The trueth is we are perswaded of the excellencie of them and therefore in all suche places alledged for the waiting of his comming there is the benefit set foorth with it and the greatnesse of it which pointeth at our darkenesse and vnbeliefe herein and telleth vs that the glory of this world standeth as a cloude betwene it and our sight To concludle set vs inlarge our hope by meditation praier enter into some consideration of the length breadth and depth of that glory so shal we see such a portion in it as will comfort vs euen in our greatest afflictions countiing it a great honour that we are vouchsafed his seruice as the Apostles haue doone Now we are to consider of that which is the third thing in this our diuision to wit what was geuen to make vs good schollers in this his doctrine and to become a people zelously geuen vnto good workes The gift is so great as himselfe for he gaue himself for vs He laide not downe his life at the plesure of his aduersaries being otherwise vnwilling but franckly and freely of his owne accord did yeeld it vp for vs This is that which wee esteeme aboue the benefite often times the minde of the geuer Great gifts are darkened when they come from an vnwilling mind leese their commendation but a willyng mind aduaūceth the least gift that can be No man taketh my life frō me saith our Sauiour Christ but I laid it downe of my selfe His wyllingnes also appeareth in this that he went forth to meete them asking of them whom they sought confessing him to bee a man As his aduersaries did not compel hym by violence to leaue his lyfe no more did good deseruing on our part procure him therunto And therfore S. Iohn doth herein note a speciall thing that he began with vs and prouoked vs vnto loue and not wee hym This loue was voluntarie and not forced It had likewise the preheminence of beginning and prouoking and was neither borne nor begotten of any former benefite of ours to himward In this gift that was geuen we are to remember not onely that moment of his passion wherein hee passed immediatly from life to death but also the whole course of his life while he had his aboade with vs heere vppon earth For hee serued vs with his life as well as with his death performing in it all that obedience which the Lord requireth of man And this obedience vnto the law could not be vrged of duety vpon hym who was Lorde of the Law in his owne name and for himselfe but onely in respect of vs whose cause and person he was content to sustaine Touchyng his life what a rare argument token of good wil was this to begin withal that he would be abased so farre for vs as to lay downe the maiestie and glory wherin he was nothing inferiour to his father and to take vpon him the estate and condition of a poore and miserable seruaunt to leaue the highest estate in heauen to goe vnder the basest condition here vpon earth to chaunge the highest dignitie with the basest condition the greatest glory with the greatest infamie the place that hath superioritie ouer all with that which is to serue all What is the glory of all kingdomes in the world if they were ioyned together to the glory of heauen and yet how impossible were it to intreate him who is king of the leaste Islande in the worlde to chaunge his estate with a seruant to leaue the glory of his kingdome and to imbrace the estate of the meanest subiect seruant in the land What subiect how friendly soeuer in former times he had been to the prince could after long sute preuaile thus muche with him and behold the king of heauen and Lorde of life doe◠force this friendshippe vpon his enmies It requireth our earnest meditation of the matter to consider the greatnesse of the goodwill that lyeth vnder it for it hath neuer before or since beene hearde of that the sonne his lyfe shoulde bee thee price too purchase vnto the seruaunt his freedome that the sonne shoulde be solde to serue to the end the seruant nay enemie might be made free Wonder at this worke thou earth and be amased at it yee heauens for from the beginning if all your registers were searched the like shal not be heard of at any time to haue happened The gift had bene exceeding great if we should haue had no more at his handes then is the seruice of his life lead in all maner of obedience for our sake heere vppon earth but after this obedience vnto the wil of his father in al duetie accomplished he himself must passe through death and so become a slaine sacrifice for the sinnes of his seruants Wherin let vs a litle behold the weight of such a work so shal we make the better account of hym who hath wrought it for vs Let vs behold his behauior when the time approched of his appearing before the iudgement seate of the righteous God for sinners Which although it be but the entraunce into his passion suffering wyl notwithstanding let vs haue some sight tast wherby to discerne how heard a worke he had in hand When he was to enter the answering of sinne he went as appeareth in the Gospel after Saint Mathew into a place called Gethsemane saying to his disciples Sit ye heere while I goe and pray yonder While hee was on the way he begā to waxe heauy sorowful and greenously troubled Insomuche that hee complayning of his griefe vnto Peter and the two sonnes of Zebedeus whom he toke with him