of perles Iemms and pretious stones and they expound this promise carnally of an earthly building but Esay speaketh in this place of a spiritual building and spirituall stones When we heare and belieue the Gospell then are we by the word and faith builded vpon that our precious corner stone rock Christ that we may be the holy Citie of God which he him selfe doth build and in in which he doth dwell He that is a stone and Citizen of this Citie he is in safety sin death and Sathan can not hurt him for God himselfe is there the ouerseer and maister mason Esay in many chapiters hath plainely set downe what Christ is and what his ministery is and sayth that Christs Church or kingdome is not an earthlye kingdome but a congregatiō of the faythfull in spirite which beleue the Gospell and hold and depend in this life of the word of God and not of the visible thinges of this world For ther is an other world and an other earth prepared for the Childrē of God wherin nothing dwelleth but righteousnes it selfe They seeke a city to come because in this world they haue no place of cōtinuaūce And least they should be offēded at the crose or faint in so great afflictiō and least in the heat of persecution and in the tossing tempests of temtation they should say with them selues we shall perish and be vndon he comforteth them with most sweete and fatherly promises saying that he will be with them in all their daungers and readely helpe them in all their miseries Seing then the kingdome of Christ is a hiddē kingdome of fayth vnder the crosse it is needfull that we lay good handfast hold of the word of God and with And therefore Esay doth counsayle and exhorte the Church of Christe that it should diligētly heare and in hart lay vp the worde of God in which great and infinite treasures to wit euerlasting righteousnes peace ioy health and lyfe are offered and freely geuen vs without our desert And these be his wordes O euery one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and ye that haue no siluer come bye and eate come I say bye wine milke without monye and siluer wherfore doe you lay out siluer and not for bread and yet labor without being satisfied Loe heare how sweetely God allureth and draweth vs to his word and heauenly treasures He calleth his word water euen water of that euerlasting and liuely fountaine of which Iohn speaking sayth that it quencheth eternall thirst and that it refresheth recreateth vs in all our drought and heate of persecution and affliction which is the true water of comfort and lyfe wherwith we repare and refresh our selues in all distresse both of body and soule He calleth it wine and also milke for that it giueth cōfort consolation as well to the old as to the yong to the weake as to the strong because it quickneth and refresheth the troubled conscience and because it nourisheth vs to euerlasting life and feedeth vs with liuely food Here he excludeth no man he sayth Whosoeuer hungreth and thirsteth for true righteousnes onely let him come as for mony and mony worth he hath no neede onely let him come This water this wine and this milke are most pleasaunt to all the poore in spirite as Christ sayth in Mathew The pharises and Iusticiaries sell righteousnes workes and spirituall comfort very deere But here in the word of God they are all geuen gratis Whosoeuer seeketh peace of conscience righteousnes other were then in the gospell they lay out their monye where there is no bread because gods promise is the bread by which we liue before god It followeth in the prophet Harken diligently vnto me and eate that which is good and let your soule delight in fatnes Encline your eares and come vnto me Here and your soule shall lyue and I will make an euerlasting couenaunt with you euen the sure mercies of Dauid Behold I gaue him for a witnes to the people for a prince and a Maister vnto the people Behold thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not and a nation that knew not thee shall run vnto thee because of the Lord thy God and the holy one of Israell For he hath glorified thee In these wordes Esayas doth teach what great and infinite fruite we reape of the word of God to wit euen lyfe it selfe In the word of God is contayned the pleasaunt consolation meate and drinke of the soule he that beleueth it hath lyfe and doth not tast of the eternall death It is the word of grace and truth whatsoeuer it promiseth is firme certaine and sure must needes come to pas And that he may better stirre vp our mindes and strengthen vs with greater comfort he calleth it the promise of grace in Christ and couenaunt with Dauid wherof you haue heard in the Psalmes This is that new testament the couenaunt of grace betwene God and all the faythfull which in true fayth apprehend and take hold of Christ the true Dauid frō which God shall neuer turne his face and mercye And although yea euen the true godly them selues be heare weake not altogether perfect yet for Christes sake into whome they are ingrafted in fayth there is no dānation to them If this couenaunt depended vpon our good workes so that onely we should thinke God to be attone with vs so long as we are iust and without sin before him then in deed the whole state of our saluation were vncertaine For no man at all in this flesh doth liue without sinn But our saluation hath a more sound and firme foundation euen the grace and truth of god Heare he promiseth forgeuenes of sinns of his meere grace and what of his grace he promiseth in faythfulnes he performeth Wherfore Paule hath a noble saying Righteousnes is by fayth that it might come by grace and the promise might be sure to all the seede not to that only which is of the law but also to that which is of the fayth of Abraham who is the Father of vs all It followeth in the prophet that he hath geuen the true Dauid euen Christ the sonne of Dauid for a witnes For he teacheth and preacheth the Gospell The prophet also sayth that God gaue him to be a Captayne Maister Emperor or law geuer to the gentiles which is is as much to say as Christ should be the Doctor and king of the gentiles which gentiles as the Gospell witnesseth shall see how obstinate rebellious and vnbeleuing a kinde of people the Iewes be which obstinatly refused their owne flesh bloud Iesus Christ the true Messias and vtterly and contemptiously reiected him whome aboue all men they ought to haue receaued and honored Paule sayth to the blinded Iewes It was necessary that the word of god should first haue bene spoken vnto you but seing ye put it
was fixed on Christ which was to come for whome they wayted and whom they beleeued should be their onely sauiour and redeemer who should come to deliuer them out of all calamities and daunger both of lyfe death And therefore were they as good Christians as we sauing onely that we do not now looke for that promised seede but perfectly knowe that he is come and hath already broken the serpents heade And this victorye which Christ hath of the serpent to wit the promise of life by the Gospell is now openly preached in the world to the iustification and saluation of all that beleue his Gospell This promise of the seede of the woman after many yeares was renued to Abraham where is playnely declared what commodity this seede should bring vnto the world You may reade this promise in Genesis and it was made also to Isaack and Iacob The wordes of the promise he these By my selfe haue I sworne sayth the Lord in thy seede shall all the families of the earth be blessed Here agayne is Christ promised And this is that famous worthy and excellent promise which both the Prophets and Apostles haue continually geuen out honorably commended and largely amplifyed as the cleere Sonne and very voyce it self of the Gospel and true testimony of Christ and which they haue declared and esteemed to be as a most precious pearle whatsoeuer the Prophets doe prophesie of Christ it floweth out of this promise as out of a Fountain For the especiall duty and trauel of all Prophets is both by figuratiue speech and plain promises to foreshew that Christ should come and to extol and diligently beat into mans eares his eternall kingdome of grace righteousnes innocency life and euerlasting saluation and to inflame and stir vp al men to wait watchfully for his comming And this must be wel and diligently obserued Paul to the Romanes saith that the Gospell of God concerning Christ was long before promised by the Prophets in the holy Scriptures And Peter saith in the Actes Al the Prophets from Samuel and thenceforth as many as haue spoken haue likewise foretold of these dayes That is to say they told of that most desired and holesome time of the new and euerlasting Testament and of the eternal and vnfallible mercy of God promised to Dauid Esay also doth prophesy that Christ should come to deliuer vs from all our miseries and calamities And he telleth by what meanes and way he should delyuer vs out of those trobles The Prophets also accuse the people and vrge the law and threaten the punishment and wrath of God against the hard harted and vnpenitent They haue also prophesied many things which properly belong to the comming of Christ with all they mixe earthly kingdomes and gouernments But yet the end of all their prophesies reprouings and thretnings haue only respect and relatiō vnto Christ For they did but study and indeuour by those meanes to keep the people in obedience and to make them feare God and keep order and sought to prepare them and make them redy for the comming of Christ and to bring them to akknowledge their sinnes and to terrifie their consciences that by the confession of their sinnes and feeling of Gods wrath their harts might be prepared to receiue and embrace Christ as the true and only Sauiour of the world And the wholl old Testament is nothing els but a certain forerunner as I may tearm it and such a preparatiue or readynes for the new Testamēt that the way to Christ might be made straight and plain against his comming and that the entring to him might be readyer For as a Scholemaster with sharp admonitions great threatnings hard beating and rough correction doth reform and frame his masters Sonne with whom he is put in trust and whom he hath to teach that in the end he may become an honest housholder and a profitable member of the common weal so doth the old Testament make vs ready to receaue Christ and bring vs to Christ And after this sort doth Paul speake of the law to the Galathians saying The law was our Scholemaster to bring vs to Christ And to the Hebrues he saith The law hath a shadow of good things to come and not the very Image of the things And in the seuenth chapter he saith The commaundement that went before is disanulled because of the weaknes therof and vnprofitablenes for the law made nothing perfect but was the bringing in of a better hope made perfect wherby we draw neare vnto God Christ therfore our chief treasure and that our most precious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Iewel must be sought for of vs in the Prophets as we read in the Acts that he was sought for at Thessalonica For without all doubt there is nothing in the Prophets which doth not represent Christ and his Church and agreeth with him As Christ himself doth witnes in Luke saying These be the words which I spake vnto you while I was yet with you that all must be fulfilled which are written of me in the law of Moyses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes And in Peter it is plainly declared that the Prophets did not looke for the temporall kingdome of Israel and for the mortall ruinous and empty pauilion of this life and state of this world but that they chiefly respected the euerlasting kingdom of Christ and the heauenly life Peters words be these Of the saluation of soules the Prophets haue inquired and searched which prophesied of the grace that should come vnto you searching when or at what time the Spirite that testified before of Christ which was in them should declare the sufferings that should come vnto Christ and the glory which should follow Vnto whom it was reuealed that not vnto themselues but vnto vs they should minister the things which are now shewed vnto you by them which haue preached vnto you the Gospel by the holy Ghost sent down from heauen the which things the Angels desire to behold c. Thus far speaketh Peter And to this end also Ignatius not only in title but in deed a true and famous Bishop wrote a thousand and four hundreth yeares agoe to the Magnesians The Prophets saith he were Christes seruants who foreseing him in Spirite both wayted for him as their master and in hope looked for him as their Lord and Sauyour saying he shal come and saue vs And Tertullian a thousand three hundreth yeares agoe interpreting that sentence sayth Christ is the seal of all the prophesies fulfilling all things which the Prophets in old time did foretell of him ¶ Anna. I pray you tell me the meaning of the promise which God made to Abraham ☞ Vrb. In that promise if it be inwardly and thorowly searched and pondered the summe of the holy Gospel with the pith effect and all the misteries of Christ are comprehended For first you shall
concludeth and mightely affirmeth that we must couet this seed saying The promise that he should be the heyr of the world was not geuen to Abraham or to his seed through the law but through the righteousnes of faith For if they which are of the Law be heires faith is made void and the promise of none effect For the law causeth wrath for where no law is there is no transgression therefore is the heritage giuen by fayth that it might come by grace and the promise might be sure to all the seede not to that only which is of the law but also to that which is of the fayth of Abraham Secondly in this mere promise the great and infinite grace of God doth appeare For our desert or worthynes did not deserue that God should vouchsafe to be made man of the seed of Abrahā but it was the meere grace and mercy of god Of his meere grace he promysed Christ and of his meere grace he performed his promise by sending of Christ the law and the workes of the law neuer deserued it For you see here that God promised this blessing to the Patriarch Abraham 430. yeares before the law was giuen to Moses which he did least man should attribute some thing in the worke of lyfe and saluation to him selfe and so glory in his owne merites for grace is not mingled with works it is without all our deseruing and before all our good workes Thirdly for as much as God would lay the cause of his blessing and grace which we receaue vpon Christ through him wil onely blesse whome he doth blesse It necessarily followeth that without Christ there is neither blessing righteousnes lyfe nor health and that all that are without Christ be accursed because they remaine in sinne death and damnation We may well thinke there was some weightye cause that moued our gratious immortall high God to speake a thing of such weight a thing which is so full of cōsolation where in he bindeth himself with an oth that he would through this seede geue vs his blessing and life euerlasting Ought not I pray you the whole company of Angels with all kinde of men all sorts of creatures both in heauen and earth with great reuerence holines pietye and with vnspeakeable and infinite ioye heare their Lord God speaking these wordes and promising such precious giftes Paule sayth God willing more aboundantly to shew vnto the heires of promise the stablenes of his counsaile bound him selfe with an oth And do you not here see that he both promiseth and also sweareth but if then any could obtayne this blessing that is life and saluatiō without Christ why hath God promised the blessing in Christ so earnestly yea and that with an oth Wherfore I see not why any should thinke he can beleue in God and yet is not in the Christian faith No in deede there is no trew faith but the Christiā fayth All other opiniōs be errors God will take none for his vnlesse he be in this seede Christ that is if he be not a Christian if he beleue not in Christ Nether in deede shall we euer any where finde the fauour of God true innocencye righteousnes satisfaction for our sinnes helpe counsaile life and saluation but only in this Christ The Fathers beleued in him before he was made man and were saued In him also beleue wee and are saued And in this promise also is proued the humain birth death resurrection and eternall kingdome of Christ which all belong to this blessing in which all happines is promised For this benediction in the seede of Abraham is libertie and absolution from sinne and deliuerance from death and euerlasting damnation and on the other side it is pure innocencye righteousnes fulfilling of the lawe and renuing of the image of God in vs with securitye ioy peace and life euerlasting What more can you desire In this Christ is all righteousnes included and all kinde of cursednes excluded And therefore the Apostles diligētly vrge this promise and euery foote recite and repeate it But the deliuerance from this curse is marueilously wrought to wit by the infamy and slaunder of the crosse For so sayth Paule Christ redeemed vs from the curse of the law whē he was made a curse for vs. This was done on good fridaye when he hong on the crosse before the Iewes and the gentiles as if he had bene forsaken of God and all his creatures He bore our sinnes in his body vpon the tree of the crosse that we being deliuered from sinne might liue in righteousnes For it is written in Deut. in Ebrew that holy tongue The curse of God is on him that is hanged For so doth the Ebrew word signifye The 70 interpreters did translate it He is accursed that hangeth on tree that is He is a stumbling blocke to the Iewes and folishnes to the Gentiles but euen this Christ to the Iewes and also to the Gentiles which are called is the power and wisedome of God. Nothing appeareth more foolish and fond vnto naturall reason then that it is sayd god would in mans nature suffer this shame but so it seemeth good to God as Paule witnesseth For seing by wisedome we know not God in the wisdome of God it pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleue If the mightiest God so abased him selfe for vs most vnthankful sinners that he vouchsafed to descend into the lowest partes of the earth and to suffer the greatest shame that could be for vs consider and way I pray you how greuous hainous great and monsterous our sinnes are and how patiently moderatly and in good part we ought to take the affliction and crosse which is layd vppon vs for them seing through Christ the cursse is to vs now turned into a blessing This seede Christ which was first promised to Adam and then to Abraham did God oftē renew afterward to other also of the fathers after Abraham For he promised it to Isaak and then to Iacob and the promise of Christ was againe renued in the 49. of Genn to the Patriark Iacob who a little before his death did thus prophecy of Christ The scepter shall not be taken from Iuda nor a law geuer from his feete till Siloch or he that must be sent come And he shall be the expectation of the Gentiles and the people shal be gathered vnto him In this promise is notably and playnely declared and described the tyme when Christ should be looked for as also what his state and condition should be or what a kinde of kingdome he should haue ¶ Anna. I pray you teach me playnely to vnderstād this promise made to Iacob ☞ Vrb. This worde Schebet or scepter signifieth as you know princely or kingly power or gouermēt The Caldes bible vseth this worde Schultan that is empire or power God did so ordayne among the Iewes
by what meanes it pleased God to redeeme the captiue worlde and to reconcile it to him by Messias his only begotten sonne We read in the booke of Numbers which is the 4. booke of Moses that Moses by the commaundement of God erected in the wildernes a brasen serpent which when the children of Israel should behold they should be restored to their former health although they were stinged with the deadly woundes of the firy serpentes and should not die of the poyson and stinges And so was it meete that the sonne of man as Christ sayth should be lifted vp that all they which beleue in him should not die but haue euerlasting life In this figure of the serpent the crosse and wholesome deth of Christ together with the fruit and vse of the same that is to say our deliuerance from death is very well and fruitfully prefigured ¶ Anna. By this figure also Cleophas and his felow might haue coniectured and seen that Messias should die and afterward rise agayne to euerlasting lyfe ☞ Vrb. They needed not in deede haue bin so pensife neither yet haue wauered doubted or bin so offended about Messias as they wer if thei had wel known Gods purpose and predestinated ministery of Christ Neuertheles they had plainer and liuelier prophesies of Christ in the Prophets then these out of which they might more certainly and euidently haue gathered the death and resurrection of Christ ¶ Anna I pray you go through and explicate to me the rest of the prophecies which Moses hath of Christ ☞ Vrbane Saint Peter in the third of the Actes reciteth out of Deuteronomie 18. a famous prophesie of Christ and worthy to be remembred where Moses sayth thus to the people The Lord thy God wil raise vp vnto thee a Prophet like vnto me from among you euē of thy brethren vnto him shall you harken and who so euer will not hearken vnto my woordes which hee shall speake in my name I will require it of him sayth the lord It is euident and certaine that in this text Christ is that prophet of whō Moses here maketh mentiō For the holy ghost himself doth apply it to Christ speaking by S. Peter And the multitude which was refreshed with meate speaketh after this sorte of that excellent prophet in Iohn where the Greeke text is thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say This verily and without all doubt is the selfe same prophet which is to come into the world according to the prophesies of the prophets Luke also saith A great prophet is raysed vp amongst vs and God hath visited his people And here is to be noted that Christ should first be a true man and consequently be partaker of death And then he saith A Prophet like to me of your bretheren Secondly ye see that Christ also should be a doctor should bring into the world the word of God his Father the word of life the holy sauing Gospell Here you see he speaketh spiritually of the kingdō of Christ And thirdly is to be noted that he which doth disdayn to heare this word of life and wil not beleeue it shall bring vpon him self the iudgement and wrath of God And that God for that mans vnbeleef will visite him in his indignation and will plague him with horrible punishments Of this is Paul a witnes to the Thessalonians where he saith When the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from heauen with his mighty Angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance vnto them that do not know God and which obey not the gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ which shal be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he shal come to be glorified in his saints and to be made maruelous to all thē that beleue And Peter also in the Acts when he hath recited the wordes of the prophesie addeth these wordes It shall be that euery persō which shall not heare that prophet shal be destroyed out from the people The Latine translation in Deut. sayth it thus If any man will refuse to heare the wordes of this prophet God will be reuenged of him By which wordes we see that there must be a Iudgemēt By all which it followeth that Christ should not remayne in death but rise agayne to lyfe ¶ Anna. What is there written of Christ in the other prophets as in Samuel Dauid Esay Ieremy and Ezechiel c. ☜ Vrb. They prophesie sufficiently of all thinges which is nedeful for vs to know As of the genealogy or stocke of Christ according to the flesh Of the city where he should be borne Of the pure virgin Mary his blessed mother Of the manner and circumstances of his conception and natiuitie Of his name which should be giuen him Of his firster and poore comming into the world Of his condicion and lowly lyfe which should be void of all worldly ostentation and when that commyng of his should be Of his double birth wherof one was Eternall of his Father and of his true Godhead the other temporall of the vndefiled Virgine Mary which neuer knew man. Of his flight into Egypt Of his office that is to say that he should be our King. Priest Doctor Reconciler Mediator Shepeherd Redemer Deliuerer and Iudge of the world Of his miracles Of his shamefull and reprochfull but vnto vs most wholsome and happy death Of his descending into hell Of his glorious resurrectiō and of the causes and vnspeakable commodities therof Of his passion and resurrection that is to say of his maruelous victory wherin he ouercame destroied therfore Mathew calleth Christ the sonne of Dauid the sonne of Abraham Heare you see that Christ came of the tribe of Iuda and Mathew reckeneth vp some of Christes ancetors or progenitors from Abraham to Ioseph which was Maries husband and of the house and line of Dauid So that we may plainly see that God stood to his promise and very faithfully performed that which he had promised to Abraham and Dauid in sending that blessed seed Christ ¶ Anna. I know that Mathew wrighteth a Cataloge of Christ was not the sonne of Ioseph but seeyng Christ was not the sonne of Ioseph but onely of Mary the pure virgin which neuer knew man being conceaued by the operation and vertue of the holy Ghost without mans seede not after the cōmon and naturall order of mans conception as the text in playn words doth testifie saying of whom that is of the which Mary was borne Iesus I do not yet vnderstand how Christ can come of the stocke and linage of Abraham and so of Dauid For what I pray you doth Iosephs kinne or family make to Christs byrth seing Christ was not the sonne of Ioseph In deede if S. Mathew had recited Maries ancetors and progenitors from Abraham to Marye so it might haue appeared very euidently and playnely that the promise had ben fulfilled
