estate Therfore the Lord sent them the voice of a more terible preacher which shooke both bodies and houses all at once assaying by this meanes to bring their impenitent harts to some shaking feeling and feare of conscience for their sinnes But as Which was felt about the yeare 1580. that Earthquake shewed them so our last Earthquake and other tokens sithens shew vs plainely now the estate wherin we stand which is that we yet continue in our sinnes That we despise the voice of the Gospel neede a more sharp preacher it openeth our securitie it threatneth Gods iustice in seueritie it promiseth our punishment shews vs that it is very neere the last time of warning Happie wee see are they which come when the Lord calleth them for many bee called but few are chosen few come What callings should we looke for more then wee haue had Wee haue had our daughter diseased our sonne sicke our seruant like to die wee haue seene fearefull signes ouer Ierusalem we haue heard of the gatherings of the confederacies and conspiracies of many nations against vs we haue found little faith in our friends little loyaltie in our owne naturall children great falsehoode in friendly face great diuisions quarrels and hartburnings amongst our selues many Malcontent dayly rising and a thousand other such callings besides the consideration of the silly threede of our happie estate depending vpon one and in earthly respects but one onely the vncertaintie of all things when God shall visite vs the turmoyles and hurliburlies that we may long before plainely see if God of his mercy helpe not These thinges are considered of few of many not accounted of and feared of none What will the ende of these things bee Let all the inhabitants of England crie Lord saue our Noble Queene Elizabeth from treason at home and from forraine enemies abroade Lord forgiue her her sinnes and vs our wickednes and graunt if it be thy will that she may yet long and long time in peace and in saftie preserue this her Noble Realme of England Amen Lastly we learne the great mercies of our God For he chideth before he stricke hee warneth before he destroyeth he punisheth not till he haue vsed all meanes to haue vs returne Hee giueth sinners both grace and space to repent and to seeke which waye they may be saued with this sinfull Iaylor The fift and last circumstance The time when he fell to haue this care what hee might doe to be saued He neuer fell to this consideration till the Lord drew him vnto it by his spirit For in the nature of maÌ„ ther is no good thought motion or power to returne from euill to consider and see our sinnes or to lament and be sorrie for them and at the word to seeke for remedy against them but rather a desire will and affection still to remaine in them Therefore Christ said No man can come vnto me except my father draw him This man Iohn 6. 37. 44. 3. 27 had his part of two motions The one outward by the miracle the other inward by the holy Ghost Application Doctrine Where first we see that all our labour trauaile is lost in preaching and opening the Scripture outwardly to the eare except the spirit also preach inwardly to the heart For men are of themselues deafe and dull till God doe open their harts and giue them a new vnderstanding as he gaue to Lidia to this Iaylor and many other Againe we see how naked weake miserable we be of our selues and that if wee were not gouerned and nourished by better power then our owne how quickely miserably wee should perish Therefore this consideration may serue to conquer the spirit of pride in our freewill men when they shall know that in their flesh and humaine nature ther is no goodnes at all that they can performe nothing that is good without him that said Without me ye can do nothing 1. Cor. 4. 7. Act. 20. 35. What hast thou saith Paule which thou hast not receiued We learne that faith is not in the power nature of maÌ„ to beleue or not to beleue wheÌ„ Ep. 1. 18. 19 1. Cor. 12 â— 9 11. it pleseth him but that it is the free gift of God for Christs sake vnto those that are his choseÌ„ For if it were in the nature of man then all Phil. 1. 29. 2. Thes 3 2. men shuld beleue But Al men haue not faith therefore it is in vs a worke supernaturall wrought by the spirite of God onely The want of the presence and working of which spirit in the harts of men makes them that they haue no desire to heare the word and when they doe heare it they take no profit by it for it is saide But the word which they heard profited them not because it was not mixted Heb. 4. 