to put on the armour of righteousnes on the right hand and on the left Marcus Caelius was said to haue a good right hand but an ill left hand because he could plead against a man better then for him But here it is contrary For these are armed well enough on the left hand but they lye open to the deuill on the right hand Who like a cunning fencer doth strike a great dealâ— more fiercely at the right hand then at the left Therfore Dauid saith The Lord vpoÌ„ the right hand shall wound euen Kings in the day of his wrath If sathan stand at thy right hand he shall wound thee but if the Lord stand at thy right hand thou shalt wound him and bruse his head and breake the hairy scalp of all the kings and princes of darknes Wherefore euery Christian must say with the Psalmist I haue set God alwaies before me there is the Marke for he is at my right hand so that I shall not fall And againe Thou hast holden me vp by my right hand thuo shalt guide me with thy counsell there is toward the Mark and after that receause me to glory S. Bernard writing to one Guido a Cardinall of Rome in his very first salutation wisheth him no greater gift of God then that hee might haue grace to turne neither to the right hand nor to the left And a little after in the same Epistle he requesteth him that he would learne to know himselfe and not goe beyond his owne medioâ—rity but be wise vnto sobriety This lesson the wisest that euer was teacheth vs Not to be òuer much iust neither to make our selues ouer much wise For that which is too good is starke naught and he that is too wise is a stark foole Because hee is neuer contented with the time present but needes he must haue a Praeter And yet no Praeter will content him neither not an imperfect no not a perfect but onely that which is more then perfect Now he which will needes be more then perfect shall whether hee will or noâ— be lesse then imperfect He that seeks to be more wise then he can be shall be found to be lesse wise then he should be And he that thinks himselfe seene in all things shal soone shew himselfâ— ouerseene in most things Because a selfe-conceit of surmised wisedome will not let him come to a happy increase of true wisedome And certaine it is that God will not reueale wisdome but onely to such as walke continually in the way of peace and doe not at any time like scattered sheepe runne too much on the right hand out of the way of peace into the way of precisenes Wherfore thogh it be thy right eye yet if it offend thee or cause thee to offend the Church of God by thy running beside the Marke plucke it out hardly and cast it from thee For thou knowest than he which would needs forsooth in all the hast call for fire from heauen had too hot a spirit and at that time went too much on the right hand and therfore not with a right foote to the Gospell But he that did shaue his head in Cenchrea and yeelded to many other cerimonies for peace sake which otherwise perhaps he did not greatly alow and like of as he exhotteth others to doe so he did himselfe make straight steps for his feete and went directlie toward the Marke To returne then now at the length to that which ere-while I was about to say It hath beene thought in former time that none could be perfect but they which led a solitary life Hence it is that so many writers both old and new haue so largely discoursed of the perfection of that life Yea diuers not onely inferiours but euen Princes and not only of other Countries but euen of of this realme of England haue voluntarilie relinquished theyr crowne their scepter and all their royall robes and cloystered vp themselues in Monasteries that they might liue as they thought in a more perfect state And certes I will not deny but that such as can well away with this kind of life haue many oportunities to serue God which we haue not and haue not many imperfections of the world which we haue Yet this is not the onely perfect state which tendeth toward the Mark. But as diuers haue liued verie badly in Monasteries so many haue liued very blessedly without them Yea there is no calling so meane but if a man followe Christ in it hee may well enough according to the measure of grace which it shall please GOD to giue him become a perfect man Let Ioseph be an example for seruaunts Iacob for shepheards Amos for cottagers Mathewe for farmers Peter for fishers Paul for tentmakers so forth in the rest For if a man haue the right Marke alwayes before his eyes he may liue as well in a Citty as in a sanctuary as well in a shop as in a cell So that no one calling simply of it selfe doth make a man perfect but the answer of a good conscience to God that is it which maketh a man perfect Briefly the poynt is this What lawfull calling state or condition soeuer thou art in if ouer and besides the plying of thy worldly buâ—ines thou haue a conscionable care euery day to increase spiritually also in such a faith as worketh by charity I warrant thee feare nothing thou art right enough and doest goe straight toward the Marke The superstitious pagans thought that an Idoll which they termed Vibilia kept them from erring out of their way But faith is our Vibilia which vvil not suffer vs to vvander out of the way so long as we do all things according to that patterne vvhich vvas