and the ministers of his Gospell bycause they carry a lanterne before other to lead to guyde theÌ„ For seing we be al blynd in the myddest of darkenesse God lyghteth vs by the lyght of hys worde which is spoken to vs by his ministers Yet he garnisheth Iohn the Baptiste particularly with thys title of honour bycause that by his ministery God gaue a much more excellent lyght to hys Church 27 There is but one good and that is God Mark 10. A good man bryngeth forth good out of the treasure of hys hart Luke 6. IT is true that men be they neuer so excellent cannot deserue so honorable a title as to be called good no not y â— Angels For they haue not one only droppe of goodnesse of themselfe But they haue from God whatsoeuer they haue y â— is good Besyde be it in men or be it in the Angels goodnesse is but begonne in theÌ„ it is not perfect Yet we must vnderstand what y â— meaning of our Lord Iesus Christ is when he sayth to the yong man whye doest thou call me good There is none good but God he will not affirme there y â— he is God but he bryngeth thys yong man in to beleue hys doctryne He had already a certayne affection to obey but Iesus Christ wil haue hym mount hygher to heare this holy doctryne as froÌ„ the mouth of the liuyng God and not of a mortal man For as men are wont to make of diuels Angels so without discretion men cal them good teachers which haue no true or good felyng of God And so ar the gyftes of God prophaned It is no maruel then y â— Christ sendes thys yong man to God to the end he may geue authority to his doctryne Yet there is no inconuenience in callyng a man good wheÌ„ God hath chaunged hys hart whiche by nature was ill and when he hath prynted in hym some of hys goodnesse So the goodnesse shalbe alwayes Gods and the man also shalbe good Yet it shal not be of hym selfe But in that God hath made him such So it is sayd that a good man bryngeth forth goodnesse from the good treasure of hys harte Thys sentence admonysheth y â— faythful which made profession to be Gods seruauntes to examyne and aduise theÌ„ diligently what they set forth Nothing wil coÌ„me oute of the sacke but what is in it as the prouerbe sayeth The naughtye hart cannot but beare witnesse of it self by prophane words and by wicked wordes So a hart fearyng God sends forth fruites worthy a ChristiaÌ„ man But we must returne to thys poynt that the hart cannot bee good but by the onely goodnesse and grace of God and out of this self roote the good fruytes also shall sprynge 28 Mark. â— Touching the day and houre none knovveth it no not the Angels that are in heauen nor the sonne him self none but the father All povver is geuen me in heauen and in earth Math. â— IF all power bee geuen to our Lord Iesus as wel in heauen as in earth it semeth there is nothyng no not in heauen hyd or vnknowen vnto hym But by the way we must note to what purpose he spake thys Christ willyng to appoynt hys Apostles to Preache the Gospell fyrst spake to them of hys power A meane or common authoritye had not in thys case sufficed But it was mete that he which sent to haue eternal and happy life to be promysed in hys name should haue an Empyre souerayne and in very dede diuine to thend y â— al the world might be brought in awe of hym and that hys doctryne which shoulde be published should bee able to â—ame al loftynes and to bryng downe al mankynde the Apostles had neuer bene persuaded to take on theÌ„ so hard a charge except they had bene very certaine that their warrante was placed in heaueÌ„ being of soueraine power He calles himself Lord and kyng as wel of heauen as of earthe bycause that in that he bringeth men so true obedience by the preaching of his gospel he hath established and appoynted the throne of his Kingdome on earthe And in that he regenerateth his faithful into a new lyfe and calleth them to the hope of saluation he openneth the heauens to the end to lyft vp to happy immortalitye with the Angels those which before not only crepe in y â— world but also were plunged in the dark bottomlesse depth of death True it is that Christ euerlastingly hath had with his father al power and autority and that of his own right but yet it is sayd that it was geuen him to weâ—e in our flesh Then he is apointed gouernor iudge soueraigne Prince ouer al the whole Church but it was not clearly knoweÌ„ tyl after hys resurrection For then at the laste he was adorned with the markes of a soueraigne King and receauing a name aboue al names hee had also the endes of al things in his handâ— to dispose them at his good pleasure But whilest he is yet in our mortal flesh it is sayd that the sonne him selfe knoweth not when the day shal be of hys fearful comming In asmuchas he is God nothing is vnknoweÌ„ vnto him He hath bene euer God neyther hath his Manhode taken any thing froÌ„ hys diuine maiesty The two natures were vnseparably ioyned together in hym but it was in such sorte that neither of both lost their property Chiefly the Diuinitie rested and shewed not it self as often as it was expedient that the nature of man did that which belonged to it to accomplish the charge and office of a Mediatour Wherfore ther is no absurdity or inconuenience in thys that the sonne of God who knew al yet according to the conceyte and vnderstanding of hys manhoode there was some thing which he knew not for otherwise he coulde not haue bene subiecte eyther to griefe or to carefulnes or haue bene like vnto vs. A man may reply y t this caÌ„not be spoken of the soÌ„ne of God that he was ignoraunt bicause ignorance is the punnishment of sinn and he sinned neuer It is also spoken here of the heauenly Angels that this day is hidden from them wil any say that this ignorauÌ„ce procedeth of sinne Though they haue in no wise offeÌ„ded yet are they in somwise ignoraunt As touching the sonne of God he hath so put on mans fleshe that he hath taken on hym the paynes due for sinne And where he knew not of y e later day according to his humain nature that doth no more take away any thing from his â—â—nne nature thaÌ„ his being mortal dyd 29 You haue the poore vvyth you alvvays but me you shall not haue alvvayes Math. 26. I am alvvayes vvyth you vntil the ende of the vvorld Math. 28. THe Lord Iesus speaketh of hiÌ„self in both places touching y e first alowiÌ„g y â— which Mary had don he shewes how this seruice plesed hiÌ„ y t is not y â— he toke pleasure in the 〈◊〉 which had bene