nor no tyme to come as the creature hath and therefore Christ speaketh of his deuine and eternall nature in that one word or syllable of the present tyme saying I am For in deed eternitie is for euer and hath neyther former nor latter tyme beginning nor ending The vacabond and vnbeleuing Iewes supposed iudged that he was no more but bare man and such a one as Abraham or Elias was neither could they abide to heare the mysteries of Christes wordes or giue credite to them They dreamingly thought it could not be possible that he should haue seene Abraham seyng it was ful two thousand yeares and more betwixt Abrahams departure out of the world and Christs comming in the flesh into the world neither did they know or vnderstande the scriptures which teache and foreshew that Messias should not only be borne in Bethleem in tyme but also that his forth going was before all tyme as Paul testifieth to the Hebrues saying Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same also euen for euer Here then if you will well waigh this prophesie you maie see in it both the death and resurrection of Christ which necessarily is to be required that hee might raigne and rule eternally and spiritually For in as much as it was determined that he should be borne of the stocke of Dauid a perfect and very natural man in the citie of Bethleem it was not to be thought strāge though he should dye as well as Dauid Salomon other men did What meruail is it I pray you to see a naturall man die certainly the corporal or vitall life can not alway indure Neuerthelesse for all that in as much as he should be the true and chiefe Lord of Israel it can not be that he should be subiect to death or that death should vanquish or deteyne him but that of necessity he must rise agayne from death liue for euer And therfore is he compelled by temporall death to leaue his mortall lyfe for how can mortall man come to immortalitie least first he put of his mortall body which can not be done but by corporal death And thus it behoued him to change this frayle corporal and corruptible lyfe into a spirituall inuisible immortall and incorruptible lyfe that he might become the true and euerlasting Lord of all the Israelites as well of those that before had bene as of those that thē were and afterward at any tyme should be and that he might also begin his true eternall and spirituall kingdome the administration whereof is not after the maner of men nor yet consisteth in worldly matters And therefore Iohn sayth Verily verily I say vnto you except the wheat corne fall into the ground and die it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit ¶ Anna. O good Lord though it be not seene and known of fleshly eyes yet how full of sweete comfort and consolation how full of marueilous maiesticall deuine wisdom and deep mysteries is the sacred scriptures O how great and vnspeakable wisdome and knowledge lyeth hid vnder the letter how truly sayd Dauid O how sweete are thy promises vnto my throte yea sweeter then hony vnto my mouth By thy Commandements haue I gotten vnderstanding therfore I hate all wicked wayes Thy worde is a lanterne vnto my feete and a light vnto my paths O I say what a tresure of knowledge wisdome what precious pearles of euerlasting lyfe lye hid in the wordes of God how doth it flow with vnderstanding most aboundantly and intelligence farre passing mans capacitie what sound present and aboundant comfort may a godly man cōceiue of this holy worde If these two disciples after this sort had known the person of Christ in this prophesie of Micheas they had not bene so offended at his death but had vnderstood and receiued comfort Because God had so ordeyned prouided all these things to come to passe and had so determined that the crosse of Christ should be the glory and triumphant victory of all true Christians But in as much as you haue shewed me the scriptures concernyng the place of his birth Say also I pray you what is written of his Mother ¶ Of the Virgin Mary the Mother of Christ and of Christes conception Vrbane WHen Pekah the king of the ten tribes which fell away in Israell and Rezin the king of Syria made warre vpon Achas the fifteenth king of Iuda murthered and spoyled the inhabitantes of the country purposing and determining to remoue Achas place an other in his kingdome then the holy ghost while these two kings with detrunēt and bloodshed had all to defaced the land of Iuda prophesied by the Prophet Esay Of the blessed Virgine Mary that she should beare the child Christ And although those kings were very cruell vpon Achas and were both mightily and maruelous bloudily bent against him yet did not God for all that suffer them to preuayle against him and his poore tribe of Iuda because he would faithfully perform and pay that which he had promised to Dauid euen that Messias should come of his house and lynage He comforteth therfore Achas the king in this perill purposing to quicken and confirme his faith by this miracle to the ende he should not feare his enemies For God promised that he himselfe would ayde him But Achas was an Idolater and an hypocrite neither did he receyue that for a signe of Gods helpe Wherfore God reiected that wicked king and yet neuerthelesse published the myracle and gaue the signe to the house of Dauid which was the signe of true helpe and deliuerance from the horrible and euerlasting calamity and misery wherin all we were wrapped euen death damnation and the tiranny of Sathan These be the wordes of the prophet Behold Haalmah or a Virgin shall conceiue and beare a sonne and his name shall be called Emanuel or Immanuel Loe here you see that he prophesieth of the Virgin Mary and her sonne Christ our Sauiour And here the holy ghost telleth vs that Messias should not be borne after the maner of all the other sonnes of Adam of the seed of man but onely of the pure and vndefiled virgin Mary And therfore his birth is not as ours is vncleane defiled and infected but holy pure and free from all blemish of sinne Because he is that blessed seed of Abraham by which onely and by no other all we wretched children of Adam conceiued and borne in sinne must be clensed blessed sanctified iustified frō all the filthines of our sinnes Moreouer the wordes of this prophesie do plainly paynt out the maner of his conception signifiyng that he was not conceyued of mans seede but that Mary onely by the vertue of the holy ghost conceiued For here is promised that a child should be borne and yet the mother remayne a pure virgin And yet here is no mention of any father because it might bee a famous signe and miracle
Which thing he did on Easter day when by his owne proper power and might he rose from the dead This is the worke of God and he attributeth and taketh it to himself For he saith I haue power c. We also shall rise againe but we haue no power to rayse vp our selues as Christ raiseth himself but he through his owne proper strength and vertue doth rayse vs vp Christ also is omnipotent but none but God is omnipotent therfore Christ is god Paul proueth his almighty power to the Phil. where he sayth Christ shall chaunge our vile body that it may be fashioned lyke vnto his glorious body according to the working wherby he is able euen to subdue all thinges to himselfe Therefore must he nedes be almighty so of necessity true god God saith in Zachary I wil poure vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitantes of Ierusalem the spirite of grace and of compassion and they shal loke vpon me whō they haue perced Here God speaketh For to giue the holy ghost is the very office of god And the same onely Lord God saith He was nailed on the crosse and pierced through the side And did not the very same happen vnto Christ hanging vpon the crosse Iohn saith One of the souldiers with a speare pierced his side forthwith came there out bloud and water Seyng that God and man is one person in Christ therefore doth the Scripture because of the vnitie of person vse this phrase or maner of speaking as Paule sayth to the Corinthiās They would not haue crucified Christ the Lorde of glory For the person of Christ is not to bee deuided or sundered Wee must not say man Christ suffered for vs man Christ was slayne for vs but God and man that one person the Lord of glory and maiesty was crucified and dyed for vs. The Godhead or deuinitie of Christ is euery foote in the new Testament proued and confirmed out of the ground of the olde Testament Paule in the Actes sayth Take heede therefore vnto your selues and to al the flocke whereof the holy ghost hath made you ouerseers to feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud Bede sayth in his Commentaries on these wordes Paule is not afrayde to call it the bloud of God for the vnitie which is in the two natures of our Lord Iesus Christ Wherefore he is called also the sonne of man which is in heauen Let therefore that Nestorian heretike cease to seperate the sonne of man from the sonne of god and let him not make to hymselfe two Christes Iohn Baptist sayth thus concerning Christ I saw and bare recorde that he is the sonne of God. Let vs note here that which Cyrill noteth vpon Iohn to wit that the Greeke article doth declare the person Christ to be the very sonne of God after a peculiar sorte We are the children of God adopted by grace but Christ is the onely true and naturall sonne of God begotten of the substaunce of the father who was prefigured and set downe in the types of Moyses lawe who also was prophesied of by the Prophetes God so loued the worlde that he hath giuen his onely begotten son that whosoeuer beleueth in him should not perishe but haue euerlasting lyfe Saint Cyril sayth vpon these wordes He giueth forth in these wordes that he is true God by nature For it must needes be that the onely begotten sonne of God beyng like to the father must also be God who hath not onely the externall honour of childhoode as we haue but is in deede the very same which he is sayd to bee Christ also in Ioh. sayd vnto the Iewes None is able to take thē my shepe out of my fathers handes I and my father are one for which saying the Iewes being about to stone him sayde Thou being a man makest thy self a God. Here the Iewes plainly vnderstood that when Christ called God his father and when he said I the father are one that then he called himself true God and the naturall sonne of God who is like to his father as s Augustine sayth vpon these words And Thomas simply calleth Christ God saying Thou art my lord and my God. Here again s. Cyril admonisheth vs to note these wordes well as they were writtē in the Greke tong in which the new testament was writtē The Greke is thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Both the wordes lord and God haue their proper articles Wherupon it may easily be gathered vnderstood that Christ is not called lord or God as the angels and men in office authority are called gods but after another proper peculiar sort for he is the true and natural god But it would be long to repeate all that is in Iohn concerning this matter And this I tel you that all the gospel of Iohn almost euery chap and verse is nothing els but a testimony of Christes Godhed Wherfore my councel is that you highly esteme Ioh. gospell that you hartily loue it and that with all diligence you read it and read it again Paul saith that god had promised his gospel afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures concerning his sonne Iesus Christ our lord And here after a peculiar sort he calleth Christ the sonne of God euen his natural sonne And he sayth that Christ concerning the flesh came of the ancient fathers who is God ouer all blessed for euer Amen We looke for that blessed hope appearing of the glory of the mighty God and of our sauiour Iesus Christ And to the Phil. he saith Christ being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equal with god but he made himselfe of no reputation toke vnto him the forme of a seruant and was made like vnto men and was found in shape as a mā And to the Col. In Christ dwelleth the fulnes of the godhead bodely That is as Theophilact expoūdeth it substantially or essentially so that God and man are one persō and not two sonnes of god but one sonne of God one Christ And Ioh. saith We are in him that is true that is in his sonne Iesus Christ This same is very God eternal lyfe There are many mo testimonies of Christes true godhead But seing it would be great trouble and also aske long tyme to speake of them al I pray you at this tyme be content with these ¶ Anna. You haue alledged sufficient testimonies concerning Christes diuinity I haue oftentymes heard you in many and long sermons thorowly ground and proue it but you haue neuer done you make no end if you once beginne and haue occasion and opportunity to speake of this doctrine and article ☞ Vrb. Some mē litle conuersant in heauēly things perhaps wil thinke that I haue spoken many needles wordes laboured long about a little But take you good hede my wife that
you haue no such cogitation thinke not this a light matter heare it not so that it go in at the one eare and run out at the other but learne it perfectly digest it inwardly For the godhed of Christ Iesus is the most high necessariest article to be known in all deuinitie which the deuil the wicked spirit the father of lies hath gone about in his mēbers to take frō vs to destroy euer since the apostles time He assaied it by that wicked vngodly heretike Cerinthus in Iohn the Euangelists dais and afterward by other of his ministers the bewitched blind enemies of pietie as Arrius Euzoius Achilla Eunomius Paulus Samosaten he doth now assaile it by that folish and fanaticall sect of Anabaptists Marke therefore obserue diligently this that no man can be iustified saued vnlesse he beleue that God himself became man that the euerlasting word which was with God his natural sonne tooke mans nature vpon him at the tyme appointed and is not a creature but true God the almighty creator He which doth not beleue this must needes die perish in his sinnes eternally For he hath not the true lyfe to wit this euerlasting word the sonne of God without which there is no true life For in him only is life If Iesus Christ were only man and not God so that the manhood of Christ were only a person of himself without God thē could he not deliuer vs frō sinne death hell though he himself were neuer so holy free from sinne neither had the prophesies bene fulfilled which witnes thogh in hidden misteries and figures yet in sure vnfallible proper fit plaine manifest wordes that God himself should become man But behold here I pray you the crafty subtleties and deceites of that wicked and diuelish seducer Satan who because he knew that God could not be found without this humanity of Christ but only in the humain nature of Christ els not goeth about to seduce and wrap men in this error that they should not beleue Christ to be true God to the end that poore sinners should seke God without Christ and so neuer finde He which is in this error and is seduced by this misbelief thinking Christ to be only man and not true God he hath no Christ he hath no sauiour he hath no deliuerer no redemer no lyfe and to be brief no god For he faineth to himselfe a Christ which is no Christ who can neither help him nor deliuer him he seketh god without Christ where he will not be foūd Wherupon it followeth that such a man which thus seeketh God cannot escape euerlasting damnation And this Satan chiefly trauaileth this he endeuoreth at this marke doth he altogether shoot that by that means he may cast vs into euerlasting perdition and destroy vs Loke therfore vnto your selfe the world draweth to an ende these be the last daies the dissolution of al things is euen at hand and Satan seeth that his iudgement condēnation is very nigh therfore he bestirreth him he findeth all meanes he may he deuiseth all wayes he can and he vseth all the force he hath to hurt Christ and Christians yea he goeth about by his force erroneous doctrine to seduce all that are baptized in Christ and to entise them from Christ to bring thē into vtter dāger of their soules Of all thinges he cannot abide the sound and pure doctrine of Christ And therfore it stādeth vs vpon to watch and daily and hourely to exercise prayer and reading of the holy scriptures ¶ Anna. All laud glory be vnto God for euer Now I see by the grace and goodnes of God how much it auaileth vs wel thorowly to know this article and to print it in our hartes I wil do my diligence to make our children perfit therin O good God how much lyeth vpon this article and what a iuell is it truly to beleue the godhed of Christ It were better to forsweare and deny al the creatures in heauen earth yea it were better to die a 1000 ▪ deaths then once to doubt but euen one iot of the godhed of Christ But go to and proue that other natiuity of Christ which was temporall in that he was true man and borne of Mary who remayned a pure virgin after his birth ☞ Vrb. You haue alredy before heard somewhat of Christes temporal natiuitie where we spake of the tribe of which Christ should come and of Mary the blessed mother of god And I expounded the 17. chap. of Esay where it is sayd that Iesus the sonne of Mary shold be called Immanuel that is God with vs as also the prophesie of Mich. Now we haue more of this natiuitie in the 9. of Esa. The wordes are these For vnto vs a childe is borne and vnto vs a sonne is giuen and the gouernment is vpon his shoulder and he shall call his name wonderfull counsailor the mighty God the euerlasting father the prince of peace the increase of his gouernmēt and peace shall haue none ende hee shall fit vppon the throne of Dauid and vpon his kingdome to order it and to establish it with iudgement and with iustice frō hence forth euen for euer the zeale of the lord of hostes wil performe this In this prophesy of Christ is set forth both his temporall natiuitie ministery kingdome and also the order of the whole gouernment of his kingdom First he sayth vnto vs a child is borne and vnto vs a sonne is giuen that we may know that this birth of Christ with all that Christ is hath or doth thorough the fatherly good will of God is oures and done for the health commodity saluation and vse of vs poore sinners which are borne in this world of the flesh sinfull and vngodly children of wrath and miserable offenders euen from our mothers wombe and therefore most worthy of euerlasting damnation But here is borne such a sonne whose natiuitie is holy and pure full of blessednesse and saluation and he is borne for our sakes to wit that he may helpe vs and bring vs health and all true happinesse and that by hym we may be cleansed new borne iustified and preserued from the spottes and filthy staynes which we had in our first natiuitie of Adam Like as the church in Germany hath nowe a great while song on Christmas day Ein kindelein so lobelich ist vns geborn heute von eyner Iunckfrawen seuberlich zu trost vns armen leuten were vns das kindelein nicht geborn so weren wir alzumal ver lorn das heil ist vnser alle Eia du sysser Iesu Christ das du mensch geborn bist behijt vns fijt der helle c. That is a child most highly to be praised yet neuer as he deserueth is this day borne of an vnspotted virgin for the comfort of vs miserable men where as if