20 with faith in them that heard it Where wee see a notable relation betweene fayth the word The one can neuer be effectual without the other They goe both together Therefore as soone as there was a fayth kindle in the hart of this Iaylor by the holy Ghost he seekes presently for the word as the body for the soule For as the body is a dead thing without the soule so the word also hath no life effect or motion without faith Now wee see why many Gentlemen Countriemen and others are yet either Atheists â—esters in Religion or despisers of the word because as yet with this Iaylor they haue not receiued the gift of faith c. Here we vnderstand that all shall not be saued against the error of Origen for without faith none can be saued but none haue faith but they onely whome God the father gaue vnto his sonne Christ But hee saith I pray not for the world but for them which thou Ioh. 17. 9. hast giuen me Therefore the elect which are separated from the world that is the reprobate by the free election and donation of God and are garded by the continuall prayer of Christ are they onely that shall bee saued Of which number wee see now this Iaylor by his calling and faith to bee one For Gods election oftentimes lyeth hid vnder a wicked life till the time of their conuersion come which the Lord hath appointed All are not wee see drawne to Christ in one manner for there bee many which professe Religion and talke much of Christ whome God the father by his spirite neuer drew but either their bellie hope of honor vaine glorie c. No maruaile though they belieue not rightly and though they continue not long in a good course Such are many of our earnest Iesuites Papists and libertine professors of the Gospell of Christ Lastly when it is saide that this Iaylor was drawne to this Religion to this godly care and in like manner all the elect wee learne what vnwillingnes what slacknesse what negligence wee vse in our comming to Christ and that wee of our owne nature haue no list affection or good will to come longer then God by his spirite moueth vs and compelleth vs. Therefore if Christ should looke for vs till wee should come of our selues wee should surely neuer see him nor haue any part in him Let vs therefore desire the Lord that as he by his holy spirit drew this Iaylor from the miserable thraldome of ignorance error and iniquitie and planted a desire in him to seeke the truth and by the same gaue him both comfort saluation So in like manner that he will by the same spirite moue our hard hearts to lament our sinne open our blinde eyes to see our imperfection and draw our proude stomakes to humble our affections to the obedience of the word and kindle in vs a loue to like and seeke the same that wee also in our most extremities may by Christ receiue light helpe and euerlasting comfort which the Lord God graunt vnto vs for his deare Sonne Iesus Christs sake to whome with the holy Ghost three persons and one eternall God be al honor power praise glorie and dominion both now and euer Let all praise and glorie be giuen to God alone FINIS
daies were vexed exiled whipped imprisoned set vppon the rackes tyed and chained to the stakes and burned onely for this because they preached truely the Gospell of Christ which Paule and Silas preached before because they called them from darkenesse to light from error to truth from hell to heauen because they opened the illusions of the Masse Purgatorie and other such peeuish fantasies But here a man might saie it seemeth that there was some other matter which moued these rulers to lay vp Paule and Silas with so straite a charge For as there was no commoditie came to the rulers by the spirit of Diuination which was in the woman but rather a priuate gaine to certaine that were her masters so there was no such hurt like to insue vnto the Magistrate or state of the towne by expelling of him as should force them to so great a furie therfore ther was belike some other matter No but here we see most notably the nature of the wicked For it falleth out many times The natu of the wiked that the Magistrate which feareth not God perswadeth himselfe that by pollicie and maintaining of that which best liketh the multitude the common-wealth shal be both better longer maintained quiet peaceable then by establishing any thing bee it neuer so good which the people like not That was one error of the Magistrates An other thing that we see in them is vaine glorie and a desire to keepe their dignitie Which thing where so euer it doth enter it makes them vnwilling to heare of any alterations bee they neuer so little or neuer so good and bee they themselues neuer so full of imperfections for feare least if they should alow the doctrine of the Gospell in the reformation of one thing bee it neuer so little it would in time grow farder and at length perchance finde a fault in their owne best cootes that had neede to be amended That was the cause which made these Magistrates stop the proceedings of the trueth in the first appearing and to alow and incourage wicked men in their furie against the same when as if they had done well they should haue corrected