muste needes submit my selfe vnto him But within a while after hée became worse then euer hee was euen so fared it with Pilate Nowe this is to admonishe vs that wee make not accompt of the feare of GOD as of a blaste of winde but let it bee strongly rooted in our hearts For how did Pilate feare God Forsooth it was such a feare as made him only to be more inexcusable And here wee may sée why God awakeneth the cōsciences of those that are a sléepe and would vtterly cast of the yoke which bringeth them to a more narrow consideration of themselues so that they shal be made spite of their téethes to acknowledge their miseries and féele their sinnes although they woulde walter themselues asléepe in them And therefore all the doubtes which all the contemners of God and the wicked haue are euen so many adiournaments or dayes ouer which God graunteth them to make them voide of all excuse of ignorance But anon after they let slippe the Reine and runne at randon without any stay as héere wée sée Pilate did At the beginning hée was greatly afearde but soone after hée returned to his olde byas againe For thus he saide to Iesus Knowest not thou that I haue power to loose and condemne thee Let vs héere in the first place note that if he had béene a théefe yet could not he once remoue his finger without God had giuen him power Howe then durst Pilate warrant himselfe such an outragious licence to condemne and pardon as pleased him And surely it were much better to set at libertie all Théeues to robbe and spoyle in the woods then to set men in so honorable a place who take pleasure and delight in their authoritie and neuer haue any care of conscience but bring the whole worlde vnto confusion Nowe wée sée héere as I haue said that Pilate his feare neuer tooke déepe roote in him but was onely a puft of winde Wherefore let vs learne to haue asure and constant feare of God that we may walk in his obedience and valiantly fight against whatsoeuer might put vs by and alwayes thus restraine our selues as that we prouoke not him to wrath who hath all power ouer vs. And this is it which wée are héere to consider of Let vs also besides consider that the glory which Pilate attributed to himselfe is notwithstanding turned to his great shame For his enimies coulde neuer speake worse of him then for this to wit that hee woulde be taken to be a man of no discretion to discerne betwixte good and bad and yet hée boasted himselfe of it Héere therefore wée sée that the higher the dispisers of God think to aduance them selues they must alwayes feele that they are the more shamefully to bée throwne downe and God so giueth them ouer into a reprobate sence as that they bragge of their iniquities that they might become detestable both in heauen and earth What is there then for vs to doe Forsooth let vs learne to glory in that which is good and haue an eye to doe the thing that is lawefull For they which glory in their mightinesse and in their authoritie without doubt doe prouoke the Lorde to anger because they haue many times gotten their riches and credit by vnlawfull meanes as by rioting crueltie and all kindes of extortion Wherfore when they glory héerein it is as it were to set them selues against the Lord. For he that hath gotten euery way by spoyle will say I am wealthie and sée he wil say I haue gotten whenas he hath sucked the blood of the poore out of them But howe Surely by deceipt and wicked practises in robbing the one and glutting the other Another man through abition and vnlawful meanes is aduaunced to some honor and héerevpon forsooth this man would bée greatly feared And this kinde of dealing is manyfestly to stande against God And therefore as I haue said let vs learne to glory in that which God alloweth and liketh of True it is that although there bée valure in vs yet is it not lawfull to vsurpe the commendation which God reserueth to himself and for the which wée ought to honor him because all that we haue commeth of his frée gifte Wherefore wée must not without doubt glory in our selues as if that which God giueth vs apperteined vnto vs But I say our glory shoulde be onely in this that it hath pleased God to adopt vs for his children and hath giuen vs his grace to walke in his feare and power also to abstaine from euill And héerin ought to be all our glory And besides if wée bée of no reputation in the worlde let vs beséeche him to graunt vs pacience and rather desire to liue in this estate then to bée exalted and yet to reioyce and bée glad but not as the worldlinges doe who make thēselues such sporte as that there is nothing that is able to holde them in And therefore the summe and effect wherein wée must glory is this to wyll and desire no more then God woulde haue vs to doe and set our selues against whatsoeuer hée misliketh of although the worlde and all such as commit tyranny and excéede in doeing wickedly reioyce in it Wherefore let vs gladly and willingly leaue all these glories desiring nothing els but to haue God to acknowledge and allow vs for his children And this is in effect the thing which wée haue héere to consider of Nowe for a full conclusion it is saide That when Pilate sawe he preuailed nothing and that the people made a greater stirre hee washed his handes and saide I am innocent of the blood of this man Wée haue already saide that our Lorde Iesus muste bée founde innocent euen by the Testimonie of the iudges owne mouth For where it is laide that Iesus Christe was condemned and suffered vnder Pontius Pilate it is not sufficient for vs that wée haue vnderstood the History But wée must eftsoones acknowledge that Iesus Christe was not onely innocent but was also the fountaine of all holinesse and perfection Why then was he condemned Iohn 1.29 1. Pet. 1.19 Galat. 3.13 it shoulde séeme that héere are two diuers and sundry thinges For it is saide that hée is the vnspotted Lambe of God And because hee was the Lambe of God it was méete that hee shoulde bée condemned as a Sacrifice This worde Lambe importeth that hée must bée offered vp And what is it that the law calleth Sacrifices Forsooth it is sinnes and curses And wée sée why it is said that our Lord Iesus was accursed for vs to wit he receiued vnto himselfe the curse which was due for our sinnes Thus wée sée in what qualitie and state hée was condemned because GOD had established that hée shoulde bee as it were the Lambe which shoulde be offered for a Sacrifice Howbeit it was méete hée shoulde bée knowne to be without spot and his puritie be openly séene to the ende wée might take holde of our sinnes vntyll the time
and vaine speculations and by a certaine deuilish boldnesse For when the question hath béene to handle these matters men haue ouerwhelmed them selues in as much as they ment besides the reuelatiō of the doctrine to search out with a certain curiositie boldnes the eternal essence and being of Almightie God as a man in the Papacie shall heare disputations that are made thereof euen as if men disputed of a flocke of Goates or I know not whereof They haue no more reuerence to God thē to a beast Now we néede not séeke out a better witnesse against the doctrine of the Sophisters of Sorbone to know that the Deuill raigneth there Sorbone is the name of the place wher the brotherhood of the Sorbonists doe yet remaine to this day in Paris and hath alwayes raigned there thē this And this I say that albeit their doctrine were not false yet so it is that when men sée they haue so litle reuerence and regard to Gods maiestie we must néeds say that it is a deuilish doctrine euē that I mean which is at this day practised by the Sophisters Sorbonists in all the Popes Colledges So then let vs as I haue saide content our selues with that simplicitie which is declared vnto vs by the holy spirite for he toucheth and speaketh of that which is good profitable for our saluation and as I haue alreadie declared he hath heere brought and deliuered vnto vs that which was méete fit for vs to knowe Iam. 1.17 Rom. 11.29 Let vs come now to this true word When S Iohn calleth Iesus Christ That word it is as if he should say the eternall counsell of God or the wisdome that remaineth in him Notwithstanding we must marke that God is not like to men when we haue a Counsell it may alter and chaunge but it is not so with God for that which is in God is vnchaungeable Besides the counsell which we haue Though man be wauering yet God is constant Iames 1.17 is not our verie Essence or substance but the counsell which is in God is verely truly God for God is not as a vaile or couerture wher ther are shadowy places as S. Iam. vseth this similitude we are as a shadowe that flitteth vp and downe and we cannot abide firme and constant But this is not in God for that which is in him is of his essence and eternitie And this is the cause wherfore S. Iohn declareth that this word is verely and truely God But as concerning the worde wee must not as I haue alreadie saide imagine a counsell or a wisedome in God which should be like to the worde of men True it is that we may well take some comparison from our selues but yet we ought alwayes to marke the long distance and great difference An apt similitude that is betwéene vs and God for if the heauens be much higher than the earth much more must it néedes be that we should knowe and confesse that God is more high than we yea there is no proportion or resemblance as it were betwéene God and men So then when men shall bring or alledge vnto vs some similitude taken from the creatures wée must alwayes marke this great distance difference There are two partes or powers of a mans soule to wit vnderstanding and will See his Institut Lib 1. Cap. 15. Sect. 5.7 which is betwéene God and vs. As a man may verie well say that in the soule of a man there is a certaine vnderstanding which is in such sort ioyned to the soule that the soule cannot be without vnderstanding There is also a will not as when we haue nowe one desire nowe another but a certaine power as a man would say to wil which thing man hath in him self for man is not as a stone or as a pile of wood without sense and reason but he hath imprinted in him this propertie to will this or that So then we may take and vse such similitudes but yet notwithstanding we must consider that spéech is here had of so high thinges as of necessitie all mans vnderstanding and wit must be abased and brought low and we must handle them and intreate of them in all humilitie applying them to their true meaning Curiositie and vaine imaginations must be auoided must not be ouer curious we then haue that fonde imagination which hath borne swaye and ruled heretofore in the worlde but we must come to Gods schoole to hearken to that which he shall speake vnto vs and to flye from al that which men shall set out Gods voice must onely be obeied and shal be founde contrarie to that which the holie Ghost hath left vs. Nowe furthermore we must also marke that some hauing been thrust forwarde by the deuill haue peruerted the meaning of this doctrine affirming that this worde was nothing els A perillous opinion confuted but some certaine counsell deliberation and purpose that God had to redéeme mankinde in the person of Iesus Christ who was a certaine forme as they call him as when a man shal haue purposed to doe some worke and shall haue conceaued the same in his spirite or vnderstanding leauing not by so saying euerlastingnes of essence or being to the sonne of God But we sée alreadie shall sée héereafter more largely how and in what sort S. Iohn calleth Iesus Christe that worde of God thereby to declare set out his deitie as I haue alredy said And that so it is behold a plaine testimonie of God himselfe for he saeith that this worde was in the beginning so then it must néedes be that it hath béen eternall euerlasting It is true that some will replie against it because Moses saith Gen. 1. ◠that God in the beginning created heauen earth and that now S. Iohn saith that this word was in the beginning that it séemeth hereby séeing that so it is that the heauen the earth other creatures had a beginning that we cannot proue the eternitie or euerlastingnes of Iesus Christ because it is saide that the worde was in the beginning But the answere is easie to wit that when Moses speaketh of the beginning An obiection answered we are to remember mark whereof he speaketh that is of heauen of earth other things that haue indéede a beginning But now let vs weigh and marke that which S. Iohn saith In the beginning saith he was that word And where was the beginning verely in God And what is Gods beginning I pray you Certainely he had none for otherwise it must néeds be that God should be framed made So that when mention is made of the beginning of God we must conclude that it is such a beginning as hath not any time at al. There is then much to be sayd and great difference also betwene Moses his place when he saith Iesus Christ i◠our God eternall 1. Tim. 3.16 that God created all
humblinge them selues and to bee repentaunt are so much the more infected and poysoned prouokinge eftsoones the wrath of God and driuing him into an hoat burning flame to consume them therin and all this we sée And therefore let vs looke vpon these two théeues as the mirrors of all the worlde for from hte hyest to the lowest wee are all gultye before the Lorde Yea and yf we all suffered this together what is hee that might bragge of his innocencye or who is hee that coulde purchase his pardon Wherefore séeinge wee are ouer head and eares in condemnation wee iustly suffer for our sinnes and yet we wyll not all alyke graunt it because there are some as we haue said which waxe rather worse and there rebellion agaynst God is openlye séene For they gnashe their téeth spewe out their rage and crueltie and will neuer agrée to this condemnation or els they take the bit in their mouthes and shewe them selues so stubborne as that they wyll not stick to saye that God shall winne nothing by it nor yet haue the masterie of them Now let vs conclude that when miserable sinners acknowledge their sinnes and be humbled and confesse the debt giuinge glory to God declaring also that he handleth thē iustlye and rightlye and that it is good reason they should be so chastised when I say wretched sinners be drawne to this reason let vs vnderstand that God hath put to his hande and touched them with his holy spirit that we may sée his wonderful infynit goodnes whēas he pulleth those out of destruction and hell whose case before was as it were desperat In sūme we sée in the person of this miserable théefe so excellent an example of faith as neuer was séene And therfore we should be so much the rather rauished with such a miracle as thē God wrought for in what state stoode he Beholde he was nie his death hée suffered horrible tormentes he looked to haue his bones to be crushed and broken and to be dismembered whiche was so sharppe and terrible a torment as that it was euen enough to haue made him haue lost both sence and memorye hee sawe also our Lorde Iesus who most flaunderouslye was to be hanged there as well as him selfe and yet sée what wordes he vsed for he doth not onely acknowledge his sinnes for the humblinge him selfe before God he doth not onely vse the office of a teacher to bring home his companyon and to set him in the right way but maketh suche a confession as is more worth then all the rest if we consider well the circumstances I beseeche thee saieth hée remember mee whenas thou commest into thy kingdome How was it possible that he could conceiue that Iesus Christ had a kingdome for hee was hanged on trée and cursed of God and men For this sayinge of the lawe was spoken by the mouth of God cursed is hee that hangeth on tree Deut. 21.23 Galat. 3.13 Neither dyd this come to passe by chaunce as we commonly say that God put his onely sonne to it And therefore when he sée Iesus Christ to be there accursed both before God and men yea as one throwne downe into a desperat case as farre as mans reason could reach vnto hee had not such a stayed brayne to say that Iesus Christ was a Kinge without hee had spoken it in faith and in spirit For he saw such thinges as might haue made him decline from the son of God to haue made him thus conclude that it was but an abuse mockery to trust in him and yet he called him king whē he sée him ready to dye I beseeche thee sayeth hee saue mee and graunt mée lyfe For it thou wilt remember mée that is all the blessednesse that I desyre Now when wee shall well consider of these circumstances without all doubte the faith of this théefe was so excellent and great as that neuer any man that euer lyued had the lyke And therefore let not vs be a shamed to be his disciples for to say the trueth the death of our Lord Iesus Christ wyll neuer stande vs in any stead except we condemne our selues that we might be saued through him neither will God euer pardon vs without wee confesse our selues to be most wicked filthy Since then it is so that we are guiltie before God and that our owne cōsciences doo iudge and condemne vs let vs not be a shamed to folow this théefe his steps séeing he may be a good Scholemaster vnto vs. And because our Lord Iesus is ascended now into heauen and hath taken possession of the glory which God his father hath giuen him Phil. 2.10 to the end euery knée might bow vnto him let vs not doubt to put our selues wholy into his custody cōclude say loe wherin lieth our felicity to wit the Iesus Christ is mindful of vs gouerneth vs because he was ordayned to be our shepheard he wil be watchful ouer our saluation that we might be safe sure vnder his hand and protection Moreouer let vs learne paciently to beare the miseries of this present life so that it maketh not vs decline from comming vnto our Lord Iesus Christ For we sée here that the théefe was heard and yet was hee faine to abide and harde and terrible death Let vs therefore so estéeme of the spirituall grace which is giuen vs by our Lord Iesus Christ and which is dayly offred vnto vs by the preaching of the Gospell as that it may make vs ouercome all the anguishes griefes domages troubles and temptations which any way may come vnto vs so that all our afflictions might be mitigated because we know that they shal all turne to our benefit and welfare through the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ And this is it which we are here to obserue And besides let vs here to ioyne the the answere of our Lord Iesus Christ when he promised that hée should be that day with him in Paradise For although our Lord Iesus was not as yet risen from death nor had not accomplished all that was requisit for our redemption and saluation yet had hée alreadie powred abroad the power fruit of his death and passion True it is that the fulfilling of all rested in the resurrection But since it is conioyned with his death and passion and that we know he suffred in the weaknesse of his flesh euen so is he risen again by the vertue of his spirit and as he suffred for our sinnes that wée might be made frée before God so likewise rose he againe for our iustification Nowe when we knowe all this I say let vs with so much the more bold courage come frankly vnto him not doubt but that whē he pleaseth to remember vs and hide vs vnder the shadow of his winges that we may be able to stande against Satan death and al miseries glory in our weaknesse And although we be in the sight of the world
that our Lorde Iesus Christ hath purchased vs life by his resurrection so that wee must goe strait to him wtout séeking any other meanes to direct vs then such as hée hath assigned vs. We haue also alreadie saide that hée hath ordeined two Sacramentes for our better confirmation If the manner of the Iewes buriall had béen necessarie for vs no doubt Iesus Christ would haue had it continue in his Church But hée would not that we should stay our selues vpoÌ„ this earthly and childish Elements And therfore it is enough for vs to vse the plaine order of burying leaue the swéet ointments which figure vnto vs the resurrection and was manifested in our Lord Iesus Christ Wherefore we should but separate our selues from him if we would be thus basely and simply instructed For marke what Saint Paul saieth Colos 3.2 That if our affection be on things aboue we must séeke it in fayth and in spirit and be conioyned vnto our Lord Iesus Christ Colos 12.8.9 18. that we should bend our selues to him and not be nusseled in any thing which might withdraw hinder or kéepe vs backe from being vnited to him as vnto our head since his body is said to be the Temple of God And thus much wée are to consider of for buryall Howbeit this is also to be remembred that hée was laide in a newe Tombe which was not made but by the singular prouidence of God For he might verie wel haue béen buried in a Tombe which had serued for that purpose long before For Ioseph of Arimathea had many auncestors and in such wealthy mens houses there was a commoÌ„ Tombe made for the nonce Notwithstanding God had otherwise prouided for the matter and would haue our Lorde Iesus Christ to be laide in a newe Tombe wherin neuer man had béen laide Neither was it without cause that hée was called the first fruites of the resurrection and the first borne of the dead who had béen made partakers of life before our Lord Iesus Christ For we read that Lazarus rose again Wée sée also that Enock Elie were taken vp and neuer felt any naturall death but were gathered together into an incorruptible life Howbéeit al this hangeth vpon the resurrection of our Lord Iesus And therfore we must take him to be as the first fruites In the law the fruites of the yéere were consecrated to GOD by the only bringing of an eare of Corne and a bunche of Grapes to lay vpon the Auâ—ter Now when this was offered to God it was a generall consecrating of al the fruits of the yéere When the first born also were coÌ„secrated to God it was a declaratioÌ„ of the holines of the tribe of Israel that God accompted it for his inheritaunce which he had reserued to himselfe and contented himselfe with this people as if a man would be contented with his Patrimonie EueÌ„ so let vs vnderstand that when we come to our Lord Iesus Christ we are al coÌ„secrated and offered in his person to the end we might at this day receiue life through death that it should no more be deadly as before it was And thus we sée what we are to obserue as concerning the new Tombe that is that the buriall of our Lord Iesus Christ must bring vs vnto his resurrection Neuerthelesse let vs looke wel to our selues for al whatsoeuer that must serue our faith hath béene accomplished in the person of the Sonne of GOD And although wée haue a sure testimonie that it is sufficient for vs yet by reason of our grosenesse weakenesse wée are very farre from comming vnto Lorde Iesus Christ And therefore let euery of vs which acknowledge our offences séeke remedy for them be of good courage For we sée how Ioseph Nicodemus did Now here are two things to be considered of for our example The first is that they had no cléere insight in the fruite of the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ Wherefore their vnderstanding was grosse and their faith very weake The other is that notwithstanding this extremitie yet fought they against all temptations and came to looke for our Lorde Iesus Christ who was dead to put him into the Tumbe protesting that they hoped to come to the blessed resurrection which was promised them And although we feele our selues weake yet let it not discourage vs. It is true indéed that we are weake and God may reiect vs when as hée shal roughly entreate vs. But yet when we shall féele these wantes let vs vnderstand that he will accept our desire although it be imperfect Moreouer since at this day our Lorde Iesus is risen in glory and although we must here suffer many miseries and calamities and that a man would thinke he were daily crucified in his members as in déed the vngodly as much as in theÌ„ lieth doe yet let not vs quayle for al this because we knowe that we cannot be put beside that which is promised vs in the doctrine of the Gospel and although wee must runne through a number of afflictions yet let vs alwayes haue an eye vnto our heade For Ioseph and Nicodemus neuer had the aduantage that wée at this day haue which is they neuer beheald the power of the spirite of God which is shewed in the resurrection of our Lorde Iesus Christ and yet was not their faith for all this wholly morgaged And since our Lorde Iesus calleth vs now vnto him and telleth vs allowde that hée is ascended into heauen to the ende he might gather vs altogether let vs constantly perseuere both to séeke him and follow him and that it is no hurt for vs to die with him since we shal be partakers of his glory And Saint Paule exhorteth vs to be like vnto Iesus Christ not onely as touching his death but also as concerning his buriall For there are some that coulde bée contented to die with our Lord Iesus Christ for a minute of an houre but it wold grieue them to doe it any longer And for this cause I haue sayde that wée must not die for a while but wée must also paciently abide at last to be buried I call this dying whenas God séeth vs so suffer for his names sake for although wée bée not at the first condemned and brought to the stake yet when wée are afflicted this is a kinde of death which wée must paciently abyde But because wée are not by and by humbled it is méete wée shoulde bée longer time scourged and bée contented and paciently beare it For as the Diuel neuer ceaseth to deuise whatsoeuer may withdrawe vs and make vs growe woorse and woorse Euen so must wée al our life long fight against him And although this be a very hard and grieuous condition yet let vs tary til the time bee come that God calleth vs vnto him and not bée wéery in confessing our fayth and therein followe Nicodemus but not in his temerousnes For when he first came
