this so desired a rest which thou hast prepared for vs. O how sweete louing shall this awaking be when as in our graues we shall heare the voice of thy son to raise vs vp againe in a glorious immortalitie Yet while wee doe awaite for this last comming we recommende our selues vnto thee O heauenly father the peace and preseruation of thy Church superiors magistrates all those which haue neede of thy succour beseeching thee that in this oldenesse of the worlde wherein all kingdoms of the worlde do shake that thou wouldest be the stay of thy poore people and in steede of so many sorowefull daies and yeares as we haue seene we may behold some rest in the middest of thy Church Raise vp daily O Lord some softer father and also some retiring place for thy children that no violent oppression ouerwhelme them and that for thy sonnes sake in whom I trust and vppon whom I rest my selfe So be it Heere followeth a litle Paraphrase and short exposition of the Lordes praier taken out of S. Cyprian almost worde by worde THe doctrine contained in the Gospell is no other thing than the ordinance of our maister God the grounde whereon to builde our hope and to strengthen our faith the foode wherewith to nourish our soule the pylates whereby to guide our shippe in this nauigation the helpes by whom we come to saluation in such sort as when the faithfull heart yeeldeth it selfe to be trainable heere in earth it is a meane to bring it vp vnto heauen It hath pleased God that many thinges were often spoken by the prophetes and heard by them But how much more excellent ought that to be reputed which the father hath sayd and pronounced by his sonne than that which he hath sayde by his seruantes For in them spake the spirite of Christ and he himselfe hath spoken in the later time in his owne voice He doth not now commaund that men prepare the way vnto him that commeth because that he himself is come and discouereth the true way that wee which goe wandering and groping in the darknesse of death may be by the light of his wisedome directed in the way of life Now amongest so many good lessons as he hath left vs for our saluation The forme of praier hee hath chieflie giuen vnto vs the right forme of prayer he that hath made vs to liue hath taught vs also to pray yea he hath done it after his grace goodnesse wherethrough he hath stored vs with all thinges and wrought it vnto the ende that his father might the more willinger heare vs when wee praie vnto him in that praier that his son hath taught vs. He did foretell howe that the houre should come wherein the true woorshippers should worshippe him in spirite and trueth He hath also fulfilled that which he had promised giuing vs his spirite to worshippe him The Lords praier What praier may be now more spirituall than that which hath bin giuen vnto vs by Iesus Christ by whome also the holy spirite hath beene sent vnto vs What praier shal be more true and perfect before God than that which cōmeth from the sonne who is the trueth of Gods owne mouth In manner as otherwise to pray concerning the substance then hee hath taught vs is not alonely an ignorance but also a blockish fault as he rebuketh the Iewes elsewhere how they did despise Gods commaundement to set vp their traditions Let vs therefore pray my brethren euen as hee which is both our God and maister hath taught vs. That prayer is agreeable vnto God when one praieth with a praier that is his and when we make the wordes of his sonne to mount vp vnto his eares The father doth acknowledge his sonnes language when wee doe pray let him that dwelleth in our heart be also in our voice vpon our tongue And seeing that the sonne is our aduocate as often as we doe demaund forgiuenesse for our sinnes let vs take in our mouthes the wordes of our aduocate For seeing that he sayth how all that we shall aske of the father in his name it shal be granted vnto vs whē shal our praiers haue greatest strēgth but then when we shall call vppon him by the peculiar praier which he hath made It behoueth those which pray to keepe a certaine forme in their speach with a staied manner and full of all reuerence humblenesse Let vs remember that it is before Gods face that we presēt our selues Let vs therefore seeke to please him as wel in the behauiour of our bodies as in the conueiance of our voice It is an ill fauored thing and a signe of impudencie to vse much crying out in praier and there is nothing that doeth set it out more than modestie To be short wee doe see that the Lorde doth allowe that praier which is made priuately in secret and in ones chamber a thing that well agreeth with our faith to the ende to make vs vnderstand that God is present throughout all that he heareth and seeth all and that the fulnesse of his maiestie pearceth into the most hidden secret places as the scripture speaketh I am thy God neere at hande and not afarre off If a man be hidden in a priuie or close place doe not I see him Doe not I fill both heauen and earth Then when wee shall come together with our brethren we must in good order solemnise the sacrifices of God not thinking to make our praiers to take place before the Lord with chaunting and crying out God vnderstandeth the heart not with the voice for it is not needeful to aduertise him by a lifting vp of a voice who seeth our thoughts This is it that he often sayth that he is the searcher of hearts hauing the knowledge of our most secret thoughtes We haue a goodly example in the good woman Anna mother of Samuel who prayed vnto the Lord not with a strong or lifted vp voice but secretly soberly and in her heart Her praier was secret but her faith was open shee spake not with the voice but with the heart knowing verie well that the Lorde our God so heareth his and in such sort she receiued in effect that which by faith she had required We haue another example of a praier right wel directed and verie modest in the person of the Publicane He went vp into the temple and made his praier not in a rude and presumptuous maner as the other without lifting vp his head or his forehead he only fell downe confessed with his mouth his sinne that hee felt shut vp in his heart in such sort as God heard the prayer of the humble that rested not vpon his owne innocencie For who is hee that is innocent His praier was humble and hee which aduaunceth and fauoreth the humble heard the poore Publican Thus much cōcerning the fashion and coūtenance that we ought to keepe in our praiers Let vs now consider how our maister
whereby the true Church of God is discerned from that false and bastard Church which wanteth both true faith Ephe. 3.14 true inuocatiō Now I bowe the knees of my soule to the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ to the end that according to the riches of his glorie The Pastors of the Church of Orlians that were preserued M. Gallars M. Anton. Chanorrier M. Robert Mason M. Pet. Baron Daniel Toussain he will graunt vs that wee may be strengthened by his spirit that Christ may dwell in you through faith through the which you may be rooted and grounded in all true knowledge of his will And as it hath pleased him in the middest of so manie floudes miraculouslie to keepe the Pastors of your Church whom God be praised he employed alwayes to his seruice that it will please him to shewe you this fauour raysing vp your estate as from death to haue strength to reioyce againe and that quicklie to the end that we may altogether as it were created anew sing vnto him a newe song to his honor vnder the protectiō of the shadow of his winges Frō S. Lābert within the coūtie Palatine this 20. of Iuly 1578. Daniel Toussain THE FOVNDATION and spring of all holy prayers and christian meditatiōs ought to be faith Behold where fore we shall set heere in the entrie the articles of our faith which some call the symbole of the Apostles as in deede they conteine a summarie of the Apostles doctrin as is to be sene of that which is written in the 15. Chap. of the 1. vnto the Cor. vers 3. elswhere it is to be seene by the writings of the elders as by the cathechisme of Cyrill and the treatise of S. Ambrose of Cayne and Abell and in the 8. Chap. of S. Augustines booke named Enchiridion that is to say Manuel that these Articles of the faith were holden amongest them as the true beginninges and foundation of Christian religion I Beleeue in God the Father almightie maker of heauen and earth And in Iesus Christ his onelie sonne our Lord. Which was conceiued by the Holie Ghost borne of the virgine Marie Suffered vnder Ponce Pilate was crucified dead buried he descended into hell The thirde day he rose againe from the dead He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almightie From thence shall he come to iudge the quicke and the dead I beleeue in the Holie Ghost The holie Catholike Church The communion of Saints The forgiuenesse of sinnes The resurrection of the bodie And the life euerlasting Amen IN the yeare of our Lord 273. in the Synode of Antioch was condemned the heresie of Samosatenus who would not auowe Iesus Christ to be the worde subsisting but made thereof a sound or decree of God not a seconde person of his diuinity in such sort as against his errours was published a confession by George Neocoefariensis as is to be seene in the 3. booke of Eusebius IN the yeare of our Lord about 332. 1. Synode called vniuersall was vnder Constantine the Great assembled a Synode or Councel to the assisting whereof there were 328. Bishoppes at Nice a citie in Bythinia there where was chieflie condemned the heresie of Arrius who dinied the true sonne of God equall with the father and of the same substance In this Synode were made plaine and cleare against Arrius the Articles of faith which concerne Iesus Christ by a confession as followeth 1 I Beleeue in one God The Symbol of Nice the Father Almightie maker of heauen and earth and of all things visible and inuisible 2 And in one Lorde Iesu Christ the onely begotten sonne of God begotten of his Father before all worldes 3 God of God light of light verie God of verie God begotten not made beeing of one substance with the Father by whome all thinges were made 4 Who for vs men and for our saluation came downe from heauen 5 And was incarnate by the Holie Ghost of the virgin Marie and was made man 6 And was crucified also for vs vnder Poncius Pilate he suffered and was buried 7 And the thirde day he arose againe according to the Scriptures and ascended into heauen and sitteth at the right hand of the Father 8 And he shal come againe with glory to iudge both the quicke and the dead whose kingdome shall haue none ende 9 And I beleeue in the holie Ghost the Lorde and giuer of life who proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne who with the Father and the Sonne together is worshipped and glorified who spake by the Prophets 10 And I beleeue one Catholike and Apostolike Church 11 I acknowledge one Baptisme for the remission of sinnes 12 And I looke for the resurrection of the dead the life of the world to come Amen IN the yeare of our Lorde 386. Seconde Councell there assembled at Constantinople the second Synode called vniuersall which confirmed and ratified the confession made at Nice adding onely that which followeth against the heretike Macedonius who denied the true diuinitie of the holie Ghost We beleeue in the holy Ghost Lorde and giuer of life proceeding from the father and the sonne who with the father the sonne together is worshipped and glorified HEere followeth the Symbole or confession of Athanasius Bishoppe of Alexandria being chosen fiue monthes after the Councell held at Niece who hath abiden great combats for the pure doctrine of the sonne of God against the Arrians WHosoeuer will be saued before all things it is necessarie that he holde the Catholike faith Which faith except euerie one doe keepe holy and vndefiled without doubt hee shall perish euerlastingly And the Catholike faith is this that we worship one God in Trinitie and Trinitie in vnitie Neither confounding the persons nor diuiding the substance For there is one person of the Father another of the Sonne and another of the Holie Ghost But the Godhead of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holie Ghost is all one the glorie equall and the maiestie coeternall Such as the Father is such is the Sonne and such is the Holie Ghost The Father vncreate the Sonne vncreate and the Holie Ghost vncreate The Father incomprehensible the Sonne incomprehensible and the Holie Ghost incomprehensible The Father eternall the Sonne eternall and the Holie Ghost eternall And yet they are not three eternalles but one eternall As also there bee not three incomprehensibles nor three vncreated but one vncreated and one incomprehensible So likewise the Father is almightie the Sonne almightie and the holie Ghost almightie And yet they are not three almighties but one almightie So the Father is God the Sonne is God and the Holie Ghost is God And yet are they not three Gods but one God So likewise the Father is Lord the Sonne Lorde and the Holie Ghost Lorde And yet not three Lordes but one Lorde For like as wee be compelled by the Christian veritie to acknowledge
vnto the poore euen a strength vnto the needie in his trouble a refuge against the tempest a shadow against the heate for the blast of the mightie is like a storme against the walk Thou shalt beate downe the noyse of the strangers as the heate in a drie place And he will destroy the couering that couereth all people and the veile that is spred vppon all Nations He will destroy death for euer and the Lord GOD shall wipe away the teares from all faces and the rebuke of his people will he take away out of all the earth for the Lord hath spoken it And in that day shall men say Lo this is our God we haue waited for him and he will saue vs. This is the Lord we haue awaited for him we will reioyce and be ioyfull in his saluation The 30. of Esai Your strength shall be in silence and in hope The 41. of Esai For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand saying vnto thee Feare not I will helpe thee Feare not thou worme Iacob and ye men of Israel I will helpe thee saith the Lord and thy redeemer the holy one of Israel The 42. of Esai I am the Lord this is my name and my glorie will not I giue vnto an other neither my prayses to grauen Images And I will bring the blinde by a way that they know not and leade them by pathes that they haue not knowen I will make darknesse light before them crooked thinges straight These thinges wil I doe vnto them and not forsake them They shall be turned backe that trust in grauen Images they shall be greatlie ashamed The 50. of Esai The Lord God is my helper therefore shall not I be confounded Therefore haue I set my face like a flint and I know that I shall not be ashamed He is neere that iustifieth me Let vs stand together who is my aduersarie Let him come neere to me Beholde the Lorde God will helpe me who is he that can condemne me The 51. of Esai I euen I am he that comforteth you Who art thou that thou shouldest feare a mortall man and the sonne of man which shal be made as grasse And so forgettest thy Lorde thy maker who hath spread out the heauens and layd the foundations of the earth for the heauens shall vanish away like smoke and the earth shall waxe olde like a garment and they that dwell therein shall perish in like manner But my saluation shal be for euer and my righteousnes shal neuer be abolished A complaint of the vnbeliefe and Apostasie of men The 2. of Ieremie THus sayth the Lorde What iniquitie haue your fathers founde in mee that they are gone farre from mee and haue walked after vanitie are become vaine and haue not sayde where is the Lorde where is the Lorde that brought vs out of the Lande of Egypt And lead vs through the lande of Wildernesse through a desert and wast land through a drie land and by the shadow of death by a lande that no man passed through and where no man dwelt and I brought you into a plentifull countrie c. O ye Heauens be astonied at this be afraide and vtterly confounded sayeth the Lorde For my people haue committed two euils they haue forsaken me the fountaine of liuing waters to digge them pittes euen broken pittes that can holde no water The 9. Chap. of Ieremie Thus saith the lord Let not the wise man glorie in his wisdome nor the strong man glorie in his strength neither the rich man glorie in his riches but let him that glorieth glorie in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me for I am the Lord which shew mercie iudgement and righteousnesse in the earth for in these thinges I delight saith the Lord. The 17. of Ieremie Thus saith the Lord Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and which draweth his heart from the Lord for he shall be like the heath in the wildernesse and shall not see when anie good commeth but shall inhabit the parched places in the wildernesse Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord whose hope the Lord is for he shall be as a tree that is planted by the water which spreadeth out her rootes by the riuer and shall not feele when the heate commeth but her leafe shall be greene and shall not care for the yeare of drought neither shall cease from yeelding fruite O Lord the hope of Israel all that forsake thee shall be confounded They that depart from thee shall be written in the earth because they haue forsaken the Lord the fountaine of liuing waters A godlie example of the three companions of Daniell and of their constancie and faith taken out of the 3. Chap. of the Prophet Daniel ver 16. SHadrach Meshach and Abednego aunswered and said vnto the king O Nabuchadnezar we are not carefull to aunswere thee in this matter Behold our God whome we serue is able to deliuer vs from the hote fierie fornace and hee will deliuer vs out of thy hand O king But if not be it knowen to thee O king that we will not serue thy Gods nor woorship the golden Image which thou hast set vp An obseruation vpon the said place NOte ye that first these good men did verie well see that in partaking neuer so little in the seruice of Idols it was to serue the diuels To partake with the Idolaters is to serue the diuels as it is said in the 106. Psalme ver 37. and also in the 1. to the Corinth 10. Chap. ver 20. As God threatneth also to roote out all those that shal sweare by the Lord or by Melchon in the 1. Chap. of Sophonie For as one Marcus Arethusius aunswered Marcus Arethusius in the historie of Theodoret. When men would not bestowe but one Tournois vnto a wicked act then did euerie man contribute And as on a day the Christians aunswered according as it is written in the same Theodoret in the 4. booke and 20. Chap. When as the tyrantes fumed yet more with rage furie than before they were woont we could not denie nor start frō the trueth seeing that in the world Renouncing of the trueth there could not be found a greater torment than to renounce the truth There is also a goodly historie in the 4. booke of Eusebe and the 13. Chap. When there was mention made of the Edict that Anthonius the Emperor proclaimed forbidding to persecute the Christians for said he You shall make them victorious through their persecutions in that they loue better to die than to obey you An expositiō of the text which is in the 5. chapter 2. booke of Kinges That which some men to couer their wickednesse and ydolatrie doe alleage the place of the soconde booke of the Kinges the 5. Chap. and the 18. ver when Naaman the king of Syreas Connestable saide vnto Eliseus The Lorde be merciful vnto the seruant that
