I will set his hand also in the sea and his right hande in the floudes He shall cry vnto me thou art my father my God and the rocke of my saluation Also I will make him my first borne higher then the kinges of the earth My mercy will I keepe for him for euermore and my couenaunt shall stande fast with him His seed also will I make to endure for euer and hys throne as the dayes of heauen But if his children forsake my law and walke not in my iudgementes If they breake my statutes and keepe not my commaundements then will I visite their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with strokes yet my louing kyndnes wil I not take from hym neither will I falsify my truth My couenant wil I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips I haue sworne once by myne holinesse that I wil not fayle Dauid saying his seed shall endure for euer his throne shall be as the sunne before me he shal be established for euermore as the Moone and as a faythfull witnesse in the heauen Behold how certayne and sure gods grace is to vs in Christ and for Christ Iesus our king Although we sin very often and much yet shal not sin condemne vs if we bide in Christ For what soeuer the Lord hath spoken it is the very truth it selfe and cannot but come to passe and be as he hath sayd For though we be most vnworthy wretches of our selues and haue no merits but sin wickednes to the attayning of so great grace and goodnes of God yet this is our stay and comfort that God hath promised vs these worthy benefites not for our deserts or worthines but onely for hys mercy sake in Christ Wherfore those thinges whiche be here promised are most sure certaine as also the state of our saluation is certayne because it standeth and dependeth on the euerlasting mercy truth of Gods promises of which he can neuer repent him nor vnsay or recant the same In the 111. Psalme he sayeth Hee hath sent redemption to his people he hath commaunded his couenant for euer Here is Christ promised that he shal be our deliuerer or redemer neither is there any other sauiour but Iesus Christ alone This Psalme was song in Iuda for a thanksgiuing on Easterday when they eate the Paschall lambe because God had deliuered them out of the captiuity of Egypt But that temporall or corporall deliuerance and the lambe was nothing els but a figure of the true and euerlasting deliuerance and of our true lambe Iesus Christ by whose bloud we are deliuered and brought out of hell and euerlasting captiuity into our heauenly countrey In the 113. Psalme he prophesieth of the glory honour of Christes kingdome telling what a one how great it shall bee thoroughout all the worlde For he sayth From the rising of the sunne to the goyng down of the same the name of God is glorified Which thing can not otherwise be but by the catholike faith that is that the Gentils should heare the gospell of Christ thereby acknowledge and set forth his grace and goodnes which is the sacrifice of prayses which the Christians offer The wordes of the Psalmes are these Prayse the Lord O ye his seruants prayse the name of the Lord blessed be the name of the Lord from henceforth for euer The name of the Lord is euer praised frō the rising of the sunne to the goyng downe of the same The Lord is high aboue all nations and his glory aboue the heauens Who is lyke vnto the Lord our God that hath his dwellyng on high who abaseth himselfe to behold things in heauen in earth Likewise the 117. Psalme sayth that the whole world both Iewes Gentils shal magnify Christ Iesus honor and acknowledge him for their true God in his kingdom in which is is all felicity mere grace mercy forgiuenes of all sinnes true righteousnes true peace true comfort true ioy euerlasting life The wordes be these All nations praise ye the lord all ye people praise him for his louing kindnes is great towardes vs and the truth of the Lord endureth for euer And the 130. psalme also setteth forth to vs the grace of God in Christ which God hath promised vs in him our true propitiatory reconciler Dauid sayth in that Psal. Let Israel wayte on the Lord for with the lord is mercy and with him is great redemption and he shal redeeme Israel from all his iniquities All this must bee vnderstood of Christ for the new testament is the kirnell the perfect and ful interpretation of the old And the new testament witnesseth in euery place that there is no other deliuerer sauiour or recōciler but Iesus Christ and it teacheth vs that our reconciliation redemption commeth only by Christ who is the alone sacrifice satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world Wherfore take this for a sure rule in scripture which neuer fayleth that wheresoeuer deliuerance reconciliation redemption remission of sins or the grace of God is promised in the prophets there always though the name of Messias or Christ bee not expressed must we needes vnderstand Christ and hys death and bloudsheding absolute sacrifice For these great things to wit forgiuenes of sinnes reconciliatiō c. are prepared gottē obtained by no other means but only by the sacrifice and death of Iesus Christ And these are almost the chief prophesies which Dauid hath concernyng Christ Anna. Whac hath Esay prophesied of Christ and of his passion resurrection and euerlasting kingdom Vrb. After Dauid is the notable and worthy prophet Esay who hath prophesied both plainly truly of all the mysteries of Christ In his 2. chap. he describeth the spiritual kingdom of Christ that is the catholike church saying that it shal be ample glorious through all the world among the Gentiles by the preaching of the gospell by which men do acknowledge the grace of God in Christ and be conuerted and do willingly and ioyfully serue and worship the lord His words be these It shall be in the last dayes that the mountain of the house of the Lord shal be prepared in the top of the mountaines and shal be exalted aboue the hils and all nations shal flow vnto it and many people shall go and say come let vs go vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his wayes and we wil walke in his pathes For the law shall goe forth of Sion and the word of the lord from Ierusalem he shal iudge amongst the nations and reserue many people they shal break their swordes also into mattockes and their speares into sithes nation shal not lift vp a sword against nation neither shall they learne to fight any more O house of Iacob come ye and let vs walke in
of the name of the Lord his god and these shall dwell still for now shall he be magnified vnto the endes of the world That is to say the captayne and guide of Israel shall not yet come but the Iewes for their Idolatrye shall first be greuously punished and afflicted For they shall abide 70. yeares in their captiuity of Babilō and afterward they shall come into their countrye and loking for that gratious time of the God of Israell And although their plague captiuitie and affliction be great yet will the Lord keepe his promise and wil send the promised Messias Moschell vnto Israell at the time appointed and then at the last shall true felicitie come then shall all thinges fall forth well and prosperously then shall the true Israelites come together euē as it came to passe in the time of Iesus Christ who is the true shepheard and cast out all false ministers pharises scribes and Iewes and feede his sheepe himselfe by the great power of god For he taught thē by the spirite of grace and cōuerted lightned their harts and cast out the euill spirits and raysed the dead to life agayne wrought strange miracles and wonders in the name of his heauenly Father So that the shepe can now no more be demaūded and destroyed of the Volues but may sit safe in his pastures vnder his protections And this Moschel or Lorde prince of Israell shall be magnified and glorified through the whole world in the time of the new testament which was fulfilled when Christ by his passion entered into his glory and rose agayne from the dead the 3. day sitteth at the right hand of God that all power both in heauen and earth might be geuen him and when the holy ghost preached him by the Gospell in all the world and when his horne that is his spirituall kingdome as you haue heard in the psalmes was in the name of god exalted multiplied and dayly increased both by the Iewes and Gentiles as it is yet manger Sathā-and the world his wife And a little after Miche prophecieth how Christiās or the kingdome of Christ should raigne and remaine euē vnder the crosse in the middest of their enemies By which we see that it is a spirituall kingdome seing it is in the wicked world amonest many nations euen as the dew of the Lord or as a drope of water in the grasse For the people of the faythful is a marueilous people They are in the earth but not an earthly kingdome of the earth Their doctrine is the holy ghost which commeth from heauen from God the holy ghost They thē sealues also are from heauē regenerated by water and the holy ghost their lyfe consisteth in fayth they liue in Christe and they are wonderfully preserued vnder the crosse And although in the eyes of the world they may seme weake yet are they inuincible through fayth in Christ haue alwayes the victory yea they breake through the world sin death and the bondes and snares of Sathan and gouerne their inheritance but all these thinges are done spiritually and by a marueilous meanes altogether hidden from the world For this is wrought by the worde and spirite but much more worthely and gloriously then man can imagine These are the wordes of the prophecy And the remnant of Iacob shall be amongst many people as a dew from the Lord and as the showers vpon the grasse that waiteth not for mā nor hopeth in the sons of Adame And the remnant of Iacob shall be among the Gentiles in the middest of many people as the Lyon among the beastes of the forrest and as the Lyons whelpe among the flock of sheepe who when he goeth through treadeth downe and teareth in peeces and none can deliuer Thy hand shall be lift vp vpon thy aduersaries and all their enemies shall be cut of Here you may see the power of the gospell and faythfull christians Those which beleued in Christ taried loking for him were the true remnant of Iacob They trusted not in man but in God and certainely beleued that according to his promise he would deliuer them out of all calamitie although at that time they were captiues and afflicted in the middest of their heauy and deadly enemies But the Lord dwelleth with his seruants he hath promised in Exodus vnto all faythfull christian men that he will be an enemie vnto their enemies and afflict them which afflict the faythfull Christiās Wherfore there is a certaine hope and sure victory promised here vnto the remnant of Iacob and the kingdome of Christ that is to the whole Church which in this world dwelleth here amōg her enemies And thus be the faythfull Christians incouraged fortified and embouldened by the promise of God and fayth in Christ Iesus to walke euen as the Lion in the wood which feareth no other beast and passeth them all in strength And this prophet magnifically describeth Christes kingdome in his 4. chap. much lyke to the 2. of Esay his wordes be these And the same day sayth the Lord will I gather hir that halted and I will gather hir that is cast out and hir that I haue afflicted And I will make hir that halted a remnant and hir that was cast farre of a mighty nation and the Lord shall raigne ouer them in mount Sion frō thence forth euen for euer This is the tyme of the new testament faythful christians are here signified by the halt cast out and afflicted men lyke as they are also vnderstood in 61. of Esay and in euery place of this prophecy because of that crosse which they beare in this world that so they may be made lyke vnto Christ their king You must then vnderstand by the halte cast out afflicted those which are poore in spirite which are troubled in conscience which outwardly in this world suffer persecution and inwardly in their conscience are terrified and tormented with the feeling of their sinnes the feare of death the wrath of god These are the poore vnto whome this good tidinges are brought that they haue a good fauourable and most gentile king who will not cast them of for their weakenes and infirmity but helpeth them and salueth their sores And although in this worlde they be weake forsaken banished abiects and most contemptible yet will the Lord make of them a famous people who shall liue safely vnder him in perpetuall glory in the kingdome of heauen Here agayne you heare that the kingdome of Christ is spirituall for the faythfull Christians in this world are weake and contemptible but by the crosse they are brought to eternall glory For when the whole world with all his pompe and glory shall decay then shall they be crowned with great honor and glory in the euerlasting kingdome of Christ And thus the prophets haue respect vnto the eternitye and saluation ordayned for vs in the kingdome of Christ In the end of
is the most splendent and bright son of all innocency and righteousnes in whom is neither blott cloud nor spot of sin He onely kindleth maketh warm our cold harts with the beames of his spirit he fructifieth our dry and parched ground that we may bring forth vnto him the fruits of righteousnes for without him we can do nothing that is good When this sun shal rise in his perfect brightnes thē shall it bring to vs that bright and wished day of liuely eternity and it shall shine vnto vs for euer and shall neuer go from vs Vnder the winges of this son is lyfe and health the Hebrew word in this place is maruell comming of this worde Ropho which signifieth to heale or medesine Note therfore that we are dāgerously and deadly sick For sinne hath destroyed and infected both our body and soule with deadly poyson The soule is full of sinne the body also is all sinfull and mortall so that of necessitie we had died for euer if the Lord had entered into Iudgement with vs but he gaue vs Christ the Phisition of our wounded and deadly sicke nature to deliuer mans nature from all sicknes and to restore vs both body and soule to perfect health He which calleth vpon this Phisition and beleueth in him shall be lightened and clerely deliuered both in body and soule from all sinne and euill which sin brought with it into the world the soule shal be clensed frō the staines of sin and frō euill thoughtes naughty lustes and vngodly desiers and the body shal be deliuered from mortalitie and corruption For this phisition is the Lord himselfe who for this cause onely tooke vpon him our nature that he might in vs make it altogether cleane innocent immortal and pure and saue it Whereupon the prophet sayth Health is vnder his winges For he which flieth to be vnder the winges of this son and seeketh health and saluatiō at his hāds is saued In deed these wordes are figuratiue but they meane nothing els but that which the Euangelistes and Apostles speake in plaine wordes to wit that he which beleueth in Christ shall be saued and haue euerlasting lyfe But if he which beleeueth in Christ hath euerlasting life surely he hath also true and euerlasting health For he which abideth in his sinns abideth in a most dangerous disease dieth an euerlasting death For the wrath of God abideth on him But he which layeth hold on Christ as one the true phisition by fayth he obtaineth euerlasting health both of body and soule Christ verely cōpareth himselfe to a phisition in Math. saying that he came vnto the sicke men as the phisition to the sick and he mightely shewed and exercised this art in this earth all the time of his pilgrimage when he healed and restored not onely the soules frō sinne and the bodies from all kinde of sicknes and diseases but raised them vp euen from the dead ¶ Anna. What meaneth Malachy in that he saith you shall goe forth and grow vp as fat calues or you shall goe forth and daunce or leape and come in like a fatted calfe ☞ Vrb. This is a figuratiue kind of speech spoken of the godly to whom the word of God is a most pleasant pasture for it shall goe wel with them in the last day For then shall they be free and safe from all euill sinne lust feare heauines and persecution Wherupon Paul calleth the last day the day of redemption And Christ in Luke exhorteth the godly to lift vp their heads when the day of the Lord draweth nye because then their redemption also is at hand Then shall that last enemy of the godly to wit death be destroyed and mortality shal be swallowed vp in the life of Christ Then shall they all haue lyberty and ability to be alwayes with Christ without any impedimēt of the body Now the body is slothful loytering and weake but at the last day it shal be as cleere as the sun immortall elegant strong puissant liuely suttle neate pure spirituall and nimble and haue eternall health For they are saued both in body and soul as our creed doth teach vs I beleeue the rising again of the flesh which with the soule must be glorifyed and haue euerlasting life The vngodly here in this earth doe miserably kick treade vpon afflict iniury and mock the godly and count thē as ofscourings of the earth nay they iudge them to be most wicked men of all and euen sacrifices for sinnes For the elect shall haue tribulation euen vnto the last day but when Christ the sonne of righteousnes shall come down from heauen to seperate chaffe from wheat to wit his seruants from the wicked then shall there be an alteration of all things then shal the pompe brauery and glory of this world with all the foolish confidence therof fail and fall Then shall the wicked be tumbled down from their honor and be for euer vtterly shamed and be made our footstole Then shall they be broaken and troaden down and be contemned for euer and be more filthy and vile then the durt in the streetes For he which here suffereth with Christ shall in the world to come be glorifyed and raign with Christ for euer But he which here beleueth not the gospell in this life and is not like to Christ our head in the crosse he at the last iudgement shall be condemned vnto horrible and euerlasting death lamentations calamities and miseries with all the deuils in hell And this shall the Lord of Zebooth or the Lord of hostes doe He shall bring that day vpon the world when it shall liue most securely and vnto his that is vnto the Christifidelians he shal geue that kingdome of glory which by the prophets and euangelistes he hath promised them In the wordes following he exhorteth the people that they call to mind the law of Moyses as if he had sayd the time of Messias is not far of it is euen now at hand Beware and watch that ye despice not the day of your visitation that when the Lord commeth you be not offended at him Moyses hath foretold you in Deuter. that the Lord wil rayse vp vnto you a prophet of your bretheren like vnto him to Moyses that is one which is true man as Moyses was he shall teach by the commaundementes of God and the Lord will punish him which will not heare him For Moyses saith that God will require it of them that is they which wil not beleue the gospell of Messias shal at the last day geue account vnto the lord and for their vnbeleefe they shall be iudged in the Lords anger If the Iewes had obayed this admonition and more diligently sought Christ in Moyses if they had learned better to know his person and office seeing Moyses speaketh so plainly of Christ then had they not so wickedly and cursedly despysed that day of their visitation but would haue imbraced Christ