gulfes of Death When al thynges shalbe confounded and that ther shal be on euery side fear of death only let vs cal vpon the goodnesse of God and we shal be saued Although therfore ther be a gulf of euels to swalow in y â— pore siner yet a remedi is set before him to escape This sentence is generall for without exceptioÌ„ our good God receaueth all men vnto hym and by this meanes calleth them to saluation And seing that no man is shut oute from calling vpon God the gate of saluation is open vnto all and ther is nothing but our own vnbeleefe that letteth vs to entre But although it be sayde al yet notwithstanding we must vnderstand only those vnto whoÌ„ God sheweth himself by his gospel As in the calling vpoÌ„ him ther is a certainty of saluation euen so we must be resolued that without this calling on the name of God wee are more than wretches and castawayes In the meane tyme the calling is not separated from fayth seeing it is grounded vpon fayth onely but the Praier of an Hypocrite and of a dispiser deserueth not to be called the calling vpon the name of God Now to the ende that thys sentence of the Epistle to the Hebrues maye not seeme to take away that which is here set foorth we must marke the circumstaunces thereof and how the name of God cannot be called vpon by them which after they haue tasted heauenly thynges becoÌ„me obstinate and of what fal y â— Apostle speaketh to the end that seme not strange vnto vs which he sayth it is vnpossible that they which fall backe shoulde be renewed by repentaunce let vs vnderstand then that there be two sortes of falles one is perticular the other is general and vniuersall WheÌ„ a man hath commytted one fault or many he is fallen from the state of a Christen man then how many sinnes there are so many failes ther are and from this fal a man may be raysed vp by repentaunce through the grace goodnesse of God But the Apostle speaketh not of thefte of adulterye or whoredome of periurie of slaughter or dronkennesse but he noteth a general tournyng backe or vniuersall appostasle or fallyng from the Gospell when the obstinate synner offendeth God not only in one sort but wholly forsaketh hys grace for euer But yet we must note y â— graces of God which are there rehearsed For what may a man loke for at hys hand that turneth backe from the word of the Lord that quencheth the lyght therof that spoyleth himself of the heauenly gyfte and forsaketh the partakyng of the holy ghost Nowe seyng that is to refuse God fully it is also to shut vp his hart wholly in suche sorte as repentaunce whiche is one of the heauenly gyftes shoulde not haue power to enter and y t cannot chaunce to a man excepte he sinne against the holy ghost And such a faulte is vnforgeueable as Christ hath pronounced For he that transgresseth the second table and the fyrst by ignorance is not yet gylty of such a tournyng backe or fallyng from God And God taketh awaye hys grace from none but from the reprobate that is to saye in suche sorte as he leaueth them no hope remaynyng Then they that by their pryde and obstinate wyckednesse haue caste of the benefytes of God with what repentaâ—nce can they at any tyme bee touched 22 Of my selfe I iudge no man Ierem. 8. The father hath geuen all Iudgement to hys sonne Ioan. 5. FOR the good vnderstandyng of the fyrst of these two sentences we must also loke on y â— whiche Christ sayd before making answer to his aduersaries He said to theÌ„ you iudge accordyng to y e fleshe he reproued them for y â— they Iudged after y â— froward vnderstanding of their flesh or according to the apparaunce of y â— person Nowe wher y â— eyther affections desyres of the flesh raigne or the respect of y â— person causeth iudgement to be geueÌ„ we must in no sort loke y â— truth and equity may haue place there where the spirite ruleth not the fleshe cannot wel rightly iudge And touching him to shew vnto his enemyes y t they be rash led with a fierce proude spirite he sayth y â— he iudgeth not folyshly as they do His enemies toke vpon them to great licence to iudge folishlye rashly he y â— whylest forbare to do y â— offyce of a iudge although he myghte iudge without doing them wrong and yet they could not abyde hym But to the end that it should not seme that he geueth vp the authoritye that was geueÌ„ hym of hys father he addeth farther and if I iudge my Iudgement is true That is to saye that hys witnesse deserueth well to be allowed So a man may knowe what thys sentence meaneth to weâ—e that the father hath geuen all iudgement to hys sonne that is that the father gouerneth all the worlde in the person of his sonne and exerciseth his iurisdiction vnder the rule of him Not that the father as a priuate man remayneth nowe idle in heauen without medling with any thing for thys manner of speaking is not so much in respect of God as of men The father chaunged not hys state at all when he appoynted Christ to be Kyng ruler souerayne gouernour of heauen and earth For being in hys sonne he worketh in hym and by hym But bycause that when men wil clymbe vp to God all their senses by and by fayle them Therefore Iesus Christ is set before our eyes as the visible Image of inuisible God See now how a man must agree these two places Christ iudgeth not hys aduersaries folyshlye as they did iudge him proudly and stoutly and yet he myght wel iudge them without takyng any thyng in hand that belonged not to hym Yet he iudgeth al the worlde as hys father hath appoynted hym therunto And we muste not seke the secretes of hygh places seyng God prouideth for oure weakenesse when he sheweth himself nere vnto vs in the person of his sonne Whensoeuer there is any thyng to do touchyng our state touchyng the gouernement of al the world and touchyng the heauenly defence of our saluatioÌ„ we must direct our syght vpon Iesus Christ y e sonne of God as in dede al power is geuen hym and the heauenly father appeareth to vs in the face of hys sonne 23 VVho is he that hath knovveÌ„ the mynde of the Lord. Roma 12. But vve haue knovven the mynde of Christ 1. Cor. 2. SAINT Paule speakynge of the predestination of God sheweth vs that if men consider it accordyng to their owne vnderstandyng they ar therein altogether blynde And a man can not dyspute of an vnknoweÌ„ thyng but by greate foolehardinesse and fonde ouerweenyng Wherefore men may not ryse aboue the Oracles and reuelations of God for howe maye a man knowe hys meanyng and councell any farther than those thynges whyche by hym haue beene reueled vnto vs.
