lif◠as a Sacrifice for sinne he might see the seede of his faythfull posteritie made happie for euer and that this will and deuise of the lord might prosper be throughly wrought by him Of the trauayle and labour of his soule shall he see the fruit and be satisfied c. He declareth what fruite Christ shall haue by his Death and Passion For the labour trauaile sorowe anguishe care and reproch that he sustayned as well in all the residue of his life as especially at his death he shall with ioy and gladnesse beholde and be satisfied with true and eternall felicitie and the fruites of all heauenly goodnesse and blessinges and that not onely for himselfe but for * all them that through fayth shall acknowledge the same and beleeue in him For it followeth that this righteous seruant of God Christ Iesu through his knowledge shall iustifie many that is shall pay the raunsome for theyr sinnes reconcile them to God and cause them through the price of his bloud to be accounted iust before god For this in deede is our true Iustificatiō whē we of our selues sinfull by the mercie of God in Christ Iesu are accepted as iust Therefore will I giue him amōg the great ones his part and he shall deuide c. In this verse as in a conclusion the Prophete reciteth the chiefe poyntes of Christes death and the benefites that come to the faythfull thereby First his * obedience in giuing ouer his soule to death Secondly that he was * reputed among sinners and wicked persons Thirdely that he was an * innocent and dyed not for his owne sinnes but for the sinnes of Mankinde Fourthly that he is nowe become an * Intercessour for sinners and in the dignitie of the high priest according to the order of Melchisedech Wherefore sayth God the father I will giue him his part among the great ones and he shall Conquer subdue Sathan with all his power and take awaye the spoyle of his Kingdome and bring to his owne subiection all Nations euen to the vttermost boundes of the earth This verse also is expounded of Christ by Christ himselfe Luke 22. and Marke 15. The 3. Sunday after the Epiphanie at Morning prayer Esay 55. COme to the waters all ye that be thirstie and ye that haue no money come bye that ye may haue to eate come bye wine and milke without any money or money worth 2 Wherefore doe ye laye out any money for the thing that féedeth not and spende your labour about the thing that satisfieth you not But hearken rather vnto me and ye shall eate of the best and your soule shall haue her pleasure in plenteousnesse 3 Encline your eares and come vnto me take héede I say and your soule shall lyue for I will make an euerlasting couenant wyth you euen the sure mercies of Dauid 4 Beholde I gaue him for a witnesse among the folke for a Prince and a teacher vnto the people 5 Lo thou shalt call an vnknowne people and a people that had no knowledge of thée shall runne vnto thée because of the Lorde thy God and the holye one of Israell which glorifieth thée 6 Séeke the Lorde whyle he may be founde and call vpon him whyle he is nye 7 Let the vngodly man forsake his owne wayes and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and turne againe vnto the Lorde so shall he be mercifull vnto him and to our God for he is verie readie to forgiue 8 For thus sayth the Lorde My thoughtes are not your thoughtes and your wayes are not my wayes 9 But as farre as the heauens are higher then the earth so farre doe my waies excéede yours and my thoughtes yours 10 And like as the raine and snow commeth downe from heauen and returneth not thither againe but watereth the earth maketh it fruitefull and gréene that it may giue corne vnto the sower and bread to him that eateth 11 So the worde also that commeth out of my mouth shall not turne againe voyde vnto me but shall accomplishe my will and prosper in the thing whereto I sende it 12 And so shal ye go forth with ioy and be led with peace the mountaines and hilles shall sing with you for ioye and all the trées of the fielde shall clappe their handes 13 For thornes there shall growe Firre trées and the Myrre trée in the stéede of bryers and this shall be done to the praise of the Lord and for an euerlasting token that shal not be taken away The Exposition vpon the. lv Chapter of Esay Come to the waters all yee that be thirstie and ye that haue no money come c. THE Prophet in the former Chapiters had euydentlye spoken of the Gospell of Christ and of the benefites that come to his Church by it nowe he earnestly calleth and exhorteth all men to heare the same and by faith to receyue it and not to hearken after other doctrines whereby they cannot haue true comfort of conscience What auayleth it that Christ dyed for mankinde and purchased great benefites for them if they doe * not Beleeue it nor shew themselues destrous to obtaine it Come therefore sayth he to the waters c. By the Water to drinke and by the Breade to eate he meaneth the same water and bread that Christ speaketh of Iohn 4. 6. VVhosoeuer sayth he shall drinke of the water that I shall gyu◠him shall neuer thirst againe but the water that I shall giue him shal be a foūtaine springing to euerlasting life And again as touching the bread Iohn 6 I am the breade of life that discended from heauen If one eate of this breade he shall liue for euer The Water and Breade then wherevnto the Prophet in this place calleth is Christ Iesus offered to vs in his Gospell And by Wine Milke he vnderstandeth the same thing For there is none other foode whereon our Soules can feede but Christ his Doctrine in which are cōprehended al things wherby we are nourished to euerlasting life Here is to be noted First that God to this heauēly foode calleth not one nor two but * All excepting no coūtrie no state no kinde or degree of persons Secondly that he calleth thē that be Thirsty that is such as long after it or greatly desire it He calleth not those that * swell in trust and confidence of their owne worthynesse and therefore thinke they haue small neede of Christ and hys Gospell No nor such as liue in * securitie and delight of worldly Pleasure and therfore haue no care for the fauour of God nor desire of eternall life but such he calleth as haue feare of God in their consciences and sence of his wrath against sinne Thirdly is to be obserued that he offerth these things Freely without any respect of our * worthynesse and therfore sayth Come and bye wythout mony Wherefore doe ye laye
golden Calfe hauing no respect of Aliance or Kinred Exod. 32 and yet are they reported To haue Consecrated their handes vnto the Lorde That whyche is appoynted by GOD can not seeme to bee agaynste hys Lawe Iaell was of the people of God and therfore might she well adde her helping hande to their deliuerance especially agaynste an vnrepentant Tiranne and seeyng the same to bee appoynted by God. The .ij. Sunday after Trinitie at Euening prayer Iudges 5. THen Debora and Barak the sonne of Abinoam sang the same day saying 2 Praise ye the Lorde for the auenging of Israell and for the people that became so willing 3 Heare O ye kings hearken O ye Princes I euen I wyll syng vnto the Lorde I wyll syng prayse to the Lorde God of Israell 4 Lorde when thou wentest out of Seir when thou departedst out of the féeld of Edom the earth trembled and the heauens rayned the cloudes also dropped water 5 The Mountaines melted before the Lorde euen as did Sinai before the Lord God of Israell 6 In the dayes of Samgar the sonne of Anath in the dayes of Iael the hye wayes were vnoccupied and the trauaylers walked thorough bywayes 7 The inhabitauntes of the townes were gone they were gone in Israell vntyll I Debora came vp whyche came vp a mother in Israell 8 They chose newe Gods and then had they the enimie in the gates was there a shield or speare séene among fortie thousande of Israell 9 My heart loueth the gouernours of Israel and them that are willing among the people O praise ye the Lord. 10 Speake ye that ryde on fayre asses ye that dwell by Midden and that walke by the wayes 11 For the noyse of the archers among the drawers of water ceassed there shall they speake of the righteousnes of the Lord his righteousnes in his vnfensed townes in Israel then shall the people of the Lord goe downe to the gates 12 Vp Debora vp get thée vp and sing a song arise Barak and leade the captiuitie captiue thou sonne of Abinoam 13 Then shall they that remayne haue dominion of the proudest of the people the Lorde hath geuen me dominion ouer the mightie 14 Oute of Ephraim was there a roote of them againste Ameleck and after thée Beniamin among thy people Out of Machir came rulers and out of Zabulon they that handle the pen of the writer 15 And of Isachar there were Princes with Debora and Isachar and also Barak he was sent on foote into the valley for the diuisions of Ruben vvere great thoughtes of heart 16 Why abodest thou among the shéepe foldes to heare the bleatings of the flockes for the diuisions of Ruben were great thoughtes of hearte 17 Gilead also abode beyonde Iordane and why doth Dan remaine in shippes Aser continued on the sea shore and taried in his decayed places 18 But the people of Zabulon haue ieoparded their liues vnto the death like as did Nephthali in the hye places of the féelde 19 The kings came and foughte then foughte the Kings of Chanaan in Thanack by the waters of Megiddo and wanne no money 20 They foughte from heauen euen the starres in their courses foughte againste Sisara 21 The riuer of Kison swept them away that auncient riuer the riuer Kison O my soule thou hast marched valiauntly 22 Then were the horse hoofes smitten a sunder by the meanes of the praunsings that their mightie men made 23 Curse ye the Citie of Meros sayde the Angell of the Lord curse the inhabitantes thereof bycause they came not to helpe the Lord to helpe the Lord against the mightie 24 Iael the wyfe of Haber the Kenite shal be blessed aboue other women blessed shall she be aboue other women in the tent 25 He asked water and she gaue him milke she brought foorth butter in a Lordly dyshe 26 She put her hande to the nayle and her righte hande to the Smithes hammer with the hammer smote shée Sisara and smote his heade wounded him and pearsed his temples 27 He bowed him downe at her féete he fell downe and laye styll at her féete he bowed hymselfe and fell and when he had sunke downe he laye there destroyed 28 The mother of Sisara looked oute at a wyndowe and cryed throughe the lattesse Why is his charet so long a comming Why tary the whéeles of his charets 29 All the wyse Ladyes answered her yea and her owne wordes answered her selfe 30 Surely they haue founde they diuide the spoyles euery man hathe a damsell or two Sisara hathe a praye of diuers coloured garmentes euen a praye of rayment dyed with sundrye colours and that are made of néedle worke rayment of diuers colours and of néedle worke on both sides whiche is méete for him that is chiefe in distributing of the spoyles 31 So perishe all thine enemyes O Lorde but they that loue him let them be as the Sunne when he ryseth in his might And the lande had rest fortie yéeres The Exposition vpon the fifth Chapter of Iudges Then Debora and Barak the sonne of Abinoam sang the same daye c. NO kinde of worship is to God more pleasant nor by the holye Ghost in the Scriptures more earnestly required than when God hathe shewed the great benefites of his mercie towarde his people that they * for the same declare themselues Thankefull and prayse his holie name therefore Call vpon mee saieth God by his Prophete Dauid in the daye of they trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me not that God needeth oure Glorifying or praysing beyng of himselfe most Glorious and worthy praise but he * deliteth in Thankfulnes and also for our causes would haue his enemies by that meanes feared when they vnderstande him to be declared by his people to be so terrible and mightie a punisher of his sinfull and wicked aduersaries And on the other parte that they which be weake and fainte may haue their faith Strengthened and more readily commit themselues vnto his mercy when they perceiue him to be so willing and gracious a God beyonde all Deserte Expectation of his mere goodnesse to deliuer them Therefore Debora doth here the parte of a good and faithfull Gouernour that is both her selfe so ready and also * willeth the residue of hir people in this pleasant triumphant Song to the terrour of the enemies and comfort of the faithfull to Set forth the Mightie mercifull goodnesse of God towarde them The like examples we haue in Moyses at the redde Sea In * Anna for her sonne Samuel In * Iudith for her victorie ouer Holophernes c. The People that became so vvilling were the tribes of Zabulon and Nepthalie who did readily folowe the Appointment of God declared by Debora and for the same doth she here and afterwarde Praise them and Reproue the other Lorde when thou wentest out of Seir when thou departedst out of the. c. Debora praiseth God by
THe first verse conteynetâ— the tytle which briefly noteth what the thing is by whome it was vttered agaynst what place and people and in what time It is a vision that is a prophesie or reuelation declared by almightie God and therefore not to be esteemed as any maâ—s deuise and vttered by Esaias the sonne of Amos descending of the royall lyne of the kings of Iuda Who prophecied in the raignes of Ozias Ioathan Achas and Ezechias as it may be thought by the space of fourescore yeares And vttered this prophecie agaynst the nation of Iurie and Hierusalem the chiefe and royall citie thereof that is to say against that Nation that God had chosen of all other for his peculier people and had mainteyned and preserued it with great benefites and yet nowe was fallen from his true worshippe vnto Idolatrie sinne and wickednesse And therefore sayth he Heare O heauens and hearken O earth for the Lorde hath spoken c. That he may the more earnestly mooue that dul and hard harted people he beginneth with a tragicall exclamation and calleth heauen earth to witnesse agaynst them as if he had sayde Forsomuch as the vnthankfulnesse and wicked stubburnnesse of this people is such as they will giue no eare to the worde of God earnestly calling them to repentaunce I turne my speeche to you O heauens and speake to thee O earth Though heauen be 〈◊〉 of yet â—â—ely it will heare though the earth be hard and stonie yet it will relent and be moued but this people will not bend this Nation will by no meanes be reclaymed * Yea they are more dull and vnâ—â—nsible in the vnderstanding of Gods will and of his great goodnesse toward them than the 〈…〉 beastes are For what Oxe doth not from 〈◊〉 himselfe to his mayster that keepeth him What Asse doth not acknowledge and looue those that feede him But my people sayth the Lord whom I haue cherished whome I haue * fostered as my * children with all care and tendernesse do not onely with vnthankfull mindes forget my benefites but with stonie and stubburne heartes refuse to heare my calling and in all maner of wickednesse bende themselues against me and striue to prouoke my wrath and indignation agaynst them Whie should ye be stricken any more for ye are euer falling away c. From the beginning of the fift verse to the tenth he doth greatly amplifie their wayward stubburnnesse declaring that as they could not be woonne to repentance nor mooued to