also saide in the 18. Chap. of S. Luke Those thinges that are vnpossible to men are possible yea and verie easie vnto our God For as Dauid sayth in the 33. Psalme That which he spake is and that which he commandeth is established he scattereth the counsell of the people Esay 2.22 his counsell remaineth fast and sure O then sayth he the people are blessed whose God is the Lorde and the people whome hee hath chosen for his heritage Cease therefore from man that is nothing neither let vs be affraide of them so much which are but a vapour and whose breath is in the nostrels in such sort as stop their nostrels and they die And let vs worshippe and reuerence that almightie God putting all our trust and confidence in him Maker of heauen and earth Of the creation and prouidence of God CONSIDERATION Amongest other titles that are attributed vnto the Lorde our God to knowe him and to discerne him from false Gods this is that he is the Creator as we see Esaie 40. Chapter WHo hath measured the waters in his fist and counted heauen with a spanne and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountaines in a weight and the hilles in a ballance Who hath instructed the spirite of the Lorde or was his counseller or taught him All nations before him are nothing To whom nowe will ye liken mee that I should be like him sayeth the holie one Lift vp your eies on hie and beholde who hath created these thinges and bringeth out their armies by number calleth them all by names By the greatnesse of his power and mightie strength nothing faileth Why sayest thou O Iacob and speakest thou O Israell My way is hid from the Lorde and my iudgement is passed ouer of my God Knowest thou not and hast thou not hard that the euerlasting GOD hath created the endes of the earth Hee neither fainteth nor is wearie there is no searching of his vnderstanding And in the 10. of Ieremie it is written in the Chaldie tongue that the superstitious Chaldies might vnderstande it Thus shal you say vnto them the Gods that haue not made the heauens and the earth shall perish from the earth from vnder these heauens This is he who hath made the earth by his power and established the worlde by his wisedome and hath stretched out the heauen by his discretion He giueth by his voice the multitude of waters in heauen causeth the cloudes to ascende from the endes of the earth he turneth lightninges to raine and bringeth foorth the winde out of his treasures Euerie man is a beast by his owne knowledge Euerie founder is confounded by the grauen Image for his melting is but falsehoode and there is no breath in him They are vanitie and workes of errors in the time of their visitation they shall perish The portion of Iacob is not like vnto them for he is the maker of all thinges To create This therefore is proper to our God to create that is to say to giue to all thinges beginning and to make to be that which was not and to bring foorth of nothing some thing Euen as S. Paule sayeth in the 4. Chap. to the Romanes Hee giueth life vnto the dead and calleth those thinges which be not as though they were And in the 11. of the same Epistle For of him through him and for him are all thinges to him be glorie for euer and euer Creation a worke of the Trinitie And because the creation is a worke of all the Trinitie as heere before it was alreadie declared it is saide in the 1. Chap. to the Colossi that in Christ all thinges were created to wit by him and for him For that which is called in the 15. vers the first borne of all creatures is not as if the euerlasting sonne of God had beginning and were numbred amongst the creatures For according as it is after sayd in the 17. vers he is before all thinges and through him all thinges consist But he is called first borne not as if we should say that he was created but to shewe his prerogatiue and domination howe he is the beginning and head of all thinges Nowe must we not heere giue place to the curious speculations of the flesh That the worlde hath had a beginning and of the Philosophers amongst whom some of them haue thought that the worlde was eternall as the * These Philosophers had the name of studying as they went about or walked Peripaticiens and others haue thought that it was made by chaunce or aduenture as the Epicurians the one sort disputing how it was possible that of nothing all thinges should haue beene made indeuouring to measure the infinite power of the deuinitie according to their idle discourse through wāt of knowing his force and the strength and vertue of his worde Therefore we must with faith beleeue that which the vnderstanding cannot comprehende as it is saide in the 21. Chap. of the Epistle to the Hebrewes Through faith we vnderstande that the worlde was ordained by the word of God so that the thinges which we see are not made of thinges which did appeare For wee haue verie plaine places of the creation in the scripture as also there is no historie so antient from the first beginning of all thinges as that which we haue in the first booke of Moses there say I doe wee reade in the first Chap. That in the beginning God created heauen and the earth Genes 1. the sea and all things that are in them He created by his word Of nothing The spreading out or firmamēt which he calleth the heauen the earth Of the earth The beastes and afterwardes man The waters Which hee maketh to bring forth fishes Out of mans bodie he tooke and created the woman It is likewise spoken in the 33. Psalme and in the 16. of the Prouerbs of the creation The Lorde hath made all thinges for himselfe yea the wicked for the day of calamitie not that God hath made the euill for as it is saide in the 1. of Genes All that he had made was verie good But hee would shewe the wisedome of the Lorde which turned the malice of the wicked vnto his glorie Also in the 89. Psalme O Lorde God of hostes who is like vnto thee which art a mightie Lorde and thy trueth is about thee Thou rulest the raging of the sea when the waues thereof arise thou stillest them The heauens are thine the earth is thine also thou hast laide the foundation of the worlde and all that therein is Thou hast created the north and the south And in the 45. of Esay I haue made the earth and created man vpon it I whose handes haue spread out the heauens and haue euen commaunded all their armies Also in the 1. Chap. of S. Paules Epistles vnto the Colossians By him were all thinges created which are in heauen
the North Brightnes the praise thereof is to God which is terrible The 22. Psalme It is thou that diddest drawe me out of the wombe and thou giuest me hope euen at my Mothers brestes I was cast vppon thee euen from the wombe thou art my God from my mothers bellie All the 107. Psalme is full of testimonies of his diuine prouidence where amongest all other thinges it is said Seamen And those that goe downe into the sea in shippes and occupie by the great waters they see the woorkes of the Lord his woonders in the deepe For he commaundeth and raiseth stormie winde and it lifteth vp the waues thereof Whē they crie vnto the Lord in their trouble he turneth the storme to calme so that the waues thereof be still When they are quieted they are glad and hee bringeth them vnto the hauen where they would be He turneth the floudes into a wildernesse Wildernesse and the springes of water into drienesse And a fruitfull land into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein Againe he turneth the wildernesse into pooles of water the drie land into water springes And there he placeth the hungrie and they build a citie to dwell in Fieldes Vines And sowe the fieldes and plant vineyardes which bring forth fruitful increase For he blesseth them and they multiplie exceedinglie and he diminisheth not their Cattell Cattel Againe men are diminished brought lowe by oppression euill and sorrowe He powreth contempt vppon princes Princes and causeth them to erre in desert places out of the way Yet he raiseth vp the poore out of miserie The poore and maketh them families like a flock of sheepe The righteous shall see it and reioyce and all iniquitie shall stop her mouth Who is wise that he may obserue these thinges For they shall vnderstand the louing kindenesse of the Lorde Out of the Psal 147. Great is our Lorde and great is his power his wisedome is infinite The Lord relieueth the meeke and abaseth the wicked to the ground Sing vnto the Lord with praise sing vppon the Harpe vnto our God which couereth the heauen with clowdes and prepareth raine for the earth and maketh the grasse to growe on the mountaines He giueth to beastes their foode The yong Rauens and to the yong Rauens that crie O Ierusalē praise the Lord praise thy God O Sion for hee hath made the barres of thy gates strong and hath blessed thy children within thee Peace He setteth peace in thy borders and satisfieth thee with the flower of wheate The 21. of the Prouerbes The heart of kinges The kings heart is in the hand of the Lord as the riuers of waters he turneth it whither soeuer it pleaseth him Euerie way of man is right in his owne eyes but the Lord pondereth the heartes The 45. of Esai God hath not alonely created but disposeth also Behold what the Lord saith that created heauen God himselfe that formed the earth and made it he that prepared it he created it not in vaine hee formed it to be inhabited I am the Lord and there is not other I am the Lord and there is none other I forme the light and create darknes I make peace and create euill I the Lord doe all these thinges Yee heauens send the dewe from aboue and let the clowdes droppe downe righteousnesse Let the earth open and let saluation and iustice growe forth Let it bring thē forth together I the Lord haue created them Wo be vnto him that striueth with his maker the Potsheard with the Potsherdes of the earth shall the clay say vnto him that fashioneth it What makest thou Or thy woorke hath no handes Wo vnto him that saith vnto his father What hast thou begotten Or to his Mother What hast thou brought forth Thus saith the Lorde GOD The holie one of Israell and his maker Aske me of thinges to come concerning my sonnes and concerning the woorkes of mine handes Commaund you me I haue made the earth and created man vppon it I whose handes haue spread out the heauens I haue euen commaunded all their armie The 54. of Esai Behold I haue created the Smith that bloweth the coles in the fire Wherfore the armies of the enimies are not to bee feared and him that bringeth forth an instrumēt for his worke I haue created the destroyer to destroy But all the weapons that are made against thee shall not prosper The 3. of Amos. A trumpet shall be blowen in the citie and the people shall not be afraid Aduersity O what euill shal be in the citie and the Lorde hath not doone it to visite their sinnes for aduersities are great paines to punish the euill and guiltie man and the faultes of men The 6. Chap. of S. Matthewe The fouls Beholde the foules of the heauen for they sowe not neither reape nor carie into barnes yet your heauenly father feedeth them Are ye not much better than they Which of you by taking care is able to ad one cubite vnto his stature And why care ye for rayment The lilies of the fields Learne howe the lilies of the fielde doe growe they labour not neither spinne Yet I say vnto you that euen Salomon in al his glorie was not arayed like one of these Wherefore if God so cloth the grasse of the fielde which is to day and to morowe is cast into the ouen shall hee not much more doe vnto you O yee of litle faith The 10. Chap. of S. Matthewe Sparowes Are not two Sparowes solde for a farthing and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father Yea and all the hayres of your heades are numbred Feare ye not therfore ye are of more value than many Sparowes Our steps our going and comming The 4. Chap. of the Epistle of S. Iames. Go to nowe yee that say to day or to morowe we will goe into such a citie and continue there a yeare and buy and sell get gaine and yet you cannot tell what shal be to morowe For what is your life It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a litle time and afterwarde vanisheth away For that we ought to say if the Lord will and if we liue we will do this or that Certaine prayers taken out of the Scripture grounded vpon the doctrine of the prouidence of God taken out of the 93. Psalme and digested in forme and manner of a prayer OVr Lorde and God although it seemeth that the diuell ruleth at his pleasure in this wretched worlde and that the wicked and vngodly doe those thinges that vnto them seeme to bee good yet so it is that we doe acknowledge and confesse thee to be the true raygning God and king of all kinges who hast made fast the worlde by thy power and hast clothed it with an inuincible strength And so is it as easie for thee to appease and make calme the
time as our bodies bee raised also at the last comming of Iesus Christ The historie of the resurrection is right diligently brought foorth by the Euangelistes Matth. 27. to shewe the follie of the Scribes and Pharisees who hauing rowled a great stone on the tombe thought to let this rising againe and moreouer to hide it afterwardes they gaue money that they should say how he was taken vp by his disciples THis was the cause wherefore hee was yet conuersant in the worlde 40. Christs appearinges daies after his resurrection and appeared vnto his diuerse times shewing them his hands feete and woundes S. Marke maketh mention that hee appeared three sundrie times and that the Angell declared his rising First he did appeare to Marie Magdalene the seconde time he did appeare vnto two that were in the way going into the fieldes the third◠time vnto the eleuen that were sitting at a table Likewise S. Iohn 20. Chapter S. Luke 24. doe make mention of three appearinges and S. Matthewe in the 28. of two appearings S. Paul in the 15. Chap. 1. Epistle to the Corinth reciteth many appearings how he was likewise seene to mo than 500. brethren But specially hee appeared vnto S. Peter that had denied him as we reade in the 24. of S. Luke and in the 15. of the first Epistle to the Corinthians The fruites and effectes of Iesus Christ his resurrection Out of the 2. Chap. of the Actes Psalm 16. Whom God hath raised vp and loosed the sorrowes of death because it was vnpossible that he should be holden of it for Dauid speaketh of him I haue set the Lorde alwaies before me for he is at my right hand therefore I shall not slide Wherefore my heart is glad and my tongue reioyceth my flesh also doeth rest in hope For thou wilt not leaue my soule in the graue neither wilt thou suffer thy holie one to see corruption Thou wilt shewe me the path of life in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy Men and brethren I may boldly speake vnto you of the patriarke Dauid that hee is both dead and buried and his sepulchre remaineth with vs vnto this day Therefore seeing he was a prophet and knew that God had sworne with an oth to him that of the fruit of his loines he should raise vp Christ concerning the flesh to set him vppon his throne He knowing this before spake this of the resurrection of Christ that his soule should not be left in graue neither his flesh to see corruption This Iesus hath God raised vp whereof we all are witnesses Out of the 5. Chap. of the Acts 30. vers The God of our fathers hath raised vp Iesus whom ye slewe and hanged on a tree Him hath God lift vp with his right hande to be a prince and a sauiour to giue repentaunce to Israell and forgiuenesse of sins And we are his witnesses concerning these thinges which wee say yea and the holy Ghost who God hath giuen to them that obey him Out of the 14. Chap. to the Romanes Whether wee liue wee liue vnto the Lorde or whether we die we die vnto the Lorde whether we liue or die wee are the Lordes For Christ therefore died and rose againe and reuiued that he might be Lorde both of the dead and the quicke Out of the 6. Chap. of the first Epistle to the Corinthians God hath also raised vp the Lorde and shall raise vs vp by his power Out of the 15. Chap. and the first Epistle to the Corinthians Now if it be preached that Christ is risen frō the dead how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead For if there bee no resurrection of the dead then is Christ not risen And if Christ be not risen then is our preaching vaine and your faith is also vaine Out of the 4. Chap. of the 2. to the Corinthians We know that he which hath raised vp the Lord Iesus shall raise vs vp also by Iesus and shall set vs with you Out of the 1. Chap. to the Ephes The Lord giue vnto you the spirit of reuelation to vnderstand the exceeding greatnesse of his power which he wrought in Christ whē he raised him from the dead c. Out of the 3. Chap. to the Colossians If yee then be risen with Christ seeke those thinges which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Set your affectiōs on things which are aboue and not on thinges which are on the earth Out of the 2. Chap. of the Second to Timothie Remember that Iesus Christ made of the seede of Dauid was raised againe from the dead according to my Gospel wherein I suffer trouble as an euill dooer euen vnto bondes S. Peter in the 3. Chap. of his first Epistle saith that we haue witnessed with a good conscience before God by the resurrectiō of Iesus Christ He ascended into heauen CONSIDERATION HOwe is it that death should bee ouercome if we had not an other life or an other hope than in this vale of miserie And that we should heere daily crawle in this dwelling place of serpentes and dragons What is it to come forth of the graue if a man did not but enter into the worlde which is but a gulfe and bottomlesse pitte of all euils What had this beene if the children of Israel had gone out of Aegypt and if they had not beene guided into the promised lande flowing with milke and honnie To the ende therefore that our deliueraunce might not be vnperfect and maimed and that we may knowe whereat wee must aime or leuell aright to bee short that we may see that our heritage is out of the power of the prince of this world from all the children of the world this Iesus our Lorde would ascende into heauen and that in the sight of all his Apostles making his bodie to tryumphe that a litle before was crucified taking againe the full possession of that glorie which was not lost Iohn 17. but as it were hidden when as he did abase himselfe to present vnto God this clensing Sacrifice for our sins O Lord what are we that thou goest vp on high to prepare for vs a place Alas wee bee not worthy to liue on the earth Iohn 17. As our fathers in deede were driuen out of the gardein wherin thou haddest placed them so doest thou nowe giue vnto vs farre better than that garden of Edon out of the which was Adam Eue driuen when as in our name and with our nature thou takest possession of the most high heauens and of the manner house of thy glorie to inuest vs thy children therin to the end that where thou art they may bee there also Alas Lorde is this reason that thy seruauntes should be as well as their maisters But also good God thou hast doone vnto vs this honour to call vs thy friendes to whome thou hast communicated thy secretes to call vs O Lorde Iesus
thy brethren as we doe read in the 15. of S. Iohn I will say no more seruantes for the seruaunt knoweth not what his maister doeth But I haue called you friendes for all thinges that I haue heard of my father haue I made knowen to you And in the 20. of S. Iohn where it is sayde vnto Marie Magdalene Go vnto my brethren and tell them that I am gone vp vnto my father and vnto your father vnto my God and vnto your GOD. O Lord who shall comprehende sufficiently praise thy goodnesse For that truly which thou hast prepared to thine are thinges that the eie hath not seene 1. Corinth neither eare hath heard neither came into mans heart Giue therefore vnto vs thy holy spirit the which soundeth all thinges to the ende that we may vnderstande and knowe those thinges that thou hast giuen vs and that in knowing them wee may account thereof to forsake the earth and aspire vnto heauen where our head is and where there is true fulnesse of ioie and comfort So be it The historie of Iesus Christ his ascending is described vnto vs in the 16. Chap. of S. Marke and 19. vers After that the Lorde had spoken vnto them hee was receiued into heauen and sate on the right hande of God In the 24. of S. Luke the 50. vers After he lead them out into Bethania and lift vp his hande and blessed them And it came to passe that as hee blessed them he departed from them and was caried vp into heauen And they worshipped him and returned to Ierusalem with great ioie In the first Chap. of the Acts ver 9. And when he had spoken these things while they behelde he was taken vp for a cloud tooke him vp out of their sight And while they looked stedfastly towarde heauen as he went beholde two men stoode by them in white apparel which also said Yee men of Galile why stande ye gasing into heauen This Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen so shall come as you haue seene him goe into heauen Out of the 3. of the Acts ver 21. Whom the heauen must containe vntill the time that all thinges must be restored which God had spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophetes Out of the 10. to the Romanes ver 6. That righteousnesse which is by faith speaketh thus Say not in thy heart who shal ascende into heauen that is to bring Christ from aboue or who shall descende into the deepe that is to bring Christ againe from the dead But what sayeth it The worde is neere thee euen in thy mouth and in thine heart this is the worde of faith which wee preach As if he sayde that all doubts are taken away by faith and that the faithfull are assured by Iesus Christ to goe vp into heauen and to enter into euerlasting life Out of the 4. Chap. to the Ephesians ver 7. Vnto euerie one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ wherefore he sayth when he ascended vp on high he lead captiuitie captiue and gaue giftes vnto men Nowe in that he is ascended what is it but that he had also descended first into the lowest parts of the earth He that descended is euen the same that ascended farre aboue all heauens that he might fill all thinges A Meditation vpon the saide Text. And although the benefites of our sauiour Iesus Christ shall truely be felt euen now againe in the life to come Yet so it is that from henceforth wee be alreadie quickened by faith and are as it were sette with him in heauenly places as it is saide in the 2. Chapter to the Ephesians vers 8. Moreouer I pray you howe great is this consolation that wee haue not onely our pleadge alreadie in heauen but also our high priest that maketh intercession without ceasing for vs euen as it is written in the 7. Chapter to the Hebrewes Furthermore S. Paule in this text out of the 4. Chap. to the Ephesians where in wee bee greatly comforted when he sayth that our enimies the worlde the flesh and the deuill were lead away in tryumphe when as Christ ascended vp into heauen Wherfore should we then feare them And this tryumph was figured by the tryumphes and victories wherofare spoken in the 68. Psalme But yet that we may not be depriued from the presence of our sauiour and that he is not retyred from vs in such sort as we should no more reioyce in him S. Paule declareth vnto vs howe it was expedient according as Christ had sayde in the 16. of S. Iohn that I goe away and no more bodilie to bee conuersant in the world Because he had obtained for vs manie graces wherof he storeth and decketh his Churches and is present with vs as it is declared afterwards by the ministers of his word Howe Christ is present with vs. both the vertue and efficacie that he therein giueth to be short he is present with vs according as his spirituall kingdom beareth him he being our head he doth gouerne and guide vs by his holy spirite drawing vs vnto him that wee forsaking more and more the worlde and the earth we may be made citizens in the kingdome of heauen where he is frō whence we do awaite for him to be our ful deliuerance S. Augustin therfore sayth very well in the 50. treatise o◠S. Iohn in the booke of faith vnto Peter the 2. Chapter If anie man aske howe I shall holde Christ now which is absent Sende vnto him saieth he thy faith and thou shalt holde him For our predecessours which were in his time haue seene him and layde holde of him in the flesh holde thou him in thine heart He truely hath set his bodie in heauen but he hath not withdrawen his maiestie from the worlde And hee woulde as touching his bodie be absent from vs to the ende that our faith might be edified which could not be truely faith if it did bodily see and holde Christ heere A prayer O Lorde our God vouchsafe through thy goodnesse and mercie to fill vs heere full of thy graces and ioyne vs together through faith with thy sonne Iesus vntill that we be partakers of the fulnesse of thy glory 1. Thes 4. when we shal be gathered together to be daily with the Lorde And sitteth on the right hande of God the Father almightie CONSIDERATION IN these Articles of our faith there is nothing superfluous For the article going before doth shewe vnto vs that hee was truely receiued into heauen which is the throne of God Matth. 5. and the abode of the blessed so that to ascende into heauen is not a vanishing away or as some doe interprete it by a figure to ascende into honour and high degree but Christ is in heauen from whence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead and there where the place is for all the elect Lib. de fide
