7 yea and abased himselfe and Saint Paule saith euen vnto this most shamefull and slaunderous death And because the enimies of God vnderstand such an infirmitie to bée in Iesus Christ they take vpon them to speak thus wickedly and furiously of him as we sée it is euen so howbeit they sée not that as hée suffered as hée was man that hée likewise rose againe through the power of his spirite For hée then in such sort shewed foorth his glory as that both great and small ought to tremble thereat 2. Cor. 13.4 But if these faithlesse people are not able to vnderstand the power that appeared in the resurrection of our Lorde Iesus Christe let them giue eare to that which is héere spoken to wit that hée will come in glory For in his first comming hée appeared contemptible because hée woulde shewe him selfe obedient in our behalfes for that hée was to make satisfaction for our sinnes But at his seconde comming hée will come to bée our iudge Hée was iudged and condemned that wée might bée deliuered from the iudgement seate of God and bée pardoned of all our sinnes Then will hée not questionlesse come in such humble sort but will come with his angels in glory And this is the meaning which Saint Paule woulde haue vs note to the ende the wicked and faithlesse might not take occasion to contemn this his last comming vnder colour the Iesus Christe once appeared as hée was man like vnto vs and was made like vnto a worme of the earth as it is saide in the Psalme and as Isaiah sayeth hée was disfigured from toppe to toe all to wounded and that for our redemption For since hee accomplished that which the iustice of God required there remayned nothing but that hee shoulde shewe himselfe in this glory which was appointed for him For wée knowe as Saint Paule sayeth That hée hath giuen him a name aboue all names Phil. 2.9 that al the Creatures in Heauen Earth and Hell should bowe vnto him that euery thing shoulde tremble at his excellent Maiestie which also the despisers of his Gospell shoulde well know to their paine though late first Thus wee see what the Apostle Saint Paul his pretense is when hee sayeth That his comming shall bee fearefull Let vs also eftsoones mark that which followeth That he shall come to appeare meruellous and to be glorified in his Saintes Now it is not for nothing that Saint Paule setteth downe this saying for what are wee that wée shoulde be able to abide the presence of the Sonne of God whenas hee shall come in flambing fier And therefore when hee shall come with an incomprehensible power Alas must not we néedes melt before him as Snowe before the Sunne and come to nothing Loe howe we shoulde bee caste downe whenas wée doe but onely heare the heauenly glory of Iesus Christe spoken of But Saint Paule sheweth vs that if wée bee of the faithfull sorte that we must not be afraide at the appearing of our Lorde Iesus Christe neither yet waxe sorowfull and melancholike at the brightnesse of his Maiestie And why so Because sayeth hée hee will bee glorified and made wonderfull in his Saintes As if he shoulde haue saide that the mention which he before made of the flambing fier and of the horror and feare was not to discourage the faithfull ones as though they desired not the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ and as though they helde not vp their heads as often as they hearde it spoken of because hée shall come to redéeme them And this is a doctrine which is very common in the holy Scriptures to wit that our Lord ioyneth these two thinges together That hee will come to be reuenged of his enimies and to deliuer his people that hee will come to saue al those that haue serued and honored him and to cast downe and confounde all those who haue hardened them selues againste him and his worde Let vs nowe then kéepe in minde that this terrible description which héere before hath béene set downe is not to make vs sorowfull and melancholike But rather to make vs ioyfull and glad whenas wée sée what loue and fauour God beareth vs. Beholde our Lorde Iesus Christe will come and that terribly And wherfore will hée do so Forsooth euen to throwe downe headlong all his enimies and to take vengeance of al the shames and afflictions which we haue abidden How so I beséech you Are wee worthie that the Sonne of God should powre out his Maiestie shewe himselfe so terribly against all his creatures for our causes No without doubt But yet will hée doe so forsomuch as he loueth vs This then is it which I haue alreadie said that we might be comforted when as we heare it saide That the Sonne of God will come so horribly and fearefully For herein he effectually sheweth the infinite loue hee beareth vs in that hee spareth not his power and Maiestie to take vengeance of all the wrongs which haue béene done to vs. Neuerthelesse we shall neuer be able to féele the sauour of it without this thing be obserued which Saint Paule namely setteth downe in this place to wit that our Lorde Iesus Christ will not come to be onely reuenged of his enemies and of all such as haue been enimies vnto his Gospel but also To bee glorified and made wonderfull in his saints and in those which haue beleeued Nowe whenas Sainte Paul did set downe this it is asmuch as if he had saide that hee would come to make vs partakers of his glory That whatsoeuer is in him worthie reuerence and honor all that I say shall be communicated vnto vs. To be short S. Paule saieth That our Lorde Iesus Christ shall not come him selfe alone and kéepe his glorie to him selfe but to the end it might be poured out vpon all the members of his bodie And for this cause we sée it is saide in the Collossians That our life lyeth nowe hid Col. 3. 3. but that it shall appeare at the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ And therefore hée shall not come perticulerly for him selfe and for his owne glorie alone but rather that we might be partakers therof and not
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
and vaine speculations and by a certaine deuilish boldnesse For when the question hath béene to handle these matters men haue ouerwhelmed them selues in as much as they ment besides the reuelatiō of the doctrine to search out with a certain curiositie boldnes the eternal essence and being of Almightie God as a man in the Papacie shall heare disputations that are made thereof euen as if men disputed of a flocke of Goates or I know not whereof They haue no more reuerence to God thē to a beast Now we néede not séeke out a better witnesse against the doctrine of the Sophisters of Sorbone to know that the Deuill raigneth there Sorbone is the name of the place wher the brotherhood of the Sorbonists doe yet remaine to this day in Paris and hath alwayes raigned there thē this And this I say that albeit their doctrine were not false yet so it is that when men sée they haue so litle reuerence and regard to Gods maiestie we must néeds say that it is a deuilish doctrine euē that I mean which is at this day practised by the Sophisters Sorbonists in all the Popes Colledges So then let vs as I haue saide content our selues with that simplicitie which is declared vnto vs by the holy spirite for he toucheth and speaketh of that which is good profitable for our saluation and as I haue alreadie declared he hath heere brought and deliuered vnto vs that which was méete fit for vs to knowe Iam. 1.17 Rom. 11.29 Let vs come now to this true word When S Iohn calleth Iesus Christ That word it is as if he should say the eternall counsell of God or the wisdome that remaineth in him Notwithstanding we must marke that God is not like to men when we haue a Counsell it may alter and chaunge but it is not so with God for that which is in God is vnchaungeable Besides the counsell which we haue Though man be wauering yet God is constant Iames 1.17 is not our verie Essence or substance but the counsell which is in God is verely truly God for God is not as a vaile or couerture wher ther are shadowy places as S. Iam. vseth this similitude we are as a shadowe that flitteth vp and downe and we cannot abide firme and constant But this is not in God for that which is in him is of his essence and eternitie And this is the cause wherfore S. Iohn declareth that this word is verely and truely God But as concerning the worde wee must not as I haue alreadie saide imagine a counsell or a wisedome in God which should be like to the worde of men True it is that we may well take some comparison from our selues but yet we ought alwayes to marke the long distance and great difference An apt similitude that is betwéene vs and God for if the heauens be much higher than the earth much more must it néedes be that we should knowe and confesse that God is more high than we yea there is no proportion or resemblance as it were betwéene God and men So then when men shall bring or alledge vnto vs some similitude taken from the creatures wée must alwayes marke this great distance difference There are two partes or powers of a mans soule to wit vnderstanding and will See his Institut Lib 1. Cap. 15. Sect. 5.7 which is betwéene God and vs. As a man may verie well say that in the soule of a man there is a certaine vnderstanding which is in such sort ioyned to the soule that the soule cannot be without vnderstanding There is also a will not as when we haue nowe one desire nowe another but a certaine power as a man would say to wil which thing man hath in him self for man is not as a stone or as a pile of wood without sense and reason but he hath imprinted in him this propertie to will this or that So then we may take and vse such similitudes but yet notwithstanding we must consider that spéech is here had of so high thinges as of necessitie all mans vnderstanding and wit must be abased and brought low and we must handle them and intreate of them in all humilitie applying them to their true meaning Curiositie and vaine imaginations must be auoided must not be ouer curious we then haue that fonde imagination which hath borne swaye and ruled heretofore in the worlde but we must come to Gods schoole to hearken to that which he shall speake vnto vs and to flye from al that which men shall set out Gods voice must onely be obeied and shal be founde contrarie to that which the holie Ghost hath left vs. Nowe furthermore we must also marke that some hauing been thrust forwarde by the deuill haue peruerted the meaning of this doctrine affirming that this worde was nothing els A perillous opinion confuted but some certaine counsell deliberation and purpose that God had to redéeme mankinde in the person of Iesus Christ who was a certaine forme as they call him as when a man shal haue purposed to doe some worke and shall haue conceaued the same in his spirite or vnderstanding leauing not by so saying euerlastingnes of essence or being to the sonne of God But we sée alreadie shall sée héereafter more largely how and in what sort S. Iohn calleth Iesus Christe that worde of God thereby to declare set out his deitie as I haue alredy said And that so it is behold a plaine testimonie of God himselfe for he saeith that this worde was in the beginning so then it must néedes be that it hath béen eternall euerlasting It is true that some will replie against it because Moses saith Gen. 1. ◠that God in the beginning created heauen earth and that now S. Iohn saith that this word was in the beginning that it séemeth hereby séeing that so it is that the heauen the earth other creatures had a beginning that we cannot proue the eternitie or euerlastingnes of Iesus Christ because it is saide that the worde was in the beginning But the answere is easie to wit that when Moses speaketh of the beginning An obiection answered we are to remember mark whereof he speaketh that is of heauen of earth other things that haue indéede a beginning But now let vs weigh and marke that which S. Iohn saith In the beginning saith he was that word And where was the beginning verely in God And what is Gods beginning I pray you Certainely he had none for otherwise it must néeds be that God should be framed made So that when mention is made of the beginning of God we must conclude that it is such a beginning as hath not any time at al. There is then much to be sayd and great difference also betwene Moses his place when he saith Iesus Christ i◠our God eternall 1. Tim. 3.16 that God created all
in the beginning and this when it is said that that worde was in the beginning For Moses speaketh of the creatures which had their beginning to be at a certaine time But héere S. Iohn speaketh not of any thing but of God which cannot be without his eternitie and euerlastingnes Wherefore we must conclude that this beginning hath not any beginning And héereby wée sée that Iesus Christe hath béen alwaies It is as much then as if Saint Iohn had saide that Iesus Christ is our eternall God who hath appeared béen made manifest vnto vs in the flesh as also Saint Paul speaketh therof Now he addeth afterwards this word was with God as if hee shoulde say you must of necessitie separate and distinguishe him from all creatures Marke the purpose of the Euangelist We must not so much as imagine saith hée that this word had any thing at all like vnto creatures wée must go out of the world wée must ascend aboue the earth heauen A hard question answered when we thinke vpon this word A man might demaund Before there was either heauen or earth was it possible that this word should be in the beginning yea in déede for S. Iohn for a ful answere separateth this worde from all the creatures as if hée should say when I speake vnto you of this worde you must come to God for it is in God Let vs then regard and coÌ„sider it as a certaine eternitie or euerlastingnesse which is not in the creatures neither in the heauen nor in the earth nor in any thing whatsoeuer And notwithstanding all this yet so it is that the Euangelist in this place setteth out vnto vs a distinction betwéene God and his worde The father distincted from the sonne not in essence but in person 1. Cor. 8.4.6 1. Tim. 2.5 And what maner a one is this distinction It is not of their essence for he meaneth alwayes that this word is God wée must conclude séeing that we haue but one onely God and that there is but one simple essence or being in him that Iesus Christ that is to say this eternall word whereof mention is made in this place hath not béene separated or sundred from God his father in respect of essence and yet notwithstanding there is some distinction And howe is that then thus it is because we are not able to comprehend that which is so high aboue al our vnderstanding and reason Howe there are three persons in the Godhead the auncient Doctors haue vsed the word persons haue saide that in God there are thrée persons not as we speake in our common spéeche calling thrée men thrée persons or els as in the Popedome they wil be so bold as to point thrée Puppets or Munkeyes and say Loe the Trinitie but this worde persons in this matter is vsed plainly to expresse and set out the proprieties that are in the essence of God The word substance or as the Gréekes speake Hypostasis is in déede more méete and conuenient because it is a worde of holie scripture and the Apostle vseth it in the first Chapiter of his Epistle to the Hebrewes Hebr. 1.3 when hée saieth that Iesus Christ is the liuely image and the brightnesse of the glorie yea the image or ingraued forme of the substance or person of God his Father When he speaketh in that place of the substaunce or person of God hée meaneth not the essence or béeing but hée speaketh of his proprietie which is in the father to wit that he is the fountaine of al things But now let vs looke to their thrée substances or persons as we call them Gods worde onely must be the rule of our faith in all pointes but specially in the article of the Trinitie and marke howe they accord and agrée so farfoorth as God teacheth vs concerning them as I haue alreadie said for we must not at any hand go beyond these bounds and limittes And therefore let vs haue an eye thereto so farfoorth as shal be requisite for the exposition of the place When men speake of God true it is that men of them selues are confounded and knowe not what to thinke or imagine sauing that they goe astraie in their owne cogitations and thoughtes Rom. 1.21 as Saint Paule saieth and therevppon it falleth out that they waxe thereof ouer proude through their owne prudencie and wisedome and therefore GOD also doeth in suche sort punishe them that they intangle them selues in such horrible labyrinthes and mazes that they can not at any hand come out But when we will suffer God to guide vs vnto him selfe by the holie scripture we shall knowe him so farfoorth as shal be necessarie and méete for vs. The Trinitie prooued For we shall come to the father as to the fountaine of all thinges and then wée can not conceiue or think vpon the father without his counsel and eternall wisedome besides there is a certaine vertue power that remaineth in him which we shall also perceiue féele verie well Marke then how we shal finde these 3. proprieties in the essence of God And this is that which S. Iohn meÌ„t to say in this place that that word was with God If there were not some distinction hée could not speake so for that should be to speake vnproperly to say God was with him self So then let vs know that this word hath some distinction and is indéed to be distinguished from the heauenly father for it is that worde Christ begotten from before all beginnings that was begotten from before all time séeing that God alwayes had his counsell and his wisdome And we must not for all that so much as imagine or thinke vpon a beginning for we may not say that God hath at any time béene without his vnderstanding counsell and wisedome So then wée must not set aside and separate from God the proprietie of this word as to say that we could iudge The Trinitie destroieth not the vnitie neither doeth the vnitie infringe the Trinitie Gregor Naziâ—n sermo de sacro Basil that there had béen some certaine time wherein it had not béene with God for this should bée to make an idole of it as it were But as I haue said the thrée persons are but one God yet for all that we must distinguish them because there is a certain assured distinction of them as is in this place declared And withall let vs remember an old Doctours sentence which is verie worthie to be thought vpon because it is excellent I cannot saith he thinke vpoÌ„ these thrée proprieties the are set out vnto me in God but the immediatly my vnderstanding commeth backe againe to one on the other side it is impossible for me to know one only God but that I regard looke vpoÌ„ al the thrée proprieties sée theÌ„ distinguished in mine own vnderstaÌ„ding according to the light which is geueÌ„ me therof in the holy scripture