turne to their gracious Lorde by consideration of his exceeding great benefites towarde them so neyther could they be reclaymed nor anye thing at all mooued with the grieuous plagues and punishmentes which to that onely purpose as a mercifull father he had brought vppon them but rather by the same hys plagues they increased in stubburnnesse waxed euery day worse than other And therfore sayth he To what ende should I plague or scourge you with aduersitie any further seeing your obstinacie is such as you will increase in wickednesse and still heape sinne vpon sinne and offence vpon offence The Realme of Iurie may well be resembled to a mans bodie the heade and heart whereof is the Citie Hierusalem and the King and Princes with the residue of the inhabitants thereof and the other cities and townes as the inferiour members All which I haue grieuously touched with my seuere iustice and sharpe punishments so that from the * crowne of the head to the sole of the foote from the highest Citie to the lowest Village from the noblest person to the basest subiect there is none but he hath felt the bitter smart thereof and that in such sort as no Phisition is hable to cure or heale their festured sores that is nor King nor Counsaylour nor Prince nor Priest nor Prophete can helpe the miserie of this kingdome and restore it to the prestinate state and integritie againe Their lande lyeth waste their Cities are burnt with fire straungers possesse their Countrey their possessions are spoyled their royall Citie Hierusalem is left desolate as a lodge in a vineyard or a Cotage in a Cucumber garden that hath no house neere vnto it their people are slaine their glorie decaied their strength consumed yea if the Lorde of hys great mercy had not * left theÌ„ some coÌ„fort through the promised séede of Messiah their desolation had beene euen as the destruction of Sodome and Gomorrha and yet I say all this notwithstanding are their hearts nothing mooued to repent or to turne to the Lorde for mercie Heare the worde of the Lorde ye Lordes of Sodoma and hearken c. And for that they did flatter themselues in the middes of this great wickednesse with a vaine opinion of hypocriticall iustice and superstitious worshipping of God as thoughe by suche meanes they should winne his fauour towarde them The Lorde plainly sheweth that he doth lothe and abhorre their sacrifices and offerings their festiuall dayes and their solempne meetinges yea though they were commaunded by his owne lawe so long as they were voyde of * inwarde holinesse of heart and minde and distayned with sinne and wickednesse both before God and the worlde In which place the more to mooue them almightie God seemeth to labour with diuersitie of woordes to lette them vnderstande how little account he maketh of such externall worshipping being destitute of true holinesse right worshipping in spirite in truth VVhy offer you sayth he so many sacrifices c. I am full of them I haue no pleasure in them VVho required them at your hands Offer no more It is but lost labour It is * abhominable vnto me I may not away with them They are wicked I hate them They make me weary I cannot abide them I will not heare your prayers I will turne mine eyes from you By all which wordes God sheweth how little he regardeth hipocrisie where true holinesse waÌ„teth Then from the sixtenth verse to the .xxj he sheweth what is the right way to winne his fauour Make you cleane sayth he put away your wicked thoughts and deuises Ceasse from doing euil Learne to do good Applie your selues to equitie Deliuer the oppressed Helpe the fatherlesse Heare the widowes complaint For these are the true fruites of right repentance And then If your sinnes were as red as scarlet in token that you had deserued bloud and confusion they shall be as white as snow in testimonie that by Gods mercie ye be cleared from them This if you will doe the Lorde will looke fauourably on you and prosper you but if you continue obstinate and rebellious as hytherto you haue done the sworde of Gods wrath shal vtterly deuour you for his owne mouth hath spoken it and therefore thinke not that it is mans worde onely How happeneth it then that the faithfull Citie which was full of equitie c. From the .xxj. to the
the earth after his kinde and God sawe that it was good 26 God sayde Let vs make man in our Image after our likenesse and let them haue rule of the fishe of the sea and of the foule of the ayre and of cattell and of all the earth and of euery créeping thing that créepeth vpon the earth 27 So God created man in his owne Image in the Image of God created he him male and female created hée them 28 And God blessed them and God sayd vnto them Be fruitfull and multiply and replenishe the earth and subdue it and haue dominion of the fishe of the sea and foule of the ayre and of euery liuing thing that mooueth vpon the earth 29 And God sayde Beholde I haue giuen you euery hearbe bearing séede which is in the vpper face of all the earth and euery trée in the which is the fruite of a trée bearing séede that they may be meate vnto you 30 To euery beast of the earth also and so euery birde of the ayre to euery such thing that créepeth vpon the earth which doth liue I haue giuen euery gréene herbe for meate and it was 31 And God sawe euerye thing that he had made and beholde it was excéeding good And the euening and the morning were the sixt day The Exposition vpon the first Chapter of Genesis In the beginning GOD created heauen and earth c. THis booke is called Genesis because in the very first entrāce therof by the course of sixe dayes worke is declared the Beginning Creation and as it were the first Natiuitie of heauen and earth and all thinges therein conteyned by the mightie worde and wisedome of God made and framed of Nothing Which the Spirite of God mooued his faythfull seruant Moyses to do thereby as well to refell that generall and grosse errour of the Idolatrous Gentiles throughout the whole worlde which gaue themselues ouer to the * worship and seruice eyther of common and base creatures either of false and vainely deuised Gods As also to * shew that the God of Israel was the Onely True and Almightie God maker of Heauen and of Earth and all the partes thereof In that he sayth In the beginning God made heauen and earth c. we haue to learne First that the worlde is * not of euerlasting Continuance as some vaine Philosophers haue taught but that being made by God certainely it had a beginning and euen as certainely shall in due time haue an ende As it is sayde Psal 102. In the beginning O Lorde thou lay dest the foundation of the earth and the heauens be the workes of thy fingers They shall perish but thou shalt continue for euer c. Secondly that it was not made of it Selfe by Chaunce or otherwise as Democritus dreamed but by the workemanship of some other beside it selfe Thirdly that it was made by God that therby we might be admonished of his great Wisedome Power and goodnesse towarde Mankinde to whose vse principally these things might seeme to be framed Fourthly that it was made of nothing and therefore we may not Imagine as some wickedly haue done that there was a Matter whereof the world was made coeternall with God himselfe before all Beginning And here it is to bee wished that all Christian heartes would enter into a perfect Consideration of this Worke of God in Creating of the world so that when they looked vp into heauen and sawe the Sunne the Moone the Planets the Starres and all the furniture thereof keeping their orders and courses they woulde thinke earnestly wyth themselues that they sawe the meruelous workemanship of God their heauenly Father Maker and Creator of all things And when they consider the Ayre the Water the Earth and all things therein conteyned in their kindes and places and offices distincted that they woulde Remember the same was made by the same our God and gracious Lorde to the vse of vs mortall men By this meanes should they discende from the faith of their Creation to the fayth and beliefe of Gods diuine * Prouidence and tender Loue and care that hee beareth toward mankinde which in all afflictions is the most assured stay and comfort This did Dauid to his great consolation as well in the eight Psalme as in the. 104. and many other And the spirite of GOD mooued vpon the face of the earth c. The confused Heape of heauen and earth was without shape vnperfect and darke and yet not vtterly deade but was indued with the strength of Gods spirite and so made liuely to continue vnto the worldes ende And GOD sayde Let there be light and there was light We may not here conceyue that God hath any corporall Voyce or such maner of Speach as doth proceede by tongue and lippes from mortall men For to Speake in God is nothing but with an assured and effectuall will to determine with himselfe and to doe that he hath determined We haue here to learne also that all thinges were made by the mightie power of Gods worde that is to say by the Wisdome Purpose and Counsaile of God which was Christ Iesu the seconde person in Trinitie as saint Iohn doth expounde it in his Gospel In the beginning sayth he was the VVorde and the VVorde was with God and God was that VVorde The same was in the beginning with God and all things were made by it c. And God saw the light that it was good and God deuided the light c. This maner of Iudgement God giueth of all things that he made he sayth not God sawe that they were pleasant beautifull and faire but that they were * Good. Whereby we may learne that God did not so much respect his owne glorie in the fairenesse of his workes as he did the benefite and and Commoditie of Mankinde to whose vse he made them Let there be a Firmament betweene the waters and let it make a deuision c. Let there be a Firmament that is as the Hebrue speaketh A Stretching out or a Setting abroad betweene waters and waters Vnto thys maner of speaking the Scripture often alludeth as Esay 42. He that made the heauens and spreade them abroad c. And in the 40. Chapiter He spreadeth out the heauens as a couering he stretcheth them out as a Tent to dwell in c. And Psal 104. He stretcheth out the heauens as a Curtaine Wherefore it maye well be gathered that this Firmament is nothing but a large Stretched out space betweene waters and waters betweene waters aboue and waters beneath and such as we see betweene the clowdes which are the vpper waters and the Sea and Ryuers which are the neather waters by Gods ordinaunce gathered into their appointed places All that is aboue vs is deuyded into two partes the one called Aether which is the vpper part of the Firmament wherein the Starres Planets are the other called the Aire
which is agayne deuyded into three partes The vpper Region next the Firmament The middle Region where the Clowdes and vpper waters by Gods prouidence are stayed to the great benefite of the world and The neather part left for the commoditie of Gods Creatures to liue and breath in The vpper waters are reserued aswell to make the earth * Fruitfull by sending them downe in due season according to his gracious prouidence as also by hys iustice in way of punishment to work the Plague of Sinfull men as we euidently see in the example of the * generall Deluge and in sending vnseasonable weathering to take from vs the fruites of the earth Let the earth bring forth budde grene hearbe apt to seede and fruitfull c. When we see these faire and manifold Commodities of the earth the greene Grasse the bewtifull Flowers and hearbes the Fruites of Trees and Graine to the singular benefite of man and beast we must not thinke that the same cōmeth by course of Nature only but by the singular Prouidence of God sending the same to the Reliefe of his creatures For the sweet cōfort of this place read Psal 104. He causeth grasse to growe for cattell and herbes for the vse of men that he maye bring forth Foode out of the earth both VVine that maketh gladde the hart of man and Oyle to make him haue a cheerefull countenance and also Bread to strengthen mens harts God hath made not onely fruites of one kinde but of Innumerable sorts that we might thereby vnderstande the bountifull goodnesse and riches of his mercies towardes vs. Let there be lightes in the Firmament of heauen that they may deuide c. Et sint in signa c. The vse and benefite of the Moone Sunne and Planets is not onely to giue light vnto the worlde but to make distinctions of Times and seasons as Sommer VVinter Autumne the Spring also Yeares Moneths VVekes dayes and houres which distinction much serueth to the vse and commoditie of mans life And God made the beaste of the earth and euery thing that creepeth c. Hereby we haue to learne that the Prouidence of God stretcheth not onely to Man Beast Fishe Foule such like but to the verie smallest things and of least estimatiō as Wormes Flees Fleas and other Vermine whatsoeuer be they in mans fight neuer so contemptible For God vseth the same at his pleasure eyther to the benefite or to the punishment of Mankinde as it may very well * appeare by sundrie of the Plagues of Aegipt wherein he vsed these things for his instruments And God sayde let vs make man in our Image after our likenesse c. After God had created and made perfite all the Furniture of Heauen and earth and by his wisedome marueylously distincted eche thing in hys kinde place and office he lastly commeth to the Making of mankinde as that thing vnto whose vse principallie al other his creatures might seeme to be framed That he in the vse of them might vnderstande the great goodnesse of his Lorde and Maker towarde him and for the same yeelde vnto him true Worship and glorie Concerning Man he noteth here briefely 3. thinges his Creation his Dignitie his Blessing and encrease Of his Creation it will be spoken in the next chapiter more particularly Of his Dignitie aboue all other Creatures this is one euident testimonie that he sayth not let Man be made as he sayde before of other things Let there be a lyght Let there be a Firmament c. But to declare vnto vs that it was a Worke of greater worthynesse He as it were calleth in cōsultation his VVisdom that is the seconde person in Trinitie and hys Vertue or VVoorking Power that is his Holy spirit and saith Let vs make man. So that in the making of Man is a more perfite token giuen of the Three Persons in Trinitie then in the Creating of any other part of the worlde And further to declare the Dignitie of man He was made according to the * Image of God whereby we maye not thinke as some wicked heretikes haue done that God hath a like proportion of body as we see man to haue For that is not the Image or likenes that is here spoken of but as God was Wise Iuste Mercifull Good Innocent Holy Immortall so was Man made by God wise iuste mercifull good innocent holy immortall and to expresse a more perfite lykenesse he was made of power and appointed Lorde and Ruler ouer all the other Creatures of the worlde This Image by the fall of Adam was almost cleane blotted out and restored againe by the * second Adam Christ Iesu to that perfectnesse that this frayle and mortall lyfe might beare carying continually about with vs in our bosomes the * stings of our corruption lyricking vs forward still to vngodlynesse The blessing of encrease and multiplying that God giueth vnto Man declareth that he was made Male and Female to the ende that by lawfull procreation they might fulfill the earth and raise vp a large and great Church or congregation of holy Creatures to giue Honor and glorie to their Lorde and maker Wherefore it cannot be thought that Mariage and the lawfull ioyning of Man and Woman is an euill or an vncleane thing but the lawfull and good ordinance of God himselfe And therfore well sayth Saint Paule Honorable in all persons is VVedlock and the bedde vndefiled but VVhooremaysters and Adulterers God will iudge God sawe euery thing that he had made and beholde they were exceeding c. This Iudgement of God that here he gyueth vpon hys workes pronouncing them to be all verie Good ought to be vnto vs a Rule that we presume not to speake or thinke otherwise of them and shewe our selues therein vnthankfull to our God maker If there be eyther fruites or herbs or beasts that we accompt and call Euill or Hurtfull it riseth eyther of our Vnperfitnesse that vnderstande not the right vse of them or else of the Curse of God for the Sinne and fall of Adam by which as Man himselfe so diuers other Creatures are fallen frō that Perfection in which they were first made by GOD So that the Sinne of Man and not Gods creation is cause therof The Sunday called Septuagesima at Euening prayer Genesis 2. THus the heauens and earth were finished and all the hoast of them 2. And in the seuenth day God ended his worke which he had made And the seuenth day he rested from all his worke which he had made 3 And God blessed the seuenth day and sanctified it because that in it he had rested from al his worke which God ordened to make 4 These are the generations of the heauens and of the earth when they were created in the daye when the Lorde God made the earth and the heauens 5 And euery plant of the fielde before it