that that which is an offence vnto the worlde 1. Cor. 1. to wit the Gospell of the crosse may bee my comfort and my treasure that I may feele the vertue power and strength of this thy woorde euen in all the partes of my soule from this time foorth and for euer more So be it Of the vse of the holie Scripture Out of the 3. Chap. of the 2. Epistle of S. Paul vnto Timothee The whole scripture is geuen by the inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes The first vse of the scripture is to teach vs for where is it that a man shall finde in other bookes the secretes that the scripture teacheth vs It learneth vs on the earth a science which shall remaine in heauen as S. Ierome sayth it teacheth vs to knowe Christ and in him the life euerlasting The Angelles doe woonder at this same doctrine as it is sayde in the 1. Chap. of the 1. Epistle of S. Peter We ought therefore to bring our children vnto this schoole and the eldest also haue to learne in this science all the daies of their liues The scripture is also giuen to confute the gaine sayers to ouercome heretiks to correct vices and to hew them downe as it is sayde in Hosea Hoseah 6. for in teaching that which is good it turneth vs from euill It is also fitte to instruct vs and to giue manie aduertisementes for the gouernement of our liues towardes magistrates fathers of houshouldes and vnto other particular persons A meditation vpon the holy supper whereby we do grow in the Church and doe strengthen our faith drawen for the most part out of S. Cyprian WHen as this good sauiour went to take the cuppe and drinke so bitter of his death and passion his pleasure was to ordaine and offer vnto vs the sweete wholesome lyquor of his bloud with the partaking of his body He raised vp Lazarus going to death and appointed the supper to make our soules to liue Hee then that gaue life vnto others could he not well defende himselfe against death could it haue beene any other than a willing obedience whereby hee would so fulfill our redemption O howe great was the prouidence of this good sauiour which hath giuen vnto vs the partaking of his body before his death to shewe vnto vs that by death hee should not be destroyed and that he would neuer leaue his Church But how What banquet is this heere to eate the flesh of the Lorde and to drinke his bloud Truely it is a woonderfull thing as we doe see in the 6. Chap. of S. Iohn that the Capernaits coulde not comprehende But beholde the secret Iesus Christ spake of his flesh notwithstanding he did not speake fleshlie he spake to eate but it was not for our teeth neither for our bellies concerning the substance of this sacrament his wordes are spirite and life So as these sacred meates be of none other tast nor of any other sauour vnto a carnall and sensuall man But whereas humane sense cannot pearce through there can faith enter and the maner of speaking which seemeth harde vnto vs at the first sight we shall finde them fitly applyed if wee doe vnderstande the language of the scripture Therefore the worde of God sometimees calleth this sacrament bread and sometimes bodie and flesh that by the helpe of these knowen thinges and visible we may comprehende the thinges that are inuisible and spirituall For as the bread nourisheth the bodie euen so doth Christ nourish the soule As the flesh is a substance so is it not by imagination that our soules are nourished but the sonne of GOD incarnate is the cause of this so substantiall a foode of our soules because that he was crucified for vs. As the life is in the bloud so Christ also by his bloud hath giuen vnto vs life and is our life our fleshe our bloud and our life was of a wretched condition but by Christ all the partes of our life are restored But from whence commeth this newe commaundement to partake with the bloud of Christ Was it not forbidden in the lawe to eate the bloud of any beast because that the life was in the bloud Beholde also the vndefiled Lambe The bloud of beastes did shewe vnto vs that our life ought not to be brutish or that we should be giuen to crueltie And the bloud of Christ which wee are commaunded to drinke teacheth vs howe our liues ought to be Christian like and pure that wee might say with S. Paul in the 2. Chap. to the Galathians It is not I that liue but Christ liueth in me Therefore this communion is not a consubstantiation with the Trinitie for there is but the father the sonne and the holy Ghost which are consubstantiall It is not a confusion of persons in Christ but it is an vnion of the heade with the members it is an vnion of affections and of willes a partaking together of the euerlasting riches and in the life of Christ This is a warning to be short that we must not liue vnto our selues but vnto God And as they that haue eaten some excellent meate that hath in it some good sauour doe feele there in a good nourishment and sweetenesse of breath euen so must it be that they which are sedde with this sacred meate and wherein Christ dwelleth that in all their wordes and deedes a man may feele a good smell and that may increase to edification and that all that which they doe may bee vnto the glorie of this great GOD. And so we doe see that it is not the teeth which wee doe sharpen comming vnto this holy banquet but that we do bring hither faith to distinguish the sacramēt from the thing of the sacrament the earthly element from that which is diuine and heauenly and so to consider in one onely Christ the vnion of two natures diuine and humane For altogether like as in the person of Christ Note this comparison of S. Cyprian the humane nature was seene here belowe and the diuinitie was not seene yet did it not leaue to worke great thinges without the chaunging of one nature into another so in the supper we doe see bread and wine but the bodie of Christ we doe not see yet doth it not leaue to worke in vs nowe that he is ascended into heauen And as the bodie of the light which is on high is intire in himselfe howe so euer it be spreade abroade heare beneath So is Christ intire there on high and yet leaueth hee not to partake himselfe fully to euery one of vs without lessening himselfe when as hee giueth himselfe vnto vs which be weake without being inclosed in the bread whē as he is notwithstanding receiued by vs without darkening his maiestie when hee entereth into our small tabernacle and when he will that
our heartes bee as his temple O right blessed are they that thus doe eate the flesh of the Lorde hauing a desire to remaine with him and to obey him The bodie of Christ set foorth in his worde is our foode The meane and way to eate him is faith that doth stay vpon his promises and is ioyned vnto him On earth we do communicate with Christ by the helpe of his worde and sacramentes but on hie in heauen we shal eate this heauenly bread without anie outwarde helpe and shall drinke this holy drinke feeling effectually his presence the ioie of that glorious life O happy time so much desired in the which we shall eate with the holy Angels at the table of the Lorde in his kingdome O we now very happie blessed from hence forth seeing we sauour already the sweetenesse of the life to come in Christ O howe easily may we despise the rich mens tables and their iounket and delicate meates to partake the bloude of Christ in the Church of God Yea this bloud yea this is our victorie and glorie this is it that we ought to take chearefully in the supper and so to beare with Christ all afflictions in this life although the banket of the crosse seeme verie thinne and troublesome vnto the beastly ignorant worlde But they which do possesse Christ care not to possesse the world and they that haue drunke of the Lordes cup care not they are at a point to powre out their bloud for the name of Christ for their liues are most assured in their sauiour Reioyce thou thē flocke of the Lorde seeing thou hast so liberall a sheepeheard which feedeth thee with his bloud that thou maiest liue by his life For they that liue not but of the infected bloud of Adam and of the carnall and sensuall life are more wretched than the beastes To this feast are not onely bidden the sacrificers and priestes of Leui but all the Church But aboue all let vs take heede that this gift of God be vnto vs a wholesome gift and that we partake not therein to our condemnation Let vs therfore take on the wedding garment and make cleane our vessels to receiue so excellent a gift Let vs also beware of hauing therein any profanation in steede of deuotion Let vs keepe our selues from communicating in darkenesse when we doe come neere vnto this light And as S. Ierome sayeth writing vnto Theophilus When we drawe neere to Christ let vs not giue him a Iudas kisse Let vs knowe that these are the poore in spirite that shall finde comfort in that banquet These are not the worldlinges nor the high in degree neither the ouerweening and brablesome persons For if Christ declare that euerie oblation displeaseth GOD without reconciliation howe should he make an offering vnto vs of a thing so singular if wee haue not peaceable heartes And if we be not knit together with our brethren howe would we that he shoulde knit himselfe with vs A prayer concerning the holy supper O Lorde God the heauen of heauens cannot comprehende thee and yet thou doest vnto vs this honour to haue fellowshippe with vs. Alas who are wee that thou shouldest take pleasure to bee with vs yea in vs Neuerthelesse wee doe thanke thee in that through thy mercie thou makest vs able to receiue thy graces whereof Psalm 36. of our owne corrupt nature we were altogether vnwoorthie For in trueth they onely are blessed that doe not depart from thee and they that doe partake with the bodie of thy sonne on earth beginne alreadie to liue in heauen The Israelites haue eaten manna in the desert but the most part in the meane while are dead in the wildernesse without seeing the lande of promise But they that eate of this sacred foode are assured to come to the euerlasting heritage O what comfort is this vnto vs in this vale of miserie to bee refreshed with such a pasture O woonderfull pasture which seemeth to bee eaten with teeth in so much as the signes doe beare his name and yet in the meane space is neuer consumed but nourisheth the soule with great vertue That which Adam and Eue did eate in the earthly gardein by the temptation of Sathan caused them to die But O Lorde this meate that we do eate by thy appointment bringeth vnto vs life Now Lorde seeing it hath pleased thee to ioine the earthly with the heauenly by this sacrament the humane creatures with the celestiall graunt vs grace truely to consider these so hie mysteries and to vse them withal innocencie and reuerence For Lord Iob. 14. who is he that shall make cleane that which is vncleane O father who hast redeemed vs by the bloude of thy sonne thou canst only wash and sanctifie vs by thy spirite And as the fulnesse of ioie and gladnesse is to see thy face and to feele thy presence So let our soules feele effectually the sweetenesse of thy son Iesus let vs feele the increase of strength and of faith by the meanes of this holie sacrament and suffer vs not to followe the example of Esau who for a messe of pottage lost his birthright but rather that wee doe not forsake thee for any worldlie thing But that all our consolation may rest in thee Graunt vs O Lorde that thou keepe that assurance which thou hast promised likewise as thou wilt that wee keepe a remembraunce of thy sonne and of his death so haue thou daily remēbrance of vs and as he was giuen for vs so let vs yeelde ourselues louing vnto our neighbours through christian loue and that aboue all our heartes may be lifted vp where our head Iesus Christ is in thy glorie Further more for so much O Lord as we doe eate at thy table as thy children and familie of thy house let vs also walke in all goodnesse as it is becomming those which doe belong vnto such a Lorde And for so much O God as this sacred meate beseemeth not an irkesome and full stomacke Graunt vs grace that we may haue a true and a right hunger yea and a holie appetite vnto these graces that we may sauourly tast these meats of thine and well degest thē tasting how gratious sweete thou art also how bitter all the delights of the worlde are in comparison of the sweetenesse of Iesus Christ So be it Another prayer concerning the supper What tongue O Lorde can expresse and what heart can comprehend thy wonderfull loue towardes vs for that to redeeme a wretched creature thou wouldst that thy sonne should suffer so many labours and sorrowes euen to bee sacrificed on the crosse And howsoeuer it be that thou doest not content thy selfe with all these things that are alreadie done but to the end that the remembrance of thy loue should not be blotted-out of our heartes or that our faith should flite or be shaken syth that thy sonne is ascended vp to thy right hande thou leauest not yet to nourish
and make head against the diuel for he himselfe doth alleage the scripture and therfore if we be not well seene or exercised therein he will trouble and ouercome vs. Let vs also pray this good God that he will giue vs his holy spirite which is the true teacher and expounder of the scripture the which the deuill in not being able to haue hath nothing but the barcke of the scripture and is easie to be vanquished and ouercome by those which are caried by the spirite of God Of prayer which is one of the effectes of Faith 7. Chap. of S. Matthewe Aske and it shal be giuen you seeke and you shall finde knocke and it shall be opened PRAYER O Lorde GOD seeing that thou thy selfe doest offer thy selfe vnto vs with so great kindenesse and sweetenes suffer vs not that we be negligent in calling vpon thee neither permit that we become restiffe in asking when as thou art readie to giue And to this effect graunt vs grace to feele howe much thy helpe is necessarie for vs euen for vs poore creatures which haue not neither possesse we any thing but of thy fauour and grace and yet neither that which we haue can prosper without thy blessing We therefore namely do acknowledge the great wantes and defectes which are in vs in respect of those heauenly things For neither faith hope nor charitie can be in vs vnlesse thou doe store vs with thy light S. Iames. 1. and helpe our infirmities For all good guiftes doe come from aboue from thee thou father of light Wherefore should we not then call vpon thee hauing thy promises Or wherfore shold wee goe elsewhere synce that in thee is all aboundance and sufficiencie Giue vs grace O good God not onely to pray to thee but also to knocke at thy gate It seemeth that it is somtimes shut against vs and that thou hast no care ouer vs as in verie deede the gates of grace were shut vp against vs because of sinne But we haue our mediator Iesus Christ at thy right hande who hath promised to open it vnto vs. Open therefore vnto thy children that knocke thou which hast giuen thy deere sonne for vs giue vs faith that may bring vs vnto thee and also hope which may entertaine vs in faith and giue vs in summe that which thou knowest farre better than we to be necessarie for vs for thy sonne Iesus Christes sake A notable sentence to hold the faithfull in a true confession of Gods name taken out of the 10. Chap. of S. Matthew FEare ye not them which kil the bodie but are not able to kill the soule But rather feare him which is able to destroy both the Soule and bodie in hell Whosoeuer therefore shall confesse me before men him will I confesse also before my father which is in heauen But whosoeuer shal denie me before men I will denie him before my father which is in heauen MEDITATION THe feare of death is the thing that dooth most turne away men from our Lorde The feare of death and from the imbracing of his worde For Iesus Christ sheweth what the follie of man is in this we feare death for feare of losing life But man cannot take away life wherefore are they then afraid For life is in the hand of God who hath giuen it But if it be a question of sorrowes and tormentes then death is no more it that we feare Iob. 5. for they are the sorrowes wherein we be borne as the bird to flie and those which we ought patientlie to beare euen as a valiant souldier beareth certaine woundes to be after crowned As concerning the bodie that is put in the graue we doe not thinke it lost because that nothing is lost but the infection and corruption the which wee doe desire to loose And our bodies shall rise againe glorious bodies For it is euē as when a man melteth a great masse or lumpe of Copper to make a faire Image of Truelie then is not the copper lost but fined and set in honour Moreouer as a good martyr named Simeon said of whome is spoken in the Ecclesiasticall historie of Sozomene in his second booke and 10. Chap. Seeing that of nature we be alreadie mortall wherefore should we not account this for a great honor when we die for Iesus Christ But our Lord dooth yet vse an other Argument If we feare death then wee must feare the great danger that is euerlasting And that is wherein God may cast those downe headlong that offend him This is the secōd death whereof is spoken in the Apocalyps in the 21. Chap. ver 8. Blessed are they that feare God more than men Alas he asketh no great thing of vs to be short he requireth but that we trust in him and that we confesse his name The Elementes Psal 16. the earth the trees and the riuers doe declare his glorie Psal 148. so doe the byrdes on the braunches Wherefore is it that man which is created vnto his likenesse will not praise the Lord And when we doe confesse him it dooth serue him but for little marrie it dooth bring much vnto vs that he confesseth vs in his glorie and that hee acknowledgeth vs to bee his Now what pitie is it when so manie men shew themselues so slacke and vnfaithfull vnto the Lord some forsaking him and openlie blaspheming him other some being ashamed of him hauing the knowledge of the trueth hidden and shut vp in them Moreouer Titus 1.16 how manie be there which confesse him by their tongues and denie him in their heartes and wicked life O Lord therefore open our lippes and make cleane our heartes so as wee may beleeue with the heart and confesse with the mouth that we be not confounded in this great comming of thy sonne Iesus Christ but rather that we may haue his honor to be reknowledged and also declared thy children and heires of thy kingdome That through faith we goe vnto Christ and what the yoke of the faithful is 11. Chap. of S. Matthew COme vnto me all ye that are wearie laden and I will ease you Take my yoke vppon you and learne of me that I am meeke and lowlie in heart and yee shall finde rest vnto your soules for my yoke is easie and my burthen is light A consideration vppon the said text BLessed are those saith Dauid in the 119. Psalme that are vpright in their way and walke in the lawe of the Lord. But what Where is the man that walketh vprightlie For they are all gone out of the way taking damnable pathes as it is said in the 14. Psalme and in such sort through infidelitie and disobedience are men turned away from the Lord and walke after vanitie they are turned againe into their course saith Ieremie in the 8. Chap. as the horse that rusheth into the battell Now see the sonne of God who so gratiouslie dooth call you againe and bid you to come againe vnto him