eyes shut Act. 17.27.28 yet so it is that we may know this power of God And howe so Because it is here within vs. In whō is it that we liue that we haue our moouing and being It is in God who hath breathed life into vs by whom we subsist or stand This thē is that which S. Iohn sheweth vs saying that all things were made by it By this we know that that worde of God hath béene from the beginning who also is our God God applieth himselfe to our rudenesse And how know we this Certainely we cannot climbe so high and therefore God is come down euen vnto vs God I say with that his word so that we may knowe him And albeit that our vnderstanding stretcheth not it selfe so far neither yet is able to ascende aboue the cloudes yet so it is that wée are constrained to knowe that this worde is truely God And how so Because all things were made by it In it is it then that all thinges haue béen as the Apostle Paule in his Epistle to the Hebrues sheweth the same Hebr. 1.2 Hebr. 11.3 Wee confesse saieth hée that the word of God is eternall and euerlasting And why so Because so it is that by this word all thinges were made And this is also the same that S. Paule speaketh in the 17. Chap. of the Actes of the Apostles Act. 17.24 Act. 14.17 that God hath not manifested himself vnto vs without a large testimony witnesse because we may behold him in all his creatures So then in as much as al things were made by his word He meneth Seruetus his adherents as I take it See Institut Lib. 1. Gap 13. Sec. 7.8.23 Ge◠1.3 we must know that he is our eternall God There are certaine Heretiques that suppose that this worde of God had beginning in the creation of the worlde because there was neuer any spéech had of the worde vntill suche time as the worlde was created As Moyses saith God saide let there be light and the light was made c. Nowe they woulde inferre héere vpon that that worde then beganne Is it so we may rather contrariwise by that conclude that that worde is eternall For if a man begin to doe some thing we can not therevppon say that hée was not before that If this be true in creatures what will it be when wée shall come to God So then albeit that worde of God hath not spread abroade and made manifest the power therof before the creation of the world yet none can thervpon conclude that it was not already before that time And this is that which S. Iohn ment to set out declare by this manner of spéech wherin it is said that al things were made by this word Moreouer let vs marke A good 〈◊〉 which ought well to be remembred Rom. 11.36 that when we speake of God the Father and of his worde we say then that God made all thinges whatsoeuer and that by his worde and this word by is attributed onely vnto Iesus Christ True it is that when we speak of God singly and by himselfe and without distinction of the persons we may well say that all thinges are by and from God but when there is a distinction as in this place there is behold then the proprietie which belongeth and agreeth to Iesus Christ to wit that al things were made by him And this is that distinction of persons which I haue alreadie spoken of that is that all things are of God the father but that Iesus Christ is the meane thereof Marke then what S. Iohn ment as if hée should say that God by his worde hath made all things Wherefore God sheweth that hée is the fountaine of them all and that it must néedes bée that hée shoulde make and create all thinges but yet by the meane and power of that his woorde And without it nothing was made of that which was made Saint Iohn commeth héere to repeate the same Sentence Two causes of S. Iohns repetition not onely because it is his custome to repeate one and the selfe same thing after two sorts but also by reason of mens ingratitude vnthankfulnesse For albeit that it is saide vnto them that God made all thinges by his worde yet they doe not at the first conceiue vnderstand or beléeue the same Wée sée that Gods Creatures touch vs not to the quicke and that we are so dull and so blockish in our vnderstanding that we are notable to comprehend these things euen in such plaine and simple sort as they are propounded and set out vnto vs. Wherfore S. Iohn that he might the better expresse the same vnto vs addeth without it nothing was made of that which was made The dulnesse of mans wit in Gods matters should teach vs true humilitie As if he should say Surely we are accursed if we doe not receiue this eternall word of God séeing that by it is that wée haue béene created yea that all the worlde hath béene made the heauen the starres and the earth which bringeth foorth for vs our foode and nourishment to be short that all good thinges haue béen giuen vs by the meanes of this word So then séeing wée perceiue that our life procéedeth from thence wée must wholy kéepe our selues fast thereto and cast from vs all that that men will set before vs to the contrarie This is here a double exposition in respect of the placing of the words not that they are changed but because wée haue diuersly disposed and placed them Our sort read it thus That by that word all thinges were made We must heede◠looke howe woordes and matters are placed in the scripture and that without it nothing was made and ende there their sentence afterwards they adde All that which was made was life in it But this declaration is not aptly set It is true that the sense which they giue is in déede almost all one for they haue in a maner the same exposition that we haue but the maner of speech is verie straunge for it is not saide of the creatures that they are life but that is attributed vnto God Rom. 8.10 as Saint Paule saieth in his Epistle to the Romans that the Spirite is life by reason of the fréedome that hath béene bestowed vpon vs by Iesus Christ To be short though wée shall viewe all the holie Scripture yet wée shall neuer finde that it is saide There is a double life euen in this life Act. 17.28 that wée are life in our selues but that God only hath life and that not onely the spirituall life but euen that life from which all things haue their being and by which wée liue and that we haue life and breath in him as I haue alreadie alleadged out of S. Paules saying And by this we sée the trueth of this sentence to wit that nothing of all that which was made was made without that
worde of God And this is the order of the reading that hath béen found and obserued in all the most old Gréeke Doctors and other expositors The Manichees and their opinion confuted neither was there any but one alone that hath otherwise expounded it Furthermore we haue to note that the Manichees laboured to peruert and wrest this place saying All that was made in him was life to prooue their foolish opinions as that all creatures had life in them and were liuing for example Stones Trées Corne Otes All this in their fantasie was liuing insomuch that they durst not eate bread vnlesse they were sanctified of God before hande And wherefore hée must be good that eateth this woulde they say The Deuill certainly possessed them and yet notwithstanding they would alledge places of Scripture The Deuil and his instrumētes do continually wrest the scriptures and abuse them to prooue their foolish speculations withall Now I ment in déede to touch this by the way to declare that the Deuill hath alwayes indeuoured to peruert wrest and wring the holie Scripture but whatsoeuer it be if wée search and séeke after Gods trueth wée shall finde it pure and simple as it is and the Deuill shall not be able to deuise or perfourme any thing against it or vs to turne vs away from it because it is shewed and set out vnto vs before our eyes and it shall appertaine to none but to vs if wée will beholde it in his puritie and kéepe it in such sort as God hath reuealed the same vnto vs. Then let vs come to the naturall meaning After that Saint Iohn had said That nothing was made of that which was made without this worde Hée addeth That in it was life Nowe héere hée mindeth to set out two diuers thinges that is to say that as all was once created by the power of that worde of God so all thinges continue and are preserued by that power and by the same meane Two thinges worthie to be marked And these are two matters which it behooueth vs wel to consider and way The one that we haue our beginning and life by this word the other that we are vpholden and mainteined therby and that not wée onely but all the worlde Also that the worlde was not onely created at the beginning by this word but also that it should bée no more nor continue any longer vnlesse it were preserued in it owne estate by the same meane And therefore as I haue saide let vs marke and kéepe fast All things in the world are vphelde by Christ these two thinges as they are in this place pointed out vnto vs with the finger by S. Iohn In the first place then hée declareth vnto vs That nothing of that which was made was made without this worde And howe then Mindeth hée to accept I know not what that was not made Séemeth it that he would say that the Angels were not created No no he meaneth no such thing but mindeth to declare that we haue nothing at all which dependeth not wholy of God and hath not it being altogether in him Touching Angels It is true that the Angels haue a very noble and excellent nature but yet notwithstanding they subsist and haue their being by this word and are founded in it otherwise they could not cōtinue and abide As also there is nothing in the world but it is preserued by this verie word Now here we are taught and instructed howe great our pouertie and wretchednesse would be vnlesse that God vphelde vs by his grace And this is it that the Psalmist speaketh that so soone as God shal withdraw his spirit from vs Psal 104 29. beholde we returne to pouder and dust and vanish away altogether It is true that he speaketh in that place of creatures bodely things but so it is that we sée how all the rest also is vpholden by the vertue and power of this word Now euen as we cannot subsist or be but by that word of God so we must likewise marke that it is by the meanes thereof that we haue begun to haue life And who is hée that declareth the same vnto vs The Euangelist This is also the selfe same which the Apostle saith in the first Cap. to the Hebrues that the sonne of God is the brightnesse of the glory Hebr. 1.3 or the image of his substance and person of God his Father and that he vpholdeth all thinges by his worde Hée vseth there the worde worde but yet in such a signification that hée meaneth not onely the power of the sonne of God but also a certaine wonderfull disposition a verie fit and séemely order which hée hath set in the thinges created because he is the wisdom of God we may behold him in al the creatures because he vpholdeth al things by his vertue and power Marke then how we haue life moouing and after the first day of our life we continue in the same to wit because that God preserueth vs Mans life and the continuance thereof is from God alone for in respect of our selues we must néedes perishe euerie minute of an houre if this were not that that word of God mainteineth vs. Behold then in what sense the Euangelist saieth that that word was life that is that not onely all thinges were made by it but that they must of necessitie also be grounded therevpon and that it mainteine them in their being Nowe he addeth afterwards that that life was that light of men And wherefore is it that hée addeth this It is for two causes The first is that after that we haue knowne the might of God and the power of that his word both on high and beneath and euerie where we must then come to our selues for this is good reason that we should and that with a greater diligence beholde that which toucheth vs verie nigh As how I ought to knowe Gods goodnesse in this that hée preserueth Horses and Oxen as Dauid speaketh to vs therof Psal 36.6 Psalm 104.27 Gen. 1 1◠saying that it is hée that giueth nourishment and foode to euerie beast I sée on the other side the Earth which by the commaundement and blessing of God bringeth foorth her fruites If I looke thē vpon beastes I ought to knowe the goodnesse of God which declareth it selfe euen towards Asses Dogs but much more towards mée God commeth to mée that I might inwardly féele his power hée giueth mée bread wherewith I am nourished and ought I not to be touched to the quicke for so many benefits blessinges It is true that I should Besides also when men set out Gods workes they speak expresly of men Gods power appeareth specially in man because that God doth set out his most great excellent power rather in vs then in other creatures God then wil in déed be magnified both in heauen in earth and in all his workes that we sée but
withall he beginneth to prepare vs to that which hee will speake afterward that is to say to what ende this word which is Iesus Christ was sent vs of God his father that is The mysterie of our redemption very great and needfull to the end he might be manifested in the flesh for our saluation He ment then to declare howe greate the mystery of our redemption was and what neede wée had of it in saying that wee haue not comprehended the brightnesse that was in vs as if hee shoulde say It could nothing at all haue profited vs to haue the light that shineth in vs vnlesse we had withall béene redéemed and that this worde had executed and performed the loue of God towarde vs in repairing his image The light of our owne miserie is a good meane to make vs feele the mysterie of our redemption which was defaced in vs through our sinne and wholie disfigured in the first man Marke I say howe Saint Iohn mindeth to prepare vs to know the effect of our redemption and besides hée ment also to shewe vnto vs how that the word of God declareth it selfe in his creatures in as much as all things are preserued by his strength and power And withall hée exhorteth vs to knowe and confesse the graces that God hath bestowed vpon vs more excellent in déede than vpon other creatures to the ende wée might magnifie and prayse him The endes of our light and knowledge moreouer to knowe that séeing hée hath from the beginning imprinted his owne liuely image in vs and hath made vs féele his power it is good reason wée should learne to holde our selues fast to this worde and to confesse both generally and particularly the good thinges that God hath done for mankinde to the ende that the light which hée hath plentifully communicated vnto vs of his grace and goodnesse onely may not be quenched or put out through our malice but that Iesus Christ may in such sort dwell in the middest of vs that being guided and gouerned by the holie Ghost wée may haue such accesse to the father that hée may at the length bring vs into his heauenly glorie Thus I haue handled these thinges as shortly as was possible for mée What men should looke at in expounding the scripture respecting alwayes to touch the marke wherat the Euangelist in this place aimeth notwithstanding if there bee any thing that hath béene omitted because a man can not remember all let euerie one speake thereof that which God shall haue giuen him in that behalfe and if there be any doubt propound the matters to the ende that putting them out they may be made cleare and manifest and that the Church of God may therby bée more and more edified when thinges shall not remaine in doubt but shall be vnderstood according to their true meaning after that wée shall haue disputed and reasoned vpon them as is séemely and according to God and godlinesse A Sermon of the birth of our Lorde Iesus Christ Luke Cap. 2. 1 ANd it came to passe in those dayes that there was a commaundement from Augustus Caesar that all the world should be taxed 2 This first taxing was made when Cyrenius was Gouernor of Syria 3 Therefore all went to bee taxed euerie man to his owne Citie 4 And Ioseph also went vp from Galilee out of a Citie called Nazareth into Iudea vnto the Citie of Dauid which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and linage of Dauid 5 To be taxed with Mary that was giuen him to wife which was with childe 6 And so it fell out that while they were there the dayes were accomplished that shee should be deliuered 7 And she brought foorth her first begotten Sonne wrapped him in swadling cloathes and laide him in a manger because there was no roume for them in the Inne 8 And there were in the same countrey shepheardes abiding in the fielde and keeping watch by night because of their flocke 9 And loe the Angell of the Lorde came vpon them and the glorie of the Lord shoane about them and they were sore afraide 10 Then the Angell saide vnto them be not afraide for behold I bring you tydinges of great ioy that shall be to all people 11 That is that vnto you is borne this day in the Citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. 12 And hee shall be a signe to you yee shall finde the childe swadled and laide in a Maunger 13 And straightway there was with the Angel a multitude of heauenly souldiers praysing God and saying 14 Glorie be to God in the high heauens peace in earth and towardes men good will WE knowe beloued in the Lorde that all our felicitie ioy peace is this euē to be conioyned knit together with the sonne of God for as he is our head so are we likewise his body and do also receiue from him our life health and all whatsoeuer blessednesse else And beside we see in very déede howe miserable our estate should be if wée can not to him to be preserued vnder his protection But by the way we are neuer able to attaine and reach so high séeing we are scarcely able to crawle vpō the ground without he were alredie come néere vnto vs by reason of his birth who hath taken vpon him our flesh and is therby become our brother Neither could we at this present flye vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ sitting at the right hand of God his father 1. Tim. 2. 5. Isaiah 7.14 Math. 1.23 in the glory of the heauens without he had abased himself to become a mortal man his estate condition to become also like vnto ours And here we may likewise sée why the name of man was giuen vnto him whē as hée is called the Mediatour betwéene God and man and so by the selfe fame reason is called Immanuel which is as much to say as God with vs. And therefore as often as wée séeke to be relieued and eased of our miseries by our Lord Iesus Christ and to make him our sure and vndoubted defence wee must first of all begin at his birth Nowe wee are not onely here taught that he was made man like vnto vs but was also so despised and made of so smal account as that he was scarcely taken to be named among the number of men For he was as it were banished denied all harboure and company and was lodged in a Stable and laide in Manger Since thē it is thus let vs here acknowledge that Gods of his goodnesse hath bountifullie spreade abroade his infinite treasures when as hee woulde in this sorte abase his deare Sonne for our sakes And let vs also acknowledge that our Lorde Iesus Christ hath so suffred for vs as that so often as wée séeke him we néede neuer to goe verie farre about to finde him nor yet to vnite our selues truly vnto him For for that cause was he
the first place which is wée muste séeke all our ioy in Iesus Christe For to say the trueth when as wee are full of delightes and voluptuousnesse it is without question wée will bathe our selues in all pleasures and yet yf wée bée not too too drowsie yea altogether blockishe our consciences will neuer bée quiet but bée tormented without ende and measure For this worme whereof the Scripture speaketh will gnawe vs our sinnes will checke vs and wee shall féele that God of very right is vtterly against vs and our professed enimie And therefore cursed are all the ioyes of the worlde because they shall bée turned into gnashing of téeth vntill suche time as wée are an attonement with God Cursed then are all ioyes all honours and all thinges els that are to bée desired vntill wée féele Gods mercy vppon vs and when wée are thus reconciled vnto him wée may not onely reioyce with an earthly ioy but with that ioye whiche is namely promised in the holy Ghoste to the ende wée might looke for the same in him Nowe peace and ioy are thinges whiche cannot bee separated For howe can it bée that we should haue any thing wherein to ioy when as wée sée our selues compassed about with so many miseries And besides when wée sée our selues cursed in Adam The children of wrath and God being our iudge armed to execute vengeance to the throwing of vs downe into the bottomlesse depth what ioy is it possible for vs to conceiue who stande in suche a desperate estate And surely when wée thinke héereon It cannot bée that wée shoulde bée onely tormented with vnquiet mindes but also bée oppressed with the horrour of Hell fier which surpasseth all the griefes of this worlde except surely the Diuell hath bewitched vs as many wée sée which ceasse not héerein to make themselues mery although they bée at open defiance euen with God himselfe But if wee had but one droppe of féeling within vs without doubt wée shoulde alwaies liue in torment vntyll such time as wée finde God to shewe himselfe mercifull vnto vs. And therefore this peace must goe before that wée are fully assured that God alloweth vs for his children and that because hee imputeth not our sinnes vnto vs. Nowe are wée in this sorte at peace with God And if wée bée so then surely wée haue wherefore to reioyce yea euen with God according to that which I haue alreadie touched For the very Infidelles haue a certaine kinde of peace that is to say They are so sensles as that they make no reckoning of the iudgement of God yea they are euen angrie with him but it is not with God For they neuer are at peace and rest without it bée when they forget both God themselues become altogether brutish howbeit S. Paul exhorteth vs to be at peace with God Rom. 5.2 that is to say to looke vnto him search how wée may be at peace that is wee drawing néere vnto him are certaine sure of his loue But how shal this bée doone forsooth euen by the forgiuenesse of our sinnes through the loue which hée beareth vs in our Lord Iesus Christe Let vs héere now note that the peace which the Angels of heauen preached at this time brought this ioy whereof the first Angel made mention saying Beholde I bring you tydinges of great ioy that is The saluation which you haue in Iesus Christ For hée is called our peace and this title declareth vnto vs that wée should bée altogether separated from God without he receiued vs by the meanes of his onely sonne Moreouer héereon wée haue also wherfore to glory when God alloweth vs for his children and giueth vs leaue to claime him with open mouth as our father to come fréely vnto him and in him to haue our refuge Let vs héerevpon gather by the way that God hath so appointed his Gospell to bée preached by the mouth of men as yet notwithstanding the Angelles haue gone before them and leade them the way True it is that at this day the Churche must bée taught by the meane of mortall creatures But howe euer it is this is no straunge thing that wee bring but doe onely recite the preaching of the Angelles of heauen and that of no smale number neither but of an infinite multitude and of an huge armie Moreouer wée cannot but néedes bée inflamed to magnifie our God whenas wée are throughly certified of his goodnesse Sée nowe why these two things are ioyned together that the Angels exhort all the worlde to glorifie GOD it is because hée gaue suche a peace vppon the earth wee inioy therefore the benefite which God hath largely bestowed vpon vs by the meane of our Lorde Iesus Christe his onely sonne And hée hath taken the possession of this peace to the ende our prayses might bée heard to the heauens pearse the cloudes and that all the world might resound this songe The Lorde bée blessed and magnified for euer Héerevpon wée are to gather that our mouthes must alwaies bée stopped and that wée can neuer praise God vntill suche time as hée hath caused vs to féele his great goodnesse For to say truely how is it possible for miserable sinners to blesse and magnifie the name of God so long as they haue that trouble of conscience that they knowe not whether God loueth or hateth them But contrariwise their mouthes by reason of their griefes must néedes be fast closed vp so that they are not once able to open their lippes And therefore muste GOD let vs so vnderstande in very good earnest the loue hee beareth vs as that wee may bée fully assured that hee is alwaies our Father and then shall wee haue wherefore to blesse his name But as wée cannot possibly in trueth praise God vntill such time as hee hath declared vnto vs his bountie euen so let vs also learne not to haue a dead and idle faith but when wée sée that he hath bountifully bestowed vpon vs the great treasures of his mercie let our mouth then doe his office in stirryng vp it selfe to blesse his name and let our whole life also answere the same For this is the very right signe Euery of vs must conscecrate himself to the true seruice worship of God because we knowing that hée hath so dearely bought vs ought by good reason to bestow all our thoughts déedes in the blessing magnifying of his most holy glorious name And that when we acknowledge ourselues to bée in very déede his wée might vnderstande that it procéedeth of his frée mercy and goodnesse that it hath so pleased him to accept vs vnto himselfe And therefore this saying is not set downe without cause That peace is graunted to men not for any desert or for that wée haue purchased the same but because it pleased God For the spéeche which Saint Luke vseth importeth this much that wée must séek after none other reason why our Lord Iesus Christe appeared to