poured out vpon him for the good â—auours sake but in 〈◊〉 respecte of hys burial bycause that by such a 〈◊〉 he woulde geue them to vnderstand that his graue shuld be filled with good sauour as be did spred sauour of life and saluatioÌ„ through al the world But sith that the truth of this figure hath bene perfectly accomplished and the sonne of God when he came out of the graue performed with the good sauoure and quickening smel of hys death not only one house but the whole world It wer a folly to begin again to do that which should be without cause or profite And therfore he sendeth vs back to the pore to the end we shuld not excuse our selfe as though we could no more occupye ourselues in his seruice for once he requyred such seruice as that which Mary did to hym But nowe seeing he is mounted into y e heauenly glory ther is neyther golde nor siluer nor precious oyntments nor sumptuousnesse whatsoeuer they be which we may offre vnto hym to do hym acceptable seruice Now wher he sayth you shal not haue me alwais with you that is to take froÌ„ vs al excuse as though he said that froÌ„ thence forward he would nomore take pleasure in that which once he woulde haue done to him He maketh a distinctioÌ„ betwene y â— ordinary seruice which must be euer vsed among the faythful and that extraordinary seruice whyche had an end when he went vp into heauen Wil we bestow our money wel in true Sacrifice and in holy offering Let vs bestow it to relieue the necessity of the poore and neady For our Lord Iesus sayth that he is no longer wyth vs in this world to be serued with pompes and outward preparations And we know yea and we feele by the experience of faythe that Christ is presente with vs by his strength gostly grace But he dwelleth not visibly among vs 〈◊〉 of vs earthly honor He saith 〈◊〉 you vnto the end of the world He had â—â—yd that he was appoynted Kyng of heauen and of earth Afterwarde vs promiseth to assist his Apostels whom he had enioined a hard office charge warning them not to loke vpon that which they could do of themself but to leane vpon his strengthe and inumerble power The maner of this presence which the Lord promiseth to his faithful must be vnderstode spiritually for it is not nedeful that he should not coÌ„e downe from heauen to succour vs seeing he can help vs by the grace of hys holy spirite stretching forth his hande to vs from the highest of the heauens As touching hys humayne nature it is certaine that there is an infinite distaunce betweene hym and vs. But he not onely spreads the efficacy of his spirite through al the worlde but also he dwelleth truely in vs. Moreouer thys promisse is not made only to the Apostels for it reacheth euen to the end of the world Very true it is that he promyseth hys ayde chyefly to hys ministers whyche for that they are weake and needy in euery condition coulde not execute the lest part of their office Seing then their charge is as troublesome and harde as it is healthful assuredly they haue more neede than all other of the assistance of oure Lorde Iesus to the end they may haue the victorye of al the assaultes and battayles of thys world as in these dayes it is shewed vs by playne experience that christ worketh wonderfully by a secret manner so that y â— gospel hath his course though Sathan lay many lettes in the way But generally al the faythfull ar partakers of thys promisse to the ende no man shuld be discoraged as though he were forsaken Let vs then make thys conclusion that although Christ be departed into heauen yet he is not so departed butte that hee euer is and wil bee to the ende with vs. He hath taken away the presence of hys body from our sight but he leaueth not the whylest to assist hys faythfull which muste yet liue in thys worlde but hee gouerneth the worlde wyth a more presente strength Thys promysse of hys continuall assistaunce was accomplyshed by hys asceÌ„tion in which as y â— body of y â— soÌ„n of god was lifted vp aboue al y â— heaueÌ„s so his power and efficacy is spred beyond al the bouÌ„des of heauen and of earthe So then these two things may wel be said that the sonne of God is no more amoÌ„g vs and yet he is among vs and shal be euer vntil the ende of the worlde He is here no more according to the presence of hys humaine nature but he is here acording to the presence of his Maiesty For a few dayes the Church had hym present in his flesh now not seing him with bodily eyes shee possesseth hym by fayth 30 Thy vvyll be done on earth as it is done in heauen Math. 6. Appeasing by the bloud of hys crosse the thinges vvhiche be as vvell in heauen as in earthe Colloss 1. WE desire by this petition contained in the Lordes prayer that al creatures may truely and perfitly obey God on earth as his â–ª Angels in heauen do and execute his coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„ts al his holy ordinauÌ„ces without any gayn saying and not seeke to dysplease hym in any sorte Lyke as they know that ther is nothing better than that which God wylles so they do readily obey hym And this is the cause why they abide stil and are not subiect to chaunge and corruption and why they haue quietnes and continual happinesse To weete bicause they are in al and altogether agreeing to the wyl of God Seeing then there is nothyng in them that w tstandeth the holye and good wyl of God nothing that turnes them awaye from his holye decrees nothing that can be desired or wyshed biside his good pleasure it can not be but they enioy soueraine rest and true blessefulnesse Syth it is so that the Angelles of heauen synce their creation haue euer in al things and altogether yelded vnto God true obedience by that meanes there hath neuer bene strife or hatred betwene him and them how commeth it to passe that they had neede to be reconciled For in the fyrst Chapiter of the Collossians mentioÌ„ is made not onely of men which are meant by the things which be on earth but also of Angelles which are meant by thynges that are in heauen If hereupon a man woulde say that the Angels haue bene sette at one with men and so the heauenly creatures are at one againe with earthly things This is not that which Saint Paul meaneth here for he sayth expressely that God hath recoÌ„ciled theÌ„ to himself The maner of maÌ„s reconciling to God is this that before while they were estraunged from hym by sinne they should haue felte him to be a Iudge to their ruine and condemnation if the grace of the Mediatoure had not coÌ„me betweene to appease hys angre So the attonemente made betwene God and men is that
