SERMONS Made by the most reuerende Father in God Edwin Archbishop of Yorke Primate of England and Metropolitane DAN 12. 3. They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse as the starres for euer and euer AT LONDON Printed by Henrie Midleton for Thomas Charde 1585. To the Christian Readers grace and peace through Iesu Christ our Lord. OF other thinges besides these my sonne take thou heede for there is none end of making manie bookes and much reading is a wearinesse of the flesh Let vs heare the ende of all feare God and keepe his commandements for this is the whole dutie of euerie man By which wordes of weight proceeding from the Oracle not of Apollo but of God himselfe what effect hath beene wrought both in the heartes and in the handes of many great learned Clerkes both heere and elsewhere both heeretofore and at this day to make them withdraw their mindes from writing and to withholde their pens from paper some witnesses worthie credite could testifie but that dayly experience needeth no farther proofe Howbeit when it is well knowen and ought accordingly to be considered that the place alledged shold rather correct the bookish humor of cōmon writers idle discoursers then control the writing of necessarie and needefull workes which to the singular aduancement of kingdomes cōmonweales to the most excellent seruice of almighty God to the inestimable benefit and blessing of his Church many hundred yeeres sithens that saying of Salomon haue beene printed and published notwithstanding as by large volumes innumerable of Scriptures and fathers of histories and artes in all kinds of knowledge may euidently appeare Euery man of abilitie should rather by those examples encourage himself the suffer himselfe by these wordes to be disswaded to imploye the talent as wel of his hand as of his tongue to meete with and ouertake all practises inconueniences and as it were to applie a salue to euerie sore to minister a medicine to euerie maladie that may occurre Againe when we perceiue Sanballat Tobiah Geshem Noadiah the Prophetesse and their accomplices continually to hinder and impeach as much as in them lyeth the worke of Gods Temple that is Papistes Iesuites and Malecontentes with their adherents all aduersaries enimies to the euerlasting truth of the Gospell without intermission to abuse their great leasure and small learning to plant error and heresie in the heartes of our brethren thereby to supplant all religious woorshippe of almightie God all audience of his woorde and reuerence to his Sacramentes all humble obedience to lawefull Magistrates all dutifull regarde of wholesome lawes all carefull obseruation of auncient discipline all sincere and seemely conuersation of Christian life and honest manners howe can the holie Ghost who reprooueth the woorlde of sinne but require vs to bestowe all the forces and habilimentes wee haue not onely as good Zacharias and Aggeus to prophecie but as godly Zorobabell and Salathiell to reedifie that is aswell by writing as by preaching aswell by our bookes as by our sermons and as it were with a trowell in the one hande and a sworde in the other to rayse and erect the newe Ierusalem supplying the decayes repairing the ruines filling vp the breaches building vp the wals and towers of Sion in perfect beauty The consideratiō wherof together with some other earnest and vehement perswasions to the like effect vsed did at the last though long first induce the most reuerend authour of this booke euē another Esdras or Nehemias to suffer these his labours to come to light aswell for that he mought leaue behinde him a witnesse and warrant of his godly zealous affection that the professiō of his faith mought become the sweete sauour of life to life in all rather thē the sauour of death to death in any as also for that words spokē are soone come soone gon but written withall may make a deeper impression so by striking aswell the eye of the reader as the eare of the hearer may perse his heart the better saue his soule the sooner Of the booke it selfe I will saie but this that for myne owne parte I am verilie perswaded there is no worke written in this kinde wherin men of principall estate or particular callings may be either more sufficiently enformed to know or more plainely directed to performe their seueral duties The superiour how to gouerne the inferiour how to obey the Minister what to teach the people what to learne the Parliament what to establish the Realme what to embrace her Maiestie and counsaill what to heare Courte Citie and Countrie what to amend why Patrones especially professing godlines should be vncorrupt why Pastours vndergoing such a charge shoulde keepe the flocke from the foxe and wolfe why Bishops should be more vigilant precise not to admit Ministers hand ouer head why the rich should be open handed and poore Christ in his needie members competenlie relieued how the Church to be disciphered by hir proper marks of the word to be heard with diligēce and the sacramentes with reuerence to be frequented how the Temple to be purged of idolatrie superstition and superfluitie the Church men of ignoraunce negligence and simonie the commonweale of vnmercifulnesse couetousnesse and vsurie the iudgement seates both ciuill and Ecclesiasticall of briberie extortion partiality why the Gospell to be preached with fauour the Law with terrour yet both with a caueat how God to be worshipped our neighbours intreated our children families catechised our selues conformed to Christ his image the simple aduised the subtill preuēted the weake supported the obstinate corrected what patience to be vsed vnder the crosse what thankefulnesse to be shewed for Gods great mercies what prayers in our extremest necessities to be powred out what sorrow must throw downe the sinfull man what faith raise him vp what hope sustaine him what charitie inflame him what worthy fruites commend him to the world finally how the truth may be cōfirmed falshood refelled vice reproued vertue aduaunced and so the child of God made a man wise vnto saluation and perfectly enabled vnto euery good worke Besides many other most profitable obseruations sooner taught then learned yet sooner learned then followed such so many as in so few sermons you shal hardly finde I beleeue but in the same Nor is this my single opinion only but many mens censure of greater learning better iudgment who know what belonges to matter and method to times and persons to place and occasions with other due circumstances of well and wise meaning speaking and writing But as those sermons be best praysed euer that be euer best practised so if these shall be receiued into the good grounde of your heartes with the same affection and spirite they were preached first and nowe be published no doubt but the sower the seede the soile the increase and all will be founde to the glorie of his grace
prouidence of almightie God ioy and delight in earthlie thinges blindenesse of minde hardnesse of heart All this we must mortifie this we must shake of we must quite relinquish our own wils and submit our selues wholy to the will of God Shall we refuse to do this when Christ him selfe hath said I seeke not to haue mine owne will but the will of him that sent me And againe it is meate vnto mee to doe his will And in his greatest agonie Not as I will O father but as thou wilt This is a doctrine harde to practise and put in vre It is the fault of our corrupt flesh we thinke too highly of our selues we are too much wedded to our owne wils the blessed Apostle as we thinke speaketh like a man besides himselfe when hee saith If any man seeme to bee wise amongest you in this worlde let him be made a foole that he may become wise This is but the entrance vnto christianitie yet how few are there which be come thus farre The rich yong man in the Gospell seemed to be verie forward in the way but Christ discouereth his affection sheweth that he had not denied him selfe and therefore was no fit disciple for him It made him heauie and pensiue to thinke of leauing so great possessions and of weining his heart so soone from the worlde He coulde haue bene contented to denie impietie but Christ would haue worldly concupiscence also to be denied For the grace of God our Sauiour sayth the Apostle hath appeared to all men teaching vs that denying impietie and wordly desires we liue soberlie and iustly and godly in this present worlde 8 This is the way wherein Christ must bee followed by as manie as desire to be shipped with him to bee of the number of his people This is the doore of entraunce into the Church When wee are once entred and receiued into the ship as wee followed him thither by beleeuing the Gospell by denying impietie and worldlie lustes so there wee must followe him by walking as wee haue him for our example purging our selues euen as he is pure shewing forth the vertues of him that hath called vs out of darknesse into his meruelous light Be ye holy for I am holy sayth the Lorde As according to his similitude and likenesse wee were at the first created so now according to the same similitude we must also bee framed and fashioned anew Sith we were first light and became darkenesse afterwarde and are made now againe of darknes light in the Lord it is no reason that wee should any more frame our selues vnto the lustes of our ignoraunce but as he which hath called vs is holie so likewise ought we to bee holie in all manner of conuersation When the Iewes boasted that they had Abraham to their father their vanitie was reproued If ye were the sonnes of Abraham sayth Christ ye woulde do the workes of Abraham but now ye go about to kil me a man that haue told you the truth which I haue heard of God Hoc Abraham non fecit Abraham did not this It is in vaine for vs to boast of the name of christians except the image of Christ be seene in our life cōuersatiō If we follow him not we are not his 9 We are exhorted to be followers both of God and of men Be ye followers of God as most deare children Againe Be ye followers of thē which through faith patience inherite the promises God is the rule as of faith so of life wherefore absolutely Be ye followers of God but of men alwaies with this caution Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ. The Thessalonians S. Paul cōmendeth for as much as they were followers of him of the Lord. If our fathers elders guides teachers be a rebellious generation a generatiō that set not their heart aright and whose spirit is not faithfull vnto God then are they no presidentes for vs to follow but be followers of vs so long as we are followers of Christ are examples vnto you in word in conuersation in loue in spirite in faith in purenesse Whatsoeuer thinges are true whatsoeuer thinges are honest whatsoeuer thinges are iust whatsoeuer thinges are pure whatsoeuer things pertaine to loue whatsoeuer thinges are of good report if there bee anie vertue if there be any praise thinke on these thinges which ye haue both learned and receiued and hearde and seene in me these thinges doe and the God of peace shalbe with you 10 Their estate in the worlde which follow Christ in such wise as hath bene shewed is here resembled by a ship tossed and grieuouslie shaken with a tempest It is euer hath bene yea wilbe their lot whether they be vpon sea or land to be in perill to stande in feare to haue winde and weather against them As manie as follow him must denie them selues hauing denied them selues they must take vp the crosse The crosse signifieth al afflictions which may be deuided into two kindes afflictions of punishmēt and afflictions of triall the former are common vnto all the later are proper to the elect of God 11 The sinne of Adam brought miserie vnto man and a curse vnto all the creatures of God Hence it commeth to passe that with sorrowe and teares wee enter into the worlde and when wee are in it we haue a short continuance yet in that shortnesse good Lord vnto how mane chāces chāges are we subiect In the end wee die and who doth knowe what becommeth of vs our graues keepe vs secret As the waters passe from the sea and as the floude decaieth and drieth vp so man sleepeth and riseth not he lieth in the dust and shall not be raised from his sleepe till the heauen be no more O how bitter is this to such as put their trust in vncertaine riches how dreadfull is the remembrance of death vnto the wicked But they onely are not subiect vnto death the sorrowes of the graue take holde on all in asmuch as all haue sinned Howbeit in these afflictions which come as punishmentes vnto all there is a difference They come not vnto all with like intent of him that sendeth them they fall vpon the godly for their correction but they bring confusion vnto the wicked 12 There are other afflictions proper to beleeuers tribulatiōs which God doth sende as speciall tokens of fauour to his dearest Saints trials which are vnto thē that beare them patiently seales assurāces that they are counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which they suffer For the world which hateth both the truth and the light cannot but hate all such as loue the truth and as walke in the light Out of this fountaine spring all those molestations which the godly do suffer for righteousnes sake at the hands of wicked and vngodlie men Dauid saw this