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
so hainous an offence as appeareth by his repentance For this is most sure that if a man be touched to the quicke after hee hath fallen and wéepeth and growneth before God for his pardon it is a token that God hath already receiued him and reconciled him vnto him selfe For repentaunce is a singuler gift procéeding from the holy Ghost shewing vs that god is mercyfull vnto vs would not haue vs to perish but draweth vs vnto him self And this we sée to be in Peter wherfore it foloweth that the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ was already available vnto him after a wonderful maner as hath bene before saide But let vs héere in the first place note that S. Peter aboad still sleepy and blockishe vntill such time as he perceiued the token which our Lord Iesus had tolde him of to wit that the Cock should not crow till he had denied him thrise or els that the Cocke should not crow the second time before Peter had made his thrée denials Since then it is so if our Lord Iesus Christ had not forewarned him he had stoode styff in his sin bene plunged alwaies in destructiō knowing that we had neede to be stil called vpon whēas we haue commited any offence For if God should take away his grace from vs not exhort vs to turne vnto him without doubte Satan would preuent vs and al our sences would become blockish so that we should haue no one good motiō to returne into the way of saluation And this is it which we are ouer besides to beholde in the person of Peter But when S. Luke telleth the Iesus Christ looked on him we are héereby the better taught that it is not enough that we be pricked forward and be pulled by the eare to returne vnto God but Iesus christ must also cast his looke countenance vpon vs. Now this is true that he speaketh not heere but of the looke of the eyes but although our Lord Iesus be not conuersaunt which vs in a visible maner yet without doubt vntil such time as he casteth his eie vpon vs we shal be altogether dulled in our sinnes neuer think ether of wéeping or groning although wee haue prouoked the wrath of God although he hath bent his bow and drawn his sword yet wyll we still be negligent vntil such time as our Lorde Iesus christ causeth vs to féele that he hath not forgotten vs would not haue vs perish but wyll draw vs out of destruction And to proue this to be so we dayly heare Sermons by which we are exhorted to repentaunce but how are we touched with them nether were there euer any mo admonitions and besides doo not al thē creatures of God stirre vs vp to come vnto him surelye if there were but one drop of wisdome in our mindes would not the very rising of the Sunne call vs to an acknowledgement of the worship of God And besides if we beholde how the earth and the Elements doo their duties and the beastes and trées theirs this were enough to shew vs that we must submit our selues vnto his maiestie to the end he might be gloryfyed in vs and yet we thinke no whit at all of it But the Cock may crow as lowde as hee lust and not the Cocke alone but God also causeth al his creatures both in heauen and earth to crye out to exhort vs to come vnto him and that which is more he vouchsafeth to open his holy mouth both by his law Prophets Gospel and saieth vnto vs returne vnto mee O yée people and yet we sée our selues to be so dull and blockish as is monstrous And therefore our Lorde Iesus Christ must looke vpon vs with his eye of mercy as hée dyd vpon Péeter that he might draw out of vs true gronings to be witnesses of our repentaunce For where it is saide that Peter wept bitterly it was to this ende to declare vnto vs the sorrow whereof Saint Paul speaketh that is to saluation and therefore we should not flye it 2. Cor. 7.10 but séeke after it although we naturally desyre to be continually in pleasure and to féele no crosse yet must we be brought to bee sorrowfull for when God afflicteth vs our hartes must néedes bée gréeued in that we haue offended him for this sorrow bringeth vs to quietnes maketh vs to reioyce both before God the Angels And we shall anone sée that Iudas repented him but it was after another and diuers maner But we finde by Peters wéeping that he was greatly displeased with his sinne and returned forthwith vnto Iesus Christ We are also to note that he went out to weepe Surely this procéeded of weaknesse because he was a fearde that the company should sée him repent But be as be may no doubt of it when he wept by him selfe it was a good token that hee was touched with his sinne and offence because he sought not to haue men to be witnesses of his repentance but wept alone before God And in this we sée what it is for vs to doo for if we onely bewaile our sinnes and transgressions in the sight of men by this we shew our hypocrysie but when we withdraw our selues from company and examine our sinnes and offences and be then sorrowfull that argueth that we are no hypocrites but that we know who is our Iudge and doo there beséech him of pardon and forgiunesse knowing also that it is the office of God to pull all damned soules out of the pitte of hell And this is the summe which wee are to consider of that whiche is héere mentioned of Peters fall and of the thrée denialles by which hee deserued to bee cleane cut of from the Kingdome of God if so bee Iesus Christ had not stretched out the power of his death passion to bring him to repentaunce as héere it came to passe now it is saide anone after that the Priestes and gouernours tooke counsell to condemne hym But because they had no power to doo it they brought him manacled and bound vnto Pontius Pilate the gouernour of the Country who had authoritie After this it is said in the Gospel the Iudas repented him when he sée the Iesus Christ was condemned and cast them the mony which he had receued for a reward for his treachery therw t cōfessed his falt Howbeit the priests would not receiue the mony but bought a field of a Potter wherin was potters earth which serued to none other purpose for it was good neither for tyllage nor séede And this Fielde they bought to burye the dead bodies whiche they did vnder a coulor of deuotion for they saide it was not lawfull to put that siluer among the offerings of the temple And herevpon the Euangelist sayeth that that which the Prophet had spoken of was accomplished that the thirtie pence which the children of Israell valued God at might bee bestowed vpon a potters yarde Héere we
vpon these worldly matters This then is the summe which wée are héere to obserue And to say the trueth it is not without cause that our Lorde Iesus spake so confidently that hée was borne and came into the worlde to say the trueth and that whosoeuer woulde haue any good taste shoulde stay him selfe vpon his worde By this wée sée that this is a doctrine of great weight â— to vnderstande that the kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ is not héere on earth For if this had béen a light saying hee would haue passed it ouer lightly But when he said that he came into the worlde to tell the trueth this was as if he would haue vs giue good eare meditate in our heartes and apply our mindes to this doctrine this was to make vs forsake the world and all the creatures thereof that wée might come to this heauenly King and séeke after the spirituall benefites which are communicated to vs in him to the ende we might enioy them in such measure as he knoweth â—o be most profitable for our saluation And let vs of all that which we sée to bée the verie summarie of the Gospell note well this saying That Iesus Christ came into the world to speake the trueth to the end we might herevpon conclude that whensoeuer we shall giue diligent eare vnto his worde that it shall not be in vaine because this is a certaine resolute conclusioÌ„ that whatsoeuer he had giuen them the choyse either of Iesus or Barabbas who as S. Iohn saith was a théefe Iohn 18.40 and the other Euangelistes say that he was a notorious naughtie man both a murtherer and a sower of sedition and trouble in the Towne Now this was a detestable pestelence of al others and yet the people cryed out Let vs haue Barabbas and let him be pardoned and Iesus Christ crucified By this custome of letting loose a prisoner at Easter we sée with what foolish deuotions men are carried For they thought the feast to be so muche the more honourable in the loosing of a prisoner and that they did God great seruice and yet all was verie abhominable For it is saide That he that iustifieth the wicked Prou. 17.15 he that condemneth the iust euen they both are abhomination vnto the Lord And therfore it is méete that they which sit in the place of iustice should be of vpright mindes For when he armeth them with his sword he saieth not do as you thinke good your selues For his meaning is that they should haue a fatherly care ouer the people and to be verie warie how they lift vp them selues cruelly to wrong others by abusing of their credit and authoritie but would haue them rather be gentle and pitifull Yet must they punish wickednesse for God so commaundeth them But what do we men Forsooth we think we honour the feast of Easter when as we offende God and manifestly transgresse his worde By this wée are admonished not to folowe our owne fantasies when the matter concerâ—eth the seruice of God but altogether doe his will Let vs not therefore fayne a deuotion which séemeth good in our owne eyes but be contented to do the thing which God hath ordeined allowed And here we sée what ariseth vpon this kinde of custome to wit that we make lawes accordingly at this day so that whatsoeuer is receiued for a common order séemeth to be lawfull And yet howsoeuer it séemeth to vs God vtterly condemneth it Nowe wee sée what abuse hath come heerein which is this that this corruptioÌ„ hath made Barabbas to be preferred before the sonne of God A man here would at the first sight thinke it very straunge that our Lord Iesus should be thus lightly estéemed of and a théefe and murderer greatlier priuiledged then he that he shoulde finde such fauour grace amongst men Iesus Christ to be so shamefully slanderously handled For was it not enough that the sonne of God was crucified aboad a most slaÌ„derous kind of death without he must also be greatly tormented The death of the crosse was but as a punishment for théeues it was not onely as at this day the gallowes should be but it was as if he should haue abidden the whéele Was it not then enough that after Iesus Christ had béen buffeted spetted on brought euen downe to the pitte of hell but that he must in comparison be shewed to be accursed of al the world For if we should iudge of it according to natural reasoÌ„ looke vpon the outward shew surely we should be coÌ„founded but we must lift vp the eies of faith a great deale higher come vnto that which before we haue said to wit that all this was gouerned by the counsel of God And therfore let vs not stand vpon that which the people Pylate did but let vs behold the vnchangeable decrée of God which is that for the better humbling of vs his wil was to haue his Sonne so shamefully to be cast down yea to be cast vnder the féete of al the malefactors of the world béeing crucified betwéene two théeues as hereafter shal be seene We sée theÌ„ what it is for vs to obserue wheÌ„ it is here said that Barabbas must be let lose and Iesus Christ bée made the most abhominable man of the world Yet for all this Pilate went about to haue deliuered our Lord Iesus but it was by a deuilish meane to wit by buffeting of him which they then called punishing would haue let him gone wheÌ„ he had so punished him as one that had committed a fault For by this he pretended to appease the stirre of the people Now if our Lord Iesus had bin thus deliuered what had become of the Gospell and of the saluation of the world For this correction which Pylate brought him to was a signe and token of dishonestie for euer as if the Gospell had béen a wicked doctrine considering that the Iudge of the countrie condemned it and the person of our Lord Iesus Christ was clearely refused And yet had we all bin lost because there was none other meane to recoÌ„cile vs vnto God but by the death of his onely sonne And thus we sée that the death of our Lord Iesus was the very open way vnto life So then we sée that the Deuill did the best hée could not to haue our Lord Iesus to dye and yet who clapped the Priestes their like vpon the backes to pursue Iesus Christ vnto death but the Deuil himselfe This is very true for hée bewitched them as we sée that God sendeth the spirit of trouble madnesse vpon all the vngodly so that they are one against an other euen as the waues of the Sea beate one an other euen so was the Deuill carried when as on the one side he went about to abolish the memory of our Lorde Iesus Christ besides on the other side meant to hinder the redemption of mankinde But God so
handled the matter as that the verie mouth of the Iudge shoulde beare witnesse of the innocency of his sonne yet for all that hée hath promised he will perfourme And therfore when Dauid would strengthen him selfe against all temptatiōs Psal 12. he saith that the word of God was like vnto siluer which had béen seuen times purified in the fyre Euen so as oftentimes as we doubt of the promises of our lord Iesus Christ and shal be troubled and gréeued as that is the subtletie of Satan to make vs loath our selues to be out of heart Let vs returne vnto this testimony that howeuer it is our Lorde Iesus Christ hath appeared vnto the world that he might be a faithful witnesse for vs and let vs at this day be assured that hée in effect sheweth vs that he hath not giuen vs all these promises in vaine because he will without all doubt performe them And thus much we haue in summe to consider of Moreouer whē Pylate saide What is the truth Let vs note that whē he moued this question he spake it not for any desire to learne but after a despightful scornfull manner which is at this day a vice that reigneth in many For when wée speak of the truth of God we mean the doctrine of the Gospel And S. Paul also so calleth it Ephe. 1.13 to the end we might make a differēce therof frō all other knowledge In very déed if any thing be told vs which hath bin done that is a truth But whē God calleth vs vnto him and would draw vs from this worlde that we might come to the heauēly life this truth ought to be set in the highest degrée and should make no reckoning of the rest in respect of it Let vs nowe consider how the world reuerenceth the word of the Gospel The wysest worldlinges for so they are accompted are so presumptuously blind as when that is spoken of vnto them will thus say what I beséech you Haue wée liued thus many yéeres in the worlde and doe you thinke we knowe not the Gospel nor any thing els But they wil al be ashamed whenas they shal be tolde that the truth of the Gospel hath béen buried and that they ought to looke more narrowly vnto it Now héerevpon we heare wel enough howe they scoffe and iest And euen so fared it with Pylate For because the Emperour had sent him to be his Lieutenant in the Countrey of Iudea hée thought hée had greate wrong done him when a man spake of a truth which he knew not of What sayeth hée thinkest thou that wée are all fooles and doe nothing else but lie Are wée not able to discerne betwéene good and yll And is it méete for thée to reprooue mée and say I knowe not the trueth who am héere set in office and doe represent the person of the Emperour Thus wée sée the meaning of Pylate which is hée proudely swelled like a Toade and woulde not bée so taken as to bée once thought that hée was not able to discerne betwéene good and bad And indéede we sée that hée tarried not to heare what our Lord Iesus woulde say but caste out these despitefull woordes and wente his way Since then it is so let vs consider with our selues that although there bée at this day many Pylates which refuse to learne in the schoole of GOD and to become teacheable as if they were wise enough yet let not vs geue ouer submitting of our selues vnto his obedience but accept of that which our Lorde sheweth and setteth before vs because wée knowe that the truth wil not grow vp in our mindes by reason they are ful of vanitie and leasinges and we plunged ouer heade and eares in darkenesse vntil such time as God draweth vs out of it And therfore let vs vnderstād that the truth farre passeth our minds and powers and that GOD muste bée our Maister to bring vs vnto it wée also very young and féeble to receiue that which hée sheweth vs and let vs holde this trueth for so precious a Iewell as that when wée haue compassed both heauen and earth thinke wée haue learned all that it is all but smoke and wil sléete away vntil such time as we buyld vpon this most certaine vnchangeable woorde And this is the effect of that which héere wee are to consider of Now it is by by said That as Pilate was set downe in the iudgement seate his wife sent vnto him and prayed him not to cōdēne Iesus Christ because she had byn troubled with many things in her dreames of him No doubt of it it was the wil of God diuers wayes to testify of his innocencie yea euen by Pylates owne mouth as already hath bin said as herafter shal be seene more at large not but that God had concluded what should become of his onely Sonne And so forsomuch as his will was that hée shoulde be the Sacrifice to take away the sinnes of the worlde it must néeds be that the Scripture should be fulfilled But it must also néeds fal out that our Lord Iesus must be proued a iust an innocēt man that we might the better vnderstand that he was condēned for our sakes of which condēnation we were guilty that whēsoeuer we heare of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ wée shoulde continually remember our sinnes and iniquities Hereupon it is said That Pilate desired to let loose our Lorde Iesus For although he had the chiefest authority without controlmēt yet because he was in a strange countrey and amongst a mutinous companie yea had a garrison in the towne the sedition troubled him And here we sée what the cause was why he would subtilly friendly procéed in the matter Forsooth it was by reason that hée would haue appeased the people Then it is said that hée offred them their auncient custome which was That euery Easter hee shoulde let loose vnto thē whatsoeuer prisoner they would For his meaning was that hée should die that he might be the sacrifice which should be offered for our saluatiō redēption God hath but one only plain wil meaning but it is wonderful to vs his procéedings are so strange that we must be faine to cast down our eyes and yet confesse that our Lord Iesus hath suffered but not as mē would but because that we should haue such a pawne of the infinite loue of God that our Lorde Iesus Christ might declare it wherby he might shew how precious déer that saluatiō of our soules are to him therfore let vs wel cōsider of al these thinges Moreouer in the end Iohn saith That although Iesus Christ was scourged yet that the people strayned themselues to cry out the lowder to haue him put to death Thē Pilat rehearsed againe that he heard that Iesus was the sonne of God which were the wordes that touched him and was more a fearde of that then he
