and bring forth a sonne whose name shall bee Emanuel that is God amongst vs. And hereunto witnessed all the Patriarches and Prophets euen from the first beginning of the world vnto the time of the comming of our Sauior Iesus Christ And therfore because the whole Scriptures the Patriarches the Prophets spake thus plainely of Christ and declared his comming Christ said Scrutamini Scripturas illae enim testimonium perhibent de me search you the Scriptures for they do beare witnesse of me Likewise againe to the Scribes and Pharisies hee said Si Mosei crederetis crederetis mihi If ye beleeued Moses ye would beleeue mee for Moses also hath written to mee hee hath told you of me said Christ therefore if you beléeued him yée would also beléeue me And thus all the whole bodie of the Scriptures bare record of the comming of Christ the Patriarches knew long before that Christ should be borne the Prophets prophesied of his comming into the world But when Christ should be borne when his glorious comming should appeare that neither the scriptures declared neither the holy Patriarches knew nor the Prophets were able to shew And therfore said Christ Abraham voluit videre diem meum Abraham would faine haue seene my day he saw it therefore he reioiced But how did Abraham sée it with bodily eyes no but in faith because he was in faith able to sée it therefore he reioyced What then if he had with his eyes séene Christ if he had talked with him if he might haue touched and embraced Christ what ioy would hée haue made how would he haue reioyced and béene glad No doubt as the birth of Christ was most acceptable and welcome to al good men in that time so was his comming much longed for of the holy Patriarches and Prophets before time for they well knew that his time should be a time most acceptable that then all things should be in quietnesse vnitie and concord in euery place peace through the whole world And therefore said Esay the Prophet Et vocabitur princeps pacis He shal be called the Prince of peace And to declare this more plainly the same Prophet saith Then shall the Wolfe dwell with the Lambe the Leopard shall lye downe by the Goat Bullocks Lyons and cattell shall keepe company together the Cow and the Beare shall lye together and there shall be no crying no wayling no noyse heard in the streets And therefore this Prophet Esay in another place considering the great ioy the great felicitie that Christ should bring into the world when hée should be borne cryed out and said Disrumpe coelos descende O Lord said he breake the heauens and come downe And so another Prophet in like foreséeing this great felicitie that should ensue the birth of Christ said Quis viuet videbit haec O who shall liue to enioy this merueilous felicitie When Christ was come into this world though then not borne but in his mothers wombe Iohn the Baptist béeing a babe and in his mothers belly also yet at the Maiestie of his Lord and at the presence of Christ he sprang for ioy and leapt in his mothers wombe So likewise at the birth of Christ for ioy that the Angels in heauen conceiued thereat they sang Gloria in excelsis Deo in terra pax hominibus Glorie be to God on high and in earth peace vnto men After that time whē Simeon that holy prophet had in spirit perceiued the true Messias Sauior of the world to be born had receiued Christ into his armes he cried out said Nunc dimittis seruum tuum Domine secundum verbum tuum in pace Now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word Now euen now that this sight is prouided before the face of the whole world that so long hath béene looked for now that light is appeared which shall be the light of the Gentiles Now O Lord said be let thy seruant depart in peace I haue lyued long ynough to sée thy saluation Thus good brethren all the Scriptures throughout the Patriarches the Prophets shewed long before vnto vs the ioy and felicity that should come vpon the whole world at such time as Christ should be borne And therefore to confirme all this that they before had prophesied of him Christ here said vnto his disciples Blessed are the eyes which see that ye see Blessed are your eies said Christ for your eyes haue séene Gods promises performed that promise which he made to Adam saying The seed of the woman shall breake the head of the Serpent Your eies haue séene that promise made vnto Abraham The seed wherein all nations shall bee blessed That promise also your eyes haue séene performed which God made vnto Dauid saying Of the fruit of thy bodie wil I set vpon thy seat You haue séene and do now sée that Emanuel of whom Esay prophesied You I say haue séene that thing whereunto all the Patriarches al the Prophets the whole body of the Scriptures do beare witnesse You do see and behold him whom Abraham would gladly haue séene You sée him whom Esay calleth the