the couetous abuse of the Deuill and haue praised the good men that did open it haue thanked God that had reuealed this abuse vnto thē Here we see another abuse and follie that was in those Magistrates for they presently vpon the cry exclamation of two or three lewd fellowes without examination of either causes or parties sent good men to the prison and let the varlets goe vnpunished Lastly we see the dulnes and blindnes of such Magistrates whome the Lord doeth not blesse They could not see the right cause of this tumult which was a couetous minde neither could they perceiue the pollicie of the Deuill in shadowing this cause For the wicked come not to the Magistrate say Sir they by their preachings haue taken awaye our gaine and commoditie for then it might easily haue bene perceiued from whence their heate proceeded but they colour their couetousnesse with an other shadow and saie Sir These men which are Iewes trouble our Cittie They preach ordinances which are not lawfull for vs to receiue neither to obserue seing we are Romaines So we see that it is a common thing to intitle that trueth which we think will in time ouerthrow our pride our couetousnes with rebellion sedition conspiracy by that menes to make it a cloke for lewdnes knauerie Now we see the causes of this straite charge which the Magistrates gaue vnto the Iaylor We learne here againe that the Lord suffereth euen his elect chosen for a time to run in the path of sinners that he doth exercise them with great temptations that he brings them euen to the brincke of hell and desperation yet recals them euen then when they are fardest gon least thinke of succour then is the Lord neerest vnto them as is here to be seene by the example of this woefull Iaylor and many other such like in the Scripture For whē Abraham had hoped beyond hope had waited for the promise till it was past both mans helpe and hope yet then did the Lord keepe promise when he least thought it When the same Abraham Gen 17. 19 21. 2. Heb. 11. 11. being commanded to offer vp his son that he had so long loked for could see no reason of the Lords promise yet at the very Gen. 22. 10. Eccl. 44. 20. instant when the axe was lifted vp vnknowen to Abraham there was a meanes prouided to saue the childe ere the Axe fell When there was but a sily basket betweene death and Moses yet at an instant the Lord Exod. 2. 3. 4 had prouided an vnknown meanes to make him ruler of his people When Ioseph was in great extremitie solde into a straunge Gen. 41. 40. countrie and for a long time in grieuous imprisonment without friends or hope of restitution and therefore might haue beene comfortlesse yet the Lorde when Ioseph thought least of it set him at libertie and 1. Sam. 23. 27. made him ruler of a great Countrie When Dauid was in great perill by Saule When Daniel was cast into the Lyons denne When the three young men that would not worship the Idoll were cast into the hote furnace Dan. 6. 22. 3. 25. yet the Lord at that instant when flesh and bloud coulde see no helpe preserued them So this feare which the Iaylor felt first in the Earthquake next in that hee thought that his prisoners had beene al gon stroke him verie deepe to the heart and brought him to great extremitie which all vnknowing to him was vsed by the Lorde to be a meane of his conuersion and saluation Where wee see how the Lord watcheth ouer his electe to comfort them to keepe them to defend them from water from fire from wilde beastes and from desperation and cruell enemies that nothing may hinder them from that happie hower wherein the Lord hath appointed to call them conuert them and saue them Lastly wee learne that they bee happie though they feele some miserie which may heare the voice of the Gospel and true preachers for they euer bring comfort and ioye vnto them that can heare them they expell all feare abandon all qualmes of lothsome desperation from their heartes but more happie are they that heare obey and submit themselues and their affections to the rule of the worde speaking to their eares outwardly or of the spirite of God mouing their hearts inwardly as this Iaylor did Thirdly his sudden Alteration The Alteration of this man was suddaine and maruelous For he which at the beginning of the night did with ioy receiue these prisoners with crueltie and disdaine no doubt thrust them into the vilest dungeon set them into the stockes and clapt giues vpon their feete before the same night was ended felt the power and spirite of God confessed