Image of hys Christ yet they were at quiet and neuer fel from the faith The Apostle thē maketh hys argument thus A farre greater occasion of perseueraunce is nowe a dayes geuen vnto vs therefore if we shrinke wee are doubly inexcusable They from far of beheld the spirituall kingdō of Iesus Christ whose face in these dayes is so nere vnto vs. More ouer they saluted y e promises frō a far in stead of that they dwel so famyliarly thys day amōg vs And yet they contynued til the death What a negligence wer it if we shuld not beleue yea how great wer our sicknes if we shuld fayle in our fayth But yet a man mighte saye that they could not beleue except they had receaued the promisses Vpon the whiche it behoued necessarilye that their faythe should be grounded Thys as we haue sayd already is spoken by comparison for they were farre of from this degree vnto whiche God hath lyfted vs vppe Wherefore though on selfe saluation were promised to them and vs yet they had not the same clearenesse of the promises that we this day enioy vnder the kingdome of Iesu Christ but they wer content to beholde it from a farre 73 None is gone vp to heauen but he vvhych came dovvne from heauen the Sōne of man vvhych is in heauē Ioan. 3. O Father I vvyll that they vvhych thou haste gyuen me shall bee there vvhere I am that they may see my glory Ioan. 17. AL men that thinke to mount vp to heauen by the quicknesse of theyre wittes that is to say who by theyr owne sense think purely to knowe the mysteries of God and to be illuminated with spirituall vnderstanding are greatly deceiued The carnal mā saith Saint Paul comprehendes not y e thinges which are of God So then all the finenesse of mans wit is farre recoyled backe from those thinges that belong to God bycause man is farre vnderneath God The Lord Iesus sayeth that he alone went vp into heauenand that the passage is shut agaynst all the rest Fyrste hee humbleth vs when hee shutteth the entry to heauen frō al mē And hyther also Saint Paul ledeth vs when he sayth that we muste be fooles in our selues if we wil be wise in God But there is nothing that we do more vnwillingly And when we com to God all our wytts fayle vs and fall quite away But forasmuche as Christ hath openned heauen vnto vs he offreth vs with al the ready remedy when he saieth that that which is denied to al the rest is graūted vnto the sōne of man For it is not for his owne commodytie that he went vp to heauen but that he myghte be our leader and sure guyde Therfore he called himself the sonne of man that we should not doubt but the entry into heauen is common to vs as wel as to hym He hath put on our humaine fleshe that wee might be partakers of al his benefits yea he only knoweth the secretes of hys father But he admitteth vs to his secretes whyche otherwise should be hidden from vs. Nowe to come to the vnderstanding of the other sentence The sonne of God desyreth that wher he is now ther also we shuld be And hys desyre importeth an effect that is that we shal be indeede where he is True it is that he is with vs vntyl the ende of the worlde and accordyng to hys promysse we enioye hys blessed presence and for euer shal enioy it But bysyde that he wil also haue vs at the laste brought to hys heauenly Kingdome and that we then shoulde enioye the same glorye to the whych he is nowe raysed vppe For he speaketh of the perfect blessefulnesse of hys faythful Hys desire that his faithfull shoulde be receaued into heauen shal not be frustrate Vnto this part is referred that whyche is added after namelye that they may see my glorye From that tyme forward the Apostels sawe the glory of the sonne of God but it was as a litle glimpes of light in respect of that glori which shal be thorowlye manifested in the heauenly Kyngdome as if one being shut in darknes through a litle cleft enioied a litle light The whylest let vs remembre that euen as no man can now go vppe vnto the hidden counsels of God how sharp soeuer or subtile hys wyt be except the sonne of man whiche is Iesus Christe cause him to go vp so no man shal com vnto the heauenly glori vnles the same sonne of man heaue hym vp 74 I come not to cal the ryghteous but synners Math. 9 ▪ Saluation is farre from sinners Psal 119. THE righteous are welcom to god namely they that with a good consciēce do al that they may to obey God acording to his holy righteousnes which not withstanding make not accompt of their own righteousnesse but as of dong But here mention is made of those righteous whiche contentyng themselues with their owne righteousnesse would not be better by the grace and meere goodnesse of God And that also which Christ sayth here is not only to beate back the pride and hypocrysy of the Scribes but there is byside a general doctrine in thys sentence that the grace of the sonne of God shall not profit vs except we earnestly feele our synnes and grone vnder their burden And that therby we be moued to come to hym in all humblenesse On the other part the weak consciences are lyfted vp into a sure truste for we muste not feare that Christ wil cast away sinners syth he is descended from hys heauenly glory to call them The contrariety then shall be taken away when we shall vnderstande that there are two sortes of sinners The scripture many tymes vseth thys word in that sort and chiefly in the Psalmes meaning those that of stubbournesse harden themself in al il and of pride refuse al the graces of God And to speak at a word which in their dissolute and desperate lyfe carry a certayne marke of reprobation It is truely said of such that saluation is farre from them seeing they reiect Iesus Christ whiche is author of saluation Christ then is not a Sauiour vnto al sinners as also it is added that he is come to cal sinners to repentaunce Pardon is gyuen vs but it is not to nourish and maintayn sine but to bring vs to lyue wel and Godly For the sonne reconcileth vs to his father vnder this condition that beeing bought agayne by hys bloud we shuld offre our self as liuely sacrifices as S. Paul saith Tit 3. The goodnes and mercy of God is opened to the end that renouncing all carnal desires we should lyue holily Where there is no repentaunce there also is no saluation 75 I vvrite you not a nevv cōmaundement but the olde commaundement vvhiche you had frō the beginnyng 1. Ioan. 2. Agayne I vvrite you a nevve commaundement ◠Ioan. 2. THE commaundement that is spoken of here is of charity loue It is called an olde commaundemēt bycause the