shewed vs in the mount For Christ with his crosse in mount Caluary hath gone before vs and broken the ice already for vs and left vs an example that by faith vve might follow his steps Euery one of vs saying vnto him with holy Iob My foote hath followed thy steps thy way haue I kept and haue not declined This we shall doe if we walke in the Kings high way of charity and keepe the royall law of loue For we that are Christians goe toward the Marke not by liuing but by louing not with our feete but with our affections Neyther is there any thing which maketh a good or a bad life but a good or a bad loue Therfore he that would be perfect must be rich in good workes and according to the rule of Euangelicall perfection hee must loue not onely his frinds in God but also his foes for God Because as that is the hottest fire which warmeth theÌ„ that are furthest off so that is the most feruent perfect loue which forsaketh none though they be neuer so farre off neither friend nor
and neuer goes forward vnlesse it be whipt Or like a mill-horse which making many steps turnes about and is continually found in the same place Or as dore which riding vpon his hinges all the day long is neuer a whit nearer at night So likewise Newters runne beside the marke by going forward and backward in a maze These doe not aske of their Father an egge but a Scorpion For an egge would teach them to goe onely forward but a Scorpion doth teach them to goe both forward and backward Like the Barnacles which are both flesh and fish Or the Israelites which speake both Ashdod and Hebrew Or Ianus which sees both before and behind Or Balaam which doth both blesse and curse Such a Newter among the Romaines was Tully who could not resolue whether he should take Caesars or Pompeis part Among the Grecians was Tytides who could not determine whether he shold ioyne himselfe with Achilles or Hector Among the Iews was the tribe of Ephraim which was as cake vpon the harth not turned bakt on the one side and raw on the other side Among the Gentiles was the Church of Laodicea which was neither hot nor colde neither hot because it was raw on the one side nor colde because it was bakt on the other side So it is with all Newters Theyr cake is dowe as we say and they hold of both sides and as ambidexters with Ehud they play with both hands and as the sunne in Ezekias time they goe both forward and backward Running vp and downe in and out and yet indeede are neyther aboue nor beneath neither within nor without Panarches ridle was this How a man and no man can with a stone and no stone kill a bird and no bird sitting vpon a tree and no tree Athenaeus makes the answere That an Eunuche is the man a Pumeise is the stone a Bat is the bird Fennell is the tree After the same sort a Newter is a very hard riddle You can not tell what to make of him For going forward and backward he is a Christian and no Christian. Like an Eunuche which is a man and no man or a Pumeise which is a stone and no stone or a Bat which is a bird and no bird or Fennell which is a tree and no tree Now Humorists also run beside the marke by going too much on the right hand Therefore Dauid could wish his vttter enemy no geater harme then that sathan might stand at his right hand Sathan stands at a mans left hand when he draweth him by the arme into the old way of Atheisme At a mans right hand when he pulleth him by the elbow into the new-found way of Puriâ—anisme For so blessed Cramner sayes Some lose their game by short-shooting some by ouer-shooting some walke too much on the left hand some too much on the right hand The first which shoot short walk too much on the left hand are Atheists these latter which ouer-shoote themselues and walk too much on the right hand are Humorists Of both which S. Austine writeth thus we must in any case beware and take heed sayes he of the mischieuous infection not onely of tares which are Atheists but also of those branches that haue cut themselues from the Lords Vine which are Humorists For as Atalanta ranging out on the right hand to gather vp those gold apples which Hippomanes for the nonce threw forth before her did lose the wager she ran for no otherwise they which are not thankfull to God for the glorious peace and prosperity of his Church but runne after euery strange-deuised discipline and take vp all pritty nouelties as golden apples which euery man leâ—s fall shall without question misse the marke and lose the garland of glory VVherefore we must runne not too much on the left hand as Atheists do not round about in a circle as Temporizers do not forward and backward in a maze as Nâ—wters doe not too much on the right hand as Humorists doe not any other way beside the marke but toward the Marke Iohn Baptist did goe before Christ to make ready a perfect people for the Lord Now the sum of Iohns preching was this Prepare the way of the Lord and make his path straight So that they which walke in a straight path directly toward Christ are a perfect people for the Lord. Therefore wee which would runne toward the Marke must leaue all Atheisme all Gentilisme all prophanenes all lewdnes on the left hand as Paul did leaue Cyprus on the left hand when he sayled toward Sâ—â—ia For thus touching the world Saint Basil telleth vs That wee