was in the earth and euery herbe of the fielde before it grewe For the Lorde God had not yet caused it to raine vpon the earth neyther vvas there a man to till the grounde 6 But there went vp a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground 7 The Lorde God also dyd shape man of the dust of the ground and breathed into hys nosethrilles the breath of life and man was a liuing soule 8 And the Lorde God planted a Garden eastwarde in Eden and there he put the man whome he had shapen 9 Moreouer out of the ground made the Lorde God to growe euery trée that was fayre to sight and pleasant to eat The trée of life in the middest of the Garden and the trée of knowledge of good and euill 10 And out of Eden there went forth a ryuer to water the Garden and from thence it was deuided and became into foure heades 11 The name of the first is Pison the same is it that compasseâ—h the whole lande of Hauilab where there is golde 12 And the golde of the lande is very good There is also Bdellium and the Onix stone 13 The name of the second riuer is Gihon the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia 14 The name of the thirde Ryuer is Hidekel and it goeth towarde the east side of Assyrta and the fourth ryuer is Euphrates 15 And the Lorde God tooke the man and put him into the gardeÌ„ of Eden that be might worke it and kéepe it 16 And the Lorde God commaunded the man saying Eating thou shalt eate of euery trée of the garden 17 But as touching the trée of knowledge of good And euill thou shalt not eate of it For in what daye so euer thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death 18 And the Lorde God sayde It is not good that the man should be alone I will make him an helpe lyke vnto hym 19 And so out of the grounde the Lorde God had shapen euery beast of the fielde and euery foule of the ayre and brought them vnto man that he might sée howe he woulde call them For likewise as man named euery lyuing thing so was the name thereof 20 And the man gaue names to all cattell and foule of the ayre and to euery beast of the fielde but for man founde he not an helpe like vnto him 21 The Lorde God caused a déepe sléepe to fall vpon Adam and he slept and he tooke one of his ribbes and closed vp the place with fleshe in steade thereof 22 And the ribbe which the Lorde God hath taken from man made he a woman and brought her vnto the man. 23 And man sayde This is nowe bone of my bones and fleshe of my flesh she shall be called woman bicause she was taken out of man. 24 For this cause shall man leaue his father and his mother and shall be ioyned with his wyfe and they shall become one fleshe 25 And they were both naked the man and his wyfe and were not ashamed The Exposition vpon the .ij. Chapter of Genesis Thus the heauens and earth was finished and all the hoast of them c. SEing that when Man was made the whole worlde had his perfection and ending it maye appeare that all thinges by Gods goodnesse were made for man and to his vse which consideration oâ—â—ght to moue men to bee thankefull vnto God for so great and vnestimable Benefites and to * doe all things to his Honour and glorie according to the ende of their Creation For as the world was made for Man So Man was created to set forth the praise and glorie of god By this worde Hoste he meaneth the Furniture of heauen and Earth and the Multitude of all Gods creatures belonging to them both And therfore when God is often in Scripture called* The Lorde of Hostes it is ment he is the Lord and maker of all Creatures and hath them all at hys commaundement eyther to defende his people or to worke punishment vpon his Enimies And the seauenth daye he rested from all the workes that he made c. Verie well saith Augustine God rested the seauenth day from the worke of Creation but he neuer Ceaseth from the rule of his gouernance For the same God that in the beginning made Heauen and Earth and all Creatures contayned in them doth now also continually Preserue Maintaine and gouerne the same Therefore we are no 〈◊〉 nowe daylie bounde to thanke God for the Preseruation of his Creatures to our vse then we were at the beginning for Making of them We maye not thinke that Creatures once made doe preserue and prosper themselues by a course of Nature oâ—ely but that it is the finger of God and his gratious Prouidence that woâ—â—eth coÌ„tinually in them By him saith Saint Paule wee haue our Being we Liue and we Mooue And to the Hebr. Sustayning all things by the worde of his power And God blessed the seauenth day and sanctified it because c. There are 4. causes why God sanctified the seuenth day 1 The first because he ceased from the making of any mo new Creatures 2 The second for the Worthynesse of mankinde whose creation and making was the Ende of the whole worlde 3 The thirde that it might be an institution and ordinance of a worship due vnto God on the behalf of Man wherby he should set forth his prayse and Glory and acknowledge his vnestimable goodnesse towarde him 4 The fourth that it might be a Figure of Immortality and of our eternal Rest with God in heauen after the ende of the worlde For the Lord God had not yet caused it to raine vpon the earth c. At the beginning thinges that grewe on the Earth were brought forth by God without raine and without labour of mans hande but afterward God giueth in commaundement that Man should Manure the Earth and God did sende Raine to season and moyst it Wherefore Men must Laboure and traueile Plant and Sowe and not looke to eate the fruites of the Earth * in Idlenesse And yet must he not so trust in his worke and labour as though it coulde be of any force or worke benefite vnto him without the goodnesse of God in Seasoning the Earth and prospering his labors and traualles The prouidence of God will haue both to go togither Mans painefull labour and Gods gracious working The Lord also did shape man of the dust of the Grounde c. Here Moyses returneth againe to the worke of the sixt day and expoundeth nowe that he left vnspoken before that is that God made the body of Man of the dust of the Earth He had before sayde that God did make Man according to his owne Image which was the greatest Dignitie that could be giuen vnto Man But nowe least by that pretence he should be puffed vp with Pride he setteth before his eyes his Base
men are subiect to * Frailetie and weakenesse of Faith and therby sometimes doe that which is Euill and can not be defended And so when Abram was come into Egipt the Egiptians behelde the woman c. Marke here the vanity of Worldly fleshly persons Abram vndoubtedly was a man of comely Stature Graue in countenaÌ„ce of much Humanitie and curtesie in behauior And Saray his wife a Sober matron Modest Chast and vertuous of farre more bewtie of mynde than she was of bodie And yet these fleshly men had no consideration of those giftes but with vnchaste affections * cast their eyes altogether vpoÌ„ hir fairenesse And euen for the same take her without further consideration to be a Present for the Prince hymselfe wherby may appeare a great corruption of that kingdome as well in the Prince as in the People For had not the Prince shewed himselfe in lyfe to be such a one as to satisfie his fleshly lust pleature he regarded neither honestie nor godlynesse but onely the bewtie of the person The Egiptians would neuer haue bene so readie to haue tolde the King nor he to haue taken her into his house vpoÌ„ their report Therefore it is well sayde that the Offence of a Prince is a Double Offence as well for the euill that is in the thing it selfe as that it is an Example to drawe many to the like euill For * such as the Prince is such are the People But the Lorde plagued Pharao and his house with great plagues c. God that is the author of Mariage is defendor of the Innocencie and Chastitie of the godly and sharpe Punisher of the breakers thereof as saiâ—t Paule sayth * Fornicators and adulterours God will Iudge Therefore with grieuous plagues doth he punishe Pharao and his houshold for intertayning Abrams wife and purposing vnlawfull Mariage with hir though it were to hym vnknowne that shee was Wyfe to an other man What Plagues then may they looke for at Gods hande that bende there whole endeuor to Allure the known Wiues of other men to wickednesse and Filthy Lust and take the same almost to be no Sin but a Solace and Pastime Surely they can not looke for so great punishment as God in his iuste measure of tyme wyll cast vpon them The first Sunday in Lent at Euening prayer Genesis 19. ANd there came two Angels to Sodome at euen and Lot sat at the gate of Sodom and Lot seing them rose vp to méete them and he bowed himselfe with his face towarde the grounde 2 And he saide Oh my Lordes turne in I praye you into your seruantes house and tarie all night and washe your féete and ye shall rise vp earely to go your wayes Which saide Nay but we will bide in the stréete all night 3 And he pressed vpon them excéedingly and they returning into vnto him entred into his house he made them a feast and did bake vnleauened bread and they did eaâ—e 4 And before they went to rest the men of the citie euen the men of Sodome compassed the house rounde about both olde and yong all people from all quarters 5 And they calling vnto Lot sayde vnto him Where are the men which came in to thée this night bring them out vnto vs that we may knowe them 6 And Lot went out at the dore vnto them and shut the dore after him 7 And sayde Nay I pray you brethren doe not so wickedly 8 Beholde I haue two daughters which haue knowne no man them will I bring out nowe vnto you and doe with them as it seemeth good in your eies onely vnto these men doe nothing for therefore came they vnder the shadow of my roofe 9 And they sayde Stande backe And they saide againe He came in as one to soiourne and will he nowe be a iudge we will surely deale worse with thée then with them And they pressed sore vpon the man euen Lot came to breake vp the dore 10 But the men put forth their hande and pulled Lot into the house to them and shut to the dore 11 And the men that were at the dore of the house they smote with blindnesse both small and great so that they were wearied séeking the dore 12 And the men sayd vnto Lot Hast thou here anye besides sonne in lawe and thy sonnes and thy daughters and whatsoeuer thou hast in the citie bring them out of this place 13 For we will destroy this place because the crie of them is great before the face of God for the Lord hath sent vs to destroy it 14 And Lot went out and spake vnto his sonnes in lawe which mariâ—d hys daughters saying Stand vp get ye out of this place for the Lord will ouerthrow this Citie But he séemed as thoughe he had mocked vnto hys sonnes in lawe 15 And when the morning arose the Angels caused Lot to spéede him saying Stande vp take thy wyfe and thy two daughters which be at hande â–ª lest thou perishe in the sinne of the citie 16 And as he prolonged the time the men caught both him his wife and his two daughters by the handes the Lorde being mercifull vnto him and they brought him forth and set him without the citie 17 And when they had brought them out the angels said Saue thy selfe and looke not behinde thee neyther â—ary thou in all this plaine countrey Saue thy selfe in the mountayne least thou perish 18 And Lot said vnto them Oh not so my Lords 19 Behold thy seruant hath found grace in thy sight and thou hast magnified thy mercie which thou hast shewed vnto mée in sauing my lyfe Beholde I cannot be saued in the Mountaine least some harme fall vpon me and I die 20 Beholde here is a citie by to flye vnto euen yonder little one Oh let me escape thyther Is it not a little one and my saâ—le shall liue 21 And â—e sayde vnto him Sée I haue receaued thy request as concerning this thing that I will not ouerthrowe this citie for the which thou hast spoken 22 Haste thée and he saued there for I can doe nothing till thou be come thither And therefore the name of the citie is Zoar. 23 And the sunne was now risen vpon the earth and Lot was entred into Zoar. 24. Then the Lord rained vpon Sodome and Gomorrhe brimstone and fyre from the Lorde out of heauen 25 And ouerthrâ—we those cities and all that playne region and all that dwelled in the cities and that that grewe vpon the earth 26 But Lots wife folowing him looked behinde her and was turned into a piller of salt 27 Abraham rysing vp early got him to the place where he stoode before the presence of God. 28 And looked towarde Sodome and Gomorrhe and towarde all the lande of that plaine countrie and behelde and lo the smoke of the countrie arose as the smoke of a furnasse 29 And it came to passe that when God destroyed the Cities of
