manner of hurt was found on him because he beleeued in God Daniels faith made him safe in the mids of the den amongst a company of hugry deuouring beasts wheras they brake all the bones of their accusers which wanted faith in God or euer they came at the ground of the den Whervpon king Darius made a decree that within all his dominions men should tremble and feare before the God of Daniel for he is the liuing God and remaineth for euer said the king and his kingdome shall not perish and his dominion shall be euerlasting He rescueth and deliuereth and he worketh signes and wonders in heauen and in earth who hath deliuered Daniel from the power of the Lyons The Apostle to the Hebrewes painteth out at large the efficacie of the faith of the men of God of olde Heb. 11. Faith opened the heauens to Enoch and freed him from seeing of death Faith preserued Noe and his houshold from the flood Faith made the people of God vnder the conduction of Moses the man of God to passe through the red sea as by drie land which when the Egiptians had assayed to doe they were drowned for they both wanted faith in God themselues and they persecuted such as had faith and beleeued in God Likewise by faith the walles of Iericho fell downe after they were compassed about seuen dayes Thus we see faith is stronger then walled townes for it maketh them to fall stronger then Lyons and Beares for it tieth their pawes and shutteth vp their iawes stronger then the raging Sea and the most ouer-flowing floods for it turneth them into drie land and stronger then the consuming fire for it maketh it colde as water and as refreshing as a faire flowery field The men of God saith the holy Apostle through faith subdued kingdomes wrought righteousnesse obtained the promises stopped the mouthes of Lyons quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword of weake were made strong waxed valiant in battell turned to flight the armies of the aliants finally by faith the women receiued their dead children raised to life So that faith is not onely stronger then walled townes then armed men then roaring Lyons then the raging sea then the flaming fire but also stronger then death it selfe Yea 1. Pet. 5.8.9 Ephes 6.16 1. Ioh. 5.4 it is stronger then the diuell for it quencheth all his fierie dartes and maketh him to flie from vs with the winges of the winde though his strength far exceede the strength of millions of roaring and deuouring Lyons And as the Epistle to the Hebrewes setteth before our face the force of faith in the holy men of olde So doth the holy Gospell afford vs diuers notable testimonies of the wonderfull effects thereof in diuers persons Mat 8.2.3.5.6.8.10.13.14.15 The leaper that came to Christ through faith in him beleeuing that he was able to make him cleane was cleansed of his leprosie with one touch of our Sauiours powerfull finger And by the same faith and finger was Peters mother in lawe cured and freed of her feuer And the Centurions seruant was healed of his palsie Speake the word onely said the Centurion to our Sauiour and my seruant shall be healed Our Sauiour marueiled at his faith and said vnto his followers Verily I haue not found so great faith euen in Israell and vnto the Centurion himselfe he said Goe thy way and as thou hast beleeued so be it vnto thee And his seruant was healed the same houre Mat 9.18.20.21.22.25.28.29.30 20.30.31.32.33.34 By faith was the woman that had beene twelue yeares sick of a bloody issue cured of her desease for she said in her selfe if I may touch but his garment onely I shall be whole Then Iesus turned him about and seeing her did say daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole and the woman was made whole at that houre Her faith was great and therefore deliuered her from a great desease and wrought vpon her a great cure her faith was present and therefore was she presently cured without any protracting of time It was a matter of good comfort to her that she was cured of a long and lingring disease It was a matter of greater comfort to her that she was cured by the great Phisition our Sauiour Christ And it was a matter of greatest comfort of all that she being a poore patient sick in body and sinfull in soule became by the meanes of her faith to be so much dignified as to be made and called the daughter of the Sonne of God Daughter said our Sauiour vnto her be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole The like honour and helpe he vouchsafed vpon the sick of the palsie seing his faith Son be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee said our Sauiour vnto the sinfull sick-man whereupon he arose freed from the sicknes of his body and the sinne of his soule both at once Iairus the ruler of the Synagogue beleeued that our Sauiour was able to cure his daughter being deseased yea to quicken her being deseased My daughter is now dead said he to our Sauiour but come and laye thine hand on her and shee shall liue And so did the issue answere vnto his faith for presently she reuiued and arose Two blinde men beleeued that our Sauiour was able to restore