liuely word where Christ is called a father for euer so depely and thorowly sinke into our harts and because we do not meditate so of it do not so wel vnderstand it nor so stedfastly beleue it as Paul did For our harts would not so faile vs as they do if we beleued and certainly knew what a God what a King what a lyfe and what a father Christ is vnto all those that faithfully beleue The name is Sarscholam that is a prince of peace Christ hath a kingdom wherin is peace security safety freedome from death Satan and all other dangers But here is all the labor and trauel to come vnto to attaine to dwel in that euerlasting kingdom If we be once there then are we safe without gunshot then are we sure then are we in a most happy state If sinne pricke vs in our consciences Christ is by by at hand defendeth vs He toke our sinnes vpon him and satisfied for them and became our righteousnes He put out as Paule saith the hand writing of ordinances that was against vs which was contrary to vs he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vpon the crosse Of this true heauenly peace the scripture speaketh in many places As to the Rom. where Paule sayth We haue peace toward God through our lord Iesus Christ Sinne had made vs the enemies of God as Paul calleth vs in the same place But Christ himself wiped away our sinnes and reconciled vs vnto God so that now he is not an enemy or iudge vnto vs but a welbeloued father For if when we were his enemies we were reconciled vnto God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled we shal be saued by his lyfe And not onely so but also reioycing in god through our lord Iesus Christ by whom we haue receiued the atonement And nowe in Christ Iesus we which once were farre of are made neere by the bloud of Christ for he is our peace This therefore is true peace when we haue peace with God through our mediator peacemaker Christ For what would the peace and friendship of all the world and worldly creatures auaile profit vs if God were our enemy and angry with vs but if God who taketh more care for vs and loueth vs better then any father doth hys children fight for vs if we be at one with him if he wish vs wel and if he profit vs what can now hurt vs how can the earth with all the creatures therein euen once touch vs Thus you heare that when we beleue in Christ we haue this peace with God thorough Christ so that we may now say If God be on our side who can be against vs and he that kepeth Israel will neither slumber nor slepe Wherefore although we haue affliction in this world yet haue we perfect peace in Christ our peace-maker 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Sarscholam that is the prince of peace or peacemaker He obtained merited peace for vs with God the father giueth vs his spirite the spirit of peace that we may also haue peace with our neighbour He wisheth vs this peace saying Peace I leaue with you my peace I giue you not as the world giueth it c. He also preserueth vs that we be not hurt of our enemies that we may be safe from all dangers By these epithetons names of Christ many mysteries are to be noted as that he is true God that he shold die because he was borne a mā but that he should not abide in deth because he was to raign eternally Wherby is plainly truly proued that both Christ we shal rise againe For we which beleue in Christ both are his members enheritance and kingdom shal be for euer The sonne hath prayed for vs his praiers are heard The father hath giuen vs his sonne with him shall we dwel for euer Our mansion house our lodging our abiding place is already prepared And Christ saith in Ioh. Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am In the wordes following the prophet Esay prophecieth of the euerlasting kyngdome of Christ how it should be great seyng he was to be king not only of the Iewes but euen of the Gentils also dispersed through the whole world how he should daily increase and inlarge his dominion euen to the last day and how he should execute confirme establish and for euer preserue and gouerne the same by iustice and iudgement but of this part of the prophesie I will speake more by Gods grace in the title of the kingdome of Christ You haue heard before where I expoūded the 5. of Micheas and the 2. of Luke where and how the child Christ should be borne Well then Christ was borne at Bethelem Iuda in December in the midst of Winter and was swadled layd in a manger For Ioseph and Mary could not be lodged in any Inne for there was no roume for them The holy prophet foretold this sacred and blessed birth of Christ as you haue heard And the angels from heauen afterward did declare it vnto the shepeheardes in Luke where the angel saith Be not afraid for behold I bring you tidings of great ioy that shal be to all the people that is that vnto you is borne this day a sauiour in the city of Dauid which is Christ the lord And straight way ther was with the Aungell a multitude of heauenly souldiours praysing God and saying glory be to God in the heauens and peace in earth towards men good wil. The shepeherdes which saw this birth of Christ published and shewed it abroade The starre also in the East and the wisemen which came thēce vnto Bethelem were witnesses of the birth of Christ Simeon also Anna in the temple saw this childe who was the promised author of our saluation and they bare witnes that Messias was present And this doth the whole church of Christ beleue confesse preach and declare through all the world and the name of God is preached and praised in euery place And these glad tidings to wit that Iesus Christ our saluation is borne in Bethelem is preached in euery place And Ierusalem that is the catholike church doth reioyce and skippe for ioy for this natiuity bringeth vnto vs all felicity saluation and consolation ⧠Of Christes flying into Egypt ¶ Anna. WHat say the Prophetes of Christes flying into Egypt ☞ Vrb. Mathew saith in his 2. chap. when the wise men of the East returned from India they returned into their own country an other way and went not to Herode After their departure the angel of the lord appeared vnto Ioseph in a dreame saying arise and take the babe his mother flie into Egypt there lie vntil I bring thee word for Herod wil seke
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
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
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
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
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
flesh they should liue at lyberty peace pleasure plenty and security But it is to be vnderstood that their delyueraunce should be spirituall so that many of them should neuertheles by the gospel in Christ be iustifyed and saued though a great part of them were to fall away from Christ and to repugne set thē sclues against Christ and his church as at this day wee see they doe ☞ Vrb. It is in deede as you say For they did not vnderstand the prophets nay when Christ cam vnto the Sinagoge it was so stufft and ouerwhelmed with mans traditions that their very doctors them selues vnderstoode not the scriptures as they were with vs in the tyme of popery Now if the doctors were so ignoraunt alas what could the rude people know The prophets out of doubt are plaine and manifest inough they euidently declare that at the comming of Messias Goim that is to say the Gentiles shall in deede be leue receaue and acknowledge Messias to be their Lord and that the most part of the Iewes should rebelliously reuoult from him and but onely a remnaunt of them be conuerted to him to whome the Gentiles should be gathered and ioyned and of thē both should be made one spirituall Israell And to this end were those comfortable promises of the kingdome of Christ made both to the Gentiles and the remnaunt of the Iewes As Esaias sayth in the wordes that follow Therefore thus sayth the lord Behold my seruants shall eate and ye shall be hungrye Behold my seruauntes shall reioyce and ye shall be ashamed Behold my seruants shall sing for ioye of hart and ye shall crye for sorrow of hart and shall houle for vexation of minde and ye shall leaue your name as a cursse vnto my chosen for the Lord God shall slay you and call his seruaunts by an other name He that shal blesse in the earth shall blesse himselfe in the true God and he that sweareth in the earth shall sweare by the true god For the former troubles are forgottē and shall surely hide them selues from mine eyes ¶ Anna. Doth the prophet here speake of corporall meate and drinke as that miserable blinded rable of the circumsised Iewes do Iudge ☞ Vrb. Paule sayth in the first of Timo. that those that beleue in Christ haue the promise made them both of this lyfe and of the lyfe to come And therfore is it most true that those christians which beleue in Christ shal enioy euen such thinges as are necessary for this life But without all doubt the prophet saw here a greater and more excellent thing and hee meaneth rather a spirituall sustinaunce then a corporall As for the meat and drinke which nourisheth the bodye the prophets greatly regard it not about such thinges they greatly trouble not thē selues it is the health of the soule that they chiefly regard that is their chiefe care that especially did they thinke themselues bound to teach that so they might search out and promise euerlasting health with ioyfull lyfe and immortality to the beleeuers in Christ For their promises contayne the very true Gospell of Christ Iesu And the Gospell is the promise of true righteousnes lyfe it selfe eternall saluatiō and the spirituall and euerlasting kingdome of Christ And this is the cause that the prophets vse by temporal blessings as their wordes import to prophecye of true heuēly happines And to this end doth al the doctrine of the gospel tend to this it draweth vs as witnesseth Christ in the sixt of Ioh. saying labor not for the meat that perisheth but for meat that ēdureth vnto euerlasting life I am the liuing the bread which came down from heauen if anye man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer And in Luke he sayth Therefore I appoint vnto you a kingdome as my Father hath appointed vnto me that you may eate and drinke at my table in my kingdom Such promises made hee to his disciples which continued with him in his afflictions at what time he had neither kingdome countenace glory nor estimation in this world And Paul to the Romaines sayth The kingdome of God is not meate nor drinke but righteousnes and peace and ioy in the holy ghost This true ioy and continuall gladnes shall the faythfull in Christ enioy but the heritage of the vngodly shall be wrath indignation punishment vexation and anguish of soule The Ioy of the Christian beleuers in the midst of their afflictions beginneth here in earth in fayth and hope when God the holy Ghost doth witnes within vs that we are the children and heires of God and already saued but as yet onely in hope But in the great day of the Lord we shall then at the last beginn to enioy for euer that greate gladnes pleasures delights of lyfe euerlasting ¶ Anna. What name is it by which Gods children fweare Vrb. Esay sayth it shall come to passe that the name of a Iew by reasō of their apostacye and for that they denyed Christ shall be odious and contemptible in all landes So that when men will wish ill to one or curse one they shall wish the same to fall vpon him whiche fell vpon the Iewes But gods seruauntes that is to say the true Iewes spirituall Israelites which beleue in Christ shall be called by an other name to wit Christians of Christ the Lord their God. And we see it is so come now to pas in deede and all those blessinges in which the Iewes before did excell be now at this day translated to vs gentiles the faithfull christians For we onely now haue the true and sound vnderstanding of the scriptures the true Messias and true fayth which geueth lyfe we haue the true righteousnes true workes true sacrifice and true oblation and the right high priest the right alter and the right propitiatory temple and seruice of God. And this name Christian shall be so honorable and famous that the valiant godlyest Martirs of Christ shall not be ashamed for the professing of Christe to suffer most greuous punishment Who as Eusebius witnesseth constantly and corragiously professing their Lord haue sayd euen to the most bloudy tyrants teeth I am a Christian yea though they certainelye knew they should presētly both be terribly tormented and hazard their lyues for it We also blesse our selues in the name of Iesus christ the true God neither is there any other God but Christ Iesus There is but one God onely and he being true god in the persō of the sonne was made true man of the seede of Dauid This is fulfilled For seing christiā beleuers know that all Gods graces helpe helth cōfort lyfe and liberty are onely in Christ and through Christ they flye in all perill and trouble to this name Iesu for helpe and as soone as they doe it and once name it straightway it ministreth strength comfort and cōsolation to the heauy hart ¶ Anna. Why doth
lord Paul when he conuerted the gentiles vnto the fayth of Christ calleth that his labor the oblation of the Gentiles made acceptable and sanctified by the holy ghost Here we plainely see that the kingdome of Christ is a spirituall kingdome and that it is had vnder the cros For all they which are in that kingdome are priestes and offer vp sacrifice and therefore it is a priestly kingdome which is here in the world proued by affliction You haue not here any word or mention of an earthly dominion maiesty or pomp but you heare mention made of a kingdome which consisteth in spirite and fayth Iudah and Ierusalem to wit the Church of Christ offer vp in the tyme of Messias an excellent sacrifice vnto the Lord such as were the sacrifices of Abell Abraham Isaak and Iacob which were offered vp long before that Messias had receaued the law and ceremonies and brought to the Iewes ¶ Anna. What made the sacrifices in times past acceptable vnto the Lord ¶ Vrba Faith in Christ made them acceptable for the patriarks by fayth looked steadfastly for the promised blessings and grace of God in Messias And they offered vp yerely sacrifice honored God and gaue hym thanks with lowly and Christian harts for hys grace promised by this faith as Paul witnesseth to the Hebr. Because it is vnpossible to please God without fayth And Paul in that chapter reckneth vp also those holy Patriarch and fathers and sayth that their works pleased the Lord by faith And he speaketh of the faith in Christ which is a certaine and vndowted perswasion trust of gods grace towards vs in Christ The Lord vouchsafeth not to receaue any to grace but for Christ and in Christ Wherfore there is no other fayth that is true fayth but the fayth that is in Christ And the elect which were before the natiuity of Christ had this fayth as well as we haue it now and they were as good Christians as the Apostles and we are For there is but one gospel and one faith which saueth There is none saued vnles he be a Christifidelian that is vnles be beleue in Christ Mala. prophesieth in his 4. chap. of the ltater comming of christ vnto iudgmēt what should be the state of things in the last day and what shall be the portiō and end both of the godly and vngodly saying For behold the day commeth that shall burne as an ouen and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shal be stouble and the day that commeth shal burn them vp sayth the Lord of hostes and shal leaue thē neyther root nor branch but vnto you that heare my name shall the sonne of righteousnes arise and health shal be vnder his wings and ye shall go forth and grow as fat calues and ye shall tread down the wicked for they shal be dust vnder the soole of your feet in that day that I shall do this sayth the Lord of hosts Remember the law of Moyses my seruaunt which I commaunded vnto hym in Horeb for all Israell with the statute and iudgments Behold I will send you Eliah the prophet before the comming of the great and fearfull day of the Lord and he shall turn the harts of the fathers vnto the children and the hartes of children to their fathers least I come and smite the earth with cursinges The day wherof Mala. speaketh here is that great day of our Lord Iesus Christ as Paul calleth it at which day Christ shall come in his maiestie with all the celestiall army to iudge the quick the dead as Peter sayth He shall come with fier and iudge the world Then the vngodly which haue not beleued the gospel but still continued in their sinnes shall be lyke strawe and the fier after the iudgement of condemnation shall compasse the wicked about and carry then away with it from the face of the earth out of Gods sight into hel into euerlasting fier which is ordayned for Sathā and his angels and the vnbeleuers as the psalme sayth Fier shall go before the Lord and Christ shall burne his enemies round about And this shall as surely come to passe as those thinges haue done which are written of Christ to wit that is borne dead risen agayne and sitteth at right hand of God and hath gathered together the Iewes and Gentiles vnto his sheepfould And then he saith The Lord of hosts the God omnipotent hath sayd it he surely can not deceaue or lye And although the wicked in this earth despise the Lord and his people are so puffed vp with pride and disdaine that they thinke the godly not onely not worthy to be spoken to but also vex and greatly iniury thē and so standing on their pantophles as if all the world were their own liue as they would for euer inioy these worldly pleasures and heare alwayes make mery yet shall they in the day of the Lord be confounded and so they and all theirs vanish away that they shall haue nothing at all left them All their temporall wealth pleasures ioy and euen their lyues also shal be taken from them And they shal neuer see those eternal treasures which they neglected and despised here vpon earth To be short they shal be rooted out from of this earth and cast into euerlasting torment And this doth Mala. signifie vnto vs where he saith the Lord God will leaue thē neither root nor brāch That is he will condemne them both body and soule and cast them for euer into euerlasting darcknes so that they shall neuer enioy nor look for either temporal or eternall life at the Lords hands for they shall be dealt with as Trees when we will vtterly destroy and root them out for then we do not only pull away a few bowes and lop it vnto the bole but we dig him vp by the root that it neuer spring any more But the state of the godly which shal haue feared the name of the Lord and beleued that after this temporall life they shal haue a better life and that Christ will at the last day surely iudge and geue vnto euery one according to that hee hath done shall be much better And therfore doe they in this life feare God as a iust iudge who will take accompt of euery idle word in the last day of iudgmēt and they loue him as a good father of whom they hope and assure them selues to receaue all good things euen as naturall Childrē seeing they haue here by patience in well doing sought that euerlasting life which the Lord hath promised them in Christ And therefore shall they receaue glory honor and immortality Whiche thing Mala. meaneth when he saith vnto them that feare the Lord shal the son of righteousnes arise That son is Iesus Christ he lightneth vs with true knowledge both of God and of our selues he onely by the beames of of fayth iustifieth vs for he
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
199 Poore in spirite who be 195 Preaching the end thereof 120. it ought to be vsed continually 156 lyke to horselitters and Chariots 164. high priest crowned with 2. crownes 207 Prophets called seers 197. for whose sake they were sent 199. a rule to vnderstand them 177. 189. their end 11. 12. their hope 93. the summe of their doctrine 196. they speake straungely of Christes kingdome 114 Prophets false who be 166 Promises of god nedful to be knowē 148. they are of 2. sortes 180 R Reading of scripture requireth prayer and beliefe 6 Reason to be abādoned in scriptures 73 Redemption wherein it consisteth 46 how it is wrought 16. redeemed who be 128 Reedes brused who be 50 Regenerate their condition 198. they are the true Iacobites 129. signes of their regeneration 173 Remission of sinnes how purchased 5 Repentaunce the effect therof 5. the first stepe to grace 12. it onely hath the fruites of the Gospell 58 Resurrection of man twofould 101 it is in Christ 123. 102. our state after it 103. 123. the condition of it 178. 175. 163. S Sacrifices of the Iewes why and when abrogated 67. 108. how many of them in the ould law 24 Sadnes of 2. sortes 1. 58. sometimes in the godly 128 Saluation the causes thereof 100. 83 in Christ onely 93 Sathā his head brused what it meaneth 8. he tempteth but ouercommeth not 91. 112. his kingdome rule in this world 104. his army 53. vanquished by his owne malice 9. how he slaundereth the Gospell 56 principally impugneth Christ Godhead 83. his kingdome 152 Schollers for the Gospell who be 58 Scriptures their comfort 45. 32. 86 how full of knowledge 32. where they be had 41. called an Apothecaryes shop 86. their end 15. why it vrgeth the law vpon vs. 14. may not be hard or read without prayer or beliefe 6. 77 Seede of the woman promised 8. to whome sent 14. Serpent stingeth the hele of Christ 8 Sinne how not to be feared 21. 58. how redeemed 46. 79. 58. 128. the force of it inwardly 60. it is our filthy apparell and hath no rest 46. what dishonor it bringeth 103. only forgeuen by Christ 100. 8. a tyrant ouer vs. 135. hath no dominion ouer vs. 10 Sinners none refused of Christ not the greatest 50. 120 Sion a figure of the spirituall Sion 115. a figure of the Church 91. 190 Spirite of Messias the finger of god clenseth vs. 170. the fruites of him 161. his sword what it is 129 Sprinckeling of the Iewes what it is 140 Sweete lipps who so called 199 T Temple of God who be 176 Temple of the Iewes whē and how destroyed 66 Temptations of the Godly 133. 149. the cause of them 148. remedye agaynst them 78 Testament ould and new how they differ 11. the bloud of them differ 44. the new is the kernell of the ould 114 Threates why denounced in preaching 11 Thyrst of men how refreshed 132 without mony 149 Traditions of men must not trouble vs. 136 Troubles how they are forgot 161 Try our selues how we ought 50 Tidinges ioyfull 58 Time acceptable when it was 60. 132. fulnes thereof when 69 Tytles geuen to Christ 9. 37. 39 V Virgines how trayned vp among the Iewes 34 Vnction of Christ 38. 52 Vineyard of God the Church 124 W Water of lyfe bought without mony 149 Way to God what it is 127 Weakelinges in fayth called cattel 203 Wedding garment 136 Weekes of yeares in Daniell 62. 65. 69 Wolues dwell with lambes 120 Word of God of what force 53. 87. contemners thereof punished 26. 61 66. 96. it is no creature 72. necessary to be knowen 148 Workes of a Christian 5. 117. of no force to saluation 9. 14. 129. 142. 146. of the flesh can not be good 60 World and vnpleasant prison to the penitent 14. how it doth iudge 56. Wisedome thereof differeth from christes wisedome 134. 139. the deuils wife 186 Woundes how they are truely bound vp 59 Will to keepe Gods law a signe of election 170 Wyne presse trodē onely by Christ 157 Y Yeare of the Lord acceptable 60. 132 Yeare of Christes first comming accounted 65 FINIS Faultes escaped in this booke Page 9. b. the note fish read hisse 28. b. 27. his hir 30. b. 27. sorth vs as a prince forth vs a prince 64. a. 34. consisteth consist 73. 3. matters we matters in worldly matters we 79. 2. righteousnes but of righteousnes of 79. 27. so proper so pure 114. b. 4. false prophesye ▪ Esay his prophesye 115. 18. speake of some speake of it as if they speake of 119. b. 20. an such inuētiō can such munition 120. b. 25. which gdo which god 121. 12. Esha Ishai 126.27 doysome noysome 133. in the note lust Luke 133.14 sit in the. sit at table in the. 131. 11. Barons Barrēnes 154. b. 31. Gos. Gods. 155. 10. must most 160. 16. liuing the bread liuing bread 166. b. 4. God the Iewes God amongest the Iewes 166. b. 5. places amongest substitute places substitute 169. in the note called Christ called Dauid 170.40 many Mary 156. 28. crosse course 159. b. 2. as they were as it was 172. 21. in the Hebrewes In the Epistle to the Hebrewes 175 b. 29. or men are men 176. b. 6. Christ before tymes Iudah Christ Before times Iudah 185. b. 17. heare heale Math. 19.28.193 in the note Math 28.19.191.27 bondes O Sathan bondes of Sathan 192. 40. abide death abide in death 184. 5. demaund deuoure 198. to destroy thē beleue them and. in the note to destrust them Beleue them and 299. 27. Zachary Zephany 200. b. 29. louing long 201. 36. thee all thee and all 201. b. 14. lyfe lyes 201. b. 29. Christ yea Christ shall be ouerthrowen yea 204. 2. defender if their god defender If therfore God. 204. 16. shewted shewed 204. b. 21. mad made 210. b. 17. wood worde 213. a. 2. fel. fellow 214. a. 27. king kingdome 215. 13. christian Christ and. 216. b. 21. b. 21. his this 217. a 12. had hid 217. a. 24. Messias Moyses 220. a. 30. former forerunner 220. a. 39. was were 220. a. 41. beames because 220. b. 3. Messas Messias 220. b. 18. Iacob Malachy therefore Iacob Malachy therefore 221. a. 23. louing long 221. a. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 221. a. 37. louing long 221. b. 11. great greatest 221. b. 28. hereby that that hereby that 221. b. 40. euer for euer fot 222. a. 36. lyfe and and saluation lyfe and saluation 198. 17. marry But. fol. 173. b. for mery read newe in the not FINIS AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Daye dwelling ouer Aldersgate and are to be sould at his shop vnder the gate An. 1578.
