thus examine our life and our manners it plainly appeareth both what kind of men we be what our faults and offences be and how huge sinners we be And forasmuch as we haue not fulfilled the law of God and continued in all things which are written in the book of the law it necessarily followeth that the curse hangeth presently ouer vs and that we be concluded vnder sinne Thus lyeth wretched mankind thrown down damned and subiect to euerlasting death and the reason is for that he is accursed The curse of the law is the fault and the punishment and both present and eternal indignation wrath anguish affliction death and euerlasting torment in hel fire If this then be the condition of our estate as in deed it is if we beleeue the Scriptures witnessing of the calamity and horrible fall of Adam and his posterity then must of necessity all presumption and trust in our own strength worthynes merits natural hability and good works geue place and vanish away and true humility and vnfayned repentance follow For of what I pray you can man glory how can he presume what can he attribute to his own strength and how can he brag if he haue right feeling of this curse and so that he see he is become an Apostata a traytor and a runnagate frō God and altogether the Deuils thrall lying captiue vnder the power of sinne death and malediction And such in deed is his estate For he is conceiued and born in sinne and he cannot so much of himself as think wel wish wel or doe wel but being proue and bent only to euil to vice and to all wickednes he doth nothing but sinne Now he which doth rightly feel the immutable and very seuerity of Gods wrath to him the world it self is an vnpleasant pryson neither doth it graunt him rest or comfort at all til he be free frō these bands and curses Wherfore the holy Scripture vpon good cause doth most diligently and earnestly vrge vpon vs the law to this end that man thus all blinded peruerst and malicious may by the law be drawn to know him self to see his misery and to feel the curse and his incorporated wickednes and the iudgement of God So that by the liuely feeling of his sin gods wrath he might humbly and truly with a troubled Spirite and contrite hart reuerently with submission flye to the throne of grace and call for mercy help of God and with all his hart runne vnto and imbrace Christ his only Sauyour the blessed seed of Abraham To such verely is this blessed seed sent which after this sort with a troubled Spirite and a broken and humble hart acknowledge and confes their sinnes and which hartely repenting are greeuously and terribly vexed and afflicted in conscience because they haue sinned To these I say is he sent that hauing taken away the curse to the which they were subiect he might delyuer them from all perils and calamities both of soule and body For there is none that desire or receiue Christ but these poore ones in Spirit And this doe Paules words import in the Epistle to the Rom. where he saith By the law commeth the knowledge of sinne And to the Galathians The law was our Scholemaster to bring vs to Christ that we might be made righteous through faith And in the same place he sayth The law began and was geuen 430. yeares after the holy promise was made to Abraham and that for transgression vntil the seed came to whom it was promysed c. All natures strength all wisdome all free will all good lawes and all creatures yea Gods law it selfe because of mannes infirmity could not delyuer iustifie and free man from this curse But of necessity this blessed seed Christ must needes be sent to delyuer vs from these euils and deserue for vs and also geue vs the holy Ghost els had man stil remayned altogether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say helples Therfore Paul in the same place excellently disputing of the law and Christ saith thus In deed if there had a law bin geuen which could haue geuen life then truely righteousnes should haue beene by the law But the Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by faith of Iesus Christ might be geuen to them that beleeue But before faith came we were kept vnder the law and shut vp vnto the faith which should afterward be reuealed c. The law indeed may shew vs our sinnes conuince vs accuse vs and condemne vs of sinne and it may bring vs vnder the curse but it can neuer delyuer vs frō the curse The law was cheefly geuen to this end that by terrifying our harts it might stirre vs vp feruently to desire and flye vnto that blessed seede Christ in whom we finde and receiue all thinges which the law requireth of vs to wit perfect obedience innocency righteousnes the fulfilling of all lawes and the holy Ghost with all his gifts as faith loue feare and charity towards our neighbour with such like The wholl Scripture doth nothing els but teach vs thorowly to know Christ earnestly to desire Christ hartely to craue help of Christ faithfully to beleeue in Christ and truely to loue Christ But this we cannot doe vnles we first feel the curse and acknowledge our miseries sicknes and sinne When we haue once the liuely feeling of these things then with all greedy desire of hart we gape for that blessed seede because he onely and alone both can and will clerely altogether take away this curse If the Iewes had knowen this and beleeued they had neuer so despysed and crucifyed Christ And if the Pharisies and Hipocrites of these dayes and we knew these things we would vtterly dispaire of our selues of our merits and of all mans strength in which there is no bealth or help at all wherby we may look for the obtayning of iustification and saluation nay we would not in all these put either hope or trust but would flie to this seed where present helpe and ayde is found If our sinnes doe not thus plainly appeare by the law vncurable foolish and blind reason straight way dreameth that she can salue this sore and that she her selfe can deliuer vs from sinne yea she doth assay by her works to deserue Gods fauor nether will she acknowledge this blessed seed nether is she moued with any desire of him nether doth she any thing esteem of the great promises of God by which only we most miserable creatures are delyuered from these euils Wherfore first learn and know this that as Abraham was iustifyed before God so surely must we also be iustifyed but he was iustifyed by this seed Christ in him he beleeued and in him had he all his hope and trust of saluatiō reposed being perswaded that by this seed he should obtain the blessing And that was coūted to him for righteousnes Paul therfore
run hither in this iuel I find that only heroical helper which both wil can deliuer me frō al perils dangers For he is that true God Iehouah He became also true man that he might beare my offences die for my sins giue himselfe all that euer he had for me When my consciēce beginneth to dispaire saith how wilt thou stand before God how wilt thou escape euerlasting death thou art a sinner the stipend wages of a sinner is nothing els but wrath ire affliction tormēt both in this life in the life to come When I am thus I say shaken with these forceable violent tēptations I run to this saying my iuel sacredanker This saying is my sword my complet harnes my chief armour my strōg tower of defēce then I burst forth into these words say I cōfes it is true ah alas it is to to true that I am a miserable sinner as far as belōgeth to my self my own person therfore haue I deserued very sharp punishment but God promised to send vs sinners a bud of righteousnes but of the stocke of Dauid that he should be God and also our righteousnes And he hath long since performed this his promise made vnto sinners in that he gaue and sent his sonne to vs that he might be our righteousnes which wordes Paul vseth respecting only this posy Wherfore although I know my selfe most guilty of many diuers hainous heauy sinnes yet wil I not discourage my self or dispaire For in sacred baptisme I haue put on Christ our saluation giuen of god by whom he hath both promised and geuen vnto vs euerlasting life That Christ out of all doubt is holy enough And seing he is mine although I be neuer so loden with sinne yet for all that in as much as I haue repented do repent me hartily of my sinne and seing that I do lament that euer I sinned I haue sufficient to answer my sinnes to wit that euerlasting righteousnes euen Christ himself with his passion resurrection which is freely giuē me of God. Him may I set forth to answer the heuy and grieuous wrath of God behind him as a true propitiatory may I hyde and shroud my selfe and so be remaine vntouched eyther of sinne death or Satan For the innocency righteousnes of Christ is infinite euerlasting inuincible yea it is more mighty then all the sinne of man and able to answer for al sinne if there were a thousand mo worlds of sinne His life was such so proper so passing forceable and mighty that it got the victory ouer death sinne and hell To be brief no tong can tell nor hart thinke what treasure what riches what wealth it is to vs that Christ the true naturall sonne of God is become our righteousnes If he had bene righteous and holy for himself alone then had it profited vs nothing But now seing he needed not be righteous for himselfe but is become righteous for vs who I pray you if we beleue this faithfully if we persuade our selues herein certainly cā hurt vs who can make vs afraid or what can make vs dispaire nay may not we with Paul holily triumph glory say If God be with vs or on our side who can be against vs who spared not his own sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shal he not with him geue vs all things also who shal lay any thing to the charge of gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shal condēn it is Christ which is dead for vs yea or rather which is risen agayne who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs Who shall separate vs frō the loue of Christ Behold how full of hart how proud in holines and how couragious this sentence made s Paule Lo what strength what stomacke it ministreth vnto him in so much that he feared himself nothing but stood stoutly vndiscouraged with any euill or temptation may not we thē likewise recreate solace our selues therin If Christ be our righteousnes as he is in deede then must nedes all our sinnes be forgeuen vs then God himself accounteth vs righteous for Christes sake For before this righteousnes of his can no sin remain but must nedes be quēched out euen as a litle spark of fire is put out in the great sea And if our sinnes be blotted out then is death also so choked that the death of the godly is but a slepe a redy way vnto immortallity then hath Satan no more power ouer vs but we being clothed with the righteousnes of Christ are become the sonnes of God and shal with Christ inherite euerlasting lyfe Chrisostome saith vpon Iohn 2. Who so euer hath Christ hath all welth and treasure For he hath perfect holines which he may set against the law iudgemēt of God true life to set against death euerlasting saluation against damnation As Paul sayth Christ is the ende or fulfilling of the law for righteousnesse vnto euery one that beleueth who so beleueth in him is righteous Paul tooke such a holy pride and trust in these wordes of Iere. that he was not afraid to iest at death sinne the deuil saying O death where is thy sting O graue or hell where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law But thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ Lo Christ as you see is our righteousnes his righteousnes and victory ouer sinne death and hel is giuen vnto vs that it may be our own that we may chalenge it by right for our owne O would to God that all which doe professe the name of Christ did thorowly vnderstand and beleue this ¶ Anna. O how happy were we if these so excellent and precious words of God were so depely printed in our mindes that we could surely ground them in our hartes This saying hereafter shall also be my iuell And God graunt me faith that I may euer kepe it in my hart Amē But why do you translate these wordes Edonai zid kennu the lord of our righteousnes or the lord our righteousnes and not rather our righteous God as the common translation hath it ☞ Vrb. Some do read it our righteous God but seing S. Hierom readeth it out of the Hebrue the God of our righteousnes I had rather folow him For so is it fuller hath more force to make vs know Christ and to comfort vs And so hath the holy ghost by s Paul translated it saying Christ of God is made vnto vs wisdom righteousnes and sanctification redemptiō He that reioiceth let him reioyce in the Lord. Christ is also called God in other places as in Esay where the prophet calleth Christ El whereof commeth
to destroy him So Ioseph rose toke the babe and his mother by night and departed into Egypt was there vnto the death of Herode that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the lord by his prophet saying Out of Egypt haue I called my sonne This prophesie is thus set down in Hosea When Israel was a child then I loued him and called my sonne out of Egypt Here the prophet speaketh of Israel that is the Iewes and of his sonne Iesus Christ He sayth that God loued the Israelites Which thing he sufficiently declared by many and wonderfull benefits He brought thē vp nourished them always cared for them euen as a father careth for his chylde He made them a great mighty famous people And although their vnkindnes deserued farre otherwise yet notwithstanding he faithfully performed alwayes the promises which he had made vnto thē All these things were done for Christes sake that most blessed seed which he had promised vnto Abrahā This Christ this seed according to the flesh was to be borne of the tribe of Iuda And therfore he brought his people Israel by Moses Iosua out of Egipt the house of bondage into the lād of Canaan with a strong hand mightypower For it was his good pleasure that of this people Christ the sauiour of the whole world should be born as he promised before by his prophets But now after that when Christ our sauiour in the fulnes of tyme was borne had for a tyme by flying into Egypt shrouded himself from the wrath of Herode who had commaunded all the infants to be slain God brought him thence againe into the land of Israel Of which Math. sayeth But when Herod was dead behold the angell of the lord appeared in a dream to Ioseph in Egypt saying arise take the babe his mother and go into the land of Israel for thei are dead which soght the babes life Then he arose toke the babe his mother came into the land of Israel But when he heard that Archelaus did raigne in Iuda in stead of his father Herod he was afraid to go thither yet after he was warned of God in a dreame he turned aside into the parties of Galile wēt and dwelled in a city called Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet which was that he should be called a Nazarite ¶ Anna. What speaketh the prophets of the ministery of Christ Of the ministery of Christ how he should be a king a priest a doctor a peacemaker a mediator a shepeheard our redemer and iudge of the world Vrbanus THe prophets witnes that Christ is our king priest teacher maister peacemaker redeemer mediator high iudge God saith by Dauid I wil declare the decree that is the Lord hath said vnto me thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee aske of me and I shall giue thee the heathen for thine inheritance the endes of the earth for thy possession Here god the father saith that he had ordained his sonne Christ to be king in Zion that is in the whole catholike church For Zion was a hill in Ierusalem wheron king Dauids pallace stoode It is also a figure of the whole catholike church through out the world The sonne maketh mention of his preaching doctrine saying that he would preach declare him self to be the son of god vnto the whole world and that he had all power geuen him not onely to be Lord and king ouer the Iewes but also ouer the gentils that is of all the Christians in the world that all they which beleued hys preaching should bee hys peculiar people ouer whom he would raigne for euer And agayn Dauid sayth Geue thy iudgments vnto the king O Lord and thy righteousnes to the kinges sonne yea all kinges shall honor him and all nations shal serue him This Psalme speaketh of the true Solomon Christ that he should be the greatest and most mighty in the earth before whom all other kinges should do homage So Christ also is called a kyng in the 89. Psalme But we will speake more of these in the title of Christs kingdom I wil make him my first borne higher then the kings of the earth Esa. saith The Lord is our iudge the lord is our lawgiuer the lord is our king he wil saue vs. We read the like in Eze. Zach. And Ioel also saith Be glad then ye children of Zion reioyce in the lord our God for he hath giuen you a raigne or teacher of righteousnes This raigne or teacher is Christ Iesus our only maister doctor as it is sayd in Math. One is your doctor to wit Christ and all ye are bretheren He is not such a teacher or such a maister as Moses or we are For he preacheth not the gospel to the outward eare onely but he giueth vs by the holy ghost the true holines in our hartes spiritually which before god is auailable to wit faith in him Which Paul calleth the righteousnes of God. For faith in Christ is the worke and gift of god in vs which is imputed to vs for righteousnes Againe Dauid saith our instructer shall be adorned with many blessings This instructer is Christ who in dede is truely blessed For all that beleue his doctrine by him are deliuered frō the curse are made the childrē of god for euer He washeth vs with the gratious welsprings of his gifts teacheth vs in our harts that we may be taught of god know the father by the sonne in whō consist true blessings and euerlasting life You haue heard before out of the 61. of Esay that Christ was sent by the father to preach the gospel to the poore afflicted As he confesseth in Luke saying that he should preach the kingdome of God to other cities for therfore was he sent Wherfore Esay calleth him the light of the Gentils the gospel the light of the world because he illuminateth vs which sit in the depe darknes of folly ignorāce with true knowledge the holy ghost For naturally of our own strēgth we neither know god nor our selues The womā of Samaria saith in Ioh. I know well that Messias shal come which is called Christ when he is come he wil tel vs al things And therfore Moses calleth him a prophet because he should teach the worde of God vnto his people Christ also saith in Esay He hath made my mouth like a sharpe sword that is I wil execute my ministery by the word which shal be effectual pierce lyke a sharp sword And he saith to Pilate that for this cause he was borne and for this cause he came into this world that he should beare witnes vnto the truth And he addeth euery one that is of the truth heareth my voyce He wil speake peace vnto the heathen To be brief al