his ignorance saw his owne sinne vnderstoode the vanitie of his masters the Scribes and Pharisies perceiued himselfe to bee in an error humbled himselfe to them whom before he had abused and with teares sought their comfort whom he thought before to be comfortlesse desiring of them to know the right way to bee saued whome a litle before he had condemned as those that helde some wrong opinions c. Applicati ∣ on and Doctrine First we see that though God suffered his elect his seruants his truth by tyrants wicked and malicious enemies in our iudgement to bee oppressed ouerborne and troden vnder yet he neuer leaueth nor forsaketh them but is present with them in their prisons in the stockes in the darke and vgly pits hee sitteth with them hee suffereth with them he comforteth them he strengthneth them he heareth their praiers when Psal 34. 19. 145. 18. 34. 16. Act. 4. 31. 12. 10. it pleaseth him to deliuer them the strongest Irons prisons and tyrants in the world shall not be able to hold them And here we are to remember what difference there is betweene the miseries that we feele for the cause of Christ and the torments which are put vpon vs for our owne wickednesse For when we are cast into prison Act. 11. 4 Mat. 25. 40 Zakar 2. 8. Ephe. 1. 22. 4. 13 15. for Christes cause Christ is there with vs when we suffer for him he is grieued with vs for the head cannot be quiet if the body be in paine These haue alwaies such peace and ioye in their conscience that suffer for the truth that when they are whipped they reioyce when they are wounded they are Act. 5. 4. Gal. 6. 17. not agrieued when they are tyed to the stakes they triumph in the middest of the fire the ioy of a good conscience is so great and the earnest desire and assured comfort of the present receiuing of that vnspeakable ioy that will neuer faile makes the greatest torments seeme euen to flesh bloud either verie little or no paine at all knowing assuredly that they could not suffer for Christ Phil. 1. 29 Rom. 9. 29. 2. Cor. 4. 10 Luk. 24. 26. except they were thereunto appointed that they in these passions might bee made like vnto the sonne of God And assuring themselues that assone as they be deliuered from the stincking prison of this filthie carkasse their soule shall be presently in the hand of Deut. 33. 3. Wis 3. 1. 2. Tim. 2. 11 Psal 116. 15 Apo. 14. 13. the Lord wher no torment shal touch them that they shal be presently with Christ in his kingdome with whome and for whome they haue suffered and their death being precious in the sight of the Lord they feele that they are most happie of all other that die in the quarrell of Christ Of the other side they which suffer iustly for their theeuerie murder whordome or any other like vice they feele most horrible horror of conscience and torment both of body mind being seperated from Christ and hauing no peace or ioy in their heart by the quietnesse of a good conscience and assured trust in the mercie of God And therfore many of them in their tormentes and death lamentably houle without hope without comfort being without the companie of Christ and so in miserable desperation without especiall grace oftentimes end a wretched life Here wee must remember that God doth often giue repentant hearts to such as haue committed and doe suffer for most vile offences of whome we are to iudge the best Wee learne heere to haue alwaies a sure hope and confidence in the Lord our cause being his that though we alwaies see not his power and will ready to deliuer vs when our fleshe doeth desire it yet let vs assure our selues that hee is with vs and that hee will helpe and deliuer vs when he seeth his time We see how quickly God can pul downe the pride and confound the deuises of his enemies by such meanes as they can neither suspect nor preuent and how quickly he can turne the hearts of the wicked and enemies to cherish and fauour his seruantes and truth if he list We may learne of this Iaylor here a notable The right vse of Gods iudgments lesson which is to make our right and true vse of the iudgements of God when we see or feele them which is that by them we descend into a deepe consideration of our owne estate life and behauiour and see whether these iudgements fall not vpon vs for our pride our wantonnesse whordome murder ignorance ingratitude negligence contempt of Gods truth and euil intreating the seruants of God Which all it seemeth that this man considered for he feeling the Earthquake and knowing that it was the hand of the Lord hee fell presently to view his life the damnable estate wherein hee stoode and the lamentable miserie that hee was to fall into if his life at that instant should haue been taken from him He comes therefore and desireth the true Phisicke not that which comforteth the body but that which preserueth the soule What shall I doe that I may be saued How many of vs in England either high or low haue with our selues entered into this consideration hauing felt the like Earthquakes and many other signes and tokens I doubt not but there be some which haue though it be perchance a little some In all Philippie the Scripture maks mention but of a few which were