so in the land whither ye go to possesse it 6 Kepe them therfore do them for that is your wisedom and vnderstanding in the syght of the people that they may heare all these ordinances and say Surely it is a wise and vnderstanding people it is a great nation 7 For what other nation is so great that gods come so nie vnto as the Lord our God is nie vnto vs in all things as oft as we call vnto him 8 Yea and what nation is so greate that hath ordinances and lawes so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day 9 Take héed to thy self therfore and kéepe thy soule diligently that thou forget not the things which thyne eyes haue séen and that they depart not out of thy heart all the days of thy life but teach them thy sonnes thy sonnes sonnes 10 Specially the day that thou stodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb when the Lorde sayde vnto me Gather me the people together and I will make them heare my words that they may learne to feare me all the days that they shal liue vpon the earth that they may teach their children 11 Ye came and stode also vnder the mountayn the mountayn burnt with fire euen vnto the middes of heauen and there was darknesse cloudes mist 12 And the Lord spake vnto you oute of the middes of the fire and ye hearde the voyce of the wordes but sawe no similitude but hearde a voyce onely 13 And he declared vnto you his couenant which he commaunded you to do euen ten commaundements which he wrote vpon two tables of stone 14 And the Lord cōmaunded me that same season that I should teach you ordinances and lawes which ye ought to do in the land whither ye go to possesse it 15 Take therefore good héede vnto your selues as pertaining vnto your soules for ye sawe no maner of image in the day that the Lorde spake vnto you in Horeb out of the middes of fire 16 Lest ye marre your selues make you a grauen image picture of any maner of figure whether it be the likenesse of man or woman 17 The likenesse of any maner of beast that is on the earth or the likenesse of any maner fethered foule that flyeth in the ayre 18 Or the likenesse of any maner worme that créepeth on the earth or the likenesse of any maner fish that is in the waters beneath the earth 19 Yea and lest thou lift vp thyne eyes vnto heauen and when thou séest the sunne the Moone and the starres with al the hoast of heauen shuldest be driuen to worship them and serue them and shuldest worship and serue the things which the Lord thy God hath made to serue all nations vnder the whole heauen 20 But the Lord hath taken you and brought you out of the yron fornace euen out of Egypte to be vnto him a people and inheritaunce as ye be this daye 21 Furthermore the Lord was angrie with me for youre wordes and sware that I should not go ouer Iordane that I should not go in vnto that good lande which the Lorde thy God giueth thée to inheritance 22 But I muste dye in this land and shall not go ouer Iordane but ye shall go ouer and possesse that good land 23 Take héed vnto your selues that ye forget not the appointment of the Lord your God which he made with you that ye make you no grauen image or likenesse that the lord thy God hath forbidden thée 24 For the lord thy God is a cōsuming fire a ielous God. 25 When thou shalt beget children and thy children beget children and shalte haue remained long in the lande if ye do wickedly and make any maner of grauen image and worke euill in the sight of the Lorde thy God to prouoke him to anger 26 I call heauen and earth to recorde against you this daye that ye shall shortly perishe from of the lande wherunto you go ouer Iordane to possesse it ye shall not prolong your dayes therein but shall vtterly be destroyed 27 And the Lord shal scatter you among the people and ye shal be left fewe in number among the nations whither the Lord shall bring you 28 And there ye shall serue Gods which are the work of mans hande wood and stone which neither sée nor heare nor eate nor smell 29 If frō thence thou shalt seke the Lord thy God thou shalt finde him * if thou seke him with all thy heart and with all thy soule 30. When thou art in tribulation and when all these things that be here spoken of are come vppon thée euen in the latter dayes if thou turne to the Lorde thy God and shalt be obedient vnto his voyce 31 For the Lorde thy God is a mercifull God he will not forsake thée neither destroye thée nor forget the appoyntment of thy fathers which he sware vnto them 32 For aske of the dayes that are paste which were before and since the day that God created man vpō the earth and aske from the one side of heauē vnto the other if euer there came to passe suche a great thing or whether anye such like thing hath ben hearde as this 33 Did euer any people heare the voyce of God speaking out of the middes of a fire as thou hast heard yet lyued 34 Or hath God assayed to go and take him a people frō among nations by temptations by signes by wonders by warre by a mighty hande by a stretched out arme and by great sightes according to all that the Lord your God dyd vnto you in Egipt before your eyes 35 Vnto thée it was shewed that thou mightest knowe that the Lord is God and that there is none other but he 36 Out of heauen he made thée heare his voyce that he might instruct thée and vpō earth he shewed thée his great fire thou heardest his word out of the middest of the fire 37 And bycause he loued thy fathers he chose their séede after thē and brought thée out in his sighte w his mightie power * out of Egipt 38 To thrust out natiōs greater mightier than thou before thée to bring thée in to geue thée their land to inheritāce as it is come to passe this day 39 Vnderstand therfore this day and consider it in thine hearte that the Lorde is God in heauen aboue and vpon the earth beneath neither is there any other 40 Thou shalt kepe therfore his ordināces hys commaūdements which I cōmaund thée this day y it may go wel with thée with thy childrē after thée and that thou maist prolong thy dayes vpō the earth which the lord thy God geueth thée for euer 41 Then Moyses seuered thrée cities on the other syde of Iordane toward the sun rising 42 That he shoulde flée thither whych had kylled hys neighboure vnwares and hated him not in
Svvept avvay with the Riuer Kison by which the fielde was foughte Yea and the horse men fled with suche violence that they rent their horses hoofes Curse ye the Cittie of Meros sayde the Angell of the Lorde Curse the. c. Meros was a Citie of the Israelites neere to Thabor where the victorie was gotten therfore vnexcusable because they came not forth to helpe and by the Angell of God are here cursed Whereby all men are taught* not to withdrawe their helping hand when God calleth to the deliuerance of his people from the wicked tirannie of the oppressour In the residewe the Prophetisse pleasantly setteth forth the gesture Policie and stoutenesse of Iael in killing Sisara with the great reproche of that proude and confident tiranne that so long vnder his Prince had oppressed Gods people In the ende to the comforte of the faithful in waye of conclusion or rather of a triumphant reioysing She addeth that God in like maner will deale* with all his enemies and they that loue him and put their trust and confidence in his mercy shall prosper and Florishe as the Sunne risen to his might that is when he is come to his midde dayes course The thirde Sunday after Trinitie at Mornyng prayer 1. Samuel 2. ANd Hanna prayed and sayde Myne heart reioyceth in the Lorde and mine horne is exalted in the Lorde my mouthe is wyde open ouer mine enemies for I reioyce in thy saluation 2 There is none holye as the Lorde for without thée is nothing neither is there any of strength as is our God. 3 Talke no more proudely let not arrogancie come out of your mouthes for the Lorde is a God of knowledge and his purposes come to passe 4 The bowe with the mightie men are broken and they that were weake haue girded themselues with strength 5 They that were full haue hyred oute themselues for breade and they that were hungrye ceasse tyll the barren haue borne seuen and she that had many children is waxed féeble 6 The Lorde killeth and maketh aliue bryngeth downe to the graue and fetcheth vp againe 7 The Lorde maketh poore and maketh riche bringeth lowe and heaueth vp on hye 8 He raiseth vp the poore out of the dust and lifteth vp the begger from the dounghill to set them among princes and to make them inherite the seate of glorye For the pillers of the earth are the Lordes and he hath set the worlde vpon them 9 He will kéepe the féete of his Saintes and the wicked shall kepe scilence in darkenesse and in his owne might shall no man be strong 10 The Lordes aduersaries shall be destroyed of him and oute of heauen shall be thunder vpon them the Lorde shall iudge the endes of the world and shall giue mighte vnto his king and exalte the horne of his annointed 11 And Elkana went to Ramath to his house and the lad did Minister vnto the Lord before Eli the priest 12 But the sonnes of Eli were Children of Belial and knew not the Lord 13 And the priests custome toward the people was that whensoeuer anye man offered anye offering the priests lad came whyle the fleshe was a séething and a fleshhooke with thrée téeth in his hand 14 And thrust it into the panne kettle caldron or pot and al that the fleshhooke broughte vp that the priest toke for him selfe And so they dyd vnto all the Israelites that came thither to Silo. 15 Yea and thereto before they burnt the fat the priests lad came and sayde to the man that offered Geue fleshe that I maye roste it for the priest for he will not haue sodden fleshe of thée but rawe 16 And if any man saide vnto him Let them burne the fat according to the custome and then take as muche as thyâ—e heart desireth Then he would answere him Yea thou shalt giue it mée now and if thou wilt not I will take it with violence 17 And the sinne of the young men was verye great before the Lorde for men abhored the offering of the Lord. 18 But the childe Samuel Ministred before the Lordâ— girded with a linnen Ephod 19 Moreouer his mother made him a little coate and brought it to him from yéere to yéere when she came vp with her husband to offer the yéerely sacrifice 20 And Eli blessed Elkana and his wife and sayde The Lord giue thée séede of this woman for the petition that she asked of the Lorde And they went vnto their owne home 21 And the Lord visited Hanna so that she conceyued and bare thrée sonnes and two daughters and the childe Samuel grewe before the Lorde 22 Eli was very olde and heard all that his sonnes did vnto all Israel and howe they lay with the women that wayted at the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation 23 And he saide vnto them why doe ye suche things for of all these people I heare euill reportes of you 24 Oh nay my sonnes for it is no good reporte that I heare howe that ye make the Lordes people to trespasse 25 If one man sinne against another the iudge shall iudge it but if a man sinne againste the Lorde who will be his dayseman Notwithstanding they hearkened not vnto the voyce of their father bicause the Lord would slay them 26 The childe Samuel profited and grewe and was in fauour both with the Lorde and with men 27 And there came a man of God vnto Eli and saide vnto him Thus saith the lorde Did not I plainely appeare vnto the house of thy father when they were in Egipte in Pharaos house 28 And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest for to offer vpoÌ„ mine aulter and to burne incense and to weare an Ephod before me and I gaue vnto the house of thy father all the offeringes made by fyre of the Children of Israel 29 Wherefore treade ye downe my sacrifice and mine offering which I commaunded in the Tabernacle and honourest thy children aboue me to make your selues fat of the first fruites of all the offeringes of Israel my people 30 Wherfore the Lorde God of Israel sayth I saide that thy house and the house of thy father should walke before me for euer but now the Lord sayth That be farre from mée for them that worshippe me I will worshippe and they that despise me shall come to shame 31 Beholde the dayes come that I will cut of thine arme and the arme of thy fathers house that there shall not be an old man in thine house 32 And thou shalt sée thine enemie in the habitation of the lord in all the wealth which God shall giue Israel and there shall not be an olde man in thine house for euer 33 Neuerthelesse I will not destroy euery one that come of thée from mine aulter to make thine eyes to faile and to make thine heart sorowfull and all they that be multiplied in thine house shall dye vvhen they be men 34 And
wherein I can be worshipped but onely the * expresse Image of my Deitie my sonne Christ Iesu your Sauiour and the true Messias Wherefore yet agayne I say vnto you beware of the Idolatrie of the Gentiles and cleaue fast vnto me For * my deuises shall stedfastly be established and I will fulfill all my pleasure and whatsoeuer I haue declared to you by my Prophets for your comfort Yea euen as I haue promised you I will bring a Birde out of the East that is a noble king of the Persians that shall with great power breake into Babilon trausferre the Empire from them and restore you to your Countrey againe And not onely this but I wil also in conuenient and short time bring forth my iustice and sauing health and set my saluation in Sion and my glorie in Hierusalem by the comming of the Messias and Sauiour of the worlde The 2. Sunday after the Epiphanie at Morning prayer Esay 51. HEarken vnto me ye that holde of righteousnesse and ye that séeke the Lord take héede to the stone wherout ye are hewen and to the graue wherout ye are digged 2 Consider Abraham your father and Sara that bare you howe that I called him alone and blessed him and increased him 3 Therefore shall the Lorde comfort Sion and repaire all hir decay making hir desert as a Paradise and hir wildernesse as the garden of the Lorde Myrth and ioy shall be founde there thankesgyuing and the voyce of praise 4 Haue respect vnto me then O my people both highe and lowe and laye thine eare vnto me for a lawe and an ordinance shall go forth fro me to lighten the gentiles 5 It is harde by that my health and my righteousnesse shall go forth and the people shall he ordered with mine arme the Ilandes that is the Gentiles shall hope in me and put their trust in mine arme 6 Lift vp your eyes towarde heauen and loke vpon the earth beneath for the heauens shall vanishe awaye lyke smoke and the earth shall ware olde lyke a garment and they that dwell therem shall perishe in like maner but my saluation shall endure for euer and my righteousnesse shal not cease 7 Hearken vnto me ye that haue knowledge in righteousnesse thou people that hearest my lawe in thine heart feare not the reuylings of men be not afraide of their blasphemies 8 For wormes and mothes shall eate them vp like cloth and weell but my righteousnesse shall endure for euer and my sauing health from generation to generation 9 Wake vp wake vp and be strong O thou arme of the Lorde wake vp like as in time past euer and since the the worlde beganne 10 Art not thou the same arme that hast wounded the prowde and hewen the Dragon in péeces Art not thou euen the same which hast dryed vppe the déepe of the Sea which hast made plaine the sea ground that the deliuered might goe through 11 Therefore the redéemed of the Lorde shall turne againe and come with ioy vnto Sion continuall ioy shall be on their heade and mirth and gladnesse shall be with them and sorrowe and wo shall flie from them 12 Yea I euen I am he that in all things giueth you consolation what art thou then fearest a mortall man and the childe of man which goeth away as doth the floure 13 And forgettest the Lorde that made thée that spreade out the heauens and layde the foundation of the earth but thou art euer afrayde for the sight of thine oppressour which is ready to doe harme where is the wrath of the oppressour 14 The exile maketh haste to be loosed that he dye not in prison and that his bread fayle him not 15 I am the Lorde thy God that diuide the sea and his waues shall rage whose name is the Lorde of hosts 