Paul calleth this righteousnes the righteousnes of faith which standeth not on our merits but on the merits of christ He therfore that knoweth Christ and beleeueth that he is the true purger of sinnes and the destroyer of death and apprehendeth him in his hart by true faith and taketh him for his only treasure of life that man is iustyfyed and saued But he which doth not beleeue is already condemned for the Lord hath decreed this thing and told it vs by his law prophetes and euangelists that he wil haue mercy on vs for nothing neither in heauen nor earth but by Christ and for Christ for whose cause he wil pardon our sinnes and geue vs euerlasting life if we will beleeue in him Act. 4.13 Rom. 3. Gal. 23. And therefore not without a cause sayth the prophet he shall beare their sinnes seing that there is no other neither in heauē nor earth who can beare or purg our sinnes but euen that Messias It followeth therfore vndoubtedly that no man can be iustified saued and deliuered from his sinnes vnles he beleue in this onely sauiour Iesus Christ Now then you heare that Christ is the seruaunt of God in the worke of our redemption and that hee is therefore worthely called righteous because he onely is iust iustifieth others as S. Steuen calleth him He iustifieth vs in his owne knowledge and vnderstanding that is he iustifieth vs when we heare in the gospell that he onely and none other hath borne our sinnes and when by sure fayth we retayne it and put all our trust in him both in our lyfe and death and saye both with hart mouth Christ onely hath borne our wickednes and died for our sinnes and onely is our righteousnes before God and this righteousnes which we get thus by fayth because it is founded built on Christ stādeth fast and firme agaynst the gats of hell ¶ Anna. As far then as I can heare if I should be asked how it commeth to passe that I being a sinner am become righteous thus I ought to annswere I am not righteous because I haue not sinned or because I haue done many good deedes or for that I haue satisfied for my sinnes but I am righteous because Christ hath borne my sinnes in whome I beleue and in whome I repose all my trust Vrba You aunswere well and soundly and so haue all the patriarks prophets apostles and true Christians from the beginning of the world to this day beleued neither is there any other beliefe auailable before god He that beleueth not as you haue said isdāned neither can there be any waye found to saue him though he were couered with all the cowles of all the monks in the world and had all the good workes merites crosses sufferinges and penants in himselfe alone that is in the whole world For they all cannot auaile him or healpe him but he must needes be a firebrande of hell there to burne for euer if he doe not beleue as you say Well let vs hold one The prophet furthermore speaketh here of the fruit and reward of Christs passion And he sayth it is an eternall triumph or victory ouer sinne death the world and the deuill For Christ hath ouercome these cruell and bloudy enemies and hath deliuered his elected from them and so hath receaued through the whole world generally for his inheritaunce a great and glorious people or a most beutifull church which is his spirituall kingdome And this hath that the ignominious death of Christ don because he bore our sinnes and suffered himselfe to be hanged betwene ij theeues and prayed for transgressours and sinners as Paule sayth to the Hebrues Christ in the dayes of his flesh did offer vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death and was also heard in that which he feared and though he were the sonne yet learned he obedience by the thinges which he suffered and being consecrate was made the author of eternall saluation vnto all them that obay him and is called of god an highe priest after the order of Melchisidech ¶ Anna. What sayth Esaias of Christ in the 54. chap ☞ Vrb. In that chapter he describeth the kingdome of Christ in fayth that is to say the catholick Church which in this word is vnder the crosse poore miserable helplesse and base to behold But he comforteth it promising to helpe it and enrich it so that it shall become most populous with men of all sortes from ech side presing into it in so much that it shall bring forth an infinite multitude of Children of grace and haue many moe sonnes then the malipert synagoge though she seemed neuer so fruitfull and in deede she seemed fruitfull for she had the law and many good workes and worke mongers or worketeachers with all kind of merites these be the prophets wordes Reioyce thou barren that bearest not burst out and sing thou that trauailest not because the desolate hath more Children then the maryed sayth the Lord. This comfort must also be well obserued least taking offence at the smale number of Christians we be dismayd and fall from the fayth For the dayes will come when the number of the faythfull shal be great and populus Thus was Sara barren but our God so blessed her that she became the mother of many Childrē and a great people To be short Abraham must needes according to Gods promise in Genesis and according to the Etimologie and signification of his name be made a father of many people heyre of the earth For his blessed seede with all his blessinges was also promised to the gentiles The prophet moreouer vseth certayne similies taken of tentes which are set vp and spread in the fieldes so largely that many may dwell in them Whereby he geueth vs to vnderstand that the church should be spread all abroad through the whole world and that the day should come that the Gospell should be preached in all landes and that they should receaue Christ These be his wordes Enlarge the place of thy tents and stretch out thy cords make fast thy stakes for thou shalt increase on the right hand on the left He promiseth moreouer to the church Gentiles for inheritaunce But not so that the Churche should inherite the Gentiles after a worldly manner of inheriting as kinges of the earth inherite and haue their people in subiection For Christes kingdome is not of this world It is a spirituall inheritaunce which the Church by the Gospell getteth and it shall dwell there where before through ignoraūce and incredulitye was a deserte and wilde wildernes as it was at Athēs where before the Gospell came they vnderstod nothing of God aright But S. Paule conuerted many at that place and tought them which came and beleeued the Gospell the right fayth And therefore sayth the prophet thy seed shall possesse the Gentiles and dwell in the desolate cities
fier Note that Malla sayth that the Lord that is Christ shall come to his temple Pithom that is by and by vnloked for For when the people came on heapes and flocked vnto Iohn where he preached sodainely Christ came and commaunded Iohn to baptise him and began to teach and went in to the temple at Ierusalem And Mala. sayth whome seeke you for Christ was in the law and prophets promised as the true deliuerer of Israell And therfore all the godly gredely earnestly looked for him And Malla calleth Christ the Angell of the new testament or couenaunt For he was sent from the father as the messenger of the great message that he might be the mediator of the new testament or of the eternall couenaunt of grace which was made and confirmed by the precious bloud and death of Christ Yf this messenger had not ben sent and stroken this couenaunt of grace betwixt God the Father and vs and if he had not recōciled vs and in his owne person wiped away our sinnes we had taried and perished in our sinnes in death and in the wrath of God for euer But seeing that Christ is come and hath made and confirmed this testament or league by so great a price wee which beleue in Christ haue in Christ the messenger of the new testament remission of our sinnes euerlasting righteousnes reconciliation with God and lyfe and saluation He which first promised this testament is god the truth it selfe he which confirmed and approued it is the naturall son of god our sauiour in whom the father is well pleased and he which teacheth vs to vnderstand this couenaunt and to beleue it who also witnesseth vnto vs that the couenaunt is firme and stable and that we are the children of God is the holy Ghost Loe these are the vnsearchable riches of Christ which Paule euery where did magnifically preach And therefore very well sayth the prophet Escher athem hephezim that is whome doe you so carefully greedely and hartely desires You know that Hopheptz in the holy toung doth signifie to be rauished with a singular and harty desire of any thing as when we couet to haue any thing with a harty desire with a good will and with a great and ardēt appetite And thus did the true Israelites with all their hartes earnestly looke for the comming of Christ because they knew that we through Christes merits onely should obtaine all true felicitye with God that is full deliueraunce frō all euils They did know that which the new testament euery where now witnesseth to wit the man of himselfe without the spirite power hope of Messias could not performe the law and that none could obtaine righteousnes and saluation but by Christ And therefore did they looke for him as the onely reconciler and Sauiour and as that true and onely fulfiller of all thinges or as Paule calleth him the fulfilling of the law in whome they put all their confidence For wheresoeuer they desire preach the mercy and deliueraunce of God there also do they desire and glorify Christ who onely and no other in the whole world hath obtained and deserued the mercye of God and hath brought vs true and euerlasting redētion Wherefore Augustine that worthy Doctor of the Church sayth well and godly after this sort For his sake the testament is in him the testament is decided he is the mediator of the testament he sealed the testament he is surety for the testament he is witnes of the testamēt he is the inheritance of the testament and he is fellow heire of the testament ¶ Anna. Whether of Christes comming is it that Mala sayth shall be so heauy and intollerable ☞ Vrba He speaketh of his former comming which although vnto the true Israelites and children of promise it was a singular comfort and great ioy and a thing especially desired as appeareth in Simeon and Anna the prophets and such lyke yet was it a horrible and feareful comming to the rest of the vnbeleuing Iewes Pharises Saduces other deceauers of which they did reape no ioy or profite but were offended in Christ could not stād in his sight Their doctrine had daiseled the eyes of the cōmon sort with a great shew of holynes whereas it was nothing els in deed but horrible errors hipocrisye and deceite When Christ Iesus came the true light of the world and the truth it selfe by whome came grace and truth then all the errors simulations and deceites craftes and hipocrisie of those deceiuers were manifested and they thēselues destroyed For he did openly reproue and accuse their lyfe and doctrine and he so confounded them which before were accounted most godly and learned in Iudaisme that it might easely appeare vnto all men that they were blind guids of the blinde and meere deceiuers For when the gospell was mightely truely taught then could no error or hipocrisie lurke and be vnknowen so forceable was the truth Nay the word is so pure and perfect that euen the most holy are accused by it because no man in this flesh is free from sin To be short for this cause was Christ borne and for this cause came he into the world that he should bere witnes vnto the truth and he that is of truth heareth his voyce Sathan had sowen and spread marueilous hipocrisies and lyes in the world but Christ came that he might confound the lyes and teach the truth And therfore his first comming of Christ because his doctrine was vnpleasāt and sharpe vnto the world and because he accused them of sin was as a fier which purifieth and clenseth all filth and drosse from gould maketh a strange seperatiō of the euill from the good Whē he teacheth he doth seperate gould and siluer that is good men from copper and drosse to wit from the hard harted hipocrites For he which was of God heard the word of Christ and left all his errors and cast all his hipocrisie a side and became a faythfull or true Israelite in whome was no deceite By the crosse also they were purged and tryed as gould in the fier This tribulation and crosse alway waiteth vpon the word and alwayes commeth with the word And Christ at his first comming hath true Leuites spirituall priestes which are consecrated and clensed These are as Peter sayth all that truly beleue in christ but especially they which faythfully teach the word by which the righteousnes of fayth doth enter into the hart These offer true acceptable sacrifices in righteousnes that is in the fayth of Christ which before God is true righteousnes They offer themselues in fayth they offer an humble and penitent hart and they offer prayses and thankesgeuing for their redemption in Christ The holy doctors as often as they do conuert the people by the gospell from darcknes of vnbelefe vnto the light and from the power of Sathan vnto God so often do they offer an acceptable sacrifice vnto the
saue and deliuer thee For to this end God the father sent hym Beleue in him for his sake all thy sinnes shal be forgiuen thee For he tooke thy sinnes vpon him he suffred and satisfied for them When thou hast thus done then is thy conscience mery pacified and quieted Because it hath thorow fayth taken holde of Christ who hath taken away the hand writing of an euill conscience which was altogether against vs miserably tormented vs greuously vexed vs daily disturbed our peace and hath blotted it out nayled it to his crosse so that there is no cause why the man that beleueth in Christ should quake tremble or feare for his sinnes or should flie from God as a seuere iudge For God is now become fauourable vnto him and hath forgiuen him all his sinnes for Christ his sake in whom he beleueth And this faith in Christ bringeth present helpe and consolation to the penitent hart it comforteth and strengtheneth the man that before was dismayed so that now he may plainly know that God for Christs sake wil not herafter be a seuere fearful iudge vnto him but a louing mercyful and tender Father And this is the true and perfect binding vp and healing and curing of sick wounded and feeble harts For the hart neuer findeth true and sound comfort grace and life but in Christ Iesu It followeth That I should preach to the bond liberty By disobedience we were made seruants and bondslaues of Sathan and so should haue remayned for euer if Christ had not delyuered vs But he became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the price of our redemptiō he by his death deliuered vs from that captiuity of Sathan as Dauid sayeth He went vp on high and led captiuity captiue And hath spoyled the principalities and powers and hath made a shew of them openly and hath tryumphed ouer them in the same crosse That is Christ ouercame those Princes powers of darcknes which had thrown down man into the kingdome of sinne death and damnation and by his own power he hath spoyled them of their pray as Saint Luke sayth The stronger ouercame the strong man being armed and keeping his palace and toke away all his armore That is Christ delyuered mankind and tooke his seruants out of the power of darcknes and brought them into his kingdome of light as you haue heard before out of Zachary and Esay This pardon redemption or remission hath Christ himself geuen forth and preached in his gospel and he hath commaunded his Apostles and all the Preachers of the gospel to teach the same euen vnto the end of the world For what els is the Gospel but such a Sermon of Christ as telleth vs that he did fight a combate hand to hand with Sathan and hath in the same open combate not fraudulently and deceitfully but valiantly and with a deuine force subdued ouercome and cōquered the deuill by that victory hath so deliuered iustified for euer saued vs which were once his captiues bound vnder sinne and death that we may now haue peace with God and being deliuered from that tyrant be brought to heauē and raygne with God our heauēly father as blessed Children for euer It followeth To the captiues freedome By the word of God it is playne that we are sinners and that we are as it were cast into a prison or iaile from whence nether by the force of nature nor by all the good workes in the world we can deliuer and saue our selues We ought in deede to leade pure and vnspotted lyues and still to be doing good and flye from euill and the law requireth the same at our hands but our sinful nature is slow to good and farre from fulfilling the law and maketh vs liue according to our carnall desires and concupiscens which euen from our youth vp is al wayes bent and ready to euell Whereupon it commeth that the law is more vrgent vpon vs and still enforceth compelleth commaundeth vs to doe good and threateneth death and destructiō to them that doe euill and so it happeneth to vs as Paule sayd to the Galathians Before fayth came we were kept vnder the law and shut vp vnto the fayth which should afterward be reuealed When we looke into our hartes and diligently consider how disobedient stubborne and repugnaunt we are by nature to the law of God then we playnely see that the sacred law is nothing els to all vs which are vnder the law and as yet not iustified by fayth but a prison in which for all our striuing and wrastling wil we nil we we are imprisoned shut vp For how soeuer we professe and make a shewe of holines and grauitye in our selues with sober discrete manners in the eyes of men euen as though we kept the law yet in deede and from the hart we doe nothing so playnely so obediently and so cherefully as we ought but we as men enforced and constrayned do hipocritically all that we doe with vncleane and filthy hartes For the law by threats restrayneth vs from open crimes offences and it vrgeth bindeth and restraineth vs very extremely so that we doe not steale commit adulterye murther slaunder blaspheme nor curse any body but yet in the hart where the well spring and cheefe roote of all our workes are doth fleshly concupiscens boyle fome wrastle striue to burst out into il deedes and the more we bridle it and wrastle agaynst it the more it rageth and boyleth and becōmeth more violēt strong heddy rash vnruly and stubborne And as it happeneth in great fluds whose force and course we see by stopping and staying with rāpires waxe greater and more vehement so that they will not suffer thē selues to be stayd or stopt but at the last with great force and violence breake vp the rayles rampires and water work and flowe forth a mayne so it happeneth here For whē the law bindeth keepeth in the lusts fleshly desires of the hart with feare of punishmēt that they dare not discouer or shewe themselues then fretteth the flesh inwardly abhorreth the law as it were a prison desiring to be set free and at libertie from it When therfore the law of God hath done his office in man then seeth he in what danger he stādeth This misery and wickednes of mans nature in as much as it is not only not able to keepe the law of god but also doth vtterly euen abhorre it can not well according to the greatnes thereof be ether spokē in word or conceiued in minde Wel then the confession of such our wickednes malice and blindnes breedeth in vs humilitie whē we see our selues in great dāger whē we see our selues to be no body whē we see that we are not able to keep gods holy law whē we see such filthy vncleane works spring frō that pestilēt filthy stincking podle to wit the hart which is a rebel
worthy sentence of the gospell of Christ as a forceable and waighty testimony of the righteousnes of fayth saying that it is not any otherwise to be gotten retained but by fayth And therfore Christ reproueth Cleophas and his cōpanyon for that they beleued not the prophets speaking of Messias and so became pensiue and doutfull In lyke manner doth Abacuk also He bouldly and vehemētly threatneth the Iewes captiuitie yet neuerthelesse he sayth that the comming of the promised Messias should not thereby be hindered at all but he should in deede deliuer them according vnto the prophets And he sayth that they which will be partakers of this deliuerance must lay sure hould by fayth vpon the holy promises of Christ of his passion of his resurrection of his ascention But they which wil not beleue shal not be partakers of Christes merites but remaine captiues in their sinnes and dye for euer ☞ Anna. What and when did Zephane prophecy of Christ and his kingdome ¶ Vrba He prophecied in the 19. yeare of that vertuous prince Iosias king of Iuda and he sayth thus in his 3. chapiter Therefore waight ye vpon me sayth the Lord vntill the day that I rise vp to the pray For I am determined to gather the natiōs and I wil assemble the kingdomes to poure vpon them my indignation euen all my fearce wrath for all the earth shall be deuoured with the fire of my ielosy Suerly then will I turne to the people pure language that they may all call vpon the name of the Lord to serue him with one consent from beyond the riuers of Ethiopia the daughter of my disparsed praying vnto me shal bring me an offring In that day shalt not thou be ashamed for all thy workes wherein thou hast transgressed against me For then I will take away out of the middest of thee them that reioyce of thy pride and thou shalt no more be proud of mine holy mountaine Then I will leaue in the middest of thee an humble and poore people and they shall trust in the name of the lord The remnant of Israell shall do no iniquitie nor speake lyes neither shall a deceitfull tongue be found in their mouth For they shall be fed and ly downe and none shall make them affrayd Reioyce O daughter Sion be ye ioyfull O Israell be glad and reioyce withall thine hart O daughter Ierusalem The Lord hath taken away thy iudgementes he hath cast out their enimies the king of Israell euen the Lord is in the middest of thee thou shalt see no more euill In that day shall be sayd to Ierusalem feare thou not O Sion let not thine handes be faint The Lord thy God in the middest of thee is mighty he will saue he will reioyce ouer thee with ioye he wil quiet him selfe in his loue he wil reioyce ouer thee with ioy After a certayne time will I gather the afflicted that were of thee and them that bare the reproch for it Behold at that time I will bruse all that afflict thee and I will saue her that halteth and gather her that was cast out and I will get them prayse and fame in all the landes of their shame At that time will I bring you agayne and then will I gather you for I will geue you a name and a prayse among all people of the earth whē I turn back your captiuitie before your eyes sayth the Lord. Zephany prophecieth vnto the people what punishment should come vpō them for their sin as Ierusalē and Iuda should be destroyed and the people be lead captiues out of their countrye But seeing the prophets were the ministers of Iesus Christ sent for the true Israels sake their manner is alway after threatning and denuntiations to the people of their deserued punishment to comfort the elect by sweet and plentifull promises of their true deliuerer Christ and of his kingdom to the end the godly should not dispayre in their captiuity as though the Lord would for euer be angry and reuoke hys worde of the promised helpe in Messias Seing I say the chief end of the prophets be the promises of Christ which are the true very Gospell it self they alwayes preach Christ And so doth Zachary here in the end cōfort the Iewes least in the captiuitie of Babilon they should faint and doubt of Gods worde And he prophecieth that the Lord will gather them together againe in a mightie hand and that he will send Christ and spread his kingdome through the whole world and exalt his people vnto the highest stage of honor This is the meaning of this prophesye Ye must needes be captiues whether ye will or no but ye must not therefore dispaire waight onely for the Lordes leasure For when time shall be I will not faile you but helpe you I will rise vp and declare my power to the whole world sayth the Lord. First of all he stirred vp the king of Babilon to seaze vpon the countrey and miserably to destroy all thinges that were in it But the Babilonian king was well fauordly and deuly punished plunged and destroyed againe himselfe of the Meades and Persians Thus the Iewes the people of god were spread all abroad throughout the whole world by those wordes the great prayse honor glory of gods name was better knowē to all men so that euery one might euen with his handes feele and much rather know the God of the Hebrewes to be the true and onely God euen vntill the time of grace it selfe came when the father by his son Iesus Christ was euery where truely knowen and glorified in his Gospell This pure language or those pleasant and sweete lips be the preachers of the Gospell which preach vnto vs mere grace in Christ and offer vs and geue vs true deliueraunce in Messias For by these the fayth of Christ entereth into mens hartes that they maye receaue the holy ghost so together with one hart publickly and openly praye vnto Christ and confesse him to be their onely Sauiour and deliuerer For they all haue one doctrine one spirite one fayth and one hope and they beleue in their hartes that God hath raised Christ from death and they cōfesse with their mouthes that God hath made this Iesus Lord of all thinges and annoynted him to be his Christ and by this fayth are they saued and Iustified He prophecieth also of the greatnes and widenes of Christ his kingdome and he speaketh of that mighty kingdome of Ethiopia lying beyond that great and famous floud Nilus to wit that it also shal be brought to the fayth of Christ and shall haue true worshippers who shall call vpō God through Christ their only mediator and shall by the Gospell be brought as a presēt to our God into Sion his holy temple as we read in the Actes of the Ethiopian chamberlin of the Queene of Cande who came to Ierusalē to worship the true god