conuerted thoroughly and made to see and acknowledge their sinne Wee reade that the rulers were moued but this motion proceeded not so farre as to make them to see the estate wherein they stoode Therefore we see that the signes and wonders of the Lord are not effectuall in all but onely in such as are his and were before known in his purpose The cause of this defect is not in the iudgements themselues but in the hardnes and sinne of their froward hearts that see them as the cause why a blinde man taketh no comfort of the sunne is not in the sunne it selfe but in the fault of his owne eyes It may be that many of our Rulers our great men and Gentlemen were at that present when they felt Gods hand shaken vppon them in the last Earthquake moued and troubled in minde but it was such a motion as the proude Pharisies felt which was not so soone suddenly conceiued but it was euen as soone and suddenly forgotten It was not such a motion as the Iaylor here felt which made him see his sinne his imperfections his wicked life and raysed in him a hartie repentaunce for the same and which caused him to giue ouer all other cares as one now wholly mortified to seeke onely the right way how he might be saued For this motion of the Iaylor had the spirite of the holy Ghost ioyned with it which moued inwardly and effectually the heart with the outward
forsake renounce and detest for euer this Pharisaicall superstition And seeing this course that I haue taken can doe me no good I pray you whoÌ„ I now know to be the seruaÌ„ts of the liuing God prechers of the truth Tell mee at length what course I must take what I must do that I may be saued By which words wee see that he did not only suspect but vtterly by the spirit of God renounce that which the same spirite had tolde him to be wicked and abhominable And I wish in perfect charitie that all those which are now blinded with Poperie and lie yet drunken with the cursed wine of the great whore of Babilon al what euer they be either in Italy France Spaine or England may if they pertaine to the Lords election feele the like motions the like hartquakes to assault their coÌ„science open their eyes that they may once feele see their blindnes their errors and their sinnes certaine damnatioÌ„ that they may once with this Iaylor perfectly bid farwell vnto al the Romish Pharisies blind guides deceiuing hypocrites that now so monsterously abuse them Againe seeing this Iaylor seekes to be saued let vs consider what saluation it is that he desireth The Greek word signifieth such a kind of sauing as that a man may continually remaine assured and without feare The Syrian Paraphrase hath it what must I doe that I may liue Which is as much to say as to be preserued which teacheth vs that hee sought not for the temporal present sauing of his life the feare of the earthquake being passed and they being that way able to doe him no good neither did he as the wicked are wont to do which seing the iudgements of God for a time tremble quake but the rod being past they return againe vnto their former wickednes But this man being rightly touched and fearing more his sin then the Earthquake earnestly sought for the saluation of his soule the comfort of which might continue with him for euer If he desired the right waye the verie truth and life it selfe whome did he desire but Christ If hee desired Iohn 14. 6. saluation what desired hee but Christ which is the onely Sauiour of the faithfull Blessed saith Dauid is he whose wickednes is forgiuen whose sin is couered If no man Psalm 32. 1 can bee blessed happie ioyfull and saued but they that haue their sins forgiuen then wee see what saluation it is that this man sought namely an assurance that his sinnes should be forgiuen the meanes by which hee might attaine vnto this This saluation the Pharisies coulde not teach this Iaylor then and our Papistes purely without corruption will not haue it taught now Further we learne here if we see any cruell wicked and malicious persecutors of the truth or any other abhominable sinners not to proceede in rash iudgement against theÌ„ to coÌ„demne for reprobates but rather to leaue this iudgment to the Lord who only knoweth what they be that are his because wee know not whether the Lord haue appointed both time and meanes for their conuersion as hee had for this Iaylor c. Lastly we learne that this care and desire of the Iaylor condemneth the cares and desires of many of vs that haue beene longer â—h 10. 41. 