THE Sermon which Christ made on the way to Emaus to those two sorowfull disciples set downe in a dialogue by D. Vrbane Regius wherein he hath gathered and expounded the chiefe prophecies of the old Testament concerning Christ * ⎠* At London Printed by Iohn Daye dwelling ouer Aldersgate and are to be sould at his long shop at the west dore of Paules Anno. 1578. Cum priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis ⧠To the right honorable Lord Mayor of the Citie of London the right worshipfull the Aldermen his bretheren and the Citizens and communaltye of the same Citye W. Hilton wisheth all heauenly wisedome grace and health in the Lord Iesu Christ COnsidering that Maister Frederus the latine translator of this heauēly Sermon had bouldly dedicated his labors being but a latine trāslation to three noble Dukes of Germanye thought it a worke well worthy their heroicall patronage I could not obseruing decorū sēd the same abroad being now Englished vnder a baser patron thē I found it latined For so should I haue promoted that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the haule into the kitchyen which neither haules nor earthly habitations can worthely entertaine Wherefore right honorable and worshipfull Citizens though England may well be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a land of great Lordes for the multitude of nobles in it and consequently easy to finde an Englishe patrone to match those three Germaine protectors yet haue I chosen to dedicate these my simple labors to this noble Citye of London and the honorable and worshipfull Citizens thereof And that for diuers causes some wherof be these First to geue this precious pearle a patron whome of mine owne experience I know to be equall nay far superior to all his German protectors both in nobilitye and antiquitye For I would wishe that good and Godly bookes should finde as good enterteinement here as els where Secōdly to help the booke it selfe to better efficacy and greater operation amongest many by dedicating it to many For such is mans nature that it easely admitteth mindefully retayneth and highly estemeth that which good will gratefully offereth Thirdly to do honor to this honorable Citye For worthy workes are sayd as wel to magnyfye their patrons as to amplifye their authors Fourthly to make some semblance betwixt the patrons to whom it is offered this puple which seeketh at your hand to be defēded For this is a graue godly dialogue well agreing with the persons of graue and godly men matrons such as many of this Citye are and all ought to be And lastly I haue dedicated this translatiō such as it is to London Because Londiners of all the laye people of this lād haue most leasure to read best will to heare greatest desire to learne rediest wittes to conceaue soundest Iudgemēt to decerne and most loue to good bookes therfore most worthy of that honor and profet which this way may rise of good godly writinges And yet to promise that this dedication and booke shall bring you eyther honor or profit I cannot vnlesse both your Citizens take it thankfully your Citye protect it faythfully your deedes expresse it liuely This dare I promise say that all men if they will may by reading imbrasing beleuing folowing the doctrine of this little booke escape hell and obtayne heauen For where as the deuill first by a sencelesnes of sinne seeketh to lead the vnregenerate to hell and secondly by the horrors of their sinnes would bereaue the godly of heauē And thirdly whereas man is altogether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can neither saue himselfe frō the one nor obtaine the other but is as an Aethiopian in reading the remedy ignorante of the remedy and as a Cleophas that talking with his sauiour knoweth not his Sauiour This one precious sermon or dialogue by Gods grace doth helpe all these euills as by your patience I shall shew For whereas first the deuill that subtile serpent seeketh by keeping men in a sencelesnes of sinne to lead them hedlong to hell here may be gathered that for sinne there must folow death the reward of sinne And such as is the worke such must be the wages but sinne is infinite therfore must needes folow death which is infinite And this death must be the death either of the offēder man or of the suerty Christ apprehended by fayth If it be the death of the suertye Christ then is it infinite in preciousnes but if it be the death of the offēder man thē is it horrescoreferēs infinit in horriblenes And who now shall the deuill hereafter entise to sin seing euery sinner in sinning doth either kil himselfe or crucify Christ Surely I thinke men will not buy drosse so deare I thinke Christians will not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leese the kingdome of heauē for a short pleasure nay payne of sinne I hope men will learne to be wise by Esaw and not sell their byrthright of heauen for a vyle pleasant sin very cold messe of pottage yea I thinke the very worldling vncleane persō and atheist whome the deuill by this waye chiefly haunteth after will here make a pause say with Demosthenes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not buy repētance so deare which if it please God they doe then this sermon hath well stopped vp the deuills former waye Secondly when men beginne to repent satan seeing that his kingdome is but short besturreth him in his other way to wit he seeketh by feare of Gods wrath by horror of their falles by sight of their sinnes to driue the godly to dispaire that especially while they are but yet setting first foote forwarde to God by repentaunce while they are but yet greene from the former resurrectiō while they are but yet in the new byrth and while they be but yet weake and vnacquainted with the fiery trialls with the Lordes battayles with Gods crosses with the spirituall conflictes in which our ould Adam our naturall man the fleshly lustes must in this lyfe be crossed consumed mortified slaine But here are opened vnto them the flowers of the prophets the chiefe promises of God concerning Christ which as they are of thēselues by the testimony of the new testamēt the marrow of the worde the kernell of the scriptures the Ioy of our hartes the stafe of our liues the foode of our soules the power of God vnto saluation to all that beleue so doth there in opening of them appeare a very paradise of al spiritual pleasure loue hope and peace the sweete ryuers of Eden which flowe so plentifully in this sermon that they expell all feare of desperation and so stop that other second way whereby the deuill seeketh to deuour the childrē of god For though the Godly be thus assayled by Sathā and that in the greennes of their new byrth
though the Deuill torment them with griefes and feare them with death hell and Gods iudgementes yet shall they finde in this sermon such so great and so sweete promises of god in christ that there is no soul so fearefull though most fearful no fayth so weake though most weake nor any man so ignorant doubtfull and hartlesse though he be most ignorant doubtfull hartlesse but that he may in this sermō gather such hart receaue such hope and growe vnto such knowledge strength and stabilitie that if he will but come and either heare it or reade it he shall returne as did Cleophas leape lyke an hart walke lyke a Lyon stand lyke a rocke which cannot be moued with any surging sea of temptatiō For that learned byshop of Germany doctor Vrbane Regius hath here so displayed Christ with the kingdome of Christ the mercies of god in christ that if any sad Cleophas doe but couet to come to Emaus the bright morning of the knowledge of Christ his kingdome and will bring but so much good seede with him by gods grace as that he hath a desire to know Christ to heare Christ to enioy Christ and to reason and reade of Christ for this is fayth yea though he be heauy and sorrowfull and come weeping yet shall he in this booke so meete with Christ and heare such a sermon of Christ that it will last him and not leaue him vntill he come to the trew Emaus in deede the bright knowledge of Christ and there shall his blind eyes be opened and he shall see know acknowledge Christ to be his sauiour and shall returne a right Cleophas in deede and bring such showes of fayth hope and peace of conscience with him that Nimrods net shall be broken the pray mans soule shall be deliuered the feare of death and desperation shal be abandoned And of this you may fetch if you will aprobatum est out of the gospell of Saint Luke For he maketh mention of this sermon and sheweth both when where why to whome out of what Christ made it what effect it had in it Thirdly whereas I sayd we are by nature vnperceiuing Ethiopians which reading the Prophets vnderstād not the Prophets this little booke wil well serue vs for a Phillip a sound interpreter of the prophets For it doth so drawe the vale and curtayne of the letter that it manifestly sheweth the precious perle Christ hidden vnder the letter and it so plainely discouereth the field of the olde testamēt that it leadeth vs by the hand to our Iesus that great treasure hidden in the law and the prophets Yea it doth so playnly proue Christ to be Christ that both the ignorant Gentiles and obstinate Iewes may know and acknowledge Christ to be Iesus the sauiour of the world But because we are subiect to many enymies crosses and temptations and so haue neede of comfort and because also when we both haue heare and reade of comfort we be as Thomas was hard receauers of Comfort I thinke it needefull that for the better obtayning of comfort we vse two thinges in the reading of good bookes and the holy scriptures the cornu copia of all comfort The first is that before we read we pray For as of ourselues we are haue nothing so to faythfull prayers is made a promise of all thinges The second is that in all our priuate reading we apply the worde to our selues take that which is there spoken and reade to be spoken to vs or him that readeth it for els shall we neither haue our lyues mended nor our soules comforted by the worde and then the word leeseth his fruitfull effect But if when wee see and heare Ephraim Ierusalē Iuda or the scribes pharises threatened reproued for their sinnes we will in place of them put in our owne selues and names and know it to be spoken to vs as it is in deed if we be lyke thē then no doubt we shall read to our amendement Againe if when we see promises made and comfort geuen and forgeuenes graunted to Iuda Ierusalem and Sion or the Church we will in place of them suppose or put in our owne names and persons and both beleue and know that those promises forgeuenes and those comforts are made set downe and geuen vs and euery one of vs that heare or read them as they are in deede yf we beleue them then shall we finde in this sermon and other holy scriptures such salue for our sores and such comfort for our hartes that sinne shall be subdued dispayre shall be remoued and our heauy hartes shall be comforted And here I will passe ouer the iust prayses which this booke deserueth both in excellēcy of the matter as god hath geuen it in laudablenes of the maner as Vrbane hath hādled it For in that it containeth the prophecyes of Christ and the promises of God true saluatiō vnto all that beleue a wine a man would thinke vēdible enough amongest the depraued and dead sonnes of Adam it doth sufficiently approue and promote it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onely this I thinke meete that before I end I put you in remembraunce that we are all by nature wicked and the childrē of wrath and death and must without the knowledge of those thinges which are set downe in this booke dye as we be and be as we dye euen without Christ firebrandes of hell But now to returne where I began I beseech you honorable and worshipfull Citizens that as you haue heard my dedication was not without cause so now ye will graunt me a petition or two which doe not exceede reason The first is that God hauing his dew prayse for all his goodnes ye would both pardon this my bouldnes and also vouchsafe my simple labors about the heauenly worde no worse entertainement and protection then ye vse to shew to your earthly peuples Secōdly that if ye reape any profit by this worke ye would geue deserued prayse to two learned and well lyued doctors of this church namely M. Barnard Gilpin of the North and M. Iohn Fox of the South Whereof this godly and painefull father moued me to translate it and the other great Moecenas hath brought vp me poore sinner to this little I haue and many other learned men to the Churches commoditye And lastly I beseech you in the Lord that you will take pity vpon your wiues your children your selues and your soules to wit that you will by hearing beleuing practising the word seeke to be safe from Sathan that seeketh to sifte you Furnish your selues and your familyes I pray you with spirituall armour Geue your inward man but euery moneth one of these articles for his repast and let it be well digested Let the spirite once rule ouer the flesh and let Christes spouse the soule now at the last be as well bewtified as the Deuills cōcubine
Christ and being sent vnto thē on whitsōday taught thē put them in remembrance of all thinges which were written of Christ which Christ before his death with his own tongue had taught them And looke what soeuer the Holy Ghost taught them it tended only to this end That they might know Christ and by Christ know the Father and through this knowledge be iustifyed and saued ¶ Anna. It is possible then as far as I perceiue to know what that Sermon was which Christ made to those two Discyples as they went to Emaus wherewith he made their harts so burne within them But if I also might come to the hearing of that Sermon Oh I would desire nothing in comparyson of it nay I had rather heare that sweet Sermon then haue all the pleasures in the earth and ioyes of the world ☞ Vrb. You may easily coniecture what that Sermon was seeing he expounded all the Prophets beginning at Moyses Doth not Luke I pray you eloquently and plainly testifie that he expounded to thē all that is writen of him in the wholl Scripture It was the Prophesies therfore which are writen in the Scripture of Christ which he interpreted vnto them which is nothing els but euen the very Gospel it self which he commaunded his Discyples to preach and spread euen to the worlds end For this Gospel is the doctrine of Christ the Sonne of God which telleth why he was made man and declareth to vs the eternall counsell of God the Father and his great good wil to vs in promising so redely that he wil be our Father and in imbrasing vs with more then a Fatherly affection and in vouchsafeing to knowledge vs for his deere Sonnes but onlye through his onlye begotten Sonne Christ This Gospel teacheth vs also that the Father so ordained that when the fulnes of time was come Christ should be born true man of the seed of Dauid and that he should dye on the Crosse and rise againe from the dead to the end he might purge mannes sinnes pay the raunsom for them destroy and take away death bring vs to euerlasting life reconcile his Father to vs and ascend into heauen and sitting there at the right hand of his Father begin his true and euerlasting kingdome where we shal raign and reioyce with him for euer Into this glory would his father haue him to enter by his own payn passion and opprobrious death of the Crosse That by this meanes he might deserue the same glory for vs This was done at Ierusalem vnder Herod Pontius Pilat and Caiphas when Tiberius Caesar was Emperor and so were the Prophesies fulfilled which are written of him Now he sitteth at the right hand of Gods Maiesty and being Lord of all he defendeth and gouerneth his Church that is to say all godly and truely beleeuing men by the holy Ghost and in the last day he shall come in his Maiesty to iudge the quick and the dead and shall geue euerlasting Life to those that beleeue But he shall throw hedlong down into hel amongst the multitude of Deuils all those that at that day shall not haue beleeued the Gospell And he doth by his Ministers dayly declare vnto vs these his Merits Works precious Passion Resurrection and Ascention into Heauen That those which beleeue of Christ the sonne of God as the scriptures do speake of him might be deliuered from the burthen of their sinnes be reconcyled to God the Father and liue with him for euer in the glory of Christ And for this cause especially doth the gospel moue vs and cal vs to repentaunce to the end that we may be hartely sory for our sinnes that we may abhor and detest our sinnes and with al our indeuour fly al things that might moue vs to sinne seeing our sinnes could be taken away by no other Sacrifice but only by the most precious bloud of Christ which he shed for vs that he might cleanse vs and delyuer vs from sinne death and hel And furthermore the Gospel promiseth remission of sinnes and euerlasting life to all that beleeue in Christ and refuse not this Gospel but with all their hart faithfully receiue the same vsing it reuerently and holyly And thus of meere grace without all our deserts only for the works and merits of Christ if we beleeue in him are we washed from our sinne beutefyed with the holy Ghost and are iustifyed sanctifyed saued and made heyres with God and coheyres with Christ in his kingdome and liue for euer We also heare the Gospell with a godly deuotion we trust in Christ and we beleeue him to be the only Sauyour of the world And then also are we angry with our sinnes and detest and abhor them we repent vs and are sory that through our sinnes we haue offended God we begin better to frame our liues and we loue God with all our harts which hath bestowed his great and wonderful mercy and his vnspeakable and infinite goodnes in Christ Iesu his Sonne vpon vs we loue also our neighbours euen as Christ loued vs and we doe our diligence that we may as becometh holy children lead a chast holy modest sober and innocent life after Christes example and so for the loue of righteousnes and godlynes we doe all good works sauing that while we are in this flesh we haue not the full feeling of our frailtye and sinne and that our faith and knowledge of Christ that is of the great and incomprehensible mercy loue care grace and benefits which in Christ and for Christ are freely geuen and bestowed vpon vs is not full perfect and pure in this life but while we liue doth stil grow and increase And we must also fight and striue continually while we liue with the flesh and mortefie renue and reforme our old Adam vntil the Image of God be renued again in vs and vntil we shall haue put on that most beutiful and holy Image of Christ like as before our receiuing of faith and regeneration we did beare that euil fauoured and horrible Image of the old Adam Now you haue heard what Christ taught his two Disciples And without doubt the Apostls afterward taught the same things which Christ did teach and confirmed the doctrine of Christ after the same sort by the Prophets wrytings For the holy Ghost had sufficyently instructed them therto as plainly appeareth in the Actes of the Apostles ¶ Anna. As far then as I perceiue Christ preached nothing to those two Discyples out of the prophesies but the very pure doctrine of the Gospel wherby they might learn what Christ was for what cause he was sent into this world what he did what he suffered what he meryted by his suffering and how we might haue benefit by his Merits and what was to be hoped and looked for of him This then no doubt was it that comforted them so made their harts so glad ☞ Vrb. And haue not these thinges I pray you sufficient matter inough to make
he might by his death take away our sinnes and he rose again from the dead and threw Sathan all conquered and ouercome vnderfoote and bereued him of the spoyle and pray which through his false lye he had brought into the bondage of sinne death and damnation that is to say he brought mankind again into the kingdome of God which is the kingdom of health and euerlasting life This is the first promise of grace I wil put enmity betwixt thee and the woman betwixt thy seede and her seede He that is to say the seed of the woman for so is the Hebrue text shal break thy head and thou shalt bruse his heele In these words God promysed his Sonne to the world And this promise is the Gospel it self that is to say most mery and pleasant tidings of Christ Adam being now drowned in sinne and the child of wrath and being both in body and soule subiect to the curse saw nothing but euerlasting damnation and therefore his conscience was miserably trobled vexed and tormented so that in this his agony he was almost come euen to desperations dore For he felt no kind of comfort but the horrible torment of euerlasting death and bitter greef of hart For he had cast him self by disobedyence into the tiranny of Sathan and was now become his prisoner and seruant through sinne But as soon as God had promysed to him the seed of the woman straight way he conceaued hope of life and beleeued that god of his grace and mercy would by that promised seed saue him and delyuer him out of Sathans tyrannye The Gospell therfore is the promise of lyfe in this seede of the woman or through this seede Thus then God promised his naturall sone which should be born of a woman but without sinne that he might tread down and breake Sathans head that is to say that he might ouerthrow Sathans power and kingdome which is the kingdome of sinne and death and that he might tread vnderfoote ouercome and destroy sinne death and hel This promised seede is Christ as Paule sayth The wordes of this promise be but fewe but they contayne many and great misteries First they shew vs that God should take vppon him mans flesh For if that seede had bene nothing els but man he could neuer haue broken the head of Sathan that is haue abolished sinne and death and haue subdued and destroyed Sathan him selfe Furthermore these wordes import that this seede should not be subiect to any sinne neither be naturally conceiued after the manner of man and of mans seede but by the holy ghost and that this seede should not be born as al other mankinde is of a woman that had known a man but of a pure virgin Therfore is he not here called the seed of man but onely of woman Also seing he would deliuer and make mankind free from the tyranny of Sathā sinne being taken away it was needefull that all sinnes should first be purged and that he should first satisfie the high and seuere iustice of God and so this seede or this sonne of this woman is set in the place of a captiue man seing all mankinde for sinne was appointed to dye it was determined that he to wit this seed of the womā should suffer death that by his death he might pay and discharge the sinnes of mankinde That we being deliuered from the power and tyrannie of Sathan might be reconciled to our God by a sufficient purgation and satisfaction Now then if he ought thus to tread downe the head of Sathā to wit abolish death it could in no wise be that he should still abide in the graue but seing he should dye for out offences leauing this fraile and temporall life it was very necessary that he should rise againe from death and begin and posses another euerlasting life Otherwise he could neuer haue delyuered man from so great and horrible a calamity wherin he was Neither could man haue been saued vnles satisfaction had been made for his sinnes and vnles death had bin ouercome and eternal life so obteyned and geuen that neither sinne death nor Satan could further hurt vs Furthermore as the Text here maketh mention there is enmity betwixt Christ and that Serpent the Deuil And by this same Text we know which of them should get the victory to wit the seed Christ with his seruants he shal ouercome and tread down Sathan that venemous Serpent And although that Serpent doe neuer so deadly sting the heele of Christ and the true Church that is persecute and tempt them yet Christ being both far greater mightyer and stronger then he doth return Conqueror from the bataile and caryeth away the victory and in the end tryumpheth with the whol Church that is with the true godly beleeuing which shal raign and liue with Christ foreuer And thus in this promise is foretold as you see the birth passion and resurrection of Christ together with the victory wherin Christ broke the force of Sathan sinne death and hel And though in hid and figuratiue words yet such as admit no other sence but truely and plainly import that which we haue sayd Christ is prefigured prophesied of in the Scripture two wayes Sometime in darck figuratiue and hidden promises and types Other sometimes in manyfest promises and expres and playn words Therfore all promises which followed this in the Byble did betoken this seed and are to be applyed to this seed and are made more manifest and known vntil Christ put on our flesh fulfilled them Some Latin Bibles in this Text of Genesis haue it She shall tread down the head of the Serpent not he nor it Wherupon it grue that this promise was taken to be spoken of Mary as if she had troden down the Serpents head But this promis can in no wise be referred to Mary The Hebrue tongue saith not She but It doth perform this work And the same Text doth vnderstand the seed of the woman For thus saith the holy Ghost in that Sacred tongue wherein the Prophesies were writtē Vben sarecha Vben sarach hu ieschupcha rosch That is I wil put enmity betwixt thy Seed and the Seed of her that is to say euen the seed of the woman shall tread down thy head For it is euident that Hen doth not signifie her but Him or It and this is the proper and right signification of this word * Thargum hath it thus betweene thy Sonne and her Sonne which wordes doe expresse and declare the meaning of this Text more plainly and perfectly For it is ment only of Christ by him alone and by no other Seed nor man is Sathan ouercome sinne abolished and remission of sinnes and life recouered and freely geuen Adam and all Adams childrē that is to say all mankind had been damned and subiect to Sathans tyranny and had perished eternally in hell vnles that seed had bin promysed and geuen vs. He which reiecteth this