Then Ierusalem at that time to wit in the time of Christ when the gospell shall be preached through the whole world thou shalt not be confounded or ashamed any more For thy sins through the Gospell shall then be wiped away and thou shalt plentifully receaue the holy spirite of Messias that thou mayest not be defiled againe with so great Idolatrye as thou wast before The proud hauty and swelling pharises with their accōplises and other of such like stampe which are puffed vp with a perswatiō of their owne holines and trust to their owne righteousnes fastings sacrifice circumsitiō almes deeds the workes of the lawe the temple vpon this presumption haue erected a humain holines of their own reiected the deuine grace of god in Christ these pharisaicall fellowes I say can not abide to acknowledge the true righteousnes of God to wit Iesus Christ as sufficient to saluation whome God himselfe hath geuen vs for our righteousnes and who alone and no other is the fulfilling and end of the Law for righteousnes vnto euery one that beleeueth in him But the Lord hath taken away from the true Ierusalem these proud puft vp Iusticiaries which will be saued by their owne workes and looke not for saluation by the meere and free grace of God that the true Christians may know thē to be seducers and take heede of them Now note that the kingdome of Christ is not an earthly but a spirituall kingdome and that the true christifidelians are not proudly prickt vp in the pomp of worldly vanitie neither doth the world greatly regard them and yet are they in great price and highly glorified with God. He calleth faythfull Christians a miserable and pore people They are not in deed in multitude so many as the wicked be and for the most part the world despiseth and reiecteth them in this earth but with God they are in great honor and highly esteemed For by fayth in Christ they are the childrē and heyres of god whose names are written in the heauens The time is not yet come wherein their glory doth appeare now is the time of trouble with them euen vntill the last day that they may by afflictions crosses and persecutions be made lyke their Maister Christ But at the last day Christes kingdome shal be manifested in glory In the meane time they hould them selues contented with Gods word they trust him who hath promised them true and euerlasting lyfe with sure parfite and eternall treasures He calleth faythfull Christians as other prophets do reliques or remnantes for the smalest cōpany of people come vnto Christ euen as the Lord sayth many are called but few are chosen He calleth thē in Luke his little flocke in whome the Lord is so well pleased that he will geue them his kingdome And where he sayth that the chosen remnant will worke no wickednes it is spoken of the Godlines innocencie integritie and simplicitie of the faythfull because they are honest and simple dealers For they haue that true fayth which worketh by loue And although they are not altogether perfect neyther can in all pointes fulfill the law but haue many infirmities so that they must dayly praye our Father which art in heauen forgeue vs our trespasses and so haue their sinnes also by fayth dayly forgeuen them yet by fayth they are in the gratious kingdom of Christ wherein is perpetuall remission of sinnes and a perpetuall exercise vnto repentaunce and Godlines and the remnant of their sinnes which lurke in their flesh are not imputed vnto them to condemnatiō for Christ the king of glory his sake on whome they beleue and continually call It followeth therefore that the remnant of Israell the faythfull Christians shall liue safely and without daunger For the kingdome of Christ is a kingdome of true peace and securitie in which they are so louing as by fayth in their hartes they lay handes on Christ their Lord who hath ouercome the world and Sathā and both can and will dayly helpe all that be his in all their calamities and dangers What then neede they feare haue they not I pray you in him and of him a true shepheard comforter sauiour deliuerer and a full horne of all happines Now he exhorteth Sion to wit the faythfull Christiās to be hartely merry And he prophecieth very cōfortably of the saluation which Christians haue in Christ the Lord of Sion to wit that Christ saueth christians from punishmēt and turneth their enemies frō them but wheras he deliuereth the earthly Ierusalē driueth away their enemies it is a figure but where as he deliuereth the spirituall Ierusalem to wit the faythfull and taketh away the punishment which their sinnes had deserued and satisfieth for their transgretion and ouercommeth the world death and the deuil and turneth away those enemies from vs this is that true deliueraunce and helpe which Sophonias and other Prophets spiritually had respect vnto What can be spoken more comfortably then that God himselfe is the king of Israell and is ready with vs to helpe vs. For God himselfe is made man and dwelleth with vs We are his tabernacle his possession his darling and his people and he him selfe will alwayes continue with vs there is therfore no cause why we should feare any euill or danger Who can hurt them which haue God the Father and which haue God the son with them as their king reconciler deliuerer and the life it selfe and which haue God the holy ghost as their comforter and earnest peny of their euerlasting inheritaunce and saluation For the prophet vseth that great name Iehoua that is God himselfe 3. persons and one god Is not this kingdome of Christ a glorious and princely kingdome are not these treasures which our faythfull God promiseth by his Prophets in Christ great vnspeakeable and infinite treasures He which hath the Lord God the Father the son and the holy Ghost that summum bonum that onely alone and the chief goodnes to be his defender what can he desire more Wherfore Sophoni sayth furthermore at that time that is in the day of saluation when Christ shall come then shall a ioyfull Message be brought vnto Ierusalē the church as the Angell sayd vnto the sheapherds be not affraid let not thy handfast hold goe that is dispaire not beleue still that God will help thee all things shall hap well your case shall be better thē you can either desire or wishe seeing that thy onely God and mighty Sauior is in the middest of thee And that thou mayest the better looke for helpe and all happines of him be assured of this that thou art so derely beloued vnto him that he doth reioyce in thee euen as the tender father doth in his deerely beloued son when he loueth and cherisheth him The prophet cannot sufficiently declare the ioy which god taketh in the congregation of the faythful Christians saying he will saue thee and he
though the Deuill torment them with griefes and feare them with death hell and Gods iudgementes yet shall they finde in this sermon such so great and so sweete promises of god in christ that there is no soul so fearefull though most fearful no fayth so weake though most weake nor any man so ignorant doubtfull and hartlesse though he be most ignorant doubtfull hartlesse but that he may in this sermō gather such hart receaue such hope and growe vnto such knowledge strength and stabilitie that if he will but come and either heare it or reade it he shall returne as did Cleophas leape lyke an hart walke lyke a Lyon stand lyke a rocke which cannot be moued with any surging sea of temptatiō For that learned byshop of Germany doctor Vrbane Regius hath here so displayed Christ with the kingdome of Christ the mercies of god in christ that if any sad Cleophas doe but couet to come to Emaus the bright morning of the knowledge of Christ his kingdome and will bring but so much good seede with him by gods grace as that he hath a desire to know Christ to heare Christ to enioy Christ and to reason and reade of Christ for this is fayth yea though he be heauy and sorrowfull and come weeping yet shall he in this booke so meete with Christ and heare such a sermon of Christ that it will last him and not leaue him vntill he come to the trew Emaus in deede the bright knowledge of Christ and there shall his blind eyes be opened and he shall see know acknowledge Christ to be his sauiour and shall returne a right Cleophas in deede and bring such showes of fayth hope and peace of conscience with him that Nimrods net shall be broken the pray mans soule shall be deliuered the feare of death and desperation shal be abandoned And of this you may fetch if you will aprobatum est out of the gospell of Saint Luke For he maketh mention of this sermon and sheweth both when where why to whome out of what Christ made it what effect it had in it Thirdly whereas I sayd we are by nature vnperceiuing Ethiopians which reading the Prophets vnderstād not the Prophets this little booke wil well serue vs for a Phillip a sound interpreter of the prophets For it doth so drawe the vale and curtayne of the letter that it manifestly sheweth the precious perle Christ hidden vnder the letter and it so plainely discouereth the field of the olde testamēt that it leadeth vs by the hand to our Iesus that great treasure hidden in the law and the prophets Yea it doth so playnly proue Christ to be Christ that both the ignorant Gentiles and obstinate Iewes may know and acknowledge Christ to be Iesus the sauiour of the world But because we are subiect to many enymies crosses and temptations and so haue neede of comfort and because also when we both haue heare and reade of comfort we be as Thomas was hard receauers of Comfort I thinke it needefull that for the better obtayning of comfort we vse two thinges in the reading of good bookes and the holy scriptures the cornu copia of all comfort The first is that before we read we pray For as of ourselues we are haue nothing so to faythfull prayers is made a promise of all thinges The second is that in all our priuate reading we apply the worde to our selues take that which is there spoken and reade to be spoken to vs or him that readeth it for els shall we neither haue our lyues mended nor our soules comforted by the worde and then the word leeseth his fruitfull effect But if when wee see and heare Ephraim Ierusalē Iuda or the scribes pharises threatened reproued for their sinnes we will in place of them put in our owne selues and names and know it to be spoken to vs as it is in deed if we be lyke thē then no doubt we shall read to our amendement Againe if when we see promises made and comfort geuen and forgeuenes graunted to Iuda Ierusalem and Sion or the Church we will in place of them suppose or put in our owne names and persons and both beleue and know that those promises forgeuenes and those comforts are made set downe and geuen vs and euery one of vs that heare or read them as they are in deede yf we beleue them then shall we finde in this sermon and other holy scriptures such salue for our sores and such comfort for our hartes that sinne shall be subdued dispayre shall be remoued and our heauy hartes shall be comforted And here I will passe ouer the iust prayses which this booke deserueth both in excellēcy of the matter as god hath geuen it in laudablenes of the maner as Vrbane hath hādled it For in that it containeth the prophecyes of Christ and the promises of God true saluatiō vnto all that beleue a wine a man would thinke vēdible enough amongest the depraued and dead sonnes of Adam it doth sufficiently approue and promote it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onely this I thinke meete that before I end I put you in remembraunce that we are all by nature wicked and the childrē of wrath and death and must without the knowledge of those thinges which are set downe in this booke dye as we be and be as we dye euen without Christ firebrandes of hell But now to returne where I began I beseech you honorable and worshipfull Citizens that as you haue heard my dedication was not without cause so now ye will graunt me a petition or two which doe not exceede reason The first is that God hauing his dew prayse for all his goodnes ye would both pardon this my bouldnes and also vouchsafe my simple labors about the heauenly worde no worse entertainement and protection then ye vse to shew to your earthly peuples Secōdly that if ye reape any profit by this worke ye would geue deserued prayse to two learned and well lyued doctors of this church namely M. Barnard Gilpin of the North and M. Iohn Fox of the South Whereof this godly and painefull father moued me to translate it and the other great Moecenas hath brought vp me poore sinner to this little I haue and many other learned men to the Churches commoditye And lastly I beseech you in the Lord that you will take pity vpon your wiues your children your selues and your soules to wit that you will by hearing beleuing practising the word seeke to be safe from Sathan that seeketh to sifte you Furnish your selues and your familyes I pray you with spirituall armour Geue your inward man but euery moneth one of these articles for his repast and let it be well digested Let the spirite once rule ouer the flesh and let Christes spouse the soule now at the last be as well bewtified as the Deuills cōcubine
Christ and being sent vnto thē on whitsōday taught thē put them in remembrance of all thinges which were written of Christ which Christ before his death with his own tongue had taught them And looke what soeuer the Holy Ghost taught them it tended only to this end That they might know Christ and by Christ know the Father and through this knowledge be iustifyed and saued ¶ Anna. It is possible then as far as I perceiue to know what that Sermon was which Christ made to those two Discyples as they went to Emaus wherewith he made their harts so burne within them But if I also might come to the hearing of that Sermon Oh I would desire nothing in comparyson of it nay I had rather heare that sweet Sermon then haue all the pleasures in the earth and ioyes of the world ☞ Vrb. You may easily coniecture what that Sermon was seeing he expounded all the Prophets beginning at Moyses Doth not Luke I pray you eloquently and plainly testifie that he expounded to thē all that is writen of him in the wholl Scripture It was the Prophesies therfore which are writen in the Scripture of Christ which he interpreted vnto them which is nothing els but euen the very Gospel it self which he commaunded his Discyples to preach and spread euen to the worlds end For this Gospel is the doctrine of Christ the Sonne of God which telleth why he was made man and declareth to vs the eternall counsell of God the Father and his great good wil to vs in promising so redely that he wil be our Father and in imbrasing vs with more then a Fatherly affection and in vouchsafeing to knowledge vs for his deere Sonnes but onlye through his onlye begotten Sonne Christ This Gospel teacheth vs also that the Father so ordained that when the fulnes of time was come Christ should be born true man of the seed of Dauid and that he should dye on the Crosse and rise againe from the dead to the end he might purge mannes sinnes pay the raunsom for them destroy and take away death bring vs to euerlasting life reconcile his Father to vs and ascend into heauen and sitting there at the right hand of his Father begin his true and euerlasting kingdome where we shal raign and reioyce with him for euer Into this glory would his father haue him to enter by his own payn passion and opprobrious death of the Crosse That by this meanes he might deserue the same glory for vs This was done at Ierusalem vnder Herod Pontius Pilat and Caiphas when Tiberius Caesar was Emperor and so were the Prophesies fulfilled which are written of him Now he sitteth at the right hand of Gods Maiesty and being Lord of all he defendeth and gouerneth his Church that is to say all godly and truely beleeuing men by the holy Ghost and in the last day he shall come in his Maiesty to iudge the quick and the dead and shall geue euerlasting Life to those that beleeue But he shall throw hedlong down into hel amongst the multitude of Deuils all those that at that day shall not haue beleeued the Gospell And he doth by his Ministers dayly declare vnto vs these his Merits Works precious Passion Resurrection and Ascention into Heauen That those which beleeue of Christ the sonne of God as the scriptures do speake of him might be deliuered from the burthen of their sinnes be reconcyled to God the Father and liue with him for euer in the glory of Christ And for this cause especially doth the gospel moue vs and cal vs to repentaunce to the end that we may be hartely sory for our sinnes that we may abhor and detest our sinnes and with al our indeuour fly al things that might moue vs to sinne seeing our sinnes could be taken away by no other Sacrifice but only by the most precious bloud of Christ which he shed for vs that he might cleanse vs and delyuer vs from sinne death and hel And furthermore the Gospel promiseth remission of sinnes and euerlasting life to all that beleeue in Christ and refuse not this Gospel but with all their hart faithfully receiue the same vsing it reuerently and holyly And thus of meere grace without all our deserts only for the works and merits of Christ if we beleeue in him are we washed from our sinne beutefyed with the holy Ghost and are iustifyed sanctifyed saued and made heyres with God and coheyres with Christ in his kingdome and liue for euer We also heare the Gospell with a godly deuotion we trust in Christ and we beleeue him to be the only Sauyour of the world And then also are we angry with our sinnes and detest and abhor them we repent vs and are sory that through our sinnes we haue offended God we begin better to frame our liues and we loue God with all our harts which hath bestowed his great and wonderful mercy and his vnspeakable and infinite goodnes in Christ Iesu his Sonne vpon vs we loue also our neighbours euen as Christ loued vs and we doe our diligence that we may as becometh holy children lead a chast holy modest sober and innocent life after Christes example and so for the loue of righteousnes and godlynes we doe all good works sauing that while we are in this flesh we haue not the full feeling of our frailtye and sinne and that our faith and knowledge of Christ that is of the great and incomprehensible mercy loue care grace and benefits which in Christ and for Christ are freely geuen and bestowed vpon vs is not full perfect and pure in this life but while we liue doth stil grow and increase And we must also fight and striue continually while we liue with the flesh and mortefie renue and reforme our old Adam vntil the Image of God be renued again in vs and vntil we shall haue put on that most beutiful and holy Image of Christ like as before our receiuing of faith and regeneration we did beare that euil fauoured and horrible Image of the old Adam Now you haue heard what Christ taught his two Disciples And without doubt the Apostls afterward taught the same things which Christ did teach and confirmed the doctrine of Christ after the same sort by the Prophets wrytings For the holy Ghost had sufficyently instructed them therto as plainly appeareth in the Actes of the Apostles ¶ Anna. As far then as I perceiue Christ preached nothing to those two Discyples out of the prophesies but the very pure doctrine of the Gospel wherby they might learn what Christ was for what cause he was sent into this world what he did what he suffered what he meryted by his suffering and how we might haue benefit by his Merits and what was to be hoped and looked for of him This then no doubt was it that comforted them so made their harts so glad ☞ Vrb. And haue not these thinges I pray you sufficient matter inough to make