muste needes submit my selfe vnto him But within a while after hée became worse then euer hee was euen so fared it with Pilate Nowe this is to admonishe vs that wee make not accompt of the feare of GOD as of a blaste of winde but let it bee strongly rooted in our hearts For how did Pilate feare God Forsooth it was such a feare as made him only to be more inexcusable And here wee may sée why God awakeneth the cōsciences of those that are a sléepe and would vtterly cast of the yoke which bringeth them to a more narrow consideration of themselues so that they shal be made spite of their téethes to acknowledge their miseries and féele their sinnes although they woulde walter themselues asléepe in them And therefore all the doubtes which all the contemners of God and the wicked haue are euen so many adiournaments or dayes ouer which God graunteth them to make them voide of all excuse of ignorance But anon after they let slippe the Reine and runne at randon without any stay as héere wée sée Pilate did At the beginning hée was greatly afearde but soone after hée returned to his olde byas againe For thus he saide to Iesus Knowest not thou that I haue power to loose and condemne thee Let vs héere in the first place note that if he had béene a théefe yet could not he once remoue his finger without God had giuen him power Howe then durst Pilate warrant himselfe such an outragious licence to condemne and pardon as pleased him And surely it were much better to set at libertie all Théeues to robbe and spoyle in the woods then to set men in so honorable a place who take pleasure and delight in their authoritie and neuer haue any care of conscience but bring the whole worlde vnto confusion Nowe wée sée héere as I haue said that Pilate his feare neuer tooke déepe roote in him but was onely a puft of winde Wherefore let vs learne to haue asure and constant feare of God that we may walk in his obedience and valiantly fight against whatsoeuer might put vs by and alwayes thus restraine our selues as that we prouoke not him to wrath who hath all power ouer vs. And this is it which wée are héere to consider of Let vs also besides consider that the glory which Pilate attributed to himselfe is notwithstanding turned to his great shame For his enimies coulde neuer speake worse of him then for this to wit that hee woulde be taken to be a man of no discretion to discerne betwixte good and bad and yet hée boasted himselfe of it Héere therefore wée sée that the higher the dispisers of God think to aduance them selues they must alwayes feele that they are the more shamefully to bée throwne downe and God so giueth them ouer into a reprobate sence as that they bragge of their iniquities that they might become detestable both in heauen and earth What is there then for vs to doe Forsooth let vs learne to glory in that which is good and haue an eye to doe the thing that is lawefull For they which glory in their mightinesse and in their authoritie without doubt doe prouoke the Lorde to anger because they haue many times gotten their riches and credit by vnlawfull meanes as by rioting crueltie and all kindes of extortion Wherfore when they glory héerein it is as it were to set them selues against the Lord. For he that hath gotten euery way by spoyle will say I am wealthie and sée he wil say I haue gotten whenas he hath sucked the blood of the poore out of them But howe Surely by deceipt and wicked practises in robbing the one and glutting the other Another man through abition and vnlawful meanes is aduaunced to some honor and héerevpon forsooth this man would bée greatly feared And this kinde of dealing is manyfestly to stande against God And therefore as I haue said let vs learne to glory in that which God alloweth and liketh of True it is that although there bée valure in vs yet is it not lawfull to vsurpe the commendation which God reserueth to himself and for the which wée ought to honor him because all that we haue commeth of his frée gifte Wherefore wée must not without doubt glory in our selues as if that which God giueth vs apperteined vnto vs But I say our glory shoulde be onely in this that it hath pleased God to adopt vs for his children and hath giuen vs his grace to walke in his feare and power also to abstaine from euill And héerin ought to be all our glory And besides if wée bée of no reputation in the worlde let vs beséeche him to graunt vs pacience and rather desire to liue in this estate then to bée exalted and yet to reioyce and bée glad but not as the worldlinges doe who make thēselues such sporte as that there is nothing that is able to holde them in And therefore the summe and effect wherein wée must glory is this to wyll and desire no more then God woulde haue vs to doe and set our selues against whatsoeuer hée misliketh of although the worlde and all such as commit tyranny and excéede in doeing wickedly reioyce in it Wherefore let vs gladly and willingly leaue all these glories desiring nothing els but to haue God to acknowledge and allow vs for his children And this is in effect the thing which wée haue héere to consider of Nowe for a full conclusion it is saide That when Pilate sawe he preuailed nothing and that the people made a greater stirre hee washed his handes and saide I am innocent of the blood of this man Wée haue already saide that our Lorde Iesus muste bée founde innocent euen by the Testimonie of the iudges owne mouth For where it is laide that Iesus Christe was condemned and suffered vnder Pontius Pilate it is not sufficient for vs that wée haue vnderstood the History But wée must eftsoones acknowledge that Iesus Christe was not onely innocent but was also the fountaine of all holinesse and perfection Why then was he condemned Iohn 1.29 1. Pet. 1.19 Galat. 3.13 it shoulde séeme that héere are two diuers and sundry thinges For it is saide that hée is the vnspotted Lambe of God And because hee was the Lambe of God it was méete that hee shoulde bée condemned as a Sacrifice This worde Lambe importeth that hée must bée offered vp And what is it that the law calleth Sacrifices Forsooth it is sinnes and curses And wée sée why it is said that our Lord Iesus was accursed for vs to wit he receiued vnto himselfe the curse which was due for our sinnes Thus wée sée in what qualitie and state hée was condemned because GOD had established that hée shoulde bee as it were the Lambe which shoulde be offered for a Sacrifice Howbeit it was méete hée shoulde bée knowne to be without spot and his puritie be openly séene to the ende wée might take holde of our sinnes vntyll the time
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
came into the worlde and that hée accomplished whatsoeuer was requisite and necessarie for our saluation insomuch that the Gospell is nowe as a rayne to giue vs heauenly strength by reason we are altogether fruitlesse and because wée are hunger steruen and voide of the grace of God we must bee strengthened by the doctrine of the Gospell that wée might féele what the death of our Redéemer is woorth and what it auayleth vs and that his life is the perfection of our ioy Now it is most certain that the Prophet would neuer haue spokē here of the Iewes had they not bin brought vp acquainted with the law but would haue included the strange nations who before had béen brought vp in all superstition and idolatry For all the world cut off the God of Israel had him in contempt and the Gentiles made a scorne at the true religion Now it is said that they should heare and hauing heard Rom. 10.17 should also vnderstand By these wordes the Prophet sheweth from whence fayth commeth to wit by hearing of the worde of God But by the way hée also meaneth that it is not enough to haue our eares beaten with the hearing of the Gospell without wée vnderstande it Nowe this is not giuen to all men and therfore this saying must be restrayned vnto Gods chosen people and to suche as are renued by the holie Ghost as also it is more liuely declared when as he saith Who will beleeue our preaching and to whom shall the arme of the Lord be reuealed Héere the Prophet pauseth in the middest of his wordes and cryeth out as one that were merueylously astonied And this place is greatly woorth the noting Wée haue heard that hée exhorteth the faythfull to magnanimitie and constancy as if hée had sayde My good friendes be not abashed although your Redéemer bee of no estimation nor credite in the worlde but is rather spetted vpon despighted and also accursed and banned yet let not vs for all this loath him because God hath so ordeined it But in the end you shall sée that when hée arose againe out of the bottomlesse depth of death hée was so highly exalted as that he had al power giuen him both in heauen and in earth And therefore sticke not to worship this Redéemer who hath so abased himselfe for your benefite Now in very déede he compareth him to rayne and sayth that God shall bedeaw or sprinckle those which neuer vnderstood the trueth but were as a man woulde say like vnto bruite beastes They sayth hée shall be taught and be made partakers of the benefite which was purchased and the Church of God shal be so spred ouer the face of the whole earth as that they which haue blaspemed this sincere doctrine shall haue their mouthes stopped except they will moste reuerently and soberly confesse that there is none but the GOD of Israell that is to bée honoured and that his onely Sonne the very liuely Image of his glory and Maiestie ought to bee receiued and worshipped Yea kings themselues although they be neuer so proudly bente shal be enforced to abase themselues and most willingly obey Thus wee sée howe honourable the wordes of the Prophet are Nowe hée foreséeth that when the Gospell shall bee preached throughout the face of the whole earth that some will make a iest at it some will bee madde at it some wyll neuer finde any taste in it some will be blockishe other some will hypocritically lye vnto GOD and make a shewe that they loue and obey the Gospell and yet all shall bee but plaine dissembling Wherefore the Prophet séeing the worlde to bee thus wicked and foreséeing that God shoulde not bee hearde nor yet his worde so reuerently receiued as it ought wondered and cryed out saying Who shal beleeue our doctrine As if hee shoulde haue saide Alas I preache héere saluation vnto the worlde but it is all loste labour without this remedie bée had to wit that GOD will sende his onely sonne to fight against the Diuell and death that hée myght thereby purchase vs righteousnesse and life For this doctrine is it that must bedeawe all the worlde ouer otherwise wee are very fruitlesse There is in vs nothing but drynes and wretchednesse and yet God tarrieth not vntill such time as wee desire him to bedeawe vs but commeth first to vs and franckly offereth himselfe presenting vnto vs his onely sonne with his doctrine and heerein he sheweth himselfe so louing as that hée ought to bee receiued without gaynesaying yea shoulde not euery man be so zelously inflamed as not to make any reckoning of all the rest whatsoeuer for the imbrasing of this Redéemer which hath appeared Nowe this déede is so farre of as that a man shall hardly find the tenth part of the hearers which shall bee earnestly touched And in déede wee are taught by experience that some make a test at it as commonly all these contemners of God doe in whome there is as much faith religion as in a Mastiffe Curre accounting all whatsoeuer is preached vnto thē of euerlasting life but as an old wiues tale Other some there are who are not cōtented with this cōtempt of the word without they go farder for they are stark staryng madde at it Moreouer there are some which blaspheme it with open mouth and othersome desire but to hold themselues vnto that which they haue conceiued in their fantastical crowing braine Besides there are some so blockish as that they are neither named nor touched more then stones and othersome there are who though they haue a fayre cloke of godlinesse yet are they lyars and periured persons and nothing in them but deceit and hypocrisie This we well enough sée and although the Prophet had said nothing yet we wil open our eyes we shal sée it to bée so And is not this a fearefull thing and a monster against nature yes no doubt of it Now héere might maruellous offences be taken to serue as it were for a barre to kéepe vs from comming to the Gospell if wee should looke into the dealings of the world so that wee might say what if the word of God be our most excellent blessednesse and felicitie how falleth it out that it is thus reiected And besides what is the cause that God suffereth himselfe thus to bee scorned and resisted and that he maketh them not to heare him to giue him the credite which apperteineth vnto him So what tēptations héere are to cause vs not to beléeue the Gospel Surely héere is a great speake as though our misbeliefe did derogate frō the truth of God and lessened his honour And therfore it is not without cause that the Prophet Isaiah hath interlaced this saying For if hée had simply saide as héere before we haue séene that is that all the worlde should be bedeawed by our Lord Iesus Christ and that the gospell should be spred al ouer kinges princes should subiect thēselues vnto him we
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
thinke onely before baptisme For thus they reason little children say they receiue the grace of God and are pardoned of Originall sinne in baptisme by the power of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ But say they whē we are once baptized then sin Iesus Christ alone is not sufficiēt to make vs acceptable vnto the Lord and to blot out the remembrance of our sins but we our selues also must make recompence And this is the cause of the deuising of their workes of superogation as to wander vp down lyke Rogs a Pilgrimage to haue many trentals of Masses such lyke diuelish inuentions So that if a man aske the Papists why the roge vp and downe a pilgrimage as they doo to sée their mowing apes and marmesets why they fast such and such a daye why they build Churches and why they cause masses to bee songe forsooth wyll they say euen to redéeme our selues before the Lord our God for it is very méete that when we haue vnderstood of our sins that we should make satisfactiō for thē to the end God might acquite discharge vs of the same Sée here how they make the death passion of our lord Iesus Christ of none effect so the papists are not able to go on one foot forward to do their deuotiōs but that they blaspheme God opēly deny the death passiō of our Lord Iesus Christ cast thēselues down into hel mouth thus we sée whether their diuelish deuotions which they cal good lead thē And therfore we are to obserue the words of the Prophet whē he saith that the correction of our peace was laid vpō our Lord Iesus Christ because that by his meane God is appeased set at one with vs for hée beareth all the sinnes iniquities of the world vpon him So thē let vs here note that when we sée what maner ones we are we shuld alwaies stād in feare because God is our enemie our iudge And besides wée must in the secōd place cōclude that there is no other meane either in heauen or yet in the earth to make vs at one with God but by the price which our lord Iesus hath paid satisfied euē by his death passiō Haue we this let vs then with bold chéere countenance come before our God yet not so but that we must alwaies humble our selues be ashamed of our sinnes Howbeit that wil be no let vnto vs but that we may frankly cal vpon our God as vpō our father neither coulde wee glorify our selues wtout he reputed vs to be iust al our debts payd because we are pardoned by the power of the condemnation which Iesus Christ suffred Thus we sée how this place must be practised of vs Marke also why hee saieth That wee are healed by his woundes In very déede we shal neuer bée able to sée throughly into our sinnes because hipocrisie blindfoldeth our eyes pride hath alwaies mighty rule ouer vs therfore wee greately deceiue our selues and make our selues beléeue that God is highly beholden vnto vs or els wée are so blockish as that wée neuer thinke to come to a reckoning Now it falleth out here that the Prophet sheweth that wée are but dead if it were not for the woundes of our Lord Iesus Christ and therfore that we must néedes séeke to be healed by him When then wée would féele the benefite which commeth vnto vs by the death and passion of the Sonne of God Let vs note that looke howe many sinnes as are rooted in our nature although they appeare not are euen so many deadly woundes and diseases I beséech you if there shall be an Apostume about the stomake of a man or in his bowels should it be euer a whit the woorse for the man if it were séene that it might be launced If a man then thinketh him selfe to be whole and sound because he will not sée his disease surely he must néedes be voide of all wit and reason And therefore our diseases must bée so much the more deadly when as they are secret and not knowne And ouer besides the sinnes which we beare about with vs the rootes of which are hid in vs there are sinnes in vs which we commit daily which sufficiently declareth that our nature is froward and cursed and that wée are altogether peruerted Wherfore since wée are wholly infected with spirituall leprosie and that our iniquitie is rotten in vs what shall wée doe in this case what remedie is to bée had Shall wée séeke for helpe at the Angels in heauen Alas they can doe no good and therefore we must go vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ because hée would bee disfigured euen from the crowne of the head vnto the soale of the foote would be al to wounded scourged and buffeted with one blow vpon an other crowned with thorns tyed fast nayled to the Crosse and at last persed through the side with a speare And here we see how wée are healed here is the right medicine for our disease wherwith we must be contented whervnto also we must apply our whole affection knowing that we are neuer able to be at quiet with our selues but that we must stil be extreamly tormented vexed were it not that Iesus Christ comforted vs and appeased the wrath of God for vs. Now when wée are sure of this it giueth vs occasion to sing praises vnto his holy name where before wée could doe nothing else but grone and be vtterly confounded And this is in summe the thing which we are to learne out of the words of the Prophet Now S. Matthew alledgeth this place Mat. 8.17 when he maketh mention of all the diseases which our Lord Iesus Christ healed how he made the blinde to sée the lame to goe the deafe to heare set a foote suche as were half dead sick of the palsie cast deuils out of mens bodies This saith hée declareth that it was not for naught that the Prophet Isaiah said that hée beare our infirmities and susteined our griefes Without doubt the Prophet speaketh not héere of bodely diseases Wherefore it séemeth that the Euangelist hath applyed this testimony but yll But hée in declaring that our Lorde Iesus Christ healed outward diseases meaneth to bring vs to an higher consideration because he would haue vs to beholde as it were in a figure the reason of his comming into the world And therfore whē we heare that our Lord Iesus Christ healed the sicke of the palsy but especially raysed the dead that hée also healed al maner of diseases let vs vnderstand euē in the view of the eye according to our grose weak capacities that he hath told vs that he is our spirituall Phisitiō let vs also learn as I haue alredy saide that all the vices wherevnto we are enclined are so many corruptions in our soules And as there are many euil humors in the body euē so likewise