haue to consider of for this pointe Nowe it is saide for a finall conclusion That the will of God shall prosper in his handes The wordes which the Prophet heere vseth signifieth a worldly will and frée fauour For it were not enough that our Lord Iesus Christ should execute the will of God But that it shoulde be a will procéeding of loue as a testimony of his fatherly affection For Moses executed the will of God when hée published the lawe and yet notwithstanding euerie man was afeard at the thunders lightnings for there was nothing els but threatnings of death And why so Forsooth because the law brought nothing els with it but wrath and vengeance For it was méet that the world should féele in it an horrible condemnation Hebr. 12.18 be wonderfully afeard Howbeit there appeared an other maner of wil of God in Iesus Christ that is this his meaning was to receiue vs vnto himself to haue mercy vpō vs to abolish our sins to discharge vs of the condemnation wherein we were Thus we sée the propertie of the spéech which the Prophet here vseth when he saith That the wil of God should prosper Now it is by by after said in his hands which signifieth that Iesus Christ should be a distributer and bestower of the grace of God for our saluation True it is that God might by some other death haue deliuered vs from death howbeit it was not his meaning neyther yet was it so good And therefore hée appointed our Lord Iesus Christ to the ende wée might by him be redéemed and reconcyled and to bée short that by him wée might obtayne whatsoeuer was requisite for our saluation Let vs nowe make a collection of the summe and effect of this saying It is saide That the good will and free fauour of GOD should prosper in the hands of Iesus Christ Wherefore speaketh the Prophet after this maner Forsooth because we are enclyned vnto mistrust and haue a number of lettes to make vs fainte the holie Ghost preuenteth the matter and declareth vnto vs that howsoeuer the worlde goeth the grace of God shall worke it effect and be accomplished And therefore although the Deuill craftely goeth about to deuise to make the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ to bée of no force and effect vnto vs and bring foorth no fruit in vs and although wée for our partes are so wicked and peruerse as that wée will so fall from it as that wée will make it altogether vnprofitable vnto vs yet will God by his infinite goodnesse ouercome it all To bée shorte the Prophete his meaning héere in this place is that the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christe hath not béene onely sufficient for the saluation of the worlde but also that God will make it so forcible as that wée shall sée the fruite thereof and féele and proue it by experience And heerevpon wée are to gather that God will alwayes haue a Church in the worlde and that the Deuill may very wel deuise all the mischiefe hée can possible and bende all his force to ouerthrowe the house of God and yet be as be may Christ Iesus shall haue the victorie and the grace whereof hée is a distributer and bestower shall bée beneficiall and perfourmed amongst men And for this cause it is saide by the Psalmist Psal 2.1 Why haue the Kinges and Rulers of the earth lifted vp themselues and made couenantes with the people Yet must God in the ende execute his Counsell and iudgement In verie déede they will goe about to imagine muche but yet hée which dwelleth aboue in the heauens will mocke them all to scorne in his wrath Let vs therefore well consider that the meaning of the holie Ghost is to declare that the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ wil alwayes worke his effect to the end the Church of God might stande firme and sure so that it shall neuer be ouerthrowne by all the assaultes tempestes and whirlewyndes whatsoeuer that the enemies with Satan their head can any way possible raise vp against it And this saying to prosper is set downe to shew that God will make the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ florish to the end it might more and more fructifie and when it shall séeme that it shoulde bée vtterly defaced that God will vpholde it and ouercome whatsoeuer may bée any let for the bringing of it to a perfect ende Moreouer euery of vs ought to apply this vnto himselfe and not doubt that although our winges flagge and we the bondslaues of sin yet that God will deliuer vs from out of that slauerie wherin we are make perfect that which hée hath begun in vs and amend also whatsoeuer is wanting in vs. And how Forsooth wee must first come vnto our Lord Iesus Christ because it is he which putteth to his hande and to him the charge thereof is committed and this office hée receiued from God his Father And therefore let vs be contented that since hee is appointed to be the Minister of our saluation there shall be no defect or want which hée will not accomplish by his meane and that because hée hath so determined it 2. Cor. 5.19 Now let vs by the way apply to this which is héere set downe the place of Saint Paul before by vs alledged to the end we might be partakers of the fruit of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ that is let vs giue eare vnto the message that is dayly brought vs. For it were not enough that Iesus Christ had suffred in his owne person and appointed to be a sacrifice for vs but wée must also be certified thereof by the Gospell that wée haue this testimony by it and not doubt but that wée are iustified by him because we knowe that hée hath made satisfaction for our offences And therevpon let vs looke that God will in such sort continue his woorke in this Redéemer as that hée will make it encrease more and more vntill hée hath brought it to a full end and perfection Let vs now fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God and acknowledge our offēces beséeching him so to make vs féele them as that wée may be more more displeased with them also learne vs so to looke into the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ as that it may be a good instruction for vs to be gréeued and grone for our sinnes not doubt since that our Lorde Iesus Christ hath discharged vs of that whereof we were guiltie but that wée might nowe come before the Maiestie of God his Father and be receiued as his children although in déede we are vnworthie to be reckoned amongst the number of his creatures And that wée may in this strength fight against all our vices and wicked lustes and so bée made partakers of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes as also we might be strengthened to
right hand of God his Father he might gouerne the worlde and so gouerneth it as that he alwayes assisteth his faithfull ones and hath a special care ouer them Now if Iesus Christ had continually abode with vs ouer and besides that we had béen more giuen to superstition hée had not had the power to haue had all thinges vnder his subiection In déede hée might haue had it But we speake not nowe of him but according to that order which hée hath set downe in his Gospell And to say the trueth it were a foolishe kinde of reasoning to say that otherwise hee had not béen able to haue done either this thing or that because his power is infinite But yet he saide after his resurrection that God had giuen him all power and authoritie and this is also our beliefe Math. 28.18 Mat. 28. 18 That hee sitteth at the right hande of God his Father Almightie What is the meaning héere of this that hée hath a seat and sitteth in it No no But this is it that hée is an assistant vnto God as his Lieuetenaunt For if wée woulde stande before the glorious Maiestie of God we shoulde bée crushed to powder but because wée might come vnto him wée haue for vs there Iesus Christ vnto whom hée hath giuen all thinges in subiection both in heauen and earth And although our Lord Iesus had from eternitie all power yet wée saide not that hée sitteth at the right hande of God vntill such time as we saide that he was ascended into heauen Wée sée then that he had this preheminence ouer all after that he was ascended And héere wee haue to note that the principalitie which Iesus Christe had is for vs because hée hath no néede of it himselfe séeing hée is euerlasting with the Father But what hée is at the right hande of God in our nature And it is to this end that wée might bée assured wée shall take no harme being vnder his protection In very déed hée is wel cōtented that our fleshe shoulde bée troubled and that wée shoulde bée wrapped in many miseries But what then Hee is alwayes ready to stretch foorth his hande to helpe vs and let vs be assured that although wée abide it for a time yet in the ende it shall turne to our benefite This then is it that we must vnderstand when we heare his ascension spoken of Euen so since he is ascended into heauen for vs let vs note that we ought not to feare any thing so long as we are in this world Surely wée are subiect to so many miseries as that it is lamentable to sée our estate for we are more then miserable and yet wee must not be abashed for all that nor yet regarde our owne persons but wée must haue a respect to our head who is alredy in Heauen and saye although I be weake yet beholde Iesus Christ is stronge inough to make mée stand vpright although I be féeble yet loe Iesus Christ is my force and although I bee full of miseries yet is Iesus Christ in immortall glorye and looke what hée hath shall one day be mine and I shall bee partaker of all his benefites Iohn 12.31 Eph. 6. 12 True it is that the Deuill is called the Prince of this worlde but what then yet Iesus Christ keepeth hym short because hée is King both of heauen and earth Beholde the Deuils that are aboue in the ayre who warre against vs but what of al that Iesus Christ reigneth aboue them all and directeth all our fight and therefore we ought not to doubt of victory I am héere subiect to such a number of changes as might euen take a way my courage but what then Beholde the sonne of God is my head in whom there is no chaunge and therefore I must trust to that Thus wee sée what a regarde wée must haue vnto his ascension and make it profitable vnto our selues Let vs now come to the saying of the Angels yee shall see him come downe from heauen euen as you haue seene him goe vp meaning that wée should not looke for him vntill he come to the day of iudgement Now this shoulde not onely plucke all superstition vp by the rootes out of vs but also draw vs to heauen vnto him Howbeit wee haue already saide Col. 3.2 that we must not séeke for him but by Faith And since it is so let vs harken to the saying of Saint Paule to the Collossians Séeing Christ Iesus your head dwelleth in Heauen in whom is all your lyfe it is méete that your affection should bée on thinges aboue although your bodies be héere Wherefore since wée know Iesus Christ to be aboue wée must learne to forsake the world and be vnited to him There is a great space betwixt him and vs therefore it were impossible for vs to be ioyned together except we should vse the meane which S. Paule telleth vs which is to mortefye these earthlye members as Fornication vncleannesse couetousnes gluttonie pride enuy and al such like would we be partakers of this Ascension Then must we not separate our selues frō him But how should we be ioyned vnto him Forsooth wee must mortifie these earthly members and all other thinges that holde vs héere belowe Some are geuen to vncleannesse some to reuenge some to gluttonie and other some to certaine other vices Now then as faith looketh vpward euen so must our affections follow to the end we might forsake the world and al other things whatsoeuer which may any way hinder vs from béeing vnited vnto our head Héere wée sée what is meant by this saying That he will come in such sort as he was seene to goe vp into Heauen to the end wée might learne héereby to ioyne vnto him with al the affections of our heart By this the Angels had no pretence nor colour to speake either of the apparrel of Iesus Christ eyther yet of anie other things as many fantastical braynes doe séeking after things neyther requisite nor yet profitable to saluation But the spéech of the Angels was to this purpose to shew that he would come in visible maner As if they should haue said vnto the Apostles it gréeueth you that your maister is taken from out of your company howbeit let not the gréeue you because you shall sée him come againe in such immortal glorie as yée now sée him Nowe the Papistes haue other pretie childish subtleties saying that their GOD is in their masse and and make such sport with him there euen as they lust Indéed say they it is very true that Iesus Christ wil come visibly and manifestly to iudgement But yet say they at this present he commeth closely and couertly Surely he commeth daylie vnto vs and it is not for nothing that the Scripture saith the GOD visiteth vs and it is also wel said of vs that the Gospel is a testimonie of his presence But let vs marke how it is that hée dwelleth with vs. Indéed S.
in the beginning and this when it is said that that worde was in the beginning For Moses speaketh of the creatures which had their beginning to be at a certaine time But héere S. Iohn speaketh not of any thing but of God which cannot be without his eternitie and euerlastingnes Wherefore we must conclude that this beginning hath not any beginning And héereby wée sée that Iesus Christe hath béen alwaies It is as much then as if Saint Iohn had saide that Iesus Christ is our eternall God who hath appeared béen made manifest vnto vs in the flesh as also Saint Paul speaketh therof Now he addeth afterwards this word was with God as if hee shoulde say you must of necessitie separate and distinguishe him from all creatures Marke the purpose of the Euangelist We must not so much as imagine saith hée that this word had any thing at all like vnto creatures wée must go out of the world wée must ascend aboue the earth heauen A hard question answered when we thinke vpon this word A man might demaund Before there was either heauen or earth was it possible that this word should be in the beginning yea in déede for S. Iohn for a ful answere separateth this worde from all the creatures as if hée should say when I speake vnto you of this worde you must come to God for it is in God Let vs then regard and coÌ„sider it as a certaine eternitie or euerlastingnesse which is not in the creatures neither in the heauen nor in the earth nor in any thing whatsoeuer And notwithstanding all this yet so it is that the Euangelist in this place setteth out vnto vs a distinction betwéene God and his worde The father distincted from the sonne not in essence but in person 1. Cor. 8.4.6 1. Tim. 2.5 And what maner a one is this distinction It is not of their essence for he meaneth alwayes that this word is God wée must conclude séeing that we haue but one onely God and that there is but one simple essence or being in him that Iesus Christ that is to say this eternall word whereof mention is made in this place hath not béene separated or sundred from God his father in respect of essence and yet notwithstanding there is some distinction And howe is that then thus it is because we are not able to comprehend that which is so high aboue al our vnderstanding and reason Howe there are three persons in the Godhead the auncient Doctors haue vsed the word persons haue saide that in God there are thrée persons not as we speake in our common spéeche calling thrée men thrée persons or els as in the Popedome they wil be so bold as to point thrée Puppets or Munkeyes and say Loe the Trinitie but this worde persons in this matter is vsed plainly to expresse and set out the proprieties that are in the essence of God The word substance or as the Gréekes speake Hypostasis is in déede more méete and conuenient because it is a worde of holie scripture and the Apostle vseth it in the first Chapiter of his Epistle to the Hebrewes Hebr. 1.3 when hée saieth that Iesus Christ is the liuely image and the brightnesse of the glorie yea the image or ingraued forme of the substance or person of God his Father When he speaketh in that place of the substaunce or person of God hée meaneth not the essence or béeing but hée speaketh of his proprietie which is in the father to wit that he is the fountaine of al things But now let vs looke to their thrée substances or persons as we call them Gods worde onely must be the rule of our faith in all pointes but specially in the article of the Trinitie and marke howe they accord and agrée so farfoorth as God teacheth vs concerning them as I haue alreadie said for we must not at any hand go beyond these bounds and limittes And therefore let vs haue an eye thereto so farfoorth as shal be requisite for the exposition of the place When men speake of God true it is that men of them selues are confounded and knowe not what to thinke or imagine sauing that they goe astraie in their owne cogitations and thoughtes Rom. 1.21 as Saint Paule saieth and therevppon it falleth out that they waxe thereof ouer proude through their owne prudencie and wisedome and therefore GOD also doeth in suche sort punishe them that they intangle them selues in such horrible labyrinthes and mazes that they can not at any hand come out But when we will suffer God to guide vs vnto him selfe by the holie scripture we shall knowe him so farfoorth as shal be necessarie and méete for vs. The Trinitie prooued For we shall come to the father as to the fountaine of all thinges and then wée can not conceiue or think vpon the father without his counsel and eternall wisedome besides there is a certaine vertue power that remaineth in him which we shall also perceiue féele verie well Marke then how we shal finde these 3. proprieties in the essence of God And this is that which S. Iohn meÌ„t to say in this place that that word was with God If there were not some distinction hée could not speake so for that should be to speake vnproperly to say God was with him self So then let vs know that this word hath some distinction and is indéed to be distinguished from the heauenly father for it is that worde Christ begotten from before all beginnings that was begotten from before all time séeing that God alwayes had his counsell and his wisdome And we must not for all that so much as imagine or thinke vpon a beginning for we may not say that God hath at any time béene without his vnderstanding counsell and wisedome So then wée must not set aside and separate from God the proprietie of this word as to say that we could iudge The Trinitie destroieth not the vnitie neither doeth the vnitie infringe the Trinitie Gregor Naziâ—n sermo de sacro Basil that there had béen some certaine time wherein it had not béene with God for this should bée to make an idole of it as it were But as I haue said the thrée persons are but one God yet for all that we must distinguish them because there is a certain assured distinction of them as is in this place declared And withall let vs remember an old Doctours sentence which is verie worthie to be thought vpon because it is excellent I cannot saith he thinke vpoÌ„ these thrée proprieties the are set out vnto me in God but the immediatly my vnderstanding commeth backe againe to one on the other side it is impossible for me to know one only God but that I regard looke vpoÌ„ al the thrée proprieties sée theÌ„ distinguished in mine own vnderstaÌ„ding according to the light which is geueÌ„ me therof in the holy scripture
will get al the substance riches of the earth into their possession And thus we see that the messuage which was told them that they should find him in a Stable swadled in blankets was such a stumbling block vnto these poore men as was able to haue broken the very hearts of them and make thē to be of that mind neuer to come néere our Lord Iesus Christ but rather altogether to flie his company Now we sée that this was the signe which was geuen of the Redeemer that he was laid in a Māger as one not worthy the companie and felowship of men And yet woulde not all this withdraw their mindes from the visiting of him Their cōming then was for this cause to acknowledge him to be as it were the Lord cōfessing the God had cōpassion of them and would in the end accomplish and fulfill the promise which hée had made them from the beginning and so confirmed them selues thereof by this spectacle Seeing then these Shepheardes had so great fayth that it straue against all whatsoeuer might pull them backe from comming vnto our Lorde Iesus Christe wee shal be worthie double blame and without all excuse except wee learne and take foorth this lesson in their schoole and make not the byrth of our Lorde Iesus Christe although there appeared noworldly dignitie pompe or noblenesse therein a stumbling blocke to stay or withdrawe vs from the right way to come to submit our selues vnto him as vnto our siege king and vnto him vnto whom al power and dominion is giuen both in heauen and earth And surely this is an admonitiō very needful for vs for as I haue alreadie saide The doctrine of the Gospell is a very stumbling blocke to all proude and foolish men and to suche as thinke themselues wise we sée also that many fantasticall felowes spurne against whatsoeuer is contrary to their owne mindes On the other side there were many mockers skorners who were neuer touched with any féeling of their sinnes and because they are prophane people who neuer thinke to come to an account and know not any other better life then this whiche they sée héere belowe they thinke it therefore méere foolishnesse so to folow the sonne of God and to be acquainted with him And the more we sée this so much the more ought this aduertisement to strengthen vs to wit that the sonne of God loseth not a iote of his maiestie and glorie neither is any whit lessened because he hath abased himselfe for our saluation but we ought rather to woonder at it knowing his inestimable goodnesse loue towardes vs. We sée then howe we must put this doctrine in practise which is wée must not cease to come vnto our Lord Iesus Christ although we finde not at his handes at the first chop the thing which our flesh or naturall affection desireth And although at his birth he was swadled vp in cloutes and laide in a Manger yet let vs know be fully resolued that hee was notwithstanding a Mediatour to draw vs vnto his father to open the kingdome of heauen for vs whereout wee were vtterly reclosed And although euen at this day he reigneth not gloriously and his Churche despised yet remayneth there suche a playnenesse in his worde as the mightie euen of this worlde reiecte howebeeit let not vs for all that cease to holde our selues vnto him continually and submit our selues vnder his dominion in true obedience of Faith As for example when any man preacheth it is not the thing that greatly draweth vs according to our custome Wée heare a man speake and what is that It is of no great dignitie and credite and besides in effect there is nothing but the worde on the other side in that which is preached by the Gospell there are many thinges which séeme to vs to bée against all reason if wée shoulde iudge thereof after our owne mindes Let vs therefore vnderstande that wée shall neuer submit our selues vnto the thing which God sheweth and declareth vnto vs except we humble our selues in the first place And for a confirmation which hée hath added vs vnto his worde we haue the Sacraments And will one droppe of water suffice to assure vs of remission of our sinnes and that God hath adopted vs for his children and that although wée bée fraile shall we notwithstanding bée cloathed with his heauenly glorie which neuer shall decaye Is it possible for vs to take a pawne and pledge of so notable and great thinges in so small a deale of water May a péece of bread and a little Wine in the Supper of the Lorde suffice to assure vs that God alloweth vs for his children that wée liue in Iesus Christ and no seperation betwéene vs For this might seeme rather to bée a matter of nothing to sée suche Ceremonies wherein is no great glorie and pompe So then wée somewhat better sée this thing whiche is béere spoken by the Ministers belongeth to vs and that wée haue to make our profite thereof at this day to wit let not vs cease to drawe néere vnto our Lorde Iesus Christe and assure our selues that hée it is in whome wée must finde all goodnesse and all ioye and glorie although it séemeth that hée is yet as it were in the Stable in the Maunger and in his swadling cloathes to wit that there are many thinges which are able to make vs become dissolute or wanton or at the least bleare our eyes that wee shall not bée able to perceiue the heauenly glorie which GOD his Father hath giuen him I say in the same humane nature whiche hée tooke vppon vs. For in as muche as hée is GOD hée hath all thing of him selfe as it is said in the seuenteenth Chapter of Saint Iohn but in that hée is man whatsoeuer hée bringeth vs hée hath receiued of frée gift Iohn 17. that wée might drawe out of his fulnesse Iohn 1.16 and finde in him whatsoeuer is to be desired and so rest content our selues in him alone Moreouer let vs heere note that the holy Ghost meaneth to assure vs that we following the Ministers who are héere appointed for maisters and guides ought not to feare falling away for séeing the Shepheardes had none other signe but the Stable and a Manger wée may say Beholde a sorte of simple idiotes who are foolishly and without any reason made to beléeue that this was the Redéemer of the worlde and yet this woulde bée too too easie a matter for vs to doe And therefore wée might stande in doubt but on the other side the shepheardes were confirmed verie certainly that hée was the Sonne of God euen hée that laye so in the Manger to wit when the Angell appeared vnto them and after they had heard this songe which Saint Luke setteth downe where all the kingdome of heauen beare witnesse of our Lorde Iesus Christ that hée had all power ouer the creatures both of heauen and earth Let vs therefore