and with a holy violence as it were forsably entreth in vnto him and voluntarily submitteth yeldeth vp and dedicateth him selfe wholy to him as appeareth in Mat. But now geue care and mark what Siloh doth import why he would by this name vnderstād Christ This noble personage is so rich prosperous flowing with aboundance of all good things that none of the kings of the Iewes nay not all the kings cā match him or compare with him alone And Christs kingdome is another and clean contrary kingdome to the kingdomes of other kings and shal be gouerned after another sort then earthly kingdomes be nay all other kingdomes must geue place to this king which out of doubt could not be if this Siloh should haue bin a king whose kingdome and princely dignity enduring but a short time had ended with the kinges as the kingdome of Dauid Salomon and the rest did or if this kingdome of his should haue looked for another king to succeed him as did the kingdome of Iuda wayt for him It must needes therfore be that here should be a marueilous great change of kings and that this king whose comming is here foretold should be clean another kind of king and prince then others were otherwise the Scriptures would neuer haue named him Siloh which signifyeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a most blessed happy fortunat Lord who in al things he goeth about hath passing prosperous succes Here then in this word may Christes death immortality and eternity be gathered if it be well and throughly pondered For first he was to be true and naturall man and consequently mortall for he was to come of the tribe of Iuda being of the seed of Abraham and sonne of Dauid Secondly he was to be immortal and should rise agayne from death and lyue for euer because the scripture describing him sayth he shal be a royal prince farre differing from other kinges and much more honorable mighty and great then all the former princes of Iuda which orderly succeding one another raigned vnto his comming This king committeth not his kingdom to any other to rule neither hath he any successour he yeldeth not to any man but hauing once taken the scepter in hand in Herodes time he ruleth and raigneth a king for euer Which could not otherwyse be but that he should first die and hauing put of this miserable and short lyfe by death rise agayne death beyng ouercome to immortality and liue for euer That the scriptures might be fulfilled and that Christ might be such a king and Siloh as to whom not only the Iewes might cleaue but also whom all the world might acknowledge receiue worship for their God and king And finally that he might after this sort be true man and king of the stocke of Dauid and yet neuertheles immortall inuisible and eternall and raigne after this sort in fayth spiritually for euer ¶ Anna. If Cleophas and his fellow had well vnderstoode this prophesie which was the testament of that their Patriark Iacob they had not been so offended at Christs death ☞ Vrb. Indeed this prophesie might sufficiently haue instructed them and they might haue learned plainly inough out of it how Gods will and purpose was that Messias or Siloh should be put to death and yet not remayne in death but rise agayn to deliuer Israel and raigne for euer But they as yet beleued not the prophesies as these their wordes of incredulitie do sufficiently argue declare where they say a. We hoped it had bene hee that should haue deliuered Israel For their hartes as yet wauered and were vnconstāt and they supposed that Christ had ben vtterly extinct and dead for euer and themselues cleane frustrate of their hope For seing Christ himselfe was now put to death they dreamed that he could neither help nor deliuer other men from death and therefore Christ sayth vnto them O fooles and slow of hart to beleue all things that the Prophets haue spoken Ought not Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory ¶ Anna. Wrote Moses nothing els of Christ in Genesis ☞ Vrb. I haue determined to expound those prophesies onely which most specially plainely and euidently speake of Christ For if I would explicate and run through all the mysteries and types which are in Genesis I could finde many moe of Christ and his church ¶ Anna. Moses in the 14. of Genesis briefly describeth Melchisedech I haue often heard you say that Christ was called Melchisedech I praye you tell me why he was called so ☞ Vrb. There is an excellent and comfortable mystery of Christ in Melchisedech in the 14. of Gen. And Paul in the seuenth chapter to the Hebrewes doth famously and aptly expound the same saying Melchisedech the priest of the most high God is a figure of our Lord Iesu Christ to whome God the father fayth thus in the 110. Psal. Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech ¶ Anna. What was Melchisedechs order in his priesthoode ☞ Vrb. The state and order of his priesthoode is maruelous and altogether differing from the state of the priests of the law In the law of Moses there was a priesthood of the tribe of Leui. That priesthood offered vp sacrifice and prayed for other and for thēselues and they taught the law of God in which euery man might see his sinne and the curse due for his sinne But this priesthood could deliuer none from their sinne or from the curse Moreouer there were many Priestes that succeded one another for they died others came in their places neither was there any one that still enioyed the office of priesthood But Melchisedech was a maruelous priest of whom Moses speaketh but little But the holy ghost expounds the same more at large in the 7. to the Hebrues saying Melchisedech by interpretation is the king of righteousnes after that he is also king of Salem that is king of peace without father without mother without kinred and hath neither beginning of his dayes neither ende of lyfe but is likened vnto the sonne of God and continueth a priest for euer Moreouer he blessed the Patriarke Abraham who notwithstanding had the promises of the blessing of god All these were fulfilled in Christ as Dauid witnesseth saying The Lord hath sworn and will not repent thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech That is to say Thou art a priest cleane after another sort then Aaron and his successors were For they were mortall men who by the cōmaundement or law of God could condemne and bring al men vnder the curse but could not deliuer or quit any man from the curse And such were both their sacrifices the priesthod itselfe that they could not take away euen the least sinne that is But thou O Christ art the true Melchisedech the euerlasting and true king and priest And this must you after this sort vnderstand
and take away vngodlines wickednes sinfull deeds and that he might teach instill aduance and commend godlines and vertue in all men to make thē flie the euill and do the good It followeth The Iles shall waite for his law That is to say his doctrine shal be further spread be published in moe regions thē the law of Moses was which only was kept within the borders of Iury. This doctors doctrine shal be further spread For euen the Gentils which he here meaneth by the Iles shall and do looke for that doctrine that is it shall go through the whole world The Hebrue worde Thorah which the Translator interpreteth law signifieth also doctrine may well be so translated Now thē this Thorah or doctrine of Christ is that sauing doctrine of the gospell which ministreth vnto vs true ioy comfort and geueth a present helpe and salue for euery sore and sickenes that happeneth vnto vs Mathew alleageth this prophesie afterward sayth In his name shall the gentils trust according to the Greeke translation of the 70. interpreters who haue rightly expoūded this prophesie For in the Gospel the name of Christ is published preached and sayd to be our most redy and alone help ayde sauegard and saluation in all miseries and necessities As Peter saith to Cornelius the Ethnike shewing him the right way of saluation the words be these All the Prophets giue witnes to Christ that through his name all that beleue in him shal receiue remissiō of sinnes Neither by any other name but by the name of Christ be sins forgiuē through his merites onely not any of ours haue we forgiuenes of our sins by his merites only be we sinners forgiuen Christ alone none but Christ is our righteousnes But let vs go forward with the prophesie out of the same chap. Thus saith God the Lord He that created the heauens and spread them abroade he that stretcheth forth the earth the buddes therof he that giueth breth vnto the people vpō it and spirit to them that walke therin I the lord haue called thee in righteousnes will hold thy hand and I wil kepe thee and giue thee for a couenant of the people and for a light of the Gentils that thou maist open the eyes of the blind and bring out the prisoners frō the prison and them that sit in darkenes out of the prison house Behold here and see how plainly sweetly and graciously God the father setteth forth his sonne Christ yea how excellently he describeth his person and his office He doth not say he should be an angry and imperious Moses or some fearefull or proud prince who with his hie lookes should amase mē he doth not say his sonne at his comming should be such an one but he sayth that he should be a mild and officious doctor and teacher which should study and seeke for nothyng els but to bring his bywanderers into the right way to teach and instruct the ignorant and rude and to bring them that are in errour vnto the truth which may saue their soules and to comfort erect fortify and to encourage the faint harted sad sorowfull astonied and men driuen to desperation and to certifie them of gods free mercy and great grace and to deliuer them from al dāgers and calamities both of body and soule And least any man should doubt of these so great excellent and infinite benefites which here he promiseth by Christ he speaketh first and formost of his great and vncredible omnipotency saying that he is the Lord which maketh all things which fostereth all things which cherisheth refresheth gouerneth guideth all things But if he can do these things as certainly he can then can he also performe this that he promiseth As if he should say thus as surely as I haue made heauen earth so surely and truly will I call or send Christ into the earth I the Lord haue called thee in righteousnes We were all vnrighteous and so voyde of all righteousnes that of necessitie one must nedes be sent of such righteousnes that he might in our behalfe satisfy gods iustice teach vs true righteousnes and print it in our hartes This one is Christ the sonne of God in whose mouth is found no deceit he is the autor liuely paterne of al righteousnes nay he is perfect and very righteousnes it selfe he by that his most perfit righteousnes hath redemed vs most righteously from Sathans tirannicall power al other maladies God called him that he might teach vs not teach vs only but also endue vs with true righteousnes for without him there is no righteousnes I will hold thy hand and I will keepe thee Although Christ be the stone of offence and signe which is spoken against for we see Sathan and the world with all their power wisdom and hypocritical holines set thēselues ioyntly against him yea and that with such strength diligence force and violence that oftentimes the outward face of the true church appeareth miserable and semeth not able to stand and saue it self from such strōg enemies which are so forsable cunning subtill and deceitfull so that it is not much vnlike but the Gospell should be troden downe and be destroyed though I say Christ be thus spoken against yet notwithstāding shall Christ his worde with all that beleue his word persist and gloriously florish Where as the aduersaries of Christ and christians with all their subtill deuises shal be brought to extreme calamity be destroied vtterly fal horribly die miserably and perish eternally And yet doth not mans strength and power here fight against men for then the victory should be vncertayne and our state vnstable and weak but the mighty hand of God the father which createth and preserueth all things doth kepe and vphold Christ and therefore he cannot be ouercome mooued or destroyed For who shall take him out of the handes of him that made all things which is almighty and liueth for euer And this is a great comfort For the church being in this world of men so contemned with perils so indangered with rauening wolues so inuironed and with the wiles deceits subtilties crafty inuentions of the aduersary so compassed assailed And although this king lord of the catholike church came into this world as a mild doctor without any such pōpe as worldly princes vse so that the world supposeth that there is no strength power ayde or helpe for vs in him yet haue we on our side a most mighty and inuincible strength with certaine and present ayde and succor euen the right hand of the Lord which taketh vp defendeth sustaineth strengtheneth and kepeth Christ and all that beleue in Christ And I haue giuen thee for a couenaunt of my people Though Christ and his church be very contemptible and haue no beauty at all in the sight of the world yet in this haue we
wāteth the fayth feare of god Wherefore the workes of the flesh can not truly be called good workes neither doe they satisfye the law of god For the law is spiritual And therfore it must be spiritually fulfilled with the hart spirite When we haue thus confessed our miserye then craue we the mercye of God and then doe wee earnestly desire to be delyuered from the curse of the law to be made righteous And the more truely thorowly that we acknowledge and feel our misery calamity so much more earnestly and zealously doe we craue and desire Gods help But in al these euils we finde nether help nor comfort any where els but in Iesus Christ He is the fulfilling and end of the law to all that beleeue If Christ doe not help vs in this case then doe we still abide and remayne captiues vnder the law in this tormēt pricke of conscience But the Father sent him for this cause as Esay heare witnesseth that he might preach and bring deliueraūce to those that be thus captiue vnder the law Which thing he then performed when he became accursed for vs vpon the crosse that thereby he might delyuer vs from the eternall curse of the law And when he him selfe preached the Gospell saying Come vnto me all you that are wery and ladē and I will ease you And God so loued the world that he hath geuē his only begottē Son that who so euer beleueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life For God sent not his Son into the world that he should condemne the world but that the worlde through him might be saued And who so beleueth in him is not condemned It followeth The acceptable yeare of the Lord. Christ sayth in Luke that Hee was sent to preach the Gospell to the poore that is to comfort the world with glad tidinges Esay prophesied the same in this place saying that Christ should preach that ioyfull or acceptable yeare to wit that after those dolefull dayes the happy yeare should come the tyme of Gods grace the new testament whiche Christ him selfe preached vnto vs in which we shall heare nothing but meere grace and forgeuenes of our sinnes This is that most happy yeare of Iubilie in which is published by the gospell full perfect euerlasting and continuall lybertie and freedome from all our sinnes Which thing Zachary song thus in Luke God hath raysed vp a horn of saluation vnto vs in the house of his seruant Dauid That is the kingdome of saluation as he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which were since the world began saying That he would geue vs deliuerāce from our enemies from the hands of all that hate vs. That by Christ we might receiue forgeuenes of all our sinnes This is euen so fulfilled for Christ hath both preached and dayly doth preach and also by his Euangelists and Ministers shal preach the same vnto the end of the world as he speaketh of that yeare by Paul who sayth We therefore as workers together beseech you that you receaue not the Grace of God in vayne For hee sayeth In an acceptable tyme I haue heard thee and in the day of saluation I haue succoured thee Behold now is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the acceptable tyme behold now is the day of saluation Is not this a sweet and pleasaunt doctrine to a troubled and terryfied conscience Here you see not one word that saith that Christ should be a terryble Iudge or one of whom we should be afrayd But euery word declareth him to be a most mercyfull and sweet preacher of glad tydings But now it followeth The day of reuenge of our God. This is fearful and yet it nothing toucheth them that beleeue in Christ For this is not spoken against the beleeuers in Christ but against the aduersaryes of Christ which will not beleeue in Christ Who because they contemne this Iubilie and yeare of grace and because they refuse the blessings offered in Christ shall suffer the curse and be abiects from God as men that shall neuer either feel or enioy any houre or moment of that acceptable yeare and blessed time And seeing they would neither heare nor see the sweet Sauyour Christ they shal both perceiue and feele the foule and horrible Deuil Sathan whose tiranny they shal neuer shake of That I might comfort all that mourn This is the fruite of this preaching of Christ that all that mourne and are sad in hart which were oppressed with contynuall and exceeding anguish lying Captiues vnder the Law Sinne and death may now receaue comfort and be refreshed in as much as they see that now they be released from their sinnes Wherefore their mourning and sorrow vanisheth and in place therof commeth comfort and consolation And as they were in vnbeleef before they receiued the gospel wild crooked vnprofitable and barrain trees of vnrighteousnes and as Ieremy saith Wild brambles heth in the wildernes or bushes in the desert the vnfruitfull ground of this world So by faith of the Gospel and this consolation they shal be most pleasant and fruitful trees planted by the water side which take such deep roote in this moysture that though euen the greatest heate of tempation should assail them yet doe they not feare fade or fall away but their leaues florish stil and are green and wyther not in the dangerous drought or scorching heat of sōmer but in their due time bring forth their fruit For as they beleue in hart so doe they cōfes with mouth Such as is the inward faith such is the outward confession and so doe they preach forth without ceasing the goodnes of the Lord. It would be long to rehearse all that this Prophet onely hath prophesied of the ministery and humility of Christ in his former cōming there be many things also spoken of this matter in other places and titles of Christ But in good sooth how say you is not this an exceeding humility and lowlynes of Christ that he would vouchsafe to become such a king whose kingdome should lye on his own shoulders that is to say who had all vs wretched sinners and our sinnes layd vpon his shoulders He bare vs in his crosse and offered him self a sacrifice for our offences and after this sort louingly sought his lost sheepe and brought it into the way And this is the cause that they paynt the child Christ with a crosse on his shoulders Worldly Princes in their kingdomes are brauely painted adorned and set forth in their colours and in sundry rich attyres with their armes blazed and heades gloriously crowned holding a Scepter in the right hand and a round apple in the left And wel so for they are Lords of the world and therefore they vaunt themselues gloriouslye in worldly magnificence and corporall things But Christ ouercommeth in his Crosse ruleth his kingdome by his word and spirit in hidden