are there many other like things To be short there are many secret diseases euen so fareth it with our soules because they are ful of vices before the lord God they had also néed of a phisitiō And who shal he be we shall not finde him either in heauen or in earth except it be he whō the heauenly father hath giuen vs to wit our Lord Iesus Christ And therfore if we can reach to the vnderstāding how our Lord Iesus Christ hath brought health to our soules let vs come to figure out the which is here shewed vs whē he made the blinde to sée for this is out of al doubt that our soules are both blinde beastly Besides Iesus Christ made the dumbe to speak Nowe we giue our tongues to nothing els but to wickednes vntill such time as Iesus Christ hath giuen it the right vse And we are more then deafe because the word of God can haue no entrance into vs therfore it is our Lorde Iesus Christ that must giue vs also our hearing To be short whē we shal ioyne the words of S. Mathew with the meaning of the Prophet Isaiah to wit that we for our partes are full of corruption villainy that there is no health in vs our soules full of all deadly sinnes But that our Lord Iesus Christ hath ryd vs of them all that in comming to him wée shall finde health when I say wée shall thus ioyne one with an other then shall we vnderstand that except we haue recourse vnto this Redéemer we must néedes alwaies lye stone stil in our sinnes and miseries rot altogether in thē And thervpon he goeth on farther and saith That we haue all declined gone astray Here the Prophet meaneth better more liuely to tell as yesterday we handled it that wée cannot in good earnest feele our necessitie to be healed by our Lorde Iesus Christ vntill such time as euery of vs hath truely examined his owne estate knoweth what is within him For what is the reason why we are so cold slack whē we are told of comming vnto our Lord Iesus Christ Truely it is because wée haue no capacitie but are like verie blockheads For we shall sée howe these common drunkardes are knoden together in their intemperancy will neuer giue ouer vntil such time as they gnashe their téeth are able to doe no more If a man speake to them of phisicke Phisitions hée shall be but scorned for his labour they will wagge the head yea despise all helpes Nowe there is not a worse kinde of drunkennesse then this blockishnes wherin all miserable sinners are ouerwhelmed vntill suche time as they féele what it is to haue God their enemy So then euery man will giue him selfe ouer to all kinde of lewdnesse by that meane the death passion of our Lord Iesus Christ shall be cōtemned no account made of it And therefore it is not without cause that the Prophet for the awaking of vs for the bestowing of the most desired benefite that may be which is brought vnto vs by our Lord Iesus Christ sheweth that we haue all erred gon out of the way Now ouer and besides that I haue saide that as there are prophane contemners of the iudgement of God euen so also are there foolish presumptuous and arrogant men Wherfore there are two sortes of people which cannot doe them selues any good by this infinit grace and fauour which the Sonne of God hath purchased for vs because the one sort of them thinke them selues to be righteous and haue workes and merites able to answere the iustice of God As we sée these Popish hypocrites who doe not onely thinke themselues to be discharged before God but doe also sell some parte of their merites as if they had a superfluitie of them and that man or woman is well at ease and happie that may be partaker of their perfection and holinesse because they are in an Angellike estate Now these men thinke that they haue no néede of the death and passion of Iesus Christ but they will partly cōfesse that they haue néede and yet we sée it cleane otherwise because they kéepe faires and merkets of their merites and haue of them to sell and resell to the ende they would haue others to settle them selues and trust vpon such profanation Moreouer forsomuch as there is in Popery both men and women hypocrites they are euen so many hornes or powers set vp against God For this pride is alwayes in them to say what good Syr I beséech you if I deserue not to what purpose were it for mée to haue so many good deuotions to cause so many Masses to be soonge to haue chaunted so muche to haue runne so many times from one Aulter to an other to haue praied to such a Saint to haue made such such a feast To bée short they haue alwayes this cursed hellish opinion with them that God is bound greatly beholdē vnto them Thus we sée howe Satan so deceiueth them with such illusions as that they cannot possibly féele to what end the death passion of our lord Iesus Christ serueth them The other sort trust not to their merittes for drunkardes whoremongers and wanton people will not say wée are like vnto litle Angels we haue liued well we haue béen earnest in our deuotions But wil sport them selues as I haue alredie said and think to escape the hand of God by mocking and scorning And for this cause the Prophet calleth vs all here saith Consider yée poore soules in what case you stād vntil such time as God hath shewed you his compassion in our Lord Iesus Christ his Sonne For you haue al erred are al like lost shéepe Mark his meaning for he saith We all because he putteth in himself Yea verely for we haue alredie séene that the Iewes were included within this general curse of men because they thought that they should haue bin exempt out of it For they were euer thus foolish arrogāt as to think that because God had adopted chosen thē that they were a great deale more worthy then the rest Now the Prophet foldeth them vp here in euerlasting death vntil such time as they séeke for the remedie of their deliuerance in Iesus Christ We are then all included within this cōdemnation he putteth in this word All to the end there should be no exceptiō of any as if he should haue said And therefore let no mā brag of himselfe no not an inch to be iust before God to ouer slipt the remedy wherof I euē now spake for he that is the perfectest in the iudgemēt of men shal be foūd guiltie before the maiestie of god We sée héere then the meaning of the Prophet howbeit he is not for al that thus contented but saith That euery man is declined from his way But why repeateth he the saying of al to
18 3◠we shall finde that neuer any man had iust occasion to attempt any thing against him In very déede the priests tolde Pylate that they would neuer haue brought him before his worship without he had bene a malefactor Mat. 11.5 Iohn 6.11 Now it is so farre of that Iesus Christ dyd any shrewd turnes if the matter be throwly examined as that he dyd none other hurte but make the blinde to sée the lame to goe heale the sick and diseased raise the dead fil the hungry néedy to be short all the riches of the goodnes mercy of God that were to bée séene were powred out vpon him What was the reasō then that mē thus persecuted him surely it must néeds be that this procéeded from some other cause Héere therefore wée sée why the prophet bringeth vs back to the remēbrance of our sins iniquities whēas he speaketh of the purenes of our lord Iesus Nether must we think that the prophet ment héere simply to iustifie the sonne of God For this were a very bare kinde of speach to say loe I beséeche you hée was guilty in nothing but so behaued himself as that al the world was to loue honor him Al this is true indéed howbeit this were ouer cold a kind of doctrin to be taught that our lord Iesus had néede to be excused exempt from all blame And therefore the prophet had a farder consideratiō with him ioineth these 2 points together which are héere set downe to wit the god had put his only son to al horrible rebuke shame yet was innocent guiltles Now if men should lift vp thēselues against him it not done by the prouidēce counsel of god it might be said that they were furiously bēt yet knew not any cause why neuertheles it is said that it was done by the hande of God For although the priestes and all the Iewes in general the Souldiers were stirred vp by the Deuill to vomit out these blasphemies which we read of in the Gospell against our Lord Iesus yet Isaiah saith that they had neuer bin able to haue done it with out the appointment of the Lorde and therefore we must not fixe our eyes onely vpon men to say that this or that they haue done but it is as if God had set him selfe downe in his iudgment seat to haue fully determined to sende his onely sonne into the handes of such wicked and cruell tirauntes as that no shame and villanye that was possibly to be deuised should not light vpon him And therfore when it is not onely said that men but the God his father also spared him not Iohn 3 16. who gaue him to death for our redemption whereof Saint Iohn also speaketh that God so loued the world as that hée woulde shewe it in the person of his Sonne because he gaue him ouer to so bitter a death for vs if we so lift vp our eyes as to acknowledge that nothing came vnto the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ but by the determination of God we must conclude that since Iesus Christ was innocēt as indéede he was that therin manifestly appeared our sinnes and iniquities so that all the shames and reproches which lighted vpon him shoulde haue bene vpon vs. And therfore let vs vnderstande that it is méete that all the Creatures in the worlde shoulde arme them selues to crye for vengeaunce vpon vs yea and although they haue neither mouthe nor tongue yet might they be there so to discouer all our shames and vices as that both heauen and earthe might bee ashamed of vs. Wée sée now what we are to consider of in this first place For either God must at pleasure haue thus afflicted his onely sonne or els haue shewed vs what we deserued for the greeuosnes of our sins to wit that wee are blame worthie of al handes In very deede wee cannot a way with the least punishment that may be and besides we are so effeminate and impacient as that if our credit bée touched we will eftsoones wonderfully storme and all this is because we know not what we are neither iudge wée whether wée bée rightfully or wrongfully blamed Wherfore let vs well consider that although the rebuke and shame which we deserue are abolished in the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ yet is it méete that God should moue and stirre vs to repentance although we would not by our willes enter into the tryall and examination of our shame yet rayseth hée vp men to awake vs and the more that wée woulde goe about to hyde our faultes by vaine excuses the more layeth hée our shame open before vs to the ende it might bée knowne Saint Paule amongst the fruites of repentance setteth downe this 1. Cor. 14.25 2. Cor. 7.11 That when we think of our wicked life past wée shoulde close our eyes grone before the Lord God and be ashamed of our selues But what is he that doth it so perfectly as it ought to bée done Nay we rather séeke after an hipocritical maner to forget our sinnes and iniquities and GOD meaneth to remember vs and to call vs to an account whenas he séeth vs so sleightly and cunningly hide them But by the way let vs consider that wee may now present our selues before God and his Angels and be assured that our sinnes shall not bée layde vnto our charge neither yet our vncleannesse bée discouered and that because our Lorde Iesus hath borne such blame neither was this by chaunce as wée commonly say neither yet did men falsely take this matter vpon them against him without the good will and pleasure of God But because God had thus established the matter by his heauenly iudgement Nowe forsomuche as our Lorde Iesus was iust and righteous it was also very méete that hée should beare our burden vpon him being in this sort afflicted And therefore let vs in the first place vnderstand that we deserue to haue all rebuke and shame to bee laide vpon vs and yet for all this that wée are pardoned of the same because he hath discharged vs thereof and hath made satisfaction for it in his owne person Thus wée sée why and to what purpose the innocencie and puritie of the Sonne of God is héere spoken of For it is not set downe to the ende to excuse him but for this cause that we might féele what wee are and whether we must néedes be brought except we were redéemed and bought from it Moreouer the Prophet meaning to expresse such a full perfection as coulde not be amended sayth That there was no deceite founde in his mouth Nowe Saint Iames saith Iames. 3.2 That he must needes be a very perfect man out of whose mouth escapeth not an ill word because the tongue is the weakest thing that maybe And although we be too too much inclined to al kind of wickednes yet that man that can refrain his handes and féet and in
Egypt wée shoulde there sée their wonderfull vnthankfulnesse For when God commaunded them to goe against their enemies and promised them that they should haue victorie they woulde not goe on but murmured against him Why say they whether shoulde wée goe It shoulde séeme that hée goeth about to destroy vs and to sende vs lyke shéepe to the Butcherie Loe such was their rebellion Contrariwise when God saide stirre not they would néedes march on and would not be staide What say they wee loose time why march we not forwarde Héere we sée howe that wée will march when God sayeth we shall not againe when he saieth march on there is no man that will step one foote forward To be short it séemeth we woulde endeuour our selues to gainsay God Loe here our dealing Surely we are much of the boldnesse of mad men For they are strong and a mad man will be strong enough both to kill him selfe and others For when God woulde retire vs we are madde and would make hauocke of all thinges and againe when God would haue vs march on we are so slack as that euerie finger is a thumbe And therfore we are to beséech the Lord to graunt vnto vs the lyke grace that hée gaue vnto his Apostles that we stay when he commaundeth vs to stay and march on whē hée biddeth vs. Thus we sée why hée hath appointed to euery one his seuerall office and charge When he ordeined housholdes hée declared what authoritie the man should haue ouer his wife and family and what the womans obedience was vnto the husbande and the childrens to the Parentes so hée ordeined a lawe for euerie one And to the same purpose and effect was his ordinaunce for the administration of Ciuill gouernment For hée declared vnto Magistrates what their duetie was and howe they ought to vse the authoritie committed vnto them and to the Ministers of his worde likewise hée set downe a lesson in writing Thus wée sée that Iesus Christ hath so well ordered vs Rom. 14.25 as that if we haue any regarde vnto him we will attempt nothing which hée commaundeth vs not We sée also the saying of Saint Paule That whatsoeuer is not of Fayth is sinne Nowe if God leaueth vs in doubt of any thing that we haue to doe we cannot but continually sinne and therfore he hath set downe a rule vnto vs what we shal doe and what we shall not doe Wherfore let vs looke well that we be ruled by him and attempt nothing on our owne foolish braine Moreouer we sée that the Apostles staied in Ierusalem because Iesus Christ had so willed them yea although they knewe that God had ordeined them to that calling And although Iesus Christ had giuen them the holie Ghost by breathing vpon them neuerthelesse they might very well know that they were not as yet fenced as was méete Ioh. 26.22 but looked for the promise of the Father This promise as wée shall héereafter sée was the holie Ghost Wherefore wayted they forsooth it was euen for vs. Wée sée then héere that although Iesus Christ was ascended into heauen yet that hée had care of vs helpeth vs from thence neither is hée so farre from vs but that hée keepeth vs companie and gouerneth vs by his grace And héere wée sée why S. Luke sayeth that hée was taken vp into heauen after that hée had by his holie spirite giuen commaundement to his Apostles whom hée had chosen And hée went not thus away without thinking of vs. Howe then Forsooth hée gaue a charge vnto his Apostles and shewed them howe they shoulde gouerne them selues after they had receiued the holie Ghost And now wée haue héere a pledge that wée shall neuer want his helpe so that wée sticke vnto him Moreouer this is one notable comfort for vs that Iesus Christ béeing ascended into heauen hath all power and authoritie in his owne hande and is aboue all Creatures because hée is made Gods Lieutennaunt to the ende hée might rule all thinges both in heauen and in earth Nowe that wée might make our profite by this let vs marke that although God hath so highly exalted Iesus Christ as that all Creatures are subiect vnto him Col. 1.16.17.18 yet is hée our head and that this his great rule and Empire is all for our benefite if so be we are his members But hée can not be our head without we be truely vnited vnto him This then is the full assuraunce of our saluation which is that because Iesus Christ is ascended into heauen and ruleth all thinges insomuch that the verie Angels are his subiectes both they and all the rest of the Creatures shoulde minister to vs herein And againe hée so fast and sure holdeth in the Deuilles as that they can doe nothing without his leaue Wherefore we are assured that they can doe vs no hurt And why so Forsooth because they were not able any way to stand against him Moreouer wée must ioyne this glorious power with that knowledge which wée héere haue not as though it was doone but for that present but the power thereof extendeth it selfe euen vnto vs because it reacheth ouer heauen and earth Nowe this witnesseth vnto vs that hée is with vs whenas wée vnderstande his word because hée hath so promised and hée vseth not to lye as men doe Thus wée sée howe sure wée are of his presence and wil defend vs by his holy spirite For els what should become of vs Euery thing woulde make vs quaile because wee are as fraile as is possible Contrariwise wée sée howe the Diuell is armed at all pointes against vs. And therfore it is néedefull that God shoulde assist vs with his holy spirite that wée might withstande all his forces Wée sée then that although the body of our Lorde Iesus Christe bée farre from vs yet are wée néere him through his power and might which thing hée sheweth vs in the Supper and therefore are to apply this doctrine to our selues For the bringing of which to passe wée must not approch vnto him as many doe which come vnto him like beastes but let vs vnderstand what it is that is there giuen vs. When wée see God giue vs foode for our bodies it is a great blessing But wée come not thither to fill our paunches Why so Because it signifieth vnto vs that wée ought not to séeke for our bodily sustenance therein For as Saint Paule saith 1. Cor. 11. 22 Wée haue houses to eate and drinke in and therefore wée came not hither to fill our bellies Wherefore then Forsooth it is a testimonie that Iesus Christe will féede our soules What shall our soules bee fed with bread and wine No no that is not the meaning For there is nothing wherewith they can bée fed but with Iesus Christe For they must bee mainteined with euerlasting life which the Angels themselues cannot giue For as they had no being from eternitie so also may they haue an ende And
in the name of God yet when hée commeth to age wée sée him enclined to all mischiefe and therefore wée cannot say that hée is a new man but rather like a bruite beast And yet wée cannot say but that the Sacrament had his full nature and proprietie For baptisme of it selfe is as much as if we were renued and then if wée bée not so the fault is oures because wee will not suffer Iesus Christ to accomplishe his grace in vs and so for want of beliefe wée in such sort close vp our heartes as that there is no entraunce for his graces which hée woulde largely bestow vpon vs. Thus we sée that the Sacrament is neuer without his power and vertue howbeit we receiue no fruit nor benefite by it because it cannot enter without faith Wée haue héere therefore to note that the trueth of Baptisme is not in the water but in the holie Ghost And besides Iesus Christ geueth vs the holie Ghost And therefore wée are throughly to marke that if we woulde bée benefited by Baptisme we must not sticke so much to the water as though our saluation were enclosed therein but let vs vnderstand that it is the holie Ghost that must woorke all Moreouer wée sée that the worlde hath receiued this doctrine very perniciously for the Papistes thinke that the grace of God is tyed to it and they charme it like Coniurers geuing to the water the power of the Sacrament And therefore they say that that childe that is not baptized is damned Wherefore for the preuenting of this danger they are not onely contented to geue power authoritie to all men of what state and condition soeuer they bée to baptize but euen to women also for feare say they that the children might die without baptisme And so they think that the truth of baptisme consisteth in the water so that by this meane the blood of Iesus Christ is layde cleane aside But as for vs let vs learne that the truth of baptisme is not in the water but in the holy Ghost And yet is not the signe vnprofitable for it witnesseth vnto vs that our soules are washed But if wée wil haue the truth of it we must come to the holie Ghost as wée haue already shewed Moreouer it is saide that Iesus Christ giueth the holy Ghost to the end wée should neither séeke for it in the water nor yet at the handes of men but looke vp vnto heauen And this is also a poynt wherewith the world hath béen deceiued For who is hée that looketh to Iesus Christ when we speake of any thing concerning our saluation No man For wée thinke it to bée in the power of men as if Iesus Christ had resigned his office vnto them that he had no more to doe in heauen Sée I pray you how blockishe wee are Nowe the Scripture choketh vs by the chin as wée say to make vs looke aloft for in it is the thing which wée heare Iesus Christ teache vs beholde it is I that baptizeth you I graunt it is said that God sendeth the holie Ghost and so doeth Iesus Christ also Iohn 14.16.26 Iohn 15.26 16.7 Mat. 28.18 For when the father sendeth him hée sendeth him in the name of Iesus Christ at his request And besides Iesus Christ speaking of himself said that hée would send him And indéede hée is one and the selfesame God with the father And besides inasmuch as being made man hée became our Mediator al power both in heauen and earth was giuen him so that hée is as it were the very arme and hande to bestow the graces of God vpon vs. Let vs also note why it was that Iohn spake of the Baptisme with the holie Ghost and with fire vsing these twoo woordes For it is all one thing When hée speaketh of fire it is because hée meaneth to boyle vs againe to scombe of al our filthynesse as men vse to melt golde or siluer when they would fine it and as we sée men purge filthy places with fyre And therfore the holy ghost beareth not this name in vaine séeing it is hée that must purge all our spots and blots and it is also to signifie vnto vs that so soone as we come into this worlde we bring nothing with vs but vncleanesse and the longer wée liue the greater heape of vncleane thinges wée lay vp together whereof Ieremie speaketh sayinge that man knoweth not himselfe Ierem. 17.9 for there is such a gulfe of wickednesse in vs as there is none but God alone that knoweth it A man may well cast an Anchor into the bottom of the sea but none is able to search our harts but God For we stinke before the face of God and are more filthy then Lazarus yea too too horrible stinking and filthy But what of all this Beholde héere is our comfort whenas wée sée that Iesus Christ wil purge vs by his holy spirit for we haue thereof a sure testimonye in Baptisme that he wil make vs new cretures by purging of our infirmities But as by purging with fyre all superfluities are taken away euen so also let vs vnderstande that when God will reconcile vs to himselfe all what soeuer is ours must bee cleane taken away Moreouer let vs note that so longe as wee shall remayne in our selues wee cannot choose but perish and yet if wée would alwaies remaine safe and sounde GOD must néedes bray vs that hée might saue vs and make vs become acceptable in his sighte And this hée doth by his holy spirit And thus wée sée that it is by God alone that we must be gloryfied Indéede we are contented to haue a good opinion of our selues that we might be extolled amongst men but when it shall be sifted before the maiestie of God the thing that wée thought to be excellent hée will make no reckoninge of Let vs learne then that there is no goodnesse at all in vs but if there be any it is because that he hath purged vs with his holy spirit Moreouer when he saieth That it shall be after a while it is to encourage them the more and not to murmer and be discouraged when God deferreth his aide for wee must appoint him no time And indéede the time which he taketh is alwaies very short How so because hée leaueth vs not one minute of an houre without ayde As for example let it be that we are any war afflicted and then we call vpon God howbeit he wil not at the first cho◠forthwith deliuer vs but commonly for the most part the torment encreaseth and yet God assisteth vs because hée comforteth vs. And this shall we verie well perceiue when as we fall into the consideration thereof For what man is able to beare the least griefe that is if God assist him not By this we see a proofe of his ayde when as we quaile not For as S. Paule saieth if we haue any tribulation and doe beare it paciently then we knowe that God