haue to make our prayers by is to folow Iesu Christ and to haue him for our Master and leader Then we are appoynted to praye for all generally moreouer the Sonne of God himselfe prayed afterward indifferently for all saying forgeue them for they knowe not what they do Very true it is that we must praye for all men Yet for all that such prayers ar restrayned to the faythfull and chosen onely We ought to desyre that thys man and that man and euery man myght be saued and so to comprehend all mankynde bycause we cannot yet dyscerne the faythfull from the reprobate In the meane season nowithstanding when we desyre y t y e kyngdome of God should cōme we also pray that he confounde and beate downe hys foes Behold the only dyfference that there is we pray for y ◠health of all those whom we knowe to be formed after the Image of God whyche haue one nature cōmon with vs. And we leaue to the Iudgement of God the destruction of those which he knoweth to be reprobates But as touching our Lorde Iesu Christ there is another manner of reasō to be alledged Fayth and loue make hym to pray so but this is not all he mounteth aboue all men he entreth into the inner chamber of the heauens where he goeth euen vnto the secretes of hys father and hauyng presentlye before hys eyes hys fathers hidden iudgementes he knoweth wel for whom he should pray desyryng nothyng that is agaynst the will of hym nor makyng any prayer or request for those that are caste backe from him he is the propitiation for the synnes of all men yea truly of the chosen and faythfull he is not so for the reprobate bycause hys Father hath caste them of 57 It is easier for a cable to passe throughe a nedells eye then for a ryche mā to enter into the kyngdome of God Mark 10. My yoke is fauourable my burden lyght Mathe. 9. VERELY the yoke of our Lorde Iesu is fauourable yet it wil not seme so to vs accordyng to y ◠fleshly felyng bycause of the rebellion of oure fleshe wee shall euer shunne thys yoke as combersome harde to beare But then it shal becōme easye vnto vs and we shall bowe oure neckes quietly vnder it when beyng clothed with myldnesse we shall be made lyke vnto the sonne of God And therefore it is that he sayeth learne of me for I am gentle and lowly of heart He wyl haue vs beare hys yoke but to the end the vneasynesse should not astonne vs he sayth learne of me sygnifying therby that thys yoke wyll not bee troublesome when by hys example wee shall bee brought to myldenesse and lowlynesse To thys also belongeth that whiche he addeth you shall fynde rest for as long as the fleshe shall kycke agaynste it wee shall doe nothyng but braye and storme and they that refusyng to take the yoke of the Sonne of God goe aboute to appease God by another meane doe but laboure in vayne But if so bee that among other the couetous wyll not bowe theyr necke vnder the yoke of the Lorde Iesus what letteth that this sentence shoulde not bee true to wete that it is an easier matter for a cable to passe through the eye of an nedle than for a riche mā to enter into y ◠kyngdome of God not that riches of their nature hynder vs to folowe God but in as muche as our nature is peruerse naughtye hardly can it cōme to passe but y t they whiche are rych and haue great aboundaunce of goods should straye ercedyngly out of the way Couetousnesse is condemned by thys sentence as a deadly pestilence notwythstandyng there with all is shewed what hynderaunce ryches bryng And this must not seme vnto vs newe or straunge that he sayth that the rych shal hardly fynde an open place to enter into the kingdome of heauen for it is a vyce almoste common to all to trust in their richesse So then y t ryche warned of the daunger wherunto they may fall must take hede The poore cōtentyng themself with their lowe state ought not to couet that whiche maye bryng them more losse or trouble than profyte or ease By thys meane they which haue great wealth are as it wer helde tyed by Sathan that they should not aspyre to heauē but couetousnesse and all other vyces of men let not the easynesse of the yoke of Christ 58 The abolishyng of the former cōmaundement commeth by meanes of the vveaknesse and vnprofitablenesse of it Hebr. 7. Do vve abolyshe the lavv by fayth no rather vve establyshe the lavve WHEN the Apostle to y t Hebreues sayeth that the fyrst ordinaunce ceased sygnifying that the lawe and the office of Priesthode were at an end bycause this lawe was weake and vnprofitable he sheweth euidently y ◠he speaketh in respecte of ceremonyes forasmuch as he addeth thereunto the offyce of sacrifycing The ceremonyes had no certayntie in themselfe and of themselfe they helpe not a whyt to saluation for as touchyng that the promise of grace was tyed vnto them and that which Moyses testifieth in sondry places that God should be apeased by sacrifyces and y t by them synnes shuld be blotted out it belonged not properly to the oblations and sacrifyces but it proceded from another thyng For euen as all ceremonyes were referred to Christ so thei borrowed of him their power and workyng or to saye better they coulde nothyng of themselfe and dyd nothyng but all their vertue depended onely vpon the Lorde Iesus Seyng then the Iewes aledge them agaynst Christ the Apostle applying hys purpose to their falyshe opynion he also denydeth them from Christ But what are they seperated from Christ there remayneth nothing vnto them but thys weakenesse and vnprofytablenesse of which he speaketh To be short a man shal fynde no commoditie in olde ceremonies til he be cōme to Christ Let vs saye then that y t lawe is called vnprofitable when it is without Christ of thys sorte is the takyng awaye of the fyrst commaundemente The fyrst lawes and ordinaunces are abolished by the latter The lawe had bene publyshed long beefore Dauyd Then he rayned whē he brought forth thys Prophecye of the creatyng of a new priest It is thē a new law which abolysheth the fyrst Nowe seyng the fyrst is abolished by y t latter that came after a man myght say y t fayth whiche came after dyd abolyshe the lawe that wente beefore Yet we see what Saint Paule sayth in thys place that not only the lawe is not made vayne and vnprofitable by fayth but rather it is cōfyrmed and establyshed that as often as the lawe is set agaynst fayth the fleshly sense taketh holde byandby of an opinion of repugnaunce as though one were contrary to the other Nowe thys peruerse imagination hath place chieflye among those that hauyng no ryght vnderstandyng of the lawe like nothyng ells in it but the ryghteousnesse of woorkes and leaue the