yet created but is taken for a person subsistent Afterwardes in the 1. Chap. of S. Marke we doe see the sonne which was baptised the father bearing witnesse of the sonne and the holy ghost comming downe vppon him As it is also commaunded in the 28. of S. Matthew to baptise in the name of the father the sonne and the holy ghost Now thinke it not to be a small thing to acknowledge three persons in one diuine Essence First of all the Christians faith is so discerned from that of the Turkes Iewes and Painims which doe not woorship the true God not acknowledging him as he hath manifested himselfe Secondlie this knowledge guideth vs in our prayer and serueth vs as a great direction because that we call vppon GOD by Iesus Christ in the partaking of the holy Ghost Thirdlie by this distinction of persons wee doe euidētlie see the principall benefites of our God beholding how the father the sonne and the holy ghost haue wrought in our creation and also how they doe worke in our redemption The father sendeth the sonne the sonne taketh humane nature the holy Ghost is he through whose operation he is conceaued in the wombe of the virgin This is he that is the comforter which inspireth and sealeth in our heartes the promises of God Wherefore although that all people doe vaunt of the knowledge of God yet so it is that there is not but the true Church that knoweth God truelie euen as hee manifested himselfe As it is said in the Psalme 147. He hath declared his wordes vnto Iacob and his statutes and iudgementes vnto Israel Hee hath not so dealt with all Nations neither hath he giuen vnto them to know his iudgementes A praier concerning the Trinitie drawen out of S. Augustine his Booke of the priuate Meditatiō of the soule with God 37. Chap. O Three Persons coequal coeternal one God and true God the father the sonne and the holy Ghost which dwellest a lone in eternitie and in the light not able to be come vnto which hast laide the earth by thy power and gouernest the worlde by thy wisedome Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hostes terrible and strong iust and mercifull wonderfull and louing one onely GOD and three persons one substance and goodnesse open vnto mee crying the gates of righteousnesse that being entered therein I may praise thee O Lorde O houshould father great rich I poore begger doe knocke at thy gates open vnto him that knocketh thou that hast promised to open vnto those which will knocke For O most mercifull father the desires of my entrailes hungering after thy grace do knocke at thy gates All my desire is before thee and my groning is not hid from thee And thou O Lord turne not away thy face any more from me neither in thine anger drawe thy selfe backe from thy seruant Father of mercie heare the groning of thy pupill and stretch forth vnto me thy helping hande to plucke mee out of the deepe waters out of the lake of miserie and out of the stinking puddle and myer that I perish not in the sight of thy mercies and beholding the bowels of thy clemencie but that rather I may come euen vnto thee which art my God to see the riches of thy kingdome and to behold thy face and to sing praises of thy holy name vnto thee O God that doest woonders that from this time forwardes my heart may reioyce through the onely remembraunce of thee who lightnest my youth despise not also mine olde age but giue ioie vnto my bones to make my yeeres reuiue as those of an Aegle that I may praise thee for euermore A prayer vpon the same Argument Euerlasting God thou which with thy onely sonne the holy ghost art one only true GOD and onely Lorde seeing that it hath pleased thee to make knowen the secret of this glorious Trinitie vnto vs thy seruantes giue vs grace that alwaies acknowledging through one true and intire confession the propertie of the three persons the vnitie of the substaunce and the equalitie of the maiestie in one onely true God wee may for euer worship thee and that by this sure faith wee may be defended against all temptations And as the Angels praise thee the powers do worship thee and all the armies of heauen doe magnifie thee let vs thy poore creatures haue this honour to be able to ioyne our songes and our agreementes which this heauenly companie to be agreeable and pleasing vnto thee A prayer of S. Augustine out of the 32. Chap. of his Meditations O God hee that would liue it behooueth him to know thee and he that would rule he must first serue thee he who would haue gladnesse in his heart it behooueth him to praise thee Wherefore my Lorde I praise and worship thee with my lippes with my soule and with all the power that is within me I also thanke thy clemencie and bountie for all the goods that thou hast stored me withall Vnto thee Lorde that art the holie of holies do I sing songs of praise O Lorde I will call vppon thee which art in three persons but one onely and alone substance beseeching thee that it will please thee to come vnto me and to make me a temple of thy glorie I pray the father by the sonne I pray the sonne I pray the holy Ghost that all vices may be farre off from me and that all holy vertues may be planted in me O infinite God of whom and by whom all thinges are visible and inuisible that doest compasse thy workes without and fillest them within that couerest them from aboue and bearest them belowe keepe mee that am the worke of thy handes which trust in thee and haue none other confidence but in thy mercie Keepe me before and behinde heere and euerie where nowe and euer within and without aboue and beneath to be short on all sides that neither taken at vnwares nor by ambushment of my enemie I may be endamaged Thou art the almightie God the protector and defender of all those that trust in thee without whom nothing is sure neither free from daunger Thou art the true God and there is none other God but thou alone neither in heauen aboue neither in the earth belowe Thou doest wonders without number Therefore vnto thee doth appertaine praise honour and thankesgiuing The Angels praise thee the heauens also doe honour thee as the creature is bounde to honour his maker and the seruant his maister euen so ought all flesh and all soules to praise the holy and inseparable Trinitie A prayer of S. Augustine out of the 33. Chap. of his Meditations GEue me grace O Lorde so long as I shal be compassed about with this fraile bodie that my soule may praise thee that my tongue may blesse thee and that all my bones may agree to speake of thee Lorde who is like vnto thee Thou art the almightie God whom we doe worshippe in three persons and one diuine
which are in earth thinges visible and thinges vnuisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers It appeareth by this place that when it was spoken in the 1. ver and the 1. Chap. of Genes howe God created heauen and earth Creation of Angels we must comprehende there also the creations of the Angelles But as Athanasius sayeth in his questions vnto Antiochus Moses wold not willingly speake much of Angels in the beginning of his historie then knowing the superstition and curiousnesse of the Iewes where of after the Church being more aduaunced was spoken of by the prophetes and Apostles Also mention is made in the first of the Hebrewes of the creatiō by the sonne hath God made the worldes Thou Lorde in the beginning hast established the earth and the heauens are the worke of thine handes The creatures of God are good Nowe must we knowe that God is not the onely creator of all thinges but also all that which he hath created as it proceeded from him is good as it is saide in the 1. Chap. of Genes and in the 4. Chap. of the 1. Epistle to Timoth. But the creatures in part are turned away from God as the wicked Angelles that haue not kept their beginning as it is sayde in the Epistle of Iude. And in speaking lies they spake of their verie owne not according to their first creation man was also lead away by the olde serpent which is the Diuell as wee doe reade in the 3. of Genes and in the 12. of the Apocalyps The creatures which in part had beene created for man hauing sinned were subiect to vanitie as it is saide in the 8. to the Romanes and the earth was cursed as may be seene in the third of Genes Men also greatlie abused the creatures Abuse of the creatures of Iron and steele to murther of wine and of other meates and foode so of manie other creatures the which wee ought to haue receaued as Gods giftes 1. Cor. 10. and to vse them with all reuerence and vnto the glorie of the creator For so ought the creature be vnto vs as a booke as a certaine Aegiptiā Eremit named Anthonie of whome is spoken in the 8. booke of the tripartite historie and the 1. Chap. saith that the Cloister of this whole world was a goodlie booke wherein there is as many leaues as there are creatures and wherein a man might with great pleasure reade yea and dailie reade againe and learne to know God who sheweth his name great and woonderfull in this great and large world as Dauid singeth in the 8. Psalme S. Augustine in the 21. Chap. of his priuate Meditation O Lorde how great and woonderfull shall the riches be S. Augustines prayer which thou preparest for those that loue thee in the true countrie and euerlasting kingdome when as we shall see thee face to face For if thou doost vnto vs so manie good turnes in this world which is but a prison and doost shew vs so manie excellent thinges what wilt thou doe then when wee shall bee in thy Pallace Graunt vnto vs therefore grace O Lord to aspire vnto this happinesse that eye hath not seene neither eare heard and that mans tongue cannot expresse But the wise man dooth well exhort vs in the 12. Chap. of Eccles to remember our maker before the dayes of aduersitie come In the meane time men for the most part care not at all as the Lord complayneth in the 5. Chap. of Ieremie Feare ye not me saith the Lord Or will yee not be afraid at my presence which haue placed the sand for the boundes of the Sea by the perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it and though the waues thereof rage yet can they not preuaile though they roare yet cannot they passe ouer it But this people hath an vnfaithfull and a rebellious heart they are departed and gone For they haue not said in their heart Let vs now feare the Lorde our GOD that giueth raine both earlie and late in due season hee reserueth vnto vs the appointed weekes of the Haruest Gene. 6. Notwithstanding it appeareth that the world was not created for the wicked for so soone as all fleshe had corrupted his way God sent a floud vpon the earth And as Dauid saith in the 37 Psalme That the wicked and vngodlie shall bee rooted out and the godly shall inherit the land For they shall possesse all thinges in God The Philosophers and others haue truelie considered the creatures of God and haue commended them yet notwithstanding they haue strayed to all vanitie more woorshipping the creatures Rom. 1.25 than the creator not seeing how these visible signes ought to guide vs vnto a consideration of inuisible thinges For when wee doe see anie faire peece of worke this maketh vs to inquire after the woorkeman that wrought it euen so ought a man to inquire after the Lord. Furthermore this world how faire soeuer it is is a bondman and sigheth awaiting the deliuerance of the sonnes of God How much more ought we to aspire vnto heauenlie thinges because that wee tread the earth vnder our feete to shew vnto vs how that man ought to make but little account of earthlie thinges but ought rather to haue his conuersation in heauen Philip. 3.20 where as our head is preparing a place for vs. Of Gods prouidence NOw if God had onelie created the world and that hee did not gouerne it dispose and maintaine it with all her partes he should not bee the almightie but a halfe God This is because when as one speaketh of the creation It is necessarie alwayes to ioyne dailie the doctrine of the prouidence of God as also the Scripture dooth with the woonderfull disposition of all thinges which are in this whole world For hauing made his woorke especiallie man which is as the head of his worke he did not there set him and leaue him but wrought with the Sonne and the holie Ghost dailie blessing multiplying preseruing restoring and disposing all thinges to his glorie and the saluation of his elect as it dooth appeare by these places and examples that follow The 28. of Iob. God daily woorketh The windes the raine The thūders God beholdeth the endes of the world and seeth all that is vnder heauen To make the waight of the windes and to weigh the waters by measure To make a decree for the raine and a way for the lightnings of the thunders The 37. of Iob. God thundereth maruelouslie with his voyce he worketh great thinges which we know not For hee saith to the Snow The snow be thou vppon the earth likewise vnto the small raine and to the great raine of his power with the force thereof hee shutteth vp euerie man Men. that all men may know his woorke At the breath of God the frost is giuē Frost and the bredth of the waters is made narrowe The brightnesse commeth out of
raging of the sea and the most greatest riuers to whom thou hast also giuen their boundes so shall it be as easie when it shall please thee to still and appease the stormes and tempestes that we do behold in these daies and to tame the furie of the enemies But graunt vs grace O heauenly father that among so many stormes wee may stay ourselues vpon thy holy and vndoubted witnesses that wee haue in thy worde that we may remaine constant in all thy seruices and in thy house vntill that thou hast drawen vs out of the waues of this worlde to guide vs vnto the blessed and happie life and vnto the hauen of saluation So be it A prayer grounded vpon Gods prouidence O Lorde our God thou God of vengeance and iudge of the earth if euer it were time that thou shouldest shewe thy selfe clearely displaying thy iudgementes vpon thine aduersaries and vpon thy people thy mercies nowe it is O Lorde that thy children of so long time haue beene and are oppressed by the conspirators of Antichrist yea massakers and murtherers yea with more horrible disloyaltie and crueltie than euer man sawe in such sort O Lorde as it maketh the wicked to lift vp themselues and waxe proude as if wee were vtterly vndone and as if there were no God in heauen that cared for his poore Church And moreouer O God the long time and the greatnesse of these afflictions would make vs a thousande thousande times lose courage were it not that wee should be more than brutish if we did not assure ourselues that thou seest our miseries and vnderstandest our sorowes and mourneful complaintes thou Lord which hast made the eye and planted the eare of man yea thou great God by whom wee liue and haue our mouing and being to be short thou which hast gouerned this whole worlde by thy so great wisedome from the beginning of the worlde chastice these people and make them know and see thy iudgementes It is the remembraunce of thy so great workes and of thy prouidence which comforteth vs and causeth vs to haue patience in our afflictions seeing that it is certaine that thou shuttest vp our teares in thy barrels keepest all our bones that not one of thē is broken Therefore O Lorde thou shalt be our defence for thy helping hande hath gathered vs together euer since we came forth of our mothers wombe and shalt be the rocke of our trust for euer more who knowest well to rewarde both in place and time vnto our enemies their outrage to destroy them through their owne malice A prayer taken out of the 26. of Esaie vpon the same matter concerning the prouidence of God TRust ye in the Lorde for euer more for the Lorde is strong for euer for he will bring downe them that dwell on high the high citie hee will abase euen vnto the grounde will he cast it downe and bring it vnto dust The foote shal tread it downe euen the feete of the poore and the steps of the needie The way of the iust is righteousnesse thou wilt make equall the righteous path of the iust Also wee O Lorde haue awaited for thee in the way of thy iudgementes the desire of our soule is in thy name and to the remembrance of thee with my soule haue I desired thee in the night and in my spirite within mee will I seeke thee in the morning for seeing thy iudgementes are in the earth the inhabitance of the worlde shall learne righteousnesse But yet let mercy bee shewed vnto the wicked and he will not learne righteousnesse in the lande of vprightnesse will he doe wickedly and will not beholde the maiestie of our Lorde O Lorde they will not consider thy hie hande but they shall see it and be confounded with the zeale of the people and the fire of thine enemies shall deuour them Lord vnto vs thou wilt ordaine Peace for thou also hast wrought all our workes for vs. Goodly warninges grounded vpon Gods prouidence that the mother made vnto her seuen sonnes executed by Antiochus taken out of the 2. Booke of the Machabees and the 7. Chap. THe mother did valiantly exhort euerie one of her seuen sonnes saying I can not tell howe you came into my wombe for I neither gaue you breath nor life It is not I that set in order the members of your bodie but doubtlesse the creator of the worlde which formed the birth of man and founde out the beginning of all thinges will also of his owne mercie giue you breath and life againe as ye nowe regarde not your owne selues for his name sake The Apostles prayer vpon the same matter out of the 4. Chap. of the Actes O Lorde thou art the God which hast made the heauen and the earth the sea and all thinges that are in them which by the mouth of thy seruant Dauid hast sayd why did the Gentiles rage and the people imagine vaine thinges The Kings of the earth assembled and the rulers came together against the Lorde and against his Christ For doubtlesse against thine holy sonne Iesus whom thou haddest annointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israell gathered thē selues together to doe whatsoeuer thine hande and thy counsel had determined before to be done And nowe O Lorde beholde their threatninges and graunt vnto thy seruantes with all boldenes to speake thy worde Certaine goodly examples of Gods prouidence turning away the enterprises of the wicked helping his taken forth of Gene. the 50. Chap. IOseph being solde by his brethren and seeing thē to haue some remorse of conscience after his fathers death sayde thus vnto them Feare not for am not I vnder God whē ye thought euill against me God disposed it to good that hee might bring to passe as it is this day and saue much people aliue Behold how in one selfesame thing the worke of man is euill and that of Gods both good and holie the disloyaltie of Iosephes Brethren was euill and to bee reproued But as S. Augustine saith our God is so mightie and good that hee would neuer suffer euill to happen if he were not the almightie and that hee cannot turne it vnto good And let vs marke therefore what S. Augustine saith elsewhere of the same that is to wit that the iudgementes of God may well sometimes be hidden but the vniust neuer An other example taken out of the 1. Chap. of Exodus ANd Pharao said vnto his people Let vs worke wiselie against the children of Israel least they multiplie it come to passe that if there bee warre they ioyne themselues altogether vnto our enemies and fight against vs and get them out of the land A Prayer or Meditation O euerliuing and almightie God who is he therefore that shall feare mans enterprises Pharao wrought well and his people did agree with him They bestowed imploied all their wisdomes together And wherewith was it that they had so great a feare