Prince of peace him in regard of whom the Prophet cried out and said O who shall liue to see this great ioy You sée him at whose presence Saint Iohn the Baptist being in his mothers wombe sprang leapt vp for ioy him at whose birth the verie Angels in heauen sang Gloria in excelsis him whom Simeon pronounced to bee the Sauiour of the world All this said Christ you sée you my disciples your eyes do sée all this and therefore blessed are your eyes happy and blessed are the eyes that sée whiche yée sée In the beginning saith S. Paul God spake diuersly and by sundry meanes vnto his people sometimes by dreames sometimes by reuelation sometimes by prophesies sometimes by Angels and sometimes by his owne voice but now in these dayes hee hath sent amongst vs his owne sonne by him saith he God hath declared his wil vnto vs cléerely and plainly euen by the mouth of his owne son When S. Iohn the Baptist baptized Christ in the riuer of Iordan it pleased God the Father to crye from heauen and say Hic est meus filius dilectus ipsum audit This is my beloued sonne heare him hearken vnto his voice giue eare vnto his doctrine for he it is to whom both the law the Prophets haue their respect And S. Paul saith Mysterium abscōditum a saeculis nunc autem reuelatur per Iesum Christum the mysterie that high mysterie of mans saluation that hath beene so many hundred yeres hid is now reuealed by Christ our Sauiour so long it hath béene hidden saith Saint Paul and now it is opened and shewed vnto the whole world by Christ Therefore blessed are your eyes said Christ yea blessed are the eyes which sée that yée sée for your bodily
Peter being appointed by God to goe to Cornelius the Captaine so soone as he came in vnto him by and by Cornelius met him fell downe at his féete and worshipped him hee thought him a God and no Man And thus as yée sée sometimes the people offended too much on that hand and gaue more honour and reuerence vnto Gods Ministers than God himselfe required or they looked for Sometimes againe on the other hand they gaue them no reuerence they attributed no honour vnto them they did set too little by the Preachers of Gods word and this was a fault on the other side When Christ in our nature began first to preach and set abroad his fathers will and the glad tydings of the Gospell the people forthwith found fault with him he is said they but a Carpenters son wée know his Father wée know his Mother he was neuer set to Schoole how can this man haue learning Afterward when the Disciples and Apostles of Christ preached and taught the people and beganne to speake with strange tongues in so much that euery man maruailed to heare his owne speach and language both Medes Persians and they of Mesopotamia yet said the people these men are full of new wine And this was too little honour Therefore if the Preacher bée too much honoured then is God dishonoured if hee bee despised and nothing set by then is Christ himselfe despised and not regarded They that said Christ was a Carpenters sonne a man vnlearned and such a one as neuer went to schoole they that said the Apostles of Christ were full of new wine spake not this of any priuate malice or hatered that they bare either vnto Christ or his Apostles but onely to bring Gods word to shame only to bring Christs holy Gospell out of credit with the people this was their entent and purpose and nothing els Therefore Saint Paule in this place sheweth the Corinthians how they should estéem the teachers of gods holy word how they should thinke and iudge of them For the people sometime estéeme most a policicke man such a man as by his great wit is able to conclude Peace and Leagues betwéene Princes they regard him that is of stout courage and learned in the Lawes they set most by him that is eloquent and able to perswade yea and they regard him not that is not excellently learned and séene in all Sciences but heere Saint Paule sheweth them that they should not estéeme the Preachers of Gods Gospell as men politicke as men of great wit as men of stout courage and learned in the Law as men eloquent and excellently well séene in sciences but as the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the secrets of God Thus should the Ministers of Christ bee estéemed and thus ought the teachers of Gods word shew themselues as Ministers of Christ and dispensers of Gods secrets And therefore saint Paule in another place saith We come not to preach our selues all our preaching all our teaching all our Doctrine is that you know Iesus Christ as for our selues wée are but your seruants So Christ himselfe Qui de se loquitur gloriam propriam quaerit Hee that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glorie saith Christ So Paule likewise Quid Petrus quid Paulus quid Apollo nisi Ministri What is Peter what is Paule what is Apollo thinke you them any