wherin the prophesies of the old Testament concerning Christ are godly and plainly expounded Vrbanus WHy are you sadder wife Ann then you were wont to be and specially on this Easter day when all Creatures ought infinitely to reioyce and triumph with Christ raysed again to life What trobleth your mind Why doe you sigh so often Do you not know that Iesus Sirach willeth vs to pluck vp our harts in holines and to driue al heuynes away from vs Sorrow saith he hath slain many and there is no profit therin Do you not know that S. Paul also biddeth vs alway reioyce in the Lord ¶ Anna. I know it wel but sorrow and sadnes are not both of one kind neither be our mindes alwayes pensiue vpon one and the same occasion Doth not the same Paul also say that there is a godly sorow or heuines which causeth repentance vnto saluation not to be repented of cōtrarily a worldly sorrow which causeth death ☞ Vrbanus You say well in deed But what is the matter I pray you that you are so full of heuines What is it that trobleth you thus ¶ Anna. What was it that trobled and vexed those two Disciples Cleophas and his companyon as they went to Emaus Vrbanus O they had very great causes to be sad For as thē their harts were al blinded with the darknes of ignorance and their faith was litle and slender and they had not a sufficient and perfect knowledge of Christ although they had now a long time professed themselues to be his Disciples ¶ Anna. And the same thing also is the cause of this my heuynes For in asmuch as I am baptized into Christes death and am adorned with that most glorious and sacred name of Christ and am called a Christian It greeueth me that I find not my hart furnished and indued with such plentiful and sound knowledge of Christ my Lord as it ought to be ☞ Vrb. There be more then you that in this behalf bewayle their infirmity you are not alone sick of this sore you haue a good many partakers in this grief which tast with you of this cup. True it is there is much and often mention made of Christ and he is diligently preached and many famous things are honorably and truely spoken of him and yet there be very many which neuertheles haue not yet perfectly and playnly known him as they ought ¶ Anna. But seeing I haue so great cause of grief I cannot cease sorrowing before my eyes be opened as the eyes of those two disciples were which went to Emaus that I may haue the true and ful knowledge of Christ For I remēber I haue heard you many times say that there is no arte no knowledge nor no wisdome more excellent necessary nor heauenly then the knowledge of Christ because that knowledge bringeth with it euerlasting righteousnes and saluation ☞ Vrb. I confes I haue alwaies taught so and so say I stil and the same also wil I both say teach while I liue and my profession is so to teach and no otherwise But there be some fantastical and giddy heades which set aside Christs humanity and wil be aloft and so climing into the very heauens busely indeuour thēselues to search and try out what the euerlasting infinite vnmeasurable incomprehensible Deity of God is occupyed about And marueylously and busely they beat their braines by sharpnes of wit to attaine to those things which in the Scriptures are set down of the essence or being of God of the persons of God of the vnderstanding and knowledge of God and of predestination and other like Where it is much more necessary and meet that we geue our selues wholly ouer to learn to finde out and to know what Christ is and who he is For seeing that most high and infinite maiesty hath abased it self so extremely low as that he vouchsafed to descend into the lowest parts of the earth to vs and tooke our flesh vpon him and became man that he might delyuer mankind which was in bondage and thraldome of euerlasting death and hauing deliuered it bring it to heauen to the glory of the immortall and euerlasting life Seeing I say thus standeth the case it is not meet that euery mā should make and appoint for him selfe his own ladder whereby to mount vp to God to the glory of his maiesty but it becommeth vs to vse that ladder those steps which God the father him self hath ordayned and appointed for that ascention and we must goe in by that path and way which God the father him self hath shewed by which he would haue the passage to heauen lye Truly our Sauiour Christ in Iohn sayd grauely and for great causes I am the way and the truth and the life No man commeth vnto the Father but by me If there had ben another and shorter way if there had been an easyer or redyer ascētion to heauē God had neuer in vayn sent his only begottē sonne into the world neither wold he haue suffered him to take our miserable frayle nature vpō him for this end only that he should being made man after death raysed to life ascend to heauen and cary vs men with him to his father The holy Scriptures call Christ a Peacemaker a Mediator a Priest an Aduocate a Shepheard a Way a Candle a Lanthorn a Light a Maister a King a Head a Redeemer a Iustifyer and Lyfe itself With all these names and epithetons doth the holy Scriptures adorn Christ And why I pray you Verely because we can neither come to God the Father be reconcyled to him or haue any thing to do with him by any other meanes or way but only by Christ very God and very man To be short God cannot will not nor suffereth not him self to be apprehended or found of vs without a Medyator If you wil come to God if you desire to see the face of his diuine maiesty if nearly truly and thorowly you long to know God then you must needs first wel and perfectly know Christ our Mediator if you set light by the knowledge of Christ you shall neuer find God. Esay sayth that God hath set Christes humanitye before vs and displaid it as it were a certain and glorious ensigne or streamer wherwith he might cal cōgregate and gather together his Children out of the world to him self And S. Paul saith that In Christ doth the fulnes of all Deity dwel bodely Yea Christ him self saith a. All things are geuen me of my Father and no man knoweth the Sonne but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father but the Sonne and he to whom the Son wil reueale him And immediatly after these words he allureth vs to come to him saying Come vnto me all ye that are wery and laden and I wil ease you Wherefore I haue alway both sayd and taught that we must both learn and know Christ And I would to God
our harts ioyful and glad as when we vnderstand what inestimable and great riches of his grace God in his Prophets hath promised to vs sinners and when we see those promyses of him fulfilled now in the Gospel and dayly also to be in fulfilling and seeing we haue Christ himselfe the very Sonne of God a most sure pledge of the performance of those promyses may we not well I say reioyce and be glad ¶ Anna. I am very desirous to heare of you if time serue you the order of Christes Sermon out of Moyses and the other Prophets What and how in euery place they prophesyed of Christ that thereby I may when my faith is strengthned haue ioy in the lord And though you spend some time in explicating these prophesies yet happely it may be a work worth our labour and you shal neuer a whit misspend the time nay I think the time that is so spent godly profitably very necessarely spent seeing S. Paul warneth vs that the word of Christ should dwel plentifully in vs. ☞ Vrb. We read in the acts that Paul made a long Sermon of Christ out of the Law and prophets euen from the morning til night Why then should not we speak often much and willingly of our Lord Iesus Christ our only and incomparable Treasure with whom we shal liue and dwel for euer But first note what Luke wryteth in his last chapter where he sayeth when Christ had blessed broken and geuen the bread to his Discyples their eyes were opened and they knew him And a litle after he saith that Christ opened their vnderstanding that they might know the Scriptures Wherfore we also must pray to Christ that he would feed and refresh vs with his bread of the knowledge of him that he would driue away the thick cloudes of our vnbeleef that he would mend and take away our ignorance and dulnes that he would send down into our minds the light of his holy spirit wherby we may learn to know him out of the holy scriptures Paul saith we haue not receued the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the thing which is geuen vs of God. Let vs therfore pray with humble feruent harts Almighty God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ our Father and the Father of all mercy and God of all comfort and consolation haue mercy vpon vs heare vs we beseech thee O God for thy deerely beloued sonne Iesus Christs sake for all his workes and benefits which he hath done for vs and for his precious passion and death which he suffered for the redemption of vs Send thy holy Spirit of truth into our harts that it may geue and ingraft in vs true and constant faith so that the light and brightnes of thy Gospel and the glory of Christ may appeare vnto vs and lighten our harts that we may learn and vnderstand the vnspeakable and aboundant riches of thy mercyes O Father of glory geue vs thy Spirite of wisdome and bring vs to the knowledge of thee and thy deerely beloued Sonne Iesu Christ Open and lighten we beseech thee the eyes of our minds vnderstanding That we may perceue what is the hope of our vocation and what is the rich glory of our heauenly and euerlasting Herytage which in Christ and through Christ thou hast geuen vs That by true faith vnderstanding and knowledge of thy eternal wisdom which is Iesus Christ we may in deed be made as we are called true christiās That we may worship thee alway in Spirit and truth And that we may now and for euer shew forth thy glory whereby thou hast blessed vs in Christ our Sauiour Graunt this O Father through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen ¶ Anna. Amen ☞ Vrb. Now Christ being our gouernor and our good guid let vs begin the treatise and opening of the matter which we haue taken in hand But first of all wife see you harken with as great reuerence diligence desire as if Christ were present seeing Christ sayth He that heareth you heareth me And looke also that you beleeue al things which shal here be spoken and declared vnto you to be as true and certayn as if Christ himself visibly and in his bodely shape had spoken them vnto you out of the Prophets And as if he should in his own person declare vnto you by his own mouth how and for what cause it was conuenient he should be born suffer dye and rise again and so ascend into his glory ¶ Anna. Begin then Husband at Moyses and tel me I pray you what he wrote of Christ ☞ Vrb. Moyses hath written much of Christ as Christ himself witnesseth in Iohn where speaking to the Iewes he saith If you had beleeued Moyses you had also beleeued me for he wrote of me And Moyses euen in the beginning as soone as heauen earth and man were made saith that the Serpent to wit Sathan deceiued Eue and entyced her to make a lye and seduced her and she afterward perswaded and deceued Adam and so God being despised and set aside brought him and threw him headlong into the same calamitie and thus they beleeued a lye wherin they cōmitted an horrible offence because they broke Gods commandement and did not obey the Lord their God as their duety was but were obedyent vnto the Deuil which from the beginning is a lyar and a mankiller into whose power and tiranny they fel both in body and soule by their transgression and disobeydience and so death by the sinne of Adam came in both vpon Adā al Adams posterity in so much that by the iust iudgement and iustice of God all men should haue entered by the death of this body into euerlasting death And thus did death through sinne mightely raign in all the world Alas what is more horrible then this power of sinne and this extreame calamity which casteth vs into euerlasting damnation What burthen is there heuyer or harder then this and what more cruell mischiefe could there haue hapned then this But God here in the middest of this danger being mindful of his mercy as the Prophet saith of him found a most present and soueren salue for this sore to wit he offred vs his grace and promysed that he would pardon our sin and destroy death by a certain marueilous meane to wit by his only begotten Sonne who when the fulnes of time that is to say when the determined time was come was sent into the earth from heauen and salued this sore that is to say redeemed and deliuered the poore prysoner mankind out of the tyranny and power of darknes and Sathā and that after a strange and secret sort For he tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant and being made man subiect to all misery calamity and troble of this life yea and death it self but yet free from all faulte and pure without sinne vouchsafed to dye for vs that
haue I begotten thee And although all the godly be called in the scriptures sonnes of God yet Christ in this place is the sonne of God after an other sort We are the sonnes of God by grace by the washing of the new birth or the lauer of regeneration but Christ is the true natural sonne of God begotten of the substance of the father before al worlds from eternitie And Paul speaking of this prerogatiue saith Vnto which of the Angels sayd he at any tyme thou art my sonne If he speake not these wordes vnto any Angels much lesse spake he them to any mā God created the Angels he created vs also and by his word and spirit he hath begot vs a new by this new birth we are become the childrē of grace but vnto Christ he saith this day haue I begotten thee Saint Augustine in his commentaries vpon the 2. psal saith that this word this day doth signify declare the euerlasting birth of the sonne And although this day set downe there in the prophesie may be thought to signify the tyme when Christ was borne according to hys manhood yet because this day signifieth a presence for in eternitie nothing is so past as though now it were not neither is any thing to come as though it had not alredy bene For what so euer is frō euerlasting is always it is vnderstood deuinely according to this saying this day haue I begotten thee wherby our true and catholike faith setteth forth vnto vs the euerlasting generation of the power wisdom of God which is the only begotten sonne of god And diuers other godly holy doctors as Arnobius Hillarius Cyrillus Chrysostomus and many mo vnderstand this verse thus S. Paul also to the Hebr. reciteth the wordes which are in the 2. booke of the Kings where God the father sayth thus of Christ I wil be his father he shal be my sonne This cannot be properly spoke of Salomon because God had promised Dauid a sonne or seed which shold spring out of his own loines And the circūstances of the places do plainly proue that this was spokē of Christ But Paul by these wordes goeth about to proue that Christ is a sonne far aboue differing frō other sons that God said this to no angell much lesse to Salomon How then can this otherwise be but that Christ must nedes be the natural sonne of God For the adoption calling of vs children which beleue in Christ is only geuen vs by grace as Iohn saith As many as receiued him that is Christ to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God to wit to such as beleued in his name And Paule also citeth this verse worship him all you gods or angels out of the psalms These are his wordes And again when he that is his father bringeth in his first begotten sonne into the world he saith let all the angels of God honor him This verse speaketh of the kingdom of Christ which is aboue all things both in heauē and earth which kingdom is prepared by the gospell by which Christ is made known to the world the world is become his inheritance which heritage the father promised to giue him in the 2. psalm And although the cōdition of angels amongst all creatures is of all other most noble yet are they cōmaunded to adore this king Christ But to be adored is that honor which is onely due vnto God not vnto any other For seke the scriptures you shal find that the angels neuer adored any but God alone Paul also to the Hebr. proueth the godhed of Christ out of the 10. psal saying And thou lord in the beginning hast established the earth and the heauens are the workes of thine handes They shal perish but thou doest remaine and they shal waxe old as doth a garment and as a vesture shalt thou change or fold them vp they shal be changed but thou art the same and thy yeares shal not faile The holy ghost teacheth vs here as you may see by his minister Paul that this psalm in this place speketh of Christ as may be gathered both out of the argument and whole tract of the psalm to wit how that king whom the apostles had preached through all the world should be feared of all kings kingdoms of the world and that he is God himself who framed foūded both heauen and earth And although the creatures change and perish yet this God abideth stil in himself and is immutable and eternall but we shall fynde all these things in Christ And therfore vndoubtedly he is that true God which is both preached and feared thorow the whole world The names also of God by which the Scriptures speake of God giue vs if we marke them well a most firme and strong argument to proue the deuinity of Christ S. Hierom vnto Marcella hath noted names by which the scriptures cal god The first is El that is mighty the 2. Elohim the 3. Elohe that is God the 4. Zebaoth which the 70. interpreters translated into Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the learned doctor Rabbi Aquila doth trāslate it of Hostes The scripture vseth alwayes to adde this maiestical name Iehoua Edonai that is lord or god Edonai Zebaoth the lord of hostes 5 Elion that is the most hie 6. Eheieh Escher Eheieh Exodi that is I am that I am the 7. Edonai that is lord 8. Iah 9. Iehouah These two last names do only signify God in his holy eternal vnchangeable essence The x. name is Schaddai that is strong by himself or of himself sufficient able to do al things as s Hierom expoundeth it And God calleth himselfe so in Gen. saying Eni El Schaddai which S. Hierome translated into latin thus I the lord all sufficient But the 70. interpreters vse for Schaddai 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is god And this translation is true thogh Schaddai in dede signifieth almighty not properly god yet seing none is almighty but only god their translation is good Now marke what god saith in Esa. I am sayth he the lord or Iehouah this is my name and my glory I will not giue to another that is I am the true god This name and honor is only due to me this doth belong to me alone to no creature But if now this excellent hie name Iehouah may be proued by the prophets to be giuē properly to Christ then by an infallible argument good consequent is Christ proued to be true god For it is sure manifest that this name Iehouah is the proper essential name of god signifieth nothing but one true God in his holy essence maiesty which none of the other x. names doth but only this name Iehouah and Iah which Iah in my iudgement signifieth the same that Iehouah doth for they spring both out of one roote ¶ Anna.