was hauing this honour to conduct the people into the promised lande Neither likewise Iehosuach the Sonne of Iosedec the high Priest of whome the Prophet Zacharie speaketh that were but simple men and haue doone nothing but through borrowed strength neither also were they other but the shadowes of this great Iosua and mightie Sauiour that is Iesus Christ the onelie true and euerlasting Sauiour so as there is none other name by the which a man may haue the grace of God Actes 4. or obtaine anie thing of him or to come to the most blessed life It is this name or rather this vertue and power before whome all knees ought to bowe that are in heauen and on the earth To be short this is he whome all tongues shall confesse to be the Lord Iesus Christ vnto the glorie of God Hee is the Lorde because that the father hath brought all thinges in subiection vnder him to this person I say Hebr. 2. which is verie God and verie man For hee is particularlie our Lord because that he hath purchased vs vnto him through his pretious bloudshedding so as we be not vnto our selues 1. Cor. 6. but vnto him that hath bought vs. Therefore he whome the Iewes haue crucified for enuie him hath God raised and lifted vp and hath made him Lord and Christ as it is said in the 2. Chap. of the Actes Psal 2. Col. 1. Let vs then reioyce of such a Lord who is the Lord and sauiour Let vs willinglie doe seruice vnto such a Maister who hath gotten vs by his pretious bloud and deliuered vs from the power of darknesse and euen so hath in deede made vs free In him Iohn 8. it is easie for vs to ouercome the world for he is greater than the world Iohn 4. Yea in him is Sathan trodden vnder our feete euen as S. Paul speaketh in the 16. of the Romans Wherefore let vs say with Esai in his 26. Chap. Howsoeuer it be O Lord that other Lords besides thee haue ruled vs yet wil we remember thee dailie and thy name For there is but one God and sauiour that is properlie Iesus Christ of whome is spoken in the 9. Chap. of Zacharie and 9. ver and in the 1. Chap. of the Epistle of S. Paul vnto Titus ver 3. and 4. O how happie are they that doe put their trust in him as it is said in the 2. Psalme and that doe imbrace the sonne which is Christ that is to say the annointed of the liuing God and doe not onelie acknowledge him with the mouth but doe likewise suffer him to raigne in them by his word and through his spirit and seeking none other oblation than the euerlasting oblation Heb. 10. which is of a perpetuall efficacie and strength which he hath offered vnto his father on the Crosse once for all as a perfect and euerlasting priest But alas whereto serueth this goodlie title of a Christian if vice doe raigne in thee if the flesh and the world maister thee if thy soule will not suffer it to bee commaunded by the annointed Christ and consecrated to raigne in vs here below by his grace vntill such time as hee shall bring vs vnto the kingdome of his glorie And whereto serueth it to sing to crie to roare out the Apostles Creed as was doone in the Papacie fince they seeke for other Maisters than Christ and other sacrifices than his persecuting with all extremitie those that doe hope and trust in him alone Iesuites But what shall we say of those which are ashamed at these daies to bee called Christians Actes 11. which is the auncient name of the disciples of Iesus Christ and are not thus contented to haue part in the Lordes annointing that he promised vnto vs by the holie spirit but will also bouldlie sease vpon that name 1. Iohn 2.20 that dooth belong to him onelie inasmuch as hee is the alone sauiour calling themselues Iesuites as though they would outface all the rest of Christendome A prayer to haue and to retaine the true knowledge of Iesus Christ O Lord our God and father Iohn 17. forsomuch as this is eternall life that wee doe know thee and to know thee we cannot but in thy ingraued Image and in thy sonne which was declared in the flesh may it please thee to leade vs by thy holy spirit vnto the true knowledge of thy sonne likewise giuing vnto vs such a resolution as that wee may esteeme all things as dung Philip. 3. in respect of the excellent knowledge of Iesus Christ First of all giue vs grace O God rightlie to feele and vnderstand our necessitie to wit that wee ought to haue such a soueraine high priest as should be holy Heb. 7. innocent without spot separated from sinner which was very God and true man Moreouer O heauenly father print liuely in our hearts the knowledge acknowledging of this thy woonderful charity yea a loue fauor so great which thou hast shewed vnto vs poore sinners Titus 2. Titus 3.5 making thy wholsome grace to appeare in thy sonne Iesus Christ and sauing vs not through the workes that we should haue done but by the onelie merit of the death passion of thy sonne Iesus Christ O Lord what grace O what fauour O what humblenesse is this that the eternal sonne of the liuing God hath taken the forme of a seruant hath humbled himselfe euen to die for vs miserable wretches Ephe 4.20 But aboue all giue vs grace to learn Christ aright and not to be like vnto thē that liue vnorderlie doe abuse through a fleshlie libertie this blessed wholsome knowledge which should rather drawe vs to follow his aime to witte that by the same we might be humbled so cōfounded in our selues in seeing how horrible and great our sinnes haue bin as it behoued vs to haue them bought againe by so great a price to the end wee should not esteeme and magnifie anie thing but thy bountie and that all our ioie and glorie might be in thee In summe that wee should cast our eyes vpon this good Iesus in all our aduersities and miseries aspiring vnto eternall saluatiō that he hath prepared for vs forsaking our selues to liue vnto the praise of him who hath redeemed vs. O God doe not suffer poore Christendome to bee brought backe againe into a bottomles pitte of darknes and to be depriued from so wholsome a knoweledge by this damnable sect of Arrians the which alas would spring vp a fresh in the world and who haue denyed the true diuinitie of Iesus or through this miserable heresie of the Martionites Eutichians and others blotting out and vtterly frustrating the proprieties of the humane nature of the same thy deare sonne as much as lieth in them shrowding them selues notwithstanding with the name of Euangelicall Doctors O Lorde for the loue of thy name and of our poore posterities maintaine the trueth
likewise the enuie of the Scribes and Pharisies as it is written in the 27. Chap. of S. Matthew and 18. verse There is the crueltie of the Iewes and the treason of Iudas as S. Steeuen reprocheth them in the 7. Chap. of the Actes that they were traitors and murtherers of the iust Notwithstanding these were our sinnes that caused this death as it is said in the 4. Chap. to the Romans For our sinnes was he deliuered to the death The fruites and effectes of the death and passion of Iesus Christ Out of the 12. Chap. of S. Iohn Iesus aunswered them saying the houre is come that the sonne of man must be glorified Verilie verilie I say vnto you except the wheate corne fall into the ground and die it bideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruite Out of the 3. Chap. to the Romans The righteousnesse of GOD is made manifest by the faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vppon all that doe beleeue For there is no difference for all haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God Iustification in the bloud of Iesus And are iustified freelie by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloud Out of the 6. Chap. to the Romans If we be grafted with him to the similitude of his death euen so shall wee be to the similitude of his resurrection knowing this that our olde man is crucified with him To die vnto sinne that the bodie of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth wee should not serue sinne For he that is dead is freed from sinne wherefore if wee be dead with Christ wee beleeue that wee shall liue also with him Out of the 8. Chap. to the Romans What shal we then say to these things if God be on our side who can bee against vs Who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death How shall he not with him giue vs all thinges also Out of the first to the Corinthians 6. Chap. Yee are bought for a price therefore glorifie God in your bodie and in your spirit for they are Gods Out of the 2. to the Corinthians 5. Chap. God was in Christ and reconciled the world to himselfe not imputing their sinnes vnto them and hath committed to vs the word of reconciliation And he hath made him to bee sinne for vs which knew no sinne to witte because that our sinnes were imputed vnto him and for them was made a sacrifice that we should bee made the righteousnesse of God in him that which came also by imputation Out of the 2 Chap. of the Epistle to the Galathians For I through the lawe am dead to the lawe and that I might liue vnto GOD I am crucified with Iesus Christ Thus I liue yet not I now but Christ liueth in me And in that that I now liue in the flesh I liue in the faith by the sonne of God who hath loued mee and giuen himselfe for me Out of the 5. Chap. to the Galat. They that are Christes haue crucified the flesh with the affections the lustes Out of the 6. Chap. of the Galathians The crosse of Christ God forbid that I should reioyce but in the crosse of our Lorde Iesus Christ whereby the world is crucified vnto me Out of the 5. Chap. to the Ephesians Walke in loue euen as Christ hath loued vs and hath giuen himselfe for vs to bee an offering and a sacrifice of a sweete smelling sauour to God Out of the 5. Chap. to the Ephesians verse 25. Christ loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it that hee might sanctifie it and cleanse it by the washing of water through the word that hee might make it to himselfe a glorious Church c. Out of the first Chap. of the Epistle to the Colos verse 19. It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell And by him to reconcile all thinges vnto himselfe and to set at peace through the bloud of his Crosse both the thinges in earth and the thinges in heauen And you which were in times past strangers enemies because your mindes were set on euill workes he hath now also reconciled in the bodie of his flesh through death to make you holie and vnblameable without fault in his sight if ye continue grounded and stablished in the faith Out of the 2. Chap. to the Colossians Hee hath quickened you together with him forgiuing you all your trespasses in putting out the handwriting of ordinances that were against vs hee euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vppon the crosse Wherefore if yee bee dead with Christ from the ordinances of the world why as though yee liued in the world are ye burdened with traditions As touch not taste not handle not Out of the first Epistle to the Thessalonians 2. Chap. Yee are become followers of the Churches of God which in Iudea are in Christ Iesus because ye haue also suffered the same thinges of your owne countriemen euen as they haue of the Iewes who haue likewise killed the Lord Iesus Out of the first of Timothie 6. Chap. I charge thee in the sight of God who quickeneth all thinges and before Iesus Christ which vnder Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession that thou keepe this commaundement without spot and vnrebukeable vntill the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ Out of the second of Timothie 2. Chap. This saying is true if wee bee dead with him we also shall liue with him If wee suffer we shall also reigne with him if we denie him hee also will denie vs. Out of the 9. Chap. of the Epistle to the Hebrewes Christ being come a high Priest of good thinges to come by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with handes that is not of this building neither by the bloud of Goates and Calues But by his owne bloud entered he in once vnto the holy place and obtained eternall redemption for vs. For if the bloud of Bulles of Goates and the ashes of an Heifer sprinckeling them that are vncleane sanctifieth as touching the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the bloud of Christ which through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot vnto God purge your consciences from dead woorkes to serue the liuing God And for this cause is he the mediatour of the new Testament that through death which was for the redemption of the transgressions that were in the former Testament they which were called might receiue the promise of eternall inheritance And in the 24. verse Iesus is not entered into the holie places that are made with handes which are similitudes of the true sanctuarie But is entered into verie heauen to appeare now in the sight of God for vs not that hee should offer himselfe often as the high Priest entered into the holie place euerie yeare with other bloud for then must he haue often
Symbolo Insomuch as S. Augustine sayeth As it is a curiousnesse to aske how or in what sort Christ is in heauen so must we faithfullie beleeue that he is there But in the meane while he is not there simplie as Henoche who was lifted vppe or Helie that was ascended thither Gene 5. 2. Kinge 2. or as the other his faithfull members but he is there as Head and he is there as he that is set on the right hande of his father For Iesus Christ as the sonne of God hath had trulie alwayes all power in heauen and in earth And now this Iesus who hath taken humane nature this person that is true God and true man gouerneth all thinges and hath a glorie and empire aboue all creatures whereof it doth not followe as some railers thinke that this his humane nature is in al places and euerie where For although that the right hande of God and his mightinesse is infinite yet is it not said that he is made the right hande of God or that the bodie of Christ is become the right hande of God but that hee is set at his right hande Nowe to sit at the right hande of God is not to spreade his bodie throughout all but to gouerne all with the father And likewise that which is spoken of the whole person cannot be particularly and simplie vnderstoode of his humane nature which keepeth alwaies his properties Furthermore the scripture by this sitting at the right hande of God doth not conclude that the bodie of Christ is throughout all but that he is in heauen as it may appeare by the places following Out of the 26. of S. Matthew verse 64. Hereafter shal ye see the sonne of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God and come in the cloudes of heauen Out of the 16. of Marke Iesus was carried vp into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God Out of the 2. Chap. of the Actes verse 33. To wit as Christ and by his might For hee was laid in the graue awaiting the resurrection How Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Since then that hee by the right hand of God hath bin exalted and hath receiued of his father the promise of the holie Ghost hee hath shewed forth this which ye now see and heare For Dauid is not ascended into heauen but hee saith the Lord said vnto my Lord sit at my right hand vntil I make thine enemies thy footstoole Therefore let all the house of Israel know for a suretie that God hath made him both Lord and Christ this Iesus I say whom yee haue crucified Out of the 5. of the Actes verse 30.31 The God of our Fathers hath raised vp Iesus whome yee slew and hanged on a tree Him hath God lifte vp with his right hand to bee a Prince and a Lorde to giue repentaunce to Israel forgiuenesse of sinnes Out of the 7. of the Actes and 55. verse S. Steuen being full of the holie ghost looked stedfastlie into heauen and sawe the glorie of God and Iesus standing at the right hand of God Out of the 8. Chap. to the Romans verse 34. Who shal condemne it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs. Out of the 1. Chap. to the Ephes verse 20. According to the woorking of his mighty power which is wrought in Christ when hee raised him vp from the dead set him at his right hand in the heauenlie places farre aboue all principalitie and power might and domination and euerie name that is named not in this world onelie but also in that that is to come And hath made all thinges subiect vnder his feete and hath appointed him ouer all thinges to be the head to the Church Out of the 3. Chap. to the Colos verse 1. Seeke those thinges which are aboue where Christ sitteth aâ— the right hand of God Out of the first Chap. and the 3. verse to the Hebrewes The sonne hath by himselfe purged our sinnes and sitteth at the right hand of the maiestie in the highest places In the 13. verse Vnto which also of the Angels said hee at anie time sit at my right hand til I make thine enemies thy footestoole Out of the 8. Chap. to the Hebrewes verse 1. Wee haue such an high priest that sitteth at the right hand of the throne of the maiestie in heauen and is a Minister of the sanctuarie and of the true Tabernacle Out of the 10. to the Hebrewes verse 12. This man after hee had offered one sacrifice for sinnes sitteth for euer on the right hand of God And from henceforth tarieth till his enemies be made his footestoole Out of the 12. to the Hebrewes ver 2. Looking vnto Iesus the Author finisher of our faith who for the ioy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the Throne of God Out of the 3. Chap. and first Epistle of S. Peter verse 22. Christ is at the right hand of God gone into heauen to whome the Angels and powers and might are subiect A prayer O Lorde my God giue me grace neuer to be ashamed of the Crosse of Christ seeing that he is exalted at thy right hand and that hee is the Lord of all creatures And seeing that thou hast so much honored our nature let me despise all rebukes for thy name and patientlie awaite the hower in the which all thy enemies shall be made thy footestoole From thence shall he come to iudge the quicke and the dead MEDITATION OH the woonderfull counsell of God that hee who was wickedlie iudged vnder Ponce Pilate is established not onelie a mediatour and Sauiour but also iudge of the quicke and the dead O Iudge truelie to be feared of all vnbeleeuers Iohn 3. For hee that dooth not beleeue in thee is condemned and subiect alreadie to perdition Rom. 8. how proude and gallant soeuer he be But yet to bee desired and awaited of all the faithfull to whome there is no condemnation for so much as they are grafted in thee Oh that diuers and manie times do the faithfull lift vp their heades amongst these vniust and most tyrannous going forewardes of these wicked Iudges in so manie tormentes and persecutions dailie looking for such a Iudge who will iudge the causes of his little ones and those that the world treadeth vnder foote Psal 12. It is from heauen and not on the earth that wee must awaite for such a Iudge who shall bring the hidden thinges and shall doe this honor vnto his seruantes that they shall bee as his benchars counsellers and companions in iudgement as it is said in the 6. Chap. of the 1. vnto the Corinthians That the Saintes shall iudge the world and in the 19. of S. Matthew That the Apostles shall iudge the tribes of Israel insomuch