things which in his word he hath promised vs For he geueth vs the holy ghost who giueth vs faith confirmeth vs with his word that we may depēd vpō him cōstantly cleaue to him as to a most strong rock so in all aduersities calamities stande stedfast vnmoueable against the assaults iniuries of our enemies so the at the last we may ouercome them vanquish them with the Psalmist reioyce say the lord our God is my strength And with Paul to the Phil. I am able to do al things through the helpe of Christ which strengthneth me The fourth name is Gibbor that is the lord or giant In the former names we are taught what maner and meane Christ vseth and how he handeleth vs when he wil bring vs to his kingdome First of all he handleth vs straightly mortifieth our olde Adam which seemeth vnpleasant to the flesh worketh al things so by contrarieties that our reason is confounded and knoweth not how to vnwynd it selfe Secondly he comforteth vs by his gospel Thirdly he is present with vs in all his might and strength deliuereth vs out of al extremities and perill But this 4. name telleth vs how Christ vseth and handleth his and our enemies Christ is called in the scriptures Gibbor that is lord or giant for his inuincible might and power For seyng he is king and will gouerne his kingdome peaceably he must nedes suppresse and vanquish the enemies of his kingdome that christians may liue safely without feare and hurt but he cannot beat down and breake the force of his enemies without great power seyng Satan with the world and sinne with death are most horrible vgly strong and outrageous enemies Death is stronger then the whole world And Satan as Iob witnesseth is of such might strength that al men in the world are not to be compared to him He is the prince of all the children of pride and disdaine And he is that strong mā armed that kepeth his palace so that all that he possesseth is in peace But Christ is much stronger who ouercommeth the euil spirite and deliuereth vs from all power of darknes wherof Dauid saith He reioiceth like a mighty man or giant to run his course Christ hath ouercome death the deuil now alone the lord of all things is with great triumph rightly honored by these titles He is lord to whō euery knee doth bow and lord ouer the quicke and the dead And Iohn saith Christ the sonne of God appeared that he might loose the workes of the deuil And Paul to the Col. saith He hath spoiled the principalities power hath made a shew of thē openly and hath triumphed ouer thē in the same crosse He is called in Esay Maher schalal that is make hast to pray As if one should say a quicke spoiler Hashbaz that is make hast to spoile or a spedy spoil We were the miserable seruants of the deuill sold vnder sinne and he held vs vnder his tiranny molested vs at his pleasure will. Thē came the mighty giant our lord Christ a lion of the tribe of Iuda fought with that prince of darknes which had rule ouer death got the victory and by his death destroyed the power of the enemy set vs being deliuered out of his tiranny at liberty according to that of Iohn If the sonne shall make you free you shal be free in deed The 5. name is Abiad that is a father for euer or always and euermore a father world without end By this name we feele and perceiue the mercy clemency pity grace of this child toward vs Because he will not be such a king amongst vs his poore people as at whose maiesty the godly shold be amased feare quake trēble but he loueth vs fatherly he embraceth vs louingly he wil norish defēd cherish vs singularly And as a godly louing father is by the instinct of nature wel affected to his welbeloued son as he is careful ouer his child alwais thinking how to prouide for him honestly how to bring him vp vertuously how to instruct frame tech chastē gouern rule defēd him fatherly make him apt fit for his heritage So doth Christ in his kingdom with vs Here is nothing but natural loue fatherly affectiō toward vs nothing but a vehement loue nothing but a care and desire to do vs good nothing but infinite beneuolence towards vs. But in this simile there is great difference betwene a worldly father Christ our father For we haue much greater better and fatherly gifts of Christ thē any beloued sonne hath of his earthly father though he be a most louyng intreater of his children The earthly father which is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in deede loueth his children careth for them fostereth them cherisheth them fedeth them and bringeth them wel vp yet this care regard good will and diligence of earthly parents is temporal and cannot continue abide for euer And it happeneth oftentimes that when the children stande most need of their parents helpe or counsaile then are theyr fathers constrained to leaue them and dye But Christ is always our perpetual euerlasting eternal father for he suffred once for vs his childrē now he suffreth no more And he neither can nor wil leaue vs without helpe he both can wil maintaine feed care for kepe and defend vs here for euer God prepareth vs here for his own inheritance that after this temporall lyfe we may liue with him for euer And hereunto accordeth very well the translation of the 70. interpreters who cal this word Abiad father of the world to come or of the lyfe that shall be to the ende they may thereby signify the mystical resurrection into lyfe euerlasting of all that beleue in Christ At which tyme shal be plainly opened and reueled in what honor and dignity the godly shal be and how derely Christ hath loued them how he hath embraced them and what care he had ouer thē Let therfore euery godly mā kepe this title of Christ in his mynd whē death approcheth he shal find therby a singuler comfort For then he knoweth that Christ is not only here but shal be for euer a most louing father Which thing Paule knew very well and was thereof throughly persuaded yea he had so grounded it in hys hart that euē in death he was of good courage saying Christ is to me life and death is to me aduauntage I desire to be loosed and to be with Christ Why then do we not desire to be dissolued why then are we not desirous to die how happeneth it that we feare death truly because we do not firmly and constantly beleue the scriptures because our faith is weake little And because we let not this heauenly and deuine comfort of Gods
liuely word where Christ is called a father for euer so depely and thorowly sinke into our harts and because we do not meditate so of it do not so wel vnderstand it nor so stedfastly beleue it as Paul did For our harts would not so faile vs as they do if we beleued and certainly knew what a God what a King what a lyfe and what a father Christ is vnto all those that faithfully beleue The name is Sarscholam that is a prince of peace Christ hath a kingdom wherin is peace security safety freedome from death Satan and all other dangers But here is all the labor and trauel to come vnto to attaine to dwel in that euerlasting kingdom If we be once there then are we safe without gunshot then are we sure then are we in a most happy state If sinne pricke vs in our consciences Christ is by by at hand defendeth vs He toke our sinnes vpon him and satisfied for them and became our righteousnes He put out as Paule saith the hand writing of ordinances that was against vs which was contrary to vs he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vpon the crosse Of this true heauenly peace the scripture speaketh in many places As to the Rom. where Paule sayth We haue peace toward God through our lord Iesus Christ Sinne had made vs the enemies of God as Paul calleth vs in the same place But Christ himself wiped away our sinnes and reconciled vs vnto God so that now he is not an enemy or iudge vnto vs but a welbeloued father For if when we were his enemies we were reconciled vnto God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled we shal be saued by his lyfe And not onely so but also reioycing in god through our lord Iesus Christ by whom we haue receiued the atonement And nowe in Christ Iesus we which once were farre of are made neere by the bloud of Christ for he is our peace This therefore is true peace when we haue peace with God through our mediator peacemaker Christ For what would the peace and friendship of all the world and worldly creatures auaile profit vs if God were our enemy and angry with vs but if God who taketh more care for vs and loueth vs better then any father doth hys children fight for vs if we be at one with him if he wish vs wel and if he profit vs what can now hurt vs how can the earth with all the creatures therein euen once touch vs Thus you heare that when we beleue in Christ we haue this peace with God thorough Christ so that we may now say If God be on our side who can be against vs and he that kepeth Israel will neither slumber nor slepe Wherefore although we haue affliction in this world yet haue we perfect peace in Christ our peace-maker 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Sarscholam that is the prince of peace or peacemaker He obtained merited peace for vs with God the father giueth vs his spirite the spirit of peace that we may also haue peace with our neighbour He wisheth vs this peace saying Peace I leaue with you my peace I giue you not as the world giueth it c. He also preserueth vs that we be not hurt of our enemies that we may be safe from all dangers By these epithetons names of Christ many mysteries are to be noted as that he is true God that he shold die because he was borne a mā but that he should not abide in deth because he was to raign eternally Wherby is plainly truly proued that both Christ we shal rise againe For we which beleue in Christ both are his members enheritance and kingdom shal be for euer The sonne hath prayed for vs his praiers are heard The father hath giuen vs his sonne with him shall we dwel for euer Our mansion house our lodging our abiding place is already prepared And Christ saith in Ioh. Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am In the wordes following the prophet Esay prophecieth of the euerlasting kyngdome of Christ how it should be great seyng he was to be king not only of the Iewes but euen of the Gentils also dispersed through the whole world how he should daily increase and inlarge his dominion euen to the last day and how he should execute confirme establish and for euer preserue and gouerne the same by iustice and iudgement but of this part of the prophesie I will speake more by Gods grace in the title of the kingdome of Christ You haue heard before where I expoūded the 5. of Micheas and the 2. of Luke where and how the child Christ should be borne Well then Christ was borne at Bethelem Iuda in December in the midst of Winter and was swadled layd in a manger For Ioseph and Mary could not be lodged in any Inne for there was no roume for them The holy prophet foretold this sacred and blessed birth of Christ as you haue heard And the angels from heauen afterward did declare it vnto the shepeheardes in Luke where the angel saith Be not afraid for behold I bring you tidings of great ioy that shal be to all the people that is that vnto you is borne this day a sauiour in the city of Dauid which is Christ the lord And straight way ther was with the Aungell a multitude of heauenly souldiours praysing God and saying glory be to God in the heauens and peace in earth towards men good wil. The shepeherdes which saw this birth of Christ published and shewed it abroade The starre also in the East and the wisemen which came thēce vnto Bethelem were witnesses of the birth of Christ Simeon also Anna in the temple saw this childe who was the promised author of our saluation and they bare witnes that Messias was present And this doth the whole church of Christ beleue confesse preach and declare through all the world and the name of God is preached and praised in euery place And these glad tidings to wit that Iesus Christ our saluation is borne in Bethelem is preached in euery place And Ierusalem that is the catholike church doth reioyce and skippe for ioy for this natiuity bringeth vnto vs all felicity saluation and consolation ⧠Of Christes flying into Egypt ¶ Anna. WHat say the Prophetes of Christes flying into Egypt ☞ Vrb. Mathew saith in his 2. chap. when the wise men of the East returned from India they returned into their own country an other way and went not to Herode After their departure the angel of the lord appeared vnto Ioseph in a dreame saying arise and take the babe his mother flie into Egypt there lie vntil I bring thee word for Herod wil seke
our body here is a natural body and to the fustentation therof we must if we wil liue eate drinke slepe disgest purge And the same body is weried and in the ende corrupteth and fadeth And therfore as sone as that soule departeth frō the body the corps beginneth to smell putrify so that no man can abide the stinke therof This is the dishonor which for sinne is laid vpon the body But in the last day the lord wil trāsfigure our body into such brightnes make it so beautiful that it shal be like the sunne so shal alway abide continue a firm sound immortal body without bodily meat fed of god for euer And therfore saith Paul pointing as it were to his body with his finger this corruptible body wherin I now stād sit walke speake this same body I say must put on incorruption this mortal must put on immortalitie When this corruptible body hath put on incorruption this mortal hath put on immortalitie then shall bee brought to passe the saying that is written Death is swalowed vp into victory ¶ Anna. Now I haue heard the fruit of Christes passion resurrection which I take to be this That what Satan in Adam our nature by sin had corrupted destroyed the Christ by his death resurrection hath recouered restored to wit he hath destroyed sin ouercome death giuen life that we which beleue in Christ may be deliuered from our sins freed from the tiranny of deth the diuel be made heires of euerlasting life Now shew me what maner of kingdom Christs kingdom is which is so magnifically set forth promised vnto vs in the law prophets and euangelists ☞ Vrb. The kingdom of Christ which is promised in the prophets is a spirituall kingdom not of this world it is a kingdom of euerlasting blessednes mercy truth righteousnes peace life wisdom light ioy security liberty euerlasting saluatiō in which Christ the king of glory being taken vp into heauen exalted at the right hand of god doth by the gospel the holy ghost in fayth raigne inuisibly gouern defend al that beleue in him euen in the midst of their cruel deadly enemies to wit the world Satan heretikes persecuters of the church sin death Moreouer he is our intercessor in heauen to god the father he forgiueth vs our sinnes he sēdeth his holy spirit into our hartes he renueth repayreth our corrupted depraued decaied nature and he restoreth in vs the most beutiful image of god which through sinne was blotted out destroyed in vs To be briefe he sanctifieth vs defendeth vs preserueth vs in all dangers euils and so he in this life euen vnto the day of iudgement gathereth vp into his kingdom which is the true catholike church of the godly the children of God dispersed throughout the whole world He ouercōmeth in them sinne death the prince of this world by this means he prepareth maketh thē redy for that great glorious day of our full perfect redemption And although the godly die in the mortal body yet will he raise thē all again at the last day and they shall liue with Christ for euer But vntil the day both the euil and the good the godly the vngodly shal be mixt dwel together and the vngodly wil colourably seeke to beare a face and outward shew of godlines wil also be taken in place for godly nay they will be the chiefe in this earth and sit as magistrates vaunt themselues to be the heads of the church as Annas and Caiphas did in Christes tyme yea they wil root out curse and vehemētly persecute the true godly to the vttermost For in deede the true church is so hidden in this world the some times in great temptations it cannot for a space see it selfe ¶ Anna. What meaneth the miserable people the Anabaptists what madnes moueth them to seeke to cōgregate a church heare in this world which shold be pure vnspotted vndefiled and without all blot and where in they wil haue no sinner seing that euē the godly offend fal in many things the greatest part of those which are called christiās are mere hypocrits very wicked mē ☞ Vrb. These miserable mē vnderstand not the scriptures And therefore they know not what is the true church what maner of church it is or what the state of the true church is in this world Christ only is he which at the last day shal purge the chaffe that is the vngodly frō the good wheat which is the godly christians In the meane time that godly are compelled here to dwel liue among the vngodly And yet shall they not haue any discōmōditie or losse therby if they learne not at thē to liue be vngodly The godly may bear publik offices haue such politike functions as the ciuile magistrate doth ordain so long as they be not cōmaunded compelled to do that that is contrary to the commaundement of God and his holy word yea they both may with a safe conscience also ought as far as belōgeth to the body tēporal goods vse al humane publike ordināces and cōtracts which make for that maintenāce of this life society If so be they may be suffred to kepe retaine the true doctrine of the sauing gospel liue as it cōmādeth ¶ Anna. Seing you haue alredy described the kingdom of Christ I pray you discouer me the kingdō of Satan ☞ Vrb. Sathans kingdom is quite contrary vnto the kingdom of Christ it is a kingdom of euerlasting perdicion of lies of death of sinne of ignorance of blindnes of darkenes of heauines of affliction of sorrowe and of continuall captiuity and damnation And this kingdom of condemnation beginneth in this worlde and hath in it all the vngodly which will not beleue and obey the Gospell in whom the euill spirit worketh and is effectual And therupon is called in Iohn the prince of this world the god of this world This spirit blindeth the mynds of that vnbeleuers so that they see not the most cleare light of the gospel of the clearenes of Iesus Christ which is the image and caracter of God. ¶ Anna. How doth Sathan raigne in this world ☞ Vrb He is the strong man armed in his house of whō Luke speaketh who kepeth the wicked in his hande and hath thē in his power driueth thē whether he will at his pleasure Paul saith he bindeth thē holdeth thē in strōg lies errors darknes bewitcheth their harts and casteth thē hedlong into al wickednes filthines vncleannes and moueth and inflameth thē to all vngodlines Satan is alwais an enemy and an aduersary vnto true christians in all their godly enterprises procedings He stirreth vp fals teachers and draweth many into horrible heresies He alwais maketh
and ascend into that euerlasting and glorious kingdō of heauen and so could not be kept in death He must also of necessity haue some people ouer whō he myght be Lord and king and whom he might rule gouern Wherefore his people also can not abide in death but must with their eternall king liue for euer I would haue you make much of this Psalme For I tell you this is a notable Psalm and most comfortable of al other psalmes Agayne in the 69. psalme the prophet doth plainly and manifestly speake of Christes passion the fruit therof saying thus in the person of Christ They haue hated me without a cause I restored that which I toke not The rebukes of them that rebuked thee are fallen vpon me They gaue me gall in my meate and in my thirst they gaue me vineger to drinke Here is set downe the ende of Christes passion and cause why he would suffer to wit that he might paye our debtes and beare our sinnes vpon the crosse He was our pledge and surety and when we coulde not performe and pay that which we ought he payed our debtes for vs If we should haue paid our debtes our selues that is if we should haue borne our owne sins we should al haue bene cast downe into the depe pit of hel and perished euerlastingly You heare it also in this place foretold how the tormentors should crucifie and handle him and how they should giue him gall and vineger to hasten his death or rather to increase his payne and tormentes Which thing plainely appeareth in the Gospell in Mathew Marke Luke and Iohn And Dauid prophesieth in the 41. psalme how Iudas should betray Christ saying My familiar frend whō I trusted which did eate of my bread hath lifted vp hys heele against me And Iohn citeth this prophesie where he speaketh of Iudas his treasō And in the same psalm hard after Christ requireth of his heauenly father that he might rise agayne and ascend into heauen and that after his resurrection he might be exalted vnto the right hand of his father saying Therfore lord haue mercy vpō me and raise me vp so shal I reward them Place me in thy sight for euer And in the 40. Psalme Dauid prophesieth of the destroying and abrogating of the Iewes sacrifice and he speaketh of the true sacrifice of Christ by which he reconciled God vnto vs and fulfilled all his fathers will and satisfied the law These are the wordes of the prophet in Christes person Sacrifices and burnt offrings thou didst not desire for thou hast prepared myne eares burnt offerings and sinne offrings hast thou not required Then said I that is Christ Loe I come For in the rolle of the booke that is in Moses and the prophetes It is writen of me I desired to do thy good wil O my god Yea thy law is within my hart I haue declared thy righteousnes in the great congregation And afterward he prayeth his father that he would not forsake hym in his crosse affliction saying Withdraw not thou thy tender mercy from me O Lord let thy mercy and thy truth alway preserue me for innumerable troubles haue compassed me And a little after he calleth our sinnes his sinnes Not for that he did euer sinne but because he tooke our offences vpon him that hee might purge them and suffer for them euen as if they had bene his owne And this verily is a wonderfull and vnspeakeable kind of mercy and goodnes These are his words My sinnes haue taken such hold me that I am not able to loke vp yea they are more in number then the heares of my head Therefore my harte hath fayled me O GOD let it please thee to deliuer me O Lorde make haste to helpe me And in the 118. Psalme Dauid prophecieth excellently and notably of Christ telling vs how the Iewes should reiect him and especially those amongest them which would be counted most lerned and holy to wit the Scribes and Pharises And yet neuertheles should he attaine to excellent honor and gather together both the Iewes and Gentiles into one spirituall building of the catholike church These be the wordes The stone which the builders refused is the head of the corner This was the lordes doyng and it is meruailous in our eyes this is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce and be glad in it The Apostles and Euangelists do diligētly expound this prophesie and they cite it of Christ in many places saying that Christ alone is the rocke and corner stone on whom when we are builded by fayth we may strongly stande against all euils stormes and tempests that rise against vs The Iewes when they had sealed vp the graue stone thought that Christ had bene vtterly extinguished and the two disciples also which went to Emaus doubted the same but Peter thinketh and preacheth farre otherwise saying Let therfore the whole house of Israel know for a surety that God hath made him both Lord Christ This Iesus I say whom you haue crucified Agayne he sayth to these folish builders The God of our fathers hath raised vp Iesus whom ye slew and hanged on a tree him hath God lift vp with his right hand to be a prince and a sauiour c. But now ye shall heare what worthy and notable things Dauid prophesieth of Christes glory in the 18. Psalme where Christ sayth Thou hast deliuered me frō the contentions of the people Thou hast made mee the head of the heathen A people whom I haue not knowen shall serue me Out of all doubt the spirit of God speaketh here especially of Christ against whom his owne proper people did kicke in that they would not haue hym to be their king And therfore are they forsaken and Christ is made the king and head of all nations in the world Which came to passe after the resurrection ascension of Christ where he was by the preaching teaching of the gospel published and preached through the whole worlde and became famous and was acknowledged for a king Dauid in the 21. psalme speaketh of the eternall and spirituall kingdom of Christ and of his great princely honour telleth how miserably his enemies should ende saying The king shall reioyce in thy strength O Lord yea how greatly shall he reioyce in thy saluation Thou hast giuen him his hartes desire and hast not denied hym the request of his lippes Selah For thou didst preuent him with liberall blessings and didst set a crowne of pure gold on his hed He asked life of thee and thou gauest him a long lyfe for euer and euer His glory is great in thy saluation dignity and honour hast thou layd vpon him For thou hast set him as blessinges for euer Thou hast made him glad with the ioy of thy countenaunce because the king trusted in the Lord in the mercy of the most high he shall