learne to receiue in the assurance of the fayth of Iesus Christ whatsoeuer is héere set before vs. For this is certaine and sure that God meaneth to conuince all those of vnthankfulnesse who at this day vouchsafe not to worship his onely Sonne séeing hée sent suche a multitude of Angels to declare that hée was the promised Redéemer We then haue a trimme way to flatter our selues in our incredulitie as we sée a number of blockish people doe who make no reckoning of whatsoeuer is written in the Gospell There are also certaine scorners of God so senslesse as that whatsoeuer is preached is to them all one for they account of it no better then of the telling of fables Nowe as many as submit not them selues to the woorship of our Lorde Iesus Christ are to be condemned of most obstinate and deuillish rebellion And because there are many faithlesse people an infinite number of the Angels of heauen shal beare witnesse against them for they are the Ministers of the trueth of God Let all the wicked therefore and as many as lye powdred and seasoned in their sinnes and corruptions smoothe and harden themselues as much as they will in their infidelitie and they are sure of this that they haue ouer many sufficient witnesses to ratefie and confirme their condemnation For the Angels in heauen appeared to the ende wée shoulde not bée excused when as we will not receiue Iesus Christ for our soueraigne King and submit our selues vnto his maiestie And therefore by the way Let vs for our part note that God procured our saluation when as hée sent suche a multitude of Angelles that wée might come to our Lorde Iesus Christ with a chearefull minde without any more disputing or doubting But bée fully resolued that wée shall finde in him whatsoeuer is wanting in vs and that hée will haue wherewith to supplye all our pouerties and miseries And to bée short That it is euen hée by whom God ment to communicate him selfe vnto vs. And will wée then séeke for our life any other were then in God Nowe Coloss 2.9 all the fulnesse of the God-head is in our Lorde Iesus Christe And therefore when wée haue suche a testimonie it is as much as if God stretched forth his armes to make vs féele his inestimable goodnesse and onely to shewe that when wée haue fayth in Iesus Christ I meane no hypocriticall fayth we might fully rest on him and considering that wée must holde all of him wée shall then be partakers of all his benefites which wée want and hunger after Moreouer although wée sée not at this day the Angels who for that time only appeared yet is this testimonie registred that it might bée autenticall For the holie Ghost hath spoken it by the mouth of Saint Luke Wherefore let vs be contented that wee haue such a testimonie from God as telleth vs that the Angels haue borne witnesse of the birth of our Lorde Iesus Christ that we knowing that hée was made man yea that of no estimation for our sakes might haue an earnest desire to attaine vnto the kingdome of heauen to the ende to cleaue vnto him in the true vnitie of fayth Wée are after a while to consider also of the place of his birth to wit of Bethlehem Which thing is no small nor light confirmation when as we sée the Sonne of God to be borne which the Prophet so long tyme before had foretolde For if Ioseph and Marie had had their house in Bethlehem and remayned there it had beene no straunge case if shée had béen there deliuered and Iesus Christ to haue béene borne in the same place But the thing which at this day shoulde haue serued our purpose had béene verie greatly darkened for it had not béene knowne that the Prophet had not said without cause And thou Bethlehē although at this day thou be of no great reputation like vnto a village which maketh no great shewe yet shalt thou bring foorth him who shall bée the ruler of my people But when Ioseph and Mary aboad in Nazareth and came vnto the Towne of Bethlehem at the verie time when shée was vppon the pointe of her deliueraunce and Iesus Christe borne who seeth not but that the hande of GOD guided all this géere And therefore it can not be but that men must bée willingly and wickedly blinde when as they will not acknowledge héere the handie woorke of God who hath set a marke of his onely Sonne that hée might without all doubt bée receiued as the promised Messiah In verie déede there was good occasion that made Ioseph to come vnto Bethlehem and that was the publike Edict of the Romane Emperour but to bring a woman thither great with childe and vpon the point of her deliueraunce surely this was not any man his déede but the handie woorke of God And againe we sée that GOD vseth straunge kinde of dealing for the accomplishing of his will For what imported this Edict of Caesars but a tyrannicall subiection for the taxing of the people of the Iewes and a laying of a tribute of euerie man at that time whiche was a signification that they shoulde not looke for any more libertie Iesus Christ was promised to deliuer the Iewes and all the faithfull from the subiection of Satan and from all tyrannie and it séemed that this Edict was made to close vp the gate that GOD should neuer accomplishe the thing that he had promised to his people and yet this was the meanes to perfourme it For when Ioseph and Mary came like poore soules to serue a Tyraunt a Pagane and an Infidell wee sée the Prophecie prooue true that Iesus was borne in Bethlehem And GOD him selfe as I haue alreadie saide giueth here a full certaintie vnto all his not to doubt of the birth of our Lorde Iesus Christ And héere wee sée howe wée must applye the instruction of these thinges which are heere recited vnto our selues For it was not the meaning of S. Luke or rather of the holie Ghost who spake by his mouth simplye to describe vnto vs an historie of that whiche came to passe But hath on the one side laide foorth vnto vs that GOD spared not his onely Sonne for vs and besides on the other side that hée brought an vndoubted testimonie with him that hée was the redéemer of the worlde and that hée might bée so receiued Let vs nowe consider with our selues to make our profite by this historie so that wée may agrée with the song of Angelles in glorifiyng of God and receiue also that whiche it affoordeth vs for the gladding of our soules In the first place The Angell who brought the message vnto the Shepheardes saide Bee not afraide for beholde I bring you tydinges of great ioy And besides this was the common testimonie of all the multitude of the Heauenly Souldiers which GOD had sent And peace in earth to men And thus wée sée what it is that wée must holde fast in
the first place which is wée muste séeke all our ioy in Iesus Christe For to say the trueth when as wee are full of delightes and voluptuousnesse it is without question wée will bathe our selues in all pleasures and yet yf wée bée not too too drowsie yea altogether blockishe our consciences will neuer bée quiet but bée tormented without ende and measure For this worme whereof the Scripture speaketh will gnawe vs our sinnes will checke vs and wee shall féele that God of very right is vtterly against vs and our professed enimie And therefore cursed are all the ioyes of the worlde because they shall bée turned into gnashing of téeth vntill suche time as wée are an attonement with God Cursed then are all ioyes all honours and all thinges els that are to bée desired vntill wée féele Gods mercy vppon vs and when wée are thus reconciled vnto him wée may not onely reioyce with an earthly ioy but with that ioye whiche is namely promised in the holy Ghoste to the ende wée might looke for the same in him Nowe peace and ioy are thinges whiche cannot bee separated For howe can it bée that we should haue any thing wherein to ioy when as wée sée our selues compassed about with so many miseries And besides when wée sée our selues cursed in Adam The children of wrath and God being our iudge armed to execute vengeance to the throwing of vs downe into the bottomlesse depth what ioy is it possible for vs to conceiue who stande in suche a desperate estate And surely when wée thinke héereon It cannot bée that wée shoulde bée onely tormented with vnquiet mindes but also bée oppressed with the horrour of Hell fier which surpasseth all the griefes of this worlde except surely the Diuell hath bewitched vs as many wée sée which ceasse not héerein to make themselues mery although they bée at open defiance euen with God himselfe But if wee had but one droppe of féeling within vs without doubt wée shoulde alwaies liue in torment vntyll such time as wée finde God to shewe himselfe mercifull vnto vs. And therefore this peace must goe before that wée are fully assured that God alloweth vs for his children and that because hee imputeth not our sinnes vnto vs. Nowe are wée in this sorte at peace with God And if wée bée so then surely wée haue wherefore to reioyce yea euen with God according to that which I haue alreadie touched For the very Infidelles haue a certaine kinde of peace that is to say They are so sensles as that they make no reckoning of the iudgement of God yea they are euen angrie with him but it is not with God For they neuer are at peace and rest without it bée when they forget both God themselues become altogether brutish howbeit S. Paul exhorteth vs to be at peace with God Rom. 5.2 that is to say to looke vnto him search how wée may be at peace that is wee drawing néere vnto him are certaine sure of his loue But how shal this bée doone forsooth euen by the forgiuenesse of our sinnes through the loue which hée beareth vs in our Lord Iesus Christe Let vs héere now note that the peace which the Angels of heauen preached at this time brought this ioy whereof the first Angel made mention saying Beholde I bring you tydinges of great ioy that is The saluation which you haue in Iesus Christ For hée is called our peace and this title declareth vnto vs that wée should bée altogether separated from God without he receiued vs by the meanes of his onely sonne Moreouer héereon wée haue also wherfore to glory when God alloweth vs for his children and giueth vs leaue to claime him with open mouth as our father to come fréely vnto him and in him to haue our refuge Let vs héerevpon gather by the way that God hath so appointed his Gospell to bée preached by the mouth of men as yet notwithstanding the Angelles haue gone before them and leade them the way True it is that at this day the Churche must bée taught by the meane of mortall creatures But howe euer it is this is no straunge thing that wee bring but doe onely recite the preaching of the Angelles of heauen and that of no smale number neither but of an infinite multitude and of an huge armie Moreouer wée cannot but néedes bée inflamed to magnifie our God whenas wée are throughly certified of his goodnesse Sée nowe why these two things are ioyned together that the Angels exhort all the worlde to glorifie GOD it is because hée gaue suche a peace vppon the earth wee inioy therefore the benefite which God hath largely bestowed vpon vs by the meane of our Lorde Iesus Christe his onely sonne And hée hath taken the possession of this peace to the ende our prayses might bée heard to the heauens pearse the cloudes and that all the world might resound this songe The Lorde bée blessed and magnified for euer Héerevpon wée are to gather that our mouthes must alwaies bée stopped and that wée can neuer praise God vntill suche time as hée hath caused vs to féele his great goodnesse For to say truely how is it possible for miserable sinners to blesse and magnifie the name of God so long as they haue that trouble of conscience that they knowe not whether God loueth or hateth them But contrariwise their mouthes by reason of their griefes must néedes be fast closed vp so that they are not once able to open their lippes And therefore muste GOD let vs so vnderstande in very good earnest the loue hee beareth vs as that wee may bée fully assured that hee is alwaies our Father and then shall wee haue wherefore to blesse his name But as wée cannot possibly in trueth praise God vntill such time as hee hath declared vnto vs his bountie euen so let vs also learne not to haue a dead and idle faith but when wée sée that he hath bountifully bestowed vpon vs the great treasures of his mercie let our mouth then doe his office in stirryng vp it selfe to blesse his name and let our whole life also answere the same For this is the very right signe Euery of vs must conscecrate himself to the true seruice worship of God because we knowing that hée hath so dearely bought vs ought by good reason to bestow all our thoughts déedes in the blessing magnifying of his most holy glorious name And that when we acknowledge ourselues to bée in very déede his wée might vnderstande that it procéedeth of his frée mercy and goodnesse that it hath so pleased him to accept vs vnto himselfe And therefore this saying is not set downe without cause That peace is graunted to men not for any desert or for that wée haue purchased the same but because it pleased God For the spéeche which Saint Luke vseth importeth this much that wée must séek after none other reason why our Lord Iesus Christe appeared to
able to giue our selues either to one thing or other but that we shall swarue from the right rule yea and spurne as it were dispituously against his Maiestie And therefore what conflict is it that wée can set in order to doe any good For when we sée that our Lord Iesus Christe in whom was nothing but purenesse and righteousnesse was not able to submit himself vnto God his father without he had denied himselfe is it not to bee doubted that we are any way able throughly to performe it Let vs then learne to fight more couragiously But because we see we cannot and that all our strength and power bendeth it selfe rather to doe euill and not one droppe of goodnesse in our nature but so weake as that wée shoulde be ouercome an hundred times euery minute of an houre let vs come to him that was made weake that wée might as S. Paule saieth be filled with his power And therefore since our Lorde Iesus Christe hath thus denied him selfe let vs learne if wée will bée his Disciples to doe the like And because wée sée that wée cannot of our selues attaine thereto but goe altogether backewarde let vs beséeche him 2. Cor. 13.4 that hée woulde by the power of his holy spirite haue dominion in vs to strengthen vs as it is said that hée suffered in the infirmitie of his fleshe but was raised vp againe through the power of the spirite that we might bée partakers of the afliction which hée susteined and féele the fruit and excellencie of his power in vs. Heere nowe wée sée in effect what it is that wée must beare in minde when it is saide that Christe gaue ouer his owne will that hee might fully and wholy submit himselfe vnto God his Father Notwithstanding we haue heere continually to remember that the Sonne of GOD determined not onely to set foorth himselfe héere for an example or glasse but to shew vs how dearely our saluation cost him For the Deuill meaning to darken the infinite grace of GOD which hath béene shewed vs hath saide That Iesus Christe was onely as it were a patterne of all vertue For marke how these hypocriticall pratling Iacke dawes in Popery behaue them selues who although they cannot set down what obedience is nor yet what it is to forsake a mans selfe yet they say that whatsoeuer the Euangelist hath written of Iesus Christe is to this ende that wée shoulde followe him and bée like vnto him Now this is somewhat But yet not all neither the principall matter For an Angell might very well haue béene sent to haue tolde vs that wee muste followe him But when Iesus Christe became the redéemer of the worlde hée of his owne good will submitted himselfe vnto this miserable condition as héere wée see And therefore must wée alwayes vnderstande that when wée can finde nothing in our selues that may giue vs any hope of saluation it remaineth that wée must séeke for that in him which is wanting in vs. For wee are neuer able to obteine the grace and fauour of GOD nor yet come néere him without wee come as poore Beggers vnto Iesus Christe which can neuer bee doone vntyll such time as we knowe our miseries and wants and to be short except we know vtterly our vnablenesse wee sée then what it is that wee are to remember to the end that after we haue vnderstood that the whole perfection of our life is to obey God and to forsake our affections and thoughts and whatsoeuer els that is in our nature which is to make vs agréeable vnto him when wee vnderstand this much we must craue at the handes of God that which we haue not And that wée might know also that our Lorde Iesus Christ is not deliuered vnto vs for an example onely but is eft soones declared vnto vs that if we be separated from him our life must néedes bee accursed and that in death we sée the bottomlesse depthes of the curse and that gulfe of Gods wrath to swallowe vs quite vp and that not onely one feare but a million of feares haue laide fast holde on vs and al the creatures of God crie for vengeance on our behalfe And therfore let vs haue this féeling because we might acknowledge our sinnes sigh and be ashamed of our selues and take boldnesse to come vnto God with true humilitie and repentance Let vs likewise estéeme of the goodnesse and mercy of our God as héere is shewed vs and haue our mouthes wide open to pay vnto him the Sacrifice of thanksgiuing and depart from the inticements of Satan who hath pitched his nettes to holde vs still in this worlde Let vs also leaue our commodities and pleasures that wee might come vnto this heauenly inheritance which hath béen so dearely purchased for vs and because we haue to communicate the Supper of the Lorde the next Sunday and that God after he hath opened vnto vs the kingdom of heauen setteth before vs a spirituall banket let vs bée so much the more touched with this doctrine And to say the trueth when wée dayly eate and drinke for the refreshing of our hungry bodies God therein sheweth vs sufficiently that he is our father and careth for these earthly bodies insomuch that we cannot eate one morsell of bread but that it witnesseth vnto vs that God is careful ouer vs. But in the Supper is a speciall reason for God doth not there fill our bellies but lifteth our mindes vp into the kingdome of heauen hee setteth before vs our Lorde Iesus Christe his sonne for meate and drinke And Iesus Christe is not onely contented to receiue vs to his Table but intendeth therewith to bee our féeder for hee sheweth vs in effect that his fleshe is meate in déede and his blood drinke indéede Wherefore when wée sée our Lorde Iesus thus gently to bid vs vnto him are not wée too too villanous if we holde not our selues back from doing of any thing that may withdraw vs from him And although we come but as men trailing our legges after vs yet let vs stil be displeased with our sins that we might obey him and streine our selues so much as is possible to be rid of this worlde and come to the kindgdome of heauen And therefore let euery one consider to what ende the holy Supper serueth For when we see that our Lord Iesus calleth vs vnto it that we might be partakers of his death and passion let vs inioy the fruite which he hath obteined for vs by that meane be fully resolued that God alloweth vs for his children and with open mouth claime him for our father Let vs also bring with vs a true faith because we knowe wherefore God the father sent our Lorde Iesus vnto vs and is at this day a Mediator as he hath alwayes béen And thereupon set vs labour to bée so vnited to him as that we may knowe that this is not onely spoken to euery of vs in particuler but to euery of vs in
thou that I cannot pray to my Father and he wil giue me moe then twelue legions of Angels 54 How then should the Scriptures be fulfilled which say that it must be so 55 The same houre saide Iesus to the multitude yee be come out as it were against a theefe with swordes staues to take mee I sate dayly preaching in the Temple among you and ye tooke mee not 56 But all this was done that the Scriptures of the Prophets might be fulfilled TheÌ„ all the Disciples forsooke him and fled 57 And they tooke Iesus and ledde him to Caiphas the high Prieste where the Scribes and the Elders were assembled 58 And Peter followed him a farre of vnto the high Priestes hall and went in and sate with the seruants to see the ende 59 Now the chiefe Priestes and the Elders and all the whole Councell sought false witnesse against Iesus to put him to death 60 But they founde none and though many false witnesses came yet found they none but at the last came two false witnesses 61 And said This man said I can destroy the Temple of God and build it in three dayes 62 Then the chiefe Priest arose and saide to him answerest thou nothing What is the matter that these men witnesse against thee 63 â—ut Iesus held his peace Then the chiefe Priest answered and said to him I charge thee by the liuing God that thou tell vs if thou be the Christ the Sonne of God 64 Iesus said to him thou hast saide it Neuerthelesse I say vnto you hereafter shal yee see the sonne of man sitting at the right hand of the power of God come in the cloudes of the heauen 65 Then the high Priest rent his cloathes saying Hee hath blasphemed What haue we any more neede of witnesses Behold now ye haue heard his blasphemy 66 What thinke yee They answered and said hee is worthie to dye IF we would at the first sight according to mans reason iudge of the taking of our Lorde Iesus Christ it would amaze vs to sée that hée neuer resisted For a man would thinke it became not his maiestie to suffer such shame and rebuke and not to withstand it any whit at all On the other side Peters zeale were greatly to bee commended because hée aduentured him selfe vnto death For he sée before his face the multitude of the enemies and him selfe alone man yet by reason of the loue hée beare to his maister hée drewe and desired rather to dye foorthwith then to suffer his maister to be so wronged Wherin we sée that we must verie humbly and modestly acknowledge to what ende it was why the Sonne of God did and suffered all these thinges and also vnderstand that whatsoeuer séemeth good in our eyes to be starke staring naught But wée are to beséeche God so to guide and gouerne vs as that we none otherwise iudge then accordingly as hée hath shewed vs in his worde For behold what an offence the Gospell is to a number of people and what a number of scoffers there are of it and all to their destruction By reason of their arrogant and rashe iudgement thereof Howbéeit to the ende wée might not bée deceiued wée must alwayes in the first place returne to that which our Lorde Iesus Christ setteth downe vnto vs which is the will of God his father And thus much for this point And besides wée are to consider of the ende thereof which to vs woulde séeme verie straunge Wherefore when wée looke vnto these two considerations wée shal then haue occasion to honour God and acknowledge that whatsoeuer wée thinke to bée foolishe the verie Angelles account it to be great wisedome And for the better vnderstanding hereof let vs looke vnto that which is here recyted of Peter For thus it is said That when hee had drawne his Swoorde hee cut off Malchus eare a seruaunt of Caiphas Héere wée sée howe foole hardie wée are when we follow our own opinion are so blinded as that we care not what we do But when we should obey God we are so slacke as is lamentable in such sort forget our selues as that the least thing in the worlde maketh vs to chaunge our copie And thus we sée we shal haue alwaies an hundreth times more mynde to follow our fond imaginations then to doe the thing which God coÌ„mandeth vs which our calling beareth vs in We see this ouer much in the example of Peter For as after shal be shewed wheÌ„ he was to coÌ„fesse our Lord Iesus Christ hee sweare to his owne destructioÌ„ yet was he coÌ„teÌ„ted to adueÌ„ture his life wheÌ„ as he had no such coÌ„mandement Nowe what was the cause that made him to drawe Surely he did it as it were in a furie For his Maister taught him not to doe any such thing And wheÌ„ he forsooke his maister knew he not before this saying Whosoeuer shall deny me before men I will denie him before my father which is in heauen Mat. 10.33 But he was as I haue before said cockbrayned this fond desire which he had to defend our Lord Iesus after his maner caried him away Let vs therefore after his example learne to endeuour our selues to walke whither soeuer God calleth vs and not to thinke it any hard matter to do which he coÌ„mandeth neither let vs attempt any thing no not so much as the wagging of our litle finger except God allow of it and that we haue a testimonie that he guideth vs. And thus much for this point And in very déede our Lorde Iesus sheweth him that he hath grieuously offended because he was not ignoraunt of this poynt of the lawe which sayeth that whosoeuer sheddeth mans blood his blood shall be shed agayne And therefore Sainte Peter was to haue kepte this lesson in mind That God would not haue anie force nor violeÌ„ce vsed Gen. 9.6 And that which is more in what Schoole was hee brought vp by the space of thrée yéeres And besides did not our Lorde Iesus put him in mind as much as was possible to behaue himselfe gently graciously From whence then should he fetch any allowance of this his rashe dealing Wherefore wée haue so much the rather to obserue that which wée haue already spoken to wit that if wée fetche our zeale from men bée flattered well like off yet will GOD condemne vs if wée transgresse his commaundement neuer so little And therefore wée shal neuer bée saide to bée prayse worthy except we walke as God teacheth vs by his word For so soone as we passe this measure all our vertues stinke and become abhominable Loe then what becommeth of all our deuotions For when soeuer we shall haue trauailed neuer so much to do the thing which seemeth good in our owne braines God wyll vtterly condemne it without it be squared by his word For he alloweth not nor accompteth any thing to be lawful in truth but his very word But as for the