other than the seruants and ministers of God Paule hath planted Apollo watered but God hath giuen the encrease The encrease came not from Peter not from Paule not from Apollo but from God alone Apollo Paule and Peter are nothing els but the ministers and seruants of God God is he that giueth the encrease God alone is hee that giueth the encrease When the great Citie of Ierusalem vnderstood of Iohn the Baptist and began to séeke vnto him they asked him What art thou Hee answered them Ego vox clamantis in deserto Parate viam Domini I am said hee a man not worthy to be esteemed I am but a messenger sent vnto you I am nothing els but a voice to cry Prepare you the way of the Lord. So Moses and Aaron that had the conducting of the people of God when the whole Campe was in a tumult and vprore and the people ran in rage against them like to haue slaine them they stretched out their hands and said Non contra nos sed contra Dominum nam nos qui sumus This stir this hurly burly this tumult that you make is not said they against vs but against God for alas what are we we are but Gods seruants Gods messengers appointed to lead and guid you Thus therefore ought euery man estéeme the Preachers of Gods gospell as messengers as seruants as Ministers of Christ thus ought euery man thinke and iudge of them But what kind of seruant is this Preacher what manner of Minister is he Saint Paul saith He is the Steward and Dispenser of Gods secrets he setteth foorth and sheweth abroad the mysteries of his holy Gospel And these mysteries that S. Paul here meaneth to conclude in one word are none other than the Articles of our Faith That Christ is the Sonne of God conceiued by the holy Ghost borne of the virgine Marie that he was crucified dead buried descended into Hell rose againe and sitteth at the right hand of his Father that by his blood our sinnes were washed away that our bodies shall at the last day arise and we possesse eternall life These be the secrets these be the mysteries that the Ministers of Christ the seruants and Stewards of God do vtter and declare to Gods people no wisdome of man is able to compasse this no learning of this world able of it selfe to expound these hidden secrets For saith Saint Paul Animalis homo non percipit ea quae sunt ex Deo The naturall man perceiueth nothing of the spirit of God he vnderstandeth not such things as are of God It is foolishnesse vnto him and he can not perceiue it for it must be spiritually discerned Christ himselfe also Non ex hominibus nequè ex voluntate carnis sed ex voluntate Dei they which are Gods children and able to vnderstand his mysteries are such which are not borne of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God When Christ had asked of Peter what he thought of him and Peter had said Tues Christus filius Dei viui Thou art Christ the Sonne of the lyuing God He answered O happie art thou Simon the Sonne of Ionas for flesh and blood hath not opened that vnto thee but my Father that is in Heauen These mysteries therefore are onely opened by the spirit of God by Gods only working not by any wisdome of man not by any cunning and great learning of this world Now therefore saith Saint Paul thinke thus of vs iudge vs to be the Ministers and seruants of God
and marke well whether we reueal vnto you Gods mysteries and his holie Gospell Consider with your selues and sée whether wée open vnto you Gods hidden Secrets By this shall you know whether wée be the seruants and dispensers of Gods mysteries But like as in S. Pauls time there was dissention strife great debate euen amongst the Christians and such as professed the name of God So likewise in our dayes good Bretheren euen in the time that wée our selues haue séene there hath béen discord and parts-taking among vs. Some haue said I will beléeue the old learning some againe haue said I will beléeue the new some haue said I will credit this man some I will beléeue that man And thus the father hath fallen out with the sonne the Mother with the daughter the brother with his brother and one neighbor with another ech man defending that part which he himselfe best liked But alas good Bretheren this is no new thing this hath béen from the beginning and euen in Christes time For at what time Christ himselfe walked here on this earth began to preach the glory of his father some said he was a good man some other said no some said he was a Prophet some other said he was none but one that deceiued the people some reioyced that it pleased God to send such a Preacher as Christ was some againe despised his doctrine and said he had a deuill These words the people then spake of Christ these words I say they spake of Christ himselfe He was called a Samaritane a wine-bibber a friend of publicans and sinners a seducer of the people Therefore it is the lesse maruaile if such words be