the middest of them and what the Bishoppes in Synode did so conclude to bee godly and behooueful that he did ratifie and confirme 11 The ministers you see should teache the right waie He which beareth that name and performeth not this office is but an Idoll Let another take his Bishopricke Such drones were better smothered than suffered in that hiue where none should liue that wil not labour Such as sowe not why should they reape Neither is it any new thing to cast out vnworthie ministers who cast off care of their duetie Solomon deposed Abiathar the high Priest and Iustinian depriued Syluerius and Vigilius Bishops of Rome These are good presidents for Princes in like case to followe 12 Again such as teach but teach not the good right way such as are open and publike maintainers of errors and heresie such in the iudgement of God are thought vnworthie to liue Falsus Propheta moriatur Elias and Iehu did not thinke themselues imbrued but rather sanctified with such bloud I haue no cruell heart bloud be farre from me I minde nothing lesse Yet needes must it be graunted that the maintainers and teachers of errors heresie are to be repressed in euery Christian common wealth Such troublers of the quiet of the Church such deceiuers of the people are at leastwise according to the auncient commendable custome of the church to be remooued from the ministerie It is no reason that the church enemies should bee fostered in the bosome of the church The histories of things doone by good princes and rulers in these cases are so many and manifest that I neede not trouble you with recitall of them Amphilochius the Bishop sharply reprooued Theodosius the Emperour that he so long winked at Arius and suffered him to spreade his pestilent heresie farre and wide ouer the bodie of the church The Emperour was not angrie at the words of iust reproofe but foorthwith banished Arius and gaue him some part of his iust deserts The ministers what roume soeuer they haue in the church of God ought to pray and teache the good and right way or else to giue place to others that can and will And thus much for the duetie of the ministers 13 It followeth Feare the Lord and serue him in the trueth withall your hearts The Prophet in these words putteth the prince and people in remembrance of their dutie Wherin double seruice is required The seruice due vnto God and the seruice due vnto the common wealth The seruice which we owe vnto God is feare which feare is euer ioyned with loue and for that cause called a sonnelike feare to distinguish it from that seruile feare the ende whereof is desperation as the fruite of the former is loue which maketh not ashamed Feare God for they which feare him shal not feele his power All things bee naked and open before him He doeth see and wil iudge Feare him therefore but loue him too who hath so loued thee that hee hath not spared his onely sonne but giuen him to death for thee 14 God putteth the heads in minde of this duetie knowing that as they goe before so the people wil followe after Ieroboam gaue euil example and he made the people sinne Iosias feared and zealously serued God and the people did the like Quomodo reges Domino seruiunt in timore nisiea quae contra Domini iussa sunt religiosa seueritate prohibendo atque plectendo Aliter rex seruit vt homo aliter vt rex vt homo fideliter timendo vt rex leges iusta praecipientes contraria prohibentes sanciendo How doe Princes serue the Lorde in feare saith S. Augustine vnlesse with religious rigor they forbid and punish things wherein the statutes of the Lorde are broken The king serueth God as a man one way and an other way as a king As a man by leading a faithfull life as a king by making Lawes such as inioyne things that are iust forbid the contrary Ezechias did God the seruice of a king in destroying the groues and temples of Idols which were builded against the commandement of God Iosias did the like in reforming the church in dispatching all Idolatrie and superstition Darius did God royall seruice when he gaue the Idol into Daniels handes and cast his enemies into the denne of Lions Nabuchodonazer did the like when by straite Lawe hee commaunded that none should blaspheme but that all should serue the God of Sydrach My sach and Abednago Herein Princes doe rightly serue God as Princes when to serue him they doe such things as vnlesse they were Princes they could not doe 15 The first point of kinglie seruice vnto God is to purge and cleanse his Church Christ teacheth this by that which he did at his entering into that fowlie defiled temple of Ierusalem It appertaineth to Princes to Magistrates to them which are nowe assembled in this honourable Court of Parliament by all good meanes and Lawes to see Gods house made cleane that it may be the house of prayer and not a denne of theeues 16 First it must be purged from all false doctrine from all Idolatrie and superstition The good kings Ezechias and Iosias were careful in this behalfe They could not abide Idolatrie to be committed or God to be blasphemed within their dominons It had beene hard to haue purchased such a thing as a Masse at Moses hands with a masse of money That zealous Prince king Asa deposed Maacha his grandemother wholly from all gouernment for setting vp a foule Idol in a groue He that dealt so sharply with his grandmother for this surely would in no case or respect haue tolerated a blasphemous masse in his reformed church and kingdome The euill which others doe by our sufferance is ours We doe it when we suffer it to be done Princes to please princes may not displease the prince of all princes Feare the Lord and serue him in zeale and in trueth cast out of the church of England all leuin of blasphemie and Idolatrie So shall you glorifie God and he shal glorifie you Pauls heart was set on fire his spirit was kindled within him when hee sawe the citie of Athens giuen to Idolatrie Ye knowe the Historie of that woorthie man Mattathias We praie daily Hallowed be thy name but with what mindes if wittingly we suffer his name to be prophaned blasphemed 17 Feare the Lord purge his Church remooue all stones of offence out of his vineyard S. Pauls rule is Let all things in the Church be doone seemely What that seemelinesse is he himselfe expoundeth in these words Let all things be doone vnto edification The primatiue Church casting away Iudaicall and Heathenish rites was simple in her ceremonies The pope hath polluted and burthened the Church with both Wee may haue no other than such as are comely and serue for the
furtherance of true religion 18 The church had neede to be purged of an other enormitie or else it cannot be safe The sinne of Magus must be remooued This disease spreadeth farre Patrones gape for gaines and hungrie fellowes vtterly destitute of all good learning or godlie zeale yea skantly cloathed with common honestie hauing money find readie entraunce into the Church These are theeues and robbers they creepe into the church of Christ by stealth They are not called of God as Aaron was This sinne is vniuersally complained of Surely if symoniacall affection haue corrupted the heart of any Bishop as some will not let openly to say it were not amisse if his heart were giuen him in his hande He is easily dealt withal if he be disbishopped If the lot fal on the lay man the losse of his patronage is but a light punishment for a fault so heynous But whosoeuer is this money man I wil say vnto him in the words of S. Peter Thy money be with thee vnto perdition Shifts are but shifts in these matters It is all one to goe plainely to worke with Iudas What will ye giue me and to giue thy patronage to thy seruaunt to sell and so to diuide Christs coate betweene you Ambrose in his booke de pastore seemeth to touche Bishops of his time with simonie saying Quod dedit cùm Episcopus ordinaretur aurum fuit quod perdidit anima fuit cùm alium ordinaret quod accepit pecunia fuit quod dedit lepra fuit That which he gaue when he was ordained Bishop was gold and that which he lost was his soule That which he tooke when hee ordained an other was money and that which he gaue was a leprosie This is the hole whereat so many vnfit and vnwoorthie persons haue crept in Lay not thy hands on any man quickely is worne out of remembraunce Such as cannot feede the flocke are now dispensed withall to be owners of the fleese God no doubt will finde out the fault and the bloud of such as perish wilbe required at some bodies hands God graunt speedie reformation heerein Such in authoritie as truly feare God wil purge his church from false doctrine from Idolatrie from superstition and from Simonie 19 The next point of princely seruice doone to God is to nurse the church with wholesome foode till we all growe vp to a perfect man in Christ Iesus That this foode may bee ministred that this word may be preached euerie where to Gods people good princes and such as are in authoritie must take special care For this is truely to serue and feare God It is not enough that princes and magistrates embrace the Gospel that they feed vpon the foode of saluation themselues but they as heads and pastors must see this bread broken deliuered to the people Christ had care of al the people sent his disciples abroad with this charge Go your waies into the whole world The wil of Christ is that all be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth The preaching of the gospel is called the kingdome of Christ. For by that meanes Christ is planted groweth raigneth in the hearts and soules of the people If the flocke want their pastor by reason therof through famine perish doubtlesse that bloud of soules wil be required Lawes prouide for many matters of small importance This waightie matter of mans saluation is not lightly to be passed ouer The haruest no doubt is great many willing to heare the word fewe there be that labour but many idle lookers on who take the wages but either wil not or cannot worke They haue learned of the euill steward to play the theefe both to robbe their master Christ of his glorie and the church of Christ of their saluation But woe be to those sheepeheardes which feede themselues and suffer the flocke of Christ to want their meate 20 The want of reward hindereth this worke But this wil be answered Some haue ynough and some haue too much I am acquainted with these speeches but let me say againe A great sort haue too litle and some that are worthie to haue haue starke nothing No man hath too much that wel doeth his dutie for he is worthie of double that honour which he hath And he that can iustly be charged with want of duetie let his candlestick in Gods name and for Gods sake be remooued Nowe if it be alleaged that if equall diuision were made all might be sufficiently prouided for But who shal make the diuision There is cause why men may thinke it skant safe for the Church of Christ to put her patrimonie to arbitrement least while diuision bee pretended some Quintus Fabius adiudge a good part thereof to the Senate of Rome Rome hath robbed Christ of his honour and by impropriations giuen his patrimonie to idle fat Monkes to feede vpon We haue restored Christ to his honour and dignitie but we stil holde from him his lands and liuing like a ward The Ethnicke and Idolatrous priests of Egypt of Iupiter of Baal of Bel were liberally prouided for The priests of Aaron the Scribes and Pharisies the Monkes Friers and sacrificing popish priests were in high authoritie and had the wealth of the worlde Shall Idol seruice be preferred to the true seruice of God Shall false prophets be better regarded and rewarded than true Preachers Then iust is our condemnation For we shewe that light being come into the worlde wee loue it not so much as they loued darkenesse The Gospel hath euil lucke it is neuer preached but the patrimonie thereof is pinched Such as wil pretend the Gospell and labour to pull away the patrimonie of the Gospel may well professe Christ in words but they denie him in their deedes 21 As the ministers are to bee prouided for that the worde may be preached so the people must bee brought to conforme themselues to the thankefull receiuing thereof that from thence they may learne truely to serue and feare God And this care also pertaineth to godlie princes and good magistrates to prouide good Lawes for the same and to see those Lawes put in execution Although conscience cannot be forced yet vnto externall obedience in lawful things men may lawfully be compelled God the great king who worketh al things wel sent foorth his officers to compel men to come in and eate of his great supper Herevpon S. Augustine saith Qui compellitur quò non vult cogitur sed cùm intrarit iam volens pascitur Hee that is constrained is driuen whither he would not goe willingly but when hee is entred by constraint then he feedeth with a good will Paul neuer embraced the gospel vntil he was cast off his horse flat vpon the earth and then he cried Lord what wilt thou haue me to doe It is profitable for men to be constrained vnto those things which are
