the earth verie fruiteful the Israelites are called on to be thankful to his Maiestie You shal prayse the name of the Lorde your god that hath dealt maruelously with you Ioel. 2.26 But let vs leaue the Israelites a little while examine our selues The eternall God hath ben verie gratious good to the vniuersitie of Cambridge his pleasure was is to haue it an orcharde of most precious fruite a temple of religion and a chappel of godlines Are we thankeful to God for his singular goodnes If we will be truely thankfull we may not burie the Lordes treasure in the earth hide his light vnder a bushel like the harper Aspendius plaie and sing onely to our selues If we will be truly thankful if any in our Colledges be suspected of Poperie we must teach them Gods trueth if they be willing to learne it if they refuse to be taught we must expell them If we will be truely thankfull we must make much of poore mens sonns which are toward godly we must take héed that Colledge preferments be giuē fréely to the worthiest be not chopped or changed for monie If we will be truely thankfull we may not preferre bolde and idle fukes which are fitter for the cart then for their books neuer knew what good learning ment we may not I say set them ouer the painefull Bées in the vniuersitie and Colledge hiues vnlesse we will deale strangely which God forbid with the Church and common wealth For as the couer is for the shielde and the sheath for the sword Lib. 2. De nat De. as Chrisippus said so Vniuersitie Coledges were built for men of learning towardnesse Lastly if we wil be truly thankful we may not haue any liking of such as are well schooled taught to flatter which can ducke like Friers kisse the ground with their knées which haue teares at commandement which can counterfet liuely expresse the countenance and spéech of others can dissemble verie cunningly These men are the worst the veriest dishclouts of all other they are like to the Cameleon Though they be born in England they are but bastard Englishmen wheresoeuer and whosoeuer they be they are vnworthie of the lowest place But I haue spoken to muche of these gracelesse fellowes whom I should not haue honoured so much as to remēber them though to their discommendation I doe fréely confesse that there is in our Vniuersitie a goodly nomber of excellent wittes if I shold not I might by mē be iustly charged with conuinced of a lye and by Almightie God of vnthankfulnes I do not enuie the good estate of the Vniuersitie thankes be to God for this worthie increase and I doe humbly pray his Maiestie that this happie haruest may be more plentiful then euen now it is And because I haue gone thus farre in the mention of sharpe wittes I am verie earnestly to intreate you which are set ouer the Colledges of our Vniuersitie that you will account of thē which haue shewed singular proofe of learning religion and vertue in our Colledges Vniuersitie as of your deare brethren and your owne bowels and that you will make much of those young men schollers of lower place but yet of excellent hope So shal our Colledges as the apple trée of Persia budde blossome and beare fruite all times of the yeare The Church of England shall be better furnished then it is the glorie of God more brightly shine amongst vs. As for you my welbeloued brethren giue your selues wholy to learning and godlines neither take it grieuously if you be forgotten a time when prefermentes are bestowed Liue in peace and the God of peace shall be with you If ye put in practise these thinges whiche I haue in godly sorte deliuered whether wee be Masters fellowes or Schollers of Colledges it will easily appeare that wée haue rendred to God The calues of our lippes that is to say that we haue very humbly both in worde and déede giuen thankes to his Maiestie My meaning is to reserue the next verse vntill another time here therfore I wil make an end The eternal God and mercifull father giue vs grace vnfaignedly to turne vnto him earnestly to pray to his maiesty to obtaine at his hands that we pray for lastly for his infinite benefites to prayse wtout ceassing the infinite goodnes of God the Father to whome with the Sonne and the holie Ghoste be all prayse honour and glorie for euer Amen 2. Cor. 13.13 The grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ the loue of God and the fellowship of the holie Ghoste be with you all Amen FINIS
¶ A Godly Sermon preached in Latin at great S. Maries in Cambridge in Marche 1580. by Robert Some and translated by himselfe into Engglish MARKE 1.15 Repent and beleeue the Gospel ¶ Imprinted by Henrie Middleton for George Bishop 1580. To the Right worshipfull Master William Killigrew Esquier one of her Maiesties priuie Chamber and Mystresse Margerie Killigrew his wife R. Some wisheth increase of Gods gifts to their euerlasting comfort IT hath pleased your worships to vse me very frendly I am verie mindefull of it and for some proofe of my thankfulnesse I offer to you that shorte Sermon in English which I presented in Latine to the Right honourable the Earle of Leicester my singular good Lorde and Master It is I confesse verie plaine and my desire was so to haue it but it will I am sure minister comfort by the grace of God to suche as haue a feeling of their sinnes And this either is or should be one principall drifte of our sermons especially in these daies wherein as many as are to be awaked out of the sleepe of sinne by Gods fearefull threatenings so other are to be raysed vp and must haue life put into them by Gods sweete promises I could easily and would like well to goe on in this argument if it were not both the butte and white that my Sermon principally doeth leuell at Vnto the which because I referre your selfe Master Killigrew and your good bedfellowe I take my leaue and commend you both to Almightie Gods tuition Cambridge the 20 of April 1580. Your