now at these dayes spoken as were spoken in the beginning of the Church if such words be spoken against vs as were spoken against Christ himselfe But S. Paul hath here giuen vs a rule whereby to know the true seruants of Christ and Stewards of Gods secrets Christ was the true Prophet and why so because he preached his fathers will What euer I haue heard of my Father saith Christ the same haue I declared vnto you Saint Paul was the true seruant of Christ and steward of his secrets and why so because he labored in Gods vineyard he preached he taught more than all the rest of the Apostles of Christ did Laboraui plus quà m caeteri omnes I haue labored more than all the rest of the Apostles haue done Therefore was he the true and faithful minister of Gods mysteries because he thus diligently alwaies taught Gods Gospell and the glorie of his name for this cause I say and none other was he the Steward and dispenser of Gods secrets So were the Patriarches and the Prophets the true seruants of God because they declared the will of God And here haue we to consider that Christ which was the true Prophet the Apostles which were the ture Ministers and Stewards of Christ the Patriarches Prophets which were the true and faithfull seruants of God were all greeuously afflicted persecuted from place vnto place and lastly put to most cruell death This I say hapned to Christ himself and all his Apostles S. Iohn the Euangelist only excepted And yet was Christ Gods own sonne the Apostles were the true Ministers and Stewards of Gods secrets And therefore if we shall in our time sée the Preachers of Gods word afflicted the Teachers of the Gospell of Christ persecuted the Stewards of Gods secrets miserably tormented yet let not vs good Bretheren let not vs giue ouer and shrink from Gods gospell let vs consider that this is no new thing no strange hap but such as hapned to the Patriarches to the Prophets to the Apostles yea and to Christ himselfe Now then let vs take this rule of S. Pauls and thereby let vs trie whether the Preachers in times past the Popes the Cardinals the Bishops were the true seruants of God Stewards and dispensers of his holie secrets There are at this day some that be called Bishops some that be called Cardinals they say that they carry vp the Church of Christ and are the props pillers of the same and therefore in token therof they haue alwaies pillers borne before them At this day the Bishop of Rome calleth himselfe a generall Bishop an vniuersal Bishop not ouer this part or that part but ouer all Christendome yea he saith he is the head of Christs Church he saith that he hath power ouer Kings ouer Princes he hath power ouer purgatorie ouer Soules departed ouer Deuils ouer Angels he can parden not only sinnes alreadie done but such also as shall be at any time hereafter committed and that he can not mistake the Scriptures of God that he can not erre and be deceiued what euer he doth all is well done no man can iudge him and sit vpon his doings I speake not this of malice I speake it not for any grudge or hatred I owe to his person God is my witnesse I neyther know him that now is nor any of them that haue heretofore time béen Bishops of Rome But all these their doings are written all these words which I haue here spoken are written I say euen in their owne Lawes and Decrées the places may be alleaged and brought forth Alas these are glorious titles to be called vniuersall Bishop and head of Christs Church to haue dominion ouer Kings and Princes to haue power ouer Purgatorie ouer Soules departed ouer Deuils ouer Angels to haue authoritie to pardon sinnes past sinnes hereafter to be committed not to erre not to be deceiued all these are glorious and triumphant titles as you well sée But let vs now take Pauls rule the rule I say that S. Paul hath here giuen vs and let vs by the same trie whether the Bishops the Cardinals the Popes haue heretofore time or at this time do dispense vnto vs the mysteries of the Gospell as Stewards of the secrets of God whether they do preach teach the Gospel of Christ as the seruants and Ministers of Christ Alas we sée they do nothing lesse they do we sée nothing lesse than set forth the Gospell of God the glory of his holy name Now then can they call themselues Pastores when they féede not Gods shéepe how can they call themselues watchmen when they haue no regard to Gods flocke how can they call themselues pillers of the Church yea and the head of the Church when they shew themselues rather destroyers of the Church of Christ and not members of the same Alas if they be not Gods seruants whose seruants are they if they be not Dispensers Stewards of Gods secrets of whose secrets are they Stewards if they be not so much as members how are they then the Pillers head of Christs Church Saint Paul goeth further and saith It is not sufficient to be called Seruants to be called Ministers to be called stewards of Gods secrets but it is further