vnto our Lord Iesus Christ hée kept himselfe very couert and close and was afearde to shewe himselfe a true Disciple for wée knowe that the confession of our faith is required in vs Iohn 2. 2◠1◠But when hée came to bury him he declared and confessed that he was of the number of the faithfull company Wherefore since he did so let vs at this day follow his constancy And although the worlde hateth and detesteth our Lorde Iesus Christ and the doctrine of his Gospell yet let vs stick vnto it Let vs also vnderstande that the greatest benefite and contentation that wee can continuallye haue is this whenas God accepteth and liketh of our seruice and besides although wée must suffer abide troubles here in this worlde yet let vs knowe this that because he hath gloryously rysē againe that he dyd it not to the ende to make a separation betwéene him and vs but that hee would when he sée his good time gather vs vnto him selfe Moreouer let vs not maruell although our Lorde Iesus rose againe the third day for it is very good reason that hee should haue some more priuiledge then the common order of the church And héerein is the saying of the Psalmist fulfilled Thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to sée corruption Psal 16. 10. And therefore it was méete that the body of our Lord Iesus should remaine vncorrupt vntill the third day but it was for that time so appoynted and established by the counsell of GOD his Father Howbeit wee haue no time assigned but the last day And therefore let vs abyde troubles and miseries so long as it pleaseth GOD and let vs vnderstand that he wyll in the ende when hee séeeth conuenient time restore vs after wee haue bene cast quite and cleane downe For therevnto Saint Paul exhorteth vs 1. Cor. 15.10 when as hée saieth that Christ Iesus is the first fruites whiche is to pull backe that feruent zeale wherewith wee are often times too too much carryed awaye for by our wylles wee woulde flye without winges and wee are gréeued with God for houldinge vs so longe heere in this worlde because hée wyll not bringe vs to heauen euen at the fyrst 2. Kin. 2. 11. and carry vs vp in a fiery Charit as Eilas was to be short we would faine triumph before we haue fought a blow Now that we might withstand this desire and these foolish lusts Saint Paul telleth vs that Iesus Christ is the first fruites wée must be contented that by his death we haue a sure pawne of the resurrectiō Neuertheles bicause he sitteth at the right hād of god his Father hauing all rule and dominion both in heauen and earth and although his maiestie hath not as yet appeared and that our life is hid in him let vs become like wretched dead people and although we séeme to be liuing héere in this world yet let vs bée as men quite forlorne and abide all this vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus For euen then shall our life be made manifest by him when as he shall thinke it good And thus we sée what it is that wée must obserue about the buriall of our lord Iesus Christ vntil such time as we attaine to the rest which will be a declaration that he hath not onely made satisfaction for all our sinnes but also hath by his victorie obteined all perfect righteousnesse for vs by whiche meane we are become acceptable at this day vnto the maiestie of God both to haue frée accesse vnto him and also to call vpon his holie name And in this confidence and beliefe Let vs fall downe before his diuine maiestie beséeching him to receiue vs all to his mercy and that we may not cease to haue recourse vnto his frée goodnes how miserable wretched soeuer we bée And although we dayly prouoke his heauy wrath and indignation against vs and iustly deserue that hée should forsake vs Let vs patiently wayte vntill hée sheweth the fruit and power of the death passion which his onely Sonne hath suffred by which we are reconciled and not doubt but that hée will be alwayes our Father so long as hée wil graunt vs this fauour as that we may be able to shew our selues his true children Let vs also beséech him that hée will cause vs to declare this by the effect in such sort as that we desire nothing els but to be wholy his and as hée hath very dearely bought vs so wee may also of right fully and wholly agrée to serue him And forsomuch as our weaknesse is such as that we are not able to discharge the hundreth part of our duetie without hée worke it in vs by his holy spirite because the infirmities of our flesh doe alwayes beare such a resisting and striuing sway as that we doe nothing els but euen créepe where we should in déede march as becommeth vs Let vs beséech him to ryd vs of all together that we might be vnited to him by that holy bond which bée hath ordeined to wit our Lorde Iesus Christ his onely Sonne That hée will not onely graunt vs this grace c. ¶ The ninthe Sermon is of his resurrection at which time was celebrated the holie SVPPER Matthew xxviii 1 IN the latter ende of the Sabboth day whiche dawneth the first day of the weeke came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the Sepulchre 2 And beholde there was a great earthquake for the Angell of the Lorde descended from Heauen and came and rowlled back the Stone from the Dore and sate vpon it 3 His countenaunce was like lightninge and his rayment white as Snow 4 And for feare of him the keepers dyd shake and became as dead men 5 The Angell aunswered and sayde vnto the women feare yee not for I knowe yee seeke Iesus whiche was crucifyed 6 He is not heere hee is risen as he saide come see the place where that the Lord was laide 7 And goe quickly and tel his disciples that hee is risen from the dead And beholde he goeth before you into Galile there shall you see him loe I haue tolde you 8 And they departed quickly from the Sepulchre with feare and great ioye and dyd runne to bring his Disciples worde 9 And as they went to tell his Disciples beholde Iesus met them saying al hayle And they came and helde him by the feete and worshipped him 10 Then sayd Iesus vnto them bee not afraide goe tell my Brethren that they go into Galile and there shal they see mee A Man would at the first sight thinke it straunge that our Lorde Iesus Christ woulde shew him selfe after his resurrection rather to women then vnto his Disciples Howbeit wee are hereby to consider that his meaning was to trye the basenesse and lowlinesse of our faith Because we must not build vpon mans wisdome but obedientlye receiue what soeuer we know to come from him Againe no doubt of it his meaning was
sacrifice was offered they did eat and were mery euen so likewise must we now come and receiue our spirituall meat and foode which is héere offered vnto vs in this sacrifice for our redemption In veridéed wee must not eate Iesus Christ fleshly for he is not betwéene our téethes as the Papistes doo dreame But wee take Breade for a sure vndoubted pawne that we féede on the body of Iesus Christ spiritually and we receiue a litle wine to shew that we are spiritually sustained by his precious blood Howbeit let vs with all note the saying of Saint Paul that because vnder the figures of the lawe it was not lawfull to eate leauened bread and that wee are now no more vnder such shadowes wee must cast away the leauen of maliciousnesse and wickednesse and of all our corruptions and take to vs the bread which hath no bitternesse but the bread of purenesse and truth And therefore when we come vnto this holy Table wherein the sonne of God sheweth vs that he is our meat and giueth him selfe vnto vs for a full and whole repast and would haue vs be now partakers of the sacrifice which he once offered for our saluation we ought to looke well vnto it that wee come not hether spotted and filed with sinne and iniquity but vtterly to forsake them all and be altogether cleansed of them to the ende our Lorde Iesus might allow vs to bee the members of his body and by that meanes also be partakers of his life And thus we sée how we must profyt our selues at this day by this holy supper which is made ready for vs which is this that it may lead vs vnto the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ and also vnto his resurrection that therby we may trust to haue life saluation because that by his victorious resurrectiō we are made righteous and the gates of heauen in such sort set open vnto vs as that we may bouldly approche vnto our God and offer our selues before him since wee knowe that hee wyll alwayes take vs as his children Let vs now fall downe before the maiestie of our good God acknowledge our offences beséechinge him to haue mercy vpon vs that we may finde fauour at his handes although we deserue it not And that he will not pardon onely the sinnes whiche wee haue already committed but also ridde vs of all the faultes and miseries of our flesh vntill such time as hee hath clothed vs with the perfection of his holynesse wherevnto hee dalye exhorteth vs. And so let vs all say O almighty God and heauenly Father c. ¶ The first Sermon of the Prophesie of Iesus Christ as concerning his death and passion taken out of the Prophete Isaiah Isaiah Lij 13 BEholde my seruaunt shall prosper he shal be exalted and extolled and be very high 14 As many were astonied at thee His visage was so deformed of men and his forme of the Sonnes of men so shall he sprinkle many nations the kinges shall shut their mouthes at him for that which had not beene tolde them shal they see and that which they had not heard shall they vnderstand Chap. Liij 1 VVHo will beleeue our reporte and to whom is the grace of the Lord reueiled THe Prophet hauing generally spokē of al the people of the Iewes commeth now to the head vpon whō hangeth al that hath bin before said For their redemption was only grounded in vpon our Lord Iesus Christ 2. Cor. 1.20 because in him are al the promises of God accomplished Now it is long time past sithence the redéemer was promised But when it was thoughte that the ligne of Dauid was vtterly extinguished the hope of the faithfull might altogether haue bin abolished For it was said that God would establish a king for euer 2. Kin. 24.15 2. Chro. 36.10 would set him on Dauids seate notwithstanding that he should haue the sunne and the moone of heauē yet should this kingdom be mainteined cōserued that although al the world should perish yet should this be so stable sure as that it should very wel be séen that this was a kingdom wholly consecrated vnto God And yet for al that it decreased yea soone after by little little fell in decay vntil such time as the last king saue one 2. Kin. 15.7 Ierem. 39.6 32.9 was carried away captiue al the kingly ligne translated as it were cleane cut of And the last king who was created at the charge of an Infidel an enemie vnto al religion in the ende playing the rebell against him it so fell out as that the king was takē his eyes put out he was indited his children were slaine he himselfe was most shamefully condemned the temple with al his houses were burnt What was to be thought héervpon Forsooth it must néeds bée that the Iewes assured themselues by the Prophet that God would in the end take compassion on them and bring them out of captiuitie For it was méete he shoulde tel them that that which was spoken to Abraham in the old time was not spokē in vayne That in his séede all the nations of the earth shoulde bee blessed and that there should be a king of the ligne of Dauid established whose Empire should be euerlasting and without end And therefore we sée why Isaiah restraineth heere his spéeche vnto the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ to this end purpose I say that the redēption returne of the people which before hée had spokē of might be holden to be most certayne and sure Nowe we haue séene here aboue Isaiah 42.1 that our Lord Iesus was called The seruaunt of God forsomuch as he most obediently submitted himself for our saluation yea beyng hée who was Lord of glory the head of the Angels and before whom euery knée must bowe Wherfore since this name of seruaunt is geuen vnto him let vs vnderstande that it is because he tooke vpō him our nature and that hée would not only abase himselfe therein but also be made of no reputation For it coulde not bée chosen but that our transgressions and iniquities must be repayred through his obedience And according to that which hée saide to Iohn Baptist Mat. 3 1◠hée must néedes fulfil the measure of al righteousnesse Thus wée sée that although our Lord Iesus Christ was ful of al maiesty God euerlasting yet because he took vpon him our nature and became like vnto vs hée thought not skorne too bée of the lowest degree of men whiche cannot bee gainesayd For although his diuine nature was no whit chaunged Yet if we consider well of the matter it was méete he should abase himselfe Galat. 4.4 as he was a Mediator betwixt God and vs for it is said that he was made subiect to the law although indéed he was no whit indebted to the same for it was he that must rule all and vnto whō al
and being borne in a Stable lead all the dayes of his life like a miserable poore handicraftes man and at last wée sée that all men set themselues against him and so raged as that they detested and hated him and to make fewe wordes and well crucified him Now this was a death which God cursed and hée was not only disfigured with buffetting spitting on crowned with thorne but also was accursed being hanged betwéene two théeues as if hée had béene the most horrible villaine that euer was knowne or hearde of And this was a terrible kinde of death because it was accursed by the law We sée how fouly hee was disfigured which was the very meane why he became a stumbling blocke vnto the worlde And therefore the Prophet namely saith that they would not beléeue the Gospell because the world could not conceiue it to bée a reasonable thing neither yet â—llow that the only Sonne of God the very glory of the Lorde shoulde bée put to such shame and rebuke This eternall counsell of God which was from the beginning coulde neuer sinke into their braine And thus wée sée the meaning of the Prophet Now it is hereupoÌ„ said notwithstanding That he shal be exalted Although at the first there is no shewe of it yet God will increase him and they shall sée saith he euen before their faces that although he was miserable and bare a poore twigge yet that this was no let vnto his aduancement nor to his glorious floorishing because that God woulde put his haÌ„d bring it to passe And besides he bringeth vs backe to our sinnes that hee might take away our conceiued offence by reason of the ouerthwartnes of our vnderstanding Wherfore to the end we should not refuse to come vnto our Lord Iesus Christ by séeing him thus disfigured the Prophet sheweth vs the cause why For to say truely if we come once to the acknowledging of our sinnes and foorthwith conceiue of the wrath of god for the same then shall we come to our Lord Iesus Christ desire him to helpe vs be so much the more earnest to receiue his death and passion for wée must vnderstand that it is the most necessary remedy that may be for the euil that is in vs Thus in sume we sée here the procéeding of the Prophet Now when he maketh comparison betwéen our Lord Iesus Christ and a smal twigge or braunch a roote in a dry and barren ground it is to shew that the beginnings should be base of no valure so that all the worlde should scoffe laugh at them In the eleuenth Chapter he compareth him vnto a sory twigge or braunch saying that he should come of the stocke of Isai Dauid his father And therefore because the kingly house was then base and of no honour hee said it shoulde be as sometimes it had béen that Isai was a countrie man his children Neat heardes Shepheardes This house in those dayes was nothing and of no reputation and besides was like vnto the body of a trée lying on the grouÌ„d which men troode vpon and of no estimation Iesus Christe then was like vnto a silly twigge or branche But it is saide soone after that hée should so wonderfully growe as that hée shoulde ouershadowe the whole worlde Héere the Prophet also sheweth that it muste néedes bée that our Lorde Iesus shoulde bee thus contemptible at the first For if this had not béen namely declared they might very well haue béen offended whenas they see our Lord Iesus Christ to be thus contemptible as touching the worlde For it was saide that one should coÌ„tinually sit vpon the seat of Dauid that this kingdome should florish although he held the Sun Moone And now behold that this princely house was as it were razed vtterly defaced who would thinke that the promise should be accoÌ„plished in the persoÌ„ of our Lord Iesus For there was no likelihood that he should haue béen restored to the princely estate but wheÌ„ it is said that this house should as it were come to naught he of no more estimation nor haue no more rule preheminence that it should be ashame as a man would say to sée such a destruction and confusion when the Prophetes I say haue told this much then haue wee a very good entrée to wit Iesus Christ Neither must wee bee abashed as at a strange vnknowne thing although our Lord Iesus Christ shewed himself in so base a state and condition For to say the trueth it is not in this place alone that the holy Ghoste hath thus saide Wée sée also what the Prophet Amos saith That God will raise this seate Amos. 9.11 Acts. 15.16 which before was ouerthrowne And this place is also set downe in the Acts of the Apostles to declare that our Lorde Iesus Christe shall beginne to raigne when it shal please God to repare the things that were confounded And namely it was said that this kingdome with the kingly crowne shoulde be trode vnder foote as it were and haue no head vntill such time as the Redéemer were come into the worlde And therefore all these thinges should confirme and strengthen vs to the end these base beginnings of our Lorde Iesus Christe might not séeme straÌ„ge vnto vs. Moreouer by this saying of a desert or barreÌ„ land the Prophet meaneth that it should séeme that our Lorde Iesus should no more increase or grow vp then a trée in the desert where is neither moystnesse nor any goodnesse Behold then he is like vnto a disfigured or yll fauoured trée which wanteth nourishmente and the substance and moysture of the earth Nowe it is saide that Iesus Christe shal be so from the beginning expressing thereby that there shoulde be no meanes héere on earth to make him florish but that he should be increased froÌ„ heauen that by the secrete power of God his Father and not be ayded by the worlde because it is altogether barren fruitlesse And this was not only said of his byrth but is also to be referred to the whole course of the Gospell In déede this was a signe that Iesus Christ was but a poore twig whenas he could not get a place to be lodged amongst men but was like one that was banished excluded froÌ„ all coÌ„pany so poorely brought vp as euer was man And this was to prepare the hearts of the faithful to vnderstaÌ„d that Iesus Christ should be reiected conteÌ„ned as touching the world but the principal matter for theÌ„ to vnderstaÌ„d was wheÌ„ he should come to preach the Gospel and execute the charge coÌ„mitted vnto him by God his father For then they began to say Is not this the CarpeÌ„ters sonne doe not we know his bringing vp And in what schoole he hath learned to be so great a Doctor Mat. 15.55 And his kindred séeing him to be so extréemely hated would haue made him beléeue that hee had béen mad
that he must be tied kept frō doing his duty for feare the people would haue stoned thē all to death for they saw well enough that this malice would stretch it selfe foorth to the whole family kindred And at last behold Iesus Christ was crucified So that thē a man would haue thought the gospel had béen cléerely buried with him the remembrance thereof quite put out Who would haue said that the Apostles had euer béen able thus to haue set foorth the doctrine of the Gospell For marke what simple men they were such as neuer knew what learning meant altogether vnacquainted with the holy scripture vtterly without skill abilitie and besides a refuse people whō no man wold vouchsafe to heare although in very déed they had spokē with the tongues of Angels And what is to be séen herein but euē a very wildernes wher are the honorable shewes preparatiōs that should make kings princes to stoupe to the gospel For sooth heere are none at al. But on the cōtrary part behold naked swordes fire faggot to stop the course therof Wherfore we right wel sée that it was like vnto a smal graffe planted in a barrē land And who would say that it should grow to be a trée to ouershadow all the world vnder the which euery mā might shroud himself who was euer able to immagine this séeing so vnlikely beginnings Therefore it is not wtout cause that the prophet Isaiah declareth that the world which is too too much addicted to glory wil neuer vouchsafe to looke vpon our Lord Iesus Christe but rather despise him because he is like vnto a little twigge science of a trée taken out of a barren land where was neither water moysture substance or yet strength Now this is namely laide before vs to the end we might not bée drawne away through any such offence but be able redily to come vnto our Lord Iesus Christ And therefore when wee heare after what sort the Gospell shal be preached vnto the world and that we sée the like of it at this day to wit that the church shal be as a small handfull of rascall people and that wée shal be abhorred of all those that beare the greatest sway in the worlde let not vs for al that be faint harted For we sée how our Lord Iesus Christ appeared at the first although his meaning is that his kingdome should bee conserued after this maner at this day yet let not that stay vs from yéelding our obedience vnto him 1. Cor. 1.25 And since we know as S. Paule saith that the foolishnesse of God hath surpassed the wisdom of man let not vs be so arrogantly minded as to set our selues against it But let vs vnderstand that as God his meaning was to make his sonne of no reputation so likewise entended he to exalt him aboue the heauens and let not vs finde fault with that which he hath ordeined in his secrete counsel but therein rest our selues Moreouer let vs well cōsider of these words That he shall sprout vp before him For if we through our pride and disdaine think to tread Iesus Christe vnderfoote kéepe him vnder we deceiue our selues because he shal grow vp in despite of mans incredulitie malice vnthankfulnesse and enmitie but it shall be before God It is true also that he groweth vp aswell before the faithfull because they must obediently worship him acknowledge that the excellēt name which god hath giuē him is worthie to haue euery knée bow vnto it But the Prophet hath namely said that hee shall grow vp before God setting héere a ballance as it were betwéene such mē as goe about to ouerthrow suppresse the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ and besides God his father who will giue him his hād wil bring it so to passe as that nothing shal be able to kéepe him frō attaining vnto the fruite of his glory and Maiestie whereunto hee is called Thus wee sée the very naturall and true meaning of these wordes That to the outward shewe our Lorde Iesus is but as a twigge in a dry or barren grounde because there is no meanes in this worlde to make him growe vp and yet bée as be may he shal growe vp But how Forsooth euen before God And therefore let it not dismay vs when wée shall sée men make a iest at the Gospell to become as a flaunderous and shamefull thing by reason of the pride of the faithlesse But when wée shall sée the enimies of the trueth ware to arrogant and lift vp their hornes against our Lorde Iesus Christ and furiously fight against him let vs turne away our faces from it and not be so foolishe as to set light by the sonne of God because it is not the blinde such as Satan possesseth and who are altogether bewitched that doe praise and magnifie him and his worthines but let vs rather looke vnto God and then shall wée be throughly instructed in our faith For since Iesus Christe so groweth vp before God his Father it is good reason that we for our partes shoulde magnifie him and yéelde him the honour that belongeth vnto him To bée short let vs learne to stay our selues wholy vpon god thē we may boldly fréely stand against all the world And although there bee no reckoning made of the word of God yet let vs yéeld our obedience vnto it as it were vnto himselfe And why so Forsooth because that God should be far dearer vnto vs then an infinite number of those gainesayers which would withdrawe vs from comming vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ And this is a very necessary point for vs euen at this day For as wée haue saide we sée that the mightiest and wisest men of this worlde fight notwithstanding against the Gospell yea euen they which are not contented to be called Christians only but which also will be aboue all others in the highest degrées and yet are these men I say but Satans supporters to abolish the trueth of God such as set thēselues against our Lorde Iesus Christ his word If this I say feare vs let vs consider wel of the which is héere said That if we sée men so obstinate hard harted as that they wil not receiue the sonne of God when he offereth himselfe vnto them wée ought to set our selues against euen the mightiest of thē because then are but doung in respect of God In very déede as for the present time they are of so great Maiestie as that to our séeming all the world should bowe tremble before thē But if we would lift vp our mindes vnto God looke vnto him wtout doubt wee woulde care no more for al these fray baggles then for a rush Thus we sée how we should lift vp our faith to the end that nothing which is héere below might bee any let why Iesus Christ should not rule ouer vs. And this is it which we