saith vnto them I feele my hart heauy vnto death tarry ye here watch with me The paine pressed him so sore that he craueth the comfort of theyr presence in that combat Ye may well consider that it is no small matter which driueth the soone of God to intreate his Disciples to watch with him But are they able to afforde him any helpe In trueth they can geue no help vnto the matter hee hath in hand It is no great thing that is required and yet for all that it cannot bee obteined It is no great matter to looke on though the matters which be in doeing were neuer so daungerous and yet the Scripture doeth tel vs that the chiefe of the Apostles coulde not holde vp theyr heads and helpe their maister at his desire while hee yet was but in the beginning of his conflict with so much as a comfortable countenance no not after he had cōplained of their great vnkindnes expostulating the matter with them had vsed these wordes towardes them What could ye not watch with me one houre A wonderful matter that Peter the prince of the Apostles shoulde bewray so great weakenesse that beyng sundrie tymes requested by his maister could not performe towarde our saluation so litle a matter as is the looking on So farre was he
of the law when visions reuelations were often and vsual yet were they then subiect to the word to be cried by it nay to be ouerruled of it According as we reade If there arise among you a Prophet and geue thee a signe or wonder and the signe or wonder which he hath told thee come to passe saying Let vs goe after our gods thou shalt not hearken vnto the words of the Prophet yee shal walke after the Lord your God and shall keepe his commaundementes and hearken vnto his voyce but that Prophet shal be slaine because he hath spoken to thrust thee out of the waye wherin the Lord the God cōmaundeth thee to walke If in the times when visiōs reuelations had their best alowance and the most lawful title that euer they had all that notwithstanding they were to geue vp their account vnto the written woorde of God and frō thence to receiue their Quietus est We may not then in those times receiue suche wares vnder the alone warrant of their own weights when faith must fight against miracles and reuelations for the woorde whiche in the infancie of the Church was helped by miracles vnto the woorde How can there be any true gedlinesse among this people among whom God is not licenced to speake in his woorde what pleaseth him but the woorde strained by their spirite to speake after the liking of miserable men Great is the vngodlinesse likewise of those men who hauing banished superstition and fantastical reuelatiō yet for al that leaning vnto the hold of their profession of the trueth as vnto a sufficient fortresse doe not submit themselues to any often and earnest vse of the woorde and prayer with conscience and care to haue theyr wayes reformed by it and with perswasion of any great necessitie that they haue of it We can not geue our selues vnto these dueties vnlesse we shal be in the expectation and looking after the hope of an other life therfore very fitly doeth the Apostle ioine vnto these seueral duties that we haue hearde of this speache Waiting for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the mightie GOD our Sauiour Iesus Christe For it cannot come to passe wee should be taken of from things here below vnlesse we be assured els where No man wyllet goe thyngs assured for vncertaine Faith must geue vs assuraunce of greater glory from GOD ere wee can let goe the houlde that we haue heere Therefore it is made a speciall note of God his Children necessarily ioyned to his worship to be in expectatiō of the latter day and the glory therof When Paul wil set out the commendation of the Thessalonians and fame that was geuen out of them in all places he doeth no otherwise commend them then that they were turned from idols to serue the liuing God and to wayte for his sonne from heauen which should bestowe vppon them this benefitete to deliuer them from the wrath to come And in the seconde to the Thessa. perswading them by that which was in mosle reuerence and regarde with them and likest to bring them into the earnest consideration of his words he frameth his speach thus I beseech you brethren by the cōming of our Lord Iesus Christ and our gathering together and vniting vnto him So that the looking for the last day semeth to him to be in great reuerēce regard assured expectation among them when he maketh their reuerence vnto that the matter and ground of this exhortation And when he laboureth to lift them of the earth cōmonly he reareth them vp with no other instrument than this the waiting for the glory hope of another life In the 3. to the Col. he reasoneth thus When Christ which is your life shal appeare then shall you appeare with him in glory mortifie therfore your earthly mēbers vncleanes couetousnes which is Idolatry And in the 3. to the Phil. opening the meane of their stay frō hunting after the earth w the false Apostles which minded earthly thinges He sayth thus But our conuersation is in heauen from whence wee looke for a Sauiour euen the Lorde Iesus who shal chaunge our vile body that it maye be like his glorious body In the xi to the Hebrues the obedience of Abraham in leauing