must for sake all those worldly affections which may draw vs any way beside the Marke of true godlines Touching the flesh Maximus telleth vs That when our mind is perfectly freed from fleshly desires then it goeth on straight without any declining from the Marke Touching the deuill Macarius telleth vs That we cannot auoyde that gaping gulfe wherein the powers of darknes are ouer-whelmed except the spirit of Christ be our pilot and guide vs in a straight course toward the Marke and in a right line as it were to the hauen of rest For indeed Hymenius and Alexander wanting this guide made shipwrack of their faith and were ouerwhelmed in the gulfe of damnation being deliuered to the deuill that they might learne not to blaspheme Wherevpon Occumenius saith that it asketh good Art is a poynt of great cunning for a man to keep the scope of Christianity and to goe right toward the Marke of truth And therfore as gunners winke with their left eye that they may leuell more truly in semblable sort we must not behold any vngodlines or sinister dealing with our eyes but we must aime directly toward Christ and either if it be possible hit the Marke or at the leastwise with those left-handed Beniamites come within a hayres breadth of it When Diogenes saw a bungling Archer shoot he ran as fast as he could to the Marke The lookers on demaunded what he meant in so doing He answered to make sure that he might not be hit For this fellowe saise he means neuer to come neere the Marke Thus must we doe WheÌ„ we see prophane straglers starting a side like a broken bow and rouing a great way wide on the left hand wee must presently runne to the Marke That not only we may keepe our selues safe froÌ„ the danger of their ill ensample but also we may giue aime as it were to others by our good ensample and direct them that they be neyther wide nor short of the Marke Now for Temporizers wee know that Iosephs brethren stood so long dallying and delaying and trifling out the time that hauing a iourney to buy corn they might haue returned twise before they would goe once Also that Elizeus when
hys blood and make hym Followe the matter harde beeing wholly inflamed with a burning desire to see the Cittie of GOD restored againe to her former glory So Abraham when the Angels came to him made hast to runne to his tent his wife made hast to kneade three measures of fine meale and his boy made hast to kill dresse a good and tender calfe Loe yee how all are imployed in a godly mans house Abraham and his wife man woman Abraham and his boy old and yong all make hast and Follow hard So Dauid did runne the way of Gods commaundements Nay no ordinary pace would serue him but hee must needs daunce before the Arke Yea his feete could not hold him but hee must needs haue wings as a Doue O that I had wings as a Doue sayes he then would I flye and be at rest Hee wisheth for winges not that he might first be at rest and afterward flye but that he might first flye and afterward be at rest That he might first Follow hard and flye vp with the wings of faith into the heauenly paradice and afterward be at rest and settle there in the tree of eternall life O that I had wings that I had wings as a Doue saies he then would I flie would I flie and be at rest And so must we after the example of Dauid of Abraham of Baruch of Paul fight for the faith which we haue receaued striue to enter in at the straight gate and labour for the meate which perisheth not and study to enter into rest We must I say studie and labour and striue and fight and Followe hard This is the fourth degree to perfection TOuching the fift he sayes not beside the marke but Toward the marke Austine holdeth that a man were better run either too slowly or too fast in the way then follow hard out of the way For the harder thou followest out of the way the further thou runnest from the Marke Herevpon the Apostle after following hard addeth immediatly Toward the Marke Insinuating thereby that to follow is nothing but the Marke is the matter And consequently that he which is not a skilfull Mark-man can neuer bee a faythfull follower Therfore we must marke well what this Marke is In one word it is the crosse of Christ For Christ hath set vp his crosse as a spell or as a Marke for vs to ayme at as a patterne of all perfection as an euerlasting signe which shall not be taken away Hence it is that speaking of one who should be his Disciple he sayes He that would come after me let him take vp his crosse and follow mee Let him take vp his crosse that he may come the neerer to my crosse and followe me that he may be directed all the way by me For thou canst neuer erre or goe beside the Marke so long as thou walkest in this way Therfore Maximus saith If thou wouldest finde the way which bringeth vnto lyfe then seeke it in that way which saith I am the way the truth and the life The way to them that begin the truth to them that proceed the life to them that are perfect Now the way of this way is the word Which S. Peter confirmeth saying The word of the Lord endureth for euer and this is the word which is preached among you He auoucheth that the eternall word is the preached word meaning thereby that the only way to the begotten word is the written word According to that of the Psalmist