and of the forgiuenes of sinnes which we haue onely by the bloud of Iesus Christ as it is written to the Hebrues They were only exercises of outward discipline holines and iustification of the flesh which beyng but giuen vntil the tyme of reformation were then to haue the full end when he should come which by these types and figures was prefigured ¶ Anna. I would gladly heare how Aaron with his priesthood and sacrifices do signify prefigure Christ And I pray you expoūd me euery parcell of it orderly ☞ Vrb. I wil. But that you may as in a table plainly see it and that the matter may the better be vnderstood and perceiued I haue here vnder set downe the figures of the old testamēt with the fulfilling of them the truth of the new testament set ouer against them ¶ A Table conteyning the figures of the old law and things in deede figured therby The Figure The things figured 1. AARON with his priesthood in Leuiticus 1. CHrist and his euerlasting priesthood in the whole epistle to the Hebrues 2. Aaron the hie Priest in the law 2. Christ a high priest in the whole epistle to the Hebrues 3. Aarō teacheth the law giuē by Moses which accuseth vs and worketh wrath Iohn 5. Rom. 4. 3. Christ teacheth the Gospell which excuseth and defendeth al true Christians giueth thē mere grace Ioh. 1. Grace truth by Christ 4. Aarons doctrine was the letter writtē with the finger of God in tables of stone 4. Christes doctrine is spirite and lyfe the christian faith written in the fleshly tables of the harte by the holy ghost Iohn 6. Iere. 31. 2. Cor. 3. 5. Aaron praieth for the people 5. Christ is our Mediator aduocat praieth for vs Ro. 8.1 Tim. 2. 6. Aaron beareth the sinnes of the people the 3. booke of Moses 6. Christ is the true lamb of God which beareth the sinnes of the world and paieth the raunsome for them Ioh. 1. 7. Aarō offred vp beasts and bloud of beastes for the sinnes of the people 7. Christ offred vp him selfe for the sinnes of the world and shed his owne bloud for them Ebr. 9. There be fiue kind of sacrifices in the law All kindes of sacrifices were fulfilled in Christ 1. The Holocaustum was consumed with fire Leui. 1. 1. Christ is our true burnt offering burning in the feruēt fire of loue towardes vs and geueth himselfe wholy for vs that he may thereby deliuer man holily 2. The offering vp of sacrifice in Leuit. 2. 2. Isichius vnderstādeth by the offering of the sacrifice the manhood of Christ Ierome also vnderstandeth Christ who is the bread of life Ioh. 6. 3. The peace offering Leuit. 3. 3. Christ is our true peace offring Rom. 5. 2. Cor. 5. by the death of the sonne we are reconciled to god Col. 1. he hath set at peace by the bloud of his crosse all thinges c. 4. The offring for sinnes Leu. 1. 4. Christ is our true offering for sinnes committed and duety omitted 2. Cor. 5. Ro. 8. 5 The offring for transgression Leui. 6.7 5. For our sinnes he laid downe his lyfe the Lord layed vpon him the iniquity of vs all Esay 53. Figures The truth and the thing figured 1. The bloud of beastes was shed in the law to purifie sinnes Heb. 9. Leui. 9. 1. Onely the bloud of Christ Iesu the sonne of god which he shed on the crosse doth purge vs from all our sinne 1. Ioh. 1. Heb. 9 2. The high priest once and no more euery yere entred alone into the holy of holiest or into the second tabernacle Leui. 16. Exod 30. by the bloud of beasts with which yet notwithstanding he could not eyther iustifie or purifie any man. 2. But Christ an high priest of good thinges to come once entred not into a tabernacle made with handes but euē into the very heauens into the presence of God by his owne bloud wherby he reconciled vs purified vs and obtayned for vs euerlasting lyfe Heb. 9. 3. Aarons sacrifices of necessitie ought to be most pure cleane and perfect without eyther blot or spot 3. Christ of al the sonnes of men had neyther spot blotte nor blemish beyng conceyued of the holy gost and borne of the pure virgin Mary Esay 53. These sacrifices shedings of the bloud of beastes in the lawe signified the precious and incomparable death of Messias because he in the nature shape and state of man would once be slayne and offered vp to wash away our sinnes Here must we first well diligently obserue that the sacrifices of the law with the bloud therof cannot in deede purge or take away any sinne neither reconcile any man to god They were onely figures ordeyned and instituted of God that they might represent vnto vs that only and true sacrifice and reconciliatiō of the new testament that is to say Christ on his crosse by whose only sacrifice sinne was truly and verily purged clensed and washed away certain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is redemptiō is obtained Secondly that if only by the death of Christ sinn be truly purged and washed away then by it alone shal death be vanquished and extinguished in as much as death is the rewarde of sinne and where no sinne is there death can haue no power Thirdly this also doth follow by a firme and inuincible consequence that Christian beleuers who haue part of this sacrifice are truly deliuered from their sinnes and shal by it also though in body they dye yet be restored againe to lyfe All the priestes of the law died successiuely neither could they deliuer themselues nor others from sinne and death but Christ hath no successor because he is alway one and bides for euer a priest of the euerlasting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 priesthood by which he both can and will saue vs for euer and by which he purchaseth for vs euerlasting redemption Heb. 7. and 9. Wherfore all which are his that is which beleue in him shal be fellow heyres with him of euerlasting lyfe He is not God of the dead but of the liuing And therefore they also must needes by Christ rise againe frō death but if we should rise again frō death enioy euerlasting life it was needefull that he should first rise again frō death and be the Lord of life as Esay sayth When he shall make his soule an offring for sinne he shall see his seede shall prolong his dayes Here the Prophet teacheth that Christ after he had finished his sacrifice on the crosse should liue and raigne with his church for euer and neuer die as other priestes kinges and lordes did Must not a godly hart of necessity here conceyue much ioy when he seeth and considereth how plainely how clerely and how directly vnder the shadowe of these figures both the death and the resurrection of Christ and all faythfull christians are signified and set forth and also when we see
of the priests asked Peter and Iohn in the Actes by what power and in what name they helped the lame man Peter answered by the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth For in deede there is none other name vnder heauen giuen vnto men in which we can or must be saued ¶ Anna. Is not the high priest in Zachary also called Iesus how commeth that to passe or how can this so deuine and glorious a name be giuen to him ☞ Vrb. The high priest in that place is only a figure of Christ and therefore hath he this name giuen him For Iosua the sonne of Nun is called Iosua because he was a figure of Iehoscuah Iesus And although God gaue the people of Iuda many benefites and commodities and increased them maruelously by these mens meanes yet were they all but only temporall and terrestriall giftes which they receyued of God by theyr handes and very trifles in deed in comparison of the great giftes and benefits helth and helpe which God through Iesus Christ hath now giuen not to one people only but to all the world For Christ deliuereth vs from eternall misery from sinne from death and from euerlasting damnatiō and giueth vs innocency helth lyfe and eternall saluation This name therfore filleth heauen and earth with vnspeakeable ioy because by this name commeth true and present helpe in all troubles and certain saluation from all calamities As Peter sayth in the Acts. To him giue all the Prophets witnesse that through his name all that beleue shall receyue remission of sinnes To conclude this in deede is true helpe true lyfe and true liberty What I pray you is the ayde helpe of all the world and worldly creatures in comparison of this can they deliuer a mā frō any sinne can they giue any mā eternall lyfe can they saue ones lyfe or rayse one frō deth or deliuer one from the deuill a fig they can But our Christ only is he that can helpe the world neither can he only but also will doth that which he can Wherfore he only and none other is that true Iesus which both in body and soule and in lyfe and death helpeth aydeth deliuereth and with eternall lyfe blesseth all that beleue in him This true helpe and helth and this holy name full of all comfort consolation was oftentimes foretold of by the prophets As in Iere. the 7. where Israel confesseth that there is no helpe any where but with god And there amongst other he sayth Truely in the Lord our God is the health of Israel In the holy tongue it is Theschath that is thy sauiour helpe or health Thus haue you heard that life is promised to the worlde in no other but only in Iesus Christ as Peter saith in the Acts. Wherfore it may be supposed that where so euer mention is made in the Scriptures after this sort of the ayde helpe or saluation of God that there Christ is to be vnderstood Christ also in Esay comforteth his church and promiseth her the seruice and ministery of the Gentiles and kings and amongst other he hath these wordes Thou shalt sucke the milke of the Gentiles and shalt sucke the brestes of Kings thou shalt know that I the lord am thy sauiour and thy redemer the mighty one of Iacob What other redemer doe we here vnderstand but Iesus Christ whō al the godly know and beleue to be promised giuen of God to redeme and deliuer the world Also in the 43. of Esay it is said I am the Lord thy God the holy one of Israel thy sauiour In both these places the name of Christ Meschiah is vsed which commeth of the Hebrue word Iascha that is saued And in the 45. of Esay it is said Israel shal be saued in the Lord with an euerlasting saluation you shal not be ashamed nor confounded world without ende And here the word Thescuah in Hebrue is vsed And that which is sayd here is in deed fulfilled in the true and spirituall Israel that is in the Catholike church of Christ which findeth euerlasting lyfe health helpe in Christ Iesu Wheresoeuer also we finde in the Psalmes Ieschuath cha which signifieth thy sauior or saluation there Augustine alwayes vnderstandeth Christ our alone sauiour as in the Psalm 119. and in many other which for multitude I cannot recite For we see thē euery where Rabbi Ishak Nathan hath gathered a great many of them together in his Perusch Aleph and Beth which you may read if you will. But here I would not haue you ignorant that some men thinke Iehoschuah and Iesus not to bee both one For they say that Iesus is deriued of the Hebrue word Iesch which as Capnio interpreteth it signifieth is or els of the true and proper name of God Iehouah which signifieth such a one as hath not or borroweth not his beyng of any other but is of himselfe as Christ saith to the stubborne Iewes in Iohn Before Abraham was I am Wherby is proued that Christ is truly and properly so called and els no man For God calleth himselfe I am that I am where telling Moses what is his name he sayth I am that I am Thus shalt thou say to the childrē of Israel I am hath sent me vnto you Hereupō some suppose this name Iesus to be the very name of God Tetragrammaton which in the holy tonge is written with foure letters namely Iod hoe uof hoe In stead of which name the Iewes for religion and reuerence sake vse this word Edonai Now if we put in this letter schin with these fower letters they wil make the word Ieheschu or Iesu which properly signifieth God himself or the deuine essence For God promised in his prophets that he himselfe would come and saue vs And we in our true and vndoubted Catholike faith beleue that Christ is true and natural God which both made and preserueth all things c. Wherefore this holy and royall name Iesus is giuen only to him By which the Angel Gabriel said he should be called whē as yet he was not conceiued by the holy ghost This most holy name was giuen him openly when he was circumcised neither hath it ought it or iustly can it be giuen to any other but onely to our true Messias For the scripture witnesseth that he is very God in mans nature Paul to the Phil. sayth f. Christ had a name aboue all names And what name can that be but onely the name of God and thus much of his former name Iesus Now the other of the two names which in the scriptures be commonly giuen to Christ is Messias which word signifieth annointed and belōgeth to a king For in the law the kings were annointed as well as priests Yet was not Christ annointed after the maner of other kings but after a strange and peculiar maner so that he is a Messias peerlesse to whom there is not an
Rom. 8.19 Our hope 1. Tim. 1.1 Our brother Psal 22.22 Hebr. 2.12 Mat. 28. 10. Our shepeherd Ezech. 34.23 Iohn 10.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chiefe shepeheard 1. Pet. 5.4 The dore of the sheepe Iohn 10.7 The bread of lyfe Iohn 6.48 Our rocke Math. 16.18 Our peace Ephe. 2.14 The stone that hath seuen eyes vpon it Zach. 3.9 The stone which was cut out of the mountain without handes which became great and filled the whole earth Dan. 2.34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ende of the law the perfection and fulfilling of the law Rom 10.4 The head of the church Ephes 22. 5.23 The true vine Iohn 15.1 The stone which is become the head stone in the corner Psal. 118.22 and Act. 4.11 The righteous branche or branche of righteousnesse Iere. 23.5 The Lord of lyfe Acts. 3.15 The Lord of all Acts. 10.36 The king of glory Psal. 24.7 The righteous one Rom. 3.26 and 5.7 Esay 51 6.7 Acts. 3.14 and 7.52 1. Iohn 2.1 Mat. 25. The hope of glory Col. 1.27 The heyre of all Heb. 1.2 The prince of the kings of the earth Apoc. 1.5 The word of lyfe 1. Iohn 6. Immanuel God with vs Esay 7.14 Mat. 1.23 The euerlasting word of the father Iohn 1.1 The wisdome of God. 1. Cor. 1.24 The power of God. 1. Cor. 1.1 The image of the inuisible god Col. 1.15 The first borne of all creatures Col. 1.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the brightnesse of the glory of god Hebr. 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the expresse image of the substance of God the father Heb. 1.3 True God and eternall lyfe Iohn 5.20 The Lord of Zebaoth that is of hostes The seuenty Translators interpreted it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is almighty as Hierome noteth vpon Zach. 2.8 The angell of the Testament Mal. 3.1 Wonderfull Esay 9.6 The geuer of counsaile Esay 9.6 The mighty god Esay 9.6 The euerlasting father Esay 9.6 The prince of peace Esay 9.6 The sonne of righteousnesse Mal. 4.2 The iudge of the quicke and the dead Actes 10.42 Christ hath these and many moe most sweete epithites and goodly figuratiue names giuen him in the Scriptures which would be both long to recite and here not much nedefull ¶ Anna. It is vncredible to beleue what light what vnderstanding what comfort and what consolation I haue receyued euen of this bare and briefe recitall and catalogue of these epithites and names of Christ But what vnspeakeable ioy what maruelous profound knowledge and what plentifull and aboundant consolation would then follow euen as out of a ful fountaine to vs if these Heroycall titles were thorowly opened and euery one particularly in his place expounded ☞ Vrb. These epithites in deede plainly and euidently declare though not fully both the qualitie and quantitie of Iesus Christ our Lord as what kinde of one and how great he is and they tell vs what comfort and helpe we may hope to haue at his hands But it were a very tedious trauel at this tyme to handle euery name at large according to his dignity they shal be expounded God willing more commodiously and fitly together in an other place in the openyng of the Prophets ¶ Anna. You promised also to say some thing of the former comming of Christ into the worlde If your leisure serue I would see you performe that your promise ⧠Of the former commyng of Christ into this world and of his humble conuersation and being here on the earth and also of the tyme of his comming Vrbane THis article in deede is worthy to be diligently expounded and well vnderstood If the Iewes had well vnderstood this article and beleued it they had neuer fallen so horribly or if they would yet either vnderstād it or beleue it they would not be so greatly offended at Christ as they are neither would they so obstinately persist thus long in their blyndnes as they doe Before Christes comming and in Christes tyme they of all men in the world gloriously vaunted themselues of their great knowledge and vnderstanding of the holy scriptures as a thing in which they excelled al men and yet were they vtterly ignorant of this especiall chiefe point and article of scripture to wit of Iesu Christ how after what sort for what cause he should come They in their carnal vnderstāding dreamed that Messias should come into the world as a mighty Monarch with a puissant and huge army of men and that in worldly pompe power brauery and dignitie he should exceede all other kings of the earth and with dint of sword subdue Goym that is all nations and bring them in subiection to the Iewes and that he should establish his princely throne at Ierusalem in the land of Canaan and giue the Iewes al welth riches dignity ease and plenty of all worldly pleasure These thinges did they in their doltish iudgement grofly looke for at the hand of Christ so vtterly ignorant were they of the heauenly and spirituall blessings promised in Christ Wherefore carnally construing all the prophecies of Christ they promised themselues in him onely the externall momentany fraile brickle and transitory riches of this short lyfe At this day also the Iewes retayne these and much more doltish dreames and fantasies of Messias For oftentymes at Ratisbone and other places I haue disputed with them of Messias and his kingdome But I could neuer here any thing of them but mere doltish dreames carnall imaginations and ridiculous foolish fables S. Hierome writeth much of the errors of the Iewes how they looked for an earthly kingdome in Christ and many other grosse and foolish fantasticall fansies which I would neuer haue beleeued if afterward I my selfe had not heard them with my eares But it is no maruell to see them which are thus wrapped in darkenes bewitched with all madnesse fowly and foolishly erre seing they neither be nor can abide to be in the catholike church of Christ in which onely and els not the holy ghost doth reueale vnto mē the vnderstanding and true meaning of the scriptures And this is the cause that they vnderstand no parte of diuinitie neither haue any sound iudgement at all in their Bible bookes For where gods holy spirit is not there must needes the mysteries of the holy scriptures lye hid The Iewes deuise and dreame onely of the earthly land of promise But the Scripture speaketh of much more excellent high and glorious things then is any Iudea or Ierusalem though it were of Iemmes or beaten gold The Prophets with their spirituall eyes looked farre aboue this world vp into heauen where we shall need neither perle gold meat nor other necessaries of this mortall lyfe but inherite euerlasting life with celestiall ioy and felicitie As S. Peter sayth the Prophets speake of our saluation But let vs see what the holy ghost sayeth of Christes comming and humilitie in Zachary where he writeth thus Reioice greatly O daughter Sion shoute for ioy O