as their glorie shall bee the condemnation of the world who did oppresse them and persecute them O Lord come quicklie to iudgement that all eyes may see thee yea those who haue pearced thee Apoca. 1. and doe dailie make warres to thee in thy mēbers Witnesses out of the scripture concerning the iudgement In the 25. of S. Matthew verse 31. When the sonne of man commeth in his glorie and all the holie Angels with him then shall he sit vppon the throne of his glorie and before him shall be gathered all nations and hee shall separate them one from an other as a shepheard separateth the sheepe from the Goates And shall set the sheepe on his right hand and the Goates on the left Then shall the king say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit yee the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world And vnto those that shall bee on the left hand Depart from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the Diuell and his Angels Out of the 5. Chap. of S. Iohn verse 22. The Father iudgeth no man but hath committed all iudgement vnto the Sonne because that all men should honor the sonne as they honor the father As the Father hath life in himselfe so likewise hath hee giuen vnto his sonne to haue life in himselfe and hath giuen him power also to execute iudgement in that hee is the sonne of man As if hee should say although the father the sonne and the holie Ghost doe worke Iudge and gouerne together yet wil the Lord that wee should cast our eyes vppon the sonne of man by whom we are guided and through whome God hath declared himselfe Out of the 17. of the Actes verse 30. And the time of his ignorance God regarded not but now hee admonisheth all men euerie where to repent because hee hath appointed a day in the which he wil iudge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath appointed whereof hee hath giuen an assurance to all men in that he hath raised him from the dead Out of the 5. Chap. 2. to the Corinth Wee couet that both dwelling at home and remouing from home wee may bee acceptable to him For wee must all appeare before the iudgemēt seate of Christ that euerie man may receaue the thinges which are doone in his bodie according vnto that hee hath doone whether it bee good or euill Out of the 4. Chap. and 1. Epistle to the Thessalonians For the Lorde himselfe shall descend from heauen with a shoute and with the voyce of the Archangell and with the Trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall arise first then shall wee which liue and remaine bee caught vp with them also in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the Aire and so shall wee euer bee with the Lord. Wherefore comfort your selues one an other with these wordes Out of the 2. Epistle of S. Paul to the Thes the first Chapter For it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you to you which are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus shal shew himselfe from heauen with his mightie Angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance vnto them that doe not know God and which obay not vnto the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ which shall bee punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glorie of his power When hee shall come to bee glorified in his Saintes and to bee made maruelous in all them that beleeue c. Out of the 3. Chap. 2. Epistle of to S. Peter Against scorners or mockers There shal come in the last dayes mockers which will walke after their lustes and say Where is the promise of his comming For since the Fathers died all thinges continue alike from the beginning of the creation For this they willinglie know not that the heauens were of old and the earth that was of the water and by the water by the word of God But the day of the Lord will come as a theefe in the night c. I beleeue in the holie Ghost CONSIDERATION AS it was said frō the beginning the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost are but one onelie true God and this onelie true God is in such sorte declared to the world that the Father is named maker the Sonne redeemer and the holie ghost our Doctor and sanctifier For albeit that this Trinitie worketh together yet notwithstanding for our great comfort it is in such manner manifested that we may acknowledge how all these three persons doe woorke together in all things that doe appertaine vnto our saluation Now as the sonne is euerlastinglie begotten of the Father so likewise dooth the holie Ghost proceede euerlastinglie from the Father and the Sonne So then beleeuing in the holie Ghost wee doe not beleeue that the holie Ghost is onelie some moouing or inspiration But chiefelie we doe beleeue against the Macedonians ancient Heritikes that he is verie true God of the same substance that the father and the sonne is see then wherefore we doe beleeue in him And wee bee also baptised in his name as of the father and of the sonne he is an eternall spirite as it is said in the 9. Chap. of the Hebrewes and from him also commeth grace and peace as it sayde in the 1. Chap. of the Hebrewes Beeing the temple of the holie Ghost it is sayde that we be the temple of God To be short the father the worde and the holy Ghost are all one as it is saide in the first Chapter of the first Epistle of S. Iohn Then doe we beleeue that for the loue and in the name of Iesus Christ the holy Ghost doth comfort wash and sanctifie vs and that by the inspiration of him the holie Prophetes and the Apostles haue spoken and it is called the gift of God and in the 2. of the Actes because that he who is but one in himselfe hath brought foorth diuerse operations in vs of the which it is spoken in the 12. Chap. of the 1. to the Corinthians And as S. Bernarde sayeth vppon the Canticles we were dead in sinne and as stinking creatures but Iesus did embawlme vs with his holie spirite and hath annointed vs therewith to the ende wee might knowe taste and feele his mercie This is the heate of the Sunne which warmeth vs. This is the goodly and faire water of the heauenly ryuers which doeth refresh and water vs. It is the Bawlme that embalmeth vs it is the Oyle which doeth strengthen and make vs glad Nowe what tongue is it that can expresse this goodnesse of God towardes vs of the Father that hath created vs vnto his image of the Worde who hath bought vs againe with his bloude of the Holie Ghost that hath sanctified vs by his power Therefore let vs giue place vnto this Holie Ghost Ephe. 4. and let vs not sorrowe for our
vncleannesse filth and sinne that hee may bring vs into all trueth and that hee may sanctifie and strengthen vs vnto the ende comforting vs in this Article of death praying Rom. 8. and sighing for vs with gronings that cannot be expressed Witnesses out of the holie Scripture concerning the Holie Ghost Out of the 12. of Zacharie verse 10. I will powre vppon the house of Dauid and vppon the inhabitantes of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of compassion and they shal looke vpon me whom they haue pearced MEDITATION BY the first Adam alas wee become barraine and vnprofitable were shut out of the grace of God but the Lorde promising the establishmēt of his Church againe by Christ promised to poure out his giftes and graces in great abundance For although that in our fathers dayes God had wrought great fauour vnto the people yet so it is that this is proper vnto Christ to giue vnto vs the spirit of grace mercie and inuocation And this is the richest gift that GOD could impart vnto vs for so much as it is said in the 8. Chapter to the Romans That wee could not knowe how wee were Christes and the children of GOD without this spirit For hee was woonderfullie and extraordinarilie giuen in the day of Pentecost But yet dooth hee dailie ioyne together his woorking with the preaching of the Gospell and woorketh in vs that wee doe call vppon God with full assurance Oh that this spirit of grace is to bee desired 1. Sam. 18. It is not this euill spirit which was giuen vnto Saul that vexed and troubled him but it is the spirit of grace and of compassion This is the Lord that we must woorship in spirit and trueth Out of the 4. Chap. of the Euangelist S. Iohn Iesus said vnto the Samaritane Whosoeuer drinketh of this water shall thirst againe But the water that I shall giue him shall bee in him a well of water springing vp into euerlasting life A MEDITATION OH how hath Dauid truelie felt the vertues of these liuing waters when as he said in the 42. Psalme Like as the thirstie Hart runneth with swift course vnto the riuers of water euen so dooth my soule also long and pant after thy diuine grace For what is it likewise to inioie all the pleasures of the world since that they take not away his thirst neither yet quench this alteration but doe increase and make the people like vnto men filled with dropsies which the more they drinke the more thirstie they are But behold two thinges that this water dooth greatlie recommend vnto vs whereof Iesus Christ talked with the Samaritane It is that they which drinke thereof are no more tormented with thirst feeling in them a well of liuing water that springeth vp alwayes without ceasing and cannot be drawen drie Besides this water that man feeleth in his soule and that runneth about his heart dooth neuer forsake vs but quickeneth vs vnto euerlasting life Therefore blessed are they which doe feele in their soules such a running water which dooth not for a trueth spring out of the vaines of the earth but from the hiest heauens and out of the true heauenlie paradise Now as S. Chrysostome saith This water is the strength and woorking of the spirit of God working by the word of the Gospell For it behooueth that we take heede of the errour of the Massalians and Scuencfieldians Against the Massalians who doe separate the spirite from the worde and doe dreame in the reuelations of the spirite But S. Paule teacheth vs in the 3. to the Galathians That we receiue the spirite through the preaching of faith and in the second Chap. of the 2. Epistle to the Thessalonians hee ioyneth together the sanctification of the spirite and the faith of trueth Moreouer this spirite hath diuers effectes and is by this occasion some times called fire Matth. 3. because that it purifieth and consumeth our euill affections and kindleth in vs a zeale as in the disciples going to Emaus Luke 24. whose heartes burned within themselues hearing Iesus speake Nowe it is also called water thorough his working because that this holy spirite refresheth vs against the burning heat of temptations and also doeth wash and serue to quench the firie dartes of Sathan let it then neuer come to passe Ephes 6. for vs to doe as the ydolaters of whom God complaineth in the 2. Chap. of Ieremiah Who forsaking the fountaine of liuing water digged to themselues dead pittes and drie cesterns that can hold no water Out of the 7. Chap. of S. Iohn vers 38. Ioel. 2. He that beleeueth in me as sayeth the scripture out of his belly shall flowe riuers of water of life Nowe this spake he of the spirit which they that beleeued in him should receiue Out of the 15. of S. Iohn A witnesse of the spirite and of the preaching ioyned together When the comforter shal come whom I will sende vnto you from the father euen the spirite of trueth which proceedeth of the father hee shall testifie of me and yee shall witnesse also because ye haue beene with me from the beginning Out of the 16. of S. Iohn When he is come which is the spirit of trueth hee will leade you into all trueth for hee shall not speake of himselfe but whatsoeuer he shall heare shall he speake Out of the 8. Chap. of the Epistle to the Romanes For if you liue after the flesh yee shall die but if ye mortifie the deedes of the bodie by the spirite yee shall liue For as many as are lead by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God S. Paule prayeth by the spirite Out of the 15. Chap. to the Romans vers 30. I beseech you for our Lorde Iesus Christs sake and for the loue of the spirite that ye would striue with me by praiers Out of the 3. Chapter of the 1. to the Corinth Knowe ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the spirite of God dwelleth in you Out of the 12. to the Corinth 1. Epistle There are diuersities of giftes but the same spirite and there are diuersities of administration but the same Lorde and there are diuersities of operation but God is the same which worketh all in all But the manifestation of the spirite is giuen to euery man to profite withall Out of the 13. Chap. of the 2. to the Corinth and 13. vers The grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all Out of the 4. Epistle to the Ephesians vers 30. Griue not the spirite of God by whom ye are sealed vnto the day of redemption Out of the 5. Chap. and the 1. to the Thes Quench not the spirite Despise not prophesying Out of the 1. of S. Iohn 2. Chap. The annointing which yee receiued of me dwelleth in you and ye neede not that any man teache you for the same annointing
maiestie O God thou art my treasure grant me grace to haue my heart there where my treasure is and to meditate night and day in thy worde which is the light that guideth my steppes and is in tribulation more sweete vnto my heart than honny is vnto the mouth The reason of man was truely O Lorde a goodly lampe that thou haddest giuen vnto man but as it is darkned it cannot shewe the way which leadeth man from sinne to righteousnes and from death to life and they which otherwaies are not lightened but by the same doe perish as beastes Psalm 49. Nowe since it pleaseth thee to haue a Church on the earth which thou hast gathered together thorowe the preaching of thy worde inlighten my eies to beholde and see the spirituall state and magnificence of this house to the ende I may loue it and delight my selfe therein And because that I am a stranger in the land inlighten me in such sorte that seeing the way of euerlasting life in thy word I may follow it vntill I come vnto the true countrie which is in heauen Out of the 59. Chap. of Esaiah verse 21. Beholde my couenaunt with them faith the Lorde my spirit that is vppon thee and my wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seede nor out of the mouth of the seede of thy seede saith the Lorde from henceforth euen for euer CONSIDERATION THese wordes doe declare vnto vs that the onelie people which haue the word of GOD and the purenesse of the Doctrine are auouched the true people of the Lord. For with this word God worketh and vnfoldeth the force of his spirit Rom. 1. as by this occasion is the Gospell also so called the power of God to saluation to all beleeuers to bee short by the meane of this word 2. Cor. 5. and through the ministrie of reconciliation God hath established his couenant amongest vs being fauorable vnto vs and forgiuing vs our sinnes Therefore this Church is not gouerned by swords or by Crosses but by the spirit and by the word of God And because that this word is euerlasting it is not in the power of the world to stop the course thereof But God to punish our vnthankfulnesse draweth it backe sometimes from vs and in the meane while it is in such sorte as hee maketh it to waxe fruitefull elsewhere and that which wee doe not see our posteritie shal see it with whom the Lord hath also his couenant O the follie of mankinde which heareth not wisedome crie out in the streets and biddeth vs come vnto her Prou. 1. Therefore of good right doeth she laugh at the destruction of all those which despise her A Prayer vppon this place Out of the 15. Chap. of S. Matthew EVerie plant which mine heauenlie Father hath not planted Prou. â—0 shall bee rooted vp O Lord my God because that thine onelie word is pure cleane and a buckler vnto all those that trust in thee giue me grace to loue thee and since that thou thy selfe inuitest vs vnto the wholsome waters that thou giuest for nothing guide me vnto those running brookes keepe my soule from being led away by this enemie which soweth Cockle and euill hearbes in the world 1. Iohn 4. Giue mee the spirit of discretion to proue the spirites and suffer me not to bee lead with euerie winde of Doctrine 2. Tim. 1. but dailie to holde the true patterne of thy wholsome word 1. Cor. 11. which is in faith and loue in Iesus Christ And albeit to proue thine thou doest suffer manie times the euill plantes to increase and permittest heresies as is to bee seene of olde when as the blasphemie of the Arrians tooke roote as it were in all the East and in our dayes popish Idolatrie hath doone in the West 2. Thes 2. So in likewise haue wee also seene how thou hast vnrooted them and manifested the dreames of men so that there is none nowe deceaued but those whome despise the trueth and loue the Epicures life yeelding themselues woorthie to bee led away by the spirit of blindnesse and errour In the meane while O GOD beate downe them which make Sectes Partialities Rom. 16. and Scandals a part against the pure Doctrine graunt power and might to the Ministrie of thy holie Gospell that all heresies and errors may bee rooted out of mens heartes and that in quiet peace and concorde wee may praise thy name all the dayes of our life Also shew thy fauour vnto vs and now that it is so late in the end of our time yea and that it seemeth O Lorde that this faire sunne of trueth would goe to rest whome thou hast shewed in the world Mat. 28. may remaine with vs and strengthen vs in thy knowledge following this thy promise that thou hast made to bee with vs euen vnto the end of the world So be it Of the hearing of the word of God Out of the 11. of S. Luke Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it MEDITATION BLessed are they then not that heare much know much and speake much of the word of God But that keepe it in obedience of faith For whereto serueth the seede throwne into the ground if it tooke not roote there to increase and bring forth fruite Whereunto serueth as saith Iesus Christ in the 7. Chap. of S. Matthew to make a high building if vppon the blowing of the first windes the house fall They loue me saith Christ in the 14. of S. Iohn that doe not onlie heare but also keepe my commaundementes For how shall wee heare if hee doe not pearce our eares Psal 40. and open our vnderstandinges because that it is nothing to heare outwardlie vnlesse that God doe speake vnto vs inwardlie and if it be not heard within vs. Men truelie haue eares But they haue not all eares to heare and to make their profit of the word of God Now since that they are vndoubtedlie accursed which neither heare nor keepe this word and doe loue better to heare worldlie songes or foolish follies Let vs pray without ceasing this God that hee will open the heartes to vnderstand his word as hee did vnto this Lydia a seller of purple of whome mention is made in the 16. Chap. of the Actes And that wee doe not take it of the Lord in ill part when hee shall punish vs because that in so doing hee doth open our eares to receaue instruction euen as it is said in the 36. of Iob and the 10. verse A prayer vppon the same matter O Most gratious and mercifull GOD thou hast declared by thy dearelie beloued sonne Iesus Christ that they which heare thy word and keepe it are blessed Doeth it not rather belong vnto vs O Lord to acknowledge and to maruaile at thy blessednesse and felicitie It is for vs to speake of thine and thou doest
our soules and hast left vnto vs amongest others the sacrament of the supper that we should be assured howe his life doeth flowe into vs. O what a refreshing is this to vs in this our pilgrimage yea to them that feele and laie holde of such like graces By the presse men doe drawe foorth out of the grapes the lyquor of wine And thou O Lorde thou hast put thy sonne vpon the presse of the crosse to make vs drinke of this holy lyquor But nowe O Lorde my God to the ende that I doe not vnworthily present my selfe vnto this holie table and foode which is marueled at and honoured by the Angelles purifie and cleanse my heart by thy holie spirite Powre foorth thy loue through all the partes of my soule that I may take increase in all vertue and holinesse and that I may so continue in this blessed fellowshippe of the bodie of thy sonne that I may drawe out of him strength and life as the branch out of the vine stocke and that beeing knitte with thy sonne Iesus I may be one with thee that I may liue to thee vntill the time I doe come euen vnto thee So be it A giuing of thankes after the supper O Lord I giue thee thankes for thy inestimable loue for that not onely I haue this benefitte of my beeing and mouing in thee but chiefly in that it hath pleased thee to make mee to liue for euer in thy kingdome redeeming mee from euerlasting damnation which I had deserued through my sinnes But good God I beseech thee that this precious bloud be not shedde in vaine for me but daily nourish my soule by the partaking of the flesh of thy sonne Quicken mee in his bloud that I may be of the number of thy children and a member of the bodie of thy Church that I be not so vnhappie to abuse these sacred meates which haue cost so deere a price of thy deere beloued sonne Iesus to prepare them for vs that I be not also like vnto the dogges which returne vnto their vomittes and swine that goe backe againe vnto their puddle Alas Lorde make me that I neuer forsake thy holie couenaunt for any thing in the worlde For whither is it that I shoulde goe but vnto thee that hast the wordes of euerlasting life Let it not be a daie onely that the remembrance of thy sonnes passion bee before my eies But that I may for euermore honour this good sauiour which hath left vnto vs so faire an heritage by his testament and hath giuen vs thereof so goodly an earnest in the supper Now to thee O God my creator to thee Christ my redeemer to thee holie Ghost my comforter who worketh this holie coniunction of men with GOD and of earth with heauen vnto thee one alone true God be honour and glorie I poore creature doe recommende my selfe vnto thee glorious God being well determined through thy grace to goe in peace and in ioy to death when the houre shall come since that Christ is my life Auaunt from me all delightes and earthly meates which doe turne into doung syth that I haue a foode which turneth me to immortalitie the bread of Angelles the breade which wee shall eate without signes and sacramentes when as we shall inioye that felicitie beeing in heauen Prayers for the Church A Prayer against the aduersaries of the Church ALmightie God since that thou seest thine aduersaries so proud yea with a diuelish rage to force against thy Church cause that wee may feele how thou art the verie same whome all thy faithful haue prooued in times past in all ages to wit that thou hast the care of the saluation of those that call vppon thee with a pure heart yea and seeke thee in extreme distresse and necessitie that although thou stretchest forth thy hand at this day and repressest this rage which thou seest to be kindeled against all thy seruauntes and children to the end that last of all the reprobates may feele and vnderstand and that to their destruction how they haue not vndertaken warres against a miserable people corrupted stripped and naked of all ayd but against thine vnestimable vertue that being confounded albeit they haue no shame rore out the more against thee and against thy power yet they may serue notwithstanding for an example and bee for a manifest instruction that thou art not onelie faithfull in all thy promises But also furnished and garnished with such vertue that thou canst execute and fulfill all that which thou hast promised for the safe keeping of thy Church vntill such time as thou hast fullie deliuered vs out of our enemies hand An other prayer vppon the same matter ALmightie GOD forasmuch as thou seest how wee be at this day compassed about on all sides with so manie enemies who practise continuallie our ouerthrowe and that we are so weake and feeble make vs learne to looke vnto thee and that our faith may so rest vppon thee that into whatsoeuer daungers wee be put and howsoeuer our flesh saith wee may neuer doubt but that thou art stored with a mightie power to make all our enemies afraid that amongest the daungers of this life wee may liue in rest of spirit and that wee cease not from calling vppon thee as thou hast promised to be a faithfull protector of those that call on thee in Iesus Christ his name So be it A prayer to perseuere in the doctrine of the Gospel ALmightie God seeing we be so much inclined vnto corruption that with great hardnesse wee doe enter into the listes so lightlie wee retire our selues from the course being well instructed yet we fall off and doe easilie degenerate graunt that being by thy spirit furnished with constancie we may perseuere to the end in that same right way that thou hast shewed vnto vs by thy word Furthermore though that manie are cast into diuers errors yet that wee maie take pleasure to call and to withdrawe them backe againe yea if wee doe not profite anie whit therein yet at the least that wee be not allured after them but that wee may remaine constant in faithfull obedience vntill such time as hauing atchieued all our Combates we may be gathered together to that blessed rest which is kept for vs by our captaine and sauiour Iesus Christ in the heauens A Prayer to bee constant in Religion against all lettes or withstandinges Almightie God sith that Satan setteth before vs at these dayes manie feares and dreades which might altogether cast vs downe and make vs lose courage as in deed wee bee but feeble and weake graunt that wee hauing our eies lifted vp to heauen wee may consider this inuincible power wherewith thou art furnished to make vs ouercome all lettes Besides although nothing doe appeare in this world but that which is contemptible which may confirme or maintaine our faith yet notwithstanding graunt that wee may pearce by the eyes of our faith into this secret vertue and so