worships to command in Christ Robert Some A Godlie Sermon preached in Latine at great Saint Maries in Cambridge in March 1580. by Robert Some and translated by himselfe into English That all may be done to Gods glorie and our edifying let vs pray to his Maiestie that his holie worde which is a most precious treasure be not as a shut booke and as a sealed letter vnto vs. Our Father which art in heauen c. THE TEXT Hoseas Chap. 14. ver 3.4 Take vnto you wordes and turne to the Lord and say to him take away al iniquitie and receiue vs graciously so wil we render the calues of our lippes Asshur shall not saue vs neither will we ride vpon horses neither will we say any more to the worke of our hands ye are our Gods for in thee the fatherlesse findeth mercie These two verses may be reduced vnto two partes In the first the Prophete exhorteth the Israelites vnto repentance and teacheth them what wordes to vse in their prayer to the Maiestie of God Take vnto you wordes and turne to the Lord and say to him take away all iniquitie and receiue vs gratiously In the second part he setteth out the fruites of repentance in liuely colours So will we render the calues of our lips Asshur shall not saue vs neither will wee ride vpon horses neither will we say any more to the worke of our handes ye are our Gods for in thee the fatherlesse findeth mercie TAke vnto you wordes The eternal god bestowed many benefites vpon the Israelites euen with both the handes but they were as vntamed horses When they were fatted they lifted vp their héeles against his Maiestie and would not be reclaimed by his most pleasaunt voyce The Lord perceiuing the Israelites to resemble the Aethiopian which retayneth his blacknesse though he be washed an hundred times and the Catt of mountaine which is not cléere of spots though hir skinne be taken from hir the lord I say dealt more sharply with them and to knotty woodde applied a wedge of Iron Amongst these lightnings and as it were thunderboltes of Gods iudgementes least the faithfull which had forgotten themselues should be discouraged and thinke that no hope of pardon remained he speaketh vnto them as a naturall father to his children moste louingly by his Prophete Take vnto you wordes as if he shoulde say albéeit you haue infected the earth and aire with the stench of your wickednes albéeit you are more filthy than the dunghilles hange not downe your heades vnlesse you be set to wallow stil in the mire of your sinnes You shal appeasse Gods anger not if you bring into his presence great store of golde and siluer heapes of frankinsence droues of Oxen and flockes of Shéepe but if you present vnto him wordes which may easily be come by The Prophet Hoseas speaketh not of fained wordes which cunning and holow hypocrites are wel acquainted with Gen. 3.4 Esay 58.3 Matt. 22.16 Iere. 41.6 Such were the wordes of the serpent vnto Eue of the hypocrites which fasted in Esaies time of the Herodians and Pharisées disciples that they might snare Christ in his spéech of vngracious Ismael to the godly men of Sichem and Samaria when he shed Crocodyles teares before he caried them to the slaughter and of many now a dayes whose wordes are bredde and borne in their lippes Dissembling words are the greatest plague that can be they smell of an euil conscience they are sure arguments of hypocrisie and doe them which vse them the greatest harme for they are like to a broken shielde which cannot abide the least prick of a weapon The prophet Hoseas did not giue the Israelites in charge to put of the grosse contempt of God to cloth themselues with hipocrisy that had ben the next way to haue marred all and of euill men to make them diuels he rather commaunded them to testifie godlily in holy sounde wordes that which they had conceiued most holily in their mindes There must not be a diuorce betwene the heart and the lippes they must resemble Hippocrates twinnes which do laugh together and wéepe together The minde must beget godly wordes the lippes bring them forth This is a golden broode highly pleaseth almighty God Such was the praier of the Primatiue Church for Peter Actes 12.5 Iames. 5.17 Mat. 27.46 2. Cor. 12.8 when Herode Agrippa had imprisoned him of Helias which the Apostle Iames remembreth of Christ hanging on the crosse and of the Apostle Paule when the Angell of Satan did buffet him Such a praier would the Prophet Hoseas haue the Israelites to vse in this place that Gods anger by this beautifull consent of the heart and lips might be appeased Such a praier must ours be vnlesse we will be like to Barge or Whirimen which row one way loke another Demosthenes and Cicero were famous Orators the one in Athens the other in Rome I confesse they were able to worke great masteries by their eloquence Their orations were greatly accompted of in Rome and Athens and are in good credite with vs. But if they be compared with the broken and vnperfect spéeches of a truly repentant sinner Demosthenes wordes must stād behind the dore and Ciceroes are with out life and are as farre excéeded as the Pibble stone of the costly Diamonde The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirite Psal 51.17 a contrite and a broken heart