sithence the first foundation of the world but was in subiection and vnder obedience either of the the one or of the other And as God is the father of light the God of all good men so is the Deuill the father Prince of this world the Lord of darknesse the king of this age as saith S. Paul and ruler of the wicked And like as all good men fight vnder the banner of God their Lord so all vngodly fight vnder the standard of the Deuill their Prince And euen as the iust man hath his reward of God so hath the wicked man his stipend of the Deuill And thus be Infidels Turkes Iewes and all Heathen people vnder the power and dominion of the Deuill vnder the standard of Sathan and therefore are they not able to thinke any good to conceiue one good thought because they fight vnder his Banner because they haue giuen ouer all their members to be ordered of the Deuill without any féeling of good without any feare of God And thus as I said do the Turkes thus do the Infidels thus do all Heathen people at this day and so did the Iewes in the time of Paul In vmbra mortis ambulauerunt saith he They walked in the shadow of death But after that it pleased God the Father by the comming of his déere Sonne Iesus Christ to reueale himselfe vnto them to open and declare his Gospell among them then began the people to renounce the Deuill to forsake his Law and seruice and to betake themselues wholy to the gouernance of God And therefore S. Paul the further to incourage them thereunto willeth them in this Epistle of his That like as before time they gaue ouer their members to the seruice of vncleannesse from one wickednesse to another so should they now giue ouer the same their members to the seruice of righteousnesse For to this end was Christ borne into this world to this end liued he here among vs to this end preached he and taught the people Gods holie word that we by his example and the doctrine of his Gospell should liue an vpright and holie life And therfore Zacharie that holie prophet being filled with the holie Ghost prophesied and said before Christs birth that Christ should for this cause appeare in this world That we being by him deliuered from the feare of our enimies might serue him in purenesse and holinesse all the daies of our life And S. Paul likewise saith Ye were darkenesse but now ye are light walke therefore as becommeth the children of light Therefore are we deliuered from the power of darkenesse saith S. Paul that we should walke in the light and haue no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse And so in like Vocauit nos Deus non ad immunditiem sed ad sanctitatem God hath not called vs to vncleannesse but to holynesse and sanctitie of life Thus hath he called vs that we not only in Body but in Soule should be pure vnspotted And therefore S. Paul vnto the Romanes Know you not saith he that all we which are baptized into Iesus Christ are baptized into his death Therefore are we buried with him by Baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead euen so also should we walke in a new life And for this cause this same Paul likewise saith Exhibete vos tanquam viua membra Shew your selues as quicke and liuely members And in an other place Exhibete corpora vestra sacrificium sanctum acceptatum Deo Giue ouer your bodies for a sacrifice holie and acceptable before God And also Nescities corpora vestra esse templa Dei Know you not that ye are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you These and such other many lessons hath S. Paul giuen vs to call vs vnto purenesse and holynesse of life Let vs therefore good Bretheren liue holy consider that God hath not called you to vncleannesse but to puritie of life consider if yée be baptized with Christ into death you must also walke with him in a new life let your bodies be a sacrifice holie acceptable vnto God shew your selues liuely members of Christ and the Temple of the holie Ghost Vocauit nos Deus saith S. Paul Vt viueremus sobriè God hath called vs God hath appointed vs to liue in sobernesse to liue in purenesse to liue in holynesse and this not in one part of our Bodies not in one part of our Soules but in our whole bodies in our whole soules For Christ our Sauior suffred not his bodie to be crucified in one part Sed à planta pedis vsque ad summum capitis But euen from the sole of the foote to the crowne of his head was he beaten rent and torne and miserably tormented in his whole Bodie His Bodie was scourged with whips his head prickt with thornes his hands and féete nayled to the Crosse his side pierced with a sharp speare For Christ speaking of himselfe saith Foderunt manus meas pedes meos They haue digged my hands and my feete they haue made holes thorough them And thus sithence