are in authoritie that wee may leade a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie MOSES speaking to the people of God concerning the institutiō of the Passeouer to be kept at the appointed season from yere to yere saith When thy Sonne shall aske thee What is this thou shalt say vnto him With a mightie hand the Lord brought vs out of Egypt out of the house of bondage and in remembraunce hereof wee celebrate this feast In like sort when your children shall aske you what this our assemblie meaneth you shall aunswere that it is to giue God thankes for that great benefite which we receiued at his hands as this day when in his mercie he gaue vs our gratious elect Elizabeth whom hee hath vsed as his mightie arme to worke our deliuerance to bring vs out of Egypt the house of Romish seruitude This is the day which the Lord hath made this is that our happie day the Lorde in his mercie hath made it let vs be thankefull for it let vs reioice and be glad in it This is the acceptable time the day of saluation the happie time of our deliuerance This day God shewed vs the light of his gratious countenance and had mercie on vs in bestowing vpon vs so great a treasure so good a gouernour so worthie a Prince The Lord graunt vs many of these daies and long continuance of these happie yeres And as our Apostle doeth exhort vs let vs both praise the Lorde and praie vnto him that vnder so good a gouernement we may liue a quiet a godlie and an honest life as the Lords goodnesse towards vs and our duetie towardes him and profession of his name require I exhort you therefore before all things c. Here are two things offered to our consideration first an exhortation Pray for all men especially for princes and rulers secondly a reason of this exhortation that by their good gouernement we may liue a quiet a godly and an honest life 2 In exhorting vs to praie he sheweth the benefite and fruit of our praier We must praie to God to giue vs good Princes and rulers vnder a good prince we ought to leade a good life a good prince should procure peace pietie and honestie to the people a good people should liue peaceably godlily and honestly vnder their prince The exhortation is Pray for all men especially Princes and rulers In this part we haue to consider what praier is To whom we should pray What be the parts of praier When where and how we should pray For whom we should pray 3 Praier is a lifting vp of the minde vnto God or a friendely talking with the Lord from an high and a kindled affection of the heart In the word God speaketh vnto vs in praier we speake vnto him Praier is the powring out of a contrite heart with a sure perswasion that God wil graunt our requests and giue eare to the suites which we make vnto him This praier must be onely vnto God It is praier vnto God that onely hath promise that onely hath example in the scriptures Call vpon me saith God Aske the father in my name saith our Sauiour Aske and ye shall haue When yee shall pray saith Christ pray thus Our Father which art in heauen So and none otherwise praied all the Patriarches Prophets Apostles and Christ himselfe and all true Christians in all ages In praier no creature may be ioyned with God God and our Ladie help vs is no allowable praier 4 This praier which must be made onely to God our Apostle diuideth into his partes Requests Supplications Intercessions Thankesgiuings Requests or petitions are when wee praie for the increase of Gods good gifts in vs and that of his mercie and fauour he would giue vs whatsoeuer is necessarie for bodie or soule and for as much as we cannot obteine any thing for our owne merites that he would graunt vs all things for his sonne our Sauiours sake 5 Supplications when we praie to be deliuered from euill as when we pray that the wrath of God which we haue deserued may through his mercie be remooued from vs as farre as the East is from the West that our sinne may be remitted and blotted out of Gods bookes 6 Intercessions are when we praie for such as doe afflict and wrong vs for our enemies which persecute vs that God would forgiue them turne their hearts and better them Or when wee praie for others either for remoouing of euill from them or for Gods fauour and blessing towards them 7 Thankesgiuings are when we praise and thanke God for the great mercies graces and gifts which wee haue receiued at his hands For we must acknowledge that euery good and perfect gift commeth downe from aboue from the father of lights and is by his mercie freely giuen Praier generally may be diuided into two parts Petition and Thankesgiuing in the one we aske of God in the other wee offer vnto God both are accepted as sweete smelling sacrifices pure and through the merite of his sonne pleasaunt in his sight I shall not neede to put you in remembrance that we must praie both for our selues and others that there is a priuate and a publike praier that we must pray for things perteining to saluation absolutely and for things that pertaine to this life conditionally These are matters wherewith yee are throughly acquainted 8 The next thing to be considered in praier is when where and how to praie When Alwaies without ceasing Where In all places especially that place which being sanctified to this vse is therefore called the house of praier How from the heart lifting vp pure and cleane hands that is to say in faith and in loue Our praier fethered with these two wings flyeth straight into heauen 9 Thus we are by the Apostle willed to pray before all things according to the commaundement of our Sauiour Seeke first the kingdome of God Let vs begin all our workes our enterprises our actions our iourneies our lying downe our rising vp our eating our drinking and all our studies with praier So our bread shalbe multiplyed our oyle encreased our meate sanctified all our endeuours and actions blessed If the very Ethnicks in the beginning of their bookes first prayed vnto their gods to prosper and giue good successe to their labours it were a shame for vs not to praie to our God before all things knowing that the praier of the iust is greatly auaileable before him Praier is a succour vnto vs a sacrifice to God and a scourge to Satan Examples are infinite Israel in praier groned vnto God and was deliuered out of Egypt Moses by praier so held God that he could not destroie his idolatrous people The blast of praier ouerthrew the walles of Ierico At the praier of Iosua the Sunne stoode stil. The young men prayed in the burning fornace
euerie good worke 5 The Prophet beeing inflamed with a desire of knowledge and vnderstanding sawe no other waie to attaine thereunto but by ioyning with continuall meditation earnest prayer Teache me thy waies O Lord Giue me vnderstanding Shewe me thy Law He knewe that praying was as needefull altogether as reading that if there be any difference at all it is this By praying we profite more than by reading 6 As he desireth to be taught so it is especially to bee noted that his desire is to be taught of God Teache thou me O Lorde There is none that can open the sealed booke of God but onely the Lion of the tribe of Iuda the roote of Dauid the Lambe of God For Thou art woorthie to take the booke and to open the seuen seales thereof because thou wast slaine and hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud It is he that hath the keie of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth shutteth and no man openeth For the outward reading of the word without the inward working of his spirite is nothing The precise Pharisees the learned Scribes red the Scriptures ouer and ouer againe they not onely red them in bookes but woore them on their garments they were not onely taught but were able themselues to teache others But because this heauenly teacher had not instructed them their vnderstanding was darkened their knowledge was but vanitie they were ignoraunt altogether in that sauing trueth which the Prophet Dauid is so desirous to learne The mysteries of saluation were so hard to be conceiued of the verie Apostles of Christ Iesus that he is forced many times sharpely to rebuke them for their dulnesse which vnlesse he himselfe had remooued by opening the eyes of their mindes they could neuer haue attained to the knowledge of saluation in Christ Iesus The eares of that woman Lydia would haue beene as close shut against the preaching of Paul as any others if the finger of God had not touched and opened her heart As many as learne they are taught of God and no man knoweth the father but he to whom it pleaseth the sonne to reueale him There is but one teacher in the schoole of Christ hee it is that leadeth vnto all trueth 7 Nowe although Christ onely openeth the booke of knowledge giueth vnderstanding and reuealeth vnto vs the wil of his father although the spirite onely bee the schoolemaster that inwardly guideth the heart in the way of trueth yet may wee not gape for reuelations as the Anabaptists doe or thinke that God hath reuealed vnto vs whatsoeuer wee doe vainely imagine and conceiue in our braines For as there is a spirite of truth so there is also a lying spirit S. Iohn therefore giueth vs a caueat not to credit euerie spirit but to trie spirits whether they be of God or no. We are to bee taught of God yet by such meanes as God hath appointed The riche man beeing in torments craued reuelations for his brethren to whom it was aunswered They haue Moses and the Prophets God doth teache inwardly but by outward meanes He spake in old time by Angels by dreames by visions by reuelations But now in these latter daies he hath spoken by his sonne and he by his ministers He taught the Eunuch but it was by Philip he taught Cornelius but it was by Peter he taught Paul but it was by Ananias 8 But howsoeuer or by whomsoeuer we taught the thing which we must learne is the woord of God not the decrees and decretals of Popes not the quiddities of too curious schoolemen not lying legends not amorous arts not the daungerous discourses of Politikes voide of the feare of God denying defacing Christian religion This is not our schoole these are not our studies What we should desire to learne the Prophet sheweth by the words following Thy waies 9 This word WAIE by a translation or metaphor in the scripture hath sundrie significations Sometime it is taken for doctrine as thou teachest the WAIE of God truely sometimes for religion as when S. Paul saith I persecuted this WAIE and againe According to this WAIE which they call heresie I woorship the God of my Fathers sometimes it is taken for the course and order of a mans life as in the words of the Prophet Esay The Lord taught mee that I should not walk in the WAIE of this people sometimes for the counsels and purposes of men so Elihu meant it saying His eyes are vpon the WAIES of man and he seeth all his goings The waie which the Prophet heere would learne of God is true religion the doctrine of his holie wil in his word reuealed but chieflie the doctrine of the true Messias promised the waie of trueth it selfe hee onely being the waie the trueth and the life hauing giuen vs an example that we should followe his steps who did no sinne Now as God hath his waie so man hath his My waies are not your waies The waies of Christ and Antichrist of the Church of God and the Synagogue of Satan of religion and superstition these are contrarie eche to other Christ saith of himselfe I am the waie In the knowledge of this waie S. Paul glorieth I esteemed to knowe nothing but Christ Iesus and him crucified and in the knowledge of this waie the Prophet desireth to be taught of God Teach me thy waie O Lord. 10 To this petition he addeth a promise first to walke and secondly to walke in trueth We may not be idle We are created vnto good workes which God hath prepared that we might walke in them Wee are redeemed and bought with a price not to doe nothing or to liue as we list but to serue him which hath redeemed vs. Our Sauiour could in no wise abide idlenesse Why stand ye still Saint Paul would haue all men to be stirring Let euerie man walke Not one is excepted not one can be dispensed withall Whosoeuer hee bee that will not labour let him not eate For it is good that euerie man should eate his bread in the sweate of his browes And worke in the wise mans iudgement is euen as needefull for men as meate There is no such bane to a common wealth or kingdome no such poison to the maners of euerie particular man as idlenesse is Examples we haue too many in all ages Idlenesse in Dauid was a cause of lewdenesse so that it is not good no not for Princes to bee idle Idlenesse was the roote of all that filth in Sodoma Israel in the absence of Moses being idle fell to feasting dauncing and idolatrie And therefore seeing that such as bee idle are subiect to so many noysome temptations S. Ieroms counsell is this See thou be alwaies dooing somewhat that the diuell may finde thee occupied he that is out of good exercise is easilie snared of the diuell And idlenesse saith S.