Epistle as from vs as if the day of the Lord vvere at hand ◠Thess 2. IT is certayne that among other tokens the cōmyng of Antichrist is an infallible marke of the latter dayes Now the Apostles by y ◠latter dayes or y e latter time note the raigne of Christ which is frō his fyrst cōmyng vnto the day of y ◠resurrection as it is shewed 2. Peter 3 and as Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 10 y ◠endes of ages are cōme vnto vs. And els where he foretelleth y ◠from the begynnyng ther shalbe a turnyng backe which shalbe as a general euil After y ◠he setteth forth the aduersarie of Christ to be head of al Apostasie which shal sit in the temple of God attributing Godhead vnto hymself and y ◠honours that be due◠God Duryng thys tyme or duryng the raigne of Christ which is y ◠latter tyme ther shalbe many Antichristes For synce Christ as many heretykes as ther haue bene and authors of sectes so many members wer there of the kingdome which is contrary to the Kyngdome of Christ But yet it is not in vs to make the tyme nere at hande or to limyte it in certayne yeares or ages after oure folyshe fantasyes and dreames And neyther must we folishly receaue at others hands such prognostications least we might be vnaduisedly astōned through such reportes or that wee shoulde promyse oure selfe vaynely some lyghte or sodayne passage to the resurrection as though we shoulde bee exempt from the Crosse of our Lorde Iesus Christ There are many places in the holy Scriptures which beare witnesse y ◠the day of the Lord is at hand yet it behoueth vs to consider in what meanyng it is spoken to wete in respect of God w t whō a thousand yeares ar as a day But in the meane season God wil haue vs wayte for hym from houre to houre and continually so that wee appoynte hym not a certayne space of time And so he geueth vs this warning Watch sayth he for you knowe neither the day nor the hour Moreouer these false pronosticatours whiche are repulsed by Saint Paule in steade of y ◠they should holde the myndes of men in doubt to the end the tarrying should not be tedyous to them they would haue mē assured that the sonne of God would cōme very shortlye 88 VVho confesseth me beefore men I vvill acknovvledge hym also before my father vvhich is in heauen Math. 10. Haue vvee not Prophecyed in thy name But then I vvill saye to them I knevve you neuer Math. 7. THE strength and valiaūtnesse of Christes Dysciples ought to tend to thys end that they should be alwayes ready to cōfesse hys holy name The greater part of mē make smal accompt of thys confession yet the sonne of God doth put it among the chiefe exercises of true religion that of good ryght For if earthly prynces cal their subiectes to beare weapon for the defence of their glory and honour and to augment their ryches what reasō can there be y t the faythful of Christ should not at the least employe their tonges to mayntayne the glory and honour of their heauenly King There is not one Christen man alone whom the sonne of God wil not haue to be a witnesse of hys truth But to inflame our zeale he addeth to it a syngular promyse y t if we make confession of hym beefore men he will lykewise aduoutch vs before his father whiche is in heauen When wee shall haue cōfessed him here beneth in earth deserue we that he should aduoutch vs in heauen Who is the sonne of God And who ar we He wil beare witnesse of vs. And what a vyllanny shall thys be of vs to refuse to beare witnesse of hym If we make comparison of our◠selfe whiche are mortall men and of no value with God and hys Angells and all hys heauenly glorye howe muche more excellent is that whyche Christ promyseth vs than that which he requyreth of vs For thoughe the vnbeleuers are men and peruerse men yet Christ oure Lorde esteemeth the witnesse whiche wee beare of hym beefore them as if God with hys Aungels wer present to heare our witnesse Howe then oughte thys promyse to moue vs to make confession of hym here beneath beefore men seeyng he wyl aduoutche vs in heauen before his father But in the seconde sentence oure Lorde Iesus summoneth the hypocrites beefore hys Iudgement seate For whylest they occupye any place in the Churche they flatter themselues and wythall they abuse other He pronounceth then that the daye shal cōme in whyche the floure shalbee pourged and the strawe and chaffe shalbee parted from the good grayne They shall boaste y t they Prophecyed in the name of the Sonne of God that is to saye done the offyce of teachyng vnder hys authoritye or leadyng but they shal at the length know that what fayre confessiō so euer they haue made outwardly it shal be for all that nothyng in effect howsoeuer men esteme it They shal haue confessed hym with their tong so Christ will confesse also on hys part that al the fayre professiō that they shal haue made hath ben but lyes and vanitye And behold what the confession of Christ contayneth that he neuer accounted them for hys no not when they boasted themselfe to bee the pyllers of the Churche The Lord knoweth well those that be hys sayth Saint Paule let them that call vpon the name of the Lord withdrawe thēself from al iniquitye Let vs thē make a distinction betwene the true confessiand the false and we shal know whoe they are that Christ aduoucheth who they be that he casteth of 89 Blessed are they that feare the Lord. Psalme 128. Feare is not in Loue. 1. Ioan. 4. THERE are two sortes of feare the firste procedeth of Fayth whiche maketh vs apprehend the presence of God and thys apprehension can not bee wythout feare notwithstanding that feare is not without comforte The wicked also may haue feare and horrour of the presence of the lord but that feare maketh them to remayn confounded There is a goodly example of bothe in the resurrection of the Sonne of God The Soldiours that kepte the tombe feared The holye wemen also that came to anoynt hys body were afraid But let vs heare what difference there is betwene the one feare and the other The Soldioures whyche were inured with tumultes and stryfe were for all that so astonnied and swallowed vp with fighte that they fell as half dead yea not hauing strengthe or power to ryse The wemen lykewyse feared but comforte followed by and by after which raysed thē vp from their feare flyghte so that at the last they began to hope for some better thing And truely it is very conuenient that y ◠hygh maiesty of God should indifferently make al to tremble as well the good as the ill to the ende that all flesh may kepe scilence before hys face But after that