way my paths shal be exalted Behold these shall come from far And loe these from the North and from the West And these from the Lord of Sinim Reioyce O Heauens and be ioyfull O Earth burst forth vnto prayse O Mountaynes for God hath comforted his people and will haue mercy vpon his afflicted But Sion saith the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me Can a woman forget her child and not haue compassiō on the sonne of her wombe Though they should forget yet wil I not forget thee Behold I haue grauen thee vpon the palmes of my hands Thy walles are euer in my sight thy builders make hast thy destroyers and they that made thee wast are departed from thee Lift vp thine eyes round about and behold all these gather them selues together and come to thee As I liue saith the Lord thou shalt surely put them all vpon thee as a garment and gird thy selfe with them like a bride For thy desolation and thy wast places and thy land destroyed shall surely be more narrow for them that shall dwell in it And they that did deuour thee shall be far away The children of thy Barons shall say againe in thine eares The place is straite for me geue place to me that I may dwell Then shalt thou say in thine hart who hath begotten me these seeing I am barrain and desolate a captiue and a wanderer to and fro and who hath nourished them Behold I was left alone Whence are these Thus saith the Lord god Behold I will lift vp my hands to the Gentils and set vp my standard to the people and they shall bring thy sonnes in their armes and thy daughters shall be caryed vpon their shoulders And kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queenes shall be thy nurses They shall worship thee with their faces towards the earth and lick vp the dust of thy feet And thou shalt know that I am the Lord for they shall not be ashamed that wayt for me Shall the pray be taken from the mighty Or the iust captiuity deliuered But thus saith the lord Euen the captiuity of the mighty shall be taken away and the pray of the tirant shall be delyuered For I will contend with him that contendeth with thee and I will saue thy children and will feed them that spoyl thee with their own flesh and they shal be dronken with their own bloud as with sweet wine And all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Sauiour Redeemer the mighty one of Iacob This prophecy comforteth true Israell to wit the church the spiritual kingdome of Christ congregated of the Iewes and Gentils and it teacheth vs what is the state of Christes kingdome in this world to wit that nothing in this world is more contemptible and vile then the true Israelites or the right beleeuers in Christ Iesus For the king him self in this earth shewed all humility and submission and was so far frō al pride cruelty ostentation and worldly pompe that the world vtterly despised and contemned him euen as if all that euer he had done had been nothing For when he had continued almost 34. yeares in very humble and low state euen as a pilgrim or stranger here on earth at last they put him to a most shamefull and ignominious death And those as S. Paul witnesseth that beleue in Christ must be like vnto their head Christ that is in this world they must be contemned persecuted afflicted and subiect to all calamities Tertullian in his Apologie against the Gentiles saith that in his time Christians of all other were counted vnprofitable persons and men good for nothing And Ciprian against Demetrian sayth that in his dayes what euil so euer happened in the earth either dearth of victuall or other euil or misfortune it was alway imputed to the Christians And Paul to the Rom. saith out of the 44. psalme that Christians in this world are accounted as sheepe for the slaughter For who so euer they be that be enemies to Christ the same also goe about to kill or destroy those that truely beleeue in Christ and they that kill them thinke they doe God seruice Wherefore it is specially to be required that the godly here arme them selues and strengthen their harts with true consolations against all assaults least they be discouraged and faint vnder the cros ¶ Anna. What comfort then doth the holy Ghost geue them in these great calamities ☞ Vrb. First he calleth the remnant of his people that is the faithfull Christians poore and contemptible soules which the world abhorreth and which are constrained to be sheep ordained for the tirants slaughter But on the other side he promiseth that there shal be in those enemies great change to wit that they shal be so clean altered and haue their disposition maners and nature so changed and become such that they will imbrace and honour the godly for Gods sake whom they shall by the preaching of the gospell know and professe And this was fulfilled when the Romaine Emperors who before time had bitterly vexed and persecuted the kingdom of Christ continually destroying his faithful christians at last were content in their own persons to professe the name of Christ and did highly honour the christians and decrely and hartely imbrace and reuerence them as the only beloued people of god Of this sort was Constantine the great Theodosius and Charles the great and many other Emperors wherby they which beleeue in Christ haue euen in this world much pleasure and ioy But the true comfort conteyned in the words following shall at last appeare The prophet saith I haue heard them in an acceptable time c. This acceptable time or time of mercy is that time of grace of the new testament in which the Lord the most plentiful welspring of mercy opened the treasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most precious gifts of his grace and commaunded the euerlasting couenant of his mercy to be published abroad preached throughout al the world as Paul expoundeth this prophecy to the Cor. For the Lord sent Christ and Christ performed al things which made for mans deliuerance for with his sacrifice he pacified God for sinne blotted out sinne and swallowed vp death and fulfilled the law and conquered Sathan All which great benefits and rich treasures together with his royal victory and life God cōmaunded shold be offered and geuen to the world by his gospell Indeed this day of the Lord is a most acceptable ioyfull and comfortable day This is the day of perfect health help The Lord also hath geuen his seruants to wit the true beleeuers in Christ for a league of his people euen as Christ is a league betwixt God and man For the word of God and the holy sacraments by which the church doth bring other also into the league of grace that they likewise may be partakers of Gods promises are found and remain in
with the church Wheras men which are without knowledge of God being in heresies superstition idolatry exercised and blinded are by that euil destroying and disturbing spirit dispersed and the heritage deuided Cōtrarily Christes faithfull are by the gospell and doctrine of the church gathered together into the vnity of faith which iustifyeth ¶ Anna. But what saith the church to them which yet beleeue not ☞ Vrb. It saith that which Esay speaketh of here saying Goe forth and shew your selues as if he should haue sayd ye sit in Sathans prison in darknes of vnbeleef but if you abide in that pryson and darknes you shall die for euer And therfore arise and come out and fly speedely out of sathans kingdome repent amend your selues and beleeue the gospel and then shal your harts be lighted with knowledge then shall you both learn to know your selues you shall also receiue true holynes be saued In the kingdome and dungeon of sathā is nothing els but euerlasting hunger penury of al things but in the church which is the kingdome of Christ are most delectable pleasant pastures For the gospel is a most ioyful messenger and comfortable word of life which floweth with al delites comforts ioyes in which we finde and haue plenty and ful store of al pleasure goodnes to wit forgeuenes of sinnes true holynes peace with God ioy of spirite and peace of conscience and life yea true and perfect consolation And this is the meaning of these strange words of the prophet where he saith They shal feed in the wayes and their pastures shal be in the plaines or in al the tops of hils they shal neither be hungry nor thirsty and the heat of the day shal not touch them But whence haue they such delights and pleasures The prophet answereth because their deliuerer wil rule gouern thē They are as you here in the kingdome of mercy Christ conducteth thē by his word spirit These three to wit the word the sacraments and the holy spirit are the welsprings and flouds by which only this spirituall thirst may in all places and for euer be quenched And least this spirituall thirst shold not be quenched or these pastures of life be hid and not easely found the Lord wil make all the mountaines into a way that is there shal be in all congregations or companies of Christians place that euē easely with no troble mē may come vnto him There shal be a very broad frequented way redy and easy to be found so that no man shall haue need to aske which is the way lest therby the free acces to Christ might be hindered For in what kind and state of life so euer any man shal be so that it be not quite cōtrary to gods word if he beleeue in Christ doubtles he shall both haue forgeuenes of sinnes and be inheritor of euerlasting life whether he be Iew or Gentil master or seruant mistres or mayd maiestrate or subiect and they shal come from far Before the people of god was in the litle land of Chanaan and the church of God was straitly laced hēmed in but now it shal be let lose through the wholl world and as Christ saith in Luke they shal come frō the East and from the West and from the North and from the South and shall sit in the kingdome of God. Then the prophet biddeth all creatures reioyce and be glad for al creatures which are are in two places to wit in heauē earth now the occasion cause why they ought to triumph and reioyce is this First because God the father hath sent his sonne into this earth geuen vs his gospel from heauen which is a messuage of reconciliation betwixt God man and the word of grace remission of sinnes Secondly because that now the people of God faithful christians are out of al danger and in a happy ease for death is subdued But he calleth the good christians poore or afflicted because while they liue in this earth they are heauy troubled inwardly with feare terror of death and gods iudgement and outwardly they are shaken with persecutions and all kinds of calamities But this is our consolation that god calleth vs his people for if we be his people he our comforter protector thē may we in deed reioyce For if God be with vs who can be against vs what hurt can the creature doe vs how cā it dismay vs seeing the creator himself doth comfort help vs the flesh is very weak and when the tempest thick mistes of aduersitie and tribulations come vpon vs when we are ouerwhelmed with vehement crosses when we are something sharply assaulted with sorowes feares and temptations then doe these comfortable promises of gods grace and help vanish away and fly out of our sight in so much that we think God hath forsaken vs and that he is angry and so plagueth vs because he intendeth to destroy vs For thus saith Sion to wit the miserable afflicted godly in their infirmities and greeuous temtations The Lord hath forsaken me the Lord hath forgotten me my sinnes O Lord are haynous great greeuous and to heauy for me to beare What shal become of me O wretch that I am what shall I doe how shal I escape euerlasting death and the wrath of God ¶ An. Truely husband it is oftentimes so with me for I am many times so afflicted and am in such heuynes feares and temtations that I thinke God careth not for me and that he will euē in these trobles feares afflictions and temtations leaue and destroy me most miserable woman ☞ Vrb. Our weake fearfull flesh cannot alwayes expel such feares cogitations For though the promises of God be neuer so plentiful manifold though god euery foot help vs yea and that so manifestly and redely that we may euen grope and feel him yet whē troble and greef come again we are so vnmindful of al the former helps which we haue had and we are so trobled soroful as if the lord could forget or forsake vs which in deed he can neuer doe For he hath promised both to help comfort vs and surely he will performe his promise for he is true therfore he wil doe it he is of such might that whatsoeuer he saith he can perform it Wherfore Esay addeth to this complaint of the godly which mourn vnder the cros a most ioyfull comfortable consolation by which we may help this our dastardly weaknes and desperation and comfort our heuy harts thus wrastling vnder the cros pressed down with aduersitie desperatiō And to doe it the liuelier he boroweth a similitude of nature which is commōly knowen amongst all men to wit the louing and motherly affection of women which of all other are most naturall to their children We know that God hath planted in the
the Iewes I pray you in the beginning receaue the gospel how absurd and incredible seemed it to them Did not Christs own kindred according to the flesh at the first refuse to beleue him had not Iohn Baptist much to doe to draw his discyples from himself and to bring them to Christ And when they had seen all those great miracles and wonders yet would they scarcely in the end geue credit vnto Christ so offended were they at his base habit and lowly conuersation And this ran alwayes in their heads if he had bin our true Christ or Messias he would haue come after a more regall magnificent and imperiall sort then thus But how fel it out with Cleophas and his companyon was not this prophecie verefyed and fulfilled euen in them they had heard before of Christ and they had seen his works and great wonders Whereupon they supposed and iudged that he was the true deliuerer of Israell But when they saw so much humility and weaknes in him on good Fryday that he suffered himself to be slayn and buryed it offended and trobled them very much so that they then began to stagger and wauer and doubt whether he was the true Messias or no. It would not sink into their heads that Iesus whom they had seen crucified could help other and delyuer Israell seeing that was now the third day since he himself suffered death vpon the cros And these cogitations ran in their heads How shal he delyuer Israel from al his calamities which suffered himself to be taken and nayled to the cros we beleeued that he had been the redeemer of Israel but our hope is frustrate Behold how hardly the disciples beleued the misteries of the gospel concerning the death resurrection and kingdome of Christ But when the women sayd that they had seen Angels at the graue and when the discyples heard them say that Christ was rysen to life agayn O how strange was that to them how hardly did they beleue it Christ in Luke told his disciples before what things should happen vnto hym at Ierusalem that is to wit how he should suffer and rise agayn the third day But Luke sayth that they vnderstood not those things So vtterly ignorant were they of all these things And in the last of Luke when Christ was rysen the discyples hardly beleeued that he was rysen and when Christ appeared vnto them they thought they had seen some spirit or vision vntil they had seen and handled his true body and eaten meat with him and therfore it is sayd in Esay to whom shal the Lordes arme be reueled This arme is Christ the vertue and power of God who is eternall infinite and almighty Reason cannot perceiue or vnderstand it and therfore was it needful that it should be reueled vnto our harts by the holy spirit by which spirit onely we are able to vnderstand perceiue and beleue these great and wonderful treasures which Christ hath geuen vs. Paul to the Corinthians saith The natural man neither perceiueth nor vnderstandeth these things Therfore Christ himself opened his disciples harts and by his holy spirit lightened them that they might both vnderstand and beleue the scriptures ¶ Anna. Why doth the prophet call Christ a branch or root springing out of a dry and barrain ground ☞ Vrb. This may be vnderstood two wayes First of his wonderful natiuity For al mankind was a dry and barraine ground destitute of the liuely water of grace And yet of this dry and cursed ground of mankind was Christ borne a most beutyful and blessed branch and was made man in deed without all spot of sinne Surely surely this is a very strange branch which groweth out of such a dry ground and yet bringeth neither blot nor blemish of that cursed ground with it He hath the nature of Adam truely but cleane without sinne Secondly it may be vnderstood thus It is wonderfull that Christ after he had put of that base habit and humiliation is made Lord of all things No man would euer haue thought that such a glorious glory should come of so vile a cros For there was no beuty then in his flesh all was dry vaded feeble flagge withered and weake And therfore the prophet sayth very well and to good purpose he shall grow vp or he ascended vp before him that is before God because he was before him a most beutifull branch He was before God in the most splendent and highest glory although contemned of the world and without beuty in his passion The prophet saith he was not beutiful alas what beuty could there be in him his most blessed face was all to be torne and defyled with bloud and spittle and so deformed rent with thornes that euen Pilate the Gentile wondered at their cruel dealing and had more compassiō on him then those enuyous blind Iewes In the words folowing Esay doth more at large set forth the ignominious passion of Christ telling vs how he was miserably and cruelly tormented He was sayth the prophet most despised and least regarded of all men There was no account made of him and out of doubt in deed the Iewes regarded him nothing but had him in great despite for they made him being the king of glory their mocking stock and sent him to Herod for a may game But seeing that Esay had foretold thus much of Christ the Iewes ought in no wise to haue bin offended at the contumelious and shameful passiō of Christ especyally seeing these things happened by the ordinance will and prouidence of god And seeing that Christ yealded himself into the Iewes hands of his own wil not of compulsion But now harken what good he wrought by this his passion and debasing of him selfe Hee bare not his owne infirmities but oures Wee had perished in euerlasting shame if he of his meere mercy had not taken compassion vpon vs and born that most heauy burthen which came by our sinnes and was layd vpō all mankind to wit if he had not taken vpon him selfe our calamities which was due to al mankind for their sins and born them himself and quite discharged vs of that burthen we had dyed eternally And now first of all learn here that mans nature through sinne is most dāgerously diseased and should by eternall death haue dyed for euer if Christ had not helped vs and not borne our deadly disease and great weaknes Secondly it appeareth that our sinnes and those infirmities which proceed of sinne was so great so heuy and so importable a burthen that al mankind could not beare it but had fainted vnder the burthen and so must needes haue been drowned in hell And therfore natural and simply mā which being no more but mā could not make satisfaction for sinnes But Messias who was not only true man but also true God onely both had abilitie and ought to doe it Thirdly it must needes be both meere and horrible blasphemy to teach