of Math. he made a poore man see he made the dūme speake the deafe here he cast forth a spirit and restored the dry hand and in the 15. of Math. he healed the Cananites daughter which was troubled with a deuil he restored the lame the blind the deafe the dumme the maimed many other diseased to their former helth And so by these his mighty actes strange maruels he sheweth that he was the true Messias of whom Esay writeth thus Hee wil destroy death for euer or he deuoured it or swalowed it vp For he called the dead to life again As the princes of the sinagogs daughter the widowes daughter and Lazarus which had lyen in the graue 4. dayes and did stinke The raising of these to life was a foreshewyng certification confirmation sure argument of his true resurrection from the dead Of which we in the last day also shal be pertakers when the lord shall sūmon all the dead raised out of their graue before his tribunall seat in the twinckling of an eye We may finde his other miracles wōders which he wroght est down in the euangelists so that it is not nedefull here to speake any more of them ¶ Anna. Now I know why you still apply and include those miracles that Christ did in the gospel as his restoring of the sick to helth and the dead to lyfe in the article of the resurrection of the dead to wit that we may more surely aod deepely by these miracles imprint and ground in our harts the hie mistery of the last rising agayne of the body and that we may therby confirme and kepe the fayth hope of our resurrectiō But now explicat proue out of the prophets the other articles of Messias to wit of his passion descēding into hel resurrectiō of his kingdō ¶ Of the death descending into hell and the glorious resurrection of Christ of the causes and infinite commodities of his passion resurrection and of his euerlasting kingdome Vrbanus THese in deede were the chiefe articles which Christ taught Cleophas his companion as they went to Emaus And seyng the holy prophets prophesie of these ministeries of Christ in one place annexe them together we will also speake of them together as it were knit them vp in one and open them seuerally or ioyntly as the prophesies giue occasion And first of all let vs heare the worthy prophet Dauid in the 8. Psalm where he sayth What is man that thou art so myndful of him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him for thou hast made him little lower thē God crowned him with glory worship thou hast made him to haue dominion in the works of thine hands Thou hast put al things vnder his feet all sheep oxen yea and the beasts of the field the foules of the aire the fish of the sea and that which passeth thorough the pathes of the seas O lord our lord how excellent is thy name in all the world This psalme which the new testament doth soundly opē vnto vs prophesieth of Messias saying that it should come to passe that for a tyme Christ should be humbled debased and as it were forsaken of God the father And that tyme was the space of 3. dayes when he was taken deliuered to the Iewes and Gentils and when they beat him with whips crouned him with thornes crucified him killed him and buried him The Hebrues text is thus Vathechasrehu meat meeloim that is for a tyme thou sufferedst him to be without God or thou shalt suffer him a while to be forsaken of god For it seemed that God had forsaken him all the tyme of his passion euen vnto the third day because he suffred him to be slaine and buried And the Iewes thought that Christ had bene dead in deede and vtterly destroyed Neither did they vnderstand that comfortable decree of the Lord how that therefore he sent his sonne that he might by his crosse reconcile his father to vs and that Christ suffred not of constraynt but was willingly and gladly obedient vnto his father euen vnto the death the death of the crosse The Greeke text is thus As Paule also citeth it to the Hebrues in the 2. chap. where this Psalm also is applyed to Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Thou hast made him a little inferiour to the Angels The Caldee Bible hath in that place mi maleachia that is from the Angels As our Lord sayde vnto Peter when he had cutte of the eare of the high priestes seruauntes and so thought to helpe Christ Thinkest thou that I can not nowe praye to my father and hee will giue me moe then 12. legions of angels how thē should the scriptures be fulfilled which saye it must be so Christ would here stand great neede of help that therby he might succor vs For for our sakes he came into the erth humbled himself and suffred himself to be forsaken to wāt al help so that no angel could help or deliuer him Paul vnto the Hebr. expoundeth these words of the Psal. applieth them vnto Christ saying For in that he hath put al things in subiection vnder him hee left nothing that should not be subiect vnto him but yet we see not all thinges subdued vnto him but we se Iesus crouned with glory honor which was made a little inferior to the angels through the suffring of death that by gods grace he might tast death for al men for it became him for whō are al things by whom are al things seyng he brought many children vnto glory that he shold consecrate the prince of our saluation through afflictions for he which sanctifieth they which are sanctified are al of one And so the prophet marueleth that this true man sonne of man was for the little time of his preaching and passion here vpon earth forsaken contēned humbled or abased but after a little that is after 3. dayes highly glorified honored crouned made lord of al creatures in heauen earth And that afterward his name became renomned famous and admirable through the whole world As Paul out of this Psal. teacheth at large to the Ephes where he sayth That the god of our Lorde Iesus Christ the father of glory might giue vnto you the spirit of wisdom reuelation through the knowledge of him that the eies of your vnderstanding may bee lightened that ye may know what the hope is of gods calling what the riches of his glorious inheritance is in his saintes what is the exceding greatnes of his power towards vs which beleue according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him vp frō the dead set him at hys right hand in the heauenly places far aboue al principalitie power might dominion and euery name that is named not in this world only but also in that that
is to come hath made al thinges subiect vnder his feet hath appointed him ouer all thinges to be the head to the church which is hys body euen the fulnes of him that filleth al in al things Many mysteries of our faith are contained in this Psalm to wit Christes passion resurrection and dominion which he hath ouer al creatures both in heauen earth and what the fruite of Christes workes to wit of his passiō is For he was by his passion to deserue and giue vs infinite benefits that all which beleue the gospel might be deliuered frō Satans kingdom haue place with God in heauē and be ruled and saued by Christ for euer But yet here in this world by faith vnder the crosse but after this fraile and miserable life opēly in glory The kings of this world do get gouerne kepe establish their kingdomes by the sword force of armes ouercomming vanquishing their enemies but this king after a new strāge proper and cleane contrary maner beginneth gouerneth and fortifieth his kingdom to wit by suffering dying on the crosse For in that he was killed he killeth ouercommeth his enemies This passing and exceeding great submission and lowly humbling of himselfe euen to the death of the crosse doth preuayleth more then the force sufferings strength might of all creatures could haue done For it ouercame Satan it swalowed vp death obtayned worthy honor glory As Paul saith to the Phil. Christ humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto death euen the death of the crosse wherfore God hath also highly exalted him giuen him a name aboue euery name that at the name of Iesus shold euery knee bow both of things in heauen and thinges in earth and things vnder earth and that euery tong should confesse that Iesus Christ is the lord vnto the glory of god the father ¶ Anna. Seyng the scriptures set down so many mysteries of our faith briefly and in one place for now I heare in this 8. Psal. the passion resurrection ascension and kingdom of Christ all in one the selfe same place comprehended and fully touched I would haue you expound and teach the vse of the death and resurrection of Christ what his kingdome is briefly And thus in reciting the prophesies concerning these articles as they offer themselues you shal find an indifferent easy way so that you need not ouer labor and wery yourselfe as of late you haue done ☞ Vrb. The fruit and commoditie of this most precious death and glorious resurrection of Christ is the redemption of mankind from al euils and calamities and mans victory ouer death the deuil damnation So that now by Christes infinite and great merites by his deserts and not by ours we obtayne forgiuenes of our sinnes grace peace with God perfect holines the holy ghost with his giftes and that blessed adoption by which we are the children of god and he our father and that after this short life we looke for the resurrection of our flesh in which we shall receiue both in body and soule and immortal incorruptible inheritance an inheritance that shal not fade euen life euerlastyng and the eternall kingdom of Christ which was promised vs in the law and prophets But al this we receiue onely in Iesus Christ the seede of Abraham and Dauid according to the flesh who purchased and deserued all these things for vs This is daily preached to vs in the gospel and all mē are called vnto this grace none is excluded none refused The Euangelists and Apostles as the true expounders of the Prophets do worthely in all places of the new testament preach and declare out of the prophets this fruit of Christes passion Paul to the Rom. sayth Christ was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen agayne for our iustification And agayne in the same epistle God setteth out his loue toward vs seing that while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs Much more then being now iustified by his bloud we shall bee saued from wrath thorough him For if whē we were his enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled we shal be saued by his life And to the Cor. he sayth Christ is made of God vnto vs wisdom and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption In these few wordes he openeth and declareth all those things which Moses and the prophets wrote before of the offerings sacrifices oblations which were offred for the peoples sinnes and offences These sacrifices oblations could reconcile none vnto GOD neyther clense any man from sinne but were onely figures of that most precious sacrifice the bloud of Christ It was he that should recōcile his father to vs and by his precious bloud clense vs from all our sinnes Paule to the Corrinthians sayeth Christ dyed for all that they which liue should not henceforth lyue vnto themselues but vnto him which died for them and rose agayn God made hym which knew no sinne to be sinne for vs that we might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him And to the Gallathians he sayth Christ Iesus our Lorde gaue himself for our sinnes that he might deliuer vs from this present euill world according to the will of God euen our father to whom be glory for euer and euer Amen And agayne Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law while he was made a curse for vs for it is written Cursed is euery one that hangeth on tree And to the Ephesians he sayeth By Christ we haue redemption thorough his bloud euen the forgiuenesse of sinnes according to his rich grace And agayne he sayth But now in Christ Iesus ye which once were farre of are made nere by the bloud of Christ for he is our peace which reconciled both vnto god in one body by his crosse And agayne Christ hath loued vs and hath giuen himself for vs to be an offring and a sacrifice of a sweete smellyng sauour to God. And to the Collos he sayth God by Christ reconcileth al things to himselfe and setteth at peace through the bloud of his crosse both the thinges in heauen and the things in earth And agayne God raysed Christ from the dead and you which were dead in sinnes and in the vncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened together with him forgiuing vs all our trespasses and putting out the hand writing of ordinaunces that was against vs which was contrary to vs he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vppon the crosse triumphing in himselfe ouer all principalities and powers in the same crosse And to the Thessal he sayth I would not brethren haue you ignorant concernyng them which are a sleepe that ye sorrow not euen as they which haue no hope For if we beleue that Iesus is dead and risen agayne euen so them which
our body here is a natural body and to the fustentation therof we must if we wil liue eate drinke slepe disgest purge And the same body is weried and in the ende corrupteth and fadeth And therfore as sone as that soule departeth frō the body the corps beginneth to smell putrify so that no man can abide the stinke therof This is the dishonor which for sinne is laid vpon the body But in the last day the lord wil trāsfigure our body into such brightnes make it so beautiful that it shal be like the sunne so shal alway abide continue a firm sound immortal body without bodily meat fed of god for euer And therfore saith Paul pointing as it were to his body with his finger this corruptible body wherin I now stād sit walke speake this same body I say must put on incorruption this mortal must put on immortalitie When this corruptible body hath put on incorruption this mortal hath put on immortalitie then shall bee brought to passe the saying that is written Death is swalowed vp into victory ¶ Anna. Now I haue heard the fruit of Christes passion resurrection which I take to be this That what Satan in Adam our nature by sin had corrupted destroyed the Christ by his death resurrection hath recouered restored to wit he hath destroyed sin ouercome death giuen life that we which beleue in Christ may be deliuered from our sins freed from the tiranny of deth the diuel be made heires of euerlasting life Now shew me what maner of kingdom Christs kingdom is which is so magnifically set forth promised vnto vs in the law prophets and euangelists ☞ Vrb. The kingdom of Christ which is promised in the prophets is a spirituall kingdom not of this world it is a kingdom of euerlasting blessednes mercy truth righteousnes peace life wisdom light ioy security liberty euerlasting saluatiō in which Christ the king of glory being taken vp into heauen exalted at the right hand of god doth by the gospel the holy ghost in fayth raigne inuisibly gouern defend al that beleue in him euen in the midst of their cruel deadly enemies to wit the world Satan heretikes persecuters of the church sin death Moreouer he is our intercessor in heauen to god the father he forgiueth vs our sinnes he sēdeth his holy spirit into our hartes he renueth repayreth our corrupted depraued decaied nature and he restoreth in vs the most beutiful image of god which through sinne was blotted out destroyed in vs To be briefe he sanctifieth vs defendeth vs preserueth vs in all dangers euils and so he in this life euen vnto the day of iudgement gathereth vp into his kingdom which is the true catholike church of the godly the children of God dispersed throughout the whole world He ouercōmeth in them sinne death the prince of this world by this means he prepareth maketh thē redy for that great glorious day of our full perfect redemption And although the godly die in the mortal body yet will he raise thē all again at the last day and they shall liue with Christ for euer But vntil the day both the euil and the good the godly the vngodly shal be mixt dwel together and the vngodly wil colourably seeke to beare a face and outward shew of godlines wil also be taken in place for godly nay they will be the chiefe in this earth and sit as magistrates vaunt themselues to be the heads of the church as Annas and Caiphas did in Christes tyme yea they wil root out curse and vehemētly persecute the true godly to the vttermost For in deede the true church is so hidden in this world the some times in great temptations it cannot for a space see it selfe ¶ Anna. What meaneth the miserable people the Anabaptists what madnes moueth them to seeke to cōgregate a church heare in this world which shold be pure vnspotted vndefiled and without all blot and where in they wil haue no sinner seing that euē the godly offend fal in many things the greatest part of those which are called christiās are mere hypocrits very wicked mē ☞ Vrb. These miserable mē vnderstand not the scriptures And therefore they know not what is the true church what maner of church it is or what the state of the true church is in this world Christ only is he which at the last day shal purge the chaffe that is the vngodly frō the good wheat which is the godly christians In the meane time that godly are compelled here to dwel liue among the vngodly And yet shall they not haue any discōmōditie or losse therby if they learne not at thē to liue be vngodly The godly may bear publik offices haue such politike functions as the ciuile magistrate doth ordain so long as they be not cōmaunded compelled to do that that is contrary to the commaundement of God and his holy word yea they both may with a safe conscience also ought as far as belōgeth to the body tēporal goods vse al humane publike ordināces and cōtracts which make for that maintenāce of this life society If so be they may be suffred to kepe retaine the true doctrine of the sauing gospel liue as it cōmādeth ¶ Anna. Seing you haue alredy described the kingdom of Christ I pray you discouer me the kingdō of Satan ☞ Vrb. Sathans kingdom is quite contrary vnto the kingdom of Christ it is a kingdom of euerlasting perdicion of lies of death of sinne of ignorance of blindnes of darkenes of heauines of affliction of sorrowe and of continuall captiuity and damnation And this kingdom of condemnation beginneth in this worlde and hath in it all the vngodly which will not beleue and obey the Gospell in whom the euill spirit worketh and is effectual And therupon is called in Iohn the prince of this world the god of this world This spirit blindeth the mynds of that vnbeleuers so that they see not the most cleare light of the gospel of the clearenes of Iesus Christ which is the image and caracter of God. ¶ Anna. How doth Sathan raigne in this world ☞ Vrb He is the strong man armed in his house of whō Luke speaketh who kepeth the wicked in his hande and hath thē in his power driueth thē whether he will at his pleasure Paul saith he bindeth thē holdeth thē in strōg lies errors darknes bewitcheth their harts and casteth thē hedlong into al wickednes filthines vncleannes and moueth and inflameth thē to all vngodlines Satan is alwais an enemy and an aduersary vnto true christians in all their godly enterprises procedings He stirreth vp fals teachers and draweth many into horrible heresies He alwais maketh
Paul calleth this righteousnes the righteousnes of faith which standeth not on our merits but on the merits of christ He therfore that knoweth Christ and beleeueth that he is the true purger of sinnes and the destroyer of death and apprehendeth him in his hart by true faith and taketh him for his only treasure of life that man is iustyfyed and saued But he which doth not beleeue is already condemned for the Lord hath decreed this thing and told it vs by his law prophetes and euangelists that he wil haue mercy on vs for nothing neither in heauen nor earth but by Christ and for Christ for whose cause he wil pardon our sinnes and geue vs euerlasting life if we will beleeue in him Act. 4.13 Rom. 3. Gal. 23. And therefore not without a cause sayth the prophet he shall beare their sinnes seing that there is no other neither in heauē nor earth who can beare or purg our sinnes but euen that Messias It followeth therfore vndoubtedly that no man can be iustified saued and deliuered from his sinnes vnles he beleue in this onely sauiour Iesus Christ Now then you heare that Christ is the seruaunt of God in the worke of our redemption and that hee is therefore worthely called righteous because he onely is iust iustifieth others as S. Steuen calleth him He iustifieth vs in his owne knowledge and vnderstanding that is he iustifieth vs when we heare in the gospell that he onely and none other hath borne our sinnes and when by sure fayth we retayne it and put all our trust in him both in our lyfe and death and saye both with hart mouth Christ onely hath borne our wickednes and died for our sinnes and onely is our righteousnes before God and this righteousnes which we get thus by fayth because it is founded built on Christ stādeth fast and firme agaynst the gats of hell ¶ Anna. As far then as I can heare if I should be asked how it commeth to passe that I being a sinner am become righteous thus I ought to annswere I am not righteous because I haue not sinned or because I haue done many good deedes or for that I haue satisfied for my sinnes but I am righteous because Christ hath borne my sinnes in whome I beleue and in whome I repose all my trust Vrba You aunswere well and soundly and so haue all the patriarks prophets apostles and true Christians from the beginning of the world to this day beleued neither is there any other beliefe auailable before god He that beleueth not as you haue said isdāned neither can there be any waye found to saue him though he were couered with all the cowles of all the monks in the world and had all the good workes merites crosses sufferinges and penants in himselfe alone that is in the whole world For they all cannot auaile him or healpe him but he must needes be a firebrande of hell there to burne for euer if he doe not beleue as you say Well let vs hold one The prophet furthermore speaketh here of the fruit and reward of Christs passion And he sayth it is an eternall triumph or victory ouer sinne death the world and the deuill For Christ hath ouercome these cruell and bloudy enemies and hath deliuered his elected from them and so hath receaued through the whole world generally for his inheritaunce a great and glorious people or a most beutifull church which is his spirituall kingdome And this hath that the ignominious death of Christ don because he bore our sinnes and suffered himselfe to be hanged betwene ij theeues and prayed for transgressours and sinners as Paule sayth to the Hebrues Christ in the dayes of his flesh did offer vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death and was also heard in that which he feared and though he were the sonne yet learned he obedience by the thinges which he suffered and being consecrate was made the author of eternall saluation vnto all them that obay him and is called of god an highe priest after the order of Melchisidech ¶ Anna. What sayth Esaias of Christ in the 54. chap ☞ Vrb. In that chapter he describeth the kingdome of Christ in fayth that is to say the catholick Church which in this word is vnder the crosse poore miserable helplesse and base to behold But he comforteth it promising to helpe it and enrich it so that it shall become most populous with men of all sortes from ech side presing into it in so much that it shall bring forth an infinite multitude of Children of grace and haue many moe sonnes then the malipert synagoge though she seemed neuer so fruitfull and in deede she seemed fruitfull for she had the law and many good workes and worke mongers or worketeachers with all kind of merites these be the prophets wordes Reioyce thou barren that bearest not burst out and sing thou that trauailest not because the desolate hath more Children then the maryed sayth the Lord. This comfort must also be well obserued least taking offence at the smale number of Christians we be dismayd and fall from the fayth For the dayes will come when the number of the faythfull shal be great and populus Thus was Sara barren but our God so blessed her that she became the mother of many Childrē and a great people To be short Abraham must needes according to Gods promise in Genesis and according to the Etimologie and signification of his name be made a father of many people heyre of the earth For his blessed seede with all his blessinges was also promised to the gentiles The prophet moreouer vseth certayne similies taken of tentes which are set vp and spread in the fieldes so largely that many may dwell in them Whereby he geueth vs to vnderstand that the church should be spread all abroad through the whole world and that the day should come that the Gospell should be preached in all landes and that they should receaue Christ These be his wordes Enlarge the place of thy tents and stretch out thy cords make fast thy stakes for thou shalt increase on the right hand on the left He promiseth moreouer to the church Gentiles for inheritaunce But not so that the Churche should inherite the Gentiles after a worldly manner of inheriting as kinges of the earth inherite and haue their people in subiection For Christes kingdome is not of this world It is a spirituall inheritaunce which the Church by the Gospell getteth and it shall dwell there where before through ignoraūce and incredulitye was a deserte and wilde wildernes as it was at Athēs where before the Gospell came they vnderstod nothing of God aright But S. Paule conuerted many at that place and tought them which came and beleeued the Gospell the right fayth And therefore sayth the prophet thy seed shall possesse the Gentiles and dwell in the desolate cities