them to their sight and their eies were opened as soone as he had touched them and said Mat. 15.22 22. be it vnto you according to your faith And vnto the Cananitish woman whose daughter was vexed with a deuill who did sue at his hands for helpe with great importunitie and feruencie his answere was O woman great is thy faith be it to thee as thou desirest and her daughter was made whole at that houre Mat 17.14 15.18 Mat. 9 17 to 30 Likewise the lunaticke child was healed at the humble petition of his beleeuing father witout any longer delay the Ruler of capernaum his son being sick vnto the death Ioh. 4.47.50.53 was healed because of the faith of his father who beleeued the word that Iesus had spoken vnto him The holy Apostle Peter through faith walked on the water Mat. 14.28 29 as on the drie land And the holy Apostle Paul Act. 14.8 9.10 beholding a certaine impotent man which had beene a creeple from his mothers wombe and had neuer walked and perceiuing that he had faith to be healed said with a loud voice stand vpright on thy feete and he leaped vp and walked Thus we see how that faith is able to make the lame to goe the blind to see the dumbe to speake the deafe to heare the leaper to be cleane the lunaticke and mad to be in their right minde and the dead to arise No maruell then though the same faith was able to make Sara to beare in her barren olde age For as our Sauiour said vnto the man whose son was possessed Mat. 9.23
for vnfalliable read vnfallible Page 19. for vnsoundly read vnsonnely Page 49. for deseased read deceased Page 68 for bended read bruised Page 90. for was read were Page 100. for opens read open Page 133. for blesseth read kisseth The golden legend of ABRAHAM and SARA ABraham as he was the father of the faithfull Gen. 17.4 5 6. Rom. 4.16 17 18. so was he more particularly of all religious and godly rich men He feared God deuoutly obeyed his voyce readily called vpon his name dilligently liued among men vprightly and followed his calling carefully Gen. 12.1.2.3.4.5.6.7 15.1.2.3.4.12.13.18 2.17.8 His obediēce to the Lords voyce was such that he left his natiue country forsook his kindred and his fathers house and trauailed towards the land of Canaan Act. 7 2.3 4.5 which the Lord promised to giue him his seed he left a certaine possession for an vncertaine only relying reposing himselfe vpon the certainty of Gods gratious promise Yea more when as God had giuen him a son one onely sonne of his wife Sara in their olde age contrary to the cōmon course ordinary ability of nature Gen. 22.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. and 26. 5. Iames 2.21 he was willing at the Lords voyce to offer him for a burnt offering So that not without great cause is the holy Patriarks obedience so highly commended by the Lords owne mouth By my selfe haue I sworne saith the Lord because thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thine onely sonne therfore will I surely blesse thee and will greatly multiply thy seed as the stars of the heauē the sand which is vpon the sea-shore thy seed shal possesse the gate of his enemies And as Abraham at the commaundement of the most high would haue sacrificed his sonne yea his young sonne and his onely sonne and the sonne of his delight and that with his owne hands without protracting of time for he rose vp early in the morning to offer vp his son so the Lord in consideration of his obedience yea his admirable memorable obedience rewarded him most amply and blessed exceedingly not onely himselfe but likewise his seed for his sake Instruction 1 Hence we may learne this lesson that whosoeuer he be that serueth the Lord hee shall finde that hee serueth not a thankeles but a most thankefull maister according to that which he said vnto Abraham Gen. 1. Feare not Abraham I am thy Buckler and thine exceeding great Instruction 2 reward In Abrahams obedience in preferring the Lords voyce and will before the loue of his Country kindred yea before the loue of his onely son Isack al his children according to the promise but chiefely rich men are taught to yeeld obedience vnto the Lords voyce and euen if the cause require it to abandon and forsake their dearest and most beloued things for the cause of God to preferre his will before al earthly and corruptible treasure Mat. 10.37 19 29. He that loueth father or mother more then me saith our Sauiour is not worthy of me and he that loueth sonne or daughter more then me is not worthy of me And whosoeuer shall forsake houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my names sake he shal receaue an hundreth fold more and shall inherit euerlasting life Well knew holy Abraham this who as he reioyced to see Christ in the flesh Iohn 8.56 so he loued him farre aboue all fleshly and corruptible things he knew well what it was to be worthy of Christ would haue rather forsaken all then to haue proued vnworthy of him that made all This great obedience in Abraham did flowe from his exceeding great faith as the Apostle to the Hebrewes lets vs to vnderstand By faith Abraham when he was called Hebr. 11 8 9 10 17 18 