would thinke al were marred cleane lost Thē must wee haue recourse to this saying of the Prophet that although hee was abased in his death yet the God exalted him aboue al the rest of his creatures And thus must we lift vp our faith vnto the heauens But hée as be may let vs learne not to take any offence at the crucifiyng of the sonne of God neither yet at the shames slanders which he suffered in his owne person nor at the disdaining of his members at this day and at all the reproches which are done vnto them in the whole world let not al these dooings I say withdraw vs frō continually remaining firme constāt in the faith of the Gospel Now because this cōbate or cōflict is hardly to be performed marke why the prophet bringeth vs back to the reasō why our Lord Iesus suffred for to say truly it is impossible for vs to trust vnto the sōne of god vntil such time as we are surely certainly persuaded of the fruit benefit which cōmeth vnto vs by his death passiō And why so forsooth because at the first sight as I haue already said a mā would cōdemne it to be a foolish thing that a mortal man should be the Author of life that he should die no simple death but such a slanderous death as God cursed euen to be hanged as a théefe vpon the Gallow trée Now whē we shoulde sée all this geare no doubt of it wée should be brought into such a maruellous hatred of the matter as that we should neuer be able to come vnto Iesus Christ but héere is the rightest remedie that we haue that we vnderstād why he died how his death hath profited vs what benefit we haue receiued by it then wée shall auoyde all offences As for exāple if griefe sorrow oppresse my hearte and doe beholde the onelie Sonne of God to bée as it were troade vnder foote and abhorred of all men I must néeds enter into a cōsideration with my selfe For if I looke but only into Iesus Christ I shal passe it ouer make no reckoning of it but if in the first place I looke vnto my selfe afterwarde come vnto him then shal I finde a good sauour and taste in his suffering And how so Forsooth if I consider with my selfe that I am a miserable sinner and haue so prouoked the wrath of God against me as that he is become mine enemy and my Iudge if then I thinke of my sinnes and therevpon doe conceyue what an horrible and terrible thing the wrath of God is and that hée is my iudge to cast mée into the bottomlesse pitte of hell then will I begin to say Goe to now what meane hast thou to make an attonement betwéen God and thée Art thou able any way to satisfie him only for the least offence that thou hast committed against him Alas no thou arte no way able Can I with trauelling by Sea and lande all the worlde ouer be able to make recompence Can the Angels of heauen helpe mée No surely Why then it is Iesus Christ alone that must appeare for mée in my name he must bée my pledge and warrant Thus we sée that the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ shal bee no more any foolishnesse vnto vs but wee shall thinke that because wée were thus accursed and had no remedie to find fauour at the handes of GOD since we had so prouoked him to bée our enimie it could not bée chosen but that wee must néeds bée eftsoones subiect to Satā vnto his tiranny vntil such time as Iesus Christ had deliuered quited vs of thē Thus we sée how we should begin to magnifye the infinit goodnesse of this our God which is an abhorring our sinnes and by being a shamed of them as much as is possible We also sée how this imaginatiue offence and fond deuice of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ shall bee blotted out to wit when we shal enter into the consideratiō of our selues and truly trie our sinnes and acknowledge that we are so detestable vnto God as that he him selfe must néedes come in the person of his sonne to make satisfaction for them to repayre our iniquities to the ende we might be reconciled vnto him And this is héere the order of the Prophet On the one side he sayeth that Iesus Christ shall haue nether forme nor fashion and that nothing shall be founde in him worthy to bée desired And that which is more to sée him a farre of would make a mans hart yarne Howbeit when he had said all this he addeth Now it was for our sins that he was afflicted As if he had saide Ah miserable blind soules you make no reckoning of the sonne of God yea and euery of you through your vnthankfulnesse shutteth the gate so hard vpon him-as that you are no way able to come néere him to obtaine the saluation which he bringeth you And what should be the cause truly for that you haue not knowne your sins that you might be humbled and because you are drowsy and blockish and féede your selues with your vaine flatteries but looke into your miseries corruptions and then wyll you be ashamed of your state conditiō acknowledge that you haue none other meane but Iesus Christ alone to be your mediator who taketh vpon his owne person the thing which made you the enimies of God who becommeth your pleadge maketh him selfe as a poore sinner to lay vpon his own shoulders the burthē of your sins Now when you shal think vpō all these things thē wil you find some good sauor to submit your selues vnto the sonne of God not cleaue any more to your vain fantasies nether yet be offended that Iesus Christ was thus bacely accompted of whenas you shall vnderstande in what condemnation you haue deserued and the recompence and satisfaction due for the same Moreouer the Prophet namly saith we haue seene him disdained him therby to declare that our Lord Iesus should not only be contēned reiected of the smalest nūber of people but euen of the gretest nūber of his peculier people for whē the prophet setteth hī in the ranke of those which had refused our Lord Iesus he had a regard vnto the people of the Iewes whereof he came and he ment also ouer and besides this to shewe that this was the common opinion as a man would say that Iesus Christ was reiected in all places And therefore we are so much the more surely armed not to tie our selues to mens fantasies when as we shall not onely sée in this behalf hundreths of infidels but also great troupes and mightie armies yea Myllions that a man shall hardly finde thrée or foure amongst an hundreth which will quietly submit them selues vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ and albeit we sée it to be thus yet let vs for all that cleaue fast vnto him Thus we
sée in summe what we haue to cōsider of in this place For if we should at this day come to voyces and a fewe weake people should beholde it what would they say There is but a small handfull of men which beléeue the Gospell howbeit if they were the greater number I could bée well contented to goe that way but for mée to thrust my selfe into so small a company and forsake the greater multitude what a folly were that Now the Prophet to the end hée might cut the throat of these obiections sayeth that there woulde not be aboue foure or tenne at the most but that all men for the more parte woulde refuse to obey our Lorde Iesus Christ And no doubt of it his meaning was to finde fault perticulerly with the Iewes For wée haue alredie alledged out of the eight Chapiter that hée should be a stumbling blocke to these two houses to wit to the trybe of Abraham Wée sée then that a man would haue thought that the people whom God had specially chosen to him selfe must néedes haue knowne their Redéemer For to whom was Iesus Christ promised Forsooth euen to the Iewes For it is saide that he was the Minister of the Circumcision to the ende hée might accomplishe the promises made vnto the Fathers Rom. 11.8 Psal 118.22 And therefore the Iewes must néedes bée acquainted with Iesus Christ before he appeared vnto the worlde and with ease receiue him Nowe it is sayde that the principall and chiefe builders refused him to wyt the Princes and heades of the people And euen so fareth it at this day For not onely Turkes and Infidelles refuse Iesus Christ but also verie many false Christians in name yea and wée shall haue numbers that professe the Gospell who many tymes become prophane and villainous scorners of God and woulde gladly that all the doctrine of saluation were clearely abolished for the shewe that they make of it is onely for the shame of men But howeuer it is we are sure of this that Iesus Christ shall be refused and contemned and if it had not béen so foretold of our fayth might very wel haue bin shaken But this saying of Isaiah is a verie good staffe for vs to leane vnto euen as vnto a sure rock when as we sée all the worlde thus stumble at him as to sée some to set them selues furiously against him his doctrine some to scorne him and put out their tongues to speake euill of all religion But yet let vs notwithstanding constantly perseuere in our Fayth Surely it is greatly to be wished for that we might sée Iesus Christ a far off and submit our selues vnto him because hée is the true Glasse and patterne of al holines Howbeit the more we sée the world refuse him the greater ought our fayth to be For howe is it possible for vs to discerne that Iesus Christ is the Redéemer of the worlde Forsooth let vs consider what all the Prophets haue saide of him For to say truely this is the onely Glasse wherein we must beholde the onely Sonne of God For behold the true testimonies which God hath sent down from heauen to set a sure marke of him that should be the Redéemer to wit that all the worlde should forsake him and euery man lift him selfe vp against him And therefore since it is so let vs receiue him with this condition and not doubt that although it séemeth to vs that we should be vtterly ouerthrowne and troad vnder foote through the boldnesse and pride of the vngodly yet that God will magnifie our Lorde Iesus Christ and so strengthen our fayth by his holie spirit as that it shall haue victorie vnto the end and that as our Lorde Iesus hath ouercome the Deuill as in the end both hée and all his Supporters must be made his footestoole euen so likewise will hée cause vs to tryumph with him to march vpon all those which persecute and lift them selues vp so furiously against vs and against all those which contemne and despight him Nowe let vs fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God and acknowledge our offences beséeching him to cause vs so to féele them as that we may grone and sigh for them so that we being after truely humbled may come to our Lorde Iesus Christ knowing that in him must be all our helpe and comfort And forsomuch as it pleased God his Father to punish him for our sinnes Let vs set all our affection vpon him and be so willingly gréeued for our prouoking of our God vnto anger as that we may haue both our selues and our sinnes in detestation and hatred vntill such time as we be throughly cleansed of them And that it would please him in the mean time so to assist vs as that we neuer dout but that hée will be alwayes mercifull vnto vs because that Iesus Christ hath not once onely suffred to abolish our sinnes but also daily offreth vs forgiuenesse of the same when as we séeke that at his handes which is wanting in vs. So let vs beséech him that hée will not onely graunt vs this grace but vnto all people and nations of the world c. The third Sermon of the Prophesie of Christe Isaiah liii 4 SVrely hee hath borne our infirmities and carryed our sorrowes yet we did iudge him as plagued and smitten of God and humbled 5 But hee was wounded for our transgressions hee was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed 6 All wee lyke sheepe haue gone astray wee haue turned euerie one to his owne way and the Lorde hath layde vpon him the iniquitie of vs all WHen wee beholde all the woorkes of GOD héere in this worlde wee are taught to prayse him according to his excellency and highnesse But when we looke vpon the person of our Lord Iesus Christ wée are then to magnifie him in his lowlinesse and humilitie Héere then are two manner of wayes set downe vnto vs howe to praise God The one is Because hée sheweth vs his infinite goodnesse righteousnes and power in the creation and framing of all things and in the ordering and disposing of the same therefore we ought also to honour and exalt him not that we are able to make him honourable But the scripture vseth this kinde of spéech to the ende we might lift vp our mindes vnto heauen aboue all worldly things whē as we would glorifie our God according vnto his worthines The other is that because our Lorde Iesus Christ in whom dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhead was not onely abased for our saluatiō but also wold be made of no reputation no not refusing to suffer the sharpe anguishes of death as if he had entred into hell for this cause therfore I say is God more to be glorified then for all the mightie gloriousnesse that is to be séene in all the worlde besides And of this we spake somewhat yesterday But because the Prophet
thinke onely before baptisme For thus they reason little children say they receiue the grace of God and are pardoned of Originall sinne in baptisme by the power of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ But say they whē we are once baptized then sin Iesus Christ alone is not sufficiēt to make vs acceptable vnto the Lord and to blot out the remembrance of our sins but we our selues also must make recompence And this is the cause of the deuising of their workes of superogation as to wander vp down lyke Rogs a Pilgrimage to haue many trentals of Masses such lyke diuelish inuentions So that if a man aske the Papists why the roge vp and downe a pilgrimage as they doo to sée their mowing apes and marmesets why they fast such and such a daye why they build Churches and why they cause masses to bee songe forsooth wyll they say euen to redéeme our selues before the Lord our God for it is very méete that when we haue vnderstood of our sins that we should make satisfactiō for thē to the end God might acquite discharge vs of the same Sée here how they make the death passion of our lord Iesus Christ of none effect so the papists are not able to go on one foot forward to do their deuotiōs but that they blaspheme God opēly deny the death passiō of our Lord Iesus Christ cast thēselues down into hel mouth thus we sée whether their diuelish deuotions which they cal good lead thē And therfore we are to obserue the words of the Prophet whē he saith that the correction of our peace was laid vpō our Lord Iesus Christ because that by his meane God is appeased set at one with vs for hée beareth all the sinnes iniquities of the world vpon him So thē let vs here note that when we sée what maner ones we are we shuld alwaies stād in feare because God is our enemie our iudge And besides wée must in the secōd place cōclude that there is no other meane either in heauen or yet in the earth to make vs at one with God but by the price which our lord Iesus hath paid satisfied euē by his death passiō Haue we this let vs then with bold chéere countenance come before our God yet not so but that we must alwaies humble our selues be ashamed of our sinnes Howbeit that wil be no let vnto vs but that we may frankly cal vpon our God as vpō our father neither coulde wee glorify our selues wtout he reputed vs to be iust al our debts payd because we are pardoned by the power of the condemnation which Iesus Christ suffred Thus we sée how this place must be practised of vs Marke also why hee saieth That wee are healed by his woundes In very déede we shal neuer bée able to sée throughly into our sinnes because hipocrisie blindfoldeth our eyes pride hath alwaies mighty rule ouer vs therfore wee greately deceiue our selues and make our selues beléeue that God is highly beholden vnto vs or els wée are so blockish as that wée neuer thinke to come to a reckoning Now it falleth out here that the Prophet sheweth that wée are but dead if it were not for the woundes of our Lord Iesus Christ and therfore that we must néedes séeke to be healed by him When then wée would féele the benefite which commeth vnto vs by the death and passion of the Sonne of God Let vs note that looke howe many sinnes as are rooted in our nature although they appeare not are euen so many deadly woundes and diseases I beséech you if there shall be an Apostume about the stomake of a man or in his bowels should it be euer a whit the woorse for the man if it were séene that it might be launced If a man then thinketh him selfe to be whole and sound because he will not sée his disease surely he must néedes be voide of all wit and reason And therefore our diseases must bée so much the more deadly when as they are secret and not knowne And ouer besides the sinnes which we beare about with vs the rootes of which are hid in vs there are sinnes in vs which we commit daily which sufficiently declareth that our nature is froward and cursed and that wée are altogether peruerted Wherfore since wée are wholly infected with spirituall leprosie and that our iniquitie is rotten in vs what shall wée doe in this case what remedie is to bée had Shall wée séeke for helpe at the Angels in heauen Alas they can doe no good and therefore we must go vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ because hée would bee disfigured euen from the crowne of the head vnto the soale of the foote would be al to wounded scourged and buffeted with one blow vpon an other crowned with thorns tyed fast nayled to the Crosse and at last persed through the side with a speare And here we see how wée are healed here is the right medicine for our disease wherwith we must be contented whervnto also we must apply our whole affection knowing that we are neuer able to be at quiet with our selues but that we must stil be extreamly tormented vexed were it not that Iesus Christ comforted vs and appeased the wrath of God for vs. Now when wée are sure of this it giueth vs occasion to sing praises vnto his holy name where before wée could doe nothing else but grone and be vtterly confounded And this is in summe the thing which we are to learne out of the words of the Prophet Now S. Matthew alledgeth this place Mat. 8.17 when he maketh mention of all the diseases which our Lord Iesus Christ healed how he made the blinde to sée the lame to goe the deafe to heare set a foote suche as were half dead sick of the palsie cast deuils out of mens bodies This saith hée declareth that it was not for naught that the Prophet Isaiah said that hée beare our infirmities and susteined our griefes Without doubt the Prophet speaketh not héere of bodely diseases Wherefore it séemeth that the Euangelist hath applyed this testimony but yll But hée in declaring that our Lorde Iesus Christ healed outward diseases meaneth to bring vs to an higher consideration because he would haue vs to beholde as it were in a figure the reason of his comming into the world And therfore whē we heare that our Lord Iesus Christ healed the sicke of the palsy but especially raysed the dead that hée also healed al maner of diseases let vs vnderstand euē in the view of the eye according to our grose weak capacities that he hath told vs that he is our spirituall Phisitiō let vs also learn as I haue alredy saide that all the vices wherevnto we are enclined are so many corruptions in our soules And as there are many euil humors in the body euē so likewise
are there many other like things To be short there are many secret diseases euen so fareth it with our soules because they are ful of vices before the lord God they had also néed of a phisitiō And who shal he be we shall not finde him either in heauen or in earth except it be he whō the heauenly father hath giuen vs to wit our Lord Iesus Christ And therfore if we can reach to the vnderstāding how our Lord Iesus Christ hath brought health to our soules let vs come to figure out the which is here shewed vs whē he made the blinde to sée for this is out of al doubt that our soules are both blinde beastly Besides Iesus Christ made the dumbe to speak Nowe we giue our tongues to nothing els but to wickednes vntill such time as Iesus Christ hath giuen it the right vse And we are more then deafe because the word of God can haue no entrance into vs therfore it is our Lorde Iesus Christ that must giue vs also our hearing To be short whē we shal ioyne the words of S. Mathew with the meaning of the Prophet Isaiah to wit that we for our partes are full of corruption villainy that there is no health in vs our soules full of all deadly sinnes But that our Lord Iesus Christ hath ryd vs of them all that in comming to him wée shall finde health when I say wée shall thus ioyne one with an other then shall we vnderstand that except we haue recourse vnto this Redéemer we must néedes alwaies lye stone stil in our sinnes and miseries rot altogether in thē And thervpon he goeth on farther and saith That we haue all declined gone astray Here the Prophet meaneth better more liuely to tell as yesterday we handled it that wée cannot in good earnest feele our necessitie to be healed by our Lorde Iesus Christ vntill such time as euery of vs hath truely examined his owne estate knoweth what is within him For what is the reason why we are so cold slack whē we are told of comming vnto our Lord Iesus Christ Truely it is because wée haue no capacitie but are like verie blockheads For we shall sée howe these common drunkardes are knoden together in their intemperancy will neuer giue ouer vntil such time as they gnashe their téeth are able to doe no more If a man speake to them of phisicke Phisitions hée shall be but scorned for his labour they will wagge the head yea despise all helpes Nowe there is not a worse kinde of drunkennesse then this blockishnes wherin all miserable sinners are ouerwhelmed vntill suche time as they féele what it is to haue God their enemy So then euery man will giue him selfe ouer to all kinde of lewdnesse by that meane the death passion of our Lord Iesus Christ shall be cōtemned no account made of it And therefore it is not without cause that the Prophet for the awaking of vs for the bestowing of the most desired benefite that may be which is brought vnto vs by our Lord Iesus Christ sheweth that we haue all erred gon out of the way Now ouer and besides that I haue saide that as there are prophane contemners of the iudgement of God euen so also are there foolish presumptuous and arrogant men Wherfore there are two sortes of people which cannot doe them selues any good by this infinit grace and fauour which the Sonne of God hath purchased for vs because the one sort of them thinke them selues to be righteous and haue workes and merites able to answere the iustice of God As we sée these Popish hypocrites who doe not onely thinke themselues to be discharged before God but doe also sell some parte of their merites as if they had a superfluitie of them and that man or woman is well at ease and happie that may be partaker of their perfection and holinesse because they are in an Angellike estate Now these men thinke that they haue no néede of the death and passion of Iesus Christ but they will partly cōfesse that they haue néede and yet we sée it cleane otherwise because they kéepe faires and merkets of their merites and haue of them to sell and resell to the ende they would haue others to settle them selues and trust vpon such profanation Moreouer forsomuch as there is in Popery both men and women hypocrites they are euen so many hornes or powers set vp against God For this pride is alwayes in them to say what good Syr I beséech you if I deserue not to what purpose were it for mée to haue so many good deuotions to cause so many Masses to be soonge to haue chaunted so muche to haue runne so many times from one Aulter to an other to haue praied to such a Saint to haue made such such a feast To bée short they haue alwayes this cursed hellish opinion with them that God is bound greatly beholdē vnto them Thus we sée howe Satan so deceiueth them with such illusions as that they cannot possibly féele to what end the death passion of our lord Iesus Christ serueth them The other sort trust not to their merittes for drunkardes whoremongers and wanton people will not say wée are like vnto litle Angels we haue liued well we haue béen earnest in our deuotions But wil sport them selues as I haue alredie said and think to escape the hand of God by mocking and scorning And for this cause the Prophet calleth vs all here saith Consider yée poore soules in what case you stād vntil such time as God hath shewed you his compassion in our Lord Iesus Christ his Sonne For you haue al erred are al like lost shéepe Mark his meaning for he saith We all because he putteth in himself Yea verely for we haue alredie séene that the Iewes were included within this general curse of men because they thought that they should haue bin exempt out of it For they were euer thus foolish arrogāt as to think that because God had adopted chosen thē that they were a great deale more worthy then the rest Now the Prophet foldeth them vp here in euerlasting death vntil such time as they séeke for the remedie of their deliuerance in Iesus Christ We are then all included within this cōdemnation he putteth in this word All to the end there should be no exceptiō of any as if he should haue said And therefore let no mā brag of himselfe no not an inch to be iust before God to ouer slipt the remedy wherof I euē now spake for he that is the perfectest in the iudgemēt of men shal be foūd guiltie before the maiestie of god We sée héere then the meaning of the Prophet howbeit he is not for al that thus contented but saith That euery man is declined from his way But why repeateth he the saying of al to