Christ in earth hath no father and in heauen no mother he is euerlasting God and also immortall man And in this order neither went any before him nor shall come after him He was not made priest according to the law of the carnall cōmandement but after the power of euerlasting life who truly blesseth vs and deliuereth vs from our sinnes from eternall death and giueth vs euerlasting life He is Malchizedek Malchischolam that is a king of righteousnes who is our righteousnes and doth iustify vs before god He is also a king of peace because by him only we haue peace with god As Paule sayth to the Rom. and the Eph. ¶ Anna. Vndoubtedly in this mysterie as in the other before is to be vnderstoode that Christ should first die seing Paul to the Hebr. sayth that this true Melchisedech Christ of the tribe of Iuda should be borne a very true man and yet neuertheles immortal who should liue eternally that he might helpe vs euerlastingly But Cleophas and his companiō did not vnderstand nor beleue this For if they had they would neuer haue bene so pensife nor offended at Christes death ☞ Vrb. In deed they had prophesies figures and testimonies enow of the scriptures out of which they might haue gathered that Christ should first dye And they had but euen three dayes before eaten the Paschal lambe which by Gods commaundement they ought to kill eate without leuen They tooke also the bloud of the lamb and therwith they oynted and sprinckled the two side postes the vpper post of the dores of their houses which was a tokē of grace For whē God killed all the first borne thorow all the land of Egypt the Iewes were safe in their houses For vpon what dore so euer the Angel saw the bloud of the lamb sprinckled he past it ouer This lambe with his bloud was a figure of the immaculat lamb Christ which was slayne and offered for vs by whose bloud we be deliuered from death S. Paule fitly and aptly expounded this figure saying Christ our passouer is sacrificed for vs Therfore let vs keepe the feast not with old leuen nether in the leuen of malitiousnes and wickednes but with the vnleuened bread of sincerity and truth ¶ Anna. It might manifestly and easely by this figure appeare that our passouer or pascal lambe Christ should be slayne and that his bloud should be shed ☞ Vrb. They might haue learned out of the 23. of Esay who was the trew lambe but their eies were holden neither could they vnderstand the scriptures till Christ him selfe opened their hartes ¶ Anna. Hath Moyses any more tipes or figures of Christ in his bookes ☞ Vrb. He hath and that a great many but I will onely expound those that be most principall as they stand in order In the 25. of Exo. there is a notable delectable and beutifull tipe of Christ in Caporeth God commaunded Moses that he should cause the arke to be made and be couered within without with gold and that vppon the vpper part aboue he should put the mercy seat made of pure gold You know that this word Caporeth is deriued of Ciper and signifieth a peace offering a reconciliation or the place of mercy This is a worthy mistery For God promised to the children of Israell that he himselfe would dwell in that mercy seat and that he would make answere and say his minde to the people out of it This same mercy seate both is and signifieth Christ Iesus our Sauiour ¶ Anna. How may we know that Christ is ment by that Caporeth or mercy seate ☞ Vrb. The holy Ghost by Paule doth so expound this figure to the Roma where he sayth All haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of God but are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Iesu whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation or a peace offering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the mercy seat thorow fayth in his bloud And to the Ebrews where he speaketh of the hye priest Christ which is moued with the feeling of our infirmities he sayth Let vs go boldly to the throne of grace that we may receaue mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of neede And so did Moses in his mercy seate liuely and plainly paint forth Christ in his humanity in whome alone all wee finde both mercy and God him selfe as Paul sayth to the Colos In Christ dwelleth all fulnes of the Godhead bodily Of this Caporeth Christ God himselfe talketh with vs as Christ in Iohn sayth My doctrine is not myne but his that sent me Christ is the euerlasting word of the father and his onely begotten sonne true god If we see and heare Christ we heare also the father as Christ witnesseth in Iohn saying f. Phillip he that hath sene me hath sene my father also doest thou not beleue that I am in the father and the father in mee We haue here large scope and matter ministred to speake of this Caporeth but I may not tary in figures because I would come to the manifest and playne prophesies of Christ and especially to those which speake of his death and resurrection Let this therfore suffice concerning Caporeth For by Christ we be reconciled and at one with God and by him we receiue forgiuenes of our sinnes to be short in Christ we finde and obtayne God himselfe as we reade in the new testament for there is no other God but Iesus Christ ¶ Anna. What is writt of Christ in the third booke of Moses ☞ Vrb. Whatsoeuer is spoken in Leuiticus of the outward priesthood of Aaron and of all kynd of sacrifices of the sheding of blood and of forgeuing of sinnes all these were nothing els but figures of Christ our true priest which by his true sacrifice offred vpō the crosse hath redemed vs and purged vs from oursinnes ¶ Anna. How may we know that ☞ Vrb. The new Testament doth well interprete and expound these figures to vs and it applieth them all to Christ but aboue the rest the epistle to the Hebrues in which Paule plainly declareth and teacheth that Aaron the priest and the whole priesthood in the law with all the rites sacrifices offrings clensings orisons doctrines reconciliatiōs propitiatiōs sprinklings of bloud and other fit figures for that purpose do plainly set forth and prefigure vnto vs Christ For what things soeuer were then done they were onely shadowes and types of the new testamēt of Christ because that then there was no true reconciliatiō forgiuenes of sinnes or righteousnes in that outward priesthood and sacrifices Dumbe and brute beastes were then offred whose bloud as Paul sayth cannot take away sinne There were many sacrifices effutiōs of bloud washings in the law which were but tipes shadowes and could make no man perfect within in conscience They were onely figures and memorials of sinnes
virgin Mary For Christ in deed is that stone which without handes that is without the seed or helpe of man was taken out of the pure body of Mary For so the holy and godly doctors of the primatiue church as Didimus Ambrosius Hierom Augustine and Irenaeus tooke it And so doth the holy church now take it consenting and agreeing with these godly doctors Now where as the sonne of this virgin is called Emanuel or Immanuel it ministreth great and infinite comfort to the godly For Immanu doth signifie with vs and El signifieth God because God is now with vs and amongst vs not onely thorow his grace as he is alwayes in euery place as he was in tymes past with our fathers but he is with vs otherwise after a new and singuler maner to wit in a bodily presence or in his present body For God is become man And as Paul sayth In Christ dwelleth all fulnesse of the Godhead bodily That is God is not only in Christ in power and grace as he is in all other holy and godly men But very God himselfe dwelleth in the holy manhood of Christ euen as in his temple so that both God and mā is in Christ one person And as Athanasius saith in his Creede As the reasonable soule and flesh is one man so God man is one Christ ▪ That is as Augustine sayeth Of things which God made this is the most gracious that man is ioyned with God in vnitie of person in heauēly things the highest truth is rightly attributed to the word of God. What greater honor and more excellent dignity could our humaine nature haue then to haue God himselfe descend from heauen out of his high maiesty and glory and come into the earth and take into vnity of person not angels nature but mans nature euen the seed of Abraham and so become true man that by that meanes he might bring our nature to the glory of the blessed euerlasting life and as it were hauing now laid apart his power wisdome and dietie shewe himselfe altogether as myld meeke lowly louing tractable duetifull to vs as if he were our seruant and bondeman bought with our mony For as Paul to the Phil. saith When he was in forme of God he thought it no robbery to be equall with God but he made himselfe of no reputation and tooke on him the forme of a Seruant and was made like vnto men and was found in shape as a man He humbled himselfe and became obedient to the death euē the death of the crosse And to Titus he sayth that the goodnes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is loue towardes men of God our Sauiour appeared Truly that was an infinite great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For how could he by any means set forth the flagrant affection of his loue towardes vs more then both sweetely and louingly to imbrace our miserable and humaine nature and also earnestly seeking our saluation vouchsafe to be made man. Be not these I pray you especiall arguments and sure signes of his great mercifulnes good will loue infinite affection towards mankind Surely he would not haue become man for any other cause but only that he might plentifully poure vpon vs vnworthy wretches his vnmesurable incomprehensible vnsearcheable treasures with the infinite riches of his abundant goodnes and grace Verily we may now truely say Immanuell God is with vs seeyng he is not onely graciously with vs and amongst vs as a creator and gouernor with his creatures mouing renuing nourishing and preseruing all things by his power But also in that he is man and for our cause only to the ende he may make vs partakers of his kingdome and lyfe euerlasting and so is with vs after a new and peculiar maner Afore tyme he dwelt with his creatures only as God But now he is with vs men as man yea he is a heauenly man and a humaine god What sounder greater truer or fruitfuller comfort can there be in all affliction and calamitie then that God in this sort is with vs who now as Paul boldly sayth can be against vs If God after this admirable vnspeakable incomprehensible and maruelous maner of his manhood had not bene with vs we needed not haue looked for lyfe For there had bene neither hope nor helpe counsayle nor comfort left for man to looke for who by reason of sinne is in so great and horrible danger of eternall death But we may now in the Lord alway reioyce we ought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 always to giue thanks to Christ our God for this great mistery of his holy and sauing incarnation For now our mortall nature hath a certayne and sure hope nay it hath so sufficient and precious a pledge of lyfe that it cannot wauer or doubt But that together with Christ it shall liue for euer For as Athanasius that godly and auncient Doctor saith touching this matter in his booke of the passion of Christ the mortall body was ioyned to the immortall and corruptible man was coupled with the incorruptible worde Wherefore death by the worde which discended from heauen in Christ is abolished euen as stubble is of the fire consumed ¶ Anna. Blessed be that Haalmah for euer amongst all women and blessed bee the fruite of her wombe our true Emanuel world without ende ☞ Vrb. Amen ¶ Anna. You promised to expound me the name of Christ and to open the prophesies in the scriptures which spake of it long before Of Christes Name Vrbane CHrist in the holy scriptures hath many names and all of them most sweete and comfortable as is this Emanuel of which you heard euen now out of the seuenth of Esay But there be two especial chief names which the scripture giueth him which we wil first hādle The former of them is Iesus a name most proper and agreeing with him and most comfortable to vs This name is an Hebrue word for the Hebrues say that Ieschuah or Iehoschuah is as much to say as health a sauiour or keeper and it cōmeth of the worde Iascha which is saued or deliuered or els it may come of Hoschia that is he hath saued kept or deliuered This roiall or glorious name agreeth not with any so truely fitly as with Christ He iustly in deed and by good desert is honoured and called by this name for he onely it is that deliuereth and saueth vs from all calamities both temporall and eternall And thus doth the Angell interprete this name in Mathew where he sayeth to Ioseph Ioseph thou sonne of Dauid feare not to take Mary for thy wyfe for that which is conceiued in her is of the holy ghost she shall bring forth a sonne and thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shal saue his people from their sinnes And whē Hanna the high priest and Caiphas and Ioanne and Alexander and as many as were of the kindred
most happy peace saying How beautifull vppon the mountaines are the feete of him that declareth and publisheth peace that declareth good tidinges and publisheth saluation saying vnto Sion thy God raigneth The Apostles declare the true peace they tell vnto vs out of the Gospell most ioyfull and good tidings to wit that God will be no more angry with vs but will be our mercifull father through his sonne Christ who hath pacified and mitigated his wrath and brought vs peace as Paul sayth It pleased the father by his sonne Christ to reconcile all things to himselfe and to set at peace through the bloud of his crosse both the things in earth the things in heauen This comfort doth God in his gospell giue vs by the apostles and ministers of his church And of this peace the scripture in sundry places maketh mencion as in Esay where it is sayd The encrease of his gouernment and peace shall haue no ende And Christ in Iohn saith vnto his disciples Peace I leaue with you my peace I geue vnto you And because they should not dreame of a carnall peace he by and by addeth Not such peace as the world giueth giue I vnto you In the world you shall haue affliction but be of good comfort I haue ouercome the world It followeth and his dominion shall be from sea to sea Here he describeth how farre the bondes of Christes kingdom should reach what limits it should haue and how great it should be to wit he shall not only be lord and king of the Iewes but also of the Gētiles so of the whole world according to the Psalme The earth is the lordes and all that therein is the rounde world and they that dwel therin And Abdias witnesseth that Christes kingdom extendeth it selfe ouer all that dwell vpon the earth according to the exposition of Thargum which sayth from the waters vnto the ende of the earth In which text by waters we vnderstand Iordan which is a worthy and famous riuer in Canaan It followeth Thou also by the bloud of thy couenant hast deliuered the prisoners out of the pitte wherein is no water The prophet in the former wordes said that the kingdom of Christ should be spirituall vile poore miserable and of no beauty in the eyes of the world and yet for all that the king of this kingdom should iustifie saue his people And his helpe should be so great and auailable that both the Iewes and Gentiles in all the world should feele the sweetnes of his grace and that this king should make them be at peace one with an other nay which is more he saith that for this kings sake they should haue peace with god These be excellent things and such as passe all other But now seyng the kingdom of Christ is spirituall and doth not stand on worldly power vaine glory or any other earthly thing Perhaps some may thinke and aske how by what meanes and way then did he meane to worke such wonderfull things The Prophet answereth this obiectiō saying It shal be wrought by bloud Our redemption shal cost this king much for he shal be constrayned for payment thereof to shed that which is most precious and best beloued vnto him euē his most holy precious bloud by which only he deliuereth cleanseth vs from all our sinnes and so redemed vs. And where he sayth thou hast deliuered thy prisoners by bloud c. He doth allude and hath respect to Moses who after the same sort in the olde testament sacrificed with blood and by the bloud of the old testament brought Israel out of Egypt And it is as much as if he should say thou bringest thy people out of bondage euen as Moses brought the people of Israel which was a figure of the church out of Egypt But thou doest it more mightily royally and maruelously then Moses did For that bloud in the old testament was nothyng but a figure of thy bloud But thou madest a new testament and thou diddest make and confirme a newe graunt of grace not by the bloud of beasts but euen by thine owne blood by which thou didst not deliuer a few or certaine number of men as Moses did but an innumerable people to wit all that beleue in Christ through out the whole world and thou bringest them out of that most darke and dangerous Egypt the tiranny of Sathan and euerlasting damnation which in deed is a place without water that is in which is no recreation no refreshing no comfort no rest For when the sinner beyng in the bondes and chaynes of sinne vnder the law is in state of damnation then feeleth he nothing but feare terror trembling dread horror anxiety abashment of hart desperation and death it selfe gnawing vpon him Neither findeth he any helpe counsell comfort or remedy either in the world or worldly creatures vnlesse he be sprinckled with the bloud of this new testament that is vnlesse he beleue that Christ as the Gospell teacheth hath shed his bloud to pacify Gods anger for his sinnes and wash them away This if the sinner beleue then is he thorow that fayth by which he beleueth that Christ shed his bloud for his sinnes deliuered out of that lake to wit his conscience and he hath comfort and reioyceth in the lord This prophesie doth also plainely tell vs that Christ our king should suffer death because he could by no other meanes but through his bloud deliuer iustifie bring his captiue people into euerlasting lyfe But he could not haue deliuered his seruantes from death if he had continued still in death And therefore it was needfull that he should rise agayne from death and vāquish and ouercome death This knew not these two disciples going to Emaus and therfore they were as you heare offended at Christes death and they supposed that all their hope which they had conceiued of Christ for the deliuerance of Israel had bene quite frustrate Now then you see in this prophesie that Christes conuersation at his former comming should not bee stately or lofty but lowly contemptible humble and modest For there was nothing to be seen in him but gentlenes towards poore sinners with much misery grieuous calamitie great stormes and heauy burdens of persecutions afflictions tribulations yea at the last death it self all which he suffred for our sakes But you shall heare of this Christ more out of the same prophet who sayth u. And the Lord shewed me Iehoschua the high priest standing before the Angell of the Lord Sathan stood at his right hand to resist him and the Lord said vnto Sathan the Lord reproue thee O Sathan Now Iesus or Iehoschua was clothed with filthy garments and stood before the Angell and he answered and spake vnto those that stood before him saying take away the filthy garmēts from him In this prophesie the high priest in the law who was