16 I haue put my wordes in thy mouth and haue defended thée in the shadowe of my hande that I maye plant the heauens and lay the foundation of the earth and saye vnto Sion Thou art my people 17 Awake awake and stande vp O Ierusalem thou that from the hande of the Lorde hast drunken out the cup of his wrath thou that hast supped of and sucked out the slumbring cup to the bottome 18 For among all the sonnes whome he hath begotten there is not one that maye holde it vp and not one to leade it by the hande of all the sonnes that he hath nourished 19 Both these things are happened vnto thée but who is sory for it yea destruction wasting hunger and sworde but who will comfort thée 20 Thy sonnes lye comfortlesse at the heade of euerye stréete like a taken venison and are full of the terrible wrath of the Lorde and punishment of thy God. 21 And therefore thou miserable and dronken howbeit not with wine heare this 22 Thus sayth the Lorde thy Lorde and God the defendour of his people Beholde I will take the slumbring cup out of his hande euen the cup wyth the dregges of my wrath that from henceforth thou shalt neuer drinke it more 23 But I will put it into their hand that trouble thée which haue spoken to thy soule Stoupe downe that we may go ouer thée make thy body euen with the grounde and as the stréete to go vpon The Exposition vpon the. lj Chapter of Esay Hearken vnto me ye that holde of righteousnesse and ye that seeke c. THe good and godly people in the time of Esay seeing themselues fewe in number and hearing by the Prophetes that they shoulde be ledde captiue into Babilon greatly feared that all faythfull and true worshippers of GOD should in that persecution be vtterly consumed Therefore God here speaketh to them and comforteth them signifying that he will not onely in that trouble of Babilon preserue his chosen and elect of the Iewes but also not long after greatly encrease the number of his Church by the* accesse of all Nations that he would call to the light of his truth and to his true worship by the promised Messias and Sauiour of the seede of Abraham And first he willeth them to consider The rocke wherout they were hewen and the denne whereout they were digged that is as he expoundeth himselfe Abraham their father and Sara their mother of whome they discended and that God called Abraham being but one man* out of his Countrey and suffered him to liue in Chanaan to the age of an hundred yeres and his wife fourescore without children and yet that he so encreased him that his issue prooued innumerable as the * sande of the sea And by this example he willeth them all other faithful to vnderstand that though his Church people appere to the world to be neuer so much afflicted or to be brought to so low an ebbe yet he will increase and multiplie it with exceeding numbers and bring them out of miserie and trouble vnto great ioy
out any money for the thing that feedeth not c. As God by his Prophet calleth his people to the liuely Water heauenly Foode before mentioned so doth he rebuke them that they bestowe their cost labour trauayle to attaine that which in deede is no foode and wherwith their Soules cannot be relieued that is to saye that they leaue the liuely fountayne of Gods mercie in Christ Iesu and seeke after saluation by their owne works or by the obseruation of mens Deuises Traditiōs and Doctrines wherwith God by his Prophet in another place doth protest that * They worship him in vaine Encline your eares and come vnto mee take heede I say and your soule c. That which before he vttered Figuratiuely he speaketh nowe in plaine wordes that is that they should harken and giue dyligent eare vnto Hys doctrine and not be ledde away by the Fantasies of men For sayth he * I will make my euerlasting couenant with you I once promised to Dauid my seruant that of his seede I would bring forth a Sauiour of the worlde by whome I woulde be reconcyled to all them that beleeued in him and that I would chose thē as my Sonnes and heires of euerlasting lyfe This promise or couenaunt that by my othe I confirmed confirmed I will * keepe and performe to you for euer Cleaue therefore to my doctrine and swerue not from it Beholde I gaue him as a witnesse among the people for a prince c. This may be Literally spoken of Dauid But prophetically it is ment of Christ whome he sayth he gaue to the people as a * witnesse to Iustify the promise of his mercy made vnto them as a Prince to gouerne and rule them with the direction of his Spirit as a Teacher to instruct and lead them into all truth Loe thou shalt call an vnknowne people and a people that had no knowledge c. Esay prophecieth of the calling of the Gentiles and sayth that Christ by his Apostles shall * call that people that neuer knewe him before and that they shall gladly and readily runne after him because of the comfortable and sweete Doctrine of the Gospell that he published Seeke the Lorde while he may be founde and call vpon him c. After the publishing of his mercie through the Messias and Sauiour Christ Iesu he nowe exhorteth the Iewes and in them all other to turne to God by earnest repentance while his mercie and goodnesse is so freely offered For if they stubburnly refuse when God is neere at hande and calleth to mercie he will * afterwarde turne his face from them and be so farre of in his displeasure that he will not heare their prayers God is sayde to bee Nigh when by the Preachers and teachers of hys Gospell he calleth to repentance and exhorteth to imbrace his mercie liberally and bountifully offered And then to be Farre of and hard to be Found when for theyr obstinacie of his iustice he turneth his eyes from them and wil not heare their crying complayning at all as he threatneth in the first of this Prophete Esay The reason which the Prophete vseth to mooue them to repentance is the exceeding great * Readinesse and inclination of God to mercy and forgiuenesse especially towarde all them that with Sorrowfull and contrite hearts turne vnto him For thus sayth the Lorde My thoughtes are not your thoughtes c. I knowe sayth God you are all greedie of reuengement and seeke for euery small offence to be wreaked but I am not so Your mercy is Wauering and mutable but mine is Cōstant and perpetuall You are merciful by Pangues and passions but it is of my Nature and substance to be mercifull Wherefore you may not measure my wayes and cogitations by your owne Heauen and earth are not so farre distant nor so farre vnlike as your corrupt Nature and mine is Lyke as the raine and snowe commeth downe from heauen c. By this notable similitude is painted out the truth force and efficacie of the promise of Gods mercie which is the Gospel of our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ The raine and snow commeth downe from heauē not to be as an idle spectacle or to return vp into the ayre agayne without vse or profite but to moysten the earth and to make it * fruitfull This is the vse wherevnto the prouidence of God hath appoynted it and this doth it perfourme whensoeuer it lighteth on grounde that is not altogether stonie and harde Euen so is it with the Gospell of our Saluation by Christ which proceded out of the mouth of God and was promised by him from the beginning of the worlde and was appoynted by his goodnesse not to be published * in vaine but so to fall moysten the field of Gods Church that it may be fertile and in deed bring forth the fruit of remission of sinnes Adoption into the Children of God Iustice before God and the world and Assurance of euerlasting life This is the true and right vse of the Worde of God and of his holy Gospell whereby we are assured of his mercy Neither is there any thing more certaine than that it shall worke this effect if it light not on heartes * harder than any stone and such as through stiffenesse and want of fayth will not receyue the Moysture of it And so shall you go forth with ioy and be led with peace the mountaynes c. He numbreth here fiue kindes of fruites that shall spring of the doctrine of the Gospell The first is that as Moyses led forth the children of Israell out of Aegypt euen so shall Christ leade forth and deliuer the faythfull people of God from the bondage of Sathan and all their spiritual enimies to their exceeding great ioy and comfort The seconde that he shall not onely leade them forth with ioy but in peace also and shall make them Quiet in conscience and set them in such safety that neither Trouble nor Afflictiō nor Death nor Hell shall be hable to hurt them The thirde that Mountaynes and Hilles that is all the creatures of God and euen the verye Aungels in heauen shall triumph and reioyce for this our Deliuerance out of that thraldom wherinto we fell by the offence of our first father Adam The fourth that the sweete dewe of the Gospell for Briers and Thornes shall bring forth Firre Mirre and other fruitful trees that is for wicked vniust and naughtie persons it shall make iust good and godly men Thus sayth saint Paule you were whoremasters adulterers wanton persons worshippers of Images but now you are washed you are sanctified you are iustified by the name of the Lorde Iesus Christ The fift that the immortall prayse and glorie of God shall bee set forth in the Church among hys Saintes for this his great Mercies The. 3. Sunday after the Epiphanie at Euening prayer Esay 56. THus sayth
2 Lyke as at an hote fyre and that the malicious might boyle avvay as the water doth vpon the fire whereby thy name might be knowne among thine enimies and that the Gentiles might tremble before thée 3 When thou wroughtest wonderous straunge workes we looked not for them thou camest downe and the hilles melted at thy presence 4 For â—ite the beginning of the worlde it hath not bene heard or perâ—â—yâ—ed neyther hath any eye séene another God 〈◊〉 thée which duest so much for them that put their trust in thée 5 Thou helpest him that doth right with chearefulnesse and them that thinke vpon thée in thy wayes but 〈◊〉 thou hast 〈◊〉 angrie for we offended and haue bene euer in sinne though the worlde haue cleaued to them yet shall we be saued 6 We are all as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnesse are as filthy ragges we fall euersecâ—â—â—â— as the leafe for our sinnes carie vs away lyke the winde 7 There is no man that calleth vpoÌ„ thy name that standeth vp to take holde by thâ—â— therefore hydest thou thy 〈◊〉 from vs and consumest vs because of our sinnes 8. But 〈◊〉 O Lorde thou father of oures we arâ— thy clay and thou act our potter and we all are the worke of thy I. Be not to sore displeased O Lord and kéepe not our offences to long in thy remembrance but consider that we all are thy people 10 The Cities of thy Sanctuarie lye waste Sion is a wildernesse and Hierusalem a desert 11 Our holy house which is our beautie where our fathers praised thée is brent vp yea all our commodities and pleasures are wasted away 12 Wilt thou not be intreated O Lorde for all this wilt thou holde thy peace scourge vs so sore The Exposition vpon the. 64. Chapter of Esay O that thou wouldest cleaue the heauens in sunder and come downe c. THis Chapiter is a parcell of that matter that was conteined in the former For from the seuenth verse of the .lxiij. Chapiter vnto the ende of this is a Prayer made by Esaias for the people to vse in time of their grieuous affliction in which they are taught with how great * humblenesse and sorrow of hart they should confesse their sinnes for which that Plague was seâ—t Secondly at whose handes they should looke for deliuerance that is * at Gods hande alone Thirdly how they should comfort themselues and * strengthen their faith with the Memory of those woÌ„derful actes that God had done for them and their fathers before time In this place they breake out to an earnest wishe Oh say they that thou wouldest cleaue the heauens in sunder and come downe when our fathers were oppressed in Aegipt though they looked for no such goodnesse at thy hande yet thou diddest vouchsafe to come * downe from heauen to delyuer them and that with so great Maiestie and Terrour through thy wonderfull works that thy name was known and dreadfull not only to thine own people * but also to thine enimies whom thou didst mightily consume In the * Desert also thou wast continually with them to defende them And when thou purposedst to publish thy law vnto vs thou camest downe from Heauen with so great Maiestie of thunder and lightning that as water boyleth and consumeth ouer the fyre so did the Mountaine * Sinai seeme to melt away being in a great smoke with thy presence O that thou wouldest now doe the like in working our deliuerance that thy name might be knowne and thy Maiestie feared euen among the myghtiest of thyne enimies c. The rest of the Chapiter folowing is plaine and easie to be vnderstanded The Sunday called Septuagesima at Morning prayer Genes 1. IN the beginning God created heauen and earth â— 2 And the earth was without fourme and 〈◊〉 boyde and darkenesse vvas vpon the face of the déepe and the spirite of God moued vpon the face of the waters 3 And God saide Let there be light and and there was light 4 And God saw the light that it was good and God deuided the light from the darknesse 5 And God called the light day and the darkenesse night and the euening and the morning were the first day 6 And God saide Let there be a Firmament betwéene the waters and let it make a deuision betwéene waters and waters 7 And God made the Firmament and set a deuision betwéene the waters which vvere vnder the firmament and the waters that vvere aboue the firmament and it was so 8 And God called the firmament heauen and the euening aud the morning were the second day 9 And God sayde Let the waters vnder the heauen be gathered togither into one place and let the drie lande appeare and it was so 10 And God called the drie lande the earth and the gathering togither of the waters called he the seas and God sawe that it was good 11. And God sayde Let the earth bring forth budde and gréene hearbe apt to séede and fruitfull trées yéelding fruite after his kinde which hath séede in it selfe vppon the earth and it was so 12 And the earth brought forth gréene herbe apt to séede after his kinde and trée yelding fruit which had séede it in selfe after his kinde 13 And God saw that it was good And the euening and the morning were the third day 14 And God sayde Let there be lights in the firmament of heauen that they may deuide the day and the night and let them be for signes and seasons and for dayes and yeares 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heauen that they may giue light vpon the earth and it was so 16 And God made two great lightes a greater light to rule the day and a lesse light to rule the night and he made starres also 17 And God set them in the Firmament of the heauen to shine vpon the earth 18 And to rule the day and night and to make difference betwéene the light and the darkenesse and God saw that it was good 19 And the euening and morning were the fourth day 20 And God sayde Let the waters bring forth moouing creature that hath life and foule that may flie vpon the earth in the open firmament of heauen 12 And God created great whales and euery liuing and mouing creature which the waters brought forth after their kind and euery fethered foule after their kind and God saw that it was good 22 And God blessed them saying Be fruitfull and multiplie and fill the waters of the sea and let foule multiplie in the earth 23 And the euening and morning were the fift day 24 And God sayde Let the earth bring forth liuing creature after his kinde cattell worme and beastes of the earth after his kind and it was so 25 God made the beast of the earth after his kinde and cattell after his kinde and euery thing that créepeth vpon