that sinnes can be done away by works and penance and therfore monasteries and other buildings and els whatsoeuer was founded of that intent end and purpose that therby they might put away sinnes deserue forgeuenes and obtayn euer lasting life What thing soeuer I say was or are done for this intent they are most foule and filthy sects and horible errors therby the state of our saluatiō is gretly hasarded And looke you mark this third note wel Fourthly learn here a true comfort If Christ beare our sinnes and offences then the passion of Christ is oures and only proper vnto vs and all his deserts are oures wherfore our sinnes if the prophet be to be beleued can neuer condemne vs For this was the cause why he tooke them vpon him that he might quite blot them all out for euer so that afterward they should not at any time hurt vs And thus the passion of Christ is become our satisfaction for sinnes and so we are delyuered from al our sinnes by the death of Christ to whō be honor and glory for euer Amen ¶ Anna. Our munks and nunnes beleeue not this for they boast and brag that they deserue forgeuenes of our sinnes and that they beare our offences ☞ Vrb. If monasteryes or munkes beleue not this prophecy but by other works and meanes then by Christes merites and passion seeke saluation and promise it to other their monasteries are very theeuish dens and butcheries of soules and are filled ful of horrible blasphemies euen from the foundation vp to the roofe and are as much to be detested and abhorred as the gates of hel ¶ Anna. What meaneth Esay where he saith we iudged him as plagued and smitten of God ☞ Vrb. Read the history of Christ his passion set down by the Euangelistes and then shalt thou easely see the meaning of it The Iewes falsly accused Christ saying that he was a seducer of men a deceauer of the people an author of sedition and an enemy to the law and a blasphemer of god For in Iohn they sayd vnto Pilat If he were not an euil doer we would not haue delyuered him vnto thee And therfore he was thought to haue sinned and so to haue been punished and smitten of God for his sinnes and offences committed against god It is against all reason that there should be such a law that he which hath not offended should be punished and suffer for another offender Mannes reason saith let the offender suffer for his offence But here by the good grace and bountiful mercy of our God it is otherwise We had offended and therefore by good desert we ought to haue bin eternally punished But christ was without fault gilty in no point and defyled with no spot yet euen of his great mercy and ardent good wil he put himself in our stead and for our sakes suffered that punishment which he neuer deserued And here agayn you haue the true manhood of Christ because you see in very deede he suffered for vs and tooke our sinnes vpon him on the cros Therfore Esay saith God punyshed him not for his own sinnes but for our sinnes and iniquities It was conuenient that he should be that true pascall Lambe which is innocent it self and without blot but beareth the offences of others of the world and by this prophecy Paul taketh occasion to say to the Romanes that Christ was deliuered to death for our sinnes And so that punishment which we had deserued was layd on Christ by the meere mercy and goodnes of God that we might haue peace If he had not taken the punishment of our sinnes vpon him we had neuer bin at one with God nor the wrath of God had neuer bin appeased towards vs We were deadly wounded euen to euerlasting death neither could any other heal vs but the woūds of Christ which gushed forth of his most precious bloud No man is here excepted For all mankind yea the whole stock of mankind was by the deadly poyson of sinne miserably wounded and infected in euery part There is none that doth good no not one as the Psalme witnesseth We had all gone frō thy right way of truth and innocency into the troblesome rough rugged and erroneous wayes of falshood and wickednes like wandring and straying sheep We all lay euen as the half dead wounded man which fell into the theeues handes as he went between Ierusalem and Iericho We had all of vs need of the phisition delyuerer and pastor to seek for vs sheep gone astray to bring vs into the way and to help vs and deliuer vs But there was none other that either could or should doe this for vs but Iesus Christ by the mercyful and free promise which God made to vs of his sonne in the law and the prophets For he was ordayned as Peter sayth for this end to delyuer vs And therfore saith Esay The Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquity of vs al. This is our gospel and what more ioyful and comfortable or better newes can the woūded and sorrowfull sinner hear then that his sinnes are layd on Christ If they be layd on him he wil beare them wipe them away and blot them out For it is certayn that he dyed and rose agayn to saue vs sinners And this obedience of Christ in that it pleased him euen as a Lamb to be sacrifised for our sinnes and in that he suffered that bitter death for vs and all euen of his own good will freely with great patience is so thankful and acceptable a sacrifice to God yea a sacrifice of such infinite merite worthynes before the face of God that he neither can nor wil in any wise condemne vs so we beleue and trust in Christ And therfore God the father layd al our sins vpon his only begotten Sonne Christ least they shold condemne vs. This loue of God is so great towards vs that no hart is able to consider it and this offering or sacrifice for our sinnes is so excellent and precious that there can be no sinne where this sacrifice is offered But how behaued Christ himself when he suffered he was as meek as a sheep brought to the slaughter for the Prophet sayth He shal be brought euen as a sheep to be slain He calleth Christ a sheep because he was sent of his father that he might beare our offences and be offered vp for our sakes and sinnes as sheep were offered in the law of Moyses which offering was onely a figure of Christ ¶ Anna. How was he taken out of prison and from iudgement ☞ Vrb. Here Esay doth prophecie of that glory into which by his passiō he entred For Christ did not dye that he should remayn in death but that he might swallow vp death and rise agayn from death He was for three dayes space in iudgement and tribulation or pryson when he suffered himself by Pilate to be iudgeed
of perles Iemms and pretious stones and they expound this promise carnally of an earthly building but Esay speaketh in this place of a spiritual building and spirituall stones When we heare and belieue the Gospell then are we by the word and faith builded vpon that our precious corner stone rock Christ that we may be the holy Citie of God which he him selfe doth build and in in which he doth dwell He that is a stone and Citizen of this Citie he is in safety sin death and Sathan can not hurt him for God himselfe is there the ouerseer and maister mason Esay in many chapiters hath plainely set downe what Christ is and what his ministery is and sayth that Christs Church or kingdome is not an earthlye kingdome but a congregatiō of the faythfull in spirite which beleue the Gospell and hold and depend in this life of the word of God and not of the visible thinges of this world For ther is an other world and an other earth prepared for the Childrē of God wherin nothing dwelleth but righteousnes it selfe They seeke a city to come because in this world they haue no place of cōtinuaūce And least they should be offēded at the crose or faint in so great afflictiō and least in the heat of persecution and in the tossing tempests of temtation they should say with them selues we shall perish and be vndon he comforteth them with most sweete and fatherly promises saying that he will be with them in all their daungers and readely helpe them in all their miseries Seing then the kingdome of Christ is a hiddē kingdome of fayth vnder the crosse it is needfull that we lay good handfast hold of the word of God and with And therefore Esay doth counsayle and exhorte the Church of Christe that it should diligētly heare and in hart lay vp the worde of God in which great and infinite treasures to wit euerlasting righteousnes peace ioy health and lyfe are offered and freely geuen vs without our desert And these be his wordes O euery one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and ye that haue no siluer come bye and eate come I say bye wine milke without monye and siluer wherfore doe you lay out siluer and not for bread and yet labor without being satisfied Loe heare how sweetely God allureth and draweth vs to his word and heauenly treasures He calleth his word water euen water of that euerlasting and liuely fountaine of which Iohn speaking sayth that it quencheth eternall thirst and that it refresheth recreateth vs in all our drought and heate of persecution and affliction which is the true water of comfort and lyfe wherwith we repare and refresh our selues in all distresse both of body and soule He calleth it wine and also milke for that it giueth cōfort consolation as well to the old as to the yong to the weake as to the strong because it quickneth and refresheth the troubled conscience and because it nourisheth vs to euerlasting life and feedeth vs with liuely food Here he excludeth no man he sayth Whosoeuer hungreth and thirsteth for true righteousnes onely let him come as for mony and mony worth he hath no neede onely let him come This water this wine and this milke are most pleasaunt to all the poore in spirite as Christ sayth in Mathew The pharises and Iusticiaries sell righteousnes workes and spirituall comfort very deere But here in the word of God they are all geuen gratis Whosoeuer seeketh peace of conscience righteousnes other were then in the gospell they lay out their monye where there is no bread because gods promise is the bread by which we liue before god It followeth in the prophet Harken diligently vnto me and eate that which is good and let your soule delight in fatnes Encline your eares and come vnto me Here and your soule shall lyue and I will make an euerlasting couenaunt with you euen the sure mercies of Dauid Behold I gaue him for a witnes to the people for a prince and a Maister vnto the people Behold thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not and a nation that knew not thee shall run vnto thee because of the Lord thy God and the holy one of Israell For he hath glorified thee In these wordes Esayas doth teach what great and infinite fruite we reape of the word of God to wit euen lyfe it selfe In the word of God is contayned the pleasaunt consolation meate and drinke of the soule he that beleueth it hath lyfe and doth not tast of the eternall death It is the word of grace and truth whatsoeuer it promiseth is firme certaine and sure must needes come to pas And that he may better stirre vp our mindes and strengthen vs with greater comfort he calleth it the promise of grace in Christ and couenaunt with Dauid wherof you haue heard in the Psalmes This is that new testament the couenaunt of grace betwene God and all the faythfull which in true fayth apprehend and take hold of Christ the true Dauid frō which God shall neuer turne his face and mercye And although yea euen the true godly them selues be heare weake not altogether perfect yet for Christes sake into whome they are ingrafted in fayth there is no dānation to them If this couenaunt depended vpon our good workes so that onely we should thinke God to be attone with vs so long as we are iust and without sin before him then in deed the whole state of our saluation were vncertaine For no man at all in this flesh doth liue without sinn But our saluation hath a more sound and firme foundation euen the grace and truth of god Heare he promiseth forgeuenes of sinns of his meere grace and what of his grace he promiseth in faythfulnes he performeth Wherfore Paule hath a noble saying Righteousnes is by fayth that it might come by grace and the promise might be sure to all the seede not to that only which is of the law but also to that which is of the fayth of Abraham who is the Father of vs all It followeth in the prophet that he hath geuen the true Dauid euen Christ the sonne of Dauid for a witnes For he teacheth and preacheth the Gospell The prophet also sayth that God gaue him to be a Captayne Maister Emperor or law geuer to the gentiles which is is as much to say as Christ should be the Doctor and king of the gentiles which gentiles as the Gospell witnesseth shall see how obstinate rebellious and vnbeleuing a kinde of people the Iewes be which obstinatly refused their owne flesh bloud Iesus Christ the true Messias and vtterly and contemptiously reiected him whome aboue all men they ought to haue receaued and honored Paule sayth to the blinded Iewes It was necessary that the word of god should first haue bene spoken vnto you but seing ye put it
from you and iudge your selues vnworthy of euerlasting lyfe loe we turne to the Gentiles for so hath the Lord cōmaunded vs c. And agayne he sayd to the Iewes at Rome that would not beleue the Gospell Be it knowne therefore vnto you that this saluation of God is sent to the Gentiles and they shall heare it Esaias also doth plainely promise that Christ should be the redeemer of Sion that is to saye of such of the Iewes as be elect so that all shall not be condemned although thy be fallen into most greeuous horrible and long blindenes and God also promiseth that he will not take his word holy spirite frō the Churche For as Mathew sayth Christ shall tarry alway with vs So also sayth Esay And the redemer shall come to Sion and vnto them that turne frō iniquitie in Iacob sayth the lord And I will make this my couenaunt with them sayth the lord My spirite which is vpon thee and my wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of thy mouth of thy seede nor out of the mouth of the seede of thy seede sayth the Lord from henceforth and euen for euer ¶ Anna. Is this the prophecye which Paule reciteth in the 11. of the Romans where he cōforteth the Iewes saying that many of them shall be conuerted before the last day ☞ Vrb. It is the same and he speaketh mistically to the Gentiles that they should not vtterly contemne the remnaunt of the Iewes or dispaire of their saluation saying Partely obstinacy is come to Israell vntill the fulnes of the Gentiles be come in and so all Israell shal be saued As it is written The deliuerer shall come out of Siō and shall turne away the vngodlines from Iacob And this is my couenaūt to them whē I shall take away their sinns As concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sakes But as touching the election they are beloued for the Fathers sake Out of all these prophecies might Cleophas his felow haue drawne some comfort and knowne that Christes kingdome was spirituall But to go on marke how sweetly pleasaūtly gratiously Esayas prophecieth of the kingdome of Christ saying that it should by preaching be enlarged spred all abroad that there is no lyfe but only in the Church and that he which refuseth to be of this spirituall kingdome is damned The prophets vse very much figuratiue and borowed speches We must therefore be acquainted with their phrase of speaking These then be his wordes in the 60. Chapiter Arise O Ierusalem Be bright for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is rysen vpon thee This light is the gospel the glory of God and the gifts of the eternall treasures as wisedome security health and life It followeth For behold darknes shal couer the earth gros darknes the people But the Lord shal arise vpon thee and his glory shall be seen vpon thee And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light And kings at the brightnes of thy rising vp Lift vp thine eyes round about and behold all these are gathered and come to thee Thy sonnes that is to say the faithful in Christ shal come from far That is to say in all the parts of the wide world shal the gospel be taught and the people shal beleeue on Christ And thy daughters shal be nourished at thy side Then thou shalt see and shine thine hart shal be astonyed and enlarged because the multitude of the seas shal be conuerted vnto thee That is to say the Gentils that inhabite the Ilands and al the sea coastes And the riches of the Gentils shall come vnto thee This prophecy was then fulfilled whē the gentiles in Spayne Fraunce Italy Greece Asia Cilicia Affrica Egipt Cyprus Creet Rodes Liuonia Borus or Pruse Pomeriane lower Germany about the West sea Scotland England Ireland Island and in other countreis and places were conuerted by the preaching of the gospell The multitude of Camels shal couer thee That is the people of the East which abound in Cammels shall also come to the heauenly Ierusalem The Dromedaries of Midian and Ephah That is the people about the red Sea and they of Arabia shall beleeue in Christ All they of Sheba she l come they shal bring gold and incense and shew forth the prayses of the Lord. All the sheep of Kedar shal be gathered vnto thee The Rams of Nebayoth shal serue thee By Seba is ment the people on the right hand of the East By Kedar and Nebayoth those that be on the left hand He saith that these should serue the Church and gather them selues together to it and should preach and glorify Christ as our onely Sauyour They shall come vp to be accepted vpon mine Altar This is fulfilled when the preachers of the word of God conuert the people so that they mortify the old man and willingly submit them selues to the cros and so offer vp and sacrifice them selues to God through Christ our Altar And I will beutefie the house of my glory That is I will enrich and beutefy my church my spiritual Temple with all kind of gifts of the holy ghost It followeth who are these that fly like a cloud and as the doues to their windowes These words be figuratiuely spoken The cloudes be the Apostles who are very fruitfull For they bring the sweet shoures of the word of god And they were swift as the cloudes as doues for they did flye to all people in all parts of the world that they might preach to them the gospell It followeth Surely the Iles shall wayt for me and the ships of Tarshishe as at the beginning that they may bring thy sonnes from farre and their siluer and their gold with them vnto the name of the Lord thy God and to the holy one of Israel because he hath gloryfied thee And the sons of straungers shal build vp thy walles and their kings shal minister vnto thee That is men shal greedely and earnestly desire the gospel as the only comfort of their sad and troubled conscyences And they shall frankely lay out their substance and goods to help to set out and publish abroad the name of the Lord and to preserue and delyuer the miserable and afflicted men These children of strangers or strangers be the doctors of the gentils in the church such as Athanasius Nazianzenus Cyrillus Chrysostomus Augustine Hillary and others which builded the church by their wryting and preaching It followeth In my wrath I smote thee but in my mercy I had compassion on thee That is thou hast now some sinnes and it is necessary thou shouldest in this life be beaten and chastened with a fatherly rod and suffer affliction But this yet is a fatherly anger For all thy affliction shal be for thy profit and health that thou be not damned with this wicked world Vnder the
be named a Citye sought out and nōt forsaken In these wordes the prophet commaundeth that the word of the Gospell should be diligently painefully and continually tought in all places where men be to heare it The gates of the Church doe stand alway open all thinges are now ready there lacketh nothing but that you diligently vrge and beleue the doctrine of the word and that ye remoue take vp and sweepe away all thinges whatsoeuer hinder the crosse and increase of the Gospell that it may haue better successe Preach you Christ crucified and he shall by his spirite gather and draw all men vnto him To be short the Gospell ought to be published and preached through all the world Tell the daughter Sion that is you must declare to all the electe both Iewes and Gentiles that their Sauiour Christ Iesus is at hand and whatsoeuer he promiseth or enterpriseth for the sauing of his people that is to say the spiritual Sion the same he mightely performeth For the captiuitye wherein he was and the passion which he suffered is our redemption and saluation and his death is our lyfe And though Sion that is the Church be counted but base and vile in the eyes of the world yet shall it be glorious famous of great dignity before God and it shall haue this worthy name and title to be called the holy people of God whom God himself in mannes nature which hee tooke vpon him hath redeemed And although the world supposeth that God hath reiected and forsaken the church and that God himself is sore displeased with it because they see it in misery calamity and vnder the cros yet neuertheles shall it both be called and in deed be found that perfect citye of God which God in no case can forsake And here you see the articles of the creed I beleeue the holy Catholick church the communyon of saints For he that beleeueth in Christ is a citizen in this Citie and a saint in Christ which forgeueth our sinnes and sanctyfieth the church by his word and holy spirit Now then if you wil not haue this work of Christ our Sauiour to be fruitles it is necessary that the gospel should be preached in all the world and that there should be in all places faithful beleeuers in Christ and that the same beleeuers be delyuered from death to the end the church may be made this beutifull citie fayre dwelling or house of god which he cānot forsake Here also it is euydent that it behoued Christ to rise again from death to the end this citie might be builded in all the world and that the faithfull in Christ may be delyuered from all their calamities sinne death and damnation This did not Cleophas and his companion while they were on their way to Emaus vnderstād and that was the cause that they were so sad But let vs now goe to the 63. chapter of Esay in which the magnificall and glorious tryumph of Christ is descrybed to wit how by his cros bloudsheding he marueilously ouercame his and the churches enemies namely sinne death Sathan and the sinagogue of the vnbeleeuing Iewes and valiantly vanquished them by his own strength and vertue Esay in this chapter also vseth after his maner a figuratiue speech saying Who is this that commeth from Edom with red garments from Bosrah He is glorious in his apparrell and walketh in his great strength Here the prophet wondering at the passion of christ vseth an interrogatiue speech Edom signifyeth red ruddy or redly colored Bosrah signifyeth a vine branch from whence the clusters of grapes be gathered which are troaden and prest in the wine pres He calleth the Sinagogue of the Iewes Edom or red because they all bestayned and defyled them selues with the bloud of the prophets and Christ when they sayd his bloud be vpon vs and our children The prophet therfore saw in the spirite how that bloudy Sinagogue tormented afflicted Christ all be slubbered and berayd him in blod as we see the grape treders are besprinkled bestaind with the wine in the vintage He saw also in the same place by the spirit what Christ by his blodsheding hath wrought and done to wit how he hath by his own strength and vertue without the help and ayd of any other ouercome and vanquyshed his enemyes admirably tryumphed as a most fortunat and worthy warryar in his triumphes conquest and signes of victory worthy to be beholden of all men For when the Iewes thought verely he had been dispatched and deead in deed then rose he again from death and began his kingdome and declared him selfe to be a valyaunt vanquisher of sinne death and all the kingdome of darcknes and punished with the horrible plague of captiuity hardnes of hart and apostacy the Iewes in all the world whersoeuer they be for this horrible and cruel fact of sheding of innocent bloud Vnto this interrogatiō of the prophet doth the Messias answere saying I speake in righteousnes and am mighty to saue That is to say why marueilest thou what I am I am he whom God hath sent to teache righteousnes nay euen to help that is to say iustifye and saue of mine own hability But by and by the prophet addeth another interrogation If thou be the true Sauyour which shalt help and geue life in deede wherfore then is thy apparrell red and thy garmentes like his that treadeth in the wine pres How doth this agree and stand with thy promyses wherin thou takest vpon thee to help and saue vs To this Christ answereth I haue troaden the wine pres alone and of all people there was none with me for I will tread them in mine anger and tread them vnder foot in my wrath and their bloud shal be sprinkled vpon my garments and I wil stayn all my rayment For the day of vengeance is in my hart and the yeare of my redeemed is come and I looked and there was none to help and I wondered that there was none to vphold Therefore mine own harme helped me and my wrath it self sustayned me Therfore I wil tread down the people in my wrath and make them dronken in mine indignation and will bring down their strength to the earth In this answere of Christ we see how he would by his passion enter into his glory and thorowly delyuer vs for euer He sayth thou shalt not maruail to see my rayment red For this is the true and redyest way and meanes to saue the world God hath so ordayned it I haue troadē the wine pres alone that is to say I alone haue born the sinnes of the world vpon the crosse No man els was able to satisfy God for the sinnes of the world but I alone It was my bloud only that both could and ought to doe it and nothing els There was no other meanes nor way to saue you from your sins And in that my infirmity I shewed great strength and I