called Iehoscua or Iesus is set downe apparailed with filthy garments and he is a figure of Christ the true high priest who although he was true God yet did he so humble himself that he vouchsaued to put vpon himself mans flesh that he might beare our sinnes in his body on the crosse he himself beyng free frō al sinne But he hath borne our infirmities and caried our sorowes We are they for whom he so abased deiected and humbled himselfe and for whose sakes he would be counted vile and abiect as Dauid telleth vs saying But I am a worme and not a man a shame of men and the contempt of the people All they that see me haue me in derision they make a mowe and nod their heds c. ¶ Anna. What haue the other prophets writtē of the seruile and humble habite and conuersation of Christ here vpon earth ☞ Vrb. It will be long to speake of all I wil touch some and that the chiefest Ieremy sayth that the Iewes did acknowledge and confesse their faultes for which they were afflicted with all kind of troubles and calamities and amongst other wordes he hath these Lord our rebellions are many we sinned against thee O the hope of Israel the sauiour thereof in the time of trouble Why art thou as a stranger in the land as one that passeth by to tary for a night Why art thou as a man astonied and as a strong man that cannot helpe Yet thou O Lord art in the midst of vs and thy name is called vpon vs forsake vs not In this prophesie the Iewes complaine that they are in great distresse and woful calamity and that they are forsaken of God or els that he semes to be alienated and turned from them and not to regarde them But this onely was their comfort that God was in Sion and Israel and that he had chosen Israel for his peculiar people Because he had defēded them from the hurtes and harmes of their enemies and dwelt amōg them as he had promised them in Leuit saying And I will set my tabernacle among you and my soule shall not lothe you also I will walke among you and I will be your God and you shall be my people But now they were forsaken God did so hādle them as though he disdayned to walke and dwell any longer amongst them and as one all wery of his way which had but turned in vnto them as into an Inne and by and by departed And thus the Iewes vnderstand this text But the olde church a 1000. yeres agoe as S. Hierome sayth vnderstood these things of Christ and beleued that the prophet did foreshew in these wordes the ministery or office of Christ Because he should at the tyme appointed take vpon him the flesh of man and walke in this earth as Paule affirmeth saying Who being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to bee equall with god But he made himselfe of no reputation tooke on him the forme of a seruant and was made like vnto men and was found in shape as a man. To wit he did so humble himselfe that he liued in this earth as a stranger or pilgrime neither had he any place where to abyde As Luke witnesseth in his 9. chap. where the Samaritans refused him when one said vnto him I wil folow thee whersoeuer thou goest He answered the foxes haue holes and the birdes of the heauen haue nestes but the sonne of man hath not whereon to lay his head And in Mathew The Gergesenes desired him that he would depart out of their costes Wherfore in this prophesie he is called Ger and Nidham that is a pilgrime and stranger hauing no abiding place nor house or certaine place to dwell in For at his natiuitie an oxe stall was his inne the manger his cradell After his birth he was constrayned to flie into Egypt And when he had begun the office of his ministery he went out of Galile into Iuda and agayne out of Iuda into Galile now goyng from this city vnto that and then from that to another And although he was the lorde and gouernour of the whole earth yet wandered he in this earth frō place to place now hither now thither euen as a pilgrime or stranger or as a wayfaring man that asketh lodging for a night and hath nothing of his owne And although he was mighty as Esay doth call him which could deliuer himselfe and others out of all danger yet in all the tyme of his being here vpon earth he would not shew his might strength and power but became weake and poore as the Iewes flouting him vpon the crosse said in the gospell of Mathew He saued others but he can not saue himselfe if he be the king of Israel let him nowe come downe from the crosse and we will beleue him he trusted in god let him deliuer him now if he wil haue him But harken now what Esay prophecieth of the former comming of Christ foretelling how humbly and lowly he should behaue himselfe here in the earth Behold saith the Lord by Esay my seruant I will stay vpon him mine elect in whom my soule deliteth I haue put my spirit vpon him he shall bring forth iudgement to the Gētiles he shall not cry nor lift vp nor cause his voyce to be heard in the streete a brused reed shall he not breake the smoking flaxe shall he not quench he shal bring forth iudgement in truth he shall not fayle nor be discoraged till he haue set iudgement in earth and the Iles shall waite for his law Here Esay describeth the person of Christ and telleth what his conuersation should be here in this earth all the tyme of his trauaile in his office or ministery how he should take vpon him our sinnes how he should satisfy for our faultes and how he should with all gentlenes and mercy vse vs poore wretches which deserued nothing but payne and punishment and how he should so entierly loue vs that no man need be afrayd of him dread him or tremble at the presēce of him But all men may rightly looke craue and hope for comfort ayde and helpe at his hand But we will waigh euery one of the prophets wordes in order for they are ful of great and infinit comfort First God the father nameth Christ his seruant because it was the will of our heauenly father that his onely begotten sonne mans flesh being taken vpon him should come downe to vs to be our seruāt which thing Christ himselfe witnesseth in Mathew saying The sonne of man came not to be serued but to serue and giue his lyfe for the ransome of many And Paule sayth He tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse Is not this now a wonderful incredible and great submission and humility May we not here conceiue a
God hath shewed the king what shall come to passe hereafter In this prophesie is the tyme prefigured in which Messias would come and begin his kingdome by his Gospell and holy spirit First in an humble base habite but afterward at his latter comming in glory and power S. Hierome vpon this text sayth that in the end of these kingdomes a stone that is our lord and sauiour Christ was cut frō the mountaine without hands that is he was borne of the virgin Mary without the seed of man Wherefore it is manifest that Messias in his former comming in great humilitie would not come in the flesh and begin his kingdome before the last Monarchy which is the Romains Empery For Daniel sayth in the dayes of those kingdoms that is whē the three first Monarchies be ended and the fourth last that is the Romaine Monarchy doth florish and rule the roste and when it is tossed and troubled with tumults then shall the kingdome of Christ be erected and begunne and it shall destroy the Romish empire But it is to wit Christes kingdom shal abide for euer All other kingdomes of the world haue their borders limited and their dayes numbred which beyng expired the kingdoms decay and come to naught But that great and mighty kingdome of Christ shall haue no end it shall neuer be dissolued but shall abide for euer and euer neither shall it be in a part or corner of the world as in Europe Affrike or Asia but in the whole world As Daniel witnesseth where he speaketh of the image that Nabuchadonizer saw saying Thou beheldest it till a stone was cutte of the mountayne without handes which smote the Image vpon his feete that were of iron and clay and brake them to pieces Then was the iron the clay the brasse the siluer and the gold broken altogether and became like the chaffe of the sommer flowers and the wynde caried them away that no place was found for them and the stone that smote the Image became a great mountayne and filled the whole earth This stone is Christ to whom is giuen all power as wel in heauen as in earth that he may rule with power in euery place And Daniel saith agayne in the 7. chapiter where the foure Monarchies are vnderstood by foure beasts that Christ should come and beare rule in the tyme of the fourth Monarchy that is when the Romaynes should rule Let vs now gather by the seuenty wekes in the 9. chapter whē the tyme should come and how long they had to looke for Messias and whē he should begin to rule By this reuelation of Daniel the Iewes are plainly and mightely conuinced that Christ according to the Prophets foretelling is alredy come on thousand and fiue hundred yeres ago For first the angel sayth in the 9. chapter out of which I recited the wordes of the prophesie before that there were seuenty wekes determined and appointed for the people of the Iewes and the holy city Ierusalem after which 70. wekes the people and priesthood of the Iewes should cease And the whole state of the kingdō should be destroyed For after that time appointed God determined that al Ierusalem shold be ouerthrown that the Iewes shold be partly blinded and partly destroyed We must also vnderstād that the angel speaketh not here of such wekes as consisteth on seuen dayes For so seuenty wekes woulde scarce make two yere But he speaketh of such wekes as seuen yeare do make but one weke and so seuentie wekes do make foure hundreth and ninety yeres For so the scripture speaketh in other places And the same phrase and maner of speaking is vsed in Leuiticus And so also al men indued with the spirit of prophesiyng haue hitherto continually vnderstood it Note diligently by the wordes of the prophet how great things should happen in the dayes of Messias how wonderful the power of his kingdom should be These are the wordes of the prophet To finish the wickednes and to seale vp the sinnes and to reconcile the iniquity and to bring in euerlasting righteousnes and to seale vp the visiō and prophesie There had bene Moses and many other doctors of the law who had taught commaunded them to do thinges honest godly and forbiddē things that were euill and wicked but none of them all did any thing preuaile For sinne once reueiled by the law became greater and more sinfull For nature without grace though she be neuer so much admonished or instructed vnto honesty and godlines though she be neuer so much moued pricked forward vnto pietie and obedience towards God will yet for all that play her wonted prankes and run her old race followyng her fansie goyng on as she was wont Nay thenceforth after such admonition she becommeth worse and worse more vnhappy wicked more inflamed by heat of lust to offend So then sinne remayned and could not be taken away but as Paule witnesseth to the Galathians our offences afterward became greater heauier and more more without ceasing And therfore was it nedefull that Messias him selfe should come and mend this matter bring helpe with him otherwise our case had bene worse worse and we had fallen into greater and greater euils As Paul preached in the Actes saying Be it knowen vnto you therfore men and brethren that through this man is preached vnto you the forgeuenes of sinnes And from all things from which ye could not be iustified by the law of Moyses by him euery one that beleueth is iustified For Christ was therfore sent from the father made man that he might satisfy for the sinnes of all men obtain for vs the holy ghost and eternall lyfe and so indue vs with perfect righteousnes which before God is auaylable to wit with the christian fayth of which the law and the prophetes foretold many thinges And so it was meete that the visions and prophesies should be fulfilled that is it was conuenient that those things should come to passe which the Sears or Prophetes which were inspyred and illuminated by the holy Ghost had seen and foretold of Messias For all the Prophets and euen the law it self prophesied vntil Iohn And the holyest of holy or most holy shal be annoynted at that tyme This is Christ the Lord and king of all holynes who was sanctyfied by the holy Spirit far aboue his fellowes and was called by God his heauēly father in his baptisme his wel beloued sonne He onely is to be heard as the true Preacher Lord Master of all the Prophets His word is to be imbrased To him only with tooth and nayl must we cleaue And vpon him only must we beleeue Seing then Christ was to be looked for within seuenty weekes that is within 490. yeares at which time he should begin his kingdome We must here search where and when these seuenty weekes should begin and then we may
to then I pray you tel me what the prophets haue said of the two fold natiuity of Christ to wit of his eternall and temporall birth and also of his deuine nature ¶ Of the twofold birth of Christ the one of the father eternall and of his true deuine nature and the other temporall and of his mother Mary a perpetuall pure virgin Vrbanus I Doubt not but that you remember the prophesie of Michea concerning the temporall and eternall natiuitie of Messias which we fully declared before And therfore I thinke it needlesse here to repete it agayne There you heard that Christ is not onely a true man but also very God and that the deuine and humaine nature in Christ are vnited in vnity of person Of the which vnitie of person the godly man Athanasius in his Creede which he drew out of the holy scripture writeth very godly and well And as he confesseth in his Creede so with him the whole Catholike church doth now thinke and beleue ¶ Anna. I pray you recite Athanasius wordes touching the person of Christ That I may confirme my beliefe in this waighty article of my faith and therein thinke and beleue godly and rightly ☞ Vrb. These be Athanasius wordes of the sonne in his godhead according to his deuine nature substance There is one person saith he of the father an other of the sonne and another of the holy ghost but the godhead of the father of the sonne and of the holy ghost is all one the glory equall the maiesty coeternal The father vncreate the sonne vncreate and the holy ghost vncreate The father incomprehensible the sonne incomprehensible and the holy ghost incomprehensible The father eternall the sonne eternall and the holy ghost eternall yet they are not three eternals but one eternall As also there be not three incomprehensibles nor three vncreated but one vncreated and one incomprehensible So likewise the father is almighty the sonne almighty and the holy ghost almighty and yet they are not three almighties but one almighty So the father is God the sonne is God and the holy ghost is God and yet are they not three Gods but one god So likewise the father is lord the sonne is lord and the holy ghost is lord and yet not three lordes but one lord For like as we be compelled by christian veritie to acknowledge euery person by himselfe to be God and Lord so are we forbidden by the Catholike religion to say there be three gods or three lordes The father is made of none neither created nor begotten The sonne is of the father alone not made nor created but begottē The holy ghost is of the father and of the sonne neither made nor created nor begottē but proceding So there is one father not three fathers one sonne not three sonnes one holy ghost not three holy ghosts And in this trinity none is afore or after other none is greater nor lesse then other But the three persons be coeternal together and coequal So that in all thinges as is aforesaid the vnitie in Trinitie and the Trinitie in vnitie is to be worshipped He therefore that will be saued must thus thinke of the Trinitie Furthermore it is necessary to euerlasting saluation that he also beleue rightly in the incarnation of our lord Iesus Christ For the right faith is that we beleue and confesse that our lord Iesus Christ the sonne of God is God and man God of the substaunce of the father begotten before all worlds and man of the substaunce of his mother borne in the world perfect God and perfect man of a reasonable soule humaine flesh subsisting Equall to the father as touching his Godhead and inferior to his father as touching his manhood Who although he be God and man yet he is not two but one Christ One not by conuersion of the godhead into flesh but by taking of the manhood vnto god One altogether not by confusion of substance but by vnitie of person For as the reasonable soule and fleshe is one man so God and man is one Christ You must thus vnderstand this These two natures God and man in their owne substaunce do not perish decay or chaunge but both of them continue whole and perfect in Christ which is but one person and not two So you heare that Christ the naturall sonne of God is alwayes continuing in the father with the father and begotten from euerlasting of the father whose eternall generation can neither be comprehended with reason nor expressed with wordes but is incomprehensible and cannot with mans tonge be vttered as the Prophet Esay saith Who shal declare his age Which words the old and godly doctors as Cyrillus and other moe vnderstoode to be spoken of the eternall natiuitie of Christ And the Nicene and Constātinopolitane counsaile taught vs out of the scriptures to thinke beleue of Christ after the same maner saying We beleue in one lord Iesus Christ the only begottē sonne of God that is of the substaunce of the father begotten of his father before all worldes God of God light of light very God of very God begotten not made being of one substaunce with the father by whom all thinges were made who for vs men for our saluation came down from heauen and was incarnate by the holy ghost of the virgin Mary and was made man. Now marke what the perpetuall and firme foundation and vndoubted truth of holy Scripture sayth concerning the euerlasting natiuitie of Christ Salomon in his Prouerbs saith thus of Christes natiuitie The Lord hath possessed me in the beginning of his way I was before his workes of olde I was set vp from euerlasting from the beginning and before the earth Whē there was no depth was I begotten when there were no fountaynes abounding with water before the mountains were setled and before the hils was I begotten He had not yet made the earth nor the open places nor the height of the dust in the world When he prepared the heauens I was there when he set the compasse vpon the deepe when he established the cloudes aboue when he confirmed the fountaynes of the depth when he gaue his decree to the sea that the waters should not pas his commaundement when he appointed the foundation of the earth then was I with him as a nourisher and I was alway his delight reioysing alway before him and tooke my solace in the compasse of his earth and my delight is with the children of men The old and sound writers as Cyril and Cyprian vnderstood this of Christ saying that Christ was the euerlasting worde and the pure wisdome of God the father by which he made all things both in heauen and earth Like as S. Augustine sayth in his exposition vpon this Psalme O Lorde how manifold are thy workes in wisdome hast thou made them all And Paule calleth Christ the righteousnes and wisdom of God. And sayth that by Christ all things were
sayth the lord of hostes smite the shepeherd and the sheepe shal be scattred Christ himselfe expoundeth this prophesie in Math. calling himself the shepeherd and sayth All you shal be offended by me this night for it is written I will smite the sheepeherd and the sheepe of the flocke shal be scattred but after I am risen againe I will go before you into Galile Ezechiel inueying against the vnfaithfull and false prophets in Israel whith taught not the word of God sincerely and vprightly but preached mās doctrine for the word of God and fed themselues but not the sheepe sayth Behold I wil search my sheep and seek them out as a shepheard searcheth out hys flock when he hath ben amongst hys sheep that are scattered so will I seek out my sheep will deliuer them out of all places where they haue bene scattered in the cloudy and darck day I will feed thy sheep sayth the lord c. Christ teacheth vs in Iohn who is the true sheepeheard to whome the sheep of dutye belongeth who also will keep and defend them from al dangers Wherfore he sayth not simply I am a shepheard but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the Greke is more effectual that is I am euen that good shepeheard As if he had sayd the prophets haue spoken of a good shepherd which should be so faythful and so mighty that he both would and could deliuer his sheep from al peril That good shepherd is now here himself I am euen the good shepheard There are many other shepherds but they are hirelings for they are not carefull ouer their sheep they are not faithful diligent in their cures but I am that good shepeheard I giue my life for my shepe God the father speaketh more in that place of the prophet cōcerning this shepeherd saying I will set vp a shepeherd ouer thē and he shal feed them euen my seruant Dauid he shal feed them and he shall be their shepeheard This is not spokē of king Dauid the sonne of Isa◠for he was dead long before the time of Ezech. but it is spoken of Christ the true Dauid of whō Dauid was but a figure of whose lineal descent it was prophesied that Christ should come Again God saith They shal be my people I wil be their god and Dauid my seruant shal be king ouer thē they al shal haue one shepeherd This is spoken of Christ whose seruants we all are in the ministery of preaching but he is that true shepeherd with whō we shal find a safe place of refuge succor help helth pleasant pastures with all other things necessary for this life for the life to come Paul speaketh thus of this shepeherd to the Hebr. The God of peace that brought again frō the dead our lord Iesus the great shepeherd of the sheepe through the bloud of the euerlasting couenant And Pet. saith When the chief shepeherd shal appeare ye shall receiue an incorruptible croune of glory ¶ An. But where do the prophets witnes that Christ should be the iudge of the world both of Iewes and Gentiles ☞ Vrb. The new testament is an exposition and interpretation a cleare light of the old testamēt Christ saith in Ioh. The father iudgeth no mā but hath committed al iudgement vnto the sonne because that al men should honor the sonne as they honor the father The father also hath giuen him power to iudge because he is the sonne of man The church alwais vnderstood these words to be of the last iudgement when the dead shal rise againe the iudge shal giue to euery one as he hath deserued Paul saith We must al appeare before the iudgemēt seat of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or euil Christ therfore died and rose againe reuiued that he might be lord both of the dead and the quick And is ordained of God a iudge of quicke and dead Now loke on the prophets what after what sort they speake of that iudge who shall iustly iudge the whole world And you shall easely perceaue that it is none other but our Lord Iesus Christ And this is most true This is most infallable For Ioh. sayth The father hath committed all iudgement to him And Peter sayth that god ordained him to this end And so doth the new testament expounde and vnderstande the Prophetes in all places where they write of Christ neyther need we be moued with this that the scriptures do geue iudgment only vnto god For this is no matter this repugneth not our saieng for Christ is that true god And in asmuch as he is God he receiueth nowe nothing which he had not before seing that he is of one essence power and maiestie with God the Father for euer But in asmuch as he is man he receiueth power from the father to iudge al things as Cyril sayth Now then let vs see what the prophets foretell of this mighty iudg Dauid sayth The Lord hath prepared hys throne in heauen for iudgment for he shal iudge the world in righteousnes and shall iudge the people with equitie We easely vnderstād this text by the 17. chap. of the Acts. where Paul preaching to the Atheniences sayth God admonished all men to repent because he hath appointed a day in the which he will iudg the world with righteousnes by that man whom he hath appoynted Again Dauid sayth The God of gods euē the Lord hath spoken and called the earth from the rising vp of the sun vnto the going down therof out of Sion which is the perfection of beauty hath God shyned Our God shall come and shall not keepe silence a fire shall deuour before him and a mighty tempest shall bee mooued rounde about him Hee shall call the heauen aboue and the earth to iudge hys people The 70 interpreters haue translated it thus God shal come openly euen our god and shall not keep silence any longer The Church taketh this to be spoken of the latter comming of Christ For he will not then come to iudge the world in a base forme or habite hiding hys godhead but at the last day he will come with great power Thus sayth Austine Furthermore that shining beame or beutiful brightnes of God is Christ Iesus he bursts forth and shineth out of Sion that is out of the tribe of Iuda the house of Dauid and will come openly in great power and maiesty accompaned with all the Angels At his first comming he came secretly humbly without any great ado for it was his wil to be iudged and slaine for our sakes euen as a sheepe appointed to the slaughter But in the last day he shall come with great power magnificence and shal descend from heauen as the most mighty high God iudge of all with a