and to make doubtful this Article for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes to the ende to trouble our poore consciences Let vs holde I say this for an vndoubted article as it is saide in the 10. of the Actes that all the prophetes doe giue this testimonie of Iesus that through his name all that beleeue in him without exception of persons shall receiue remission of sinnes We haue indeede strongly to wrestle and we feele yet the lawe of our members which kicketh against the spirit Rom. 7.23 neither also doe we beleeue an vtter putting off of our sinnes but the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and therefore wee crie out with S. Paule Alas wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lorde who as it is saide in the 4. Chap. to the Romans is ordained an oblation for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes Prayers and meditations to dispose a man to the acknowledgement of his sinnes A prayer of S. Augustine out of the 11. and 24. of his priuate meditation of the soule with God O Lorde I thy poore creature will yet haue hope in the shadowe of thy winges all sinnefull that I am hauing remembraunce of this thy goodnesse according to the which thou hast created mee Helpe therefore thy creature that thy goodnesse would frame and suffer not that he whoÌ„ thy mercie hath made be destroied through my malice For if I O Lord returne to dust whereto shall thy creature serue thee It was not my deseruinges neither the grace that was in me then when I was but dust which could leade thee to create me let then this clemencie which moued thee to create me let the same lead thee to keepe me Whereto shall it serue thee that I was made if thy right hande holde me not vp Alas my God I verie wel knowe that thy hande is not shortened that it cannot saue me neither is thy eare likewise stopped that it cannot heare But I truely feele that they are my sinnes which haue made the diuision betweene thee and mee betweene darkenesse and light betweene death and life betweene vanitie and veritie betweene this daylie life and the euerlasting life Notwithstanding O mightie God I that am the worke of thy handes I will call vppon thee yea I will crie vpon thy name O Lorde For it is not in my selfe neither in my strength that I haue set my hope It is thy arme that shall saue me it is the light of thy couenaunt that shall make me glad Otherwise alas if thou weart not my hope I shoulde despaire But thou art my maker which neuer leauest them that trust in thee Thou art a great God louing sweete pacient disposing all things with an vnmeasurable mildenesse True it is that we are as a withered leaâ—e or as a litle flower and all our life is but vanitie and a winde that passeth away For this cause wee beseech thee also that thou proceede not against vs in thy wrath yea seeing that we be thy litle children that thou hast made of the earth alas wouldest thou trie thy strength against a leafe or against strawe and stubble We haue hearde so much praise of thy mercie in that thou desirest not the death of vs poore sinners Therefore suffer not death whome thou hast not created to rule ouer thy creature I desire O Lorde to be saued but in hauing a will thereto I haue not the power thereof to be short I can doe nothing vnlesse thy power comfort me I doe not knowe to will and desire that I ought vnlesse thou graunt mee grace that thy will be doone in mee as it is in heauen Thou art the Lorde of the whole worlde and the prince of all fleshe That which doth like thee thou doest fulfill in heauen in earth and in the depthes Let then thy will be done in vs on whom thy name is called vpon and that thy creature whom thou hast created to thy likenesse perish not A prayer vpon the same matter O Lorde howe dare I name thee my father and esteeme my selfe thy childe seeing that in me there is no obedience How dare I lift vp my eies to heauen seeing I am vnworthie that the earth should beare me For death is the rewarde of sinners and my iniquities are before mee which set thine anger in my sight I haue alas so often offended and my sinnes haue fought against thy mercie Thou hast giuen mee vnderstanding to knowe thee and a heart to honour thee Thou hast giuen me eies to beholde thy workes and handes to stretch foorth to the comfort of my neighbour to be short thou hast fashioned mee to thy glorie But O God I haue turned backe my spirite doeth applie it selfe to iniquitie My heart hath serued this wretched bodie which is but a vessell of dung and must be a pray for wormes My soule hath not loued thee with all her strength neither hath meditated in thy worde My eies haue beene fixed on the grounde I haue stretched out my handes to doe sooner euill than good My feete haue walked in the way of the worlde and not in thy pathes And in such sort O Lorde as if thou shouldest goe forwardes against mee in thine anger I could not awaite for anie other thing at my departure out of this worlde than to make my abode in hell I cannot awaite but for thy iudgement and this horrible sentence that shall flash and lighten vpon the wicked when they shall be sent vnto euerlasting fire But O good God I haue yet my trust in thee for it is not the assurance of my workes whereon I rest it is in thy great mercie it is in thy sonne Iesus which is flesh of my flesh and bones of my bones according to his humanitie Beholde then his precious bloud which was shedde for me Forgiue thy sinfull seruant for thy innocent sonnes sake Wipe away that tract that Sathan hath made in me and graue in my heart thy commandementes Quench vice in mee and there kindle faith and true godlinesse Take from me a stony heart and giue me a heart apt to be taught which may loue thee honour thee and delight in thy worde and that so I may haue part in thy kingdome Another confession of sinnes O Lorde my God I haue sinned against thy maiestie I haue prouoked thy wrath against me and also my soule is in sorrow For it feeleth the condemnation that it hath deserued and hath no satisfaction that may content thee What then O Lord shall I perish in mine iniquitie must I in steede of breathing againe despaire in my selfe It had beene much better that I neuer had beene borne in the world than to be here without thy grace Whereto doth this life serue me if thou which art life dost not fauour me Alas my God by my sinne I haue lost thy fauour but thou neuer loosest thy goodnesse therefore looke not vpon me a sinner in thy righteousnesse
death and shewing that she had no more power sith that Christ is risen againe Nowe will some say howe doth this place agree with S Paule Wee must consider the thinges more neerer It was sayde that if the people had turned to God he had deliuered them through his diuine mercie But forasmuch as there was nothing in vs but sinne and so likewise death it behoueth vs to looke vpon Christ who hath ouercome death and vanquished Hell in such sort as they cannot hurt the children of God For being graffed in Christ we feare nothing Wherefore S. Paule who reioyceth himselfe in Christ and in his righteousnesse and who considereth that through him saluation is giuen vnto vs doth with good right dispite and tryumph ouer death and as concerning him he doth not recite the wordes of the prophet worde for word but he hath a respect to the intent and meaning of them By Christ then are we quickened therefore haue we sure hope of the resurrection so as that which the righteousnesse of the lawe could not do is fulfilled and wrought through Christ in whome wee feare not death Thus by faith we are deliuered from the whole curse Out of the 22. Chap. of S. Matthew Iesus disputing of the resurrection against the Sadduces sayde And concerning the resurrection of the dead haue ye not read what is spoken vnto you of God saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaae and the God of Iacob God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing Out of the 5. of S. Iohn The houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shal heare the voice of the sonne of man And they shall come foorth that haue doone good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue doone euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation Excellent witnesses of the resurrection out of the 15. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians If there be no resurrection of the dead then is Christ not risen But Christ is risen was seene of manie Then is there a resurrection of the dead If we haue our only hope in this life we shall be most miserable of all mankinde But our faith is not in vaine neither the witnesse that the holy Ghost doth yeelde vnto our heartes that wee be the children of God Then is there another entire life of man and consequently a resurrection The seconde Adam is truly as mightie at the least as the first Nowe all these die which are borne of Adam it followeth then that they which be borne againe in the seconde Adam which is Christ are also made liuing after the bodie and soule The sacrament of Baptisme is vnto vs also a sacrament which doth represent vnto vs our mortification our life and resurrection when the people were drawen through the water The saintes and faithfull neither fought nor suffered in vaine For if there were not another life in vaine should they suffer euen vnto death We haue likewise saith S. Paul an example of the resurrection in the graine of corne and in other seedes which die in the grounde and in dying doe in the spring time rise againe more fairer wherefore is it that that should not so likewise happen vnto our bodies Out of the 3. Chap. of the Epistle of S. Paule to the Philippians Our conuersation is in heauen from whence also we looke for the sauiour euen the Lorde Iesus Christ who shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all thinges vnto himselfe Out of the 2. Chapter of the 2. Epistle to Timothie S. Paule reproueth Hymeneus and Philetus which haue erred from the truth saying that the resurrection is past alreadie and doe destroy the faith of certaine I beleeue the life euerlasting Euerlasting saluation is the ende of our faith as sayeth S. Peter in the 1. Epistle and 1. Chap. This is truely the glorie of God which ought to be our ende and that whereunto wee doe aspire euen the price which is promised to this militant Church that is life euerlasting The soule of Lazarus separated from the bodie Luke 16.22 was receaued to euerlasting rest It was said vnto the good thiefe as he is called which confessed Christ with repentance To day shalt thou bee with me in paradise Now who is hee which could expresse the blessednes of the life euerlasting For this word Life comprehendeth all ioy peace glorie and honor as S. Paul saith in the 2. Chap. to the Romans Vnto those which with patience are giuē to goodnes shall bee giuen Glorie honor immortalitie and life euerlasting And they shall shine as the sunne in the kingdome of their father as it is said in the 13. of S. Matthew Contrariwise the Infidels shall bee cast out from the face of the Lorde with anger with euerlasting tormentes where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth Behold what is the auncient faith that the Apostles haue held and S. Peter hath preached for the which our Churches are persecuted and wee are called heritikes But what Wee oftentimes call to remembrance that goodlie admonition that S. Paul made to Timothie in the 6. Chap. of his first Epistle Fight the good fight of faith Lay hold of eternall life whereunto thou art also called and of that which Dauid speaketh in the 138. Psalme Lorde though I walke in the middest of trouble yet wilt thou reuiue me And of this goodlie place which is in the 25. of Esai The Lorde will destroy death for euer and will wipe away the teares from all faces and the rebuke of his people wil he take away out of all the earth And in that day shall men say Lo this is our God wee haue awaited for him and hee will also saue vs. This is the Lorde wee haue awaited for him wee will also bee ioyfull and reioyce in his saluation And though wee bee deliuered to death for the name of Iesus yet doe wee know that his life shall bee manifested in our mortall flesh as it is said in the 4. Chap. of the 2. to the Corinth But the fearefull and vnbeleeuing the abominable and murtherers and whoremongers and sorcerers Idolaters and lyers shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Apoca. 21.8 Comfortes against death taken out of manie auncient Doctors IT is not without great reason that the great philosopher Plato saith that the life of a wise man ought to passe in a continuall meditation of death For wee shall in deede auoid a number of offences if we haue in remembrance our end and the estate of this life which is so short as it is said in the 7. of Ecclesiast Nowe it is a strange thing to consider the blockishnesse of men in this case which by dailie experience well see that they must die They see well that our bodies bee not
bee founde a watching faithfull seruaunt And as the prince of this worlde comming towardes thy sonne Iesus Iohn 14. founde nothing what to bite vpon him so also the same enemie may not haue any thing against me seeing that I doe belong to thy sonne Iesus By faith O Lorde haue our fathers ouercome kingdomes and closed the mouthes of the Lyons Therefore O Lorde graunt me grace that I may also ouercome by faith all tentations vntill that this faith being ended I may enter into thy euerlasting â—est A prayer against the sorrowes of Death O Lorde GOD my father who weart willing that thy sonne Iesus should yeelde vppe his spirite to saue me graunt mee grace that I may beare in my heart the remembrance of his bitter sorrowes and passion and that I may forthwith remember the sweete tender affection that thou bearest vnto vs poore sinners sauing them with so pretious a price that of one part I may with a true sorrowe die vnto sinne and forsake all mine iniquities and of the other part the remembrance of thy grace may make my soule liue let thy mercie O good God be vnto me a lampe and light to lighten me in the darkenesse of death vntill that I come vnto thee O Lorde if thou weart vnto me so good a father in life be also the same vnto me in death Leaue me not then when as my strengthes shall faile me And euen then namely when my mouth shal be no more able to speake leaue not off Lord to heare my desires vnto the last breath of my life Comfort againe thy weake creature and receiue my soule into thy glorie who yeeldeth vp to thee Thou O Lorde hast saued mee into thy handes I recommende my spirit Grant me the last words of thy sonne Iesus in his voice vppon his crosse that they may be my last wordes in this life Behold the earthly abode of this bodie which dissolueth it to yeelde my selfe ioiful of this tabernacle most blessed which is not made with mans hands This great prophet Elias when hee was taken vp into heauen let fall his cloke so willingly would I also leaue this garment both earthly and corruptible to bee clothed with immortalitie Heeretofore I was a wayfarer nowe am I come into my true countrey Euen vntill this time was I in fight now go I to triumph with our head Iesus Christ I begin to see alreadie this hauen which I haue so long desired hulling amongst the tempests of the world To be short I ioyfullie passe out of darknesse into light from daungers of this world to a place of assurance out of a lamentable case into a blessed state from battaile to victorie from an earthlie to an euerlasting life Here am I blind and there shall I receiue light In this place was I hacked with manie woundes and there shall I receaue healing O wretched life O fraile and life vncertaine in this world howe deceitfull and yrksome art thou The more thou thinkest or beleeuest the more thou distrustest and misbeleeuest The more one goeth in this world the more is hee charged with faintnesse and miseries Blessed is hee which knoweth the vanitie of this world yet more blessed that dooth not set his affection therein and most blessed which is withdrawen from thence to bee with thee Oh my God and my sauiour A prayer vppon the same Argument Alas when shall I come before the face of my God and when shall I haue my abiding in his house How long shall I bee in this exile whereunto for sinne we were banished But how shall a sinner stand before this great God How shall this poore flesh get vp into euerlasting paradise But praised bee my God who hath giuen vnto vs so good an assurance in his holie word Blessed bee GOD which hath ordained for vs this good ladder by the which wee ascend vp into heauen to wit Iesus Christ so that which was vnto vs impossible is possible to the beleeuer Therefore looke not O Lord into the manifold sinnes that are within me But rather remember that I am thy creature and the worke of thy handes I am vnworthie to bee called thy childe but it hath pleased thee to bee my father Thy will was that thy sonne Iesus should come downe here below to vs to make vs ascend vp to thee I feare not then death seeing I haue life with me Thy son hath destroyed death for all those which doe beleeue in him And albeit that this bodie be gnawen with wormes yet the soul goeth forthwith into rest the body awaiteth the resurrection I do desire therfore to die to beholde thy face and willinglie leaue this life to be with Christ Oh my God if the simple sound of thy worde which I heare on earth doth cause my soule to liue alreadie what life what countenance shall I haue there on high wheÌ„ as I shall receiue it in my heart seeing thy glorie being in so blessed a companie Open vnto me then O Lorde the gate of thy kingdome Make mee to heare this sweete voice which was prepared for the poore thiefe on the crosse To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Alas Lorde I am vnworthy thereof yet thy mercie giueth me assurance Grant me also O father streÌ„gth to perseuere giue me daily this desire of the life to come for if we be so much affectioned to this earthly life that is but for a day ful of miseries with what wish ought I to desire that glorious life which thy sonne Iesus hath purchased for vs Other short praiers for certaine necessities of the Churches To demand perseuerance Almightie God seeing we be knit together by the guide and counsell of thy sonne to this bodie of the Church which was so often scatered and dispersed graunt that we may abide in this vnitie of faith and that wee may constantly fight against all temptation of this worlde and that wee may not turne away from a true and right intent though it come to passe that troubles vppon troubles doe happen offences vpon offences seeing our faith is not builded vpon the holinesse of man or vpon their persons but vppon thee O true and almightie God And whatsoeuer euilles or deathes that shal be offered vnto vs we may not be possessed with such feare as may plucke away our hope out of our heartes but that we may rather learne to lift vp our eies yea our vnderstanding all our wittes vnto this thy power by the which thou quicknest the dead raisest vp that which was of nothing that our spirites may alwaies aspire vnto euerlasting rest albeit it behooued vs daily to die vntill at the last thou shalt shewe how thou art the true fountaine of life granting vnto vs the immortalitie through thy sonne Iesus Christ A prayer to haue stedfastnesse and constancie EVerlasting and almightie God al good and mercifull seeing we be heere subiect to so great aduersities and of so many sortes