19. obeyed God to go out into a place which he should afterward receaue for inheritance and he went out not knowing whether he went By faith he abode in the land of promise as in strange countrie as one that dwelt in Tents with Isack and Iacob heires with him of the same promise for he looked for a Citie hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God By faith he offered vp Isack when he was tried and he that had receiued the promises offered his onely begotten sonne To whome it was said in Isack shall thy seede be called for he considered that God was able to raise him vp euen from the dead from whence he receiued him also after a sort Gen. 15.6 and 17.11 23 24 25 26 27 Rom. 4.3.11.16 17 18 19 20 21 22. Gala. 3.6 Iam. 2.23 Abraham beleeued God saith the scripture and it was counted to him for righteousnes who aboue hope beleeued vnder hope that he should be the father of many nations Neither did he doubt of the promise of God thorough vnbelief but was strēgthened in the faith gaue glory to God being fully assured that he which had promised was also able to do it Though Abraham had not by inheritance so much as one foote breadth in the land of Canaan yet he beleeued that the Lord was both able and willing to performe his promise made to him and his seede touching the possession thereof Though he knew that Sara his wife being both barren and olde could not by the course of nature conceiue yet he was assured that God was able to giue him a Sonne euen of her Finally though he was commanded to offer vp his Sonne Isack for a burnt offering vnto the Lord yet being strengthned in the faith he considered how that God was able to raise him vp euen from the dead and was fully perswaded that Gods promise made to him touching Isack and his seede should not nor could not fall to the ground and want the owne performance in the own due time Heauen and earth shall passe away but Gods promise is as vnfaileable and vnfalliable as God himselfe Abraham if he had beene feeble in the faith would haue said what a kinde of a Commandement is this for a father to be the slayer of his owne Sonne Haue I receiued a Sonne and but one Sonne onely after so long prayer and expectation and must I and none other but I be the butcher of his body the spiller of his blood and the burner of his bones Good Lord what an hard and heauy commandement is this Is it possible O heauens that God should be the author thereof How much more like is this son-offering voice vnto the voyce of some monstrous Milcom or Molech Leuit. 18 21. the blood-sucking Idol of Ammon rather then vnto the voyce of the most gracious God of Abraham chiefly he hauing promised in Isacks seede to call and blesse all the nations of the earth and must I and none but I who was the instrument of his life now be the mortall and vnnaturall instrument
Elcanas wiues Thus as the holy woman Anna after long barrennes and much despisement reproch 1. Sam 1.20 3.4 7.15.16 17 Iudg. 13. ◠4.5.7.24 brought forth her Samuel to be a Priest before the Lord a Iudge of his people and Manoahs barren wife her Sampson to be the Lords champion against the Philistims holy Elizabeth her Iohn to be the conuerter of the children of Israel Luk. 1.5.6.7.13.14.15.16.17.57.60.63.76 the Prophet of the most high and the fore-runner of the Messias Iesus the sonne of Marie the blessed Virgine So godly and vertuous Sara after long barrennes and much reproch bare in her olde age with Elizabeth her Isack to be the heire of Abraham the seeds-man of all the blessed nations of the earth and the figure and forefather of the Messiah according to the flesh Thus wee see how that faith Instruction 16 which transcendeth nature Ephes 2.8 and is not of nature but of grace not of man but Gods gift made Sara to beare when as by nature she was barren As without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 so without faith it was impossible for Sara to conceiue and beare a Son in her olde age And God that doth vnto euery man according to his faith Mat 9.29 wrought with vertuous Sara according to her faith As Abraham aboue hope beleeued vnder hope that he should be the father of many nations Rom. 4.18.19.21 being strengthened in the faith and not considering the deadnes of his owne body So his wife Sara being strengthened in the same faith and not considering the deadnes of her wombe aboue hope beleeued vnder hope that she should be the mother of many Nations Both of them beleeued him that had promised to be both faithfull in his promise and powerfull to performe it Hence we may learne of how great vertue efficacie and force faith is By faith a man is counted Instruction 17 righteous before God for Abraham beleeued in the Lord saith the scripture and it was counted vnto him for righteousnes Gen. 15.6 Rom. 4.3 9. By faith a man hath peace towards God and pleaseth him Rom. 5.1.10 Heb. 11.6 and so commeth neere vnto him and without faith it is impossible to please God saith the Apostle Act. 26.18 By faith we are raised vp from sin and receiue forgiuenes thereof inheritance among the Saints Act. 15.9 by faith our hearts are purified and clensed and Blessed be the pure in heart Mat. 5.8 saith our Sauiour for they shall see God By faith we are strenthened in Gods grace we resist the deuil 1. Pet. 1.2.5.9 5.9 the world and the flesh yea we ouercome them Ephes 3.12 Galat 3.14 26. Ephes 2.8 9. 