Christ suffred all his whole Body to be tormented for vs sithence he suffred all his members to be crucified for our sakes let vs applie our selues and all our member to serue and please him in holynesse and vpright lyuing all the dayes of our liues And therefore saith s Paul here Ye haue now betaken your selues vnto Christ therefore let your conuersation be according liue as becommeth the seruants of Christ For euen as before this time ye gaue ouer your members to vncleannesse from one wickednesse to an other so now giue ouer your members to the seruice of righteousnesse And such good Bretheren was the life of all Christian men in the beginning of Gods Church such was I say their life lyuing They subdued their flesh they mortified their members and gaue them ouer wholy vnto Christ and so made them members vnto righteousnesse When Christ walked here on this earth was conuersant in our flesh and this nature of ours at what time he entered into the house of Zacheus which was a Ruler of the Publicans desired to sée Iesus by and by Zacheus was turned into a new man and by and by he stoode forth and said vnto the Lord Behold Lord the halfe of my goods I giue vnto the poore and if I haue defrauded any man I restore him foure fold Thus was he only by the presence of Christ turned into a new man thus he of an vncircumcised Publican was made the child of Abraham and of a sinfull and wretched creature he became forthwith a Christian And so in like when Christ had but once called vnto Mathew and bad him follow him immediatly he left the Toll-gathering he left the receipt of the custome he left his owne proper game and profit and ran after Christ
yée dwell in your old wickednesse How long will yée liue in hatered one with another How long will ye continue in rancour and strife Shall I so forgiue you as you forgiue your neighbours shall I so pardon you your sins as you pardon your brethren their offences O I forgaue thée thy great debt and wilt not thou forgiue thy brother that little wherein he hath offended thee I haue paid his debt I haue paid the ransome for his trespasse if my bloud be a sufficient ransome for the same for that blouds sake of myne forgiue him if nought els will moue thée if thou wilt not for his owne sake yet for my sake pardon him Good brethren wee haue long enough serued the deuil the prince of this world let vs now serue God our maker and Christ our redéemer We haue long ynough yea too long continewed in rancour and malice one with another let vs now therfore if there be any societie betwéene God and vs if there be in vs any loue of Christ if there bee any feare of Gods wreake and vengeance let vs one forgiue another let euery man forgiue his Christian brother let vs all cast aside al rancour strife and debate and so let vs dwell together in vnitie in brotherly loue and concord This day we haue heard Gods Gospel preached vnto vs this day wee haue learned out of the word of God that if wée be Christians we should liue like Christians if we be the children of God we should liue as becommeth the children of God without enuie without hatred without strife or malice Let vs therfore now leaue off our old contention strife let vs euen here in this place one forgiue another and so be reconciled one vnto another and saie Remitte nobis debita nostra sicut nos dimittimus debit oribus nostris O Lord forgiue vs our sins as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. This is our profession this is our Religion hereunto are we called of God appointed by Christ and commanded by his holy word Let vs consider our white hore hairs let vs behold our riueled skinne let vs haue alwaies before our eyes the graue whereunto we are créeping Let vs consider that death daily hangeth ouer our heads And shall wee then in this sort liue out the rest of our years Shall wee thus die and come to our graues Let vs shew our selues in our workes to be the children of God and the brethren of Christ let vs not shew our selues Christians in name and not in déed let vs not loue in word alone but in déed and veritie let vs not requite euill with euill one mischiefe with another but let vs according vnto S. Pauls Rule Ouercome euill with good hatred with loue and so fulfill the Law of God So shall God hold backe his sword though alreadie drawne so shall he not smite vs though he hath bent his bow prepared him the weapons of death and ordained his arrowes to destroy But God shall continue our God and remain with vs for euer Amen THE FIFT SERMON Luk. 10. vers 23. 24. 