Bernard is the mother of toyes he might haue saide of vices and the stepdame of vertues Amasis king of Egypt made prouision by Lawe against idlenesse once a yere calling euerie man to a reckoning what he had gotten and what he had spent In this reckoning was neither the gaine of carding dicing vsurie briberie cousinage nor extortion allowed Let euerie man walke in that vocation wherewith God hath called him God hath called no man with these vocations Yet dare I not say neither will I that for anie man at any time in any sort to recreate himselfe with cardes or dise is sinne I am not of that opinion Yet it falleth out too often that these exercises are occasions of much sinne And when they are so it were no doubt much better to bee altogether idle than so ill occupied Wee must not plaie but walke 11 And least in walking wee should wander out of the waie the Prophet now teacheth vs wherein we should walke In trueth We must beware of crooked bywalkes the waie of the Lorde is the straite path of trueth Therefore the Prophet maketh this promise I will walke in thy trueth Truth comprehendeth both soundnesse of doctrine and integritie of life Salomon declareth that Dauid walked after this sort My father walked in trueth and iustice before thee In trueth of doctrine and in iustice of life He faithfully performed his promise vnto the Lord. 12 S. Paul complaineth grieuously of some walkers Many there are saith he that walke of whom I haue told you often and now tell you weeping They are enemies of the crosse of Christ. The crosse of Christ is taken here for the passion of Christ which suffered on the crosse Whoso offereth vp Christ againe once offered and sacrificed for our sinnes he is an enemie to the crosse of Christ. To seeke remission of sinnes redemption iustification satisfaction or saluation elsewhere than in Christ crucified is to bee an enemie to the crosse of Christ and to walke not in the high way of trueth but in the bypathes of wicked men 13 S. Paul noteth other bywalkers which walk according to the flesh In this byway walked the Sodomites the Beniamites yea and Dauid sometimes himselfe This was the bypath of the riche glutton which fed daintily day by day whose God was his bellie he serued no other Lord. In this byway walke all wantons flatterers lyers enuious persons stirrers of strife makers of diuision sectaries and such like The ende also of this way is perdition 14 Ezechiel complaineth of walkers which walke after couetousnesse This path is haunted of all sortes of men priests prophets themselues and prophets children yea kings haue beene subiect to this fault They are most miserable which take this way They enioie no quietnesse they tire out themselues with foolish cares they entangle their hearts with noysome lusts they grieue the spirit their toile and vexation hath neither ende nor measure The prophet therefore beggeth at the handes of God Encline mine heart to thy testimonies and not to couetousnesse 15 Ieremie complaineth of walkers in the hardnesse of their hearts They haue hearts trampled on with the feete of men and made as hard as a beaten waie They are become as obstinate against the word and message of God as euer was Pharao There is planted a preiudice in them from which they cannot goe back No enchauntment bee it neuer so wise can haue any force vpon them their eares are so cunningly and so closely stopped 16 Dauid complaineth of such walkers as are led by the counsell of the wicked as Eue by the serpent Absolon by Achitophel Saul by Doeg Roboam by a traine of lewde companions rash heads The waie of all these vngodlie ones shall perish 17 There is also another kinde of inordinate walkers complained of by the Apostle which worke not at all but vnder pretense of zeale and religion forsake all labour and occupie their heads wholy with searching and sifting other mens dooings their tongues onely with barking against such as God hath placed in authoritie their eares with nothing but listening after straunge and newe reports These are spreaders of brutes brochers of newes informers of men how the world shall wagge They are still beating and forging out newe plots of common wealths and vndermining the olde They are one of the woorst kinds of men that liue The vnbridled malapertnesse of such men the prophet Dauid seemeth to touch when he saith The tongue of them walketh throughout the earth They make no difference of any person high or lowe they stay no where Dauid though a king Paul though an Apostle Christ though the sonne of the liuing God escaped not the reach of these venimous creatures Such walking tongues would be tyed short If men cannot bridle them yet of this wee are sure that Slaundering and lying lippes the Lord will destroie 18 Ieremie complaineth also of certaine walkers whom he termeth rebellious traitors walking craftily flattering them whom they purpose to vndermine These bee cunning courtlike men whose countenance wil neuer bewraie that which lieth secretly hid within their hearts Of this crue was Siba who pretended great good to his master Mephiboseth but spying a time begged his whole inheritance of the king And Herod that foxe which made a shewe of religious worshipping him whom his meaning was cruelly to destroie And Ioab which fraudulētly bare Abner in hand that he came to talke with him as a friend but getting opportunitie stabd him to the heart And the sonnes of Iacob who vnder pretense of friendship mariage and ioining in religion with the Sichemites caused them to be circumcised and when they were sore fell vpon them and murthered them without compassion or pitie Let no man defraude or circumuent for the Lord is the auenger of all such things But as S. Paul faith What should I say more Time would be too short if I should remember vnto you all the bywaies wherein the wicked doe walke 19 The prophet Dauid seemeth to bee much grieued at the great swarmes of bad walkers in his daies The wicked saith hee doe walke on euerie side And he yeeldeth the reason Because they are exalted When bad men are placed in great roumes when the base are exalted and lifted vp into places of authoritie then the bounds of wickednesse are inlarged and sinne going on without controlement gathereth strength Christ therefore requireth carefull choise of ministers in his church his desire is to haue them faithfull and wise Paul would place none but such as were well testified to be blamelesse in life and apt to teach with wholesome doctrine The admitters of ministers are too lauish in our daies they haue litle regard or care whom they take S. Pauls lesson Lay not hands on any man rashly is forgotten The preferrers vnto liuings are no lesse faultie they choose of the
as haue dominion and rule ouer others Whereupon the princely Prophet doth exhort them Ye kings ye iudges of the earth serue the Lorde with feare as iudging them happie whose common-wealth is ruled by such as are professors and fauourers of true religion such as feare the Lord. Which is most true For happie was Israel while Dauid Iehosaphat Ezechias and Iosias ruled because they were religious men feared God But vnhappie when as Ieroboam Achab Amon and Manasses ruled because the feare of God was farre from their hearts they went a whooring after idols and made Israel to sin Howe much the greater care should Christian Princes haue to place none in authoritie but such as Cornelius men that are truly religious and feare God such as Constantius the woorthie christian Emperour retained in his Court when hee cast out them who forsooke Christ saying that they could not be faithful to their Prince who were vnfaithfull to God Neither onely princes but the people also to whom the election of magistrates appertaineth should haue the like care remembring the exhortation that Iethro made to Moses Prouide thou men fearing God 9 And Cornelius praied God continually Faith and feare of GOD doe breake out into his praises and calling vpon him by praier Praier is an acceptable seruice of GOD prescribed by himselfe and practised by his seruaunts to the glorie of his name Call saith he vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me Of praier there are two sorts priuate and publike both which Cornelius vsed Publike with his familie which he brought vp in the feare of God priuate in secrete place hauing his appointed houres to praie When the Angel appeared he was in priuate praier at the ninth houre that is at three of the clocke in the afternoone Nowe as Cornelius vsed them both so by his example should euerie christian doe For touching publike praier the Disciples of Christ continued altogether with one accord in it When Peter was cast into prison the church made earnest praier vnto God for him Wee reade of the Pharisee and Publicane both that they went vp into the temple to praie Whereby we may learne that they who refuse to ioine themselues in publike place the church of God to praie with other men they are woorse than either Pharisees or Publicanes Cornelius made his house such a publike place for his whole familie therein to serue God For as hee feared God with his whole familie so is it to be thought that he serued God with his whole familie too Insomuch that there was a church in his house as in the house of Philemon A lesson for all them who haue families that they be religious and feare God indeede they should vse priuate praier in their houses and cause their families to frequent it So shall they make their houses to be churches And Christ will be in those assemblies according to his promise I will be in the midst of them As for priuate praier it is also fruitefull and effectuous For therein without suspition of Pharisaicall hypocrisie we powre out heart before God Anna in the temple so behaued her selfe in her priuate praier that Ely the high Priest esteemed her as drunke and sharpely reprooued her for it To whom she aunswered mildely I am not drunke but in my praier I doe powre out my heart before God Christ appointed himselfe certaine times of priuate praier as in the garden where hee praied in such earnest vehement sort that there dropped from him both water and bloud Dauid had his priuate night praiers wherein such was the earnestnesse of his affection that with his teares night by night he watered his couch It appeareth that Cornelius praied earnestly and heartily for his praier pierced into the heauens and was acceptable vnto the Lord. But God abhorreth praier that falleth out of the lippes and proceedeth not from the heart He detesteth the Pharisees who woorship him with their lippes but their heart is farre from him The Israelites powred out many teares when they praied in Babylon The verie Ethnikes would not dallie in their praier with their false gods It is written euen of the Heathenish Romans that when they honoured their idols with solemne praiers and procession the cryers saide to euerie one whom they met Hoc age Set thy mind on this thing wholly Be attentiue to this and to nothing else Praier is the lifting vp of the minde to God He requireth the heart But alas our praiers are for the most part onely for a fashion that men may behold vs. Furthermore the praier of Cornelius was continuall Praie ye continually without intermission We must pray stil and not waxe faint Which yet is not meant as though we shold cease from all other trauell and giue our selues onely to praier That is the error of the Euchites whose Disciples were the superstitious Monkes that made the house of God a denne of theeues by their hypocrisie But we are taught hereby to praie often for we haue alwaies occasion of praier giuen vs. Daniel praied thrise daily in his house with his windowes open towardes Ierusalem yea though the king forbad it For hee would not bee restrained from praying to his God Dauid testifieth that he praied vnto the Lord seuen times euerie day Satan ceaseth not to assault our faith Let not vs therefore cease to crie vnto God O Lorde increase our faith Our tottering boate is tossed in the stormie seas let vs lift vp our voice to Christ and say Saue vs we perish We are in danger of greedie roaring lions the world the diuell and the flesh Let vs pray O deliuer vs from the mouth of the lyon Let vs crie and the Lord will heare vs. Praier is an helpe vnto him that praieth a sacrifice to GOD a scourge to the diuels saith Austin And thus much of Cornelius his deuotion feare of God and continuall praier the points whereby is shewed howe he liued towards God 10 It followeth to be noted how he ordered his familie hee feared God with all his houshold He plaied not Nicodemus that came to Christ by night hee openlie professed his religion and faith yea and instructed his whole familie therein Neither did he feare to send for Peter to teache him the religion and faith of Christ. First the open profession of his religion is commendable The Romans had forbid by Lawe that any subiect shold professe or receiue peregrinam religionem a straunge religion They considered that it was dangerous to their state to suffer diuersitie of religion They seuerely punished the transgressors of this law Yet Cornelius had learned that it is better to obeie God than man that we must obeie princes vsque ad Aras as the prouerbe is so farre as we may without disobeying God Although the Iewish religion was hatefull to the Gentiles