that felicitie that is * purchased for vs by Christ Iesus our seconde Adam It cannot be that we shall feele the sweetnesse of the felicitie of our redemption by Christ Iesu except we feele in deede wyth humble heartes what we are by the disobedience of our first father that is nothing but Dust Ashes And the Lorde sayde beholde this man is become as one of vs in knowing good c. By this euent we may learne with howe euill successe man doth yeeld to the disobedience of God at the perswasion of Sathan and his wicked instruments They where promised to be Gods but after they had eaten they were so farre from the glorie of God that they were debased vnder the Condition of Man and made almost equall wyth Beasts They were promised the Knowledge of good and euill wherby they shoulde ascend to perfect Wisedom but they became more mad and foolishe than other common Creatures they vnderstoode what was Good but by the miserable losse of that goodnesse which before they had they knew by experience in Sin what was euil but that Knowledge and experience they bought with the Losse of eternall Felicitie and Loue of God. Therefore the Lorde God sent him forth of the Garden of Eden c. It was the iust iudgement of God to Cast Adam out of Paradice because he neglecting the consideration of so great Dignitie felicity wherin he was placed did transgresse the Law of Paradice forgetting whence he was taken and into what Place he was transferred At the East side of the Garden he did set Cherubins and a fierie two edged c. God might by some priuie meanes haue kept Adam out of Paradice and from the tree of Life but his pleasure was by this outwarde and sensible way to Cut of from Adam all hope of atteyning the same hereafter that thereby he might the sooner submit himselfe to the will and pleasure of god Mans stubburnnesse hopeth and attempteth many things impossible which he woulde not doe if he did see before his eyes vnuincible resistance as in this place the Aungell and the fierie sworde Was. Sexagesima Sunday at Euening prayer Genesis 6. ANd it came to passe that when men began to be multiplied in the vpper face of the earth there were daughters borne vnto them 2. And the sonnes of God also sawe the daughters of men that they were fayre and they tooke them wyues such as they lyked from among them all 3 And the Lorde sayde My spirite shall not alwayes striue with man because he is fleshe yet hys dayes shall be an hundred and twentie yeares 4 But there were Gyantes in those dayes in the earth yea and after that the sonnes of God came vnto the daughters of men and had begotten children of them the same became mightie men of the worlde and men of renowne 5 But God sawe that the malice of man was great in the earth and all the imagination of the thoughtes of his heart vvas onely euill euery day 6 And it repented the Lorde that he had made man vpon the earth and he was touched with sorowe in his heart 7 And the Lorde sayde I will from the vpper face of the earth destroyman whom I haue created from man vnto cattel vnto worme and vnto foules of the ayre For it repenteth me that I haue made them 8 But Noah founde grace in the eyes of the Lorde 9 These are the generation of Noah Noah vvas a iust man and pefect in his generations and walked with God. 10 Noah begat thrée sonnes Sem Ham and Iaphath 11 The earth also was corrupt before GOD and the same earth was filled with crueltie 12 And God looked vpon the earth and beholde it was corrupt for all fleshe had corrupted his way vpon earth 13 And God said vnto Noah The ende of all flesh is come before me for the earth is filled with crueltie through them and beholde I will destroy them with the earth 14 Make thée an Arke of Pine trées Habitations shalt thou make in the Ark and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch 15 And of this fashion shalt thou make it The length of the Arke shall be thrée hundred cubites the breadth of it fiftie cubites and the height of it thirtie cubites 16 A window shalt thou make in the arke and in a cubite shalt thou finish it aboue but the doore of the arke shalt thou set in the side thereof With thrée loftes one aboue another shalt thou make it 17 And beholde I euen I doe bring a floud of waters vpon the earth to destroye all flesh wherein is the breath of life vnder heauen and euerye thing that is in the earth shall perish 18 With thée also will I make my couenant and thou shalt come into the Arke thou and thy sonnes thy wyfe and thy sonnes wiues with thée 19 And of euery liuing thing of all flesh a payre of euery one shalt thou bring into the ark to kéepe them aliue with thée they shall be male and female 20 Of feathered foules also after their kinde and of all cattell after their kinde of euery worme of the earth after hys kynde two of enery sort shall come vnto thée to kéepe them aliue 21 And take thou with thée of all meats that is eaten and thou shalt lay it vp with thée that it may be meate for thée and them 22 Noah therefore did according vnto all that God commanded him euen so did he The Exposition vpon the sixt Chapter of Genesis And it came to passe that when men began to be multiplied in the vpper c. THe sonnes of God in this place are taken to be the sonnes of Seth and his godly posteritie whiche professed the name of GOD and his true worship And the daughters of men are vnderstanded to be the Daughters of Cain and his vngodly Generation which contemned the name of God and gaue themselues to the lustes of the worlde So that the sense is that the whole worlde was Corrupted and giuen ouer to their sensuall pleasure For not onely the wicked generation of Cain and his ofspring but the posteritie of the godly also forsooke the feare of God and without all regarde of Conscience onely to satisfie their Carnall lust and pleasure tooke wiues of the daughters of the vngodly worldlings * which seduced them from the true worship of God and vertuous life to the Contempt of God and all Corruption and wickednesse of the flesh Therefore GOD iustly breaketh out in displeasure agaynst mankinde and sayth that His spirite shoulde not alwayes or for euer thus striue and trauaile with them as hitherto he had done to bring them to amendment because they were altogither fleshly and vncorrigible and giuen ouer to the wicked deuises of their owne mindes Wherefore he doth appoynt them * a determinate time within which if they did not repent and amende he woulde surely destroy them And this time was the space
pleasant meate such as she knew his father loued 15 And Rebecca fet goodly rayment of her oldest sonne Esau which were in the house with her and put them vpon Iacob her yonger sonne 16 And she put the skinnes of the kiddes vpon his handes and vpon the smooth of his necke 17 And she put that pleasant meate and breade which she had prepared in the hande of her sonne Iacob 18 When he came to his father hée sayde My father And he aunswered Here am I who art thou my sonne 19 And Iacob sayd vnto his father I am Esau thy eldest sonne I haue done according as thou baddest me arise I pray thée sitte and eate of my veneson that thy soule may blesse me 20 And Isahac sayde vnto hys sonne Howe commeth it that thou hast founde it so quickly my sonne He aunswered The Lorde thy God brought it to my hands 21 Then sayde Isahac vnto Iacob Come néere and I will féele thée my sonne whether thou be my very son Esau or not 22 Then went Iacob to Isahac his father and he felt him and sayde The voyce is Iacobs voyce but the handes are the handes of Esau 23. And he knewe him not because his handes were hearie as his brother Esaus handes and so he blessed him 24 And he asked him Art thou my sonne Esau And he sayde That I am 25 Then sayd he Bring me and let me eate of my sonnes veneson that my soule may blesse thée And he brought him and he eate and he brought him wine also and he dranke 26 And his father Isahac sayd vnto him Come neere and kisse me my sonne 27 And he went vnto him and kissed him and he smelled the sauour of his rayment and blessed him and sayde Sée the smell of my sonne is as the smell of a féelde which the Lorde hath blessed 28 God giue thée of the deawe of heauen and of the fatnesse of the earth and plenty of corne and wine 29 People be thy seruantes and Nations bowe to thée be Lorde ouer thy brethren and thy mothers children stowpe with reuerence vnto thée cursed be he that curseth thée and blessed be he that blesseth thée 30 Assoone as Isahac had made an ende of blessing Iacob and Iacob was scarse gone out from the presence of Isahac his father then came Esau his brother from his hunting 31 And he also had made a pleasant meate and brought it vnto his father and sayde vnto his father Let my father arise and eate of his sonnes veneson that thy soule may blesse me Then his father Isahac sayd vnto him Who art thou He aunswered I am thy sonne thy first borne Esau 33 And Isahac was greatly astonied out of measure and sayde Which is he and where is he then that hath hunted veneson and brought it me and I haue eaten of all before thou camest and haue blessed him yea and he shal be blessed 34 When Esau heard the wordes of his father he cryed aloud and bitterly aboue measure and sayd vnto his father Blesse me I also am thy sonne O my father 35 Who aunswered Thy brother came with sutteltie and hath taken away thy blessing 36 And he sayd againe Is not he rightly named Iacob for he hath vndermined me nowe two times First he tooke away my byrth right and sée nowe he hath taken away my blessing also And he sayd Hast thou kept neuer a blessing for mée 37 Isahac answered and sayde vnto Esau Beholde I haue made him thy Lorde and all his brethren haue I made his seruantes Moreouer with corne and wine haue I established him what shall I doe vnto thée now my sonne 38 And Esau sayd vnto his father Hast thou but that one blessing my father blesse me I am also thy sonne O my father So lifted vp Esau his voyce and wept 39 Then Isahac his father aunswered and sayde vnto him Beholde thy dwelling place shall be the fatnesse of the earth and of the deawe of heauen from aboue 40 And through thy sworde shalt thou liue and shalt bée thy brothers seruant and it shall come to passe that thou shalt get the maistrie and thou shalt loose his yoke from of thy necke 41 And Esau hated Iacob because of the blessing that his father blessed him withall And Esau sayde in his heart The dayes of sorowing for my father are at hand then will I slay my brother Iacob 42 And these wordes of Esau her elder sonne were told to Rebecca And she sent and called Iacob hir yonger sonne and sayde vnto him Behold thy brother Esau as touching thée doth comfort himselfe full purposing to kill thée 43 Nowe therefore my sonne heare my voyce make thée readie and flie to Laban my brother at Haran 44 And tary with him a while vntill thy brothers fiercenesse be swaged 45 And vntill thy brothers wrath turne away from thée and he forget the things which thou hast done to him then will I sende and fet thée away from thence why shoulde I be desolate of you both in one day 46 And Rebecca spake to Isahat I am wearie of my life for the daughters of Heth If Iacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth such as these vvhich are of the daughters of this lande what good shall my life do me The Exposition vpon the .xxvij. Chapter of Genesis And it came to passe when Isahac olde and his eyes were dimme c. THis whole historie that Moses setteth forth in this Chapiter so largely may seeme at the first to conteyne no great matter of weight but onely the Sleight and Craft of a mother and her sonne causing the Father to transferre the blessing of his Heritage vpon one that he would not haue done it vnto But if with Reuerence as our duetie is we looke into the scriptures of God and lay aside vaine and wicked cogitations we shall see in this place the worke of the wisedome Prouidence of God vsing the Blemishes and frailties of the Godly vnto his glorie and to the perfourmance of his determined purpose and promise For as the Patriarkes were Godly men and in the * singuler Fauour of GOD so had they as men their Imperfections and offences which God vndoubtedly misliked and yet of his mercie pardoned as in other Chapters before is declared The like is here nowe in this place as well in Isaac as in Rebecca and Iacob her sonne Therfore no person can by them take Example of the like doyng but rather learue a Godly lesson to be more ware of themselues and to take heed least to the Hasarding of the Fauour of God they doe that which shall be contrarie to his holy Will and displeasant vnto him When the two children were borne the determined purpose of God was declared and his Election made manifest * That the elder Esau should be Seruant vnto Iacob the yonger This was reuealed vnto Rebecca and not vnknowne to Isaac the father And yet this notwithstanding of a