42. taught Christ said once to a worldly minded Martha Martha thou carest art troubled about many things but one thing is needefull c. This one needfull thing is to desire to heare the worde of God and the meanes how to bee saued and haue our sinnes forgiuen This one thing had the Iaylor nowe found this one thing he desired no more Whosoeuer therefore neglecting the word of God and care of saluation applyeth his mind to any other exercise pleasure or profit his care is needlesse vaine foolish and wicked For all our cares studies and endeauors wherin we haue not a principal regard vnto the glorie of God and our owne saluation are accursed of the Lord and therefore can neuer bring a blessing vppon vs. The counsels and conspiracies of the wise Achitophels 2. Sam. 17. the Lord for his Dauid shall ouerthrow by his appointed Hushais No prouision counsell or determination for the gouernment or safetie of any common-welth can euer stand long or bring a blessing vpon that land where the principall marke of all their deuises tend not to the establishing and setting forth of the truth the honour of God and saluation by Christ Iesus our onely Sauiour Hospitalitie is good a reasonable prouision of things necessarie is alowable an earnest desire to bee diligent in our vocations occupations and callings is commended but yet to loue follow or be busied so in any of these that we neglect at times conuenient and when occasions be offered to heare the Sermons of Christ or neglect the learning of the knowledge of our saluation is in Martha by Christ greatly reprehended There bee many Marthaes in England which trouble themselues about many vaine pleasures offices and deuises while in the meane time they neglect the best dutie As Gentlemen that trouble themselues to build faire houses gorgeous palaces which yet care not for the building of the Lordes house and as little for their owne saluation countrie men that are careful to prouide for their posteritie yet carelesse for their owne safetie and helpe of their soules Ministers which either for ignorance negligence or contempt of the word leauing the consideration of their calling giue themselues som to be husbandmen farmers grasiers c some to be Physitions Lawyers and other secular officers as though that one blessed calling of theirs were not needful only sufficient to preach the word of God truely and to liue thereafter to bring the simple ignorant to know which way they must be saued c. The fourth circumstance What it was which brought this man to this Consideration The text shews vs that it was the iudgement and hand of the Lord which he felt in the Earthquake and the holy Ghost also inwardly working which wrought this care desire in him and made him to haue a consideration of his sins c. Application and Doctrine First we see that it is a profitable good thing for a man to feel the iudgements rods and scourge of the Lord oftentimes to awaken him out of his securitie and also to cast downe his pride that he may learne to humble himself before the Lord. For ease peace and quietnesse bring vs a sleepe harden our harts make vs to contemne the messengers and worde of the Lord But feare and his rod when it is seene maketh vs more apt to learne and willingly to seeke for comfort helpe Therefore said Dauid It is good for me Psal 119. 67 71 that I haue beene afflicted that I may learne thy statuts For before I was troubled I went astray but now I keepe thy word The worldly mindes which are
not indued with spirituall knowledge do wonderfully repine murmure and frowne against all miseries sickenes calamities plagues or what troubles so euer happen in this life detesting al things which are not pleasant to the flesh as a thing most repugnant to nature But the godly on the other side do know that the church seruāts of God in this life are subiect to many crosses troubles persecutions not that the Church shal perish with these afflictions but rather that it is thus ordained by the singular prouidence of the Lord that by this meanes his seruants may see their sins the Lords anger against it that they may learne to tame the mad and outragious concupiscence of the flesh that faith loue charitie and mercie with the feeling of one anothers infirmities may dayly increase and bee renewed in them Where we see that these afflictions are nothing but iust corrections for our escapes and faultes and we see what they be that are most fit to receiue admonition euen such as are most visited with afflictions griefes sickenesse want of things necessarie and such like c. Blessed is the man whome the Lord correcteth because it is a signe of his loue blessed Iob. 3. 17. is that man which indureth temptations continueth constant to the ende and is not Iam. 1. 12. ouerborne with calamities for hee shall receiue a Crowne of life which the Lord hath Mat. 5. 