with his father and beeing in the forme of God he made himselfe of no reputation All to lift vs vp that were cast downe to hel and to rid vs from the bondage of Satan and his Angels to whom we were enthralled For that is imported by the peace mentioned in the woords that followe God preached by him He sent me to preache the Gospell to the poore saith Christ himselfe in Esay To preache the Gospel euen the Gospel of peace not to preache warre betweene GOD and man but to preach peace For the word of the Gospel is the word of reconciliation 37 And here by Christ example all messengers of God and ministers of his woord are taught by the way that before they meddle with dooing this office they must be lawfully sent thereto Such as denie their lawfull sending doe also denie their lawfull preaching For howe shall they preache vnlesse they be sent saith S. Paul The prophet complaineth of such runners as bee not sent I haue not sent these prophets saith the Lord yet they run Such are sent as are framed thereunto by the holie Ghost whom the holie Ghost hath furnished with gifts fit for that office which doe not vsurpe it but stay till they be lawfully called as was Aaron 38 Christ was not onely sent to preache peace but also to be our peace-maker for through him we haue peace with God and in him wee should seeke peace with men too as farre as lyeth in vs. For the Gospel is the word of peace not of contention tumult and rebellion as our aduersaries terme it of it owne nature it is the word of peace it commeth otherwhence that cōtention doth followe it for as soone as the Gospel beginneth to be preached Satan maketh a sturre and laboureth to suppresse it As soone as the wise men asked after Christ Herode was troubled As soone as Christ entred into Ierusalem to preache all the citie was mooued The truth hath many enemies The light is hated of euill doers the Gospel wil euer be persecuted And in this sense is that of Christ verified I came not to sende peace but the swoord Christ was sent to preache peace He preached peace and made peace betweene Iewes and Gentiles or rather betweene them both and the Lord. For hee is peace which hath made of both one and hath broken the stoppe of the partition-wall Other sheepe I haue saith Christ to the Iewes which are not of this folde Them must I bring also and they shall heare my voice and there shall be one sheepefold and one sheepeheard He preached peace amongst men and brought peace into the world At the time of his natiuitie as appeareth in histories there was peace amongst all nations and people throughout all the whole worlde to shewe vnto the world that the Lord of peace was come into the world Peace is the badge that God giueth to discerne his from others Loue is Christs Liuery-coate By this shall all men knowe that ye are my Disciples if ye loue one another He cannot bee at peace with God that is at warre with his neighbour He cannot haue concord with Christ that nourisheth discord with a Christian. God hath made vs one Let not the diuell sunder vs into many Pride is a peace-breaker humble and milde hearts are not contentious but labour to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace God hath giuen vs Christ the prince of peace he hath giuen vs the gospel the word of peace he hath giuen vs a peacefull Queene the Lord blesse her and common peace in our countrie let vs bee thankefull to the Lord for it and woe to him that shall breake it Be of one minde liue in peace and the Lord of loue and peace shall be with you He preached peace peace betweene God and man Sinne made diuision betweene God and vs as it is written in Esay Your iniquities haue separated betweene you and your God So that Gods fauour descended not to vs neither could our praiers ascend vnto him But Christ hath remooued this wall of diuision he hath taken away this stoppage hee hath cancelled on the crosse this writing that was against vs hee hath made vs a free accesse vnto God By him we are reconciled vnto God the father Hee hath laide our sinnes vpon his owne shoulders hee hath borne the pese of his fathers heauie wrath and indignation he hath satisfied Gods iustice and pacified his anger and made a perfect peace betweene God and vs. Mans conscience can neuer rest nor be at peace vntil it be setled in the ful perswasion of remission of sinnes in the death and resurrection of Christ Iesus whereby God receiueth vs into his fauour and is at one with vs through him This is that ioiefull tidings of peace with God which Christ was sent to preache vnto the world This is that peace which passeth all vnderstanding He that with patience resteth in this peace doth suffer all things he reioiceth in the midst of troubles and afflictions he is not ouercome with the feare of mans malice but will cheerefully and boldly say with S. Paul If God be with vs who can be against vs And with the prophet I will lay me downe and sleepe in peace for thou Lord onely makest me dwell in safetie This is that peace which Christ preached and promised to leaue with his elect peace I leaue with you my peace I giue vnto you not as the world giueth giue I vnto you Let not your heart be troubled nor feare This peace is farre from the vngodlie there is no peace saith my God to the wicked They are euer restlesse the biting worme neuer ceaseth to gnawe and grate in their combred consciences 39 Christ preached peace when the Lord sent him Hee was not negligent in his office he aunswered his calling carefully He went about dooing good and healing all that were oppressed of the diuell He was not rechelesse in Gods matters He was no dumbe dogge no idle idol He crept not into a corner he hid not himselfe But he walked he went abroade he saide to his Disciples Goe ye Preacheye he gaue the example himselfe he lay not out of his Diocese he was resident vpon his charge and looked to euery part of it he made not his continual abode at Ierusalem nor at Iericho nor at Capernaum nor in any one citie towne or village but he went through all Iurie and Galilie Not to poll and pill to extort and wring out of the people what he could but it was to doe good and to heale such as were oppressed of the diuell to preache the woord and to worke miracles Hee preached throughout his whole charge For I came out saith he for that purpose Nor onely did he gladly teache such as came vnto him but he inuited also and prouoked al that were
not trauell to tel you howe diuersly the name of grace is taken in the sacred scriptures but rather note vnto you in what sense the holie Ghost doth chiefly vse it in this place Grace is the fauour and mercie of God towards sinnefull men It is called grace because it is giuen gratis freely and vndeseruedly on our parts to whom it is giuen For vs it is purchased by the onely meane and meere merite of our Sauiour Christ and to vs it is both offered and exhibited by the voluntarie and vnprouoked operation of the spirite This grace in it selfe being large more than sufficient for all men the holy Ghost diuideth and bestoweth vpon eache breathing where and as he listeth according to the secrete pleasure of his will Thorough it we haue saluation whereas through sinne wee deserue death For out iniquitie was heinous in the sight of God first committed by Adam and since continued in vs but farre more exceeding was the mercie of our Lord who when we were his enemies sent foorth his sonne made of a woman and made vnder the Lawe that he might redeeme them which were vnder the Lawe and that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes No tongue can expresse neither any minde conceiue this gratiousnesse Yet let vs ponder it with such consideration as we are able Great therefore I say was the mercie of our creator who gaue his sonne and great the loue of our Sauiour who gaue euen himselfe for vs. Our thraldome was great that required a ransome of such value our guiltinesse much that could no otherwise be washed away but with the verie heart bloud of the innocent lambe of God Christ Iesus our Lord Yea inestimable and vneffable was the loue of our gratious Lord who to spare vs spared not himselfe He was content to become ignominious before men that we might be glorious with his father to be condemned that wee might be absolued to bee crowned with thornes to purchase vs a crowne of immortalitie to loose his life that we might gaine life to suffer death that we might escape it and to become as hated and accursed of God that we might find fauour and eternall grace with him In his death our sinne is pardoned by his bloud our filthinesse is washed away by his resurrection we are reconciled to his father and made at one with God Let vs not breake this so happie truce betwixt the Lord and vs let vs not through sinne condemne our selues againe nowe that we are iustified let vs not walke toward hell hee hauing made plaine and easie the path to heauen The image of God in vs defaced through Adam is repaired by Christ Let vs appeare therefore in this pure image before God that wee may be acceptable in his pure sight Through Christ we are called to be citizens with the Saints and Gods houshold-seruaunts let vs then put on the garments of trueth and innocencie that so it may appeare whose seruaunts we are by our Lords liuerie We are made the happie heires of his glorious kingdome and fellow heires with Iesus Christ wherefore let vs not seeke so possessions here that we loose a better inheritance aboue in heauen If wee doe it is in vaine that the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ hath beene so largely offered vnto vs and plentifully powred on vs. Yea his grace will encrease the wofulnesse of our destruction 7 Grace is offered and receiued by two especiall outwarde meanes the preaching of the Gospel and the holie administration of the blessed Sacraments These two are the instruments or rather the hands by the which the holie Ghost doth offer exhibite seale and deliuer the grace of God vnto vs. 8 And there bee two sorts of men to whom grace is offered by the word in vaine The one are they which wil not giue it so much as the hearing but doe vtterly contemne and vnkindely refuse that which the Lord doth so kindly and so gratiously offer to them The other they that heare it indeede reade it but consider it not receiue it but altogether without fruite and for fashions sake Of the former sort are all such as Pharao was who enioined Moses to come no more in his sight for hee would not heare him Such also were the Iewes to whom when Stephen preached they stopped their eares Such they of whom the Lorde complaineth by the Prophet saying I spake