is the most splendent and bright son of all innocency and righteousnes in whom is neither blott cloud nor spot of sin He onely kindleth maketh warm our cold harts with the beames of his spirit he fructifieth our dry and parched ground that we may bring forth vnto him the fruits of righteousnes for without him we can do nothing that is good When this sun shal rise in his perfect brightnes thē shall it bring to vs that bright and wished day of liuely eternity and it shall shine vnto vs for euer and shall neuer go from vs Vnder the winges of this son is lyfe and health the Hebrew word in this place is maruell comming of this worde Ropho which signifieth to heale or medesine Note therfore that we are dāgerously and deadly sick For sinne hath destroyed and infected both our body and soule with deadly poyson The soule is full of sinne the body also is all sinfull and mortall so that of necessitie we had died for euer if the Lord had entered into Iudgement with vs but he gaue vs Christ the Phisition of our wounded and deadly sicke nature to deliuer mans nature from all sicknes and to restore vs both body and soule to perfect health He which calleth vpon this Phisition and beleueth in him shall be lightened and clerely deliuered both in body and soule from all sinne and euill which sin brought with it into the world the soule shal be clensed frō the staines of sin and frō euill thoughtes naughty lustes and vngodly desiers and the body shal be deliuered from mortalitie and corruption For this phisition is the Lord himselfe who for this cause onely tooke vpon him our nature that he might in vs make it altogether cleane innocent immortal and pure and saue it Whereupon the prophet sayth Health is vnder his winges For he which flieth to be vnder the winges of this son and seeketh health and saluatiō at his hāds is saued In deed these wordes are figuratiue but they meane nothing els but that which the Euangelistes and Apostles speake in plaine wordes to wit that he which beleueth in Christ shall be saued and haue euerlasting lyfe But if he which beleeueth in Christ hath euerlasting life surely he hath also true and euerlasting health For he which abideth in his sinns abideth in a most dangerous disease dieth an euerlasting death For the wrath of God abideth on him But he which layeth hold on Christ as one the true phisition by fayth he obtaineth euerlasting health both of body and soule Christ verely cōpareth himselfe to a phisition in Math. saying that he came vnto the sicke men as the phisition to the sick and he mightely shewed and exercised this art in this earth all the time of his pilgrimage when he healed and restored not onely the soules frō sinne and the bodies from all kinde of sicknes and diseases but raised them vp euen from the dead ¶ Anna. What meaneth Malachy in that he saith you shall goe forth and grow vp as fat calues or you shall goe forth and daunce or leape and come in like a fatted calfe ☞ Vrb. This is a figuratiue kind of speech spoken of the godly to whom the word of God is a most pleasant pasture for it shall goe wel with them in the last day For then shall they be free and safe from all euill sinne lust feare heauines and persecution Wherupon Paul calleth the last day the day of redemption And Christ in Luke exhorteth the godly to lift vp their heads when the day of the Lord draweth nye because then their redemption also is at hand Then shall that last enemy of the godly to wit death be destroyed and mortality shal be swallowed vp in the life of Christ Then shall they all haue lyberty and ability to be alwayes with Christ without any impedimēt of the body Now the body is slothful loytering and weake but at the last day it shal be as cleere as the sun immortall elegant strong puissant liuely suttle neate pure spirituall and nimble and haue eternall health For they are saued both in body and soul as our creed doth teach vs I beleeue the rising again of the flesh which with the soule must be glorifyed and haue euerlasting life The vngodly here in this earth doe miserably kick treade vpon afflict iniury and mock the godly and count thē as ofscourings of the earth nay they iudge them to be most wicked men of all and euen sacrifices for sinnes For the elect shall haue tribulation euen vnto the last day but when Christ the sonne of righteousnes shall come down from heauen to seperate chaffe from wheat to wit his seruants from the wicked then shall there be an alteration of all things then shal the pompe brauery and glory of this world with all the foolish confidence therof fail and fall Then shall the wicked be tumbled down from their honor and be for euer vtterly shamed and be made our footstole Then shall they be broaken and troaden down and be contemned for euer and be more filthy and vile then the durt in the streetes For he which here suffereth with Christ shall in the world to come be glorifyed and raign with Christ for euer But he which here beleueth not the gospell in this life and is not like to Christ our head in the crosse he at the last iudgement shall be condemned vnto horrible and euerlasting death lamentations calamities and miseries with all the deuils in hell And this shall the Lord of Zebooth or the Lord of hostes doe He shall bring that day vpon the world when it shall liue most securely and vnto his that is vnto the Christifidelians he shal geue that kingdome of glory which by the prophets and euangelistes he hath promised them In the wordes following he exhorteth the people that they call to mind the law of Moyses as if he had sayd the time of Messias is not far of it is euen now at hand Beware and watch that ye despice not the day of your visitation that when the Lord commeth you be not offended at him Moyses hath foretold you in Deuter. that the Lord wil rayse vp vnto you a prophet of your bretheren like vnto him to Moyses that is one which is true man as Moyses was he shall teach by the commaundementes of God and the Lord will punish him which will not heare him For Moyses saith that God will require it of them that is they which wil not beleue the gospell of Messias shal at the last day geue account vnto the lord and for their vnbeleefe they shall be iudged in the Lords anger If the Iewes had obayed this admonition and more diligently sought Christ in Moyses if they had learned better to know his person and office seeing Moyses speaketh so plainly of Christ then had they not so wickedly and cursedly despysed that day of their visitation but would haue imbraced Christ
of hell 168 Elect their state afteer the resurrection 103. 123. 178. 163. 153. where they be till the last day 123. doubt some tyme that God hath forsaken them 133. 149. 199. their mariage with Christ 183. the true elected who be 48. how they are brought to heauen 195. figured by Ierusalem 196 Election tokens thereof 170. 58 Elohim what it signifieth 74 Emanuell what it signifieth 35 Emaus how farre from Hierusalem 27 Epicure Gospellers 56 Eyes cleare whose be 216. Seuen in one stone what it meaneth 206 Fayth encreased by prayer 3. which is the true fayth 16. the righteousnes of God. 4. semeth sometimes to be wanting in the godly 128. the fruites and operation of it 126. 61. is our righteousnes 120. 145. the righteousnes auaileable before god 64. wherein it is 52. the chiefe poynt of it 83. the foundatiō of it 73. how it purgeth sinne 58. a worke of the first commaundement due onely to God. 80. it maketh vs priestes 93 how it is to be exercised 129 Feare of perditiō a signe of electiō 58. Smell feastes 56 Feudatory what it meaneth 31. Feeling of sinne of what effect 15 Figures of Christ 20. 23 Figures of the law and thinges figured 24 Flesh the frailetie thereof 13. fretteth inwardly 60 G Gentiles called 120. 49. 51. 54. 150. 157. 108. 166. the Iewes saluation and theirs all one 172. how they are sprinckeled 140. the milke of the church 152. Germans Christmas caroll 84 God what he is 72. his names 75. his essentiall name 77. where to be sought 48. his couenaunt to Abraham 182. 4. 7. his mariage with Israell 183. his finger what it is 170. his care for his Church 4. his fatherly correction 151. he gaue the promise before the lawe 15. he swereth 112. 16. what it is to sit at his right hand 112. not to be sought without Christ 83. can not cōdemn vs if we beleeue 143. his honor what it is 81. 198. 177. his sanctuary what it is 177. his strange workes 140. bindeth his mercye to vs with an oth 16. his promises are of two sortes 180 Godly described 174. sometimes sad as without fayth 128. how they be sayd to be hurt by the wicked 9. 112 somtimes tempted 149. 133. their propertye 153. alway persecuted 131 Gospell the doctrine benefits ministers thereof 4. 6. 7. 45. 49. 143. the operation of it 49. 120. 58. the promise made to Adam 4. 7. the tydings thereof 45. the trumpe therof 124. the holy Ghost geuen vs when it is taught 121. geuen without mony 149. ought to be pondered necessaryly 156. the end of the prophetes 11. onely geuen to the poore in spirite 58. the scepter of Christ 74. the sword of the spirite 129. False Gospellers who be 65 Grace of god vpon what first promised 4. 7. why promised before the law 15. is greater thē sinne 9. pledged vnto vs. 52 Ground good what it is 58 H Hearing of scripture requireth praier and beliefe 6 Heauen our state therein 123. 103. 178 163. 153 Hell hath no rest 46. figured by Egipt 168 Herod king of the Iewes 17 Holy ghost his grace and giftes 119 87. why he was sent 91. his sword 129. geuen vs by hearing the gospell 122. what he teacheth 4 Hope due onely to God. 122 Hose the contents of his prophecy 178. his daughter 179 Hunger how refreshed by christ 132 160. without mony 149. nothing els in Sathans kingdome 132 Hypocrisye 105 I Iacob his house in scripture what it signifieth 191. true Iacobites who be 130. he wrastled with the Lord. 181 Iehouah what it signifieth 76. 37 Ierusalem destroyed 66. a figure of the Catholicke church 42. the heauenly Ierusalem 164 Iesse the tribe thereof when and why condemned 18. 20 Iesus a name of Comfort 36. 37 Iewes what it signifieth 67. their error of Christ his comming and kingdome 41. 55. 68. 41. their blindnes in scripture 138. 77. 158. 68. shall become Christians 68. 150. 184. vnderstand no histories 68. their name is odious 160. they haue the same saluatiō that christiās haue 172. their obiection against the Christians 68. 43. 35. burned with fire out of the ground for repairing Ierusalem 67. their contraction in Mariage 28. their gouernment 17. when and why it ceased 17. 66. 18. 44. make a Iest at Gods promise made to Iacob 17. 19. their sinagoue called Edom. 157. apply the prophecies of Christ to Hesechia 35. offended at Christes death 21. 140. their opinion of Christ 32. they spitt at Images 67. their captiuitie in Babilon 63. their pretence to extinguish Christ 165. Ilandes called to the gospell 51 Images abhorred by the Iewes 67 Immanuell what it signifieth 35. Ingratitude punished 66 Ionas the sume of his prophesy 193. a figure of Christ 185 Ionathas his saying of what comfort the scriptures were 86 Iosua why so called 36 Iuvile the yeare of it 60 Iudas and his bagge is where christ is 56 Iudges of the world 96. 61 Iudge how we ought 50 Israell the kingdome of it deuided 182. K. Knowledge of Christ what it is and how necessary 2. 3. 148. it is our righteousnes 145. it is lyke to eyes 7. 206 Knowledge hangeth vpon beliefe in deuine matters 73 L Law what it is 11. what it requireth of vs. 13. 170. why it is vrged vpō vs. 14. why it is was geuē after the promise 15. the figures thereof 24. a prison 59. the operation of it 49. the sacrifices of it 24. it must be spiritually fulfilled 60 Libertye of Christians 189 Lord named fiue times 203 M Machabies their gouernment 19 Man his fall from his pure creation 12. 13. his state without Christ 200 his hart how newe 173. cursed if he trust in man. 80. Marchants of righteousnes who be 149 Mary a pure virgine 28. 33. denyed so to be of the Iewes 34. her petegree why not drawen in scripture 28. falsely sayd to haue troden the serpents head 8 Mariages how cōtracted among the Iewes 28 Maydens their bringing vp among the Iewes 34 Melchisidech his priesthood 21 Merites none in man. 13. of no force 146. haue no fruite of the Gospell 58 Messias what it signifieth 39 Ministers hipocriticall who be 56. 57 Merite of the world 205 Misteries in the first promise of grace 8 Monarches of the world 62 Monastaries to be abhorred 142 Mortificatiō commeth by the crosse 120 Mony who they be that laye it out vpon nought 149 Moyses and Christ cōpared 45. 49 Mylke sould without mony 149 N Names of God in Scriptures 45 of Christ 85. how full of comfort 37. 38 New name what it is 154 Name of Christians 160 Naturall man what he is 13. 142. how blind 42. 64. Nezacon what it is 68 O Offended many be but not through Christ 118 Originall sinne 7. 12. 143 Ornamēts of Christ how they differ from princes ornaments 61 P Patience neuer fayleth of helpe 134 Perseqution followeth the Church 131 Pharao a figure of the Deuill 168 Pharises and papistes alike 136. described
and condemned to the death of the cros but that heuy and vnspekable payn that the Lord of all things and iudge both of the liuing and dead suffered himself to be iudged and condemned by sinful men was not to continue longer then three dayes After which torments he should at the last being rysen agayn raigne with great glory ouer Israell He dyed once and dyeth no more Death henceforth hath no more power ouer him but he is ruler ouer it for euer Whereupon sayth the prophet who shal declare his age or generation or tel of the time of his raign When the Iewes supposed he had bin dead and quite destroyed then at the last he passed from time which perysheth into eternity which neuer shall haue end and he rose from death into the glory of the euerlasting ioy and immortality This is that infinite merite of Christes passion by which he deserued for vs forgeuenes of all our sinnes and euerlasting life He was cut of and taken away by his passiō out of the land of the liuing which liue here in this transitory life Our life verely is miserable and short and alwayes caryeth death about with it and is euery moment in danger of death and hath death following it euen as the shadow doth follow the body But Christ then in his passion passed from death to euerlasting life where he doth now raign our Lord and king for euer and euer ¶ Anna. Why saith Esay the Lord made his sepulchre with the wicked or suffered him to be buryed as the wicked ☞ Vrb. The prophet speaketh of the outward passion of Christ Paul to the Gala. calleth him a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is cursed or maledcition and there he sayth that for our sakes he became accursed as though he should say although Christ as touching his own person was innocent and that blessed seed of Abraham againste whom neither sinne nor death had any power yet of his own free wil he became in his outward man contemned and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accursed and suffered himself to be slain vpō the cros for vs poore miserable sinners this kind of deth is due only to those who for their offēces and wicked life are condemned He suffered this most shameful death became for our cause the curse that we through him might obtayn blessednes Thus then suffered he on the cros for great offences wherewithall the blinded Iewes did most vniustly charg him They accused him of blasphemy and sedition saying that he trespassed against God Cesar so rightly deserued that cruel death wheras in deed he suffered willingly for our sakes that vile ignominye false accusation which they falsly forged against him For he him self neuer sinned neither could offend but so was the wil of our heauenly father He spared not his deerely beloued Sonne that we poore sinners might by that his most shameful and contemptuous death but vnto vs sure saluation be delyuered from all our sinnes Esay teacheth in the words following what commodity we haue by this miserable and ignominious death of Christ and he sayth The figures or types of the sacrifices in Moyses law are fulfilled by this onely Sacrifice of Christ These be his words when he shall spend his life for our sinne when he shall make his soule an offering for sinne or when he shall geue his life a sacrifice for sinne then shal he haue seede his age shall be prolonged that is when he shal haue offered himselfe vp in Sacrifice vpon the cros to his heauenly father for our sinnes then shall he haue seed or children that is faithfull beleeuers in him And his yeares shall be so long that the life of him and all faithfull christians shal be without end It is otherwise with erthly kings for they when they dye depart from their kingdomes their Successors possesseth thē But this our king of glory Christ dyed another holesome and liuely kinde of death by which he entereth into true life and most mightely beginneth the administration of his eternall kingdome And here again is the resurrection of Christ and faithful Christians foretold For this is the right and true ruling gouerning erection and establishing of a kingdome whē the king erecteth such a kingdome as wil neuer decay in which the subiectes alwayes haue continuall and perfect safety protection peace surety felicity and all good things aboundantly and this can no earthly king doe For all earthly kings dye their kingdomes perish and decay with them as we see all dominions princely power and kingdomes continue in this world but a while and not for euer but within a few ages to come vtterly to ruine Wherupon Esay saith that the wil of the Lord is in his own hand or his determination or purpose by the hand of Messias shal haue prosperous succes For what thing soeuer the father commaunded Christ to doe for vs all that hath he fully finished with perfection yea with faithfulnes and to our great commodity and he plainly declareth that this was done by Christes merite where he saith his soul was in payn that is he suffered much vexatiō greef sorrow misery for our sake but shall haue a great reward or worthy hire For after so many tribulatiōs he shal see those things which wil make him ioyfull that is the catholick church or the true godly who through sincere faith doe openly honor Christ glorify Christ preach Christ and confes the Lord Christ and so highly esteem these his labors miseryes and greefes that they doubt nothing but that by the same they shal attain euerlasting saluation peace rest and consolation And therfore they wil not be afraid to suffer temporall death for the glory of Christ For they know that true righteousnes euerlasting life eternall saluation and aboundant treasures of all goodnes and felicity are to be found in Christ Iesu Now haue you heard how Christ bare our sinnes and satisfyed for them In the words following Esay teacheth vs how we may be iustifyed and made partakers of that most holsome passion and merits of christ And he sayth his knowledge or the vnderstanding of Christ is the mean wherby we receaue attain that great treasure Wherfore wife if you beleue this prophecye to wit that Iesus Christ the true sonne of God God man tooke away from you your sinnes satisfyed for them and offered him self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sacrifice for you and that he became your sauiour hath by his myserable and innocent death reconcyled you to God These I say if you beleue by this faith shal you receue forgeuenes of your sinnes and be reputed before God both iust and holy as the Euangelists and Apostles and especially S. Peter Paul and Iohn in euery place witnes This is the righteousnes of Christians to acknoledge and beleeue that Christ is our onely Mediator Sauyour and Redeemer whom God sent to take our sinnes vpon him and satisfy for them