on some that be in honour and dignitie By this bayte the common subiects are allured to take part with them and headelong to thrust themselues not onely to daunger and slaughter but also to the iust * vengeance of God that commonlye followeth for the same These meanes doe Corah Dathan and the other vse agaynst Moyses and Aaron For first they say vnto them You take to much vpon you wherein they note Pride and Ambition in them And againe in the. 13. Verse Is it a small thing that thou hast brought vs out of the land that flovveth vvith milk and honie to kill vs in the VVildernesse but that thou make thy selfe Lorde ouer vs also In these wordes of an obstinate stubburnnesse euen agaynst his owne conscience Dathan obiecteth to Moyses ambitions seeking of principalitie where as in deede he sawe by the woonderfull workes wrought by him that he was called therto by god But this is of Exceeding malice that he â—ayeth agaynst him as a great fault that thinge which was the Worthiest act that euer he did that is the Deliuerie of the Israelites out of the miserable bondage of Aegypt And yet this wicked Rebell calleth it here a bringing of the people out of A lande flovving vvith milke and honie An horrible Bondage and Oppression in dispite of their gouernour is tearmed a state of great felicitie and all of purpose to make him odious to the people Their Dissimulation appeareth in this that whereas they seeke nothing but principalitie and the high Priesthood they pretende fauour and loue towarde the people All the people say they are holy euery one of them as if they had sayde they are all the people of God and therefore whie shoulde you gouerne them so sternely whie should you so oppresse them And againe You bring forth the people to kill them in the VVildernesse As though the Pitie of the people had mooued them to that purpose and not rather their own ambitious miâ—ds By this common people may learne to Beware of the dissimuled pretences of such as be Capitaynes in Rebellion And for their owne ambitious purpose seeke to leade them to vnquietnesse trouble and daunger It is not vnprofitable to consider how Moyses as a good Gouernour and hauing a cleere conscience did in this trouble behaue hymselfe he is not greatly Astonied or dismayed nor seeketh any vnlawful or extraordinarie meanes to represse them But first he was assured in his conscience he was called and appointed to that office by God therefore he resorteth to him in earnest prayer For the Falling dovvne vpon his face mencioned in the fourth verse was not for Feare of the Rebell but an earnest prostrating hymselfe before God praying for his assistance Then he Reproueth the Rebelles and telleth them of their fault how greatly they doe against their Dutie and howe Vnthankfully towarde God and thereby exhorteth them to quyetnesse He sendeth for some of the other Rebelles Dathan and Abiran to haue delt with them in like maner if they would haue come vnto hym But they stubbernly refused it Lastly seing they would not yeelde to reason or perswasion with an assured confidence of the goodnesse of his cause he putteth it into Gods hande by his mightie power to determine ende the matter This should all good Princes and Rulers in the like case folow First to * call vpon God earnestly and faythfully then to vse all the quyet meanes they can by reason to perswade them And if that will not serue as seldome times it doth such is the furie of Rebelles then with an assured confidence in the prouidence of God and the right of their cause being Gods appointed gouernours by battayle or other lyke meanes to commit the thing to His hande to determine who neuer hath hitherto vsed to gyue sentence or successe on the parte of the Rebels And Corah gathered all the congregation against them c. and the glorie c. The verie confidence that Moyses shewed in the Goodnesse of his cause might well haue Abashed their rebellious spirites Much more when they sawe the glorie of the Lorde appeare on the part of Moyses and to speake vnto him they should haue bene abashed and giuen ouer their wicked purpose But such a furie doth alwayes folow the mindes of Rebels that though they see neuer so present daunger they will as Corah and his company doe as it were Face God himselfe and neuer giue ouer vntill by the iust iudgement of God they bring themselues to vtter confusion And assoone as he had made an ende of speaking the ground cloue c. By this dreadfull punishment of destroying the principall doers by the swallowing of the Earth and with fyre from heaueÌ„ God declareth would haue it knowne to the worlde howe he doth Hate and Dâ—test â–ª * such as rebell agaynst their Princes and Rulers appointed by him to gouerne them which he afterwarde more amply declareth For when euen the next day folowing the people murmurd against Moyses and Aaron and that punishment wherewith God had plagued the Rebelles Gods wrath was so kindled against them that if the earnest Prayer and endeuour of Moyses and Aaron had not beene he woulde haue vtterlye destroyed them All from the face of the earth And yet could not Moyses with such speede appease his wrath but .xiiij. thousande of them were slaine to the terrible Example of all other that in any age should follow their euill doing And in deede if we looke into the histories of all times we shall finde that Rebellions and Insurrections haue ended in the vtter destruction of them that haue beene the doers of it For they striue not against the Magistrate but against God that ordayned him For vvhatsoeuer povvers there are they are of God. Paul. Rom. 13. The first Sunday after Easter at Euening prayer Numb 22. ANd the children of Israel departed and pitched in the fieldes of Moab on the other side of Iordane from Iericho 2 â–ª And â—alue the sonne of Ziphor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorâ—tes 3 And the Moabites were sore afraid of the people because they were manye and they were strikon with scare of the children of Israell 4 And Moab saide vnto the elders of Madian Now shall this companie â—ick vp all that are round about vs as aâ—ore 〈◊〉 vp the grasse of the field And Balac the sonne 〈◊〉 was â–ª king of the Moabites at that time 5 He sent messengers therfore vnto Balaam the sonne of Beor to Pethor which is by the riuer of the lande of the children of his folke to call him saying Beholde there is a people come out of Egipt and beholde they couer the face of the earth and dwell it ouer against me 6 Come now therfore I pray thée and curse me this people for they are to mightie for me so it may be I shal be hable to smite them and to driue them
left 33 But walke in all the wayes which the Lorde your God hath commaunded you that ye may liue that it may go well with you and that ye may prolong your dayes in the land which ye shal possesse The exposition vpon the .v. Chapter of Deuteronomie And Moyses called all Israel and sayd vnto them heare O Israel c. MOyses purposing in this chapter by repetition to call to their remembraunce the lawe and commaundementes that god gaue vnto hys people in Horeb In these fine fyrst verses in way of a preface he exhorteth admonisheth them diligently to harkē to the lawes ordinances of God and that in such sort as they maye in dede* perfourme them and not onely by hearing receyue them For they conteyne that blessed couenaunt whereby both God did more euidently and notablie binde him self to be their god thā he did before time to their fathers and they also with like protestatiō submitted themselues to be his people so that they coulde not now without great blame fal frō his obedience I am the Lord thy God which broughte thee out of the land of Egipt c. Almighty God that his law might haue the greater reuerence maiestie with his people in the first entrance he * challengeth to himself the authoritie of a Lord God ouer them I am saith he the Lorde thy God * therby giuing thē to vnderstande that they ought of right to submit thē selues to his will and pleasure Secondlye he putteth them in mind of the great benefite of deliuerance that they had receiued at his hande * therby the more to moue allure them to obedience By these ten commaundements we may fully perfectly learne those things whereof by the law of Nature we haue but a single bare taste onlie that is First that we owe a * perfect loue reuerence and feare toward god Secondly that he is pleased with godlines and iustice displeased * with wickednesse and dishonestie Thirdlye by examining our liues according to this rule of his perfecte iustice that we are of our selues * vnworthye to be esteemed his creatures seing that we do not in our obedience fulfill that end * wherunto we were made by him And forsomuch as God the law maker is spirituall in this his lawe he speaketh not onely to our body in requiring external iustice but also to our soule requiring inward and spirituall integritie and in dede such puritie as the Angels in heauē haue as it may appeare by Christs own interpretation* Mathew 5. and likewise when he saith* Thou shalt loue God with al thy hart wyth all thy mind with all thy soule c. Moreouer to the right vnderstanding of these commaundements we must not onely consider the euils that by them God forbiddeth but the vertues and good things that are contrarie vnto the euill For in forbidding the euill he commaundeth the good As for example when he saith * Thou shalt not commit adultry he doth not onlie prohibite all vncleane actes thoughtes but also commaundeth the contrarie that we should moderate our whole life in all chastitie puritie and continencie yea to our powers prohibite vncleanesse in other also These wordes the Lorde spake vnto all your multitude in the mount c. That the wayward people might not discredite the law of God make the lesse accompt of it bicause he was the minister thereof Moyses in this place putteth them in minde that God himself with his owne * voyce gaue these commaundements in the hearing of them all that with so great * terrour and maiestie of thunder lightening fire earthquake that they themselues confessed they were not hable to abide it therfore ernestlie desired that Moyses might be a mediatour betwene God and thē in the deliuerie of his lawes binding themselues wyth this* promise that they would accepte fulfyll those lawes that he in the name of God should deliuer them wherfore he willeth them to take hede that they did in dede performe those things that God had commaunded not to turne aside from them either* on the righte hande or on the left that they might enioye the promises that God in like maner had made vnto them Oh that there were such an heart in thē that they would feare mee c. It is God onely that is hable to mollifie the stome harts of men giue them pliant and obedient willes to fulfill his commaundementes What may it meane then that God in this place both wishe to his people such an hart as would feare him seing that he only can giue it and they of thēselues not able to haue it Surely he doth not signifie hereby that men of their * owne free willes are hable to frame their harts to the perpetuall loue and feare of God. But he speaking after the manner of men declareth that it is a thing rather to be wished than to be looked for that the wayward people of the Iewes shuld for euer be obedient to his lawes and ordinaunces God by wishing that his people might or by commaunding that they shoulde kepe his commaundements doth not signifye that they haue of themselues power to doe them but by the commaundement they maye learne what they should doe and in finding wante in themselues be driuen to seke habilitie* where it is to be had that is at the mercy grace of almighty God. The fourth Sunday after Easter at Morning prayer Deut. 6. THese are the commaundementes ordynaunces and lawes which the Lorde your God commaunded mée to teache you that ye mighte doe them in the lande whither ye goe to possesse it 2 That thou mightest feare the Lorde thy God and kepe all his ordinances and his commaundements which I commaund thée thou and thy Sonne and thy sonnes sonne all the dayes of thy life that thy dayes may be prolonged 3 Heare therefore O Israell and take héede that thou doe it that it may go well with thée and that ye may encrease mightily as the Lorde God of thy fathers hath promysed thée a land that floweth with milke and hony 4 Heare O Israel the lord our God is lorde onely 5 And thou shalte loue the lorde thy God with all thyne heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might 6 And these wordes which I commaunde thée this day shal be in thine heart 7 And thou shalt shewe them vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou art at home in thine house and as thou walkest by the waye and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest vp 8 And thou shalt binde them for a signe vpon thine hand and they shal be as frontlettes betwéene thine eyes 9 And thou shalt write them vpō the postes of thy house and vpon thy gates 10 And when the Lord thy God hath brought thée into the land which he sware
rehearsing some of his former actes done for his people in the Wildernesse and namelye at their departure from Mount Seir in the lande of the Edomites the posteritie of Esau Deu. 2. We reade that the Israelites had Coasted about Seir the space of .38 yeres and were not greatlye terrible to anye of theyr enemies But when by Gods appointment they departed from thence towarde the land of Chanaan He being their Guide Leader in the Pillar of Fire and the cloud he did with such Maiestie then deale for them that the Chananites and other enemies were strickeÌ„ with Feare as if the Earth had shaken or HeaueÌ„ had poured downe Stormes Tempestes against them or as the MouÌ„taines had melted with fire and Smoke as Sinay did at the presence of the Lorde when he gaue his law vnto his people In the dayes of Samgar the sonne of Anath in the dayes of Iahel c. Before Debora had praised God as the Ancient Patrone of Israel now she commeth to this noble deliueraÌ„ce that it pleased him to his greater Glory and more Terrour of his enemies to worke by her a Simple Fraile womaÌ„ Samgar was a Valiant man and Iudged Israel and sâ—ue sixe Hundred Philistines with an Oxe goade as it is mencioned in the. 3. Chapiter But he deliuered not Israel so but that they were deteyned in so miserable Oppression of the Chanaanites as they coulde not goe out of their Cities with out Spoyling or killing neither in the high way as trauellers neither as husband meÌ„ in the fieldes So that both Tillage of laÌ„d traffike of Marchandice was vtterly decayed among them vntill this Victorie and deliuerance wrought by Debora who Gouerned Iudged the people of God rather as a carefull Mother then a sterne Prince Wherefore in this place by comparison with Samgar who yet was a good man She amplifieth this present Mightie worke of God done by Her. They chose newe Goddes and then had they the enemie in the gates c. So sone as the people * forsoke God and fell to Idolatrie he caused their enemies to plague them with Warre in suche sorte that of a great number of thousandes of the Israelites not one durste take speere and shielde against their oppressours My harte loueth the Gouernours of Israel and them that are willing c. As if Debora had saide It is the exceeding mercie of God that he thus deliuered his people by a fewe of the Basest and Weakest of them wherfore my harte desireth nothing more than that all you of * Israel shoulde praise the name of the Lorde And first I admonishe you that are Princes * and Chiefe men and ride on faire Asses and sitte to Iudge the people or dwell in the Citie of Midden I admonishe you also that be wayfairing men and trauaile eyther in Marchandice or otherwise For that Libertie that you were restrained from before through oppression is nowe * restored to you The noyse of the Archers that Murdered and Robbed them which in this drie Countrey droue your cattaile to water is now ceased and you are out of feare and may both kepe your Cattell and goe safelie to prouide water Yea in those places and other vnfenced townes where you laye open to the spoile of enemies you may now boldly set forth the Righteousnes of the Lord you may salfelie goe downe to the gates places of Iudgement to haue Iustice ministred vnto you Vp Debora vp gette the vp and sing a song Arise Barak c. The Prophetes and Saintes of God neuer thinke themselues earnest enoughe in giuyng Thankes Praysing of God and therfore they often vse such stirrings and prouocatioÌ„ of themselues She willeth Barak also now in triumphe to leade them Captiue which before kepte him and other in moste Miserable Captiuitie Yea saieth She the * poore remnant of Israel that is not worthie to be called an Armie for that they were of the poorest and weakest of the people shall haue DominioÌ„ ouer those Proude mightie Chanaanites that did so sternely vse them Out of Ephraim was there a roote against Amelek and after thee c. In these verses Debora reciteth by what Instrumentes it pleased God to giue this victorie and what Tribes they were that folowed Barak and which they were that did not accompanye him First out of Ephraim Hir selfe and other as the Roote and beginning Nexte a small number oute of Beniamin Thirdlie a companie of Strong warlike men out of the Tribe of Manasses a â—hiefe Citie whereof was Macher And oute of Zabulon and Nephthalie a number more fitte for Learning to handle the Penne than with Sword shielde to deale against the enemie For that She meaneth by these wordes To handle the penne of the vvriter The tribe of Isachar also sente worthie and experte men and therefore are they here Ioyned in praise and coÌ„mendatioÌ„ with Barak The Tribes then that gaue aide to this victorie were Ephraim Beniamin Manasses Isachar Zabulon and Nephthalie Iuda Simeon Leuie and Gad are not spoken of Ruben Dan Asar are mencioned with reprofe For that it is that she meaneth by these words For the diuisions of Ruben vvere great thoughtes of harte c. The Rubenites dwelt in the fertile Pastures beyonde Iordane semed to be more carefull for their Sheepe and Cattaile than for the freedome and good state of their countrey and therefore throughe Pride and disdaine woulde not accompanie Debora and Barak Gilead Dan are for like cause reproued A sar that dwelte toward the Sea coste and set their mindes vpon their shippes and the decayed places of their countrey But these pretences could not in the sight of God * excuse theÌ„ when they by his Prophetesse were called to further the DeliueraÌ„ce of his people For it may seme they could haue bene content to liue in thraldome vnder the Heathen and godlesse enemies So that they might tollerablie enioye their worldly riches The tribe of Zabulon and Nepthali is praised bicause although they were not Valiant warlike men but of the meanest sort of the people yet they Hasarded their liues for the Libertie of their countrey The kings came and fought then fought the kings of Chanaan in Thanach c. Nowe She sheweth how fiercelie the Kings that is Sisara the other Noble captaines that were in his armie did assaulte the Israelites and with how great confidence and hope of Spoyle they set vpon them by the Riuers of Thanach Megiddo but to their owne Ouerthrow and confusion For the Lord * fought for his people from Heauen and so abashed their enemies that they scaÌ„t durst abide the Sight of theÌ„ Iosephus writeth that such a Tempest of wind storme of Hayle came in the faces of the Chanaanites that they were not hable to stand before the Israeltes Yea a great nuÌ„ber of them in â—â—eeing were drowned and as it were