his owne coūtrey not knowing where he should become is ascribed to this that he waited for a Citie that had a foundation whose maker is God for al things in the world are subiect to corruption The great things that are spoken of Moyses in accounting the rebuke of Christe to be of more value then the treasures of Aegypt and his not fearyng the fury of the kyng is onely imputed to this that he was as if he had seene him that is inuisible The comming of the glory of that great God was alwaies before his eies The greatnesse of the thing and the excellencie of it is noted in these woordes The glory of the great God our Sauiour Christe It is the same glory the great God our Sauiour Christe inheriteth that we waite for It is worth the waiting for there is cause why wee shoulde be mooued to sobrietie hauing so great thinges in expectation We beseech you saith Paul that ye would walk worthy of god who calleth you to his owne kingdome and glory The glory of this worlde deseleth our eyes and therfore must we be drawne vp by meditation of greater thinges before we shall bee able to let these be of small reckoning with vs The greatnesse of that glory once throughly digested woulde set these in a base and lowe place it would make them vanish assmoke from our presence The expectation of a transitorie kingdome when it is once deuoured and digested by hope we see it maketh men neglect liues goodes landes friendes children and countrey to hazarde all The merchant that is in expectation of some great gaine we see into what vnknowen countreis into what daungers by the Seas he wil commit himselfe The great regarde and care that is had euery where to the thinges heere below the greedy followyng after them the careful pursuing of pleasures profites and honors do plainly speake that the hope of another life is not yet setled in the heartes of a great number Let vs cal to remembrance how that this is our day to waite it is our time to serue when Christ which is our life shal appeare then shal we be glorious and appeare with him in glory There is no pleasure which the lord hath not matched with some griefe and paine to take of if it might our delite and to fasten it in surer thinges If the glory of God cannot preuayle with vs yf it cannot chaunge our taste howe shall wee looke for renewment If so great hire as is his owne glory cannot allure vs brutish senselesse must our nature needs be What a greater argument can wee haue of our blockishnesse then that so great things can get no more attendance
ouerselling his commodities hath gotten a fleese bryngeth the sweate of his browes that is his blood which he hath plentifully powred out and made no spare of it throughout the whole yeere into a narrowe rowme Neither can hee geue a true report of any loue he found at theyr handes more then one might finde at the hande of a Turke or Infidel In the 25. of Leuiticus the people of GOD are charged not to oppresse one another in buying and sellyng but as the yeere of Iubile was nigh or farre of so to sell dearer or better cheape Wherein the seller was bounde to regarde the profite of him that bought for longer then the yeere of Iubile he coulde not possesse it At which tyme by the lawe of God it must returne to the owner againe The yeere of Iubile is abolished but the law of conscience being the equitie of that law remaineth that a man shoulde regarde not himselfe onely but also the state of another Wherby it is apparant it was not lawfull for a man to take whatsoeuer he coulde get without regard what a hargaine his neighbor was like to haue at his hands We are exhorted by the Apostle to make conscience of such matters in the first to the Thes 4. Let no man oppresse or defraude his brother in any thing for euen the Lorde is a reuenger of suche thinges Knowe you not sayeth Saint Paule that the vnrighteous shall not inherite the kingdome of God And what right hath any man to another mans money not geuing him the vaiue or worth of it in wares or marchaundize Bee not deceiued sayth the holy Ghost in the same place Neyther Theeues couetous persons nor extorcioners shall inherite the kingdome of god The want of equitie and conscience in this behalfe is notably taxed by Solomon Prouerb 20. It is naught it is naught sayth the buyer but when hee is gone apart he boasteth It toucheth this naturall corruption where euery man woulde haue regarde onely of him selfe euen without any respect of another when not onely his owne thoughtes but euen his owne wordes doe oftentimes condemne his dealyng both of iniurie and dissunulation Our carefull walking in the wayes of righteousuesse haue plentifull promises of blessing from the Lorde so that if his worde be of any credite with vs wee may bee well assured that by suche dealinges our gaines will growe to be the greatest He that walketh in his integritie sayth Solomon is iust and blessed shall his children bee after him He that foloweth after righteousnes and mercy shall finde life righteousnesse and glory A faithful man shal abounde in blessing but hee that maketh hast to be rich shal not be innocent Men who being greedy of gaine had sodainely attained vnto wealth were the most infamous of al other men euen among the Heathen so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grewe