Blessed are they which are vpright in the way and walk in the law of the Lord. So that if thou wouldest be vpright in the way which is the word Christ then thou must walke in the lawe of the Lord which is the word of Christ. For the holy scripture is giuen by the inspiration of God to be a lanterne vnto our steps and a light vnto our paths that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good works Wherefore to define this whole matter in few words we shal in mine opinion folow hard toward the mark if we labour earnestly in our seuerall vocations to expresse the vertuss of Christ our good Lord w c he shewed forth in al the course of his life especially in his death vpon the crosse for vs to imitate and follow by walking faithfully in the way of his commaundements and squaring all our actions speeches and thoughts according to the rule of his word Euen as on the contrary part it is very euident that all they run beside the marke which doe not propound to themselues to follow the ensample of Christ but either in their doctrine or in their life either in their opinions or in their actions continually swarue from him Such are all Atheists Temporizers Newters Humorists For Athiests runne beside the marke by going too much on the left hand They doe not make Christ a marke to ayme at that they may follow him but a signe to shoore at that they may blaspheme him They bend their tongues as bowes and shoote out their arrowes euen bitter words They corrupt others and speake of wicked blasphemy their talking is against the most high They say vnto God Depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of thy waies And no meruaile that they speake so impiously which liue so vngodly Running altogether vpon the left hand in the broad way of the world of the flesh of the deuill For the world hath a kind of course which Atheists follow being past feeling and euen starke dead in their trespasses and sinnes The flesh also hath a by-path whereby they are seduced and deceaued Lastly the deuill hath a method which is without any methode and an order which is contrary to all good order and a left handed direction which bringeth them to finall confusion Now Temporizers also run beside the marke by going about in a circle They goe about many things but bring about nothing They do all things for the time but nothing for the trueth They make many a period but neuer a full poynt They are alwaies learning but neuer come to knowledge The hedgehog hath two holes in his siege one toward the South an other toward the North. Now whē the southren wind blowes he stops vp that hole and turnes him Northward When the Northren wind blowes he stops vp that hole likewise turnes him againe Southward Such vrchins are all temporizers They beleeue for a time as long as the warme Sunne shines vpon them But as soone as any storme of persecution ariseth by and by they haue a starting hole to hide themselues in they change their religion and turne about with the time For as the harts of such men are as a cart-wheele their thoughts are like a rowling axeltree Or as a top which alwaies runs round
haue a tast as it were of this ioy As the Israelites had a tast of the Grapes and other pleasures of Canaan before they came thither But wee cannot enioy the full fruition of it vntill we come to the presence of God Therefore Dauid sayth In thy presence is the fulnes of ioy and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore And againe They shall be satisfied with the fatnes of thy house and thou shalt giue them drinke out of the riuer of thy pleasures For this fatnes of the house of God is that meate and this riuer of the pleasures of God is that drinke which shall perfectly satisfie and fill our harts with ioy in the holy Ghost VVhen the Lord shall say to euery one of vs Enter thou into thy Lords ioy Not â—et thy Lords ioy enter into thee For it is so great that it can not enter into thee thy hart cannot hold it But Enter thou into the Lords ioy For thou shalt euen bathe thy selfe in blessednes and swim in the bottomlesse st of the sweet pleasure of God as a little fish taketh his pastime in the huge Ocean Sea And looke how hee that hath once tasted of the fountaine named Clitoriuâ— fons will neuer afterward drink any wine in like sort when thou hast once tasted this pure christall water of life thou shalt neuer any more relish the wine of the world but be perfectly delighted with ioy in the holy Ghost the only godly pleasure The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus This kingdome of heauen in the only Christian treasure because it is in Christ Iesus For all treasures which are layd vp in earth may be stollen with theeues or corrupted with cankers But this treasure is an enduring substance hoorded vp in heauen where neyther theefe stealeth nor cankar corrupteth Therefore the kingdome of heauen is likened to a treasure hidden in the field And the field is Christ Iesus in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge O blessed then O blessed is the man that findeth this wisedome and the man that getteth this knowledge Because the marchandize therof is better then siluer and the gaine therof is better then gold It is more pretious then pearles and all thinges that thou canst desire are not