it meant was thus conuerted vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ let vs take good héede howe we play the sluggards but rather follow the Counsell of the Psalmist who saith To day if yée heare his voyce harden not your heartes Psal 95.8 And therefore let vs take such a tast of the doctrine which is here preached vnto vs as that wee may bee brought vnto our Lord Iesus Christ and so accept of him as that we may cleaue vnto him with a sure and constant faith that we may profite thereby and be strengthened euen to the end so that after we are truely humbled we may come and offer our selues vnto our God and beséeche him of pardon and forgiuenes and although we are vnwoorthy yet let vs not leaue lifting vp of our heades vnto heauen and fully assure our selues that God will accept of vs in the name of this great and mighty Redemer And although he was for a little while cast downe yet let vs come backe to this poynt that he was notwithstanding exalted aboue the heauens that as S. Iohn saith he might draw vs vnto himself Iohn 22.32 for thus it is said when I shal be exalted out of this world I will draw al things vnto my selfe Let vs now fal downe before the maiesty of our good God and acknowledge our offences beséeching him to make vs otherwise féele them then héeretofore we haue done and that it would please him to open our eies and 〈◊〉 touche our hartes as that wee may submit our selues wholy vnto him and holde the meane whiche is set downe vnto vs in his worde that is to hate our selues and detest al our sinnes so that wée may be able to receiue the grace which he hath once shewed vs in our Lorde Iesus Christ and which hée would haue vs now inioy by the meane of the Gospell And so let vs all most humbly say O almighty GOD and heauenlye Father thou hast promised to héere all our requestes c. ¶ The fift Sermon of the Prophesie of Iesus Christ Isaiah L. iij 9 And he made his graue with the wicked and with the riche in his death though he had done no wickednesse neither was any deceit in his mouth 10 Yet would the Lord breake him and make him subiect to infirmities when he shall make his Soule an offering for sinne he shall see his Seede and prolong his dayes and the wyll of the LORDE shall prosper in his handes THe Prophet continueth héere the doctrine before specified to witte that there was such inimity betwéene God and vs as that the wrath of God could by no meanes be appeased but by Iesus Christ his answering of the same euen to the vttermost For by how much the more the suffering of the son of god was by somuch the more mai we gather how greeuous our sinnes are and how wonderfully God abhorreth them considering as wee haue héeretofore saide and as héereafter shall be more at large spoken that there is no superfluous nor vnprofitable thing in the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ And therefore for somuch as he was terribly tormented hee hath on the one side witnessed vnto vs his infinite goodnesse and loue and we on the other side are to looke what it is that our iniquities haue deserued before the maiestie of our good God Now it is heere sayde that ouer and besides that which hath beene alreadie recited that our Lord Iesus Christ was put to be skorned and shamed of the vngodly that they might euen glory and triumph ouer him for there is no doubt but that the Prophet by this word Graue ment to expresse that Iesus Christ was subiect to all rebuke and shame and that God woulde forsake him as it were for a season to the end the worlde might make no reckoning of him accordingly as it is set downe vnto vs in the Gospell For they did not onely crucifie Iesus Christ but they also put out their tongues at him rayling and scoffing and as much as in them lay went about to make him desperate Which thing was very well foretolde by the Psalmist to witte that the most wicked and vngodly should put out their tongues at him For this was the speech they had he hath saued others say they and therefore let him now saue him selfe if he can Why calleth not hee vpon his God Psal 22.8 Mat. 27.42 we shall see whether hee so greatly loueth him or no. We see then how the wicked wounded our Lord Iesus Christ and how furiously men outraged against him and it was to this end and purpose that we might finde so much fauour at the handes of God as to haue our sinnes couered and although Satan hath wherefore to accuse vs yet shall all the shame whervnto he is any way able to put vs be clearely buried Wherefore since our Lorde Iesus Christ would néeds beare all our blame and shame it was to this ende that all our filthinesse might be couered before the Lord our God so that they should neuer be able to come in minde any more And when the prophet speaketh héere of the Riche it is as much as if he had saide the most outragious kind of people For we know that when men are riche and in authoritie they goe about to make them selues to bée feared alwayes abusing their power and credit And this also we sée that very few or none of these men kepe any temperatnesse and measure either yet become gentle and mild when they may hurt But as for the poore soules although indéede they are fearce and cruel enough yet are they kept backe from dooing any harme euen by maine force thereby the mischief which they would gladly doe is not seene Howbeit as for the rich and mightie ones they are without all order and thinke whatsoeuer they doe is lawfull To be short the Prophet his meaning is that our Lord Iesus Christ was thrust into the hands of men to the end he might be so vilainously handled as that he was not woorthie to be accounted amongest the contemptible petie companions but to be taken as a worme of the earth and to haue all the mocks and skornes that might be to be laid vpon him Thus we sée the summ and effect of this first part Now he by and by after sayth That he had for all this done no wickednes whereby he ment to shew that that the son of God as touching himselfe being innocent would take vpon him all our burdens wherewith we were ouercharged for there was no mortall creature that was able to beare and suffer that which our Lord Iesus Christ dyd And so by that meane the prophet againe declareth vnto vs that it was not for his owne deserts neither yet was he guiltie of any thing whenas they thus cruelly and tirrannously vsed him but abod all this geare for our sakes And to say the truth if we looke well into the life of our Lord Iesus Iohn
such sort lead the whole course of this life as that he is séene to liue vertuously in the feare of God yet is hée neuer able to refraine his tongue but that there wyll appeare some light inconsiderate lying or dissembling spéeche in him To bée short it is saide that there was no deceite to bée founde in our Lorde Iesus Christe to shewe that in all his wordes and deedes hée was a myrrour of all holinesse Nowe it is most certaine that all the miseries which we féele are the very fruites of our sinnes For had we aboade in the same puritie wherein God set our father Adam our punishments should cease and bée abolished in the worlde And therefore the fruit of our sinnes is the cause of our punishments So then wée are to conclude that forsomuch as there was not found the least blot that might bée in our Lorde Iesus Christe he therefore beare the punishment which we were worthie of and deserued And marke besides why the Prophet addeth that God woulde make him subiect to infirmities This worde Infirmitie hath a large scope in the Scriptures for it importeth all the thinges which make men contemptible as wée sée in many places thereof For pouertie sicknesse griefe of minde or contemptiblenesse and a man that hath no good grace either to speake or do well neyther yet good gesture or behauiour nor habiltie of wit and discretion are al called in the Scripture infirmities To bée shorte this is to bryng vs backe to the thing which the Prophet hath already touched to wit that our Lorde Iesus Christe was like a deformed Creature and suche a one as in whom was no shew of reputation and credit amongst men And yet not such a one neither but that there appeared in him sure and certaine markes and tokēs that he was to bée honored as the onely Sonne of God Iohn 1.14 But it was in such sorte darkened by his sufferings and his infirmitie such as that there was no power or vertue séene in him and it séemed that there was no grace nor fauour in hym why hée shoulde bée estéemed and had in honour Wée must also call to minde the thing that hath béene before recited to wit that he was beaten and scourged by the hand of God suffered the horrible anguishes of his iudgement in his body beare the fearefullest torments that might be and ouer and besides all this he was so vily thought of as that he was not estéemed to bée placed amongst the most wicked and slauishe company Thus wée sée howe the Sonne of God was punished Wherefore since the case thus standeth let vs vnderstande that forsomuche as God spared not him that wée for our partes shall not bée spared and yet notwithstanding hée hath giuen vs occasion to humble our selues to the ende wée shoulde not waxe prowde and take in hand to iustifie our selues or els not cast our sinnes behind our backes but dayly thinke vpon them and bée ashamed whenas wée sée howe deare a recompence was made for them For is this such a triflyng matter If a miserable and wretched théefe shall haue committed many theftes and robberies and after that his wicked déedes were knowne the sonne of a King shoulde bée brought to be arrained and condemned for the same and so beare the punishment therof the théefe to be discharged and pardoned should he reioyce and make a scofe at him whenas he sée the sonne of a King to bée put to death and suffer the punishment that he deserued Euen so at this present fareth it with vs. For beholde howe Iesus Christe the onely sonne of God is imprisoned and wée deliuered hée condemned and wée pardoned he put to all shame and we receiued to honour at last hée descended into the bottomeles pit of Hell and the kingdome of heauen is set open for vs to enter into And therfore when we here al these things is it for vs to be drowsie headed liue securely and to delight and flatter our selues in our sinnes and iniquities Wherefore let vs well consider of the meaning of the holy Ghoste and alwayes weigh these wordes That it was the wyll of God to haue him thus afflicted as if hée shoulde haue saide Actes 2.23 4.28 That it is not for vs to thinke that our Lord Iesus was forsaken as that the wicked ones might torment him at their will and pleasure For as Saint Peter saith in the Actes of the Apostles They could doe nothing against him otherwise then had béen determined before by the secret counsell of God And therefore it is not for naught that the Prophete bringeth vs alwaies back to this that we must lift our minds vnto God acknowledge that he being iudge of the world would be satisfied for our sinnes offences euen in the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ his only sonne to the end we might be discharged of thē and that it was not without cause that Iesus Christe was so rudely hādeled that we might looke vp the cherefullier and that we might vnderstād that God would not remēber our faults with made vs to be as it were detestable in his sight Wherefore when wée shall haue knowne all this we shall haue greatly profited not onely for a day but also all the dayes of our life For to say the trueth it is a doctrine wherewith wee must so acquaint our selues as that although we thinke we know it wel enough yet that we must not cease more more to cōforme our selues thereto And for that more liuely expressing héere of sée why the prophet goeth on further and saith That hee will make his soule an offering for sin to wit that Iesus Christ will forget his own life for the redéeming of our liues the price of our sinnes and iniquities Héere the Prophet againe setteth before vs the willing obedience of the Sonne of God For as hee hath saide that as it was the will of the father hee shoulde bee afflicted euen so likewise hée nowe saith that the Sonne yéelded himselfe willingly thereto thrusting himselfe forwarde to become a Sacrifice without force or constraint For the common maner of offering vp of Sacrifices vnto the Lorde God was alwayes done of a francke will and deuotion And therfore it must necessarily fall out that our Lorde Iesus Christe shoulde yéelde and offer vp himselfe to the death which he suffered For without that as yesterday was declared our rebellions had neuer béen repared before God But when he offered vp his soule to wit that he was prest and redy to suffer the condemnation that we deserued in this we may sée that we haue by his death full assurance of saluation And this he himselfe saith in the Gospell after Saint Iohn No mā Iohn 16.18 saith he shal take away my life but I wil fréely offer it vp my selfe In déede his life was taken from him when he was crucified and wée sée also how vngently furiously they dealt
shewed him selfe a lyue after hée had béen dead with so manifest and many proofes wée must learne to build vpon such a foundation as shall neuer be able to be shaken And as he hath thus ouercome death euen so doeth hée now stretch foorth his hand to guide and bring vs to saluation And so often as wée would assure our selues of our saluation wée must not runne vnto Creatures but let vs behold as it were in a glasse that as Christ Iesus is risen againe and hath ouercome death euen so also hath he opened the kingdome of heauen that we might enter into it vnder his charge It is further saide that when hée shewed him selfe That hee spake of the kingdome of God amongst his friendes Wherein wee are to note that the Commission which was graunted vnto these from whom we receiue the doctrine of the Gospell was not set downe in a worde or for a minute of an houre but that they were so sufficiently instructed for a long while and that they haue not instructed vs at randon not knowing what they meant but were taught and instructed as they shoulde bée And when they had thus fully and wholly receiued this doctrine and therewithall authoritie to bestow it they haue deliuered the same faythfully vnto vs. Thus we sée what wée haue to note in this saying Nowe it is saide that Iesus Christ shewed him selfe vnto his Apostles and in shewing him selfe Hee spake of the kingdome of God amongst them But héere we are to vnderstande what it is that Saint Luke meaneth by the kingdome of God hée meaneth not by this kingdome of God euerlasting life as we commonly take it and as at the first sight it might here be taken as who shoulde say That that is the kingdome of God which we wayte for through hope But Saint Luke taketh it to bee the spirituall gouernment by whiche Iesus Christe holdeth vs in his obedience vntill hée hath wholly refourmed vs vnto his owne Image and hauing dispoyled vs of this mortal body sendeth vs to heauen And this is the very meaning of S. Luke But to make the matter more easie and plaine let vs take the kingdome of God cleane contrarie and that is this the life of men which follow their corrupt nature And in déede if Iesus Christ should goe from vs and let vs goe whether we listed our selues surely we should be quite clean out of the kingdome of God For by the kingdom of God is meant a reformation and we bring nothing with vs but miseries corruptions in this worlde to be short we are wandring beasts and the Deuill ruleth vs and so thralleth vs euen as it pleaseth him selfe Thus we sée what man is vntill God hath refourmed him Wherefore let vs take out this lesson to know what wée are vntill such time as Iesus Christ hath refourmed vs. Why then would we haue a greater mischiefe then this as to haue Satan so to possesse vs and to be our Maister And thus I say we sée what we are vntill such time as God of his infinite goodnesse stretcheth foorth his hande vnto vs euen to bring vs into his kingdome that we might be obedient vnto him and to his iustice Nowe by the way we are also to sée howe highly we ought to estéeme of this grace when it is offred vs and that Iesus Christ draweth vs vnto him And loe here is all our blessednesse that God is our King In déed although Kings couet to haue kingdomes to encrease their honour and wealth and to be Lordes ouer nations without any regard to a better ende yet if any Prince be endued with excellent graces euerie man will think him selfe blessed that is his subiect But when Iesus Christ reigneth ouer vs we haue a king that is not onely endued with many excellent graces but also who reigneth ouer vs for our benefit And to say the trueth he is no whit bettered by vs for we can no more encrease then we can diminish Psal 16.2 Thus we sée that the thing which I haue alredie said is very true That we are blessed when as God setteth vp his kingly throne amongst vs to reigne ouer vs. Here we sée what we are taught in the secōd place to wit to esteeme and make muche of such a benefite when God bestoweth it vpon vs now the meane commeth by the Gospel We also sée why Iesus Christ spake so oftentimes of the Gospel Mat. 13.24.31.33.44.45 calling it the kingdome of God For if we sticke not to it we are verie rebelles to God and banished from all his graces For wée shall neuer haue parte of them vntill we be refourmed Which thing the Gospell worketh by calling vs to Iesus Christ and shewing vs that we must be regenerate by his holie spirite Since then it is so when the Gospel is preached it is to the end we might bée lyke vnto Iesus Christ forsake whatsoeuer is in our selues that we might be raysed vp agayne by his grace And therefore the Gospell is not called the kingdome of God without good cause And in déede as without it the Deuill reigneth and by reason therof is called the King of this world Euen so when Iesus Christ causeth his Gospell to be preached in any countrie it is as much as if hée shoulde say I will reigne ouer you and be your King But yet it cannot be saide that all they which dwell in that countrie where the Gospell is preached doe obey God For we sée some of them lift them selues vp and shewe foorth their iniquitie which before laye hid in them and othersome contemne the doctrine in whom is no fruite of the kingdome of God And yet Christ Iesus hath alwayes a little congregation where the Gospel is preached And howe so Forsooth because there is no King but hath subiectes Neuerthelesse wée may conclude that it is an inestimable benefite when GOD offreth vs his Gospell For what would wée more then when our Lorde Iesus Christ sayeth vnto vs. Loe héere I am and take charge of you to the ende you might bée vnder my winges and protection nowe what can you desire more Wée knowe then that all this commeth vnto vs by the Gospell And this is the perfection of all our happinesse if wée could rightly vnderstand it Moreouer this is certaine that when Iesus Christ thus bringeth vs into his kingdome and taketh vs vnto him selfe it is because hée woulde cloth vs so much the rather with immortalitie incorruption to the ende wée might enter into his promised glory And therfore when we receiue this Gospel we enter into the kingdome of God But what This is only but an entraunce howbeit we must go on a great deale further into it which thing is brought to passe when as he deliuereth vs from this cursed bondage of sin and setteth vs at the libertie which he promised vs. Thus wée sée that it is not enough to haue an entraunce but wée must goe still forwarde
Egypt wée shoulde there sée their wonderfull vnthankfulnesse For when God commaunded them to goe against their enemies and promised them that they should haue victorie they woulde not goe on but murmured against him Why say they whether shoulde wée goe It shoulde séeme that hée goeth about to destroy vs and to sende vs lyke shéepe to the Butcherie Loe such was their rebellion Contrariwise when God saide stirre not they would néedes march on and would not be staide What say they wee loose time why march we not forwarde Héere we sée howe that wée will march when God sayeth we shall not againe when he saieth march on there is no man that will step one foote forward To be short it séemeth we woulde endeuour our selues to gainsay God Loe here our dealing Surely we are much of the boldnesse of mad men For they are strong and a mad man will be strong enough both to kill him selfe and others For when God woulde retire vs we are madde and would make hauocke of all thinges and againe when God would haue vs march on we are so slack as that euerie finger is a thumbe And therfore we are to beséech the Lord to graunt vnto vs the lyke grace that hée gaue vnto his Apostles that we stay when he commaundeth vs to stay and march on whē hée biddeth vs. Thus we sée why hée hath appointed to euery one his seuerall office and charge When he ordeined housholdes hée declared what authoritie the man should haue ouer his wife and family and what the womans obedience was vnto the husbande and the childrens to the Parentes so hée ordeined a lawe for euerie one And to the same purpose and effect was his ordinaunce for the administration of Ciuill gouernment For hée declared vnto Magistrates what their duetie was and howe they ought to vse the authoritie committed vnto them and to the Ministers of his worde likewise hée set downe a lesson in writing Thus wée sée that Iesus Christ hath so well ordered vs Rom. 14.25 as that if we haue any regarde vnto him we will attempt nothing which hée commaundeth vs not We sée also the saying of Saint Paule That whatsoeuer is not of Fayth is sinne Nowe if God leaueth vs in doubt of any thing that we haue to doe we cannot but continually sinne and therfore he hath set downe a rule vnto vs what we shal doe and what we shall not doe Wherfore let vs looke well that we be ruled by him and attempt nothing on our owne foolish braine Moreouer we sée that the Apostles staied in Ierusalem because Iesus Christ had so willed them yea although they knewe that God had ordeined them to that calling And although Iesus Christ had giuen them the holie Ghost by breathing vpon them neuerthelesse they might very well know that they were not as yet fenced as was méete Ioh. 26.22 but looked for the promise of the Father This promise as wée shall héereafter sée was the holie Ghost Wherefore wayted they forsooth it was euen for vs. Wée sée then héere that although Iesus Christ was ascended into heauen yet that hée had care of vs helpeth vs from thence neither is hée so farre from vs but that hée keepeth vs companie and gouerneth vs by his grace And héere wée sée why S. Luke sayeth that hée was taken vp into heauen after that hée had by his holie spirite giuen commaundement to his Apostles whom hée had chosen And hée went not thus away without thinking of vs. Howe then Forsooth hée gaue a charge vnto his Apostles and shewed them howe they shoulde gouerne them selues after they had receiued the holie Ghost And now wée haue héere a pledge that wée shall neuer want his helpe so that wée sticke vnto him Moreouer this is one notable comfort for vs that Iesus Christ béeing ascended into heauen hath all power and authoritie in his owne hande and is aboue all Creatures because hée is made Gods Lieutennaunt to the ende hée might rule all thinges both in heauen and in earth Nowe that wée might make our profite by this let vs marke that although God hath so highly exalted Iesus Christ as that all Creatures are subiect vnto him Col. 1.16.17.18 yet is hée our head and that this his great rule and Empire is all for our benefite if so be we are his members But hée can not be our head without we be truely vnited vnto him This then is the full assuraunce of our saluation which is that because Iesus Christ is ascended into heauen and ruleth all thinges insomuch that the verie Angels are his subiectes both they and all the rest of the Creatures shoulde minister to vs herein And againe hée so fast and sure holdeth in the Deuilles as that they can doe nothing without his leaue Wherefore we are assured that they can doe vs no hurt And why so Forsooth because they were not able any way to stand against him Moreouer wée must ioyne this glorious power with that knowledge which wée héere haue not as though it was doone but for that present but the power thereof extendeth it selfe euen vnto vs because it reacheth ouer heauen and earth Nowe this witnesseth vnto vs that hée is with vs whenas wée vnderstande his word because hée hath so promised and hée vseth not to lye as men doe Thus wée sée howe sure wée are of his presence and wil defend vs by his holy spirite For els what should become of vs Euery thing woulde make vs quaile because wee are as fraile as is possible Contrariwise wée sée howe the Diuell is armed at all pointes against vs. And therfore it is néedefull that God shoulde assist vs with his holy spirite that wée might withstande all his forces Wée sée then that although the body of our Lorde Iesus Christe bée farre from vs yet are wée néere him through his power and might which thing hée sheweth vs in the Supper and therefore are to apply this doctrine to our selues For the bringing of which to passe wée must not approch vnto him as many doe which come vnto him like beastes but let vs vnderstand what it is that is there giuen vs. When wée see God giue vs foode for our bodies it is a great blessing But wée come not thither to fill our paunches Why so Because it signifieth vnto vs that wée ought not to séeke for our bodily sustenance therein For as Saint Paule saith 1. Cor. 11. 22 Wée haue houses to eate and drinke in and therefore wée came not hither to fill our bellies Wherefore then Forsooth it is a testimonie that Iesus Christe will féede our soules What shall our soules bee fed with bread and wine No no that is not the meaning For there is nothing wherewith they can bée fed but with Iesus Christe For they must bee mainteined with euerlasting life which the Angels themselues cannot giue For as they had no being from eternitie so also may they haue an ende And