23. And he turned him to his Disciples and said Blessed are the eyes which see that ye see 24. For I saie vnto you many Prophets kings would haue seen the things that ye see and haue not seene them and haue heard the things that yee heare and haue not heard them OUR Sauiour Christ before he began to declare and set forth the will of his Father before hee began to preach abroad the high mysteries of our redemption the glad tidings of mans saluation sent abroad into the world a many of Disciples to the number of thrée score and ten to the end that they should espie out and sée the stay of the people how they would accept his Doctrine and first to giue them this warning and say Paenitentiam agite appropinquat enim regnum caelorum Repent your selues for the Kingdome of Heauen is at hand These Disciples of Christ after they had in all points accomplished their masters commission and fulfilled his commandement returned againe vnto Christ and shewed him the maruailes that they had wrought in his name reioycing much therat and especially for that Deuils departed from men possessed and were driuen out by them The verie Deuils said they are subdued vnto vs in thy name But when Christ heard them thus say and perceiued that they reioyced there at he turned to his Disciples hee pulled them from this vaine fancie and said I saw Sathan fall downe from heauen as lightning Behold I haue giuen you power to tread vpon Serpents to go ouer Scorpions ouer all venemous and noysome beasts they shal be subiect obedient vnto you they shal not hurt you But reioyce not in this reioyce not that you shall haue power ouer Serpents that you shall be able to tread vpon Scorpions and all other venemous beasts be nothing therwith annoyed but reioyce you in this that your names are written in the booke of life Put away said Christ this vaine-glory that your haue conceiued this fond fancie wherein ye reioyce and reioyce yée only in this that your names are written in heauen and that you know God and his son whom he hath sent into the world For no man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father saue the Son he to whom the Son will open it This is your felicitie this is your ioy no man but you hath this great ioy felicitie And therfore blessed are the eyes which sée that ye sée This heauenly felicity this marueilous blisse that Christ in this place spake of to his Disciples was prophesied and long time before spoken of euen at the first beginning of the world for at what time Adam had transgressed Gods commaundement and so fallen from the ioyes of Paradise God himselfe to put Adam in some comfort againe prouounced these words against the wicked Serpent that had wrought him that woe and said Ipsum conteret caput tuum The seed of the woman shall tread downe thy head he he it is that shal breake downe and destroy the power of the deuill said God vnto Adam This promise I say euen at the beginning of the world was made by God vnto Adam and so continued to the time of Christ for afterward this same promise declared God likewise to many a good and godly man Hee said vnto Abraham In sâ—mine tuo benedicentur omnes fiues terrae In thy seed said God in that seed of thine shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed To Dauid also God declared likewise this promise and said De semine tuo ponam super soliuÌ„ tuuÌ„ Of the truit of thy body shal I set vpon thy seat And so in the time of Esay his prophet god continued this promise and said Ecce virgo concipiet pariet filium cuius nomen erit Emanuel behold a virgine shall conceiue
knocketh let vs open the gates of our hearts vnto him hée calleth let vs heare him hee cryeth and willeth vs to come vnto him O therefore let vs runne let vs make hast let vs flye vnto him I haue euer stretched out my hands to an vnfaithfull people saith God by his Prophet Esay all the day long haue I stretched out mine armes vnto a people that will not heare me all the day long haue I stretched out my hands vnto them and yet they will not know me I haue sent you the acceptable time I haue giuen you the dayes of grace the dayes of mercie the dayes of saluation O then let vs not receiue this acceptable time in vaine let vs not take this grace of God in vaine Let vs remember how many thousands of people perish this day for want of the gospell of God and knowledge of his holy word Wée are they whom God hath called to bee his children whom hée hath appointed to bée saued whom he hath receiued to his grace and mercie If wée haue any great policie if wée haue any great wit if wée haue any learning riches wealth and felicitie in this world let vs consider that we haue them from God alone that God giueth vs our policie that God giueth vs our wit that God giueth vs our learning that hée alone giueth vs our riches our wealth and all other felicitie that wée haue in this life O then let vs not take these great gifts of God in vaine let vs not take these graces of his in vaine Let our liues so shine before men that they may sée our good works and glorifie our father which is in heauen Amen THE SEVENTH Sermon Rom. 12. vers 16. 17. 18. 