content our selues with that which it pleaseth God to declare vnto vs and we cannot doe better then to be ignorant of that which God will not teach vs in the scripture and thus we sée how hee reproueth this their curiositie Besides when hee saide vnto them Yee shall receiue power after the holy Ghost is come vpon you Héereby hée shewed them that they were fooles to aspire so high as to enquire and seeke after the secretes of God For they were not able to attaine thereto vntill they had receiued this power from aboue In déede they had receiued some portion of the holie Ghost but hee tolde them that it was verie néedfull the same should be encreased in them and that it was then no time to tryumph but to fight and they might sée also that it was not long before it should come to passe And afterwarde hée saide Yee shall be witnesses vnto mee both in Ierusalem in all Iewrie and in Samaria and euen vnto the worldes ende As if hée shoulde haue saide you thinke that I shoulde reigne lyke a worldly Prince but you are deceiued for my kingdome is spirituall And thus hée correcteth their last errour touching their question of the kingdome of Israel by saying that the Gospell must be conneied euen to Samaria For there was great inimitie betwéene the Iewes and the Samaritanes albeit they were néere neighbours and agréeed so me what in the principles of religion as wée and the Papists doe at this day For there is a kinde of familiaritie betwéene vs because we haue the Gospell and they also say that they haue it The Samaritanes likewise had the same law with the Iewes but they had altogether peruerted it euen as the Papists now do and therefore the hatred was the greater betweene them Now Iesus Christe telleth his Apostles héere That the Gospel must bée preached to the Samaritanes Wée see then that Iesus Christe liuely reproueth their errors and bringeth them into the right way This must wée apply to our owne vse and in the first place if the Apostles were so grosse minded as wée may sée very well this vice was not in them alone but it is also in vs. And therefore let vs looke vpon this as in a glasse that it is not enough that we bée preached vnto but God must also inlighten vs make a way for his worde that it might enter into vs and open also the eyes of our mindes that wée may bée able to comprehend his wil for els our hearing will bée to no purpose and without profite And therefore let vs beséeche God to graunt vs his grace to vnderstand his will or els wée shall remaine in our beast linesse stil Héere wée sée what wée are to note in the first place of this Scripture Now for the faultes which the Apostles cōmitted in their question we must consider of them by the reprochfull answere which Iesus Christ maketh them In the first place we sée that wée our selues haue experience euen of our selues how curious we are And now let vs sée whether we are giuen to desire such thinges as are necessary méete for vs. Surely no for if we be told twise of a thing we thinke it doth but breake our braine Againe if an harde matter yea such a thing as in déed is most necessary to be vnderstood be told vs in two words we thinke it euen enough What an inconstancie is this in vs not to settle our mindes vpon necessary things But if we should heare a sort of tales lyes and things nothing worth ho wee would neuer bée weary of hearing of them all the day and night long And thus we sée that our minds are so toyish as that we haue no care of any necessary things but are desirous of all vaine and vnprofitable matter yea and to speake of any good and profitable thing it is as wée say lost labour Héere wée may perceiue how wée ought to bestow al our life time to wit to consider of the grace that God hath giuen vs in sending of vs Iesus Christ to make vs wise for this wisedome stretcheth it selfe through heauen and earth And this is it whereof S. Paule speaketh to the Ephesians Ephe. 3.18 when he maketh mention of length bredth heigth and depth That is to say that so farrefooth as our mindes are able to reache we should giue our selues more and more to vnderstande the loue which Iesus Christ hath shewed vs in bestowing of vs his welbeloued Sonne Iesus Christ After this sort as I haue saide must wée bestow our time and yet if we be but preached vnto one halfe houre wée thinke it ouer long Whereby we sée howe wandring minded wée are to all vayne and vnprofitable thinges and therein take all our delight and pleasure But if there bée any matter in question that might confirme and stay vs or that wée bée tolde of thinges that shall come vnto vs wée will neuer hearken to that but our minde will foorthwith be turned cleane away wandring too and fro building as wée say castles in the ayre so that hée which hath Goods thinketh neither of his possessions nor of his riches and hée that hath none will continue and abide like a senslesse bruite beast and neuer once thinke vpon that which is spoken vnto him Behold I pray you how closely we are linked to this vice and there is no man but is condemned before God thereof And although wée sée that the Apostles were curious to vnderstande of thinges which appertayned nothing vnto them yet let not vs be busie to condēne them in it but let vs know that there is matter ynough in vs to condemne our selues Séeing then wée know this to bée so common a fault euery of vs ought to withdraw his mind from being so fantasticall and not wittingly be so toy headed but let vs apply our minds to vnderstand whatsoeuer it pleaseth God liberally to bestow vpon vs from out of the knowledge of his counsell and hold vs there and let vs diligently weigh the saying that is héere set downe It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the father hath put in his owne power Now this saying ought to bridle vs and pull vs backe at once from al curiositie yea and although our nature would pricke vs to goe on yet ought wée to draw backe and vnderstand what Solomon saieth that hée which goeth about to seeke out the secretes of God shall bée oppressed with his glory Prou. 25 27. And therefore if wée be such curious searchers hée will make vs right well feele that hée spake not this in vayne Wherefore let not vs goe beyond this reach but let vs looke what it is that hée forbiddeth vs to searche after That which the Father hath put in his owne power Now héere might rise a questiō to wit whether the father hath put in his owne power Winter and Summer and the rule of all times and seasons Yea
heauen because he had many times foretold them and also said vnto them Iohn 16. 7. It is expedient for you that I depart hence For if I goe not away the comforter wil not come vnto you but if I depart I wil send him vnto you And therfore it must néeds be that they had forgotten it séeing they stoode gazing vp into heauen to sée the issue thereof For as I haue already said he had told them that it was expedient that he shoulde depart from them and had also foretolde them that he must reigne and that they shoulde serue him héere in the meane time Hée had likewise foretold them that he must sit at the right hand of God his Father to make intercession for all the faithfull but they rightly shewed that they had cleane forgotten whatsoeuer hée had so oftentimes manifested vnto them Now this their ignorance should serue vs for a good aduertisement For this was not spoken only for their cause but for ours also And therefore let vs marke the saying of the Angels that we might vnderstand what coÌ„moditie redoundeth to vs by the ascending of Iesus Christ But as touching this saying That he shoulde come euen as they had seene him goe vp into heauen That declareth that we must not looâ—e for him héere belowe but when hee shall come to iudge the world And therefore if wée will séeke for him now wée must doe it by faith which surpasseth all mens vnderstanding This then is the first point of this place that is worthie the obseruation For since we naturally haue our mindes setled héere belowe it would goe very hardly with vs if wée superstitiously bent not our selues whenas wée shoulde heare the Ascension of our Lorde Iesus Christe spoken of And in déede wee sée that this is already come to passe For although hée be ascended into heauen and that it is written that hee shall come downe héere below euen as hée was seene to ascende yet are there greate numbers of suche as call them selues Christians who haue not ceased looking for him héere on earth So that it hath come thus to passe that they seeke for Iesus Christe in bread and wine close him vp in a Pipe carry him hither thither and play with him as they would play with a Puppet And from whence came these superstitions but because our nature is like a sâ—one heere on earth Nowe when I say that we are giuen to be altogether earthly minded it is because wee would eftsoones draw god and whatsoeuer knowledge we haue of him to vs and make him like vnto our selues Wée see then by experience that we would haue Iesus Christe continually in the flesh with vs But wee see on the other side that the Angels would put vs beside such speculations for they said yée men of Galilée why stand yee gazing vp into heauen In very déede if wée wil séeke for our Lorde Iesus we must lift vp our mindes vnto heauen but we must not séek for him after our owne mindes and vnderstandings and therefore faith must at this present beare rule ouer vs. For doe not we know that faith surmounteth all mens reason Neither haue wée suche a benefit by inheritance but it is a grace giuen vs of God to amend our nature Wée must then séeke for our Lorde Iesus but not with our eyes eares feete nor handes But it is faith that muste supply all our wantes Euen so whenas wee shall haue rightly vnderstoode this place we shal be sufficiently fenced agaynst all popish faÌ„tasies where they say by a peece of bread Behold héere is God thinke he may be closed vp like a Puppet Wee shall I say be sufficiently fenced against them whenas we vnderstand that it is said that we must not seek for him according to a natural mans reason but by faith Moreouer wee are admonished not to slacke the raines to superstition and thinke that we cannot haue God corporally with vs. And because we haue béen continually infected with this vice wee ought the more wisely to beware of this point Exod. 32. Wee see that the Iewes said vnto Aaron Make vs Gods to goe before vs. See howe wee woulde haue GOD to bee with vs that wee myght handle him and make sporte with him Let vs therefore consider of this place that wee might bee armed agaynst this vice For although Iesus Christe hath shewed himselfe vnto vs and is our brother yet can wee not comprehende him but by faith neither must we when he offereth himselfe vnto vs imagine of him according to our fantasie Moreouer since we knowe that hée is ascended into this heauenly glory Let vs marke why he is there Let vs in the first place remember vs of that which is said That he is not entred into the holy place made with mans handes Heb. 9.24 but that he is in heauen and therevpon maketh intercession for vs vnto God his Father so that whensoeuer we pray vnto God hée will not heare vs with out Iesus Christ were there in our name being there hée is our Intercessour and is the cause that our praiers come vnto him and that they are hearde euen as though we our selues were priueledged to speake our mindes and powre out our heartes before God And this is it which wée reade in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Exo. 28. That as the high Priest entred into the Sanctuary for all men Euen so since Iesus Christe is in heauen wée shoulde bée certaine and sure that hée maketh intercession for vs. For when the high Prieste entred into the Sanctuary hée had vpon his head the names of the children of Israell and before him hée had twelue stones which signified the twelue Tribes of Israell which declared that although hée went in alone yet hee did it for all the rest Since then Iesus Christe is entred into heauen and beareth vs there although wee bee as it were bruite beastes and carrieth vs also before him to declare that he hath vs in his heart we must not then pray vnto God doubtingly but be assured that our praiers shall alwaies be acceptable vnto him because Iesus Christe speaketh vnto him for vs. Now if this had béene before time throughly vnderstood there had not béen such stoare of Superstition in Popery For what is the cause that they haue so many Patrones Why runne they so faste vnto the Virgin Mary Forsooth because they neuer vnderstood wherefore it was that Iesus Christe ascended into heauen For if they had knowne that hée had ascended to bée our Intercessour they would neuer haue saide that they had béen vnworthie to haue offered vp their prayers vnto God and therfore had néede of Aduocates But they had knowne that since Iesus Christ is there in our name and in our behalfe wée might there haue accesse vnto him without either Patrones or Aduocates And this wee haue to vnderstande in the first place Moreouer hée ascended to the end that sitting at the
right hand of God his Father he might gouerne the worlde and so gouerneth it as that he alwayes assisteth his faithfull ones and hath a special care ouer them Now if Iesus Christ had continually abode with vs ouer and besides that we had béen more giuen to superstition hée had not had the power to haue had all thinges vnder his subiection In déede hée might haue had it But we speake not nowe of him but according to that order which hée hath set downe in his Gospell And to say the trueth it were a foolishe kinde of reasoning to say that otherwise hee had not béen able to haue done either this thing or that because his power is infinite But yet he saide after his resurrection that God had giuen him all power and authoritie and this is also our beliefe Math. 28.18 Mat. 28. 18 That hee sitteth at the right hande of God his Father Almightie What is the meaning héere of this that hée hath a seat and sitteth in it No no But this is it that hée is an assistant vnto God as his Lieuetenaunt For if wée woulde stande before the glorious Maiestie of God we shoulde bée crushed to powder but because wée might come vnto him wée haue for vs there Iesus Christ vnto whom hée hath giuen all thinges in subiection both in heauen and earth And although our Lord Iesus had from eternitie all power yet wée saide not that hée sitteth at the right hande of God vntill such time as we saide that he was ascended into heauen Wée sée then that he had this preheminence ouer all after that he was ascended And héere wee haue to note that the principalitie which Iesus Christe had is for vs because hée hath no néede of it himselfe séeing hée is euerlasting with the Father But what hée is at the right hande of God in our nature And it is to this end that wée might bée assured wée shall take no harme being vnder his protection In very déed hée is wel cōtented that our fleshe shoulde bée troubled and that wée shoulde bée wrapped in many miseries But what then Hee is alwayes ready to stretch foorth his hande to helpe vs and let vs be assured that although wée abide it for a time yet in the ende it shall turne to our benefite This then is it that we must vnderstand when we heare his ascension spoken of Euen so since he is ascended into heauen for vs let vs note that we ought not to feare any thing so long as we are in this world Surely wée are subiect to so many miseries as that it is lamentable to sée our estate for we are more then miserable and yet wee must not be abashed for all that nor yet regarde our owne persons but wée must haue a respect to our head who is alredy in Heauen and saye although I be weake yet beholde Iesus Christ is stronge inough to make mée stand vpright although I be féeble yet loe Iesus Christ is my force and although I bee full of miseries yet is Iesus Christ in immortall glorye and looke what hée hath shall one day be mine and I shall bee partaker of all his benefites Iohn 12.31 Eph. 6. 12 True it is that the Deuill is called the Prince of this worlde but what then yet Iesus Christ keepeth hym short because hée is King both of heauen and earth Beholde the Deuils that are aboue in the ayre who warre against vs but what of al that Iesus Christ reigneth aboue them all and directeth all our fight and therefore we ought not to doubt of victory I am héere subiect to such a number of changes as might euen take a way my courage but what then Beholde the sonne of God is my head in whom there is no chaunge and therefore I must trust to that Thus wee sée what a regarde wée must haue vnto his ascension and make it profitable vnto our selues Let vs now come to the saying of the Angels yee shall see him come downe from heauen euen as you haue seene him goe vp meaning that wée should not looke for him vntill he come to the day of iudgement Now this shoulde not onely plucke all superstition vp by the rootes out of vs but also draw vs to heauen vnto him Howbeit wee haue already saide Col. 3.2 that we must not séeke for him but by Faith And since it is so let vs harken to the saying of Saint Paule to the Collossians Séeing Christ Iesus your head dwelleth in Heauen in whom is all your lyfe it is méete that your affection should bée on thinges aboue although your bodies be héere Wherefore since wée know Iesus Christ to be aboue wée must learne to forsake the world and be vnited to him There is a great space betwixt him and vs therefore it were impossible for vs to be ioyned together except we should vse the meane which S. Paule telleth vs which is to mortefye these earthlye members as Fornication vncleannesse couetousnes gluttonie pride enuy and al such like would we be partakers of this Ascension Then must we not separate our selues frō him But how should we be ioyned vnto him Forsooth wee must mortifie these earthly members and all other thinges that holde vs héere belowe Some are geuen to vncleannesse some to reuenge some to gluttonie and other some to certaine other vices Now then as faith looketh vpward euen so must our affections follow to the end we might forsake the world and al other things whatsoeuer which may any way hinder vs from béeing vnited vnto our head Héere wée sée what is meant by this saying That he will come in such sort as he was seene to goe vp into Heauen to the end wée might learne héereby to ioyne vnto him with al the affections of our heart By this the Angels had no pretence nor colour to speake either of the apparrel of Iesus Christ eyther yet of anie other things as many fantastical braynes doe séeking after things neyther requisite nor yet profitable to saluation But the spéech of the Angels was to this purpose to shew that he would come in visible maner As if they should haue said vnto the Apostles it gréeueth you that your maister is taken from out of your company howbeit let not the gréeue you because you shall sée him come againe in such immortal glorie as yée now sée him Nowe the Papistes haue other pretie childish subtleties saying that their GOD is in their masse and and make such sport with him there euen as they lust Indéed say they it is very true that Iesus Christ wil come visibly and manifestly to iudgement But yet say they at this present he commeth closely and couertly Surely he commeth daylie vnto vs and it is not for nothing that the Scripture saith the GOD visiteth vs and it is also wel said of vs that the Gospel is a testimonie of his presence But let vs marke how it is that hée dwelleth with vs. Indéed S.