2. Tim. 3.15 2. King 6.14.15 16.17 we haue free accesse vnto God we receiue his blessing we are made his sonnes and in end we acquire the saluation of our soules Elisha was so strong in faith that he feared not the troupes of the King of Siria that he sent out to apprehend him Feare not quoth the Prophet to his seruant being affrayed of the mighty host of their enemies for they that be with vs are more then they that be with them The Citie of Dothan was compassed with Horses and charets sent by the King of Syria to offend Elisha and to apprehend him But loe the mountaine was full of horses and Charets of fire round about Elisha sent by the King of Kings to defend his seruant and to confound his foes The Angel of the Lord saith the Prophet pitcheth round about them that feare him Psal 34.7 deliuereth them 1 Sam. 6. to 24. Ionathan accompanied with his armour-bearer discōfited the Philistims through the great faith he had in God For it is not hard for the Lord to saue with many or with few quoth Ionathan to his man 1. Sam. 17.26.32 to 37. 55. Dauid being armed with an inuincible faith in God went out against the mighty Goliah and smote him first in the fore-head with a stone so that he fell groueling to the ground afterwards smote off his head with his owne sword The Lord that deliuered me quoth Dauid to King Saul out of the paw of the Lion and out of the paw of the beare he will deliuer mee out of the hands of this Philistim No the Lord not onely deliuered Dauid out of his hands but also deliuered the vncircumcised Philistim into the hands of his champion Dauid The three children by their faith in God were preserued in the middes of the firie fornace Dan. 3.16.17.27.28 Behold said they to the King our God whome we serue is able to deliuer vs from the hot fierie fornace and he will deliuer vs out of thine hand O King And according to their saith so it fell out for the fire had no power ouer their bodies no not so much as an haire of their head was burnt neither were their coates changed no not so much as any smoakie smell of fire came vpon them They were casten bound into the mids of the hote fierie fornace but loe the king seeth them loose walking in the mids of the fire as if it had beene amids a glorious and a fresh florishing garden together with one in their companie like the Sonne of God Their faith in God made the fierie fornace vnto them as a fresh medow when as the flame thereof consumed the Idolatrous and faithles officers that threw them in a wonderfull worke that the fire should forbeare to burne the smallest haire of the head of such as were cast into the mids of it and in the meane while destroy and slay such as were without it The seruants of God were safe in the fire because of their faith in God but the kings seruants though being without the fire were not yet safe because they were without faith in God whervpon Nebuchadnezzer the king was constrained to praise God saying Blessed be the God of Shadrach Meshach and abednago who hath sent his Angell and deliuered his seruants that put their trust in him And not onely did he blesse God for them but also decreed that whosoeuer should speake any blasphemie against him that he should be drawne in peeces and his house made a Iakes And withall as he honored and magnified the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednago acknowledging that there is no God that can deliuer after this sort and commanding all his subiects to doe the same so did he promote these men that thus did honour God to greate honour in the prouince of Babell Wherein we finde that saying of the Lord verified Them that honour me 1. Sam. 2 30. I will honour The like was the efficacie of Daniels faith Dan. 6.11.12.16.22.23.24.26.27 the strength whereof did surmount the strength of the strongest beastes euen of Darius his Lyons He was cast into the Lyons denne for making his supplication vnto God yet no
vp Exo 14 10 21.22 deuided the waters made dry ground to appeare in the mides of the Sea to giue the children of Israel passage to the land of Canaan And the fathers or mothers rod being lifted vpon their children will be a meanes to deuide the waters of the waywardnes wantonnes of their yong yeares to calme the raging sea of their vnruly passions and fleshly afflictions Whereby their soule may walke as it were on drie ground securely and safely without any impediment towardes the land of the heauenly Canaan Exod. 17.5 And as Moses rod brought forth water out of the hard Rocke being smitten therewith so shall the parents rod not onely bring forth of the rockie nature of their children the teares of Lamentation but also turne the stonie hardnes and obstinatenes of their stubborne inclination into the streamie softnes of a docible disposition The Rod or tree which Moses did cast into the waters of