Christ according to the respect of men but to apprehend by faith al that whych the Scriptures teach of hym And when it is sayed that ther was neyther beauty nor shape in him thys is not to be vnderstoode onelye of his persone whiche was dispised of the world and at the last iudged to shameful Death but also of his whole raign which in the Iudgemente of men had neither forme nor magnificence nor apparaunce of beauty nor any thyng to tourn the eyes of men on him to beholde any goodly ornament vpon him for although Christ wer risen agayne yet y ◠Iewes euer considred him crucified and in infamy 94 He shal reigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and his reigne shal haue no end 1. Cor. 15. And then the end vvhen he shal haue gyuen the kingdome to God the Father Luke 2. THE Prophetes in manye places haue foretold promised y e y t kingdome of Dauid shuld be continual yet did it florish only in the time of Dauid Salomō his sōne The third king after Dauid that is to say Robā had but one tribe a halfe of y e twelue and so the strength the riches of his kingdome were greatly diminished After Roboam the kingdom ceased not to be troubled and endaungered by mani ouerthrowes tyl that at the last it fell downe altogether but the Angell declareth here that when thys Kingdom shal bee once stablished in the persone of Christe it shall not bee subiecte to ruine but shal bee endelesse But it behoueth vs also to mark that thoughe God oughte chiefelye to bee keper and gouernour of Christes Kingdome and of the Churche and to see that it shoulde neuer decaye on earth so long as the Sunne and Moone should last yet the true continuaunce beelongeth to the blessednesse and glorye to cōme The faythful then succede so in contynuall ordre one after another that at the laste they muste bee receaued into heauen where they shall reigne withoute ende Nowe thys seemeth to make agaynste thys eternitye to were that the Sonne shal once geue vp the kingdome to the Father and that whiche is added by and by after when the father shal haue made all thing subiect to hys sonne the Sonne also shal make himselfe subiecte to the Father Howe maye a man agree these two thynges that the raigne of Christe shal haue no end that which is spokē here y ◠Christ shal bee broughte into subiection It behoueth vs to note that al power was geuen to Christe in that that he was manifested in y ◠flesh True it is y ◠such a maiesty belōged not to a man which wer only a mā but y ◠father hath exalted and glorified him in y e same nature in which he had bene abated and humbled and hath geuen him a name vnto the which euery knee should bende and bow Bisydes we must note that he hath ben so appoynted soueraine Lord and King that he is as it wer Goddes Deputy and Lieutenant for the gouernement of the worlde not that he worketh and that in the meane tyme the father doth nothing but is idle for how might this be seing the sonne is y ◠wisdom and counsell of the father seeing he is of one selfe substaunce and being with him yea truly one self God But y ◠reason why the Scripture testifieth that Iesu Christ now hath the Empire or rule as Deputy of his father it is to the end we should not think that there is another Lord Gouernour Protectour and Iudge of the quicke Dead but y ◠we shuld haue al our senses stated on the beholding of him We acknowledge God for our conductor and Gouernor but it is in y e face of Iesu christ a man Yet y e sōne shal then restore the Kingdō which he hath receued to y ◠end we may cleaue wholly vnto God And in this doing he wil not depart frō this Kingdō but he wil trāsport it from his manhode vnto his glorious Godhead for thē y ◠accesse shalbe opē to vs frō which now we ar put back by meās of our weaknesse So Christ shal becōme subiect to his father for then y e veile shalbe taken away we shall openly beholde God in his glorious maiesty and y e mā hode of the sō shal be no more betwene both to make vs see the face of God as through a glasse 95 I am not sent but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Math. 10. I gaue thee to be a lighte vnto the Gētils to the end thou mightest be my sauing helth euē to the ēds of the earth Esai 49. SAynt Paul in the. 15. Chapter to the Romaines sayth that Christe was apointed to be y e minister of Circūcision He himselfe testyfieth here that he was appoynted to be the minister of heauenly grace only for the Iewes Hereon he argueth that he oughte not to succour straungers but this is not to say that the grace and vertue of the Lord Iesus was continually shutte in within so straight bounds but bycause the reason of the tyme so would that he should begin with the Iewes and for that time geue himself only vnto them for the wall was not broken before the resurrection so that the Sonne of God himselfe might proclayme peace vnto the Gentiles which were banished frō the Kingdom of God This is the reasō why he forbode his Apostels to sow their doctrine any where but in Iewry onely yea for that time And therefore he sayth here truly iustly that he was not sēt but for y ◠Iews vntil at y ◠lēgth y ◠gētils shuld succed also in their ordre For a time he gaue hymselfe to the Iewes but after that by his resurrection he had broken the wal he sheweth in dede that he was not onely cōme to preach peace to those that wer at hand but to those also that were farre of he was apoīted to be y ◠light sauing helth of y ◠Gentiles as well as of the Iewes So the trauayle of Christ and of al the Church had not their efficacy towarde the Iewes onely but also towarde the Gentils And moreouer seing that the Iewes dyd take no profite of the preaching of the Gospel but dyd obstinatly reiect our Sauiour Christ therfor the Gentiles were put in their place Loe nowe how Christ was geuen to be the lyght of the Gentiles and how his sauing health was manifested euen vnto the fardest endes of the world 96 VVe vvere by nature the chyldren of vvrath as others Ephe. 2. Othervvise your children shuld be vncleane but novv they are holy 1. Cor. 7. IT is certayne that al men withoute exception are worthy of condēnatiō til they be quit by y e sōne of God w tout whom ther is no righteousnesse or sauing health nor excellēcy for when S. Paul sayeth that we were children of wrath he meaneth that wee were lost and woorthy of eternal Deathe For thys woorde wrath