Paule saith that he dwelleth in vs by faith 1. Cor. ◠19 2. Cor. 6 1◠And therefore let vs not geue place vnto our foolishe dolteries but vnderstande it according to the meaning of S. Paule saying Knowe yée not that you are the Temple of the liuing GOD which dwelleth in you And so as God is inuisibly euery where and in all thinges euen so Iesus Christ communicateth himselfe with vs. And therefore when wée are vnited to him our soules are fedde with the very substance of his bodie although he be in heauen but it is through the operation of faith of the holie Ghost For Iesus Christ commeth not downe corporally Wherfore the papists are doltishly ignorant when they say that he commeth closely and hydeth himselfe vnder the bread and wine playing bo péepe Nowe since we know the meaning of these wordes let vs apply them to our vse we haue saide that the Angels promised the Apostles because they shoulde not thinke that they had lost his presence that like as they had séene him ascend into heauen euen so hee shoulde come downe agayne For what should his descending and the suffering of his death and passion do vs good if we hoped not to sée him againe But séeing it was promised vs that he should come againe to gather vs together vnite vs to himselfe what a notable comfort is this for vs. And therefore this was not spoken only in the behalfe of the Apostles but also for our behoofe and herein resteth our comfort that although we are separated from him a great long distance of yet wil he shew himselfe for our redemption And therefore wée may boldly lift vp our heades and ouercome whatsoeuer griefes may come vnto vs. By this we may very wel iudge whether we beléeue in Iesus Christ or not For when we heare it said that he wil come againe and then reioyce at it and féele his comming in our heartes it is a token that we haue a true beliefe in him But contrariwise if wée stande in doubte of that day and haue a mynde to put it of if it were possible this is a true token of our infidelitie Wée sée then that faith at this day is very rare to bee founde in all the worlde For to heare the day of his comming spoken of should bée a greate comforte to vs because it is the day of our redemption as Paule to the Romanes saith Rom. 8.23 Howbeit there are very few that beléeue it But if we bee sorie and grieued to heare it spoken that that day will come is this a token that we hope Iesus Christ to bee our Redéemer Surely our redemption was purchased by his death but yet when wee shall be ridde of this bodie no doubte of it wee shall then bee ridde of the bondage of sinne Loe what an acceptable thing death should be vnto vs. Howbéeit because the vniuersall redemption shal not be vntil the latter day we ought to grone as all the Creatures grone looking for that day because they are subiect to corruption by reason of our sinnes and desire to bée deliuered thereof Wée sée then that heauen and earth and all the rest of the Creatures within them doe desire the appearing of our Lorde Iesus Christ and shall not wee be more ashamed if wée haue no greater desire of his comming then in sensible beastes For wée haue not onely the knowledge which God hath giuen vs as mortall men but hée hath also giuen vs an vnderstanding to wishe and desire his comming And therefore Luk. 21.28 this is a verie notable true signe of infidelitie when as wée haue no desire to sée that day and besides if wee rere not vp our heades so often as wée heare this saying pronounced we sufficiently declare that we haue no fayth in Christ Iesus Moreouer as the faythfull are comforted by this sentence euen so must the wicked féele an inward feare of this comming And although they make a iest at it yet doeth feare and trembling possesse their heartes which is this that our Lorde Iesus putteth them ouer vnto his iudgement And the reason why many men take Iesus Christ for their Iudge Iohn 19.37 is this because they haue no will to receiue him when as God his meaning is to giue them him to be their Redéemer In verie déede there are a number which at this day make but a laughing game thereat yet shall they neither will nor choose Apoc. 1.7 but feele his heauy hande whom they had persed For there are some suche men vnto whom if the iudgement of God be named that wil answere and say Well Syr well we shall be sure to sée him but not vntill hée come As certeine of my gentle scoffers scoffed here vpon Tuesday last past who not onely made light account and set them selues against God in the Tauernes but also made a muster héere of their impyetie and shamelesnesse and because they woulde shewe them selues to be lyke the most impudent whores of the Stewes they came and scoffed at God and his word euen in the Church in the presence of all his faythfull Well let them scoffe at him and spare not yet shall they féele him I say whom they had pearsed And let them be sure that he will come yea that he will come For he is not ascended vp into heauen to suffer the wicked ones to scoffe at him but that hee will surely be reuenged of them and kéepeth a register of all their scoffes and scornes And since they wil not willingly come to a reckoning they shall neither will nor choose but receiue iudgement with their fathers and brothers the Deuilles Nowe since this doctrine is deliuered vnto vs for our instructiō let vs in Gods name learne to humble our selues and worship Iesus Christ for since he is Prince and Gouernour of the Angels whom they obey let vs follow them for company And besides let vs be well assured that we may boldly pray vnto him since hée standdeth for vs before God his Father Moreouer let vs comfort our selues if at this day we suffer much and let vs looke for that day of the Lorde whereat our Lorde Iesus hath promised to be to vnite vs vnto him selfe And according to this holie doctrine Let vs fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God and acknowledge our offences beséeching him that he will not suffer vs to walter our selues continually a sleape in them but awake vs and vnite vs vnto his Sonne And since hée hath called vs to the knowledge of him that it woulde please him to graunt vs the grace to profite our selues therein vntill such tyme as wée bée brought to that perfection wherevnto hée calleth vs. And so let vs all say O Almighty God heauenly father c. The first Sermon of the descending of the holie Ghost Actes second 1 ANd when the day of Pentecost or Whitsontide was come they were all with one accord in one place 2
hée setteth downe this promise That God woulde powre out his Spirite vpon all fleshe Wherein hée sheweth that when God will punishe the iniquitie of the world it is not to make his chosen people dispaire but to confirme them by the exercise of the troubles in this world which are rather laide vpon the chosen then vpon the reprobate Wée sée then how that our Lord is not so redy to powre out his vengeance but that he pardoneth al those which haue recourse vnto his goodnesse and mercy For hée is alwayes néere vnto theÌ„ Psal 145.18 which truly call vpon him Now this hath continually béen the common vaine of the Prophetes that when they woulde comfort poore sinners they would bring them to the knowledge of Iesus Christe And it was not without cause for take vs from Iesus Christ and then what shall wée finde in God Surely we shall finde suche an excellencie and highnesse in him as shall throwe downe all creatures into the bottomeles depth because that when we are come to the knowledge of our selues wée shall finde nothing in vs saue sinne and iniquitie to present our selues before the maiestie of so great and mightie a Iudge wée can by no meanes possible looke for any other thing then the iustice and rigour of his vengeance prepared for vs by reason of our iniquities And I beséeche you which of vs in déed shall bée able to exempt him self from out of the number of sinners that hée may bée bolde to say hée had not néede haue recourse vnto the knowledge of Iesus Christe And yet wée sée howe carelesse wée are in this behalfe In déede there is no man that will openly say that he woulde not know Iesus Christ howbeit there are but a fewe which will trauell to séeke for him as hée ought to bée sought for And therefore it is no maruell though the Prophetes stoode alwaies vpon this point to bring vs to the knowledge of Iesus Christe for that is the only meane by which wée must bée reconciled vnto God and wheron we must be grounded Wée sée then that when the holy Ghost came downe so abundantly that it was to none other end but that al such as were estraunged from the knowledge of Iesus Christe might bee called and we al be brought together to be the people of God so receiue him But for the better vnderstanding of this place we must lay open the saying of the Prophet It will come to passe saith hée in the latter dayes that I will powre my spirite vpon all flâ—she and your sonnes and daughters shall prophesie and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dreame dreames Heerein is to bee obserued that although the Prophet saith that the holy ghoste shall bée powred out vpon all fleshe yet that all men shall not receiue him because we sée that a great many are bereaued thereof Neuertheles God calleth vs all but we vnthankefully and wickedly withstand him And this is alwayes a true saying That none commeth to him but such as the holy Ghost draweth By this also wee are let to vnderstande that if wee come vnto Iesus Christe by faith and so humbly holde vs there we shal receiue the graces of the holy Ghoste so abundantly as that we may bee able to communicate them vnto our neighbours And thus we see that Iesus Christe calleth vs all in generall howbeit it is very farre of that all doe come vnto him because we refuse the benefit that is offered vs. And how so Forsooth by reason we make our selues not worthie thereof alwaies desiring rather to giue our selues vnto our vanities then vnto the feare of God Wherefore since it is so that many receiue not the graces which are offered them although they are all called heere might a question be asked why the Prophet then speaketh after this maner In very deede the Prophet his meaning is to vse this generall kinde of speech to shew that God wil bring some of all estates and ages to knowe him and also because he maketh now no difference betweene the Iewe and the Gentile For the power of the holy Ghoste worketh euery where We see that the people of the Iewes were euen the very first amongst all other nations who knew the true God and although the beléeuing Iewes were few in number yet was the holy Gâ—st offered vnto them all In like case were the Gentiles also instructed by the preaching of the Gospâ—l Thus we sée it to be no wonder in the saying of the Prophet that God hath powred out his spirite vpon all flesh Nowe the doctrine which at the beginning was set foorth by the preaching of the Gospell came first of all to the Iewes to the ende that the saying of Ezechiel might be fulfilled that from the fountaine of Hierusalem the riuers should ouerflowe euen vnto the vttermost partes of the earth Wherein the meaning of the Prophet is that the diuersitie of tongues had neuer byn spread abroade if the holy Ghost had not byn sent vnto the Apostles to haue dispersed their doctrine throughout al the world And therefore let vs rightly coÌ„sider how God by his incoÌ„preheÌ„sible wisedom hath woonderfully wrought to haue the gospel to be published for although Iesus Christ had very sufficiently instructed the Apostles yet were they but grosse headed vntill such time as they had receiued the holye Ghost But after they had receiued him sée howe they became of simple soules such great and learned Clarkes as that they vnderstood the diuersitie of tongues the want of which as I haue alreadie said was an hinderance to the publishing of the Gospel And therefore it was not without cause that the Prophete Ioel saide that God had powred out his spirite vpon al flesh Moreouer wee are to obserue héere in this place this saying That the olde men and young men shoulde prophesie Whereby hee declareth that both olde and young shoulde bee partakers of the grace of the holie Ghost And therefore it is not now néedful for vs to séeke for any glose to vnderstand the meaning of the prophet in this spéech All fleshe because the very Texte sufficiently sheweth his meaning Nowe when hée saieth That the young men should prophesie Hée spake then according to the manner of the time in those dayes because GOD vsed these two kindes of meanes with his seruantes either in vision or els in dreame according to that which is set downe in the booke of Numbers Num. 12.6 that God would shew himself vnto his Prophets by visioÌ„s speake vnto them in dreames But it is said that he would speake with his seruant Moses mouth to mouth Howbeit it might bee alleadged that the doctrine of the law the doctrine of the Gospel is not like that although God manifested himselfe vnto the Prophetes in the olde Testament yet will hée not shewe himselfe vnto vs after that sort To answere this it is to bée considered that although the prophet
strange kinde of excuse And therefore when wée sée that God so liberally dealeth as that hée will neither exclude age nor sexe from receiuing of the holy ghoste are not wée very accursed to withdraw ourselues from him when as hée is desirous to come néere vs And to say the truth the prophesie that is héere spoken of is to be accomplished at the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe Wherfore since he at this day hath all power and dominion it must néedes bée manifested wée must also vnderstand that the thing which was foretolde is most true And therfore since the thing that was spoken of hath so manifestly appeared cursed are we if wée doe not our best to walke in the feare of the Lorde and receiue the graces whiche hee offereth vs. Wée haue alredye saide that hée taketh exceptions too none Howbeit wée are so wicked as that wée cannot take in good part the thing offered vnto vs. What is the cause thereof surely surely our infidelitie Wherefore neither young nor old can excuse themselues of this fault in not submitting themselues vnto the obedience of God séeing hée hath called all thereto Neither is it to be wondered at although they so little profit in this doctrine For if we marke it the elder sort will growe so obstinate and ouer growne in wickednesse as that no exhortation will doe them good And the younger sort are as dissolute as Diuels For if they bée exhorted they waxe so madde as that to any mans thinking they would tread vnder foote both God and his worde and as many as deliuer it Now Iesus Christe who is the wisedome mildenesse and méekenesse of the Father wyl haue nothing to doe with such foxes and Lions And if they be told that they must humble themselues vnder the mightie hand of God to the ende they might vnderstand that they haue a Father in heauen who will not care onely for their bodily nurriture but will also entertaine and gouerne them by his holy spirite they passe not an hawe of al this but take leaue to doe what wickednesse soeuer they lust Now because the time will not serue to procéede any further héerein we will reserue the handeling of the residue vntil Sunday next And sith we cannot be acceptable in the sight of the Lord our God but by the meane of our Lord Iesus Christ let vs fall downe before his maiestie in his name and beséech him so to instruct vs by his holy spirite as that wée may vnderstande that the Prophetes spake by him for our instruction and that we also might learne to benefite our selues so that it might turne to the glory and praise of his holy name and the edifying of our neighbours And so let vs most humbly say O Almighty God and heauenly father c. The third Sermon of the descending of the holie Ghost Actes second 18 ANd surely in those dayes I wil powre out of my spirit vpon my seruants vpon my handmaides and they shall prophesie 19 And I will shewe wonders in heauen aboue and tokens in the earth beneath blood and fire and the vapour of moke 20 The Sunne shal be turned into darknesse and the Moone into blood before that great and notable day of the Lord come 21 And it shall come to passe that whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lorde shall bee saued VPON Sunday last past we declared vnto you howe that at the comming of Iesus Christe God so powred out his great treasures in the worlde as that both men women young and olde were partakers of his grace Now the riches which the Lord God of his bountifull goodnesse so liberally bestowed were no earthly riches which could perish come to naught But euen the holy Ghoste himselfe from whom commeth all the riches and treasure of saluation And besides wée haue shewed that God hath not doone it only for a time but is also redy to continue the same which hée hath spoken yea and at this day he inricheth vs with his graces if the fault be not ours But wee bée so accursed as that wée are voyd of them by reason of our vnthankefulnesse For his liberalitie is as great at this day as euer it was in the time of the Apostles whenas hée sent downe vnto them the holie Ghost euen to make vs partakers of the self same grace which hée liberally bestowed vpon them howbeit wée are so incredulous and faythlesse as that we stoppe that way vpon him by which he would come vnto vs. For when hée calleth vs by his worde to make vs partakers of his holie spirite wée drawe arsewarde so that a man would thinke wée had conspired to set our selues against him And where both olde and young men and women are called to be partakers of this grace and ought to endeuour them selues by all meanes possible to receiue the holie Ghost and more and more to perseuere and continue in receiuing of the same we sée the elder sort to be more hard hearted and obstinate then the rest and the younger people to be giuen ouer to all kinde of lewdnesse so that if they be tolde of their dissolutenesse they wax so madde and furious as that it should séeme they would marre all And when men should be manlyke and sharpe witted to giue diligent héede vnto the word of God they are become as blockish as bruit beastes And where the women also shoulde be humble and walke soberly and honestly they are extreame dissolute and too too gallaunt and full of all superfluous vaine vanities And therefore if nowe we sée not men enioy the graces of the holie Ghost which God here speaketh of that hée will poure out vpon his seruantes and handmaydes it is not because hée hath chaunged any whit his determination and purpose but by reason we will not suffer him to do vs good For when he commeth neare vs we drawe backward Wherefore hée is not the let why we doe not all receiue his graces For the Prophet saieth as wée haue heretofore saide That God will poure out his holie spirite vpon all flesh Hée namely sayeth vpon all flesh which is vpon all people without exception True it is that Iesus Christ was sent vnto the Iewes not onely to pull them from out of the bondage of the Deuill but to make them partakers also of the giftes of the holie Ghost Howbeit wée are at this present gathered altogether into one Church and therfore there remaineth nothing but to shewe the effect of our Christianitie and of the graces which God hath bestowed on vs and thē let vs not doubt but that we shall receiue the giftes of the holie Ghost since it is saide that God hath not poured them out vpon one or two but generally vpon all men Wherefore it is not enough for vs to boast that we are Christians without we shew the effect thereof that it may be knowne that we vainly take not vpon vs this name of Christianitie For