daughter Ierusalem behold thy king commeth vnto thee he is iust and saued poore ryding vpon an asse and vpon a colt the fole of an asse I wil cut of the chariots frō Ephraim and the horse from Ierusalem the bow of the battaile shal be broken and he shall speake peace vnto the Heathen and his dominion shall be from sea and from the riuer vnto the ende of the lande Thou also shalt be saued through the bloud of the couenant I haue loosed thy prisoners out of the pit where in is no water Note here first and formost that the holy ghost by the prophet in this text sheweth vs an inestimable and infinite ioy to wit that Messias our onely helpe in all our distresse and the saluatiō of our soules which was promised vs so long before should come vnto vs And therfore to the ende to awake vs and that we should shake of our sleepe and attentiuely and diligently consider what and how great a thing he doth here handle how worthy a thing it is which is here foreshewed to come to passe He sayth Reioyce reioyce greatly thou daughter Sion and shoute forth O daughter Ierusalem c. By daughter Sion and Ierusalem he doth vnderstand the people of Ierusalem but seyng that Sion Ierusalem were a figure of the catholike church and seyng that not only the Iewes but euen the Gentiles also should be partakers of this great and infinite ioy I will apply these wordes to the whole church which consist both of Iewes and Gentils He sayth lift vp thy voyce and reioyce Here must needes some passing and wonderfull matter be vnderstood in that that holy ghost prouoketh vs so earnestly to shoute out and reioyce Behold that is to say awake awake take heed ye sleep not or play the slouthfull sluggardes Looke you leese not or despise not this opportunity offred you Awake take good heed what I tel you giue eare giue eare the state of your soule and saluation is here in hande giue eare Thy king commeth to thee This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cause of this great ioy Our king cōmeth to vs seking his lost people which were led captiue by the wicked spirit and horrible tirant into the kingdom of hel and euerlasting darkenes to perish for euer In which deadly daunger grieuous perill and great calamitie man was so blynded so farre past vnderstanding and so ignorant that he would not acknowledge his misery and wretched state neither see the present daunger of euerlasting death nor yet desire helpe counsayle or remedy But would such was his madnes securitie blindnes haue taried bondslaue in the tiranny of Satan and died captiue to the deuil if this our king being moued with mercy towardes his people standing in such danger had not presently helped vs He saw that we could not deliuer our selues out of this kingdome of sinne neither shake of that cruell tiranny of sathan and that the deuill through his great might strength would haue ouercommed vs and so haue possessed his palace in peace because that in man there was no such strength no such force no such subtletie neyther any such deuise that he could wynd himselfe out of the misery wherin he was wrapped Wherfore Christ seyng this taking compassion of this our miserable state came downe to vs that he might deliuer vs out of this bondage and thraldome and set vs at liberty We neuer desired nor required him neither did our deserts moue him What say I did we moue or desire him to come nay our hartes could not once thinke of him nor desire his helpe or comfort such was the blindnes wherin we were drowned We came not we fled not for helpe to him of our selues for nothing was so farre past our reach We could do nothing lesse it was not in our abilitie such was the corruption of our nature such so darke and so dimme cloudes of deprauation possessed our myndes No no this our king came to vs for we neither could nor would go to him The cause why he came and what he doth with vs what profite he brought vs and how nedefull it was that he should come to vs the Prophet addeth saying He cōmeth to the iust and saued or he commeth vnto the iust and a sauiour This is that great ioy this is the cause of our reioycing and triumphing We were through our sinnes wicked and guilty of all iniquity and defiled with all kinde of vice wickednes and impiety and ordayned to euerlasting death and adiudged to eternall damnation and yet could we not helpe or quite our selues from it But Christ our king commeth to vs he bringeth vs saluation and he iustifieth and deliuereth vs from all dangers This our king was not only iust innocent and free from all offence and spot for and concerning himselfe onely but he giueth also his righteousnes and innocency to vs In so much that through him we are coūted righteous before God if we beleue in him as Paul sayth he onely is iust and iustifieth others This word iust must not here be vnderstoode to be that exact and perfect iustice by which God iudgeth the wicked and punisheth the hard harted For this seuere iustice doth sore afray vs poore sinners and offenders against god Yea it bringeth heuines vexatiō of hart driueth vs to desperatiō neither doth it any thing lesse thē worke ioy gladnes and reioycing in vs But the Scripture vseth for comforte sake to call Christ iust or righteous as well in the olde as new testament For he only among all the sonnes of men is iust and righteous and so iust and righteous that thorough him alone we are counted before God iust innocent and righteous God the father calleth Christ by this name and saith in Esay My seruant is righteous And so saith Zachary Steuen and Iohn And S. Paul sayth the same to the Rom. in these wordes For as by the disobedience of one man that was Adam many were made sinners euē so by the obedience of one shall many also be made righteous We could not of our selues or by our works iustify or redeme our selues but we are made righteous by the only grace of Christ and fayth in him which in holy scripture is called the righteousnes of God that is by which we are accounted righteous before God. Which righteousnes he himselfe doth worke in vs when by his holy spirit he doth make vs righteous and without blame The prophet also calleth Christ our sauiour and that rightly for first he iustifieth vs and whom he iustifieth he both saueth and giueth thē euerlasting lyfe And this is the maner of his worke in vs By his gospell he calleth vs iustifieth vs and then saueth vs The Iewes do here in this prophesie obiect the Hebrew word Noscha which our translator calleth a Sauiour and they say it signifieth saued or deliuered passiuely But this neede not trouble the godly
what els I pray you do they and haue they sought in Christ all their tyme but temporall riches carnal commodities and worldly dignities ☞ Vrb. Well let vs here leaue these vagabonds ill men let vs returne to the interpretatiō of the prophets ¶ Anna. To that am I most ready for I had rather heare of my Christ my lord then of their villanies and wickednes which for a tyme were coloured hid with the cloke of religion and profession of the gospel but now God be thanked wel discouered and brought to light Wherfore I pray you go to the exposition of the prophets ☞ Vrb. Esay vnderstandeth an other kind of Christ he setteth him forth after an other sort then this fantasticall and folish kind of people do He sayth not that he should stand on his pantophles in princely pomp and magnificēce either yet be a prouider only for the belly or a minister of pleasures but he sayth that he shold come as a preacher apostle who should rule his empire by the word spirit And to the ende we should not looke for any magnificence carnall pompe pride or worldly insolency in Christ Esay sayth He commeth to preache good tidings or the gospell to the poore that is to the afflicted and men oppressed with calamities and miseries Worldly kings and princes haue nothing to do vouchsafe not to deale with the feble vile contemptible deafe lame blind wretched poore afflicted miserable and diseased persons but they are delighted in the company of the healthfull handsome pleasant headed well mannered beautifull iocund ioly rich honourable and couragious courtiers I say they loue and desire the company and presence of such that they may serue them honour them and be delighted with them But Christ came into this world for the miserable afflicted that he might cōfort encourage heale help deliuer thē For Christ is not such a poore simple king as erthly kings be who stand in need of other mē must nedes haue their help counsails comfort seruice ministrations Christ is no such king but an euerlasting king a rich king a plentifull king a king of wonderful great power maiesty might who is the welspring author and giuer of euerlasting lyfe and therfore standeth in no need of our seruice riches or obedience But he is a king of such great mercy goodnes liberalitie bountifulnes that he hath not these great treasures glorious riches for himselfe alone lying on them like a couetous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 miser and pinch peny but he maketh them common vnto vs and largely and liberally bestoweth on vs these his great substance wonderfull treasures and precious Iewels Wherefore he cōmeth not to the strōg mighty but to the afflicted poore sinful S. Luke translateth the Hebrue word Enonim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to the poore And the 70. Translators vse this same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherupō it is likely the the Hebrue text which the seuenty interpreters folowed hath not Enonim but Eniim of Eni which worde Zachary hath in his 9. chapter And that word signifieth poore heauy humble oppressed brought low of base condition and afflicted But howsoeuer it signifieth whether poore or afflicted all is one for by both these words are ment those whō Christ in Math. called poore in spirite who receiue the gospell to whom the gospell with fruit is profitably preached Which haue broken and contrite harts and troubled consciences which feele the burden of their sinnes and tast of the wrath and iudgement of God which are horribly afrayd of gods indignation and for feare thereof begin to dread quake tremble which vncessantly long loke for the grace and helpe of God and which with ardent great and continual prayers desire and craue nothing els but that they may be deliuered from their sinnes and obtayne the grace and fauour of God these men which are thus affected are most fit scholers and disciples for the doctrine of the gospell And these are that good grounde in Luke which bringeth forth fruit On the other side they which do not acknowledge their sinne which see not their misery which feare not God which desire not his grace and which couet not his mercy such as be the hard harted and blind childrē of this world holy hypocrites and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 secure fellowes which know not how to repent thē of theyr sinnes These I say desire not regard not and waigh not Christ and his Gospell And therefore doth Christ pronounce a sharpe sentence against them saying The whole neede not a Phisition but they which are sicke I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance By these righteous in this text are ment such as be negligent proud and hautie spirites which are bewitched by a false persuasion of themselues and thinke that they be alredy iust and do not acknowledge their sinnes And therfore are presumptuous carelesse and stubborne and feele not their owne miseries and remember not as they should death the day of iudgement and the wrath of God to come All which must needes come vpon this world but beyng deeply drouned in carnal securitie haue their myndes busied about nothing but the transitory thinges of this world are nothing touched with the desire of the lyfe to come euerlasting saluation The Prophet teacheth in the wordes followyng what the fruties of this gospell are who these poore and afflicted are saying That I might bynd vp the brokē harted These tidings are in deed true ioyfull tydings these are comfortable and pleasaunt newes to heare these tydings are ful of consolation Moises his law teacheth vs to acknowledge our sinnes and the curse due to vs for our sinnes This knowledge of the lawe terrefieth our consciences For the law onely sheweth and reueleth sinnes but it taketh them not away but leaueth them still in our remembraunce And where sinnes be there death hath dominiō there is trēbling feare horror heauines and desperation so long as the conscience which is the place of tormēt and storehouse of sinne is disquieted and feareth death Such then as feele their sinnes are the contrite in hart and most afflicted of all men these see their misery calamity and danger but to heale themselues and to deliuer them selues out of such danger and miseries they are of thēselues in no wise able But when as Christ commeth accompanied with the healthfull preaching doctrine of the gospell then commeth their comfort and consolation Because the gospell offreth and frely giueth forgiuenes of sinnes true holines euerlasting lyfe to all that faithfully beleue For thus it sayth speaking vnto the poore sinner If thou be a sinner if thy cōscience be troubled if thou be afraid of deth if thou feare gods iudgement marke what thou must do Fly vnto Christ who only can and wil of his own good wil
wāteth the fayth feare of god Wherefore the workes of the flesh can not truly be called good workes neither doe they satisfye the law of god For the law is spiritual And therfore it must be spiritually fulfilled with the hart spirite When we haue thus confessed our miserye then craue we the mercye of God and then doe wee earnestly desire to be delyuered from the curse of the law to be made righteous And the more truely thorowly that we acknowledge and feel our misery calamity so much more earnestly and zealously doe we craue and desire Gods help But in al these euils we finde nether help nor comfort any where els but in Iesus Christ He is the fulfilling and end of the law to all that beleeue If Christ doe not help vs in this case then doe we still abide and remayne captiues vnder the law in this tormēt pricke of conscience But the Father sent him for this cause as Esay heare witnesseth that he might preach and bring deliueraūce to those that be thus captiue vnder the law Which thing he then performed when he became accursed for vs vpon the crosse that thereby he might delyuer vs from the eternall curse of the law And when he him selfe preached the Gospell saying Come vnto me all you that are wery and ladē and I will ease you And God so loued the world that he hath geuē his only begottē Son that who so euer beleueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life For God sent not his Son into the world that he should condemne the world but that the worlde through him might be saued And who so beleueth in him is not condemned It followeth The acceptable yeare of the Lord. Christ sayth in Luke that Hee was sent to preach the Gospell to the poore that is to comfort the world with glad tidinges Esay prophesied the same in this place saying that Christ should preach that ioyfull or acceptable yeare to wit that after those dolefull dayes the happy yeare should come the tyme of Gods grace the new testament whiche Christ him selfe preached vnto vs in which we shall heare nothing but meere grace and forgeuenes of our sinnes This is that most happy yeare of Iubilie in which is published by the gospell full perfect euerlasting and continuall lybertie and freedome from all our sinnes Which thing Zachary song thus in Luke God hath raysed vp a horn of saluation vnto vs in the house of his seruant Dauid That is the kingdome of saluation as he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which were since the world began saying That he would geue vs deliuerāce from our enemies from the hands of all that hate vs. That by Christ we might receiue forgeuenes of all our sinnes This is euen so fulfilled for Christ hath both preached and dayly doth preach and also by his Euangelists and Ministers shal preach the same vnto the end of the world as he speaketh of that yeare by Paul who sayth We therefore as workers together beseech you that you receaue not the Grace of God in vayne For hee sayeth In an acceptable tyme I haue heard thee and in the day of saluation I haue succoured thee Behold now is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the acceptable tyme behold now is the day of saluation Is not this a sweet and pleasaunt doctrine to a troubled and terryfied conscience Here you see not one word that saith that Christ should be a terryble Iudge or one of whom we should be afrayd But euery word declareth him to be a most mercyfull and sweet preacher of glad tydings But now it followeth The day of reuenge of our God. This is fearful and yet it nothing toucheth them that beleeue in Christ For this is not spoken against the beleeuers in Christ but against the aduersaryes of Christ which will not beleeue in Christ Who because they contemne this Iubilie and yeare of grace and because they refuse the blessings offered in Christ shall suffer the curse and be abiects from God as men that shall neuer either feel or enioy any houre or moment of that acceptable yeare and blessed time And seeing they would neither heare nor see the sweet Sauyour Christ they shal both perceiue and feele the foule and horrible Deuil Sathan whose tiranny they shal neuer shake of That I might comfort all that mourn This is the fruite of this preaching of Christ that all that mourne and are sad in hart which were oppressed with contynuall and exceeding anguish lying Captiues vnder the Law Sinne and death may now receaue comfort and be refreshed in as much as they see that now they be released from their sinnes Wherefore their mourning and sorrow vanisheth and in place therof commeth comfort and consolation And as they were in vnbeleef before they receiued the gospel wild crooked vnprofitable and barrain trees of vnrighteousnes and as Ieremy saith Wild brambles heth in the wildernes or bushes in the desert the vnfruitfull ground of this world So by faith of the Gospel and this consolation they shal be most pleasant and fruitful trees planted by the water side which take such deep roote in this moysture that though euen the greatest heate of tempation should assail them yet doe they not feare fade or fall away but their leaues florish stil and are green and wyther not in the dangerous drought or scorching heat of sōmer but in their due time bring forth their fruit For as they beleue in hart so doe they cōfes with mouth Such as is the inward faith such is the outward confession and so doe they preach forth without ceasing the goodnes of the Lord. It would be long to rehearse all that this Prophet onely hath prophesied of the ministery and humility of Christ in his former cōming there be many things also spoken of this matter in other places and titles of Christ But in good sooth how say you is not this an exceeding humility and lowlynes of Christ that he would vouchsafe to become such a king whose kingdome should lye on his own shoulders that is to say who had all vs wretched sinners and our sinnes layd vpon his shoulders He bare vs in his crosse and offered him self a sacrifice for our offences and after this sort louingly sought his lost sheepe and brought it into the way And this is the cause that they paynt the child Christ with a crosse on his shoulders Worldly Princes in their kingdomes are brauely painted adorned and set forth in their colours and in sundry rich attyres with their armes blazed and heades gloriously crowned holding a Scepter in the right hand and a round apple in the left And wel so for they are Lords of the world and therefore they vaunt themselues gloriouslye in worldly magnificence and corporall things But Christ ouercommeth in his Crosse ruleth his kingdome by his word and spirit in hidden
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