and they would not heare 9 Of the latter sort there be three kindes shadowed in the parable of the sower which went foorth to sowe his seede whereof some fell in the high way side some in stonie grauelly ground some also amongst thornes That which fell by the high waie side either the birds of the aire picked vp or men trod vpon with their feete Which our sauiour applieth vnto him that heareth the word of the kingdome and vnderstandeth it not and by and by the diuell taketh it away least he should beleeue and so be saued For it fareth with the woord preached as with the seede sowen Some are so dissolute and rechelesse that they let it in at the one eare and out at the other The hearts of some be so be so hardened and parched because they want the watering of Gods spirit which doth only mollifie that his word can take no roote in them The diuell and his deceitful Angels doe so bewitch them and fil their harts with vain cogitations so abalienate their mindes and trouble their memorie that they cannot tell what is saide it is forgotten by that it is spoken Yea the diuell doth so throughly occupie the hearts of many other with superstitious opinions and fond perswasions or with such worldly desires such fleshly lusts such froward affections that the hearing of the blessed word is a wearisome worke vnto them euery houre spent that way is as tedious as a yere and thought to bee wholly lost Many likewise both heare the woord preached and reade the Scriptures as the Pharisees did heare them that they may seeme to fauour the Gospel and so vnder pretence of holinesse blinde the eyes of others and purloine commoditie to themselues Such come in amongst the children of God as did Satan of old yet God knowes them to be children of darknesse not of light yea and oftentimes he so shaketh them out of their painted rags that the whole world may espie their ouglie and deformed nakednesse Whilest by their hypocrisie they labour to deceiue others they deceiue yea and damne themselues To this sort of men therefore the word is offered but all in vaine Either they receiue it not or they receiue it to their owne destruction 10 The second sort are resembled to the stonie soile which receiueth the seede and it taketh roote for a time but when the heate of the sunne commeth it withereth away Many such there be which haue gladly heard the Gospel haue frequented sermons with appearance of great deuotion and could freshly
of weight that God himselfe seemeth as it were tired with labouring so long about it As appeareth by those passionate and grieuous complaints recorded in holy scripture I haue spoken they doe not heare I haue stricken they are not grieued How often would I haue gathered them as a hen her chickens vnder her wings and they would not bee gathered O Ephraim what shall I doe vnto thee O Iuda howe shall I intreate thee Yet neither were they ignoraunt and we doe very wel know that there is no other medicine saue repentaunce onely to heale the wounds of our soules no other way to restore our selues againe to our fathers home but onely Father I haue sinned no other meane to quenche the wrathfull indignation which our sinnes haue caused to burne and flame as an ouen but onely our teares Though our sins be red as skarlet or as fire yet being bathed with the water of our eyes they are scowred made as white as snow It is written of Marie not of that vertuous Marie but of the dissolute that she was Mulier peccatrix notorious for her light and lewde behauiour Yet by repenrance as she died vnto sinne so the memorie of sinne being dead vnto her she liueth stil in the glorious remembraunce of that righteousnesse which penitent sinners obteine by faith She is honourably mentioned wheresoeuer the Gospel of Christ is heard all men speake of her teares of her sinnes no one is mentioned or knowne The pretious oyle wherewith shee was woont to annoint her selfe that shee might be more pleasaunt to the senses of her louers shee nowe powreth out and for loue sake bestoweth it vpon her Sauiour The eyes which were woont to cast wanton lookes vpon the dissolute did nowe gush out with water and serued as conduites at the feete of Christ. The haire which before had beene wrapt in golde had beene coloured pleated and bordered laide out and beset with pearles was now imployed to a far other vse that the honour receiued from the feete of Iesus might put out the shame which before it had taken from the eyes of lewde and amarous beholders Hauing washed and dried she could not satisfie her selfe til she had also kissed her Sauiours feet whose mercie had now eased her heart of that deadly sting which the lips of wantons had imprinted left behind them O blessed paterne of true contrition howe woorthily art thou left for al posteritie to talke of to behold and to follow Such conuerts shew plainely that they are woorthie receiuers and that the grace of God hath not appeared vnto them in vaine For they who in this fort denie vngodlinesse and worldly lusts will surely according to the blessed Apostles exhortation which followeth giue offence to none 17 For although there must of necessitie offences rise yet Woe be to him hy whom they rise Why Were not the Pharisees offended at the scholers and disciples of Christ for not fasting for eating with vnwasht hands for plucking the eares of corne on the Sabaoth day and for such like things of their owne inuention toyes of no importance Nay did not the most charitable deedes of Christ himselfe offend these peeuish hypocrites It is true they were offended with him and his as at this day the Romish Pharisees are offended with vs and ours But we must marke and obserue that we are warned onely not to giue offence to any man If men bee offended with vs which by vs are not offended such offences being not giuen of vs but taken of them are not our faults but their follies Vnto vs therefore at this time S. Pauls exhortation importeth thus much that sith God hath graunted vs fauour in the eyes of this people with whom we presently conuerse it were a thing most intollerable for vs with Iacobs children to commit such crimes or giue such offences as might make vs odious and lothsome in their sight The Gospel hath nowe gotten honour and renowne by these our sufferings for it let it not hereafter bee ill spoken of and slandered through our disordered conuersation Of all others wee had neede to walke most warily We are set as it were a citie vpon a mountaine to be gazed at Our conuersation is marked of all men and diligent searche made of it on euerie hand Friends enemies and strangers obserue our steppes and a litle fault in vs will be taken as a great offence Let the woord of Christ dwell richely amongst you with all wisedome that ye may bee blamelesse and pure as the sonnes of God without rebuke that we may bee as shining lights in the world holding foorth the word of life that in the day of Christ we may reioice and be glad as they who haue not receiued the grace of God in vaine Let vs forsomuch as our heauenly father for the merites of his sonne and by the ministration of his spirite doth gratiously offer and exhibite vnto vs his manifold mercies and benefites especially in his holie woord and sacraments thankefully and woorthily receiue the same and namely in this acceptable time the onely time appointed of God for vs to receiue and for him to offer grace Finally let vs shewe that his grace hath taken roote and place in our fleshie not fleshly hearts in bringing foorth the woorkes of the spirite the fruite of true repentance of sanctification and good life giuing offence to no man no not to those which are without but walking quietly honestly and orderly in all things that men seeing our blamelesse and inoffensiue conuersation may glorifie God the giuer of all goodnesse and the eternall father To whom with the Sonne and the holie Ghost one God of most glorious maiestie be all honour and praise rendered in the Church for euer Amen The sixteenth Sermon A Sermon preached at a mariage in Strausborough HEB. 13. 1 Mariage is honourable in all AS God made the worlde and all the creatures therein conteined to serue for the setting forth of his glorie and great maiestie so likewise by the forcible mightie operation of his strength and power he preserueth still the workes of his hands least if he should haue onely builded the goodly frame of this world afterward suffred the same to decay the praise of his name shold haue lasted but a while and reached but to a fewe which nowe passeth through many generations and continueth to all eternitie For this he prouided when hauing finished the creation of trees and herbes and made them both beautifull and good in their appointed seasons hee blessed them with secrete vertue to multiplie by bringing foorth fruite and seede eche according to his kind that there might be a continuance increase of things so behooueful for liuely creatures Also that the liuely and sensible creatures themselues the birdes of the aire the beasts of the fielde and fishes in the sea might yeeld in all ages the benefite which the children of men do reape by them he powred
to be honoured of what qualitie soeuer they be in them selues The foode which they gaue to the people did miraculouslie growe by diminishing and by consuming increase So it was with the meale and oyle of that poore widow of Sarephta It was in sight too little to suffice one in vse it proued more than sufficient for manie So it is with all the graces giftes of God they grow in the handes of him that spendeth and in the cofers of him that saueth they wast Thus I haue brieflie gone ouer such thinges as I thought most conuenient for this time The Lord blesse the seede of his word sowne amongest vs and giue it a plentifull and a large in crease to his owne glorie and our comfort through the merite of Iesus Christ by the gracious operation of the holie Ghost to whom c. The eighteenth Sermon A Sermon preached at Pauls Crosse. LVKE 21. 25 Then there shall be signes in the Sunne and in the Moone and in the Starres c. GOD bethinking him selfe and as it were musing vppon the benefites and blessinges which he had in great abūdaunce of mercie bestowed from time to time vppon the people of Israell breaketh out by his prophet into these wordes What might I doe for my vine which I haue not done The graces wherewith he enriched them were infinite their prerogatiues aboue all other people of the worlde were manifolde and for the preciousnesse and rarenesse of them most wonderful to them the adoption the glorie the couenaunte the Lawe the seruice of God the promises were impropriated of them were the fathers and of them as concerning the fleshe Christ came who is God ouer all blessed for euer They had the Arke the Temple and the Oracles with a promise that God woulde be their God and they shoulde be his euen Gods owne elected and beloued people if they walked in his wayes and wrought his will for euer But this vngracious and vnthankfull nation was vnworthy of such worthynesse they worshipped God with lippes and not with heart outwardly in shew but not inwardly in harty sincere truth according to the letter but not according to the spirit after their own conceipts but not agreeablie to his blessed will reuealed in his holie word Their crie was still The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lorde but through their prophanation they made the temple of the Lord a den of theeues They cried Lord Lord but they did not his wil on whom they cryed for sweete grapes they yelded soure for hartie and sincere seruice hypocriticall and painted shewes of religion their glorie was in the externall beautie of their materiall temple they wondred at the stones and goodlie buildinges at the gorgeous furniture and precious guiftes wherewith it was both outwardly and inwardly adorned and enriched 2 Wherupon our Sauiour to take away the cause of this vaine hope and foolish ioy tooke occasion thus to prophecie of