we must not doe as many of the Papists doe who neither care for God nor his worde but content them selues onely with this bare name of a Christian and so they may be called by that name they care for no more Nowe if they be asked and if they be Christians I pray you what answer will they make Surely they think they haue great wrong offred them to haue this question demaunded What I beséech you good Syr will they say are we not Christians haue we not béene baptized Yea ywis I graunt it But what faith haue you for all this Verely they will say that they beléeue as the Church beléeueth And so by this meane they haue aswadled fayth wherin their teachers haue instructed them in saying That it is sufficiēt for them to beléeue as the Church beléeueth Let them also be asked how God is to be serued and worshipped why they thinke that question is soone answered And thus doeth God iustly punish the iniquitie of men when we sée simple soules guided by such instructers of Satan to bring them tumbling headlonges together into the bottomlesse pyt of hell with them selues Thus we sée howe this Romish Idoll hath licoured Christendome with all kinde of lying and false doctrine And howe so Forsooth because men haue stopped vp the way against the word of God and are contented to be lycoured with leasing But by the way let vs come home to our selues and let vs neither condemne the Papistes nor yet any others but eftsoones apply this doctrine vnto our owne vse First of all we haue the Gospell the doctrine of all wisedome and yet how deafe and blockish are wée we are daily preached vnto But what instruction receiue we thereby for all that Surely surely it is wel enough perceiued and the fruit that commeth by it Without all doubt it is truely sayde That wée haue the Gospell But if we liue not in all obedience therevnto what testimony shall wée haue that wée are the seruants of God For according to that which wée handled on Sunday last we cannot be the seruants of God without wee be partakers of his holie spirite who is not without cause called the spirite of wisedome For by this we are shewed that we cannot haue so small a portion of the holy Ghost if we will continue it but that God wil more and more augment it in vs. In verie déede euerie man cannot haue the lyke measure thereof howbeit that is no let why we shoulde not encrease our small Talent For although a man hath the gift of tongues yet may he not haue one some grace which an other man hath And héerevpon is that saying of Saint Paule verefied Rom. 12.3 Ephes 4.7 That God will giue of his graces to euerie man according to such measure as wée are the members of Iesus Christ As we sée that the members of one bodie haue not all one office For the féete will doe that which the handes cannot doe the eyes are put to an other maner of vse then the eares are and so consequently are all the parts of the bodie Euen so our Lord will bestow his holie spirite vpon some after an other sort then hée will vpon other some and yet it is all one and the selfe same spirit and therfore if we would be knowne to be Christiās we must haue the knowledge of that which is spoken of and that it is God which guideth vs by his holie spirite to the ende we should not be like vnto those blinde ones which walke in infidelitie And thus much for this saying That God wil poure out of his holie spirite vpon all flesh Moreouer where it is saide That they shall prophesie herein the meaning of the Prophet is to signifie vnto vs That when God will instruct vs hée will doe it so perfectly as that the doctrine shall not onely profite our selues but that we shall also be able to teach others And in déede whosoeuer shall receiue greater graces from God then the rest is so much the more bounde to instruct the base and simple ones and giue him selfe to teach his neighbors Wherefore let vs vnderstande that after God hath instructed vs that it is our duetie to labour to bring others vnto the knowledge of him And hereupon it is that Isaiah speaketh saying Isaiah 2.2 Mich. 4.1 Let euerie man take his neighbour by the hand and lead him vp vnto the holy hill And this is one of the most principall pointes whereby God alloweth our Christianitie whē as we so loue our neighbours as to instruct them in the word of God Now this is done by the doctrine which we haue receiued of him at the handes of the Apostles which came out as we said last Sunday of the fountaine of Ierusalem whose riuers so ouerflowed the whole world as that euery man might not onely receiue it for his owne behoofe but also distribute it vnto our neighbours In déed all men are not Doctors to teach howbeit if we be Christians we haue sufficient wherewith to exhort our neighbours Let vs now come to the other part of the prophesie of the Prophet Ioell where it is saide That God will send terrible and wonderous signes blood and fyre and the vapoure of smoke The Sunne shall be turned into darknesse and the Moone into blood Wherein as wée haue briefly saide the Prophet meant to shewe that when God would visite his people at the comming of Iesus Christ although great felicitie and blessing was promised yet the meaning was not for all that but that we should sée horrible and merueylous thinges And therefore it was verie néedfull that we should be told of it to the ende we might vnderstande that the comming of Iesus Christ was not to place vs in this world as in a Paradise and to liue in it at our ease and pleasure But that Iesus Christ was sent to an other ende to wit that wee might be drawne from these earthly things and be lifted vp vnto heauenly matters And to say truely there were neuer so horrible and wonderfull thinges as were at the comming of Iesus Christ Nowe if it be asked why such thinges came to passe after that Iesus Christ was manifested it is because we were so cursed as that we would not receiue the graces which hée would haue bestowed vpon vs. And therefore when our Lorde offreth him selfe vnto vs and we refuse him must hée not then of necessitie so lift vp his hande as to thunder and storme that we might be afearde of that our so great vnthankfulnesse We sée therefore why it is saide that when God had poured out his holie spirit that we must néedes sée wonderfull troubles and whē we haue looked vnto heauen aboue and vpon the earth beneath we shall sée in them both such great trouble and feare as that a man woulde think heauen and earth should euen goe together so that the Sunne shoulde bée darkened the Moone be turned to blood the Starres
calleth vpon the name of God shall be saued and thereupon necessarily ensueth That hée which calleth not vpon him shall be damned And forsomuch as we are so colde and so easily withdrawne from the calling vpon the name of God The Prophet by the saying going before his meaning was to declare that we must not leaue of calling vpon his Maiestie no not when we are in the mydst of all the greatest troubles which may come vnto vs For although heauen and earth should conspire against vs yet must we euen then call vpon the Maiestie of our God both with heart mouth and with all power and strength Howbeit it is not enough that we say with open mouth a Pater noster in Latin or els Our Father which art in heauen in our mother tongue except it bée saide with the right affection of the heart grounded vpon faith For otherwise we may say ouer this prayer tenne twentie and thirtie times and yet they shall be but wordes wherewith to beat the ayre I will not speake of the entermedling of the Aue Maria amongst thinking by such silly gawdes that they truely call vpon the name of God as hée requireth For surely such kinde of people are farre from the true calling vpon the name of God but are euen like Witches and Sorcerers who can not forget their olde Deuilish superstitions And therefore we must not meruayle ouermuch at such relikes of Satan Rom. 10.14 because they neuer had nor yet haue any fayth in Iesus Christ For how shall they as Saint Paule saieth call vpon him whom they haue not beléeued And this place is worthie the noting Because Saint Paule telleth vs that when the calling vpon the name of God is spoken of that wée must séeke after him as after our Father since we knowe that all the benefites which we haue come from him and that hée is redie to receiue vs so soone as we turne vnto him For els what courage might we haue to craue any thing at his handes if wee were not sure of this And therefore let vs be fully persuaded that when we in trueth call vpon the Lorde our God that hée will receiue vs. Wée sée then by this what a fantasticall imagination the Papisticall fondlinges haue For thus they say That we must in no wise presume that God will heare vs when we call vpon him and their reason forsooth is this forsomuch as we knowe not whether we be in the state of grace or not For this say they were too too great presumption to thinke Why what is then to be done Forsooth They tell vs that we must pray doubtfully and that it is sufficient if wée remit all to their mother holy Church to wyt that wée must haue this answere alwayes readie in our mouthes I beléeue as the holie Church beléeueth Thus we sée howe that they would haue our fayth to be doubtfull and vncertaine Now Saint Paule telleth vs that God lyketh not of this geare For hée sayeth That the Gospell is not preached vnto vs to make vs stande in doubt but to assure vs of our saluation And therefore we may easily iudge what Popish fayth is wherein we were nusled in the time of ignoraunce Wherefore let vs vnderstande that God hath bestowed a singular grace vpon vs in pulling vs out of that darknesse of errour and superstition wherein we were and hath giuen vs his Gospell to bring vs into the way of saluation When we then shall consider of all these thinges we ought to sigh and grone séeing that God of his great goodnesse hath chosen vs amongst all the rest of the nations to bestow the knowledge of his most holy and blessed worde Now this is the mischiefe that is in Popery as hath béen alredie saide when as they say that we may not in full assuraunce call vpon God for that say they is presumption and therefore that hée is to be called vpon doubtfully Neither are they the simpler and common sort of people which doe mainteine this But euen the greatest and chiefest Doctours and such as are thought to haue all the holie scriptures imprinted in their heartes In déede they will not be ouer earnest in defending of their Mawmets although to say truely they take verie great paine to maintein them But when any occasion is giuen vnto them to vomyt out theyr blasphemies they will be so stout as that a man woulde thinke they were Bedlem lyke And why so Forsooth because the Deuill woulde haue them hinder vs from calling of the name of God as we should Euen so then as many as pray vnto God as the Papistes doe let them be assured that God misliketh of them For as hath alredie béen saide we must not pray vnto God after this maner as to say repeate and oftentymes mumble vp the Lordes prayer Because all they that so doe are no better then Sorcerers and Witches It is true in déede that we shoulde not from the heart make ouer long prayers For when we doe pray wée should forsake our selues and forget our owne nature the Deuil and all his entisementes to the ende wée might the more readelier come vnto our Lorde God And after this sort it is that we must deale Moreouer let vs be well assured of this that if we knowe not rightly to call vpon the name of God we haue nothing Let vs therefore throughly consider of this saying That we are all damned as many as call not vpon God For it is written in Genesis speaking of the cursed lyne of Cayne Gene. 4.26 That they builded them selues houses strong Towers and yet for all that they had not the true calling vpon the name of God But it is saide That after Adam had begotten Seth that the name of God was a fresh called vpon And therefore God at that time was worshipped and honored For after that Seth had béen once taught the worship of God hée himself also soone after taught his children to doe the like Now we sée that about the worship of God it is onely saide That the name of God was called vpon This then is the most principall pointe that we ought to holde For although this name of Christian flyeth about amongst vs yet doe we but abuse it if wée call not vpon the name of God Neither can we as Saint Paul saith and as it hath béen héeretofore touched call vpon him without wée haue first beléeued in him In verie déede the farther from blowes the bolder we are For we shall sée a number of Scoffers when they are vpon their Ale Bench that will be then as good Christians as any in the world and a man would thinke them to be the true Champions of Iesus Christ and had gotten at his handes whatsoeuer was possible to be had of him And besides some of them would promise to worke wonders whensoeuer the time should come and to heare them speake a man would suppose that if Christianitie were vtterly lost it
therefore to what ende should we vse counsell aduise Thus wee sée what reason these fantastical felowes woulde yéelde vnto their follies which are ouer greate arrogancies for God to leaue vnpunished For although god calleth vs not into his secret counsel to declare vnto vs his wil determinatiō yet let vs know that he gouerneth vs by his hand that the wicked can doe nothing against vs except the Lorde geueth them leaue And yet there remayneth a certayne order in nature the meaning therof is not but that we must vse aduise for God hath saide vnto vs that he woulde haue vs liue by the bread which he giueth vs to eate that our diseases should be healed by phisick Wherfore it were ouer great arrogancie for vs to refuse the meanes which God giueth vs to cure helpe our infirmities And he that thinketh to get honour by this meane shal bring himself to vtter destruction For when wée say that the prouidence of God prouideth for al things yet must wée not refuse the meane which he hath appoynted Saint Peter saith a little after this that it was impossible for the fleshe of the bodie of Iesus Christ to turne to corruption And why so because that God only had so ordained it and not that it could doe naturally so For when he was conceiued in the wombe of the Virgin Mary he tooke vpon him our nature and was made like vnto vs sinne excepted And by that reason his fleshe was subiect to corruption euen as ours is if God had not in that sort preuented it Heb. 4.15 If a mā had séen the bones of our lord Iesus Christ they might wel enough haue béen bruised broken yet we sée that it was impossible for thē to be so because that God had in such sort appoynted it that they were not naturally so here we sée what we haue to note cōcerning that which might be alledged out of this place not that wee are to deale in speculatiōs to inuent a thousand sophisticall or brabling questiōs wherin the papists are cunning but let vs in al hūblenes consideratly stay our selues vpon this that GOD doeth not onely foresée all thinges but desposeth them also at his will and pleasure And therefore let vs learne to commende our selues vnto him Iohn 12.31 whenas we abide the grieuous assaults of the diuel of the world whereof he is saide to be the Prince and when wée thinke that it cannot be chosen but that the wicked wil oppresse vs Iohn 12.31 let vs shroud our selues vnder the wings of our good God that he might giue vs wherewith to resist them and so being armed with his power wée may bee able to put by all the temptations that may come vnto vs. For although all the Diuels wicked ones would ryse vp against vs hee knoweth well enough how to bridle them and hold them fast bounde so that wee as wee haue before saide runne vnto him and rest vnder his protection Thus wée sée that we must looke vpon the prouidence of God by faith and not after our owne reason Now in that we haue saide that the wicked doe nothing but that which God ordeineth a number might reply and say what good sir and if it bée thus it might bée said that God shoulde bée the cause of the euill and the wicked were to bée excused For answere hereof we must in the first place vnderstand what the will of god is yea that he setteth downe vnto vs in his law We know that he hath forbidden stealing If then I goe steale What Doe I then his will Surely when the wicked goe about to doe any mischiefe they goe not to doe the wil of God for they know wel enough that God vtterly misliketh al wicked dealing And therefore when they doe any euill they withstand the will of God Wherefore it followeth that God would not haue them doe any euill but suffereth them to doe it for the cause they are in excuseable forsomuch as they doe contrary to his commaundement And therefore we must not say that God is the cause of euill for he committeth not the faultes which wée commit For wée sée that he giueth the Diuell leaue to punish such are worthie thereof The Diuell committeth euill and hath none other regard but to doe mischiefe and yet God maketh him to serue him to another cleane contrary end God suffereth a Théefe to robbe a true man of his goods Iohn 1.21 And why doeth he so Forsooth to prooue his pacience that it might be knowne We sée what Iob saith in all his troubles The Lorde hath giuen and the Lorde hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. And yet théeues robbed and spoyled him What meaneth hée then hereby Doth Iob accuse God of theft No forsooth you must not so take it for hée knewe that théeues were wicked and that they came not thither but against the will of God and to the intent to doe mischiefe howbeit he had a further reach and considered that it was not done without the prouidence of God And therefore Iob attributed not the wicked déede vnto God but hée knew what men were in their kind Hée saw that the Chaldeans and Sabeans were the scourges of God They robbed and reaued they killed his seruants and draue away his Cattel to bée short they impouerished him and lefte him nothing and yet hée continually praysed God because hée right wel knew that it was not done without his ordinaunce And euen so must wée doe For if the wicked trouble vs wée must not looke vnto them but our faith must ascend a great deale higher to wit wée must vnderstād that the prouidence of God is aboue them al. After this sort then must wée iudge and not enter into vaine speculations Wée sée now at this present that the vngodly crucified Iesus Christ and yet was it not done without the ordinance of God Howbéeit God wrought it to another ende It was the will of the wicked to bring Iesus Christ to naught and it was the will of God that his blood and death should bée an euerlasting Sacrifice and our redemption to bée made and accomplished thereby And therefore when wée behold this wée haue occasion to glorifie GOD and hée that doth not so his owne conscience reprooueth him Nowe S. Peter saieth that Iesus Christ rose agayne wherby to shew as we haue already said that wée must alwaies ioyne his resurrection with his death For if wée looke into his death onely wée shall sée him altogether full of all shame and reproche and disfigured like a Leper But when wée come vnto his resurrection wée sée how mightily the hand of God exalted him giuing him al power both in heauen and earth Wherefore Mat. 28.18 so soone as wée haue saide that Iesus died let vs by and by vnderstande that hée rose againe He died according to the weaknesse of his flesh but in that
estéemed and honoured and yet will wee thrust him out at the Cartes arse as wée say who made vs for what purpose doe they this Is it not a thing cleane against nature but let vs by the way marke that the ignorance of Infidels and incredulous Papistes procéedeth not of méere simplicitie but of very malice pride and hypocrisie which causeth them to bée so cléerely voyd of wit and discretion And how so because without all doubt if we might once come to the knowledge of God we could neither will nor choose but huÌ„ble our selues before him For it is impossible for vs to bee able to thinke what God is except wée bée liuely touched with some feare which may make vs yéelde vnto him And therefore so long as wée are Rebels and his enimies it is a token that wee neuer knew him for this knowledge of God is too too liuely a thing to say there wée sée him and yet bée as obstinate and rebellious as Infidels And if any man say that they are ignoraunt I graunt but let them take this withall that they are also cursed hypocrites Is there either one or other of vs that hath any thing in him able to excuse him No surely for if wée had but the séede of nature in vs giuen by God the verie beholding of heauen and earth were ynough to make vs think that there were some one who created all these thinges God reuealeth vnto vs as it were in a glasse his maiestie and glorie and yet there is none of vs all that will yéeld vnto it Surely the moste vngodly and such as make a scorne of GOD whenas they bée in any paine or griefe will call vpon him and yet thinke no whit at all indéede of him and héerevnto doeth GOD driue them that they might bée without all excuse insomuch that they as I haue already sayd which are most incredulous are not yet so ignorant but that they play the very Hipocrites They would gladly couer and cloake it Howbéeit they close vp their eyes for the very nonce Wée are proude also malicious for if wée did beare that honour vnto God that wée ought we would haue another maner of care to séeke to know him and his will And therefore whenas wée are so lazie and colde it is a token that wée care not for him So that by that meane our desire is to walke altogether in the darke Why so what is then to bée done Forsooth when wée come néere vnto GOD and that hée rebuketh vs for our offences wée shoulde learne to bée offended with our sinnes and reforme our liues Howbéeit wée are contented to lulle our selues asléepe in our miseries and thus wée sée howe wée flye from his brightnes Wée are therefore héere to note that we are not punished without good cause although we bée ignorant for wée cannot iustly say that wée are simple but rather hypocriticall proud and malicious We sée then why S. Paule saith That they which had sinned without law to wit they which had no vnderstanding of the woorde of God should notwithstanding die without law saying further that God had ingraueÌ„ a law in euery mans heart for although we had neither Scripture nor preaching yet doth our consciences serue for a law to condemne vs and this shalbée sufficient at the latter day well wée may haue many starting holes to deceiue men withall and wée thinke it a good discharge but when wée come once before the heauenly Iudge wée shal come short of our reckoning for there wée shall sée all our excuses to be vaine Let vs then note out of the saying in this place That the Lord wil come to render vengeance vnto al those which haue not knowne GOD and obeyed the gospel to wit vnto al incredulous persons Now by this wee sée that faith is the only port or gate vnto saluatioÌ„ life because Iesus Christ wil come to confound al those which haue not beléeued Moreouer we must vnderstand that vntill such time as GOD enlighteneth vs wée are altogether ignorant and blind And why so Forsooth wée haue a faire catch to know whatsoeuer is in heauen in earth yet not knowe God then to what purpose serueth all our knowledge And surely wée shal neuer know him aright vntil such time as hée hath enlightened vs with his holie spirit Whervpon we sée that our ignorance shal not excuse vs to the end no man should flatter himselfe and become carelesse yet let vs also note one thing by the way that when wee are come to the knowledge of God wée ought of very right submit our selues vnto him to the end hee might kéepe vs in awe that all our thoughts and affections might be guided after his wil so that wée may haue such a faith vnto the Gospel as that we may say with Dauid Psal 19 1â— that this doctrine is sweeter then hony more precious then gold or siluer And thus much for this poynt Moreouer wee here sée how GOD meaneth to certefie vs of our saluation For if Iesus Christ must come to doe vengeaunce vpon all those which haue not beléeued the Gospel but resisted it wée must néedes conclude that the worlde shall bée iudged by the Gospel Nowe it is there sayde vnto vs that when wee haue receiued the promises of God with a true and liuely faith we must not stand in doubt of his fauour and loue to vs warde neither yet doubt that Iesus Christe will not stande to the thing which hee hath offered for vs and for our redemption And therefore all they which doe beléeue in the Gospell may without all doubt reioyce that Iesus Christe will come to be their Redéemer And this assurance as I haue alreadie said God maketh vs so that wée refuse not such a benefite As for the power and glory of Iesus Christe which Saint Paul héere speaketh of it is as hath béene before saide to this ende that his comming might bée the more terrible to all incredulous and rebellious persons And is this a small matter to say that Iesus Christe wyll come accompanied with his Angels in flaming fier and with an incomprehensible Maiestie thundering and lightening vpon all those that are his enimies By this wee sée that Saint Paule his meaning héere is to admonishe all faithlesse people if they are to bée holpen to beware how they continue still without amâ—ndment Notwithstanding because wee sée that such as Satan leadeth and whose heartes hee hardeneth doe nothing els but make a mocke at the threatninges of God let vs for our partes make our profite thereby and when wée heare that Iesus Christe wyll come in such a feareful maner as that hee will so feare and bridle vs that when Satan shall goe about to spurre and pricke vs forwarde to withdrawe vs from the obedience of the Gospell wée might bée able to thinke thus with our selues and say how fareth it with vs how headlong runne we into destruction What meane