not then his beginning or began not whē other creatures began but it was then there present when al things were made all things had their beginning by the word And the word was with God without god there was nothing therefore of necessity it must nedes follow that the worde was with god Note diligently that Iohn saith well and plainly The worde was with God. For he doth there plainely and distinctly seperate the person of the word or of God the sonne from the person of God the father If any thing was with god before the beginning of creatures then was he not alone But what I pray you was with God the worde was with God but something to be with God is not God to be alone Therfore of necessitie must that word be another person thē that God is with whom it was in the beginning It followeth And God was the worde You know that God sayth thus in Deut. Heare O Israel the Lorde our God is Lord onely or is one God. If therefore he be one God it followeth that God himselfe is essentially that same word which was in the beginning before all creatures wherby you see that this word in essence is God himselfe or that God himself is the word And and thus you see here the true and naturall godhead of Christ For Christ is the worde And againe in the 8. of Iohn where the Iewes said vnto Christ who art thou He answered saying Verily euē the same that I said vnto you frō the beginning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. This was in the beginning with God Do you not here see how that in the beginning the word was with God God was that word These wordes do plainly and clerely proue that there is one only nature of gods essēce But not one only person yet neuertheles that persō is true God without beginning without ending All things were made by it These wordes do sufficiently proue that the same word Christ is God and the maker of all things which are both in heauē in earth If all creatures were made by him then without all doubt he himself was not made neither is to be accoūted in the number of things made all which had their beginning and substance of the word It followeth Without it was nothing made that was made as Hierom readeth this text If then without hym nothing was made how could he be created or made without whom nothing was made By all these it is plain manifest that this word is true God yet not of himself but of the father and yet not in time but before all tyme frō euerlasting for euermore without al other creatures Seing therfore that this eternal word the true natural sonne of God tooke vpon him mās nature and the same is Iesus Christ of Nazareth then Christ is true god These out of all doubt are most strong sound inuincible arguments and vndoubted proofes of Christs diuinity against Sabellius Arrius Eunomius Martion Manicheus Valentinus Eutiches Nestorius Appolinares other blinded bewitched heretikes which are autors of horrible heresies who while they wil opē intreat or speake of such great high matters which far passe mans capacitie not by the ground certainty of God his word but by the fantasticall folish erronious speculations and opinions of their owne braynes haue fallen into horrible detestable errors heresies It is therfore necessary that we in no wise admit take reason for our guide or ground in this matter but only folow the word of God with tooth and naile sticke to it by faith fully perswade our selues that that is most true and by it speak iudge al we iudge But if we wil refuse neglect the word take vpō vs by the sharpenes of our owne wit reason to vnderstand these articles and by our sences perceiue comprehend measure them then shal we fal from error to error vntil we be quite gone from the truth Well let vs heare more testimonies concerning the godhed of Christ The 45. psalm describeth the deuinitie humanity spiritual kingdom of Christ his promise made to his spouse the Church notably in these wordes Thy throne O God or thy seat is for euer and euer The scepter of thy kingdome is a scepter of righteousnes thou louest righteousnes hatest wickednes because God euen thy God hath annointed thee with oile of gladnes aboue thy fellowes The prophet here calleth Christ true god And this verse doth S. Paul recite to the Hebrues where he proueth the godhead of Christ You heare also that Iesus is mā whom God annointed more plenteously then his fellowes that is indued hym with his holy spirit blessed him with many more richer blessings then his fellowes to wit then the beleuers in Christ This must be vnderstood of his manhood for he was annointed according to his manhood vnto the euerlasting kingdom priesthoode by the holy ghost Christ according to his humanity hath fellowes whō in the psal he calleth brethren And Paul to the Rom. calleth Christ the first borne amongst many brethrē But he hath no fellow according to his godhead but is the only begotten eternal sonne of God. His rod or scepter is the gospell with it he raigneth ruleth that is with the rod of direction streight scepter of eternal true righteousnes which commeth by the gospell that is faith in Christ by which also we receiue the holy spirit which bringeth vs the right way not by the biewais and wrong pathes of mans doctrine but by the straite compendious and most faithfull pathe vnto lyfe true felicitie and God himselfe ¶ Anna. May not the Iewes here obiect that the godhead of Christ can not be fully sufficiently proued by this psalme seing that this word Elohim accordyng to the Analogie of that holy tonge doth not onely signifie God but may be attributed also to Angels Iudges ☞ Vrb. I confesse that this worde Eloha may sometimes be attributed vnto creatures but in this psalme all the circumstances do truly manifestly proue that Elohim betokeneth here only the true natural eternal God because he saith Lord thy seat or throne or thy kingly seat Do you marke how he speaketh here of a seate This euerlasting kingdom or empire or this kingly seat cannot belong vnto any creature but only vnto the true God who in many places of the scripture sayth I am the Lord. Therfore Elohim here doth signify that true euerlasting God which hath an eternall seat And in this place the godhead of Christ is most euidently truly proued against those stifnecked Iewes who are compelled will they nill they to confesse that this psalm speaketh of Christ Paul also proueth the godhead of Christ by the 2. psal Where the father sayth vnto the sonne Thou art my sonne this day
run hither in this iuel I find that only heroical helper which both wil can deliuer me frō al perils dangers For he is that true God Iehouah He became also true man that he might beare my offences die for my sins giue himselfe all that euer he had for me When my consciēce beginneth to dispaire saith how wilt thou stand before God how wilt thou escape euerlasting death thou art a sinner the stipend wages of a sinner is nothing els but wrath ire affliction tormēt both in this life in the life to come When I am thus I say shaken with these forceable violent tēptations I run to this saying my iuel sacredanker This saying is my sword my complet harnes my chief armour my strōg tower of defēce then I burst forth into these words say I cōfes it is true ah alas it is to to true that I am a miserable sinner as far as belōgeth to my self my own person therfore haue I deserued very sharp punishment but God promised to send vs sinners a bud of righteousnes but of the stocke of Dauid that he should be God and also our righteousnes And he hath long since performed this his promise made vnto sinners in that he gaue and sent his sonne to vs that he might be our righteousnes which wordes Paul vseth respecting only this posy Wherfore although I know my selfe most guilty of many diuers hainous heauy sinnes yet wil I not discourage my self or dispaire For in sacred baptisme I haue put on Christ our saluation giuen of god by whom he hath both promised and geuen vnto vs euerlasting life That Christ out of all doubt is holy enough And seing he is mine although I be neuer so loden with sinne yet for all that in as much as I haue repented do repent me hartily of my sinne and seing that I do lament that euer I sinned I haue sufficient to answer my sinnes to wit that euerlasting righteousnes euen Christ himself with his passion resurrection which is freely giuē me of God. Him may I set forth to answer the heuy and grieuous wrath of God behind him as a true propitiatory may I hyde and shroud my selfe and so be remaine vntouched eyther of sinne death or Satan For the innocency righteousnes of Christ is infinite euerlasting inuincible yea it is more mighty then all the sinne of man and able to answer for al sinne if there were a thousand mo worlds of sinne His life was such so proper so passing forceable and mighty that it got the victory ouer death sinne and hell To be brief no tong can tell nor hart thinke what treasure what riches what wealth it is to vs that Christ the true naturall sonne of God is become our righteousnes If he had bene righteous and holy for himself alone then had it profited vs nothing But now seing he needed not be righteous for himselfe but is become righteous for vs who I pray you if we beleue this faithfully if we persuade our selues herein certainly cā hurt vs who can make vs afraid or what can make vs dispaire nay may not we with Paul holily triumph glory say If God be with vs or on our side who can be against vs who spared not his own sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shal he not with him geue vs all things also who shal lay any thing to the charge of gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shal condēn it is Christ which is dead for vs yea or rather which is risen agayne who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs Who shall separate vs frō the loue of Christ Behold how full of hart how proud in holines and how couragious this sentence made s Paule Lo what strength what stomacke it ministreth vnto him in so much that he feared himself nothing but stood stoutly vndiscouraged with any euill or temptation may not we thē likewise recreate solace our selues therin If Christ be our righteousnes as he is in deede then must nedes all our sinnes be forgeuen vs then God himself accounteth vs righteous for Christes sake For before this righteousnes of his can no sin remain but must nedes be quēched out euen as a litle spark of fire is put out in the great sea And if our sinnes be blotted out then is death also so choked that the death of the godly is but a slepe a redy way vnto immortallity then hath Satan no more power ouer vs but we being clothed with the righteousnes of Christ are become the sonnes of God and shal with Christ inherite euerlasting lyfe Chrisostome saith vpon Iohn 2. Who so euer hath Christ hath all welth and treasure For he hath perfect holines which he may set against the law iudgemēt of God true life to set against death euerlasting saluation against damnation As Paul sayth Christ is the ende or fulfilling of the law for righteousnesse vnto euery one that beleueth who so beleueth in him is righteous Paul tooke such a holy pride and trust in these wordes of Iere. that he was not afraid to iest at death sinne the deuil saying O death where is thy sting O graue or hell where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law But thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ Lo Christ as you see is our righteousnes his righteousnes and victory ouer sinne death and hel is giuen vnto vs that it may be our own that we may chalenge it by right for our owne O would to God that all which doe professe the name of Christ did thorowly vnderstand and beleue this ¶ Anna. O how happy were we if these so excellent and precious words of God were so depely printed in our mindes that we could surely ground them in our hartes This saying hereafter shall also be my iuell And God graunt me faith that I may euer kepe it in my hart Amē But why do you translate these wordes Edonai zid kennu the lord of our righteousnes or the lord our righteousnes and not rather our righteous God as the common translation hath it ☞ Vrb. Some do read it our righteous God but seing S. Hierom readeth it out of the Hebrue the God of our righteousnes I had rather folow him For so is it fuller hath more force to make vs know Christ and to comfort vs And so hath the holy ghost by s Paul translated it saying Christ of God is made vnto vs wisdom righteousnes and sanctification redemptiō He that reioiceth let him reioyce in the Lord. Christ is also called God in other places as in Esay where the prophet calleth Christ El whereof commeth
calling for helpe cryeth as one helpeles My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And where as he had sayd that who so beleued in him should not see death for euer yet he himself both suffered death and was buryed in the sepulcher Here if we were led by humayne reason we should with Cleophas and his companion say Wee hoped that he had bene the redemer of Israell whiche should haue saued vs all but now he himself is dead Howe shal a dead man saue vs and how can he which is slain haue an euerlasting kingdom You see howe this name Pele was not without special cause geuen to this child whō it doth by that name of sauiour represēt For so he is in deed the true sauior redemer which deliuereth vs from all our sinnes and miseries And so it pleased him by hys pouerty to blesse vs with spirituall riches by the tauntes and checkes which he suffred to deliuer vs from euerlasting shame by his crosse to bring vs to eternall honour and glory by his weaknesse to giue vs eternall strength and by his death to giue vs a flourishyng lyfe and to abolish our death by dying hymselfe All these he hath done and daily doth in vs when he maketh vs like himself that is to say weake in body but strong in spirite base lowe and contemptible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very ofscouringes before the world but the vessels and instruments of glory in the sight of god And thus he suffereth vs to dye that the Infidels may thinke there is no difference betwene a Christian and no Christian as Turke or iewe But yet our death is precious in the sight of the lord neither doth he suffer vs to abide in death All these things are great meruelous wonderful and far passing our reason and vnderstāding yea far exceding all the strength power effect working of our nature An other name is Ioetz that is councel For though this Pele doth lead and gouerne vs thus wonderfully by his crosse ignominy maketh vs glorious yet are we ignorant rude fayntharted fearfull and therfore is it necessary that he merueilously prouide for coūsail and help vs For it is not in our power and strēgth to endure and stand in trouble and persecutiō But what counsel geueth he verely cleane contrary to the world The world willeth vs to beware flie and eschue the cros affliction to reuenge our selues But Christ casteth hys seruantes into trouble and vexations and therein trieth them as gold is tryed in the fire furnace But yet so that he comforteth them alwayes most louingly as it appereth in Ioh. where he saith vnto the Apostles Be of good chere I haue ouercome the world And a little before he sayth Ye shall weep and lament the world shall reioyce ye shall sorrow but your sorrow shal be turned to ioy and your ioy shal no man take from you What els I pray you is the whole sacred scripture but a plentifull and rich Pharmacopole whence wee may fetch present help and most fruitfull and sound comfort for all sicknes calamities and euils as Paule witnesseth saying what soeuer things be writtē afore tyme are written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might haue hope For hee whiche speaketh in the scriptures is almighty and both can will help vs alway His word is not spoke in vayne but al things are done which he hath promised Yea the holy ghost himselfe whiche is the spirit of truth is our comfort and help For thus we read in the book of wisdome O Lord neyther herbe nor plaister healed thē but thy word which healeth all things hath made vs safe And Ionathas the high priest saith vnto the Spartanes We Iewes stand no nede of the societie and friendship of the Gentiles hauing the holy bookes which are in our hands for our cōfort And now I pray you what trouble what affliction what calamity or what dāger in al this world cā be so great how great so euer it be against which the word of god that most holesome and holy gospel cannot minister giue most holesom plētiful perfect sound consolation and comfort seeyng that it promiseth not only corporal but heauenly help And the promises therof are by Christ confirmed established and sure yea and Amen If you read better read all the workes of the Heathen philosophers you shal find nothing in them and yet their whole study trauel was to find some comfort against death wherin you may take true cōfort All their arte al their knowledge all their wisdom and all the remedies that euer they found are nothing if thei be compared but with these two comfortable sentences in Mat. The first is Feare not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soule Here you see the immortalitie of the soule of which the Ethnikes speake euen as blynde men of coulors But the words folowing which is the second are not vttred by any philosopher but by Christ himself the euerlasting truth and very true lyfe Euery one sayth he that beleueth in the sonne of God hath euerlastyng lyfe and I wil raise him vp in the last day Here you haue the resurrection or rising againe of the flesh of which the Gentils and the whole world with all their wisdome had no knowledge Go to then if any be in the agony of death or assailed with the tempests of persecution afflictiō either els vexed pinched with the bitter dolors terrors of conscience for his sinnes as soone as he shal lay hold on these two sentences by faith lay them vp in his hart he shall find comfort haue true and plenteous consolation For he hath forgiuenes of his sins sure hope of euerlasting life nay rather he hath life alredy because he is in Christ Christ in hym This in dede is true counsell For all mens counsels consolations are vaine momentany cannot help deliuer vs in extremity peril danger but the counsel of the lord doth abide continue for euer God the father commaunds vs to heare this counsailor saying Heare him The 70. interpreters haue expounded this word Ioetz the angel of the great counsail beautifiyng Christ with the notable and apt epitheton giuing him the proper title For Christ is the legate angel of the great counsail of the triple vnitie and most holy trinity and is also the eternal wisdom of the father The third epitheton or name of the child is El it signifieth strēgth fortitude or God as the 70. interpreters haue translated it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the mighty god This name conteineth a singuler cōfort For it telleth vs that Christ doth not only prouide for vs by the word of his gospel but also is presēt with vs doth mightily help vs faithfully perform to vs those
things which in his word he hath promised vs For he geueth vs the holy ghost who giueth vs faith confirmeth vs with his word that we may depēd vpō him cōstantly cleaue to him as to a most strong rock so in all aduersities calamities stande stedfast vnmoueable against the assaults iniuries of our enemies so the at the last we may ouercome them vanquish them with the Psalmist reioyce say the lord our God is my strength And with Paul to the Phil. I am able to do al things through the helpe of Christ which strengthneth me The fourth name is Gibbor that is the lord or giant In the former names we are taught what maner and meane Christ vseth and how he handeleth vs when he wil bring vs to his kingdome First of all he handleth vs straightly mortifieth our olde Adam which seemeth vnpleasant to the flesh worketh al things so by contrarieties that our reason is confounded and knoweth not how to vnwynd it selfe Secondly he comforteth vs by his gospel Thirdly he is present with vs in all his might and strength deliuereth vs out of al extremities and perill But this 4. name telleth vs how Christ vseth and handleth his and our enemies Christ is called in the scriptures Gibbor that is lord or giant for his inuincible might and power For seyng he is king and will gouerne his kingdome peaceably he must nedes suppresse and vanquish the enemies of his kingdome that christians may liue safely without feare and hurt but he cannot beat down and breake the force of his enemies without great power seyng Satan with the world and sinne with death are most horrible vgly strong and outrageous enemies Death is stronger then the whole world And Satan as Iob witnesseth is of such might strength that al men in the world are not to be compared to him He is the prince of all the children of pride and disdaine And he is that strong mā armed that kepeth his palace so that all that he possesseth is in peace But Christ is much stronger who ouercommeth the euil spirite and deliuereth vs from all power of darknes wherof Dauid saith He reioiceth like a mighty man or giant to run his course Christ hath ouercome death the deuil now alone the lord of all things is with great triumph rightly honored by these titles He is lord to whō euery knee doth bow and lord ouer the quicke and the dead And Iohn saith Christ the sonne of God appeared that he might loose the workes of the deuil And Paul to the Col. saith He hath spoiled the principalities power hath made a shew of thē openly and hath triumphed ouer thē in the same crosse He is called in Esay Maher schalal that is make hast to pray As if one should say a quicke spoiler Hashbaz that is make hast to spoile or a spedy spoil We were the miserable seruants of the deuill sold vnder sinne and he held vs vnder his tiranny molested vs at his pleasure will. Thē came the mighty giant our lord Christ a lion of the tribe of Iuda fought with that prince of darknes which had rule ouer death got the victory and by his death destroyed the power of the enemy set vs being deliuered out of his tiranny at liberty according to that of Iohn If the sonne shall make you free you shal be free in deed The 5. name is Abiad that is a father for euer or always and euermore a father world without end By this name we feele and perceiue the mercy clemency pity grace of this child toward vs Because he will not be such a king amongst vs his poore people as at whose maiesty the godly shold be amased feare quake trēble but he loueth vs fatherly he embraceth vs louingly he wil norish defēd cherish vs singularly And as a godly louing father is by the instinct of nature wel affected to his welbeloued son as he is careful ouer his child alwais thinking how to prouide for him honestly how to bring him vp vertuously how to instruct frame tech chastē gouern rule defēd him fatherly make him apt fit for his heritage So doth Christ in his kingdom with vs Here is nothing but natural loue fatherly affectiō toward vs nothing but a vehement loue nothing but a care and desire to do vs good nothing but infinite beneuolence towards vs. But in this simile there is great difference betwene a worldly father Christ our father For we haue much greater better and fatherly gifts of Christ thē any beloued sonne hath of his earthly father though he be a most louyng intreater of his children The earthly father which is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in deede loueth his children careth for them fostereth them cherisheth them fedeth them and bringeth them wel vp yet this care regard good will and diligence of earthly parents is temporal and cannot continue abide for euer And it happeneth oftentimes that when the children stande most need of their parents helpe or counsaile then are theyr fathers constrained to leaue them and dye But Christ is always our perpetual euerlasting eternal father for he suffred once for vs his childrē now he suffreth no more And he neither can nor wil leaue vs without helpe he both can wil maintaine feed care for kepe and defend vs here for euer God prepareth vs here for his own inheritance that after this temporall lyfe we may liue with him for euer And hereunto accordeth very well the translation of the 70. interpreters who cal this word Abiad father of the world to come or of the lyfe that shall be to the ende they may thereby signify the mystical resurrection into lyfe euerlasting of all that beleue in Christ At which tyme shal be plainly opened and reueled in what honor and dignity the godly shal be and how derely Christ hath loued them how he hath embraced them and what care he had ouer thē Let therfore euery godly mā kepe this title of Christ in his mynd whē death approcheth he shal find therby a singuler comfort For then he knoweth that Christ is not only here but shal be for euer a most louing father Which thing Paule knew very well and was thereof throughly persuaded yea he had so grounded it in hys hart that euē in death he was of good courage saying Christ is to me life and death is to me aduauntage I desire to be loosed and to be with Christ Why then do we not desire to be dissolued why then are we not desirous to die how happeneth it that we feare death truly because we do not firmly and constantly beleue the scriptures because our faith is weake little And because we let not this heauenly and deuine comfort of Gods