10. promised to them that loue him Againe we are to learne that whensoeuer wee see the Lord to wounde our consciences or to threaten vs with any calamitie warres plagues sicknesse or any other visitation hee doth it for no other cause but to make vs to consider that we are gon astray that we are out of order that our life is not such as it should be and that he hath a heauie quarrell and reckoning against vs. Then here we see the cause why the Lord hath of late giuen vs so many gentle warnings shewed vs so many louing rods and like a mercifull father hath rather made vs as yet to see them then to feele them And yet surely we haue so seene the sentence as it were of our own condemnation in signes in the heauens and wonders in the earth in Earthquakes in the necessitie crie of many thousands in this time of miserie by the stop of mutual traficke and euen now in these rumors of warres and expectations of forraine inuasion that we may easily coniecture what effect there will follow if the cause be not remoued Our sinne our vnthankefulnes our negligence our carelesse and licentious libertie in all estates our wicked behauiours our monsterous apparell our want of charitie loue and patience our aboundance of enuie malice deceite whordome and like abhominations are the causes of these tumults of these motions of these feares and of these signes and tokens And if wee with this Iaylor bee not drawne by some meanes to seeke helpe the sooner wee are to looke for some heauie misery to fal vpon vs our land The Lord shakes these rods ouer our heads to some purpose wee must thinke A carefull louing father if he find his childs stomacke so stubborne that the sight of the rod and threatning will not terrifie him at length he fals to seuere whipping and chastning of him indeede I pray God that my feare and coniecture in this respect may be vaine but surely I feare and by most manifest signes am driuen to coniecture that except verie shortly we all euen frō the highest vnto the lowest take an other course and trade of behauior we must looke for a fearfull end of our long our sweete and pleasant peace that hath nowe so soundly lulled a sleepe some of vs in the cradle of securitie some in the cradle of iniquitie some in the cradle of Atheisme doubting of God giuing Manifest signes of Atheisme no credite to the Scriptures disputing of foolish and heathnish questions seeking to comprehend the works power of God which are in the vnscrutable wisedome of the Lord by reason and not by faith which Saint Paule proues to be a monstrous follie Rom. 1. some in the cradle of Anabaptisme some at the brest and sweete teate of Poperie all in the rolling and vnsetled cradle of our owne fantasie Alas the carefull soules of manye thousand poore men that haue bene oppressed crie out of our land and euerye corner thereof as the bloud of Abel for vengeance against our land and against our hypocrisie abusing of our religion What end can we imagine what reward can we looke for but the fearefull marke of Caine and the heauie iudgement of the forsaken hatefull wandering Iewe I feare greatly least these thirtie and eight yeares of pleasant peace haue prouoked God more to anger against this land then fiue hundred yeares before of warre and miserie O that Gods blessings should bee so abused that they should ende with so heauie a curse O that his mercye should leade vs to such vnmercifulnes that we should forget the care of our owne saluation and fal a murdering of our owne soules O that wee should liue to see that daye in which the sweet benefits louing patience of the Lord should make vs the worse Happy is the man that with this Iaylor finds occasion his motions in these things to come vnto the Lord and happie may that man be thought which resteth in the Lord which shall not see the miserie of the future times which sinne and Sathan without repentance wil pul downe vpon this Noble realme c. Wee see farder by the great care which this man had to know how to be saued and the haste that hee made to obtaine his purpose that hee gaue sure tokens of his obedience to his calling which teacheth vs that the iudgements of God take not like effect in all men For in some that is in the elect which are rightly touched by the spirite of God it is true that the Prophet said Assone as they heare they shall obey me But in others Psal 18. 44. this is true I called but they would not heare nor obey There be some which at the iudgements of God tremble for a time but it is againe presently forgotten as Pharao the keepers of Christs Sepulcher Caligula and many others But in the godly they worke Exod. 7. 3. Mat. 28. 5. contrarie effects It is true amongest most of vs that the more signes and tokens of Gods wrath we see the harder our harts grow dayly what may the ende of these things be A blinde man may see The Lord be merciful vnto vs and giue vs grace with this Iaylor be more carefull of our saluation We learne also that a great festred sore needeth a sharpe and quicke Surgion These proud Rabbies and great Doctors woulde not heare the voice of the Ministers of the Gospell speaking vnto them neither could their voice driue them to any consideration of their