dye and be buried but not corrupt and rotte as our sinfull flesh doth and that his blessed deuine soule should not be cast in hell or graue but be vnited againe to the body that he should rise agayne from death sit at the right hand of God giue vs euerlasting lyfe It was meet that he should be the first fruites of thē which were dead that by his glorious resurrection he might open vs the true gate vnto lyfe and make the way for vs by which we also must go to him But Peter and Iohn the other Apostles before Christs rising againe vnderstood not this although they had heard it oftentymes vntill they saw the lord aliue agayne Wherfore it is no wonder though Cleophas and his companion vnderstood it not Dauid saith O lord my God I cryed vnto thee and thou hast restored me O lord thou hast broght vp my soul out of the graue Thou hast reuiued me from them that go downe into the pitte Arnobius and Augustine vnderstande this prophesie of the death and resurrection of Christ And againe he sayth God shall deliuer my soule from the power of the graue for he will receiue me Selah The church vnderstādeth these wordes also to be ment of the death descending into hell and risyng agayne of Iesus Christ And in another place he sayeth Thou hast shewed me great troubles and aduersities but thou wilt returne reuiue me And wil come again take me vp frō the depth of the earth These wordes also doth Arnobius expound of the death of Christ of his descendyng into hel and of his resurrection And againe in the 86. Psal. Christ saith to God the father Thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest graue S. Augustine and with him the whole church of Affrica vnderstand this to bee vndoubtedly ment of the descending of Christ into hell of his rising againe The 22. psalm doth more fully and plainly then any other describe the passion resurrectiō and euerlasting kingdom of Christ And there are the very same wordes in which Christ in his great agony his extreme necessitie called vnto his father vpon the crosse And that psalm describeth Christ his passion also setteth forth the fruite of his death resurrection saying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me All they which see me haue me in derision they make a mo nod their hed saying He trusted in the lord let him deliuer him let him saue him seyng he loueth him They perced my handes and my feet I may tel al my bones yet they behold and looke vpon me They part my garments amōg them and cast lottes vpon my vesture Behold how exactly how liuely how truly and how excellently the holy ghost foretold Christes passion vsing the very same wordes which the Iewes vsed when they mocked Christ hanging on the crosse And the Euangelists are witnesses that al these things happened in his passion which were fore told of it And they recite the very same words to the end they may proue that it was the good will both of God the father and the son that Christ suffered seing the holy ghost prophesied many yeres before that all these things should happen vnto Christ Yea the spirite foreshewed also that Christ by this his passion should enter into his glory be lord ouer al things As before ye haue heard in the 8. psalm But in this 22. psal he saith I will declare thy name vnto my brethren and in the middest of the congregation will I praise thee Do you see he shal first suffer his passiō but he shall not bide in his passion and death For euen thē shal he magnify his fathers name and make it famous and wel known through the whole world by this glorious and famous preaching of Gods mercies in that he spared not his owne onely sonne but gaue him for our sakes to the death of the crosse that we might therby obtaine the benefite of euerlasting lyfe For so it followeth in the psalm The poore shal eate and be satisfied they that seeke after the lord shal prayse him their harts shall liue for euer This eating and satisfieng of the poore is a spiritual satisfieng when the poore sinners eate the true bread of heauen that is when they heare the gospel of Christes humanity passion and resurrection and kepe it in their hartes by fayth For then are they fed by it vnto euerlasting life according to that of Iohn I am the liuing bread which came down from heauen if any man eate of this bread hee shall liue for euer Neither can mans cōscience be otherwise satisfied and set at quiet that it be not vexed and troubled by any other thing but onely by Christ apprehended by fayth It followeth All the endes of the world shall remember themselues and turne to the Lord and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee For the kingdome is the lordes and he ruleth among the nations This is when men by the preaching and doctrine of the Gospell are put in mynd of gods great benefites and are constrayned to acknowledge worship confesse glorify and call vpon Christ their lord who is appointed of God the father to be the head of all things and king ouer all nations of the whole world Here haue ye the kingdome of Christ which is the holy catholike church spread ouer the face of the whole earth And now in all things and places where that euill spirit the deuill before ruled by lying hauing seduced all people and led them into all kindes of errors and idolatry that they might be as Paul sayth without Christ without the worde without hope and without God in the world there I say in those partes shall Christ now be heard It followeth their seede shall serue him and the lord shal be preached from age to age But if Christ shal haue seede that is to say spirituall children borne by the gospell as well of the Iewes as Gentiles as you see by this text he must then can he not be ouercome by deth nor abide in the graue For how could he then regenerate and congregate the Gentiles together into the catholike fayth and rule such an empire which should fill the whole world whose dominion should not extende through one piece of the earth onely but thorough the whole circuit of the wide world and so cōtinue for euer world without end For whosoeuer beleueth in Christ shal be partaker of euerlasting lyfe Wheresoeuer therfore the prophets set down the kingdom of Christ saying that it shall haue continual peace health and felicitye there is set downe and in dede declared the deth and resurrection of Christ and all christian men For if Christ shal be a king and set vp and haue an heauenly and euerlasting kingdome it must needes follow that he should leaue this temporall mortall lyfe by death
Psalme the holy ghost very sweetly and comfortably setteth forth Christes ascension glorification and ample kingdome saying thus All people clap your handes sing loud vnto God with a ioyful voice for the lord is high and terrible a great king ouer all the earth God is gone vp with triumph euen the Lord with the soundes of the trumpet Sing prayses to God sing praises sing praises to our king sing praises For god is the king of all the earth Sing prayses euery one that hath vnderstāding God raigneth ouer the heathen God sitteth vpō his holy throne In this Psalme all nations are stirred vp to laud and prayse the Lord who in Christ raigneth now ouer all the world If then all these thinges ought to be accomplished through the whole earth it could not be that Christ should continue in death especially seing it was prophesied that Christ should deliuer the world out of the bandes of death himself be exalted placed in the highest type of honor glory The prophet Dauid also speaketh of the battail victory of Christ in the 68. psal telling how he ouercame death and Satan and by his mighty deuine power deliuered al thē from Satans tiranny which were his captiues ascended into heauen And this psal Paul citeth to the Ephes saying He ascended vp on high he led captiuity captiue S. Augustine here vnderstandeth by captiuity captiue euen death it selfe which held al the children of Adam as sinners in captiuity and mightily ruled ouer them yea euen ouer good christiās which lay bound and captiue vnder the yoke and captiuity of Satan but by Christs death and resurrection are deliuered and redemed Dauid saith The lord raigneth and is clothed with maiesty the lord is clothed and girded with power The world also shal be established that it cānot be moued Thy throne is established of old thou art from euerlasting the floudes haue lifted vp O lord the flouds haue lifted vp their voice the floods haue lifted vp their waues The waues of the sea are maruelous through the noise of many waters yet the lord on hie is more mighty Thy testimonies are very sure holines becommeth thy house O lord for euer Here God the holy ghost prophecieth of the kingdome of Christ to wit how Christ the king of all glory so wonderfully kepeth surely establisheth strōgly fortifieth his kingdom that it cannot fall and be ouerthrown although the sea of this world by violence and huge stormes inuade it set vpon it and seke cleane to subuert it The Iewes did all they could vpō good Friday quite to extinguish this king And now that he is risen again from the dead both Iewes Gentiles Turkes heretikes and false christians with the world and Satan al their power resist him and his kingdom They forge most impudēt and shameful lies against him they lay snares by subtleties to intrap him they fill all places with slaughter of him they assay euery way to hurt him and they doe the worst they can both by force and cunning agaynst him But though they try euery thing they shall preuayle nothing Al their deuises shal be frustrate al their trauaile shal not preuaile yea all their power shall not profite them for he died once and henceforth dieth no more Now he sitteth at the right hand of God aboue the heauens and is the euerlasting and eternall God himselfe whose throne is builded and standeth on so sure a foundation and ground worke that it cannot be moued or ouerthrown Yea the very gates of hell cannot preuail against the poore church in as much it only dependeth vpon this head Christ that glorious kyng of heauen that most sure and vnmouable rocke He which falleth on this stone shal be broken but on whomsoeuer it shall fall it will grind him to pouder Seing then the habitatiō of this king shal endure for euer it must nedes follow that he shal both liue for euer and also giue euerlasting lyfe vnto vs. Againe Dauid saith The lord raigneth let the people tremble he sitteth betwene the Cherubins let the earth be moued The Lord is great in Sion and he is high aboue all people They shall prayse thy great and fearefull name for it is holy and the kings power that loueth iudgement for thou hast prepared equitie thou hast executed iudgement and iustice in Iacob exalt the lord our God and fall downe before his footestoole for he is holy This king is Christ who ruleth the church which is the spirituall Sion thorough the whole world He hath placed his throne in a high place euen in the very heauens and all the earth is his footestoole and he ruleth for euer But Sathan and the world beyng set on euill cannot abide this And when they are not able to throwe downe Christ from the seat of his maiesty they fret and fume agaynst the godly and cruelly persecute them But for all that they cannot take away their saluation although they indeuour it neuer so much For where this king is there shall all those be also which beleue in him Therefore the vngodly cannot hurt the righteous so as may truely bee called hurting For when they kill them and take their lyues from them which to the world seemeth the greatest hurt that can be then do they most profite them For death is vnto them the gate and redy way to lyfe but the enemies of Christ and his church shal in the end be thrown vnder foote troden downe and be more vile and filthy then any rubbish dirt or dung And agayne Dauid sayth Thou wilt arise and haue mercy vpon Sion for the tyme to haue mercy theron for the appoynted tyme is come For thy seruantes delight in the stones therof and haue pity on the dust thereof Then the heathen shall feare the name of the Lord and all the kinges of the earth thy glory when the Lord shall builde vp Sion and shall appeare in his glory and shall turne vnto the prayer of the desolate and not despise their prayer This shall be written for the generation to come and the people which shal be created shall prayse the Lord for he hath looked downe from the height of his sanctuary out of the heauen did the lord behold the earth that he might heare the mourning of the prisoner and deliuer the children of death In this Psalme we see how earnestly the godly Christians which were before Christes natiuitie did in feruency of prayers looke for his kingdome wherin onely or els not sinnes are pardoned and death is vanquished These true Christians desire and praye that Zion that is the church may be builded euery where and the glory of Christ seene and propagated through all the world as did Dauid Samuel and the rest of the Prophetes who with spirituall eyes saw long before that Messias should first be debased but afterward exalted and glorified through the whole world Neither were they offended at
deadly sicknes of sinne and ouercome the power of darknes thorough the might and power of this signe Christ crucified But it is especially to be marked that the prophet saith All nations shal seke vnto him The 70. translaters haue interpreted these wordes thus Which shall rise again to be the king of the Gentiles that is of all people in the earth in him shal the Gentils trust Like as the patriarke Iacob said according to the exposition of the 70. translaters in these wordes Siloh shall be the hope or expectation of the Gentils Here haue we a plaine euident testimony of the calling of the Gentiles to the grace of the gospell For they shal enquire after Christ or seeke him as their only sauiour put all their hope trust in him What els is this but that they shall acknowledge Christ to bee true GOD and true man of the stocke of Dauid For hope in the first commaundement is the honour due onely and soly vnto the true and liuing god And thus the kingdome of Christ according to this prophesy shall be as wide and large as the whole worlde so that the Iewes shall bee the least and smallest parte of Christes kingdome And euen all the Iewes vnderstande this chapter of Messias who should recouer and restore the kingdome of Israel And where as the Prophet sayth His rest shall be glorious that is his death and buriall shall be glorious for his body is neither corrupt nor rotten He died an innocent whose death brought all vs the childrē of Adam out of eternall death and shame into euerlasting honour and glory For Christ by this his most holy and sacred death entred into his glorious and euerlasting kingdome and so after his death began his raigne in lyfe And when as the Iewes supposed that hee was dead in deede and quite extinguished al those things which he had promised and spoken to be vaine and of none effect as Cleophas also and his companions supposed then beeing risen from death to life came forth and ouercame and quite destroyed and killed death and became glorious and was made kyng both of the Iewes and Gentiles and raigneth for euer throwyng downe his enemies with euerlastyng shame First therfore in these wordes is contained the deth of Christ for the prophet sayth his rest And afterward is noted his glorious victorious resurrection For the prophet saith that his rest shal be glorious but his rest or death could not haue bene glory or glorious or honorable if he had abiden still in death wrought done nothing by it In Exodus it is written that the lord stretched out his hande and by his great miracles declared his power that he might deliuer his captiue afflicted and oppressed people out of Egypt and bring them vnto the promised land of Canaan And here the Prophet doth agayne promise such a deliueraunce but a much more glorious and meruailous deliueraunce then that was when hee drowned Pharao with all his hoste in the red sea and brought his people out of all danger into the land of promise without hurt and harme The deliuerance out of Egypt was but onely a figure of this deliueraunce of which the prophet speaketh here For God wil deliuer the remnant of the Iewes and Gentiles out of the eternall captiuity of Satan by Iesus Christ and gather them all together into the kingdom of heauen where they shall neuer suffer eyther damage detriment or losse And he calleth all nations throughout all the whole worlde For saluation hath extended it selfe to all the world that the dispersed and wandring children of god might be gathered together out of all quarters of the earth as Christ himselfe saith in Iohn And I if I were lift vp from the earth will draw all men vnto me And agayne Christ should dye for the nations not for the nations onely but that he should gather together in one the children of God which were scattred abroade The prophet Esay singeth a notable Psalme of this great and inexplicable benefite of the true and spirituall redemption in Christ wherby we be deliuered from euerlasting damnation And in that Psalme he meruailously setteth forth the goodnes of god in Christ saying Behold God is my saluation I will trust and wil not feare for the lord God is my strength and song he also is become my saluation If Cleophas and his companion had known him to be the sauiour and deliuerer of Israel as well as Esay did they had neuer bene in harte so heauy as they were It followeth in the prophet Esay Therefore with ioye shall ye drawe waters out of the welles of saluation And yee shall say in that daye prayse the Lorde call vppon his name declare his workes among the people make mention of them For hys name is exalted Syng vnto the Lorde for he hath done excellent thinges This is known in all the world Cry out and shoute O inhabitant of Sion for great is the holy one of Israel in the midst of thee Note here how greatly and aboundantly the prophet reioiceth in spirit or the bountiful grace of god offred in Christ our only sauiour and deliuerer When the gospel of God is taught vnto vs then is the holy ghost with all his graces giuen vnto vs to wit remission of sinnes peace of conscience true ioy He is the true fountain spring of the liuing water of which Christ speaketh in Iohn saying The water that I shall giue him shall be in him a well of water springing vp into euerlasting life And againe Christ sayth If any mā thirst let him come to me drinke he that beleueth in me as saith the scripture out of his belly shal flow riuers of water of life He spake this of the spirit which they that beleue in him should receiue For he obtained this holy ghost by his deth for vs and he mightily shewed forth to vs how that by his death the victory of his resurrection he ouercame sinne death and Satan The true Sion that is the catholike church of the faithfull doth in dede and not without good occasion reioice shout for ioy yea she may well and worthily glory For she hath gotten forgiuenes of sinnes righteousnes the holy ghost peace of conscience and euerlasting saluation For Paul sayth to the Corinthiās That God hath giuen vs a glorious victory triumph ouer the law sin death hel through our lord Iesus Christ Esay prophesieth in like maner in his 25. chapter of the victory of Christ saying God Messias will destroy death for euer and the Lord God will wipe away the teares from all faces and the rebuke of his people wil he take away out of all the earth For the lord hath spoken it Now then if Christ hath swallowed vp death then are we surely deliuered from it For death neither hath nor euer had power ouer Christ because he was