therefore wée must conclude that there is but one Father of life which is Iesus Christ Wherefore wée come to séeke him in the Supper and euery one that commeth must haue this setled mind to bée able to say I come hyther to haue a testimony that Iesus Christe is my life that being incorporate into him I might liue for euer But after what sort come wée to finde him in the supper If wée come after the manner of the Papistes to find the body of our Lord Iesus we deceiue our selues For that is the moste cursed Idolatrie that may bée to thinke the bread that we receiue there to bée the body of our Lorde Iesus Christe Wée muste therfore séeke for him aboue and although we know him to be in heauen yet doubt we not but that he is with vs by his grace insomuch that euen as we sée and touch the signes so likewise doth Iesus Christe accomplish in vs the thing which the signes represent vnto vs to wit that he dwelleth in our soules And although by nature our soules are in déede dead by reason of our sinnes yet wil he make vs partakers of this euerlasting life For as he saith This bread presenteth vnto you my body euen so doth he truly accomplish the same in our soules and as our bodies are susteined with bread euen so our soules receiuing Iesus Christ for a spirituall foode are preserued by the power of God and hee remaineth in vs by his grace Howbeit héere is not al to haue vnderstoode thus much but we must also lift vp our mindes vnto heauen for els we should neuer be vnited to Iesus Christe No doubt of it there are many which know well enough that Iesus Christe is not in the bread and wine but in the meane while where are their harts Forsooth some of their heartes are plunged ouer head and eares in couetousnesse some of them are drunken with ambition and other some their heartes are wrapped vp in all kind of villanie For behold the Whooremonger his mind is set on nothing els but vpon Lecherie others vpon drunkennesse and belly cheare in other some is nothing but blasphemy murmuring all villanie which Saint Paule calleth earthly members Colos 3. 5. If you will saith he come néere vnto Iesus Christ you must mortifie your earthly members What must we forgoe our handes and féete No that is not his meaning But we must mortifie our fornications vncleannesse inordinate affections euill concupiscences ambition and couetousnesse which is worshipping of Images and all other such like Would wée then séeke for Iesus Christ in heauen Then must we rid our selues of al these earthly mēbers For what agréement can there be betwéene vs Iesus Christ Wée must not thrust him amongest our pollutions but let vs goe vnto him that hée may rid vs of them Thus we sée that wee must not onely vnderstande that he in heauē but we must also mortifie these earthly members which doe separate vs from him and haue our mindes occupied a loft How is that Let vs liue chastly soberly charitably temperatly patiently and altogether vertuosly And these are the fethers wherewith we must flie vp into heauen although to speake properly wee must haue neither winges to flie with nor yet ladders to climbe vp But it is Iesus Christe that bringeth vs thither and rayseth vs vp by the graces which I haue named and which hée bestoweth vpon vs. Héere then wée sée howe wee must apply this doctrine to the Supper so that when the bread and wine shal be deliuered vs wée must learne to séeke for all our felicitie in Iesus Christe liue in brotherly loue together and euery man mortifie his sinfull lustes and affections If I féele my selfe to bée by any meanes carried away from Iesus Christe I ought to pull that meane from mée out by the rootes that I might bee truely raysed vp to Iesus Christ not that we can be perfectly raysed vp but we must labour to goe more and more on For in déede the Supper was ordeined to that end and we should not receiue it onely once in our life but very often to signifie vnto vs that we must goe on in this worlde vntill such time as he hath deliuered vs from this corrupt body and brought vs vnto himselfe And according to this holy doctrine let vs fall downe before the face of our good God and acknowledge our offences beséeching him that he will not suffer vs to be so giuen ouer vnto thē as héeretofore we haue béen but so weane vs from them as that we séeke after none other thing but our Lorde Iesus Christ and obey his commandementes because that is the rule and order by which he would haue vs to bée brought vnto himselfe And so let vs all say O Almightie God and heauenly father c. The second Sermon of the Ascention Acts first 4 AND when Iesus had gathered his Disciples together hee commaunded them that they shoulde not depart from Ierusalem but waite for the promise of the Father of whom saith hee ye haue heard of mee 5 For Iohn truely baptized with water but yee shall be baptized after a while with the holy Ghost WEE haue héeretofore spoken of the obedience of the Apostles and of their patient wayting for the promise which Iesus Christ had made them by mouth and besides although they were appointed to this office of Apostleship yet did they not thruste them selues in to preach before such time as they had bin confirmed by the holy Ghost Héere then wée see their obedience ioyned with humilitie in that they acknowledged God to bee their guide And now wée are to handle that which followeth that when Iesus Christe told them of the promise of God his father hée said yee haue hearde of mee heretofore As if hée should haue said That they were not to looke for that at the handes of God which they in their owne iudgement thought to bée best but for the thing which he had promised To bée short wee must héere gather a doctrine vnto our selues which is this wée must not build our faith vpon any thing that we our selues shall imagine Rom. 10.17 but vpon the promises of God For Saint Paule saith That faith commeth by hearing not by the hering of mens spéeches and talkes but only by the hearing of the worde of God And in deed because wee are inclined to diuers temptations it is méet we should build vpon God and vpon his worde Yea verily howbeit he will not come downe from heauen to speake to vs. That is true in déede but we must be wel assured that the doctrine which is preached vnto vs commeth from him whereof Iesus Christe is a witnesse when he spake vnto his Apostles For all things saith hee that I haue hearde of my Father haue I made knowne vnto you Iohn 15.15 And therefore you muste not in any wise distrust me because I am a faithfull witnesse For we sée that Iesus
in the name of God yet when hée commeth to age wée sée him enclined to all mischiefe and therefore wée cannot say that hée is a new man but rather like a bruite beast And yet wée cannot say but that the Sacrament had his full nature and proprietie For baptisme of it selfe is as much as if we were renued and then if wée bée not so the fault is oures because wee will not suffer Iesus Christ to accomplishe his grace in vs and so for want of beliefe wée in such sort close vp our heartes as that there is no entraunce for his graces which hée woulde largely bestow vpon vs. Thus we sée that the Sacrament is neuer without his power and vertue howbeit we receiue no fruit nor benefite by it because it cannot enter without faith Wée haue héere therefore to note that the trueth of Baptisme is not in the water but in the holie Ghost And besides Iesus Christ geueth vs the holie Ghost And therefore wée are throughly to marke that if we woulde bée benefited by Baptisme we must not sticke so much to the water as though our saluation were enclosed therein but let vs vnderstand that it is the holie Ghost that must woorke all Moreouer wée sée that the worlde hath receiued this doctrine very perniciously for the Papistes thinke that the grace of God is tyed to it and they charme it like Coniurers geuing to the water the power of the Sacrament And therefore they say that that childe that is not baptized is damned Wherefore for the preuenting of this danger they are not onely contented to geue power authoritie to all men of what state and condition soeuer they bée to baptize but euen to women also for feare say they that the children might die without baptisme And so they think that the truth of baptisme consisteth in the water so that by this meane the blood of Iesus Christ is layde cleane aside But as for vs let vs learne that the truth of baptisme is not in the water but in the holy Ghost And yet is not the signe vnprofitable for it witnesseth vnto vs that our soules are washed But if wée wil haue the truth of it we must come to the holie Ghost as wée haue already shewed Moreouer it is saide that Iesus Christ giueth the holy Ghost to the end wée should neither séeke for it in the water nor yet at the handes of men but looke vp vnto heauen And this is also a poynt wherewith the world hath béen deceiued For who is hée that looketh to Iesus Christ when we speake of any thing concerning our saluation No man For wée thinke it to bée in the power of men as if Iesus Christ had resigned his office vnto them that he had no more to doe in heauen Sée I pray you how blockishe wee are Nowe the Scripture choketh vs by the chin as wée say to make vs looke aloft for in it is the thing which wée heare Iesus Christ teache vs beholde it is I that baptizeth you I graunt it is said that God sendeth the holie Ghost and so doeth Iesus Christ also Iohn 14.16.26 Iohn 15.26 16.7 Mat. 28.18 For when the father sendeth him hée sendeth him in the name of Iesus Christ at his request And besides Iesus Christ speaking of himself said that hée would send him And indéede hée is one and the selfesame God with the father And besides inasmuch as being made man hée became our Mediator al power both in heauen and earth was giuen him so that hée is as it were the very arme and hande to bestow the graces of God vpon vs. Let vs also note why it was that Iohn spake of the Baptisme with the holie Ghost and with fire vsing these twoo woordes For it is all one thing When hée speaketh of fire it is because hée meaneth to boyle vs againe to scombe of al our filthynesse as men vse to melt golde or siluer when they would fine it and as we sée men purge filthy places with fyre And therfore the holy ghost beareth not this name in vaine séeing it is hée that must purge all our spots and blots and it is also to signifie vnto vs that so soone as we come into this worlde we bring nothing with vs but vncleanesse and the longer wée liue the greater heape of vncleane thinges wée lay vp together whereof Ieremie speaketh sayinge that man knoweth not himselfe Ierem. 17.9 for there is such a gulfe of wickednesse in vs as there is none but God alone that knoweth it A man may well cast an Anchor into the bottom of the sea but none is able to search our harts but God For we stinke before the face of God and are more filthy then Lazarus yea too too horrible stinking and filthy But what of all this Beholde héere is our comfort whenas wée sée that Iesus Christ wil purge vs by his holy spirit for we haue thereof a sure testimonye in Baptisme that he wil make vs new cretures by purging of our infirmities But as by purging with fyre all superfluities are taken away euen so also let vs vnderstande that when God will reconcile vs to himselfe all what soeuer is ours must bee cleane taken away Moreouer let vs note that so longe as wee shall remayne in our selues wee cannot choose but perish and yet if wée would alwaies remaine safe and sounde GOD must néedes bray vs that hée might saue vs and make vs become acceptable in his sighte And this hée doth by his holy spirit And thus wée sée that it is by God alone that we must be gloryfied Indéede we are contented to haue a good opinion of our selues that we might be extolled amongst men but when it shall be sifted before the maiestie of God the thing that wée thought to be excellent hée will make no reckoninge of Let vs learne then that there is no goodnesse at all in vs but if there be any it is because that he hath purged vs with his holy spirit Moreouer when he saieth That it shall be after a while it is to encourage them the more and not to murmer and be discouraged when God deferreth his aide for wee must appoint him no time And indéede the time which he taketh is alwaies very short How so because hée leaueth vs not one minute of an houre without ayde As for example let it be that we are any war afflicted and then we call vpon God howbeit he wil not at the first cho◠forthwith deliuer vs but commonly for the most part the torment encreaseth and yet God assisteth vs because hée comforteth vs. And this shall we verie well perceiue when as we fall into the consideration thereof For what man is able to beare the least griefe that is if God assist him not By this we see a proofe of his ayde when as we quaile not For as S. Paule saieth if we haue any tribulation and doe beare it paciently then we knowe that God
in doubte to bée drawne this way and that wee must altogether endeuour our selues to haue a regard to our consciences and then is Iesus Christe our Phisition who is able to remedy vs. And according to this doctrine let vs fal down before the Maiestie of our good God and acknowledge our offences beséeching him not to remember our life passed but to giue vs warning thereof to the end that wée being ashamed of our selues it would please him so to gouerne vs as that after this life wée might reigne also with him And so let vs say O Almightie God and heauenly father c. The fourth Sermon of the Ascention Acts first 9 AND when he had spoken these thinges while they beheld hee was taken vp an high and a cloude receiued him vp out of their sight 10 And while they looked vp stedfastly towarde heauen as he went behold two men stood by them in white apparrell 11 Which also said yee men of Galilee why stand ye gazing vp into heauen This same Iesus which is taken vp frō you into heauen shall so come euen as you haue seene him goe into heauen NOw we haue at this time to hādle the matter which S. Luke héere setteth down of the Apostles beholding of the Ascention of our Lord Iesus into heauen Now it is not enough for vs that we knowe the hystorie but wée are also to note that hée setteth downe this as a chiefe Article of our Faith and surely the Articles of our faith are not onely profitable but also necessary for our saluation Howbeit wée shall neuer profite our selues greatly by the Ascention of our Lorde without we know it to be true in déede And therefore Saint Luke saith that the Apostles sawe him ascend and saith besides that they abode stil gazing there vntill such time as they were told that they must tarry no longer but returne to Ierusalem to doe their office as was commanded them vntill the iudgement day Thus we sée what he saith of the Ascention of our Lorde to the end it might not be called againe into question Very true it is that is saide that they are blessed which haue beléeued and not séene Wherefore wée must beléeue this Ascention rather then if wée had séene it for since the Apostles see it Iohn 20.29 and tell vs of it it is not for vs any whit to doubt thereof Let vs nowe come to the wordes of S. Luke That a clowd receiued him vp out of their sight Now here might a questiō be asked why the heauens opened not that the Apostles might haue séen the glorious estate of our Lord Iesus But there was great reason why they should loose the sight of him by meane of a cloude because our Lord knoweth well enough our condition and therefore for the correcting of our high minds it is good we should be restrained Yea verily for if the Apostles had séene into heauen wée woulde haue taken occasion thereby to haue growne hautie as wée sée in déede we are thereto ouermuch giuen For we are too too mad headed and without modestie to desire to vnderstand euen those secretes of God which hée woulde not haue vs to knowe And therefore it was expedient that this clowde shoulde be betwéene them and him By this then wée are let to vnderstande that we must be humbled and not be so arrogant as to ascend vp into the heauens to search after the workes of the Lord. And this instruction are we to learne by this place Now it is saide that there appeared two Angels but Saint Luke calleth them men according to the common maner of the Scripture For because Angels are naturally spirituall wee cannot sée them except they shewe themselues in some visible shape Wée sée now the reason why our Lorde would from the beginning haue them appeare in mens shapes Howbeit he left alwaies som token with them that they might bée knowne to be Angels For if we vnderstand thē to be only as mortall men we would neuer do them that honor which vnto them apperteined which woulde derogate from the giuing credite vnto their message And therefore God alwaies set a marke on them that we might know them For beholde why it is héere saide Iohn 20.12 that they were clad in white apparrell and in the resurrection also of Iesus Christe they appeared in white garments Héerein then the mind of our Lord was to declare that wée should reuerently receiue them and vndoubtedly credite their message Thus I say we sée why S. Luke heere sayth that they were apparrelled in white garments Now we are héere to note all the circumstances of this matter for God would not haue any one of them to be lost nor yet ouerslipt such is his infinite wisedome ouer all the worlde If the Angels then haue such a Maiestie in their appearance vnto vs what shall we say of the glorious appearing of our good God For the brightnesse of God his glorious Maiestie is not only as the brightnesse of the Sunne but farre excelling the brightnesse of an hundred thousand Sunnes if they shoane héere all at once in the world So then whenas wée sée that the Angels should be so precious vnto vs as that wée should so wonderfully reuerence them we must consider what the Maiestie of God is to bée spoken of yea euen the very thinking of him shoulde cause vs meruellously to worship him and acknowledge our selues to be no body in respect of him who is maiestie it selfe And thus wée sée what is meāt by the speaking of the maiestie of Angels although they appeare but in mens shapes Now let vs come to their spéech Yee men of Galilee say they why stand yee gazing vp into heauen It is cōmonly thought that the Apostles were héere called Galileans by way of reproche for wée sée that the Galileans were of no greate estimation in the world And therfore this was the opiniō that went of thē as if the Angels should haue said O yée miserable blockheads know ye not that as hée is ascended vp into heauen that so hee shall also come againe Howbeit you perceiue not why this was thus spoken and in this sense And therefore let vs vnderstand that the angels called the Apostles galileans because they were taken to be such Iesus Christ was also so called and when the Disciples should haue béen accused to be of the company of Iesus Christ it was asked thē Matth. 2◠Are not you also of Galilée And sithēce the death of our Lord Iesus the wicked haue vsed this saying as may be perceiued by the wicked Apostate Iulian who at his death said Thou hast ouercome mée O Galilean being angry and dispited with Iesus Christ because he felt that hée had ouercome him And so were the Apostles called héere Galileans because they were taken for those countrie men Moreouer it is not without cause that the Angels héere reproue them For they knewe that Iesus Christe should ascend into
we must not doe as many of the Papists doe who neither care for God nor his worde but content them selues onely with this bare name of a Christian and so they may be called by that name they care for no more Nowe if they be asked and if they be Christians I pray you what answer will they make Surely they think they haue great wrong offred them to haue this question demaunded What I beséech you good Syr will they say are we not Christians haue we not béene baptized Yea ywis I graunt it But what faith haue you for all this Verely they will say that they beléeue as the Church beléeueth And so by this meane they haue aswadled fayth wherin their teachers haue instructed them in saying That it is sufficiēt for them to beléeue as the Church beléeueth Let them also be asked how God is to be serued and worshipped why they thinke that question is soone answered And thus doeth God iustly punish the iniquitie of men when we sée simple soules guided by such instructers of Satan to bring them tumbling headlonges together into the bottomlesse pyt of hell with them selues Thus we sée howe this Romish Idoll hath licoured Christendome with all kinde of lying and false doctrine And howe so Forsooth because men haue stopped vp the way against the word of God and are contented to be lycoured with leasing But by the way let vs come home to our selues and let vs neither condemne the Papistes nor yet any others but eftsoones apply this doctrine vnto our owne vse First of all we haue the Gospell the doctrine of all wisedome and yet how deafe and blockish are wée we are daily preached vnto But what instruction receiue we thereby for all that Surely surely it is wel enough perceiued and the fruit that commeth by it Without all doubt it is truely sayde That wée haue the Gospell But if we liue not in all obedience therevnto what testimony shall wée haue that wée are the seruants of God For according to that which wée handled on Sunday last we cannot be the seruants of God without wee be partakers of his holie spirite who is not without cause called the spirite of wisedome For by this we are shewed that we cannot haue so small a portion of the holy Ghost if we will continue it but that God wil more and more augment it in vs. In verie déede euerie man cannot haue the lyke measure thereof howbeit that is no let why we shoulde not encrease our small Talent For although a man hath the gift of tongues yet may he not haue one some grace which an other man hath And héerevpon is that saying of Saint Paule verefied Rom. 12.3 Ephes 4.7 That God will giue of his graces to euerie man according to such measure as wée are the members of Iesus Christ As we sée that the members of one bodie haue not all one office For the féete will doe that which the handes cannot doe the eyes are put to an other maner of vse then the eares are and so consequently are all the parts of the bodie Euen so our Lord will bestow his holie spirite vpon some after an other sort then hée will vpon other some and yet it is all one and the selfe same spirit and therfore if we would be knowne to be Christiās we must haue the knowledge of that which is spoken of and that it is God which guideth vs by his holie spirite to the ende we should not be like vnto those blinde ones which walke in infidelitie And thus much for this saying That God wil poure out of his holie spirite vpon all flesh Moreouer where it is saide That they shall prophesie herein the meaning of the Prophet is to signifie vnto vs That when God will instruct vs hée will doe it so perfectly as that the doctrine shall not onely profite our selues but that we shall also be able to teach others And in déede whosoeuer shall receiue greater graces from God then the rest is so much the more bounde to instruct the base and simple ones and giue him selfe to teach his neighbors Wherefore let vs vnderstande that after God hath instructed vs that it is our duetie to labour to bring others vnto the knowledge of him And hereupon it is that Isaiah speaketh saying Isaiah 2.2 Mich. 4.1 Let euerie man take his neighbour by the hand and lead him vp vnto the holy hill And this is one of the most principall pointes whereby God alloweth our Christianitie whē as we so loue our neighbours as to instruct them in the word of God Now this is done by the doctrine which we haue receiued of him at the handes of the Apostles which came out as we said last Sunday of the fountaine of Ierusalem whose riuers so ouerflowed the whole world as that euery man might not onely receiue it for his owne behoofe but also distribute it vnto our neighbours In déed all men are not Doctors to teach howbeit if we be Christians we haue sufficient wherewith to exhort our neighbours Let vs now come to the other part of the prophesie of the Prophet Ioell where it is saide That God will send terrible and wonderous signes blood and fyre and the vapoure of smoke The Sunne shall be turned into darknesse and the Moone into blood Wherein as wée haue briefly saide the Prophet meant to shewe that when God would visite his people at the comming of Iesus Christ although great felicitie and blessing was promised yet the meaning was not for all that but that we should sée horrible and merueylous thinges And therefore it was verie néedfull that we should be told of it to the ende we might vnderstande that the comming of Iesus Christ was not to place vs in this world as in a Paradise and to liue in it at our ease and pleasure But that Iesus Christ was sent to an other ende to wit that wee might be drawne from these earthly things and be lifted vp vnto heauenly matters And to say truely there were neuer so horrible and wonderfull thinges as were at the comming of Iesus Christ Nowe if it be asked why such thinges came to passe after that Iesus Christ was manifested it is because we were so cursed as that we would not receiue the graces which hée would haue bestowed vpon vs. And therefore when our Lorde offreth him selfe vnto vs and we refuse him must hée not then of necessitie so lift vp his hande as to thunder and storme that we might be afearde of that our so great vnthankfulnesse We sée therefore why it is saide that when God had poured out his holie spirit that we must néedes sée wonderfull troubles and whē we haue looked vnto heauen aboue and vpon the earth beneath we shall sée in them both such great trouble and feare as that a man woulde think heauen and earth should euen goe together so that the Sunne shoulde bée darkened the Moone be turned to blood the Starres