Marah Exod 15.23.24.25 made the bitter water sweete And the rod of Correction will turne the bitternes of the childes nature into the sweetnes of a dutifull behauiour Finally as Aarons rod budded Num. 17.8 brought forth blossomes and beare ripe Almonds So the teaching Rod for Aaron signifieth a teacher of fathers mothers and Schoolmaisters will make children to bring forth the buddes and blossoms of an hopefull behauiour in their yong yeeres and to beare the ripe Almonds of honest and religious actions in their riper yeeres Let not Parents then spare the rod for the rod vsed with discretion is a meanes to bring children vnto God I say with discretion because Parents and preceptors must not kill children with cruelry but correct thē with lenity they must not ouercharge them rudely with the blowes of indignation but chasten them ruthfully with the stripes of compassion In one word corrections must not serue for the destruction of the body but for the instruction of the Soule And if it chance that a child be of so gentle generous a disposition that he may be reclaimed or wonne with faire perswasions and gentle enducements and allurements then were it but meere madnes to vse any roughnes or austere sharpnes in his behalfe And therfore as children must harken diligently vnto the exhortation of the Apostle Children obey your parents in the Lord Ephes 6.1.2.3.4 For this is right honour thy father and thy mother which is the first commandement with promise that it may be well with thee and that thou maist liue long on the earth So must parents listen vnto the admonition of the same Apostle thus and yee fathers prouoke not your children to wrath but bring them vp in instruction and information of the Lord. Neither must they faile to bring them vp in some lawfull calling and rather in some mechanicall trade and manuall occupation then that they should liue idle for so did Iacob bring vp his Sons So that when as Pharao said vnto them What is your trade they answered the king Gen 47.3 Thy seruants are sheep-heards both we and our fathers Prouer. 27.23.24.25 26.27 Be diligent to know the state of thy flocke saith Salomon and take heede to the heardes for riches remaine not alwayes nor the crowne from generation to generation The hay discouereth it selfe and the grasse appeareth and the hearbes of the mountaines are gathered The Lambes are for thy cloathing and the Goates are the price of the field And let the milke of the Goates be sufficient for thy foode for the foode of thy familie and for the sustenance of thy maides Hate not laborious worke saith Iesus the Sonne of Sirach neither the husbandrie which the most high hath created Eccles 7.15 22. And if thou haue cattell looke well to them Neither let a man be ashamed of a mechanicall trade for we see that Ioseph the husband of Marie Mat. 13.55 Mar. 6.3 Luk. 2.51 Mat. 4.18.19.20.21 8.23.24 Luk. 4.4.5 Act. 18.1.2.3 Exod. 28.3 31.2.3.4.5.6 35.30.31.32 33.34.35 and Iesus the Sonne of Marie yea the Sonne of God disdained not to play the Carpenter And the Apostles were fisher-men and St. Paul was a maker of Tents And it is recorded of Bezaleel and Aholeab two Trades-men that God gaue them much knowledge in mechanicall things euen filled them with an excellent spirit of wisdome vnderstanding and knowledge in all work-manship to worke curiously in gold siluer brasse in grauing and setting of stones in hewing and caruing of wood in working of broydred and needle worke in blue Silke in Purple in Scarlet and in fine linnen finally in weauing and working of all manner of curious work man-ship Let no man I say then be ashamed of a mechanicall Trade or craft seeing it is a gift of Gods spirit and that as Siracides saith in the hands of the crafts-man shall the workes be commended Eccles 9.19 Moreouer Gen 36.7 the Lord blessed Iacob with abundance of substance and store with cattell Sheepe Beeues Camels and Asses in great number as he had done his father Abraham and Isack before Gen. 41. 45. 46. 47. And in the time of the great and long famine of seauen yeeres that was throughout the world God prouided for Iacob and his houshould by the hand of Ioseph his sonne whome the Lord vnwitting his father brethren had preferred to be ruler ouer all Egipt next vnder the King Thus the holy man as he was blessed of God for his godly liuing and spent his daies in blessing of God So he ended them in blessing of God and in blessing of his children in the Instruction 68 name of God Teaching by his example all fathers and mothers liuing and dying to doe the like in the behalfe of their children and that they teach them to know and acknowledge that all blessednes both spirituall and temporall is the fruite and effect of Gods blessing of them and that therefore the praise of our whole happines must be ascribed vnto God Eccle. 44.23.24 euen vnto him who as Iesus the Sonne of Sirach speaketh in Iacobs praise caused the blessing of all men to rest vpon the head of Iacob and made himselfe knowen by his blessings and gaue him an heritage and deuided his portions and parted them amongst the twelue tribes