power and diuine prouidence sharpely punisheth the malicious accusers Leauing herin a notable example to all princes straightly to punish and correct such as by craftie meanes seeke the destruction of the faithfull Seruants and Saintes of God. After this wrote king Darius vnto all people nations and tongues that c. The Good king could not satisfie himselfe but that he must also giue Straite charge through all his dominions that no other should be worshipped but the Liuing god As if he had sayde let decrees and proclamations no more â—inde your consciences whether they come from me or from any other if they be contrary to the law of Daniels god I my selfe haue learned howe farre mans lawes should take place and when they are to be abrogated * It is farre better to obey God then to obey man. I am but mortall dust and ashes but the true God liueth for euer He can punish and he can rewarde He therfore is to be feared They that put their trust in him as Daniel hath done can not lacke defence He liueth and is present when he seemeth to be absent and to neglect the care of his people He deliuereth when helpe and succour is lest looked for and in extremitie of daunger fayleth not Wherefore our commaundement is that you neyther feare nor worship any God but him The .20 Sunday after Trinitie at Morning prayer Ioel. 2. BLowe vp a trumpet in Sion and showte in my holy hill let all the inhabitants of the earth tremble for the day of the Lorde is come for it is nie at hande 2 A darke and glomie day a clowdie and blacke day as the morning is spread ouer the mountaynes so is this populous and strong people like it there was none from the beginning nor shall be hereafter for euermore 3 Before him is a deuouring fire and behinde him a butning flame the lande is as a pleasant garden before him and behinde him a wast desert yea and nothing shall escape him 4 The shew of him is as the shew of horses and lyke horsemen so shall they runne 5 Lyke the noyse of charets vpon the toppes of the mountaynes they shall skip like the noyse of a flaming fire deuouring the stubble and as a strong people prepared to battayle 6 Before his face shall the people tremble the countenaunce of all folkes shall waxe blacke 7 They shall runne like strong men and clime the walles like men of warre and euery one shall march on in his way and they shall not linger in their pathes 8 No man shall thrust another but euery one shall walke in his path and if they shall fall on the sworde they shall not be wounded 9 They shall runne to and fro in the citie they shall runne vp and downe vpon the wal they shall clime into the houses they shall enter in at the windowes like a théefe 10 The earth shall quake before him the heauens shall tremble the sunne and the moone shall be darke and the starres shall withdraw their shining 11 And the Lorde shall giue his voyce before his hoast for his campe is excéeding great for he is mightie that executeth his commaundement for the day of the Lorde is great and verie terrible and who can abyde it 12 But nowe sayth the Lorde Turne you vnto me with all your heartes with fasting with wéeping and with mourning 13 And rent your heartes and not your garmentes and turne you vnto the Lorde your God for he is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great goodnesse and he will repent him of the euill 14. Who knoweth whether the Lorde will returne and take compassion and will leaue behinde him a blessing euen meate offering and drinke offering vnto the Lorde your God. 15 Blowe vp a trumpet in Sion proclame a fast cal an assembly sanctifie the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ 16 Gather the people gather the elders assemble the children and sucking babes let the Bridegrome come forth of his chamber and the bride out of hir closet 17 Let the Priestes the Lordes ministers wéepe betwixt the porch and the aulter and let them say Spare thy people O Lorde and giue not ouer thine heritage to reproche that the heathen should rule ouer them Wherefore should they say amongst the heathen Where is their God 18 And then the Lorde will be iealous ouer his lande and will spare his people 19 Yea the Lorde will answere and say to his people Beholde I will sende you corne and wiâ—e and oyle and will satisfie you therewith and will not giue you ouer any more to be a reproch among the heathen 20 And I will remoue farre of from you the northen armie and I will driue him into a lanÌ„de barren and desolate with his face towards the east sea and his hinder parts towardes the vttermost sea and his stinch shall arise and his corruption shall ascend because he hath exalted himselfe to doe this 21 Feare not O thou lande be glad and reioyce for the Lorde will doe great things 22 Be not afraide ye beastes of the fielde for the fruitfull places of the desert are gréene for the trée beares hir fruite the figge trée and the vine yéelde their strength 23 Be glad then ye children of Sion and reioyce in the Lord your God for he hath giuen you moderate raine and he will sende downe for you the raine euen the first raine and the latter raine and in the first moneth 24 And the barnes shall be filled with corne and the presses shall ouerflowe with wine and oyle 25 And I will restore to you the yeres which the grashopper the canker worme the locuste and the caterpiller haue deuoured my great armie which I sent amongst you 26 And you shall eate in plentie and be satisfied and shall prayse the name of the Lorde your God which hath dealt wonderously with you and my people shall not be ashamed any more 27 And you shall know that I am in the middle of Israel and that I am the Lord your God and none but I and my people shall neuer be ashamed 28 And it shall come to passe after this I will powre out my spirite vpon all fleshe and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie your olde men shall dreame dreames your yong men shall sée visions 29 Also in those dayes vpon the seruantes and vpon the handmaydens will I powre out my spirite 30 And I will shewe wonders in heauen and in earth bloud and fyre and pillers of smoke 31 The sunne shall be turned into darkenesse and the Moone into bloud before that great and terrible day of the Lord come 32 But whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saued for there shall be deliuerance in mount Sion and in Hierusalem as the Lorde hath promised and also in the remnant whome the Lorde shall call The Exposition vpon the seconde Chapter of Ioel. Blowe vp a trumpet in Sion and showte in my holy
hill let all the inhabitāts c. THe Prophet Ioel liued in the time of Esay and taught in Iuda in the reigne of Ezechias not long before the inuasion of the Assirians vnder Sinnacherib For although that good king to the vttermost of his power had restored the true worship of God yet a great number receyued it vnthankefully and both enclined in their heartes againe to Superstition and continued in most Detestable and sinfull liuing * Which was the cause that God did send the Assirians grieuously to plague them But of his woonted mercies before that terrible time of punishment should come he * sent his Prophetes to foretell them of it and to call them to repentance Among these was Ioel who nowe vttereth these wordes and purposing to call them to repentance layeth before them the terrible punishment that GOD will bring vpon them if they turned not vnto him His beginning is tragicall Blowe vp a trumpet sayth he c. Because their Plague shoulde be by inuasion of euimies and crueltie of warre he alludeth to warrefare and willeth the Scowtes and watchmen that is the Prophetes and teachers to sound the trumpet of Gods holy worde and giue men warning to prepare themselues to battaile that they were not taken with the plague of god ere they were ware This he willeth them to doe in Sion and in His holy hill His chosen Citie of Hierusalem that they might not thinke any holinesse of place should help them Yea and he speaketh to all the inhabitans of the lande of Iuda and biddeth them to Tremble and feare for that the Lord did not minde to dally with them or any longer to put of the time For sayth he The day of the Lord is come and is nigh at hande and you must repent with * speede if you will escape it By The day of the Lorde he meaneth the time appointed to Plague them for their vnthankfulnesse and contempt of Gods worde and the calling of his Prophetes A darke and glomie daye a clowdie and blacke day as the morning is spred c. By Glomie Clowdie and Blacke he signifyeth the heauie and sorowfull time that should be so lamentablie ouercast with grieuous afflictions and calamities that men shoulde not be hable to tell what to doe or howe to rid themselues from them Darkenesse commonly in scripture noteth trouble and heauinesse Light prosperitie and felicitie As the spring of the day and morning light sodainlye spreadeth it selfe ouer the mountaynes and cannot by any meanes be stayed So shall this mightye and strong people of the Assirians sodainely spread themselues and ouerwhelme euen the toppes of those mountaines that you thinke harde to be passed and that in such sort as they cannot be resisted For since the beginning was there neuer Empire eyther of so great force or of so long continuance of their dominion as this hath beene and is Therfore they shall be to you and to your Countrey as a raging and consuming fire The Land that was before their comming as a pleasant Garden or paradise after they be gone it shall be left lamentablie spoyled wasted and desolate Yea they shall come with such fiercenesse that with great speede they shall runne ouer the mountaynes and highe places as it were Horsemen or chariots in a plaine field Your men of warre Capiteynes and Souldiours in whom you may seeme to put some trust at the report of their comming shall tremble and waxe pale and wanne for exceeding great feare They shal runne against you as mightie Gyants and assaulting the walles of your strong and fenced Cities they shall doe it not onelye with suche strength but also with actiuitie nimblenesse and good order that one shall not be a let or impedimēt to the other but euery one shall kepe his place and araye And when they runne with desperate courage euen amonge your swordes and weapons they will doe it in such maner that you shall not be hable to hurt them And furthermore though your Cities be strongly walled and fenced with so great munition as they maye seeme vnpregnable they wil with such facilitie both enter and go to and fro as if the matter were to be done in the plaine fielde where no resistance is Finally their rage fiercenesse shal be so dreadfull that the earth shal quake the heauens shall tremble the Sunne Moone shall be darke the Starres shall withdrawe their light all the creatures of God shall be abashed to see that God will so grieuously plage his people And therfore they as it were hauing sense of the same before hand shal giue straunge signes and sightes vnto men to put them in minde to repent turne vnto God that he may withdrawe this his heauie hande from them For God it is that worketh it and by his voice calleth the Assirians they do nothing but execute his commaundement in punishing your waywarde and stubburne vnthankfulnesse and contempt of his worde In all this we see the Prophete hath done nothing but signify vnto the Iewes that no worldly thing should be hable to stay from them the grieuous punishmentes of God by the Assirians Neyther the plentifulnesse of the earth nor the great distance of the places nor the difficultie of the passages ouer hilles and mountaynes neyther the number of their Souldiours nor the strength of their Cities to the ende that they seeing all worldly helpe to fayle them maye the more readily repent and flie vnto God for his mercie But nowe sayth the Lord turne you vnto me with all your hearts with fasting c. Although the day of Gods wrath be nighe at hande yet the Prophete signifieth that there is time to repent because * no true repentance from the heart is euer to late And therefore vnder the person of God exhorteth them therevnto and telleth them what they shall doe Turne sayth he We must in repentance first Turne frō wickednesse of minde and dissolute life from Idolatrie Superstition and corruption of Gods true worship And we must Turne vnto God and submit our selues to his merrie and to be directed by his holy worde We are not willed to Turne to Saintes to Patriarkes to Prophetes to Fathers to Apostles or to any creature be he neuer so holy No nor yet to our owue inuentions and deuises of holynesse thereby thinking to raunsome our sinnes But we must Turne to the euerliuing God who is both willing as a father and hable as a mightie Lorde to helpe vs And this must we doe vnfaynedly VVith all our heartes Renting our mindes wyth sorow and not our garments with hypocrissie and outwarde shewe of griefe and repentance when we haue no true sense of Gods wrath inwardly in our heartes If renting of Garmentes and such other signes be vsed as tokens and witnesses to the worlde that we are in deede and vnfeynedly touched with exceeding sorow of hart as Iosias did when he