precious bloude of Christ Although many hurtfull beastes inuirone it and goe about by craft to burst into it and vtterly to destroy it yet shall it growe and be fruitfull because the lord him selfe keepeth it and is a watchman and keper thereof which keepeth it with all care and diligence And the new testament in Mathew speaketh of the church after the same sort Although this vineyard abide great tempests violent assaults and grieuous stormes yet is it not torne in pieces broken downe lesned or cutte shorter and made straighter but euery day becommeth more flourishing greater and greener For the church encreaseth and is dilated and spred into the foure quarters of the whole world The Apostles which were to spring of the seede of Iacob and Israel according to the flesh propagated and spread the Gospell abroade through all the world And the Lord by their planting and wateryng gaue such encrease that throughout the whole world there sprong vp of the Gentils spirituall Iacobites and Israelites which haue the fayth of their heauenly father Iacob and by their lyfe professe and witnes that they are endued with the fayth of the Patriarkes and are their children by fayth And thus the true Iacob or Israel that is the true church spreadeth it selfe through the whole world which before was onely in Iudea For many shall come from the East and West and shall sitte downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen And it was conuenient that the trumpe of the gospel should at the same tyme of grace be blown through the whole worlde that the grace of Christ myght appeare and be opened and offered to all men And that both the Iewes and Gentiles might be gathered out of the whole earth into one church and worship the lord Iesus Christ in hys holy hyll Ierusalem to wit the catholike church which is the hill of the Lord and the heauenly Ierusalem For the earthly Ierusalem hath now hys ende and lyeth wasted and destroyed and was but onely a type of the heauenly Ierusalem And now that the truth it selfe and the thyng figured is come and is present there needeth not any more figures In vayne therfore and frustrate is the expectation and hope of the Iewes which vnderstande these prophesies of the earthly Ierusalem which shal neuer be restored to his former state and dignity as Daniel prophesieth in his 9. chapter ¶ Anna. If this vineyard or catholike church that is christian religion should flourish thorough the whole world If also the Gentils should worship Christ and if they should become true Israelites and by the helpe and ayde of Christ flourish and waxe greene then surely was it conuenient that Christ should rise from the dead to plant and kepe the great and ample vineyarde and so saue and deliuer not only Israel according to the flesh but euen vs Gentiles which be the spirituall Israelites But these two disciples considered not this ☞ Vrb. If these prophesies be well and diligently waied and considered we may plainely see and gather out of euery one of them the resurrection of Christ true christians This is the true deliueraunce of Israel not only from the king of Assiria or Babilon but from that great and horrible tirant of hel Satan and euerlasting death Esay prophesieth in other places also of that gracious tyme of the new testament wherin Christ came and the holy ghost was sent into the Apostles by whō the chiefe and true quietnes and peace of consciēce was giuen in the kingdom of Christ And thus he prophesieth in the 32. The pallace shal be forsaken c. vntill the spirit be powred vpon vs from aboue and the wildernesse become a fruitfull field and the plenteous field bee counted as a forest And iudgement shall dwel in the desert iustice shal remaine in the fruitful fields And the worke of iustice shall be peace euen the worke of iustice and quietnes and assuraunce for euer And my people shall dwell in the tabernacle of peace and in sure dwellings and in safe resting places Esay had tolde the Iewes that both their city and kingdome should bee destroyed as it came to passe afterwarde by the Chaldes And so it ought to bee before the commyng of Messias who should ende all calamities and before the holy spirit of Christ should be poured vpon thē from heauen which was fulfilled in Ierusalem on Whitsonday whē Christ sent his spirit visibly vnto his Apostles Then at the last was the true Ierusalem builded by the Apostles on Christ the head corner stone Then the desert that is the remnant of the Iewes and Gentiles shall be as a field well tilled and they shall bring forth aboundance of fruite in the fayth of Christ And the fielde which before flourished to wit the Sinagoge shall be made a forrest and wildernes Then shall true righteousnes dwell in this kingdome of Christ to wit fayth in Christ which bringeth forth most pleasaunt and delectable fruites namely peace euen true peace in the lord peace of conscience with true and euerlasting security He calleth the church of Christ also the habitation of peace the tabernacle of trust or most sure habitation because we can fynde peace and safety from the tiranny of the wicked spirite from sinne and from death in no other place but onely in the churche of Christ For he which kepeth and defendeth the church is the Lord of hostes himselfe which hath ouercome Sathan and established Sion that is the churche on a strong and sure foundation and in all places strongly defendeth it from all euils that hang ouer it He onely deserued and made our reconciliation The church is his heauenly body the church is his temple the church is his kyngdome wherein he dwelleth And therefore there can bee no true peace at all any where but onely in the church in which we haue true peace with GOD thorough our mediator and reconciler Iesus Christ Without this dwelling place of God is very whote indignation wrath and wretchednesse For in hym which beleeueth not in Christ dwelleth the wrath of God therefore he must needes perish But the true peace and securitie which we haue here but in fayth by the holy ghost the earnest peny of our inheritaunce shall then in deede at the last in the lyfe to come haue his beginnyng when our last enemy death shal be vtterly abolished There is also in the 35. of Esay a comfortable prophesie of Christ and of the kingdome of hys church of the doctrine of his Gospell of the miracles and signes of Christ and of our true deliuerance through Christ and of the eternall ioy of faythfull Christians The wordes are these The deserte and the wildernesse shall reioyce and the waste grounde shall bee glad and flourish as the rose it shall flourish aboundantly and shall greatly reioyce also and ioy The glory of Libanus shall be geuen vnto it the beauty of
with the church Wheras men which are without knowledge of God being in heresies superstition idolatry exercised and blinded are by that euil destroying and disturbing spirit dispersed and the heritage deuided Cōtrarily Christes faithfull are by the gospell and doctrine of the church gathered together into the vnity of faith which iustifyeth ¶ Anna. But what saith the church to them which yet beleeue not ☞ Vrb. It saith that which Esay speaketh of here saying Goe forth and shew your selues as if he should haue sayd ye sit in Sathans prison in darknes of vnbeleef but if you abide in that pryson and darknes you shall die for euer And therfore arise and come out and fly speedely out of sathans kingdome repent amend your selues and beleeue the gospel and then shal your harts be lighted with knowledge then shall you both learn to know your selues you shall also receiue true holynes be saued In the kingdome and dungeon of sathā is nothing els but euerlasting hunger penury of al things but in the church which is the kingdome of Christ are most delectable pleasant pastures For the gospel is a most ioyful messenger and comfortable word of life which floweth with al delites comforts ioyes in which we finde and haue plenty and ful store of al pleasure goodnes to wit forgeuenes of sinnes true holynes peace with God ioy of spirite and peace of conscience and life yea true and perfect consolation And this is the meaning of these strange words of the prophet where he saith They shal feed in the wayes and their pastures shal be in the plaines or in al the tops of hils they shal neither be hungry nor thirsty and the heat of the day shal not touch them But whence haue they such delights and pleasures The prophet answereth because their deliuerer wil rule gouern thē They are as you here in the kingdome of mercy Christ conducteth thē by his word spirit These three to wit the word the sacraments and the holy spirit are the welsprings and flouds by which only this spirituall thirst may in all places and for euer be quenched And least this spirituall thirst shold not be quenched or these pastures of life be hid and not easely found the Lord wil make all the mountaines into a way that is there shal be in all congregations or companies of Christians place that euē easely with no troble mē may come vnto him There shal be a very broad frequented way redy and easy to be found so that no man shall haue need to aske which is the way lest therby the free acces to Christ might be hindered For in what kind and state of life so euer any man shal be so that it be not quite cōtrary to gods word if he beleeue in Christ doubtles he shall both haue forgeuenes of sinnes and be inheritor of euerlasting life whether he be Iew or Gentil master or seruant mistres or mayd maiestrate or subiect and they shal come from far Before the people of god was in the litle land of Chanaan and the church of God was straitly laced hēmed in but now it shal be let lose through the wholl world and as Christ saith in Luke they shal come frō the East and from the West and from the North and from the South and shall sit in the kingdome of God. Then the prophet biddeth all creatures reioyce and be glad for al creatures which are are in two places to wit in heauē earth now the occasion cause why they ought to triumph and reioyce is this First because God the father hath sent his sonne into this earth geuen vs his gospel from heauen which is a messuage of reconciliation betwixt God man and the word of grace remission of sinnes Secondly because that now the people of God faithful christians are out of al danger and in a happy ease for death is subdued But he calleth the good christians poore or afflicted because while they liue in this earth they are heauy troubled inwardly with feare terror of death and gods iudgement and outwardly they are shaken with persecutions and all kinds of calamities But this is our consolation that god calleth vs his people for if we be his people he our comforter protector thē may we in deed reioyce For if God be with vs who can be against vs what hurt can the creature doe vs how cā it dismay vs seeing the creator himself doth comfort help vs the flesh is very weak and when the tempest thick mistes of aduersitie and tribulations come vpon vs when we are ouerwhelmed with vehement crosses when we are something sharply assaulted with sorowes feares and temptations then doe these comfortable promises of gods grace and help vanish away and fly out of our sight in so much that we think God hath forsaken vs and that he is angry and so plagueth vs because he intendeth to destroy vs For thus saith Sion to wit the miserable afflicted godly in their infirmities and greeuous temtations The Lord hath forsaken me the Lord hath forgotten me my sinnes O Lord are haynous great greeuous and to heauy for me to beare What shal become of me O wretch that I am what shall I doe how shal I escape euerlasting death and the wrath of God ¶ An. Truely husband it is oftentimes so with me for I am many times so afflicted and am in such heuynes feares and temtations that I thinke God careth not for me and that he will euē in these trobles feares afflictions and temtations leaue and destroy me most miserable woman ☞ Vrb. Our weake fearfull flesh cannot alwayes expel such feares cogitations For though the promises of God be neuer so plentiful manifold though god euery foot help vs yea and that so manifestly and redely that we may euen grope and feel him yet whē troble and greef come again we are so vnmindful of al the former helps which we haue had and we are so trobled soroful as if the lord could forget or forsake vs which in deed he can neuer doe For he hath promised both to help comfort vs and surely he will performe his promise for he is true therfore he wil doe it he is of such might that whatsoeuer he saith he can perform it Wherfore Esay addeth to this complaint of the godly which mourn vnder the cros a most ioyfull comfortable consolation by which we may help this our dastardly weaknes and desperation and comfort our heuy harts thus wrastling vnder the cros pressed down with aduersitie desperatiō And to doe it the liuelier he boroweth a similitude of nature which is commōly knowen amongst all men to wit the louing and motherly affection of women which of all other are most naturall to their children We know that God hath planted in the
the blinded Iewes and foolish Cheliasts the prophet saith in the words following that this corporall and visible sun shal not make the gates and walles of this Citie visibly to be seen with bodely eyes in the brightnes and light of the sonne There must be a much cleerer light for the beholding of this Citie God himselfe shal shine in this citie as the visible sun and shall lighten our harts with the gospel And by this light may we see all those great things and excellent benefits which God hath promysed to his church Hereby also know we that the catholick church and the kingdome of Christ is not a visible kingdome For these worldly kingdomes dominions or politik powers may be beholden in all their regal pomp with corporall eyes But the church and the beuty thereof cannot be seene but with spirituall eyes for an other kind of sun must shine in it then doth in this world But now mark what excellent and comfortable promyses we haue in Christ The sun of Christes kingdome shal not goe down This visible sun on the day time hauing runne his course doth euery day goe down and bydes himself til the next morning But our sun and our moone tary with vs for euer For Christ the sun of righteousnes ryseth and shineth to vs by his gospel and shall neuer goe down from his elected For though neuer so great a cloud of temtation darken this sun yet shall it not vtterly goe from vs but at the last day of redemption it shal apeare and shine vnto vs most cleere where neither cloud of affliction ignorance or incredulity can couer hinder or blemish his brightnes Then at the last shall be seen the fulfulling of the great promises of the peace helth and ioy of the church Whē Christ our euerlasting light shal be made many fest then shall we see him face to face then shall our afflictions end and then shall the day of eternall glory appeare to the children of God. Note also here that in the church or kingdome of Christ there shall be none but iust men Here in the world godly vngodly dwel and are mixt together but in the true church the congregation of Christians in the spirit is such that there is not one vngodly person For in the last day the vngodly faithles shall be euen corporally seperated for euer from the godly The fantasticall and mad rable of Anabaptists suppose that they can gather together all the godly into some one erthly city and that they should so corporally fulfil this promise But their conate shall be frustrate they shall labour in vaine it cannot be so in this earth while this life lasteth At the last day the Tares shall be seperated from the Wheate But here in this church the vngodly as theeues and robbers in a kingdome which abuse all Creatures and with violence and iniurye possesse and cease all things into their hands are mixed with the godly vntil the last day But the godly shall raign with Christ in heauen and earth God shall excellently and brauely burnish the earth and visible creature and shall geue it a new shape and marueilously beutefy it that the childrē of God may inioy it And thus shall the godly inherite and posses a new heauen and a new earth in which righteousnes shal dwell as Peter saith But how shall they come to so great a glory And why shal they haue it Euen therfore shal they haue it as Esay sayth because they are the bud or bowes or young plant which the lord himself hath planted with his own hand because he hath renued in vs the Image of God by his word and his spirite and hath made vs new men and a new creature in Christ In the end of this chap. Esay promyseth it shall come to passe that though the church be small and rare yet shall it so increase that an innumerable and infinite number of people shall receaue the faith of Christ And least when we see the true godly persecuted and slayn on heapes and the world swarme with a great multitude of vngodly and worldlings and the church in comparyson of the world but litle and straight wee should something doubt how this should come to pas In his conclusion he saith that it is not mannes deed thus gloryously to exalt the kingdome of Christ but God himself shal doe it in his due time For to see the gospel taught men beleue such hidden misteries beleeuers of Gods promyses to relinquish and contemne this world and valyantly by death to confes Christ passeth al mannes reson wisdome and worldly power These must nedes be the works of the mighty God which by his power and spirit doth work them preserue them and increase them in vs. Agayn you may gather out of this prophecy that the kingdome of Christ is spirituall and eternall and that it behoued him to rise again from death if he shold be the sonne and euerlasting light of the godly that we also shal rise again that we may in the life to come receue and for euer enioy al these great promises made in the prophets Whosoeuer beleeueth this sorroweth not as did Cleophas his cōpanion For he knoweth that Christ shal come to delyuer Israel and aduaunce it to glory But this glory is not seen in this frail life it is here but in hope but after this life we shall see and haue it in eternall and perfect possession Now shall you heare what Esay prophesyeth of the church of vs christians and of Christ the Sauyour of the church how that he shall come in Syon and iustify the gentils How euen the very gentils shall receiue Messias how he shal geue this church faithful bishops and pastors and how he shall gloriously beutefy it and diligently cōserue it as his only beloued spouse Wherby all men may plainly see that though the church be here crossed to the end it may be made like her Lord king yet is she not forsaken of God. And thus he sayth in the 62. chapiter For Sions sake I will not hold my tongue and for Hierusalems sake I will not rest vntill the righteousnes thereof breake forth as the light and the saluation therof as a burning lampe And the gentiles shall see thy righteousnes and all kinges thy glory and thou shalt be cald by a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name Thou shalt also be a croun of glory in the hand of the Lord and a roiall diadē in the hand of thy god It shall no more be sayd vnto thee forsaken neither shall it be sayd any more to thy land desolat But thou shalt be called Hephzibah That is to say my delight in her and thy land Beulah That is to say inhabited For the Lord delighteth in thee and thy land shall haue a husband For as a young man marieth a virgine so shall thy sons mary thee and as a bridgrome is
Then Ierusalem at that time to wit in the time of Christ when the gospell shall be preached through the whole world thou shalt not be confounded or ashamed any more For thy sins through the Gospell shall then be wiped away and thou shalt plentifully receaue the holy spirite of Messias that thou mayest not be defiled againe with so great Idolatrye as thou wast before The proud hauty and swelling pharises with their accōplises and other of such like stampe which are puffed vp with a perswatiō of their owne holines and trust to their owne righteousnes fastings sacrifice circumsitiō almes deeds the workes of the lawe the temple vpon this presumption haue erected a humain holines of their own reiected the deuine grace of god in Christ these pharisaicall fellowes I say can not abide to acknowledge the true righteousnes of God to wit Iesus Christ as sufficient to saluation whome God himselfe hath geuen vs for our righteousnes and who alone and no other is the fulfilling and end of the Law for righteousnes vnto euery one that beleeueth in him But the Lord hath taken away from the true Ierusalem these proud puft vp Iusticiaries which will be saued by their owne workes and looke not for saluation by the meere and free grace of God that the true Christians may know thē to be seducers and take heede of them Now note that the kingdome of Christ is not an earthly but a spirituall kingdome and that the true christifidelians are not proudly prickt vp in the pomp of worldly vanitie neither doth the world greatly regard them and yet are they in great price and highly glorified with God. He calleth faythfull Christians a miserable and pore people They are not in deed in multitude so many as the wicked be and for the most part the world despiseth and reiecteth them in this earth but with God they are in great honor and highly esteemed For by fayth in Christ they are the childrē and heyres of god whose names are written in the heauens The time is not yet come wherein their glory doth appeare now is the time of trouble with them euen vntill the last day that they may by afflictions crosses and persecutions be made lyke their Maister Christ But at the last day Christes kingdome shal be manifested in glory In the meane time they hould them selues contented with Gods word they trust him who hath promised them true and euerlasting lyfe with sure parfite and eternall treasures He calleth faythfull Christians as other prophets do reliques or remnantes for the smalest cōpany of people come vnto Christ euen as the Lord sayth many are called but few are chosen He calleth thē in Luke his little flocke in whome the Lord is so well pleased that he will geue them his kingdome And where he sayth that the chosen remnant will worke no wickednes it is spoken of the Godlines innocencie integritie and simplicitie of the faythfull because they are honest and simple dealers For they haue that true fayth which worketh by loue And although they are not altogether perfect neyther can in all pointes fulfill the law but haue many infirmities so that they must dayly praye our Father which art in heauen forgeue vs our trespasses and so haue their sinnes also by fayth dayly forgeuen them yet by fayth they are in the gratious kingdom of Christ wherein is perpetuall remission of sinnes and a perpetuall exercise vnto repentaunce and Godlines and the remnant of their sinnes which lurke in their flesh are not imputed vnto them to condemnatiō for Christ the king of glory his sake on whome they beleue and continually call It followeth therefore that the remnant of Israell the faythfull Christians shall liue safely and without daunger For the kingdome of Christ is a kingdome of true peace and securitie in which they are so louing as by fayth in their hartes they lay handes on Christ their Lord who hath ouercome the world and Sathā and both can and will dayly helpe all that be his in all their calamities and dangers What then neede they feare haue they not I pray you in him and of him a true shepheard comforter sauiour deliuerer and a full horne of all happines Now he exhorteth Sion to wit the faythfull Christiās to be hartely merry And he prophecieth very cōfortably of the saluation which Christians haue in Christ the Lord of Sion to wit that Christ saueth christians from punishmēt and turneth their enemies frō them but wheras he deliuereth the earthly Ierusalē driueth away their enemies it is a figure but where as he deliuereth the spirituall Ierusalem to wit the faythfull and taketh away the punishment which their sinnes had deserued and satisfieth for their transgretion and ouercommeth the world death and the deuil and turneth away those enemies from vs this is that true deliueraunce and helpe which Sophonias and other Prophets spiritually had respect vnto What can be spoken more comfortably then that God himselfe is the king of Israell and is ready with vs to helpe vs. For God himselfe is made man and dwelleth with vs We are his tabernacle his possession his darling and his people and he him selfe will alwayes continue with vs there is therfore no cause why we should feare any euill or danger Who can hurt them which haue God the Father and which haue God the son with them as their king reconciler deliuerer and the life it selfe and which haue God the holy ghost as their comforter and earnest peny of their euerlasting inheritaunce and saluation For the prophet vseth that great name Iehoua that is God himselfe 3. persons and one god Is not this kingdome of Christ a glorious and princely kingdome are not these treasures which our faythfull God promiseth by his Prophets in Christ great vnspeakeable and infinite treasures He which hath the Lord God the Father the son and the holy Ghost that summum bonum that onely alone and the chief goodnes to be his defender what can he desire more Wherfore Sophoni sayth furthermore at that time that is in the day of saluation when Christ shall come then shall a ioyfull Message be brought vnto Ierusalē the church as the Angell sayd vnto the sheapherds be not affraid let not thy handfast hold goe that is dispaire not beleue still that God will help thee all things shall hap well your case shall be better thē you can either desire or wishe seeing that thy onely God and mighty Sauior is in the middest of thee And that thou mayest the better looke for helpe and all happines of him be assured of this that thou art so derely beloued vnto him that he doth reioyce in thee euen as the tender father doth in his deerely beloued son when he loueth and cherisheth him The prophet cannot sufficiently declare the ioy which god taketh in the congregation of the faythful Christians saying he will saue thee and he