toâ— bee compared vnto it Yea doubtlesse sayes one I thinke all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord. O wise O worthy O holy O heauenly Marchant Heere is a frank chapman indeed which prizeth the kingdom of heauen according to the right worth and true value of it Knowing that this Christian treasure was bought and purchased for him not with corruptible things as siluer or gold or such like but with the most deare and pretious blood of Christ For whom saies he I haue counted al things losse and doe iudge them to be doung that I may gayne Christ For Christ Iesus onely is the wisedome of his Father and by him onely we come to the knowledge of God Hee is the wisedome of his Father because hee doth giue vs grace in this life that we may be wise vnto saluation and see the Father by fayth and receiue the earnest of our inheritance By him wee come to the knowledge of God because hee will giue vs glorie in the lyfe to come that we may know as we are knowne and behold GOD face to face and receaue not onely the earnest-peny or the pledge-peny but also the prize-peny or the possession-peny of perfection So that Christ Iesus is the Alpha and the Omega the beginner and the ender of our perfection the author and the finisher of our faith who for the ioy which was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the throne of God He is the authour and finisher of of our faith that is our fore-runner and marke who for the ioy which was set before him that is for the kingdome of heauen the onely Christian treasure The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus endured the crosse and despised the shame that's againe followed hard toward the marke and is set at the right hand of the throne of God that's againe and is now possessed of the kingdome of heauen the onely Christian treasure The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Loe ye loe ye whether we are now come So high that we can goe no higher Namely to the right hand of the throne of God VVhich is euerlasting life eternall glory ioy in the holy Ghost the kingdome of heauen The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus For this rich throne of God is that yuory throne of Salomon wherof I spake in the beginning VVhich is the onely perfect life the onely high honour the only godly pleasure the only Christian treasure The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus This is the sixt and last degree to perfection NOw then my deare brethren let vs heare if it please you pause a while and seriously consider how Christ prayed for his chosen that they might be made perfect in one That they might bend the whole forces of all their actions and affections to this one thing namely to the attayning of perfect blessednes or if you had rather so call it of blessed perfection And therefore forgetting that which is behind and leauing the doctrine of the beginning of Christ let vs Endeuour our selues to that which is before and be led on forward vnto perfection Yea let vs follow hard and runne with patience the race that is set before vs looking vnto Iesu who is our marke and hath giuen vs an example That euery one of vs might say vnto him with good Dauid I haue applyed my hart ro fulfill thy statutes for the eternall recompence of reward for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Tell me beloued I beseech you if it wil be no great trouble to you as I trust it will not tell mee I pray you wherfore sayes the same Dauid speaking to God O knit my hart vnto thee that I may feare thy name but only to teach vs that But one thing is the first degree to perfection For whereas we vsually reade it O knit my hart vnto thee that I may feare thy name the Chaldee paraphrast S. Ierom translate it O make my heart but onely one hart that I may feare thy name So that a man cannot any way so much as enter into the feare of Gods name which is the beginning of all perfection except first his hart be made one in it selfe and one in GOD that hee may principally minde but one thing Almighty God concerning the East gate of the Temple sayth thus This gate shall be shut and shall not bee opened and no
and the ark the sweete tast and the pot of Manna the red colour and the rod of Aaron the order of the graynes and the tables of the testament the head of the pomegranate and the couering of the ark the crowne vpon that head and the crowne about this couering To inhinuate thus much that we which are like an orchard of pomegranates must also be like the arke of the couenant being builded and reared vp still toward the mark not only when our Lorde feedeth vs with the sweete Manna of his mercie but also when he afflicteth vs with the sharp rod of his correction and alwayes keeping the tables of the testament which are the commandements of perfect loue to God and to our neighbour that by faith in Christ who is the couering and the propitiation for our sinnes we may obtaine the golden crowne of life King Darius vpon a time by chance opening a great pomegranate and being demanded of what hee would wish to haue as manie as there were graynes in that pomegranate answered in one word of Zopyrusses Now Zopyrus was a right noble and a valiant Knight who seeing the King his master could hardly surprize Babylon where the