therefore to what ende should we vse counsell aduise Thus wee sée what reason these fantastical felowes woulde yéelde vnto their follies which are ouer greate arrogancies for God to leaue vnpunished For although god calleth vs not into his secret counsel to declare vnto vs his wil determinatiō yet let vs know that he gouerneth vs by his hand that the wicked can doe nothing against vs except the Lorde geueth them leaue And yet there remayneth a certayne order in nature the meaning therof is not but that we must vse aduise for God hath saide vnto vs that he woulde haue vs liue by the bread which he giueth vs to eate that our diseases should be healed by phisick Wherfore it were ouer great arrogancie for vs to refuse the meanes which God giueth vs to cure helpe our infirmities And he that thinketh to get honour by this meane shal bring himself to vtter destruction For when wée say that the prouidence of God prouideth for al things yet must wée not refuse the meane which he hath appoynted Saint Peter saith a little after this that it was impossible for the fleshe of the bodie of Iesus Christ to turne to corruption And why so because that God only had so ordained it and not that it could doe naturally so For when he was conceiued in the wombe of the Virgin Mary he tooke vpon him our nature and was made like vnto vs sinne excepted And by that reason his fleshe was subiect to corruption euen as ours is if God had not in that sort preuented it Heb. 4.15 If a mā had séen the bones of our lord Iesus Christ they might wel enough haue béen bruised broken yet we sée that it was impossible for thē to be so because that God had in such sort appoynted it that they were not naturally so here we sée what we haue to note cōcerning that which might be alledged out of this place not that wee are to deale in speculatiōs to inuent a thousand sophisticall or brabling questiōs wherin the papists are cunning but let vs in al hūblenes consideratly stay our selues vpon this that GOD doeth not onely foresée all thinges but desposeth them also at his will and pleasure And therefore let vs learne to commende our selues vnto him Iohn 12.31 whenas we abide the grieuous assaults of the diuel of the world whereof he is saide to be the Prince and when wée thinke that it cannot be chosen but that the wicked wil oppresse vs Iohn 12.31 let vs shroud our selues vnder the wings of our good God that he might giue vs wherewith to resist them and so being armed with his power wée may bee able to put by all the temptations that may come vnto vs. For although all the Diuels wicked ones would ryse vp against vs hee knoweth well enough how to bridle them and hold them fast bounde so that wee as wee haue before saide runne vnto him and rest vnder his protection Thus wée sée that we must looke vpon the prouidence of God by faith and not after our owne reason Now in that we haue saide that the wicked doe nothing but that which God ordeineth a number might reply and say what good sir and if it bée thus it might bée said that God shoulde bée the cause of the euill and the wicked were to bée excused For answere hereof we must in the first place vnderstand what the will of god is yea that he setteth downe vnto vs in his law We know that he hath forbidden stealing If then I goe steale What Doe I then his will Surely when the wicked goe about to doe any mischiefe they goe not to doe the wil of God for they know wel enough that God vtterly misliketh al wicked dealing And therefore when they doe any euill they withstand the will of God Wherefore it followeth that God would not haue them doe any euill but suffereth them to doe it for the cause they are in excuseable forsomuch as they doe contrary to his commaundement And therefore we must not say that God is the cause of euill for he committeth not the faultes which wée commit For wée sée that he giueth the Diuell leaue to punish such are worthie thereof The Diuell committeth euill and hath none other regard but to doe mischiefe and yet God maketh him to serue him to another cleane contrary end God suffereth a Théefe to robbe a true man of his goods Iohn 1.21 And why doeth he so Forsooth to prooue his pacience that it might be knowne We sée what Iob saith in all his troubles The Lorde hath giuen and the Lorde hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. And yet théeues robbed and spoyled him What meaneth hée then hereby Doth Iob accuse God of theft No forsooth you must not so take it for hée knewe that théeues were wicked and that they came not thither but against the will of God and to the intent to doe mischiefe howbeit he had a further reach and considered that it was not done without the prouidence of God And therefore Iob attributed not the wicked déede vnto God but hée knew what men were in their kind Hée saw that the Chaldeans and Sabeans were the scourges of God They robbed and reaued they killed his seruants and draue away his Cattel to bée short they impouerished him and lefte him nothing and yet hée continually praysed God because hée right wel knew that it was not done without his ordinaunce And euen so must wée doe For if the wicked trouble vs wée must not looke vnto them but our faith must ascend a great deale higher to wit wée must vnderstād that the prouidence of God is aboue them al. After this sort then must wée iudge and not enter into vaine speculations Wée sée now at this present that the vngodly crucified Iesus Christ and yet was it not done without the ordinance of God Howbéeit God wrought it to another ende It was the will of the wicked to bring Iesus Christ to naught and it was the will of God that his blood and death should bée an euerlasting Sacrifice and our redemption to bée made and accomplished thereby And therefore when wée behold this wée haue occasion to glorifie GOD and hée that doth not so his owne conscience reprooueth him Nowe S. Peter saieth that Iesus Christ rose agayne wherby to shew as we haue already said that wée must alwaies ioyne his resurrection with his death For if wée looke into his death onely wée shall sée him altogether full of all shame and reproche and disfigured like a Leper But when wée come vnto his resurrection wée sée how mightily the hand of God exalted him giuing him al power both in heauen and earth Wherefore Mat. 28.18 so soone as wée haue saide that Iesus died let vs by and by vnderstande that hée rose againe He died according to the weaknesse of his flesh but in that
fall from heauen and other wonderfull signes appeare In verie déede there are some which restraine this vnto the latter day howbeit the Prophet meaneth to speake of all the reigne and dominion of Iesus Christ vntill his comming at the last day to iudge the world And therefore we must apply all the signes whereof the Prophet here speaketh vnto our time For if we considered of the thinges which are come to passe euen since the Gospell hath béen preached in these dayes yet could not be possible but that the verie thinking of them would make the haires of our head stand vpright Surely if we had séene the thinges that were done at the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ we should haue been verie blockish if wée had not been afeard For if we did but rightly consider of the thinges that are continually done euen at this day we should haue matter enough to wonder at And therefore it was not the meaning of the Prophet to signifie for a season the signes that should here appeare at the comming of Iesus Christ For although at his comming hée poured out his great treasures to disperse them abroad vpon all men yet for all that we shall sée merueylous iudgements by reason of the vnthākfulnesse of men who will not receiue the thing that is offred them And to the selfe same purpose serueth that saying of Iesus Christ when hée spake of the destruction of the Temple For marke Mat. 24.3 the Disciples asked him when all these thinges should come to passe and what signe there should be of his comming of the destruction of the worlde for they thought as fondly as the Iewes that the Temple should cōtinue euen vnto consummatiō of the world and that they in the mean while should reigne peaceably like earthly Princes Thus we sée what the question was that they asked notwithstanding that Iesus Christ had no spéech of the last day Now hée answered them thus you shall sée saieth hée merueylous terrible thinges For you make this reckoning that yée shal dwell héere on earth peaceably and rule at your pleasure howbeit yée shall finde it cleane contrarie because there will sodeinely come deceiuers and besides the Deuil will do all hée can to spread false doctrine in euerie place There shal be pestilence warres and famine so that a man would thinke that the world should be turned vpside downe And when you shall sée all these thinges yet is not the ende come For Ierusalem shall be destroyed Wherby hée sheweth that it is so farre of that the Iewes should haue any peaceable life here in this world as that it cannot be chosen but that they must féele the iudgementes of God come vpon them for their vnthankfulnesse which shal soone after be dispersed throughout the face of the whole world And consequently hée goeth on and saieth That after the troubles in those dayes The Sunne should be darkened and the Moone lose her light that the Starres should fall from heauen and all the powers of the heauens be moued Which wordes agrée iust with the saying of the Prophet as if hée should haue said That great troubles shall not onely be séene here below but also if a man did looke vp vnto heauen hée should sée a generall confusion And yet must we not for all that but come for t our selues For although we sée both in heauen and earth many troubles and breaches so that if we went all the world ouer we should sée nothing els but all accursed yet must we take pleasure and delight in the maker of all these thinges This then is the summe and effect of the meaning of the Prophet And this is at this present spoken euen vnto vs For although God visiteth vs and bestoweth his Gospell vpon vs yet doeth hée not it to this end that we should in such sort liue heere as it pleaseth our selues in all ease and delight and be voyde of warre famine and pestilence But wée are aduisedly to consider that when such thinges come to passe and that we sée so great and generall a confusion so that we cannot tell which way to turne vs wee must euen then I say prepare our heartes paciently to abide those afflictions and not thinke them straunge because they light vpon vs for our vnthankfulnesse For the meaning of our good God is to shew him selfe a gentle and louing Father and if we paciently suffer these thinges at his handes it will appeare that hée calleth not vs his good Sonnes for nothing But if we be so rude and vnmannerlie as that we will not take and acknowledge him for our Father is it not méete that hée should correct vs for such a contempt For let vs vnderstande that hée hath as great authoritie ouer vs as any father hath ouer his childe Howbeit he is a Father for euer and therefore when as hée afflicteth vs be it neuer so gréeuously yet must we not dispaire for all that But wée must vnderstande that hée doeth it because we are vnthankfull Wée see then in summe howe we are to consider of the iudgementes of God and that whatsoeuer the Prophets haue foretold is fulfilled euen before our faces And nowe let vs come vnto the comfort which the Prophet setteth downe herevpon which is That whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of God shall bee saued If hée had saide no more but that which went before wée might then in déede haue béene meruellously astonished because it were altogether to discomfort vs but hée setteth downe eftsoones a comfort withall That if we call vpon the name of God we shall bée saued euen amiddest the greatest troubles and dissentions that may bée yea for although hell were readie to swallow vs vp yet haue wée this assured refuge that if we trust in our God and call vpon him wée are out of doubt to be saued When any man is gréeued and troubled then this is the comming of Satan to make him distrust to the ende hée might not come vnto God and call vpon him Howbéeit héere is a great comforte which wée ought to laye holde on to the contrarie in that God appointeth vs no set time to call vpon him so that whensoeuer wée are cast downe as it were into the bottomlesse pyt of hell yet may we euen then call boldly vpon him For as the Propet sayeth That hée which shal call vpon the name of God shall be saued euen so contrariwise he that calleth not vpon him shal be damned yea although he were as in a Paradise For if the verie Angelles did not call on him God might reiect them which is impossible to be done Nowe we may hereby sée that it is impossible for vs to continue here in this world one minute of an houre without we did call vpon the name of God And therefore we ought to call this lesson oftentimes to mynde For the Prophet pronounceth iudgement against all those which call not vpon the name of God in saying That whosoeuer
should be founde in them But if they be narrowly sifted and the bottome of their heartes searched we shall finde nothing lesse in them then that they promised and would be the first that would forsake God And why so Forsooth because they haue not this consideration with them selues to thinke what they are For whensoeuer euerie man shall looke well vnto him selfe hée shall finde a sea of sinnes whereof hée can no way be ryd without by sighing and groning we runne vnto God and call vpon him in our necessitie Moreouer we are to vnderstand that the Sermon which S. Peter made in the Citie of Ierusalem is at this present made vnto vs to the end we might profite our selues thereby and let vs also note that hée brought not in the place of the Prophet Ioell for naught And therefore let vs be sure to trust vnto this promise That whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of God shall be saued And according to this holie doctrine Let vs fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God and acknowledge our offences beséeching him so to blesse vs with his grace as that we may so confidently call vpon him as that our prayers may be acceptable in his sight so that wée being deliuered from all superstition and idolatrie might truely worship him to the ende wee might take him for our Father and Sauiour and he likewise at last acknowledge vs for his children And so let vs all say O Almightie God and heauenly Father c. The fourth sermon of the descending of the holy Ghoste Actes second 22 YEe men of Israel heare these wordes Iesus of Nazareth a man approued of God amongst you with myracles wonders and signes which God did by him in the midst of you as yee your selues also know 23 Him after you had taken by wicked handes beeing deliuered by the determinate counsell foreknowledge of God haue yee crucified and slaine 24 Whom God hath raysed vp hauing loosed the sorrowes of death because it was impossible that he should be holden of it AFter that Saint Peter had in his Sermon declared that the promise conteined in the Prophesie of the Prophete Ioel was accomplished by the descending of the holie Ghost vpon him and vpon his companiōs the Apostles for a testimony and as a pledge which the Lord God meant to communicate vnto his Church and vnto euery faithfull member therof and yet that there must néedes fall out great troubles and that the fayth of the Christians might be proued and tried After all these thinges I say hée bringeth the Iewes to Iesus Christ For fith the holy Ghost was giuen they could not choose but acknowledge the comming of Iesus Christ Because it was saide That the Prophesie of Ioel should not be accomplished vntill the latter dayes And therefore when as we sée the holie Ghost thus poured out it is a sure token that God hath sent Iesus Christ to the ende hée might make an ende of our saluation Now this is an excellent maner and a verie conueent order of teaching which we are here to note to wit That looke how many graces of his holy spirit God giueth vs are euen so many meanes to bring and guide vs to Iesus Christ whereby wée might learne all wisedome of him For he is the verie fountayne out of whom we must all drawe the same And to say truely First of all forsomuch as he was the worde of God from the beginning hée is also the life and light of men And because hee hath receyued most perfectly Iohn 1. 4. Iohn 1. 16. all the graces of the holie Ghost forsomuch as hée was made man we are to receiue from out of his fulnesse grace for grace Wherefore by him it is that wee must haue fauoure before God For if we would drawe neare vnto his Maiestie without this meane we were neuer able to haue accesse vnto him And therefore must we goe the direct way vnto Iesus Christ For since we know that he hath most perfectly receiued the graces of the holy Ghost wée must be all partakers of them by him and through him And so Saint Peter vseth here a verie good reason to admonish the Iewes that the Redéemer was come to wit that in as much as the holie Ghost was poured out that it was in the latter dayes And besides hée saieth Ye men of Israel heare these words Iesus of Nazareth a man approued of God amongst you with wonders myracles signes which God did by him in the midst of you as you your selues also know him I say being deliuered by the determined counsell and prouidence of God you haue by wicked handes crucified and slaine This is euen hée by whom God hath wholely giuen him selfe vnto you and yet haue yée put him to death And yet notwithstanding yée must néedes confesse that it is the verie selfe same man which was promised you in the lawe Hée came to be your Sauiour and Redéemer and this you can neither will nor choose but acknowledge because he remained not in death For God gaue him victorie ouer death and hée ouercame it Thus we sée in the first place what it is that Saint Peter telleth vnto the Iewes that he might bring them to the knowledge of Iesus Christ And it is to be noted that hée speaketh of nothing here but of the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ For first of all it can not be otherwise but that the Iewes must néedes vnderstand that Iesus Christ was the Sonne of God And this is it whereby Saint Peter meaneth to proue it in that which hée héere propoundeth Nowe there are two thinges which we are to vnderstand of Iesus Christ The first is That we must néedes beléeue that he is the Messias to wit the annointed of the Lord promised in the lawe and the verie same of whom the Prophets haue written and that it is he who suffred death for our redemption and yet was not ouercome of it but gloriously rose againe tryumphing ouer all his enemies And thus much for the first point Nowe for the seconde when as wée know that Iesus Christ dyed for vs we must néedes acknowledge what hée is and the benefit which we are to receiue by him Here are then two thinges throughly to be considered of vs For if wée haue to deale with a Iewe wée must begin to instruct him in the principles of Christianitie and tell him that Iesus Christ was borne of the Virgine Mary and that it was hée whom God had promised them and whom in verie déede his predecessours had put to death and that he appointed them the verie time when hée should come into the world And besides that he had giuen him a testimony that he was his Sonne by approuing it with the signes and myracles which he did in the middest of them and likewyse that after he was ascended into heauen he sent the holy Ghost according to the saying which long ere that was foretolde Thus must we
deale with a Iewe to bring him to the knowledge of Iesus Christ Moreouer we must let him vnderstand that when the kingdome of the Messiah is spoken of in the scripture that it is a spirituall kingdome to the ende hée should not be deceiued to thinke him to be an earthly King as all the Iewes imagined And this is it which caused them to refuse Iesus Christ forsomuch as he reigned not ouer the people as they thought hée shoulde haue done Nowe for the first point wée haue nothing wherefore to stande against the Papistes but for the second For they graunt vnto vs that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God and the same that was promised in the law and that hée was put to death and rose agayne And héerein we easily agrée But they are to be taught to what end hee came For they doe not acknowledge him to be the same man in déede that hée is Wée knowe that we must beléeue that our saluation commeth by Iesus Christ alone by his death and passion And the Papistes cleane contrary attribute it vnto their workes and merittes and other their inuentions and thinke by that meane to be sanctified Wherefore they séeke in their workes the thing which can no way be founde but in Iesus Christ Thus we see that it is not néedefull for vs to teach the Papistes any thing as concerning the person of Iesus Christ but onely to shewe them what his power and vertue is wherefore hée came and what benefite we may reape thereby Nowe Saint Peter hath héere taken vpon him to set foorth these two pointes For the Iewes knewe not that Iesus Christ was the Messiah sent from God and therefore much lesse knew they his power and why he came And therefore hée telleth them that he shewed himselfe to be the Sonne of God amongst them in as much as he rose againe so that by his resurrection they might know him to be the verie same because hée was deliuered from death and ouercame it and therefore that life and saluation must be had in him and by him And this is it which Saint Peter meaneth to declare in this first place he will also shewe vs what fruit we haue by his resurrection which wée meane to declare hereafter as it commeth in order to be handled Nowe séeing we at this present vnderstand the purpose of Saint Peter and the order of his Sermon let vs follow it and learne to acknowledge that so soone as God bestoweth any benefite vpon vs that it is because we are the members of Iesus Christ and not for our workes nor yet for any other thing that we are any way able to offer vnto him And therefore let vs haue no more these royling imaginations in our heades as to be persuaded this way and that but let vs come to the acknowledging of our sinnes and be sory for them as we sée Saint Peter goeth about to bring the Iewes theretoo héere in this place when as hée speaketh of the death of Iesus Christ For in the first place hée accuseth them saying Yee haue slaine him Nowe we may verie well sée that hée meaneth not by this spéech to flatter them And indéede S. Peter did cast this in their dish as we say to the end he might pricke their hearts and wound them to the quicke as hereafter we shal sée that it so stuck grieued thē at the hearts as that they were therewith conuerted Thus and by this meane must men be wonne to come to be humbled and brought to the acknowledging of their offences For if we continually preach vnto them pleasant and delightfull things they will doe nothing els but toy and tryfle and be Gods fellowes and play with him euen as they would doe with a mortall man We sée how it fared with the woman of Samaria when she spake vnto Iesus Christ and that he told her of the water of lyfe whereof he said if she drunke Iohn 4. 11. that she shoulde neuer thirst she mocked him like a naughtie packe as she was But after he had once brought her to the acknowledging of her sinne and tolde her that she went to seeke her husbande and remembred her of her wicked life past she was more milde in her speech then she was at the first For when he simplye and plainely layde before her the graces of God she laughed him to skorne and sayd why where shall we haue a Bucket wherewith to draw the water séeing the well is so very deepe but when hée had saide vnto her Thou art an harlot thou hast had fiue husbandes and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband she then acknowledged her sinne and sayde that Iesus Christ was an holy Prophet And therefore vntill such time as we tremble at the horror of our sinnes we will neuer giue place vnto the woord of God And that was the cause that made Saint Peter accuse the Iewes of the slaying of Christ not that he tooke any pleasure in thus reproouing of them but to the ende they might vnderstande that their condemnation was at hande for their sinnes and on the other side that they had forgiuenes of them by Iesus Christ if they woulde acknowledge him and come vnto him Nowe héere in this place haue the ministers of God a rule set downe vnto them to witte that they must touch men to the quick and tell them of their sinnes that they might vnderstand that God is their Iudge and will not leaue their obstinate sinning vnpunished and by that meane be brought backe vnto him by repentance which they wil neuer doe except they be reprooued and roughly handled And therefore let vs suffer GOD too rule and condemne vs to the end he might pardon vs. We shal finde a greate number of men that would be very glad the Gospel should bee preached so that it might be for their gaine serue their carnall desires and be as it were a cloake for their villanies Now this must not bee the end of our preaching For our Lord Iesus Christ saide That when the holy Ghost should come that he should rebuke the world of sinne that hée shoulde sit as a Iudge in the place of iustice and iudge the world Iohn 16. 8. And therfore wée shal neuer bée able to deale faithfully with the Gospel without the worlde bée brought to this condemnation and that euery man may know what it is for euerie of vs to rebuke himselfe Wherfore let all such as flatter themselues groane and bée hartily sory and let al such as take their pleasures be afeard and tremble and let all those who perswade themselues to bée righteous looke more narrowly vnto themselues to the ende wée might all bee brought to this acknowledging of our sinnes by which wée shall grow to be penitent so cōsequently come into the fauour of God Thus wée sée why it is that S. Peter vseth such a bitter reprehension vnto the Iewes whenas hée saith That they