16. We desire you that ye thinke all one thing that yee haue like affection one to another Be not high minded be not wise in your owne opinion 17. Recompence to no man euill for euill 18. If it bee possible haue peace with all men DEerely beleued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ This Epistle or letter of Saint Paul written vnto the Romans is diuided into two seuerall parts In the first part Saint Paul instructeth and telleth them of the beginning of their religion of the foundation of their faith of the grace whereunto they are called by the merits and death of Iesus Christ And for because he saw and well perceiued that euen such of the Romans who had receiued the faith to bée farce from the works of the faith and the profession of the gospel of Christ therefore he instructeth them that they know the testament of Christ that they know the couenant of their saluation and that they should remember that where before time they were strangers from God cleane without any promise of grace enemies vnto God and the children of perdition were now called vnto God were become the sons of Abraham Gods deere friends and the children of adoption and this not of any desert of theirs not by any merit of their owne but onely through the great grace and méere mercy of Iesus Christ For the whole world was couered vnder wickednesse the whole world I say the Iewes onely excepted was ouerwhelmed in sinne and had no promise at all of any saluation by God But yet when Christ Iesus the Sauiour of all the world appeared and the Iewes would not acknowledge him their redéemer it pleased God by him to saue the whole world and call vnto his grace aswel the Gentile as the Iew the vncircumcised as the circumcised and this did he onely of his infinit and great goodnesse And therefore Saint Paul in the conclusion hereof crieth out and saith O the deepnesse of the aboundant wisedome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out Who knoweth the mind of the Lord who was his Counsellor Who hath giuen vnto him first that hee might bee recompensed againe And therefore hée concludeth thus Quia in illo ex illo per illum omnia illi omnis honor gloria For of him through him and for him are all things to him therefore bee glorie for euer Thus doth Saint Paule conclude the first part to know the couenant of their saluation to know the greatnesse of Gods mercie whereunto they are called and to giue the prayse and thankes therefore to him alone In the second part which I now handle hee instructeth them of a vertuous life of honest conuersation and vpright liuing among all men For it is not enough to change our Religion it is not sufficient to alter our faith but we must also change our old life wee must walke in newnesse of life we must walke in holinesse wee must walke as becommeth the professors of a new Religion as becommeth them that are of a right faith as becometh all such as confesse God and his Gospel And therfore S. Paul writing vnto the Hebrews saith Seeing that we by the means of the bloud of Iesus haue libertie to enter into the holy place let vs draw nigh with a true heart in a sure faith let vs prouoke vnto loue and to good workes So in another place he saith You were sometimes darknesse but now ye are light in the Lord walke therfore as becommeth the children of light So God himselfe when he had chosen the Iewes to be his people and them alone amongst all other Nations to worship him said O Israel what is it that I require or seek for at thy hands but that thou loue mee and keepe my commandements This is the onely thing that I would haue you to doe that you kéepe my Law and walke in my Precepts Therefore Saint Paule himselfe also after hee had declared and set forth at large the great goodnesse and mercie of God he said I beseech you that yee make your bodies a quicke and liuely Sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God which is your reasonable seruing of God Renew your spirits make your selues new harts that it may shew and appeare in you that you are reconciled vnto GOD that you are the children of adoption and professours of Gods holy name Therfore bee not high minded bee not wise in your owne opinions recompence no man euill for euill prouide aforehand things honest in the sight of all men and if it bee possible haue peace with all men Marke well my brethren these words by the way If it be possible haue peace with all men Christ though hee was the author so peace and the true peace it selfe yet could he not haue peace with all men Non veni pacem mittâ—re in terras sed bellum sed discordiam I am not come saith Christ to send peace into the world but war and dissention for from hence forth there shall be fiue in one house diuided three against two and two against three The Father against the Son and the Son against the Father The mother against the daughter and the daughter against the