trayterous Assirians were entrenched bethought himselfe of a wonderful strange practise He went home to his owne house and caused his sernants to rent his whole bodie all ouer with scourging him and to cut off his nose his lips his eares Then straightwaies running to Babilon he made the Assyrians beleeue that Darius had misused him in this sâ—rt because he had spoken in their behalfe counselling him to breake vp his siege and to remoue his armie from assaulting their Citty They hearing this tale and the rather thinking it to be true because they saw him so shamefully disfigured in his bodie were perswaded to make him their chiefe Captayne By which meanes he betrayed them all surrendred both them and their City into his masters hands O most faithfull and louing subiect O most worthy and couragious hart One Pomegranate full of such graynes yea euen one grayne full of such valour and vertue is suffiâ—ient for a whole Country either to recouer it if it be lost or to keepe it that it be not lost O that I could tell where to finde such a man O that I could tel where to see but one such amongst vs all I wold I assure you honor the very ground he goes vpon and kisse euen the shadow of his feet VVell beloued I pray God I pray God with all my heart that her sacred Maiestie whom the Lord for his glory sake alwaies shield defend that her sacred Maiesty I say may finde very many yea may see vs al as true to God to her and to our Countrey as Zopirus was to his prince That if any time of triall should come vve may haue so much will and holy manhoode in vs as to put our selues vpon the pykes ieopard a ioynt yea venter the martyring and mangling of our whole body and euen the losing of our liues rather the either forraine enemies or home-bred rebels should haue theyr wils of vs. Knowing that our life is frayle and mortall wee may dye euery moment but for a man to do some notable peece of seruice before he dye and to sheath his sworde in the sides of his enemies and to kill if it be but one that is a sworne rebell to his God to his Prince and to his countrie this indeede is a most honourable and a most glorious thing this is it which shal be chronicled and registred remembred yea and rewarded for euer But â—o return to the Marke againe VVe which are plants of the Church like an orâ—hard of pomegranats like the arke of the couenant must loue not only the head of the pomegranate the couering of the arke but also the order of the grains the tables of the testament not onely the sweete taste and the pot of manna but also the red colour and the rod of Aaron It is a myracle and would amaze any man to consider how zealous the Christians were in the Primitiue Church how vnsatiably they thirsted after the crowne of martirdome what 〈◊〉 with Zopyrus what rackings what wild beasts what broylings they endured How in a manner if I durst say so they suffered almost as horrible tormeÌ„ts when they dyed for Christ as Christ did when he dyed for them VVell well so great and so absolute and so excellent and so admirable perfection is not now required at our hands Yet this by your good leaue fauor I wil be bold to say That we can neuer be perfect Christians indeede and runne toward the markeâ—marke â—right except at the loast wise we haue that in resolution which they did put in execution Except if need require wee that are faithfull can finde in our hearts to doe that and to suffer that for batred of the spirituall Babilon and for loue of our heauen by Lord which Zopiâ—us an infidell did and suffered for hatred of the earthly Babilon and for loue of a mortall King Except wee can be content not only to be white 〈◊〉 by liuing purely and patiently in those afflictions and crosses whereof our miserable life is full which is in some sort a kind of martirdome but also to be red Roses by dying constantly and ioyfully for the truth if the good pleasure of God should so appoynt it and by making our garments red in the bloud of Grapes which is the most perfect martyrdome and commeth neerest of all to the marke that so Christ may rightly say to his Church here amongst vs Thy plants are as an Orchard of pomegranates Tell me wherfore sayes Dauid againe speaking of the oath of God He appoynted the same vnto Iacob for a law and vnto Israell for an euerlasting testament but onely to teach vs that for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus is the sixt and last degree to perfection For Iacob and Israel are two seuerall names and yet they signifie but one singular man Neuerthelesse in a diuers respect Because Iacob is he that supplanteth or wrastleth Israell is he that seeth or beholdeth God Now Iacob supplanting or wrastling is a subiect or a seruant Israell seeing or beholding God is a friend or a sonne This is confirmed by Baruch saying God hath found out the way of knowledge and hath giuen it vnto Iacob his seruaunt vnto Israell his beloued So that Iacob is only a faithful seruant but Israel is a beloued sonne Therefore there is appoynted vnto Iacob a law but vnto Israel an euerlasting testament Seeing a law or a statute or a decree or a precept properly belongs to Iacob a subiect or a seruant but a testament or a couenant or an agreement or an accord properlie belongs to Israell a friend or a son For as long