myscheuous desyre to slaunder they aske thys question whoe besyde God only can forgeue synnes But although this came out of malicious mouthes yet moste true it is that onely God hath power authoritye to forgeue synnes as he onely can condemne so only he can quyte But whē in thys 20. Chapter of Saint Iohn Christ geueth charge to hys Disciples to forgeue synnes he geueth not ouer vnto them that which is propre to himselfe It is propre vnto him to remytte and forgeue synnes whiche honour he resygneth not to them in asmuch as it belongeth to hym but he wil haue thē beare recorde in hys name of the forgeuenesse of synnes and offences so that it is he y e reconcileth men to God To bee shorte it is he alone to speake fytly that forgeueth synnes by hys Apostles and ministers Howe commeth it then to passe that hee aduaūceth so hyghly their dignitie seing that he appoynteth them only for witnesses and declarers and not for authors of the benefyte Thys is done for the greate establishyng of oure fayth As in dede there is nothyng that more profyteth vs than that we resolue and persuade our self that our synnes cōme not into Iudgement or accompt beefore God Zachary in the first Chapter of Saint Luke calleth thys knowledge of y ◠forgeuenesse and pardon of synnes the knowledge of synnes Nowe seyng the good pleasure of God is such to vse the witnesse of men for to allowe thys forgeuenesse of synnes then wee shall quyet our selues when wee shall knowe that it is God himselfe that speaketh to vs in the person of hys ministers For thys cause Saint Paule saieth we exhorte you to be reconciled to god as if Iesus Christ hymself made obtestation by vs. The faythfull then ought to be so resolued that what they heare touchīg the forgeuenesse if synnes is ratified and ought nolesse to esteme the reconcilyng or attonement whiche is declared vnto them by the voyce and worde of men than if he hymself stretched his hand to them Now marke two things which it behoueth vs to remēber First that a treasure is offred vs but it is in little vessels those are men which are sente vs to offer and open thys treasure vnto vs in the name of another not as theyr owne ryches but as hys that sente them vs. Nexte that we oughte to esteeme thys treasure no whyt the lesse bycause it is in dyspiseable vessells but rather wee haue occasion to geue thankes vnto God in that he hath dealte so fauourably with men that they represente hys person and the person of hys Sonne when they heare wytnesses of the forgeuenesse of synnes so God onely forgeueth synnes yet he confyrmeth that whiche men appoynted by hym declare vnto vs touchyng the forgeuenesse of synnes 99 Call no man on earth your father for ther is but one that is your father vvho is in heauen Mat. 23. Honour thy father thy mother Exod. 20. THe Lord Iesus had shewed before y ◠thys honor belonged to no other to be called Lord but to God only If this seme to hard forasmuche as he himself hath appoynted men to be our Masters teachers y ◠answer is easye True it is y e Christ hymself whē he yet dwelt on the earth chose his Apostles appoynted thē to y ◠offyce of teachyng and if the stryfe be for the title it is very certayn that when Saint Paul named hymself the Master teacher of the Gentils hys mynde was not wickedly to steale from Christ the honour y ◠belonged vnto hym Neyther is Christes meanyng any thyng ells but to bryng euery man vnder hym from the greatest to the smallest to reserue his right wholly to hymselfe He careth not then with what tytle they be adorned which haue the charge of teachyng only hys wil was to kepe al mē w tin these boundes that no mā should vsurpe any rule ouer y e fayth of hys brethren Nowe in the same sense the honour of the name father belongeth to God for men haue not geuen to themselfe that name but it hath bene graunted them of God And it is not ynough to saye that men which haue children are fathers according to the fleshe and that God alone is father of the spirites True it is that sometime a mā shal finde thys distinction in y ◠scriptures as in the. 12. Chapter to the Hebrues But seing Saint Paule calleth hymself very often a spiritual father it behoueth vs to see how this agreeth with y e words of our Lord Iesu loe then what we must say The honour of father is falsely geuen vnto men when by that name the glorye of God is darkened that is when a mortall man seperates hymself from God to be accompted a father seyng that al degrees of kyndred depend of God only by Christ and those degrees are so knytte together y ◠to speake fytly God is alone the father vnto al. The whilest God willeth and commaundeth vs to honour our fathers to reuerence them to obeye them and to loue them and thys commaundement is confyrmed by threates and by promysse The threate is that al stubborne dysobedient children to their fathers should be punyshed by death The promysse is that they that shal honour and obeye their father shal liue long on the earth Yet notwithstandyng we muste haue thys resolution before our eyes that a man neuer ought to turne aside from the will of God Nowe touchyng that the fathers haue rule ouer theyr children it is for thys reason bycause God hath chosen them impartyng to them some parte of hys honour The subiection then that children owe vnto their fathers ought to bee vnto them as a stayre to leade them to the reuerence and obedience of God whoe is the chiefe father But if the fathers wil make their children to withstande God they are nomore theyr fathers but straungers whiche woulde tourne them from thys true obedience which they owe to their true father 100 Abraham beeleued in God and it vvas imputed to him for ryghteousnesse Gene. 5. VVas not Abraham oure Father Iustifyed by hys vvoorkes vvhen he had offered hys sonne Isaac vpon the aulter Rom. 4. SAINT Paule to the Romaynes the. 4. Chapter to shewe that Abraham was not Iustifyed by hys workes maketh thys argument If Abraham were Iustifyed by hys woorkes he maye beaste of hys deserte but so it is that he hath nothyng whereof to boast beefore God It followeth then that he was not Iustifyed by his workes But thys is hys glorye the thing he may boaste of that he embraced the goodnesse of God by fayth Fayth maketh a man to cōme oute of hym and leadeth hym to God So the glorye of Abraham was not in hys woorkes nor in the worthinesse of hys person but in the mere goodnesse and grace of God For when a man will trulye boaste hymselfe he must bryng nothyng of hys owne but the knowledge of hys owne myserye throughe whiche he