which lift themselues vp like suddaine tempestes graunt that wee hauing our heartes directed vp to heauen may neuerthelesse repose our selues vppon thy secret prouidence and what so euer troubles there be in our senses wee may rest assured in this principall and holde it as certaine that is that thou art he that will be our father and gouerne vs by thy wisedome to the ende that in all our troubles we may alwaies acknowledge thy hande and thy counsel full of righteousnesse and of great and singular wisdome and iustice that we may call euermore vpon thee and saue our selues at this hauen that is to wit that although we be driuen and tossed hither and thither yet thou holdest vs vp by thy hande vntill we be receiued into thy rest A prayer to obtaine victorie by Iesus Christ Almightie God forasmuch as wee be filled full of so many desires which might defile the pure and holy giftes of the spirite graunt that we may receiue in good woorth the chastisementes which thou doest sende vnto vs to tame the saide desires and that acknowledging thee for our sheepeheard we may suffer our selues to be gouerned by the hooke of thy sheepeheardes staffe daily profiting vnder thy corrections and tasting thy goodnesse in thy displeasure we may not lose courage but as walking through blame dishonor yea in the middest of death for thy names sake we may reioyce in thee esteeming all thinges losse in cōparison of the knowledge of thy sonne Let therfore that same spirit which hath sanctified vs strengthen vs also that being partakers of this annointing of the holy Ghost we may be likewise partakers of the victorie of thy sonne Iesus Christ A prayer paciently to abide pouerty when God shall sende it Lorde God and father since it hath pleased thee to abase thy selfe euen to take care ouer vs namely for the respect of this life to promise vs daily bread granting vs wherwith to passe on our way here beneath graunt that we may learne to rest our selues peaceably vpon thee who art our God and of our children hast had care of vs when as we were nothing that so resting vs vpon thy blessing we may behaue our selues not onely from all theftes and vnlawfull meanes to plucke away other mens goods but also from all couetousnesse and impatience as we O Lord may content our selues vnder thy feare and that we may learne so to beare pouertie on the earth that being satisfied with the riches which thou hast offered vnto vs by thy Gospell and whereof we be alreadie partakers through faith we may cherefully bende to the fulnesse thereof and vnto this perfect coniunction with thy sonne Iesus Christ in his kingdome A prayer for the morning O Lorde God and father I poore creature which am naturally swathed in darknesse durst not lift vp my eies vnto thee that dwellest in a light not able to be come vnto were it not that thy deere sonne Iesus Christ which is the brightnesse of thy glorie hath made me way vnto the throne of thy grace through the shedding of his most precious bloud So nowe my God I doe acknowledge howe that it is a great benefit that I which am vnworthy to liue vpon the earth and that haue deserued through my sins to be cast into vtter darknesse for euer more I haue this blessing to see the light of the day of the sunne and to beholde the workes of thy handes with the inioying of the earthly riches that thou hast stored vs with all And for so much as O God that thy sunne shineth as well vpon the wicked as on the good and that this outwarde light is not but to guide our bodies graunt O God to shine vpon vs the brightnes of thy face in blessing me and in lightning my vnderstanding begetting and sanctifying me a new that I may walke in the way of thy commaundements and that I may behaue my selfe in my calling in such sort as all my thoughtes wordes and deedes may be to thy honour and glorie and the edifying of my neighbours Thou hast O Lord withdrawen me from the darkenesse of ydolatrie and ignoraunce and thou hast taken from before mine eies the bende of superstition Thou hast also in our time made shine or as it were lightened againe the faire lampe of the preaching of thy Gospell But suffer me not that hauing eies I see no whit inlighten O Lord all the parts of my soule and cause all that is in me to be employed to render vnto thee all honour and obedience and that in my calling thy feare be before mine eies And because thou esteemest not to bee beloued of vs vnlesse we loue our neighbours imprint in me a faith working by charitie in such sort as with hope I may haue a good conscience not dooing to any but that I would to be doone vnto my selfe that I may haue a mercifull hart and louing that my entrailes be not shut vp in the behalfe of the poore and needie To be short that seeing how the figure of this worlde passeth I may vse the worlde as passing thorow it remēbring my selfe alwaies that heauen is the place of my corporation Grant me peace amongst my familie giue blessing to my labour contentment to my spirite rest and comfort to the poore afflicted and full deliuerance to thy Church by thy sonne Iesus Christ So be it A praier for the Euening O Lord God thy people Israell did present to thee the morning and euening sacrifices in token of confessing thee how that thou keepest vs both euening and morning But what more liking sacrifice can we offer nowe than our sorowefull heartes and our tongues that doe praise and blesse thee Wherefore O Lorde I present my selfe in all humilitie and reuerence before thy face beseeching thee that thou wouldest not enter into an account neither into iudgement with me thy poore creature For be it that thou looke into the first or the seconde table of thy commandementes thou shalt finde that I haue offended thee many waies Notwithstanding like as the childe hath alwaies his recourse vnto his father euen so haue I my refuge and my retire to thee O Lorde that art not lightly angry but of great mercie beseeching thee that by thy goodnes thou couer my faultes euen as all thinges are couered by the darkenesse spread forth ouer the earth Alas my God I knowe that sathan goeth about as a roaring lyon and I doe knowe that he is the gouernour of darkenesse and prince of this worlde but if thou be for me who shall be against me It is thou that hast thousandes of Angels which are incamped about vs it is thou that hast created the hotte sonne and the shattering cold moone it is thou that gouernest the whole world and doest neuer slumber Grant me therefore grace to rest this night in peace and not to sleepe in earthly thinges but more and more to acknowledge thy goodnesse vntill thou call me vnto
hath taught vs to pray When you pray sayth he say thus Our Father vvhich art in heauen halowed bee thy name thy kingdome come thy vvill be done in earth as it is in heauen giue vs this day our daily bread and forgiue vs our trespasses as vve forgiue them that trespasse against vs leade vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euil For thine is the kingdome the povver and the glorie for euer and euer Amen THe first thing which wee learne in the entrie of this prayer An exposition of the Lords prayer is that the Doctor of peace and the Maister of all true vnion and concord would not that our prayer should be particular for one alone See wherefore we doe not say My father which art in heauen giue me my dailie bread c. Thus it appeareth how this prayer is publike and common and wee pray not for one alone but for all because in deede all Gods people is but one bodie God would that one onelie making his prayer should pay for all the other euen as one onelie man hath saued manie and through one onelie spirit he gouerneth all his childrens heartes And to this doeth agree that which wee doe read of the Apostles Actes 1. who continued together in holie prayers so as there was but one heart amongest them all and of their holie companie Now my brethren it is an incredible thing how manie great secretes there bee here in this prayer of the Lorde that is so well trussed vp and short in wordes but of most great strength and right well furnished of all demaundes that are needefull and necessarie for vs. Yee shall say then Our Father Our Father which art c. Oh the happie and louing beginning of our prayer For marke yee howe the new regenerate man that is reconciled vnto God such a one calleth vppon God his father because that hee hath alreadie begunne to bee the childe of God To all those that haue receiued him Iohn 1. hee hath giuen vnto thē this priuiledge to bee made the children of God vnto those I say that doe beleeue in him In such sort as the beleeuing man to make an acknowledgement vnto the Lord of such a fauour Deut. 33.9 Not that he ought to despise his father but God ought to goe before and those places are not simply to this purpose both to strengthen his faith also to make witnesse to whome hee doeth belong ought to call vpon God as his father before all things to recken him for such In the 33. of Deut. he saith of his Father Mother I haue not knowen nor seene him such a one is praysed because he stayeth himselfe to keepe the statutes couenants of the Lord. To this hath our Lord respect in the 23. of S. Matthew saying Let vs not name the Father on the earth Mat. 23.9 because that we haue a father that is on high in heauen Matth. 8.22 And in S. Matthew he said vnto a yong man Leaue off from burying thy father which is dead which was to the ende that hee might studie to doe rather his duetie towardes the liuing and heauenlie Father Go to then behold God which is in heauen but see the consolation of Christians how he is ours and we are his in as much as he hath chosen and sanctified vs. The Iewes The wretched Iewes that haue mistooke Iesus Christ and cruelly haue put him to death cannot call God their father For as the sauiour reprooueth them to their great confusion Iohn 8. the deuill is your father seeing that you fulfill his desires God did then this honor to communicate himselfe with them But he saith by Esai Esay 1.2 I haue nourished and chosen children and they haue mistaken and disdained me that which the Oxe and the Asse haue not done who know the stable and crib of those which owe them Therefore my brethren let vs consider how God by the meane of our faith beginneth to be our father and for the Iewes vnbeliefe ceaseth to bee theirs are wee then giuen ouer to sinnne Wee bee no more children but seruauntes according vnto that our Lorde saith Whosoeuer sinneth is a seruant to sinne The sonne remaineth alwayes in his fathers house that which the seruant doeth not Let vs therefore my louing brethren acknowledge acknowledge againe what fauor it is for vs to dare be able to presēt our selues before God in the qualitie of Gods childrē Who durst haue beene so bold as to haue giuen himselfe such a title to haue vndertaken it if the true onelie euerlasting sonne of God had not giuen vs leaue and commaundement It is for vs to haue remembraunce that hauing God for our Father wee must behaue our selues according as it is becomming for the children of such a Lorde And if wee be well contented of such a father let vs also doe in like manner that hee may of his owne part in like case haue iust occasion not to bee mislyking of vs. Let vs not become bastardes but let vs become spirituall and giuen to all holie and praise woorthie thinges after the example of our father and that it may appeare how wee bee the children and temple of this great God Now what is the first demaund that we doe aske of our Father How the name of God is made holie Hallowed bee thy name Not that our prayers doe make the name of God holie but wee pray that his name may be made holie in vs. What is hee will some say that shall sanctifie the name of God Is it not hee which sanctifieth all thinges Wee are admonished in the 20. of Leuiticus Be ye holie as I am holie Therefore let vs pray him that hee will graunt vs grace to enter into the holinesse whereof we are aduertised in our baptisme to continue therein And so be we who aske to bee sanctified yea alwayes for so much as our sinnes doe dailie defile vs in such sort as the name of God his word are not made holie honored by vs vnlesse wee our selues be also sanctified Afterwardes hee saith Thy kingdome come Gods kingdome is euerlasting and was before that euer wee were But it is in the respect of vs that wee doe aske Let thy kingdome come That wee which haue serued in the world and to Sathan may haue from henceforward Christ raigning in vs. This kingdome is gotten vnto vs by the bloud of our Sauiour and shall bee truelie fulfilled when wee shall heare this sweete saying Come yee blessed of my father into the kingdome which is prepared for you c. Now wee doe well to require the kingdome of heauen For there is also an earthlie kingdome But hee that hath tasted the least thing in the world what the heauenlie things are doth despise the earthlie And it is a thing vnto the which wee ought diligentlie to watch with Prayers and supplications least that we be
shut out of Gods kingdome But that we may be vnder his guide and Empire Manie shall come saith hee from the East and West and they shall sit with Abraham But the children of the kingdome shall be cast out into outward darknesse there where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth The Iewes were the children of the kingdome so long as they were the children of God and hauing lost this qualitie they haue well changed both their condition and their estate It followeth then Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Wee say not let God doe that hee will but that wee may doe that hee will For who is hee that wil resist against God What is hee that shall let him to doe his will Now because that the diuell is continuallie about vs to turne away our hearts from obedience to God and to doe that which God would wee must bee holpen by himselfe and none alas is assured but by his grace Our Lord Iesus being in the agonie of death and according to the infirmitie stronglie fighting against a number of temptations hath left vs yet a faire example When hee bursteth out in this sort If it bee possible O father let this bitter cuppe passe away from me Yet neuerthelesse not my will but thy will bee done There is in the second Chapter of the first Epistle of S. Iohn an other faire sentence Loue not the world for in so doing the loue of God is not in you Seeing that the world with all his desires shall passe away And as concerning God hee is euerlasting and he that will dwell with him for euermore must doe the will of the euerliuing God Now The will of God what is the will of God It is that which Christ hath fulfilled and that hee hath taught vnto vs. And what is that Humblenes in conuersation stayednesse in faith modestie in wordes iustnesse in doings mercie in workes discipline in manners and not to doe wrong vnto an other and to abide it in himselfe to keepe in peace with his brethren to loue God with all his heart to loue him as a father and to feare him as God and to haue nothing more dearer than Christ for hee also hath nothing more dearer than vs to keepe our selues vnseuered in his charitie to beare him cōpanie couragiouslie in his crosse when his name or glorie is called in question And in our talkes to shew a stayed confession and an assurednesse in our aunsweres when wee bee set vppon and to shew patience in death seeing that by it wee are crowned To doe these thinges is to bee willing to be coheires with the sonne and to fulfill the will of the Father In heauen and in earth We may take the spirit for the heauen and the flesh for the earth that all our partes may bee obedient vnto God or rather that we doe the will of God as Angels Giue vs our dailie bread This may be vnderstood spirituallie of Christ which is the liuing bread as S. Iohn in his 6. Chap. saith But it is certaine that here the Lord would teach vs not to be caryed away with the cares of this present life for as it is said elsewhere it sufficeth for euerie day to haue his miseries Mat. 6. And in deede this will not agree well to desire the kingdome of God and withall to loue the earthlie life and to delight therein Now as S. Paul saith 1 Tim 6. sith that we brought nothing into this world neither shall wee carie anie thing away wherefore doe wee not content our selues with foode and apparell seeing likewise that those which doe aspire vnto riches fetter themselues in manie sorrowes and easilie fall into the snares of the diuell To bee short the coueting of riches is the roote of all ill This is a goodlie shewe that our Sauiour maketh in the 12. of S. Luke Oh wretch that thou art this day shall they demaund thy soule and for what purpose shall the great heapes of thy ritches stored vp serue thee And will we be well disposed to follow Christ It behooueth vs at the least to hinder the causes of worldly thinges In the meane time the iust remaineth not forsaken neither brought into an extremitie by famine The heauenlie Father which prouideth for the young Rauens and Sparowes Pro. 10. Psal 37. well knoweth to furnish vs of our lackes that are necessarie Wee doe see by example apparantlie that which happened vnto Elie in the first booke of the kinges and the 17. Chapter where wee reade that namelie a Rauen caried vnto him wherewith to refresh him After wee doe pray that the Lord forgiue vs our offences as wee doe forgiue them that offend against vs. Now hauing receaued assistance of our foode wee doe demaund the forgiuenesse of our sinnes to the end that hee who is nourished of God may liue to God and that so wee may not onelie haue our bread in this life but that wee may also haue the inioying of the other that is farre better and whereunto wee cannot enter if our sinnes be not forgiuen vs. Now our sinnes are called debtes as likewise in the 18. of S. Matthew I haue forgiuen thee all thy debt because thou hast required it of me Wee are then my brethren here warned that wee be sinners praying to God for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and asking grace of God the conscience being ouercome through offence Therefore let none of vs set vp our selues what giftes soeuer wee have seeing that dailie we sinne and doe aske mercie of GOD. If wee doe confesse our sinnes saith S. Iohn in the first Chap. of his first Epistle hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes But if wee say that there is no sinne in vs wee doe lie And since that this good Iesus doeth make vs aske forgiuenesse o◠our offences hee giueth vs a certaine assurance to finde it hee I say that maketh vs strong through the mercifulnesse of his father The condition that hee hath ioyned to this demaund buindeth vs before GOD to forgiue others if that wee will that he forgiue vs. This is it that hee speaketh in an other place With what measure you mete vnto others the same shall they measure vnto you And in the 18. Chap. of Saint Matthew the seruant that goeth on against his companion with all rigor is reproued cast into prison and declared vnwoorthie of the fauour of his Maister And yet this is more clearelie expressed in Iesus Christ When yee shall appeare before God to pray vnto him If you haue anie thing against anie bodie Forgiue him otherwise your father will not forgiue you Then doe wee neuer make this prayer but that we doe condemne our selues if wee forgiue not one an other For as the Lord calleth vs to peace in regenerating vs so will hee that wee doe continue in that brotherhoode and friendship And in deede this is the fairest sacrifice that wee can offer vnto God