will reioyce ouer thee in great gladnes that is he will poure forth all his faythfulnes vpon thee and his fatherly good will towards thee that at the last the world may be compelled to see and palpably feele but especially the children of God shall know that the Lord loueth thee aboundantly as Paul writeth to Titus And he promiseth Christian liberty because he will take away these toyes to wit the lyfe and tradition of men we knowe the pharasies taught the law naughtely and went a horing with the doctrine of men teaching that men should do the workes of the law to the end that they should be iustified and haue remission of sinnes by the workes of the law and not by the mere grace of God and Christ alone And he promiseth the Church such a helpe as by which her enemies should be destroyed but she continew still Wherfore though hereticks lye and deceaue neuer so much though tyrantes murder and kill neuer so many though false Christians berwaye and betray all they can and though Sathan rage and rore neuer so much Yet in the end shall the Church the kingdome of Christ ouercome and the enemies of christ yea death the last enemy of Christ Christians shall be destroyed The Church as Sophony sayth hath a mighty Sauiour which can mightely saue and deliuer her And as Math. sayth a rock whereon it is builded against which euen the gates of hell can not preuaile And although gods children are a miserable afflicted and calamitous poore people though they be crippells and outcasts and though they be outwardly in body persecuted inwardly in the soule shakē and tormented with the terrors of death and with feare of damnation yet will Messias helpe them and ayde them and bring them to honor and gather them into his kingdome as Luke sayth in the 11. chapiter where Christ calleth the halt and lame to his supper Is it not a marueilous great honor and glory that he pronounceth of the Iewes that saluation shall come of them and of the Church that it is the Citie of God which the Lord himselfe hath foūded and builded and that there is no other true ioye peace safety righteousnes fortitude riches honor lyfe or saluation but onely that which is in the catholicke Church in the time of grace and Messias I will bring you that is I will by the Gospell call you on all sides from amōgest the wicked vnto Christes kingdome and I will gather the disparsed children of the Lord and I will exault them to honor when I shall haue turned away their captiuitie Man speaketh not these thinges but God himselfe whose will or purpose no man can let or hinder He sayth that he will gather his seruaunts into the kingdome of Christ and therein make them honorable in deede For as it is the vildest shame and greatest ignominy that can be to be a sinner and bondslaue of Sathan so on the other side it is the greatest glory laud and honor that can be to be deliuered from sin and Sathan and to be made the childe of God by the gospell To conclude in that we be made by grace children by adoption so that now we may lyue and raigne with Christ for euer who can either speake or thinke of this glorious glory gloriously enough ¶ Anna. Hath Aggeus any promises of Christ ☞ Vrba Yea forsooth For he prophecied after the captiuitie of Babilon and he moueth the people earnestly to build vp the temple agayine that the worship of God might be restored For this second temple should become very honorable because the true God of Israell himselfe should personally come into it as Mallachy prophecieth And afterward he promiseth Christ and sayth that the time of his comming draweth nye his wordes be these Thus sayth the Lord of hostes yet a little while and I will shake the heauē and the earth and the sea and the dry land and I will moue all nations and the desire of all nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory sayth the Lord of hostes The glory of this last house shall be greater then the first sayth the Lord of hostes and in this place will I geue peace sayth the Lord of hostes This prophecy forespeaketh of the former comming of Messias into the world how he should come to Ierusalem into the temple and how there should be a great change both in heauen and earth For the Lord hath sent the Angell of the great counsell euen his son in the flesh that by Christ he might summarily restore all thinges in heauen and earth wherefore it was of necessitie to follow that Iudaisme should be abrogated and that the Iewes should reuolt and that the gētiles should be made the people of God and that great wōders should be don at which euen the Angels should maruell for euer And he sayth that Christ is the hope of all nations For all men are borne sinners and sinn dayly but he which sinneth doth the worke of the deuill and is the seruaunt of Sathan and child of death From the which kingdome of sin death and damnation no man can otherwise be deliuered but by Messias who onely was sent of God to take away the workes of the deuill and destroy the kingdome of Sathan to wit sin and death and to geue vs true life And therefore he is the hope of the whole world neither is there any comfort helpe forgeuenes of sinnes righteousnes peace safety ioy lyfe or health any where els to be found but onely in Christ Therefore all the elect euen from the beginning haue very carefully and earnestly desired Christ because no man either could or ought to helpe the wretched world or deliuer it from euerlasting misery and calamity and bring it to euerlasting ioy but only Iesus Christ Whē Christ in the last week of Daniel came into this world then came our true preacher our onely reconciler and mediator who made and confirmed the euerlasting couenāt of peace betwen God and vs And the prophet repeateth this word the Lord of Zebooth 5. times that the faint harted Iewes ready to fall to desperation should in no wise be discouraged but finish the worke which they had begun and stedfastly waight for the comming of Messias seeing the almighty God who is the truth it selfe had so often and so earnestly made promise of him And so we haue Christ the comfort of all nations of all sinners the true peace of the whole world and that in the temple that is in the Churche of Christ who him selfe is our peace as Paule sayth And seeing Christ is the comfort of all nations it followeth that both they ought to beleue trust in him and that his kingdome also should be among all nations both Iewes gentiles through the whole world And therefore shal they hope to haue also surely receaue of him forgeuenes of their sinnes righteousnes reconciliation
temple of the Lorde builded by the gospell through the whole world and consecrated by the holy spirite This tēple shall stand for euer against the gates of hell The priest of this temple is an euerlasting priest and therefore the temple must needes be euerlasting This priest hath those true ornamentes prayses and honor which were signified by Arons ornamēts And this priest raigneth stil in his throne and hath both the functions to wit the euerlasting priesthood and the eternal kingdome But note that he sayth vpon his seate by which wordes he signifieth that this priest is the true priest king that all other tipicall priests and kinges were but seruauntes or ministers to this priest and that they in ther ministerie did but onely seruice vnto this true king and priest But Christ the true blossome of Dauid is the true king and priest and the true and naturall Lord of the throne and eternall kingdome He only shall beare rule in this throne This eternall throne is onely his seate and shall so cōtinue for euer Neither shall there euer hereafter be any contention or dissentiō betwene these two kingdomes to wit the spirituall priesthood and kingdome as before times there hath ben betwene the externall priesthoode and terrestriall kingdome For these two functions are both now turned to one person which both can make intercession for vs in heauen before the father as our priest and defend and gouerne vs here in earth as an omnipotent king Ionathan the Caldean confirmeth this exposition who hath translated this text of Zach. thus in the caldean tongue Behold for here is the man whose name is Moschiah which shall come to be made manifest famous and glorious And he himselfe shall build the temple of the lord But you may not heare vnderstand an earthly temple For like as the priest is spiriturall so doth he build vnto the Lord a spirituall temple wherein he himselfe alone doth execute the function both of the priest and king Zach in his 8. chap. prophecieth that the kingdome of Christ shall be very ample and glorious in all the world And that not the Iewes alone should reape profite by Messias but that the Gentiles also shall be ioyned vnto the Iewes and acknowledge and call vppon Christ their Lord his wordes be these Thus sayth the Lord of hostes that there shall yet come people and inhabitantes of great cities and they that dwell in one citie shall go vnto an other saying vp let vs go and pray before the Lord and seeke the Lord of hostes I will goe also yea great people and mighty nations shall come to seeke the Lord of hostes in Ierusalem and to pray before the lord Thus sayth the Lord of hostes in those dayes shall ten men take hould out of all languages of the nations euen take hould of the skirt of him that is a Iew and say we will goe with you for we haue heard that God is with you Although this prophecy was also fulfilled in earthly Ierusalem after the captiuity of Babylō in so much that the city became famous and the name of the temple which was more gloriously and princely builded then the other hefore became so notable in all places that many famous men came thether to worship and many of the Iewes which had been disparsed drew by this occasion many nations to their religiō brought them with them to worship God at Ierusalem Yet this was more gloriously fulfilled in the Apostles dayes at what time many gentils followed one Apostle that they might know the Lord Christ and beleeue in him and so come vnto the spirituall Ierusalem the church of God the true and liuely temple to honour the lyuing God. And in his 11. chap. Zache prophesyeth how Christ should be sold for 30. pence saying And I sayd vnto thē if you think it good geue me my wages and if no leaue of so they wayed for my wages 30. peeces of siluer And the Lord sayd vnto me cast it vnto the potter a goodly price that I was valued at of them And I toke the 30. peeces of siluer and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord. This prophecy was fulfilled when the traytor Iudas sold Christ for 30. pence with which the Iewes bought the potters field This was the potter to whom 30. pence were geuen for Iudas Iscarioth cast them down in the temple and then they caryed them to the potter For the high priest said it is not lawful to put them into the treasury because it is the price of bloud And so when they had cast their heads together they bought with them the potters field to be a burying place for strangers The prophet prophesyeth in his 12. chap. how true Israell the kingdome of Christ should be vnder the cros here in this earth for the profession of the gospell saying The burden of the word of the Lord vpon Israell saith the Lord which spread the heauens and layd the foūdation of the earth and formed the spirite of man within him Behold I will make Ierusalem a cup of poyson vnto all the people round about and also with Iuda I will be in the seege against Ierusalem And in that day will I make Ierusalem an heauy stone for all people all that lift it vp shall be torne though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it In that day saith the Lord I will smite euery horse with stonishment and his ryder with madnes and I wil open my eyes vpon the house of Iuda and will smite euery horse of the people with blindnes And the princes of Iuda shall say in their hartes the inhabitants of Ierusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hostes their god In that day will I make the princes of Iuda like coales of fire among the wood and like a firebrād in the sheaf and they shall deuour all the people round about on the right hand and on the left and Ierusalē shall be inhabited again in her own place euen in Ierusalem The Lord also shall preserue the tents of Iuda as aforetime Therfore the glory of the house of Dauid shall not boast nor the glory of the inhabitants of Ierusalem against Iuda In that day shal the Lord defend the inhabitants of Ierusalem and he that is feeble among them in that day shal be as Dauid and the house of Dauid shall be as Gods house and as the angel of the Lord before them And in that day will I seek to destroy all the nations that come against Ierusalem And I wil poure vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirite of grace and of cōpassion And they shall looke vpon me whom they haue pearced and they shall lament for him as one that mourneth for his only sonne and be sory for him as one is sory for his first borne This prophecy is a consolation for the apostles and christians that they
and with a holy violence as it were forsably entreth in vnto him and voluntarily submitteth yeldeth vp and dedicateth him selfe wholy to him as appeareth in Mat. But now geue care and mark what Siloh doth import why he would by this name vnderstād Christ This noble personage is so rich prosperous flowing with aboundance of all good things that none of the kings of the Iewes nay not all the kings cā match him or compare with him alone And Christs kingdome is another and clean contrary kingdome to the kingdomes of other kings and shal be gouerned after another sort then earthly kingdomes be nay all other kingdomes must geue place to this king which out of doubt could not be if this Siloh should haue bin a king whose kingdome and princely dignity enduring but a short time had ended with the kinges as the kingdome of Dauid Salomon and the rest did or if this kingdome of his should haue looked for another king to succeed him as did the kingdome of Iuda wayt for him It must needes therfore be that here should be a marueilous great change of kings and that this king whose comming is here foretold should be clean another kind of king and prince then others were otherwise the Scriptures would neuer haue named him Siloh which signifyeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a most blessed happy fortunat Lord who in al things he goeth about hath passing prosperous succes Here then in this word may Christes death immortality and eternity be gathered if it be well and throughly pondered For first he was to be true and naturall man and consequently mortall for he was to come of the tribe of Iuda being of the seed of Abraham and sonne of Dauid Secondly he was to be immortal and should rise agayne from death and lyue for euer because the scripture describing him sayth he shal be a royal prince farre differing from other kinges and much more honorable mighty and great then all the former princes of Iuda which orderly succeding one another raigned vnto his comming This king committeth not his kingdom to any other to rule neither hath he any successour he yeldeth not to any man but hauing once taken the scepter in hand in Herodes time he ruleth and raigneth a king for euer Which could not otherwyse be but that he should first die and hauing put of this miserable and short lyfe by death rise agayne death beyng ouercome to immortality and liue for euer That the scriptures might be fulfilled and that Christ might be such a king and Siloh as to whom not only the Iewes might cleaue but also whom all the world might acknowledge receiue worship for their God and king And finally that he might after this sort be true man and king of the stocke of Dauid and yet neuertheles immortall inuisible and eternall and raigne after this sort in fayth spiritually for euer ¶ Anna. If Cleophas and his fellow had well vnderstoode this prophesie which was the testament of that their Patriark Iacob they had not been so offended at Christs death ☞ Vrb. Indeed this prophesie might sufficiently haue instructed them and they might haue learned plainly inough out of it how Gods will and purpose was that Messias or Siloh should be put to death and yet not remayne in death but rise agayn to deliuer Israel and raigne for euer But they as yet beleued not the prophesies as these their wordes of incredulitie do sufficiently argue declare where they say a. We hoped it had bene hee that should haue deliuered Israel For their hartes as yet wauered and were vnconstāt and they supposed that Christ had ben vtterly extinct and dead for euer and themselues cleane frustrate of their hope For seing Christ himselfe was now put to death they dreamed that he could neither help nor deliuer other men from death and therefore Christ sayth vnto them O fooles and slow of hart to beleue all things that the Prophets haue spoken Ought not Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory ¶ Anna. Wrote Moses nothing els of Christ in Genesis ☞ Vrb. I haue determined to expound those prophesies onely which most specially plainely and euidently speake of Christ For if I would explicate and run through all the mysteries and types which are in Genesis I could finde many moe of Christ and his church ¶ Anna. Moses in the 14. of Genesis briefly describeth Melchisedech I haue often heard you say that Christ was called Melchisedech I praye you tell me why he was called so ☞ Vrb. There is an excellent and comfortable mystery of Christ in Melchisedech in the 14. of Gen. And Paul in the seuenth chapter to the Hebrewes doth famously and aptly expound the same saying Melchisedech the priest of the most high God is a figure of our Lord Iesu Christ to whome God the father fayth thus in the 110. Psal. Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech ¶ Anna. What was Melchisedechs order in his priesthoode ☞ Vrb. The state and order of his priesthoode is maruelous and altogether differing from the state of the priests of the law In the law of Moses there was a priesthood of the tribe of Leui. That priesthood offered vp sacrifice and prayed for other and for thēselues and they taught the law of God in which euery man might see his sinne and the curse due for his sinne But this priesthood could deliuer none from their sinne or from the curse Moreouer there were many Priestes that succeded one another for they died others came in their places neither was there any one that still enioyed the office of priesthood But Melchisedech was a maruelous priest of whom Moses speaketh but little But the holy ghost expounds the same more at large in the 7. to the Hebrues saying Melchisedech by interpretation is the king of righteousnes after that he is also king of Salem that is king of peace without father without mother without kinred and hath neither beginning of his dayes neither ende of lyfe but is likened vnto the sonne of God and continueth a priest for euer Moreouer he blessed the Patriarke Abraham who notwithstanding had the promises of the blessing of god All these were fulfilled in Christ as Dauid witnesseth saying The Lord hath sworn and will not repent thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech That is to say Thou art a priest cleane after another sort then Aaron and his successors were For they were mortall men who by the cōmaundement or law of God could condemne and bring al men vnder the curse but could not deliuer or quit any man from the curse And such were both their sacrifices the priesthod itselfe that they could not take away euen the least sinne that is But thou O Christ art the true Melchisedech the euerlasting and true king and priest And this must you after this sort vnderstand