that glorious temple Are these the thinges that you looke vpon The dayes will come wherein there shall not be left a stone vpon a stone which shall not be destroyed This prophesie was as euidently accomplished as it was made For thirtie eight yeares after that they had crucified Christ their promised Messias the Lorde of glorie God raysed vppe the seruauntes of his wrath Vespasian and Titus Emperours of Rome who beseeged conquered and rased their Ierusalem made hauocke of the people as of dogges murdered eleuen hundred thousande man woman and childe of that cursed nation Then was fulfilled the crie of those crucifiers His bloud be vppon our heades and vppon our children It hath bene and shall be for euer Yea the violence of the Romaines proceeded farther and pulled downe the Temple and layde flat with the grounde their onely glorie insomuch that according to the expresse wordes of our Sauiours prophecie they left not one stone vpon another The Iewes sundrie times hauing licence thereunto attempted to builde it vp againe but it woulde not be for what their hande builded in the day the hande of the Lord most miraculouslie hurled downe by night Most true it is that Christ sayth there is not one worde that commeth out of Gods mouth not one title or iot written in his word which shall not in his due and appointed time be accomplished 3 Hence we may take this instruction that God is not delighted in outward shewes in gorgeous pompes in beautifull buildinges in painted sepulchers It is the inward beautie of the kinges daughter and not the outwarde brauery of the harlot of Babylon wherewith God is pleased It is the contrite heart of the postrate Publican and not the proude ostentation of the Pharasie wherein he doth take delight God aloweth as well of Peter in his mantell as of Aaron in his miter All these external shewes are but as the beautie of a paynted wall not onely not acceptable but euen lothsome vnto God when the soule the minde the inward parte is polluted 4 The causes why this house this costlie building and temple of God was so miserablie destroyed Christ himselfe declareth saying Because thou hast not knowne the time of thy visitation There is a double visitation the one in mercie the other in iustice Our mercifull God first visited this people in great often mercy He deliuered them out of the handes of Pharao He gaue them good guides He deliuered vnto them his law written in tables of stone He caused heauen to giue them bread the hard rocke to yeelde thē drink He made them triumphe ouer their enimies possesse strang cities He brought them to a land that flowed with milk honie caused them to reape that which their fooes had sowne He gaue them Priests Prophets builded them both an Arke by Moses and a temple by the handes of Solomon wherein he woulde be worshipped All which notwithstanding this stif-necked people was obdurate and vnthankefull no benefittes coulde euer winne them They prouoked their gratious Lord vnto most fierce and most iust wrath After their deliueraunce they lusted to returne to the place from whence they were deliuered they muttered against Moses and despysed holy Aaron They loathed and misliked the verie foode of heauen euen the meate of Angels the written lawe of God they mightely transgressed his messages they contemned the Prophetes and Messengers they derided euill entreated murdered lastly to adde a crowne to all their former wickednesse their promised Messias their king Christ Iesus the Sonne of the liuing God they most spitefully cruelly and villanouslie crucified 5 This great vnthankfulnesse of theirs did greatly prouoke the iust Lord to displeasure as it were enforce him to visit them in iustice sharpely and with the rod of more then vsual correctiō Wherefore he plagued them with mortalitie in the wildernesse onely two entred the land of promise of all the number that came out of Aegypt he gaue them ouer
Tribes of Israell Where the faith of the Apostles shall condemne the vnbeleeuing Iewes the pietie of the Centurion all vngodly magistrates preaching Paul all vnpreaching prelates Zacheus al vsurars and Lazarus al repining impatient and wicked beggers The bookes shall be layd wide open in the sight of all fleshe The booke of God and the booke of mans conscience the booke of his lawe and the booke of our life It shall be examined in the one what GOD hath commaunded in the other it shall be testified howe man hath obeyed in the one what workes of mercie hee hath required at our handes in the other what fruites of mercilesse affection the grounde of our stonie heartes hath yeelded And according to the euidence both of the one and of the other the eternall and irreuocable sentence shall passe from the mouth of God The periured the vsurer the adulterer the lyer the idolater shall be cast into the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone into that vtter darkenesse where shall be wayling weeping gnashing of teeth endlesse horror and euerlasting woe But the elect which haue liued a sober a iust and a godly life which haue loued the comming of Christ Iesus more than this worlde or their present liues they shall enter into the kingdome of their Lorde they shall be glorified with Christ and possesse with him that euerlasting enheritaunce hauing hearde that most ioyfull sentence Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the first foundations of the worlde 27 Heereuppon Saint Peter inferreth this conclusion seeing all these thinges must be dissolued what manner persons ought yee to be in holie conuersation and godlinesse looking for and hasting vnto the comming of the day of God And Saint Luke this threefolde exhortation Take heede to your selues watch pray continually Take heede of surfetting and dronkennesse least your heartes bee opprest least that day come vppon you at vnawares and vnlooked for least it happen to you as it happened to the fathers in the dayes of Noa they ate and dranke and sodenly the water ouerwhelmed them or as to the Sodomites they burned in lust and sodenly fire consumed them from heauen or as to the Israelites they fedde themselues greedilie surfeted and died with the meate in their mouthes Let their dreadfull endes make vs eschewe their sinnes Beware also of the cares of this life They be perillous thornes and pricke thy heart to death Iudas was carefull by any meanes to gather money and to what it brought him yee all knowe Ananias and Saphira caring howe to liue made no conscience to lye to the holie Ghost their destruction was most sodaine When the riche man was in the middest of his care howe to enlarge his barnes that verie night his soule was taken from him Beware therefore and take heede specially of these two things Let not your hearts be ouerwhelmed with excesse of meates and drinkes nor choaked with the cares of this present life 28 Besides this warinesse and heedetaking it is further required that we bee also watchfull For sith wee knowe not what time the Lorde will come expedient it is that wee shoulde bee in continuall expectation of him that wensoeuer hee come wee may bee readie with ioye to meete him Happie is he that watchfully looketh for the comming of Christ Iesus and hee miserable whom the Lorde shall ouertake vnlooked for S. Ierome did so liue in continuall watching and waiting for this daie of redemption that the sounde of that voyce was still in his eares Arise yee deade and come to iudgement I doe waite sayth Iob all the dayes of my warfare till my chaunge come The like wee reade of the Prophet Dauid whose watchfulnesse was such that the watchman standing vppon his warde being wearie of the discomfortablenesse of the night doth not so eye the rising of the morning as hee did the glorious appearing of the Lorde I haue wayted saith hee vpon the Lorde my soule hath wayted and I haue trusted in his worde My soule waiteth on the Lorde more than the morning watch watcheth for the morning How happy is their estate whom the Lorde in that day shall finde thus readie for him 29 But because we can of our selues neither rightly beware nor diligently watch without the speciall assistance of his spirite therefore as wee are exhorted to watch so are we likewise admonished to pray The Lorde of his infinite mercie graunt that being thus prepared to meete the Lorde in the day when he commeth to iudge the quicke and the deade we may be founde worthy to enter with him into that rest which hee by the shedding of his most precious bloude hath purchased for all the blessed of his father to whome c. A Sermon preached at Pauls crosse MATTH 8. 23 And when he was entred into the ship his disciples followed him 24 And beholde there arose a great tempest in the sea so that the ship was couered with waues but he was asleepe THIS short historie doth by way of a type or figure set forth the state of the Church putting vs in minde that the waie to the kingdom of God is rough that wee must enter into ioy through much sorrowe that here wee must be alwayes on the suffring side that the whole life of a Christian man vpō earth is a warfare that such as will be disciples of Christ must beare the crosse that as many as will bee in the same ship with him must prepare them selues vnto daungerous stormes The sea of this wicked worlde is troublesome the Church of God is beaten and tossed like a boate it is disfigured with sharpe and stormie weather Feeble is all flesh manifoulde are our infirmities faint is our faith and seeing our sinne with the remembraunce of the stipende due for the same wee are readie to sinke into the bottomlesse gulfe of desperation In this daungerous estate wee finde no helpe in our selues But beholde the disciples of Christ haue taught vs by their example where helpe is to be sought in the middest of these manifolde and great distresses And that is onely in Christ who is alwayes a present helper of them which seeke him in time of neede who hath ouercome and victoriously triumphed on the crosse against Satan sinne the worlde hell death and condemnation To him all power giueth place against him no force is able to stand vnto him all things are made subiect He is that Samson which by his owne death hath slaine his foes that Dauid which hath dasht out the braines of Goliah the grād enemy of Gods people that seede which hath brused the serpents head that almighty which rebuketh windes ceaseth stormes easeth the burthens of them that mourne washeth awaie iniquitie freelie forgiueth sinne heareth and deliuereth out of trouble If we crie with the disciples in our distresse Helpe Lord he will in mercie awake and heare vs through his mighty power