with them to be a name of greatest reproch A verlet is not more odious with vs then hee was with them The order that is heere obserued may in no wyse bee neglected for sobrietie is set before righteousnesse in this place Wee must liue soberly and righteously sayth the Apostle Without sobrietie and temperance righteous and iust dealing cannot be holden vp and mainteyned for if a man haue not learned to bee rich and to be poore hee shall neuer holde out the course of iustice and righteous dealyng when it lyeth vppon the losse of fauour estimation credite wealth or countenance to proceede in iustice and righteousnesse Hee shall neuer buie and sell with conscience that hath not accounted with himselfe to carry a low saile and lower then he hath done if God see it so good Wee shoulde haue more iustice if wee had more sobernesse in the lande for if whatsoeuer come the olde estate muste bee holden iustice and righteous dealyng must some time bee stretched It is this temperaunce and sobrietie that strengtheneth righteous dealyng and iustice For yf wee coulde bee content to bee humbled in the worlde yf GOD coulde not otherwyse bee serued or a good conscience maynteyned wee shoulde haue more power to doe iustice and to liue vprightly in our callyng what soeuer But while men are so drowned in profites pleasures and honors in the world they are neuer put to any straite but iustice is stretched that the olde compasse may be kept and theyr estate vpholden Let vs imbrace this temperaunce and sobernesse so shall we holde fast this reine of iustice and vpright dealing in our places callinges Many good lawes wee haue made to cause vs to liue iustly one with another but litle fruite of them for why the roote is not touched Wee haue taken so large a measure of port and countenaunce beeing voyde of this temperaunce that the cloth must needes be cut out thereafter The sobrietie that pleased our fathers in attire in faire port in cositenance wil not suffer vs we haue taken a larger measure and therfore must we not stretch out the cloth they haue left vs accordingly Muste not our rents be raised our reuenues encreased the prises of our ware augmented our paynes dearer our giftes greater our pleasuring of men better considered our paynes more rewarded our liberalitie to the poore or to any good purpose lessened our compassion abated and so our fathers good report decayed Let euery man cast more of temperaunce so shall he be able to afoorde a better peniwoorth of righteous and vpright dealing in his callyng whatsoeuer For sure while the measure is so infinitly inlarged the cloth must needes bee set vpon the Tainters and excessiuely stretched It shal be in vayne to make lawes against iniurious and vnrighteous practises yf before this great excesse and intemperancie that ruleth in all estates be not repressed For if that in no case may bee abated howe can it bee but that the olde ordinarie dealinges in righteousnesse and equitie must be racked The great want of sobrietie that is euery where speaketh that there is muche vnrighteousnesse in this land and so consequently doeth plainly and euidently foretel vs that the righteous God hath a quarell with the inhabitants of this our countrey for the vnrighteousnesse thereof which increaseth in euery kyngdome as moderation and sobrietie abateth Now how sobretie decayeth and intemperancie is dayly augmented euen hee that is most giltie herein wil not seeme to deny it Whereby it is euident that this land shal not be able any long time to beare the vnrighteousnes thereof For this great intemperancie telleth vs that the burden of vnrighteousnesse which it beareth is growne to suche greatnesse as cannot long be fusteined if our reformation herein be not speedily attempted and taken in hande which the Lorde in mercy graūt may be throughly thought vppon by you who haue especiall helpe in your handes to perfourme it Toliue righteously is the request of our God The grace of God that bringeth saluation hath appeared and teacheth vs to liue iustly His graces offer
ones be once repeled how vnprofitable or hurtful soeuer experience doth tell vs that they be The Lorde touch them with the care of it who haue especiall authoritie to redresse it I haue already bene verie long and the weather hath bene tedious vnto you a worde therefore or two of the last point and so I make an ende The maner of teaching and trayning of schollers in Christe his schoole is by teaching exhorting rebuking these things saith the Apostle Speake exhort and rebuke with al authoritie We can not conceiue the matters of saluation by of our selues they must be taught vs and wheÌ„ we yeeld vnto theÌ„ in iudgement being persuaded of the truth therof it is another labor theÌ„ the former to be rightly affected with them And therefore they must be pressed vppon our affections by exhorting and rebuking for we are not by by truely touched with our duetie and humbled to the obedience thereof when once wee haue subscribed in our iudgement to the trueth and equitie of the thing Men must haue speciall cunning and skill from God that shall come within vs and make vs in iudgement and affection to yeelde vnto duetie howe shall they preache saith the Apostle vnlesse they be sent This argueth a strong a wonderfull corruption