And turne to the Lord. To deserue well of other is not the least of the dueties of this life To helpe euery man as he nedeth help is a very singuler thing He that relieueth the poore doeth well he that deliuereth them out of prison which are in fetters there doth better but he that leadeth them which are as it were past grace out of the shadow of death into the light of life deserueth best of all Aegypt was barren when Nilus did not ouerflow it Mount Sion was barren when it was not watered with dew from Heauen but without godly admonition which is like to a precious and swéete smelling ointment men do rot in wickednes and do cal a thousand euils to themselues Hoseas least the Israelites which had giuen Gods glory a gréeuous blow should euer be at war with the eternal God and at the length be stricken through with Gods sworde as they deserued calleth them to repentance Turne to the Lord as if he should say you are the sonnes of Abraham albéeit you haue forgotten your selues and haue wrastled with the Lorde cast from you the weapons of monstrous wickednes neither continue battaile with him which with an iron rodd can breake wilde beastes in péeces and doth with stretched out armes imbrace repentant sinners The Prophet Esay when he had dealte sharpely with the Iewes for running in their distresse to Aegypt and so casting themselues head long to hell least they should still be prisoners to Sathan who is a wily Fox and did mightely bestirre himselfe to bar them of all hope of pardon the Prophet Esay I say calleth them to repentance Esay 31.6 Turne againe O ye children of Israel in as much as ye are sunken deepe in rebellion Ieremie when he had liuely in Orient colours set out the madnesse of the Israelites touching Idolatrie and had grieuously complayned that they had broken their faith with God like vnto filthie strompets least they should euer runne awrie if they did sée the gates of Gods mercie shut against them he cried alowde in Gods name that pardon was readie for them Thou disobedient Israel Iere. 3.12.14 returne saith the Lord and a litle after O ye disobedient children turne againe saith the Lord for I am your husband The spirite of God hauing roundly taken vp the Angell of the Church of Ephesus because He had left his first loue before he will put any punishment in execution he commandeth him to repent Reuel 2.5 Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first works or else I wil come against thee shortly and wil remoue thy candlestick out of his place except thou amend We must treade in the steppes of Esay Ieremie Hoseas when we will caste downe the rotten walles of sinne we must in any wise remember to call greeuous sinners vnto repentance When the sinner is amended we must deale louingly with him Luke 10.34 2. Cor. 2.10.11 we must vse oyle with the Samaritane with S. Paul which gaue especiall charge to them of Corinth to receiue againe into the bosome of their Church the excommunicate Corinthian after his amendment They which take not this course that is to say they whiche deale hardly and roughly with them whiche are wounded with the feeling of sinne doe them as much good as smoake doth the eyes and as the East winde doeth the fruites of the earth and are hipocrites though they thunder a thousand times in the pulpits And because they know not what it is to féele the heauie hand of God howsoeuer they haue the countenance of Cato they doe in déede resemble Ismael and Nero. I speak not this that sinne which is too too rise shold more increase but because I would haue the ministers trie euerie way before they condemne other to hell and barre against them the doore of Gods mercie with Acesius Socrat. lib. 1. Cap. 10. which was one of wicked Nouatus his schollers The eternall God is verie gratious if we desire his fauour he giueth to the repentant milke as it were out of his brests He that found his lost sheepe laide it vpon his shoulders and was a glad man The woman when she had found her lost grote was as ioyfull as might be The prodigall young man by riot and dissolute behauiour beeing brought to a verie lowe ebbe returned with greate humilitie to his father Did the olde man entertain him as Gregorie the seuenth did Henrie the Emperor Benno Cardi. if he had he had marred the fashion of his sonne which was mightily gréeued but let vs heare what the Euangelist Luke saith When he was yet a great way of Luke 15.20.21.22.23.24 his Father sawe him and had compassion and ranne and fell on his necke He did not treade on his sonnes necke as Alexander the thirde did vpon the Emperour Frederikes And kissed him not as Ioab did Amasa and Iudas Christe When the father hearde this spéech of his sonne Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee am no more worthie to be called thy sonne He did not reuile his sonne or cast in his dishe his former vnthriftinesse but saide to his seruantes bring forth the best robe not such a one as Dianeira is saide to haue giuen to her husbande Hercules imbrued in the bloud of the Centaure And put it on him and put a ring on his hand not such a one as bloudie Gyges had and bring not an Italian fig that is poison in a golden cup but the fat calf kil him and let vs eate be merry for this my sonne was dead and is aliue againe and he was lost but he is found If the earthly father did so fréely pardon a riotous and gracelesse vnthrifte and in steede of his ragges clothe him in excellent sorte we may assure our selues that God will burie our sinnes and furnish vs againe with those good giftes which for our naughtinesse he did strip vs of The great goodnesse of God if it he compared with the earthly Fathers doeth as farre passe it as the maine sea doth a deâ—p of water Esay 65.24 Yea before they call I will answere saith the Lorde And say to him take away all iniquitie Hoseas dealt before with the Israelites To take wordes vnto them and to turne vnto the Lorde If a word more had not passed from him the Israelites had bene greatly in his debt but when he openeth his heart vnto them and teacheth them what wordes they should vse to winne Gods fauour they owe no lesse then themselues to the Prophet As Hoseas so did Dauid Ioel Christ Dauid when he had highly commended Ierusalem for that it was a bond of holie vnitie a barborough of the Church and the seate of the kingdome that that citie béeing watred with Gods blessing as with pleasaunt streames might euer flourish like the palme trée he teacheth the godly how to pray for the happie estate of the holy citie Psal 122.6 Pray