and make him their watchman if whē he seeth the sword come vpon the lande he blow the trumpet and warne the people then he that heareth the sounde of the trumpet and wil not be warned if the sword come and take him awaie his bloud shalbe vpon his owne heade For he hearde the sounde of the trumpet woulde not be admonished therefore his bloud shall be vpon him as contrariwise he that receiueth warning shal saue his life But if the watchman see the sworde come blowe not the trumpet and the people be not warned if the sword come and take any man from amongest them he is taken away for his iniquitie but his bloud will I require at the watchmans hande Wherefore there coulde not a greater plague happen to the people of God then that whereof the Prophet Esaie maketh mentiō Their watchmen are all blinde they lie asleepe and delight in sleeping Whilest the husbandmen slept the euill man sowed his darnell and went his waie and was not seene Sleepie folke are the cause why the fielde of the Lord is ouergrowen with weedes his church infected with sinne and errour When the Pastour sleepeth the wolfe deuoureth sinne entereth and maketh hauock 21 But sith he that keepeth Israell will neither slumber nor sleepe it may be marueiled how that thing which he keepeth can be subiect to so many stormes tempestes which might be preuented if hee did not suffer him selfe or vs or them whom he hath set as watchmen ouer vs to fall asleepe Whereunto I aunswere by the same distinction which the spouse hir selfe doth make in the song of Salomon I sleepe but my heart waketh God suffreth vs that is to saie our outwarde man to be molested troubled vexed vpon our flesh he seemeth many times to shut his eyes although in truth the eyes of his fatherly prouidence bee alwayes open euen vpon that not permitting vs therein to bee tried and tempted aboue our strength But ouer our heartes wee knowe by manyfest experience and are sure to finde that he still keepeth a continuall watch The Lorde will keepe thee saith the Prophet from all euill he will keepe thy soule And although it be grieuous yet is it meete expedient yea good profitable for vs that our heartes our soules our spirits being so surely and safely kept God shoulde somtimes winke at the troubles of our flesh as if he saw them not 22 The disciples in their great feare and daunger went vnto Christ and wakened him with their cries Helpe we perish Doest thou see vs cast away and not consider it Of the like complaints of the people of God in the middest of their distresses we reade in sundry places especially of the Psalmes Vp why sleepest thou O Lord Awake be not farre of for euer Wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our miserie and our affliction Our soule is beaten downe vnto the dust our bellie cleaueth vnto the grounde rise vp for our succour redeeme vs for thy mercies sake These grones and cries be not powred out in vaine Christ rebuketh the windes and seas his seruauntes haue their wish their requests are no sooner vttered then graunted If wee as good disciples of these disciples doe in our troubles flie vnto Christ for aide in his mercie he shall heare vs and deliuer vs by the strength of his mighty power He cannot suffer vs to be tryed aboue that which wee are able to beare Be our sute neuer so desperate he can helpe it For nothing is impossible with God Would you see some fit examples The Israelites groned vnto him in Aegypt he hearde them and deliuered them from the tyrannie of Pharao The yong men in the furnace called vpon him were preserued The crie of Daniell stopped the mouthes of Lions Paul and Sylas being in bondes praied and their chaines fell loose from them the doores opened and gaue them passage Although wee bee plunged neuer so low although the floudes run cleane ouer vs in so much that wee seeme to our selues as it were past helpe and recouerie yet wee are not past helpe so long as we are not past desire to be holpē The greatnes of our perill can bee no stop to our deliueraunce because the power of our deliuerer is infinite In deed we see that men are altogether amazed and in a manner bereft of wit and vnderstanding when they feele them selues daungerouslie tossed to and fro But do we not also see that when they cry vnto the Lord in their trouble hee bringeth them out of distresse hee turneth the storme to calme so that the waues thereof are still do we not see how they passe throught tribulations to the kingdom of heauen through stormie tempestes are brought to the hauen where they woulde be This the Lord doth that we might confesse his louing kindnes before him and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men To him therefore euen God the father God the sonne and God the holie Ghost be all honour and glory for euer and euer Amen A Sermon preached at Pauls Crosse. 1. PETER 4. 7 The end of al things is at hād Be ye therfore sober watching in praier 8 But aboue all thinges haue feruent loue amonge you for loue couereth the multitude of sinnes 9 Be ye harborous one towardes another without grudging 10 Let euerie man as he hath receiued the gift minister the same one to an other as good disposers of the manifolde graces of God THE Apostle S. Peter like a perfitte workman and a skilfull builder first layeth a sure foundation and then frameth and erecteth a good building thereupon The foundation is Christ. Another foundation no man can lay He is the rocke the foundation and wee as liuely stones must be framed thereupon hewed squared with the hammer squyre of Gods word that we may grow to bee a spirituall house an holye Priesthoode to offer vp vnto God through Iesus Christ spirituall and acceptable sacrifices of pietie prayer and thankes giuing Through Christ we are brought from darknes vnto light that from henceforth wee shoulde walke as the children of that light wherin he hath placed vs of a peruerse generation wee are through him made an holy people that we should be holy as he is that hath called vs wee are redeemed not by goulde and siluer but by the innocent bloude of the immaculate lambe to serue him that hath deliuered vs out of the handes of our enemies in holynesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life wee are called to bee the children of God citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem and to bee fellowe heyres with Christ of that his eternall kingdome that wee shoulde bee obedience and louing Children trustie and duetiefull citizens that we may bee not onely called but chosen accepted and admitted to inherite with Christ the first begotten of God What building we be whether goulde or stubble what life wee leade
wee are not consumed because his compassions faile not but are renewed euerie morning great is his faithfulnesse Being mindfull therefore of these his mercies let vs as thankfull seruauntes offer vnto this our mercifull God this sacrifice of righteousnesse neuer ceasing to magnifie and praise his name O Lorde we acknowledge this to be thy worke without any merite or deserte of ours Wee blesse thee wee praise thee we thanke thee for it accept O Lorde this our seruice and sacrifice in thy great mercie 22 The seconde part of this our sacrifice of praise is to poure out requestes and supplications Let vs herein with humble and penitent heartes with sure trust that God will heare vs out of heauen craue at his mercifull handes the deliueraunce of his annointed our Soueraigne Ladie out of all distresse from the rebellion of Absolon from the counsell of Achitophell from the rage and furie of all that conspire to do hir harme Thou knowest O Lorde that shee hath not deserued this treacherie at their handes being most milde and mercifull doing good vnto all hurting none Therefore O Lorde according to thy mercifull woont as thou hast done hitherto so deliuer protect and defend hir still finish that which thou hast most graciouslie begune bridle O Lorde hir enemies and ours let them knowe their madnes open their eies and cause them plainely to see that they cannot preuaile against thy chosen seruaunt that they cannot cast downe or bring into ignominy hir whom thou hast set vp and placed in honour Giue grace O Lorde if it bee thy good pleasure that they may enter into themselues examine their own heartes see their sinne repent them of their wickednesse abstaine from farther proceeding that thou in thie mercy maiest shew them grace and fauour in the ende And graunt O Lorde that we which professe thy holie name may still offer vnto thee the sacrifice which thou requirest euen the sacrifice of righteousnesse that the minister of thy worde may sincerely and diligently preach thy Gospell that being a good example to the flocke and leading a godlie an vpright life he maie bring thee the offrings of many soules vnto the stretching out of thy glorious kingdome amongst men Grant that princes Magistrats whom thou hast set in authority may without feare or fauor offer also this sacrifice in vpright deciding of controuersed causes and seuere punishing of malefactours Finallie giue this grace O Lorde wee beseech thee to thy whole flocke for wee are thy flocke the sheepe of thy pasture that wee all may offer vnto thee our goodes our bodyes and our soules for they are thyne Graunte that we maie liberallie bestowe our goodes to the needefull reliefe of thy poore Sainctes that wee may mortefie our bodyes and cheerefullie offer them if neede so require to anye kynde of tormente for thie sake that in soule wee maye offer thee the sacrifice of true repentance for our sinnes of hartie thankes for thy great grace of earnest sute for continuance of thy mercie and fauour towardes vs. We humblie beseech thee O father for the merites of thy deere sonne vpon whom as vpon our aultar we offer vp all our sacrifice bowe downe thy mercifull eare to our petitions extend thy mercies to thy litle flocke preserue our gracious Queene and so direct the heartes of all which beare authority vnder hir that by their good gouernment wee may leade a peaceable and a quiet life in all godlynesse and honestie To thee O mercifull father with thy Sonne Christ Iesus our onely redeemer and that blessed spirit our sweete comforter three persons one God be all honour and praise both now and euer The two and twentieth Sermon A Sermon preached at Pauls Crosse at his remouing to Yorke 1. COR. 13. 11 For the rest brethren fare yee well be perfect be of good comforte be of one minde liue in peace And the God of loue peace shalbe with you AFTER that our Apostle S. Paul as a faithfull teacher a wise stewarde a louing father a vigilant watchman a diligent labourer a seuere punisher of all sinne had with a good conscience painefully trauailed a long time with the famous citie of Corinth omitting no part of Apostolicall dutie opening vnto them all the mysteries of Christ the whole counsell of God all the secretes of his truth at the length by the goodwill and calling of God being else where appointed to preach the Gospell hee forgetteth them not in the time of his absence but as by word afore so stil by writing endeuoureth to leade them on Wherfore being now to make an ende both of speaking and writing vnto them hee most louinglie taketh his leaue and with his farewel giueth them this sweete exhortation Be perâ—it be of good comfort be of one minde liue in peace and the God of loue and peace shall be with you 2 My present case is not much vnlike although I my selfe bee most vnlike for happie were hee that might followe so blessed a guide though it were with far vnequall paces The citie is like the people are like my departure from you is like but the performing of my office amongest you I must confesse hath ben much vnlike And good cause why for God alike hath not bestowed his gracious giftes Yet my conscience beareth me record I haue endeuored to treade in the same steps And in doctrine which is the chiefest point I dare affirme euen the same which the holy Apostle doth I haue deliuered no other vnto you then that which I haue receiued of the Lord yea safely in the sight of the most high God I may saie with him you haue receiued of vs not the word of men but as it was in deede the worde of God In distribution whereof neither haue I vsed flatterie as you know neither coloured couetousnesse the Lorde will testifie neither haue I sought mine owne praise my heart is witnesse And this testimonie of conscience that I haue dealt sincerely in the house of God as touching doctrine hath bene my great reliefe and comfort in all the stormy troubles which by the mighty assistance of almighty God I haue waded throwe Concerning diligence in the execution of mine office although I haue had a ready will yet my weake body being not answerable to my desire as all flesh herein is faultie so for my part I must pleade guiltie One debt and duety with S. Paule I protest I haue truelie paide you for with a tender affection I haue loued you The nurce was neuer more willing to giue the breast vnto hir childe then I haue beene that you shoulde sucke not onely milke but also bloude from mee if it might stande you in steede or serue to your safetie God hee knoweth that with this loue I haue loued you In vsing correction I haue sought reformation and not reuenge to punish hath bene a punishment to my selfe I neuer did it but with great griefe I haue alwaies