to be within vs which hath so blinded our reason and hardened our affection that they must be men of special gifts graces that shal be able to open the eyes of our mind to conceiue the trueth and to touche our affections so as they shal be moued to make conscience of the same Wee may well discerne then howe vnprofitable those ministers be in their place who know nothing howe to exhort and rebuke Who would hyre into his haruest a Mower that could not set an edge vppon his sith when it should happen to bee blunted by stones or other things that were hid in the grasse And is not teaching exhorting and rebuking the edge of the word which maketh it cut And be not our hearts of them selues if Sathan should cast in no outward occasions a grounde that is full of stones And what should he doe then in the haruest of the Lorde that can not giue an edge to the worde by strengthening the trueth of the doctrine if false prophetes teachers should cast in stones of heresie errenious opinions nor yet by waking and rowsing the affections of men by exhorting and rebuking according to sounde doctrine when Sathan shall as hee daily doeth cast in great and mightie stones of securitie and hardnes of heart Now the Seripture hath plainly foretold vs that in these latter dayes especially the Lord his field shal be full of such stones It is a matter that ought to get both teares and prayers from vs euen in the behalfe of the Lord as well as in respect of our selues to see so many vnmeete men in our cuntrey carie sithes into the Lords haruest who when once they meete with any stoppe and be set but a litle beside their booke must be forced to rethrne home with their sithes vpon their shoulders and let the Lords medonâ— coÌ„tinue vntill it shal be withered or eaten vp of the aduersarie The Lord giue them heartes to thinke of it whose labour although it were but a litle might do great good for the reformation thereof And as the Churche hath a great plague of these men so hath it of another sort who haue giftes and are wel able teach and to exhort but yet for all that they wyll not abide bee resident vppon theyr flockes to discharge that duetie in theyr owne persons but carelesly committe them ouer vnto others An offence that in the greatest darknesse of Popery hath ben founde faulte withall among them selues and taken to haue beene the onely decay of theyr kingdome And therefore a pitifull thyng it is that in this light of the Gospel it shoulde not be acknowledged that there is great sinne in suche thinges Espensaeus a Popish Prelate affirmeth that a famous Preacher of his time did oftentimes thuÌ„der out against those men that so carelesly set ouer their charges vnto others telling them plainely that the Lorde would serue them in the worlde to come according as they did serue him here Adibunt per vicarios Paradisu in persona inferos The Lord sayth he will send such men to heauen by Vicars and to hell in their owne persons He confesseth that the Preacher did openly denounce such iudgementes against them Solitus est palà m illis polliceri vicariam salutem personalem verò perniciem Others shal goe to heauen for them sayth he for as for themselues in their owne person they must be of necessitie resident vnto a personage of theyrs in Hell whiche is called perdition The speache as hee confesseth is ouer pleasaunt for so weightie graue a matter as also for so heauy hard iudgement God graunt that so pleasaunt speach may sinde gentle and courteous intertainment with so many as shal be found fault heerein Wel so great is the corruption of our nature that wee haue neede of diligent teaching exhorting rebuking if we shal yeeld any glory vnto our God or good example to our brethreÌ„ To conclude therefore for I haue stonde long and am afraid haue weried you as wel as my self The Lord of al Maiestie power graunt that as Christe Iesus when hee came into the worlde founde the Sheepheardes of Iurie carefully looking to theyr flockes so when hee shall come againe too iudgement hee maye fynde those Sheepheardes who haue his Churche and chosen people for their flocke so diligently watching faithfully attending ouer the same as that by the meanes therof he may haue great glorie from his people by plentifull fruites of godlinesse righteousnesse and sobrietie and that the Gospell being in all places thus glorified our consciences may be truely comforted in Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost one true and euerliuing God be al honor glorie and dominion both nowe and euer Amen 1. Reg. 1.29 Prou. 21.14 Prou. 17.8 Dent. 16.1 〈…〉 Psal. 119. Iob. 28. Iob. 21. Prou. 20.18 Ierem. 8. Esay 30. 1. Deut 8. â— 18. eut 9.4 sal 50. Deut. 4. 1. Iohn 3.22 Psal. 107. 1. Tim. 3. Rom. 12. Phil. 4. 1. Tim. 6. Hebr. 13. 1. Cor. 7 2â—.30.31 Luke 14 enecae de anquilitate itae 2. Sam. 6. Heb. 13. Luke 8. Luke 21. Iob. 20. Deut. 21. Iosua 22. Iosua 22.17 Esai 5. Iere. 22. Dent. 27. Iob. 31.16 Leuit. 25. 1. Thes 4. 1. Cor. 6.9 Prou. 20.7 Prou. 21.21 Prou. 28.20 1. Chro. 29. Iob. 22. 2. Chroni 15 Iohn 14.26 Peut 13. 1. Thes 1. 2. Thes 2. Collos 3. Hebr. 11. 1. Thes 2. Iohn 10. Iohn 18. 1. Iohn 4.10 Mat. 26.36 ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas Dawson dwelling at the three Cranes in the Vinetre for Richard Sergier 1579.