slepe in Iesus will God bring with him And to Tim. he sayth Christ came into this worlde to saue sinners And againe There is one God and one mediator betwene GOD and man which is the man Iesus Christ who gaue himselfe for a ransome for all men And againe God saued vs and called vs with an holy callyng not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen vs through Christ Iesus before the world was but is now made manifest by the appearing of our sauiour Iesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality vnto lyght through the gospel And to Titus he saith For the grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we should deny vngodlinesse worldly lustes that we should liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present world loking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the mighty God of our sauiour Iesus Christ who gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeme vs from all iniquity and purge vs to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe zelous of good works And to the Hebr. he sayeth Forasmuch then as the children were partakers of flesh and bloud he also himself likewise tooke part with thē that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the deuil and that he might deliuer all them which for feare of death were all their life tyme subiect to bondage For he in no sort tooke the angels but he tooke the seed of Abraham Wherfore in all things it became him to be made like vnto his brethren that he might be mercifull and a faythfull high priest in things concerning God that he might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people For in that he suffred and was tempted he is able to succour all them that be tempted In the same place the Apostle sayth that Christ by the grace of God tasted of death for all men Read the whole epistle to the Hebr. but especially the 5. 7. 8. 9. 10. chap. concerning Christes priesthood and sacrifice for it is in deede a most worthy and precious treasure Peter sayth Blessed be God euen the father of our lord Iesus Christ which according to his aboundaunt mercy hath begotten vs agayne vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead And it followeth You are not redemed with corruptible things as with siluer and gold from your vayne conuersation receiued by the traditions of the fathers but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a lambe vndefiled and without spot which was lord before the foundation of the world but was declared in the last tymes for your sakes which by his meanes doe beleue in God that raysed him from the dead and gaue him glory that your faith hope might be in God. And agayne Christ himselfe bare our sinnes in his body on the tree that we being deliuered from sinne should liue in righteousnesse Christ also hath once suffred for sins the iust for the vniust that he might bring vs to god And Ioh. saith The bloud of Iesus Christ the sonne of God clenseth vs from all sinne And againe We haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust and he is the reconciliatiō for our sinnes ▪ and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world It followeth Your sinnes are forgiuen you for his names sake And againe For this purpose appeared the sonne of God that he might loose the workes of the deuill And again In this appeared the loue of God toward vs because God sent his only begotten sonne into the world that we might liue through him Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his sonne to be a recōciliation for our sinnes To be briefe this is the pithe of all the Apostles preaching And this is the summe of their doctrine that we obtaine forgiuenesse of all our sinnes and euerlasting lyfe by none other but only by Iesus Christ and by no other worke but by his most precious death and victorious resurrection Therfore Peter with great boldnes instructing the Iewes concerning Christ comprehendeth all the whole matter briefly in few wordes in the 4. chap. of the Acts where he sayth You haue crucified Christ whom God raysed frō the dead This is the stone which was cast aside of you builders which is become the head of the corner neither is there saluation in any other For among men there is giuen none other name vnder heauen wherby we must be saued And Paul to the Cor. saith Christ died for our sinnes according to the scripture and was buried and rose agayne the third day according to the scriptures And if Christ be not raised agayne then is our preaching vayne and your fayth vayne Ye are yet in your sinnes and so they which are a sleepe in Christ are perished If in this life onely we haue hope in Christ we are of all men the most miserable But now is Christ risen from the dead and was made the first fruits of them that slept For since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead For as in Adam all die euen so in Christ shall all be made alyue S. Augustine hath a learned and worthy saying namely that one resurrection of Iesus Christ saith he hath giuen vs two resurrections to wit one spiritual from our sinnes and the other corporal For when as Christ rayseth vs vp from the spirituall death of sinne by his holy Gospell and lighteneth our hartes with the knowledge of Gods grace and our sinnes When he pardoneth our sinnes and whē he giueth vs the holy ghost then do we rise from our wickednesse and are counted righteous in the sight of god This resurrection is here in earth by fayth in Christ which we receyue whē we heare his word in the holy gospell As Christ sayth in Iohn Verily verily I say vnto you the houre shal come and now is when the deade shall heare the voyce of the sonne of God and they that heare shal liue Which words are spoken of the rising from our sinnes as S. Augustine expoundeth them The other resurrection which Christ hath deserued wrought or obtayned for vs by his resurrection is that resurrection of the body which shal be in the last day Of which Iohn sayth thus The houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce And they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of lyfe but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation And Paul saith to the Thes If we beleue that Iesus is dead is risen euen so them which slepe in Iesus will God bring with hym For this say we vnto you by the worde of the Lord that we 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
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
the humility passion of Christ which of his owne free will he would suffer because they vnderstood the purpose of Gods workes to wit that he would make Christ the Lord and head of the church and that he would with great admiratiō build vp Sion the holy church through all the world They desired to see such a king and his great kingdome reuealed vnto them by the spirite yea to see hym euen with theyr corporal eyes as Christ witnesseth in Luke where he sayth Blessed are those eyes which see that ye see For I tell you that many Prophets and Kinges haue desired to see those thinges which ye see and haue not sene thē and to heare those things which ye heare and haue not heard them And agayne Dauid sayth The Lorde sayde vnto my Lord sitte thou at my right hande vntill I make thine enemies thy footestoole The Lorde shall sende the rod of thy power out of Sion thou ruler in the midst of thine enemies He shall drinke of the brooke in the way therfore shall he lift vp his head In this Psalme is a most comfortable prophesie of Christ howe hee must be placed at Gods right hande that is that he shall be exalted vnto most high glory honor dignity power But yet so that before he must drinke of that brooke that is of the cup of his passiō so by it passe into his glory Wife looke you haue this psalme in great price loue it derely for it setteth forth vnto vs two special things wherin true and sound consolation al our saluation doth consist to wit the euerlasting kingdom deuine power of Iesus Christ He sitteth at the right hande of God that is he hath all power he is most mighty all things are in his handes he is and that euen according to his blessed glorified humanity lord king of all things both in heauen and earth all things are in his subiection Therfore it well followeth that he is able to deliuer vs from all necessities calamities both temporal and eternall neither can any creature do vs harme if we bee in the kingdome of Christ by true faith Moreouer God the father assuredly promised by an othe that he would giue vs Christ to be an eternall priest Here is Christ vpon Gods othe appointed to be our priest and he is touched with the feling of our calamities no lesse then if they were his own He hath purged and taken away our sins by his owne sacrifice vpon the crosse and hath reconciled vs vnto the father yea he doth still make intercession for vs with his father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without ceasing and he teacheth geueth vs by his worde and holy spirit all things which are necessary for the obtaining of euerlasting helth and saluation Wherfore although Christ according to his humanity was the sonne of Dauid that is his sonne by flesh bloud yet neuerthelesse Dauid saith that Christ is his lord not only according to his deuine nature as he is the creator and lord of al things but also as saint Augustine sayth according to that his humaine nature glorified in which he sitteth at the right hand of god For he is the euerlasting king of Israel which truly erected and for euer established and confirmed the kingdome of Dauid Moreouer he is a true priest the true Melchisedech who only could and ought to giue that euerlasting blessing for that he is that blessed seed of Abraham in which onely we are blessed that is we are deliuered from sinne death and are iustified saued Christ in Math. putteth forth this questiō to the Pharises which were puft vp with an opiniō of their own learning saying Why did Dauid call Christ his Lord who was his sonne that is to say of his stock But althogh they semed learned vnto themselues although they swelled with the pride of their owne knowledge yet they were ignorant of this which they ought especially to haue known Again Dauid saith The lord hath prepared his throne in heauen and his kingdom ruleth ouer all And again Thy lord shal raigne for euer O Sion Thy God endureth from generation to generation Hee saith Thy lord O Sion shal rule for euer He speaketh not here of any earthly kingdom in earthly Sion but of that euerlasting Ierusalem And in the 103. Psalme he witnesseth the same where he sayth thus The lord hath prepared his throne not in Canaan but in heauen And againe All thy workes prayse thee O Lord thy saintes blesse thee they shew the glory of thy kingdom speake of thy power to cause his power to be known to the sons of mē the glorious renoume of his kingdom Thy kingdom is an euerlasting kingdom thy dominion endureth throughout all ages All these things are spokē of Christ his kingdom In the 89. Psal. the kingdom of Christ is called an heauēly kingdom where the prophet speaketh of the promise made by God vnto king Dauid in the 2. of the kinges where God promiseth that he will giue a sonne to Dauid which shal be a peculiar notable worthy excellent king a king of all kings whose kingdom shal neuer decay and wherin is forgiuenesse of sins euerlasting mercy and therfore both lyfe and helth For where sins are forgiuen there is the tiranny of death quite abolished destroied And here we haue true helth promised for this kings sake borne of the seed of Dauid according to the flesh in whom that eternall couenant of grace is made established The words of the Psalm be these I wil sing the mercies of the Lorde for euer with my mouth wil I declare thy truth from generation to generation For I sayd thy mercy shall be set vp for euer thy truth shalt thou establish in the very heauens I haue made a couenant with my chosen I haue sworne to Dauid my seruant Thy seede wil I establish for euer set vp thy throne from generation to generation Selah Righteousnesse and equity are the stablishment of thy throne mercy truth goeth before thy face blessed are the people that can reioyce in thee they shall walk in the light of thy countenance O Lord they shall reioyce continually in thy name and in thy righteousnes shall they exalt them selues for thou art the glory of their strength and by thy fauour our hornes shal be exalted For our shield appertaineth to the Lorde and our King to the holy one of Israell I haue found Dauid my seruaunt with my holy oyle haue I annointed him Therefore my hand shall be established with him and my arme shall strengthen him The enemy shall not oppresse him neither shall the wicked hurt him But I will destroy his foes before his face and plage them that hate him My truth also and my mercy shall bee with him and in my name shall his horne be exalted
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
vs what Christ is and what he doth for vs and howe much he profiteth vs He geueth vs also vnderstāding that we may be able to iudge what a holy lyfe is and what is vngodly and wicked and what is consonant and agreing to true religion and what is repugnant therunto He also helpeth vs by hys good redy and holsome counsayle that the godly may know how they ought to behaue themselues vnder the cros and suffer al things patiently valiantly yea he ministreth consolation to the sorrowful and afflicted he geueth vs also strength in tribulation and affliction that we may haue stedfast hartes and that we may valiantly ouercome all euils and aduersities hee geueth vnto euery one knowledge wisdome that the godly man in the kingdome of God may know how to vse hym self towards euery man whether he be strong or weak in fayth He geueth vs also the feare of God which is the beginning of true wisedom And by that we see that our god raigneth and gouerneth his people far otherwise then earthly kinges do For earthly emperours cannot see the inward parts of the hart and in the innerchamber of the brest those things whiche lye hid within whereby it commeth oftentimes to pas that they iudge some man good and honest by the eye and eare whiche is a very wicked man in hart But Christ our king beyng one which searcheth all mēs harts iudgeth truly as the history of the gospell witnesseth in Mathew where he hath to do with the pharisies and in that and diuers other places seeth their secret thoughts regardeth not that their false visor and shew of godlines But reproueth that fals shew of holines fained integrity And according to their deserts calleth them hypocrites But what kind of subiects I pray you hath this king and who be his people Verely their title cognisance which Christ himself did also beare in the 9. of Zacharye is here vpon earth pouerty affliction and misery Here you see a spirituall kingdom if it had ben a worldly kingdom thē should not the king haue ben a poore miserable wretched king but a rich honorable pompous magnificent and cherefull king his subiects also should haue ben mighty honorable and flowing in delights and commodities in this world but in thys kingdome all things are spirituall yet shall they not always be poore miserable and afflicted it is but for a tyme that they shal be here thus crossed followe their maister Christ in suffering affliction For as a kyng after hys trouble and persecution becommeth great and ascendeth to the highest step of honour so shall all the godly after theyr crosses here at the last day become glorious as the children of God. But in the meane tyme as Saint Paul saith we must dye vnto the world we must be afflicted persecuted and contemned in the worlde for our true lyfe is hid with Christ in god When Iesus Christ which is our lyfe shall appeare euen then we also shall appeare wyth him in glory In the meane tyme our ould and crooked Adam must here be chastned and kept vnder by the crosse of affliction For the flesh and ould Adam shall not inherite the kingdome of Christ Contrarily there must be erected in vs true holynes that is fayth in Christ seeing that God euen for Christes sake pardoneth our sinns and by grace in Christ iustifieth vs and taketh vs for righteous Neither is the rod or scepter of this our king earthly but heauenly namely his holy and saluing worde and holy ghost and with this rod before the last iudgement he smiteth the earth that is our ould Adam which is from the earth earthly He rebuketh smiteth and punisheth our wickednes that we being accused by the word of Christ may hate and flye sin and turne to better lyfe and afterward lyue godly and vertuously all the dayes of their lyfe He doth by his word also hurle downe all earthly and erronious opinions by which men are seduced He smiteth consumeth and killeth as Paule sayth Antechrist With the spirite of his mouth For as Gods kingdome here is not of this world euenso also his armor is not worldly but spirituall to wit righteousnes fayth and truth For we fight agaynst the power of hell and sathanicall army by fayth in Christ which is our righteousnes by prayer proceeding of fayth which God heareth as he hath promised But where the prophet speaketh of wolues lambs that is a figuratiue and darke speach For the prophet regardeth not these brute beastes but he geueth vs to vnderstand that the church should be congregated of sundry sortes of men and that those which before had bene at deadly fead and enmity amongst themselues should by the gospell become so great frendes meeke and secure that they should not one meane harme to an other This is the fruit of the preaching of the gospell to wit the wyld rude and sauage Gentiles with the cruell and swelling Pharises and the mighty potentates of this world are by the gospell mollified tamed humbled conuerted and brought into the church of Christ It followeth in the same chapter of Esay And in that day the roote of Ishai which shal stand vp for a signe vnto the people the nations shal seke vnto it and his rest shal be glorious And in the same day shal the lord stretch out his hand agayne the second time to possesse the remnaunt of his people which shal be left of Ashur and of Egypt and of Pathros and of Ethiopia of Elam and of Chimer of Hamath of the Iles of the sea And he shall set vp a signe to the nations assemble the dispersed of Israel gather the scattred of Iuda from the 4. corners of the world c. Here the prophet foretelleth how ample and large the kingdom of Christ shal be he sheweth vs what shall be the state of the tyme of the new Testament to wit that although the roote of Eshay which is Iesus Christ the sonne of Dauid be despised and refused of his own people yet should he be so glorious so mighty and so famous a king that all the people throughout the whole world should worship honor him For he shold be set vp for a signe or banner vpon which all men in battail fasten set their eyes This is a most comfortable ensigne which maketh the hart ioyful constant and bold and it is a signe of victory This signe is our king Iesus Christ lifted vp exalted vpon the crosse by which crosse Sathan is ouercome and our soules deliuered And as the Iewes in the desert did run vnto the brasen serpent which Moses set vp when they were deadly wounded of the serpēts euen so Christ is set vp before vs and vnto vs that all men may flie to him and with faith loke vpon him and stedfastly behold him and so be healed of that
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
Christ when the welsprings of liuyng water shall flowe from place to place in the desert where God before was not knowen nor heard of because that out of one church or congregation of the godly the gospell shall flowe and spread abroade into other places that there they may learne to know Christ And where the serpentes before spewed out theyr poyson of false doctrine superstition and idolatry thither shall the sounde doctrine of the truth now bee brought and there shall it bring forth most plentifull fruites ¶ Anna. What way and holy pathe is that which is here spoken of in this prophesie by which he sayth no sinner goeth ☞ Vrbanus Hee speaketh in this prophesie of the Gospell of Christ and of hys Church The holy way therefore whereof he speaketh here is fayth in Iesus Christ true God and perfect man borne here of the seede of Abraham and Dauid In this way walked Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid Mary and the Apostles neyther is there any other way but this vnto the liuyng God as Christ sayth I am the way and the truth and the lyfe no man commeth vnto the father but by me There is no other true faith but the christian and catholike fayth All other sectes though they seeme neuer so holy are nothing els but errours and Satanicall superstitions No man was euer saued vnlesse he beleued in Christ And therfore this Christian fayth is called the true right onely and holy way vnto euerlasting saluation He that walketh this way whosoeuer he be though he be a very foole in worldly matters yea a most simple ideot or vilest sinner hee can not but must needes be pertaker of euerlasting lyfe But whosoeuer goeth any other way although he seeme to the worlde learned holy wyse and of great experience yet he wandereth all wyde and goeth astray nay he hasteth hedlong vnto hell Furthermore this way onely is most sure and safe In this way Lions and wylde beastes can not hurt vs For neither tirantes nor false teachers can hurt them whosoeuer they be that abide in this way and goe not out thereof For though they take from them both their goodes and lyues yet shall they haue no losse but gayne thereby For all thinges happen vnto their health so long as they are kept of Christ who hath such care ouer them and so preserueth them that he suffereth not the least haire of theyr heade to perishe ¶ Anna. But who are these redemed of the Lord ☞ Vrban Euen both Iewes and Gentils which beleue in Iesus Christ namely all true Christians These were once seduced by Sathan and brought into the horrible captiuity of sinne and death and therin had remayned for euer if the lord had not himself come and by his precious bloud deliuered thē But the Lord himselfe came and vanquished and spoiled Satan And so these redemed turned to Sion that is into the holy catholike church by faith and the sacraments and they come with prayse ioy and exultation For the more vile and horrible the captiuity was so much greater is the ioy of the prisoners which are redeemed But this was a most vile and horrible continuall captiuity wherin we should haue bene for euer most miserably tormēted both in body and soule with al kind of calamities tortors I say which are such that they passe all our sences and capacity And therfore this our ioy in the Lord in Sion is and that by right infinit incomprehensble and more then hart can conceiue The world also hath his ioy but the ioy therof is momentany and very short for it hath his ende and continueth not But the ioy of the faythfull christians is eternall It beginneth here in fayth but afterward whē our last enemy death shal be swalowed vp and Satan with the wicked and deceitfull world cast downe into the pit of hell there to bee tormented for euer then at the last it shall burst forth and shew it selfe And all they that beleued in Christ to wit his whole kingdom shal frō that tyme forth be no more afflicted with enemies Then shall the true and euerlasting ioy of the faithfull christians begin heauines sorow and griefe shal then haue an ende For that kingdom when the glory therof shall be made manifest shall then at the last haue no more sinne nor feele death sickenes persecution calamity troubles or aduersitie for all causes of sorrows and sadnes are then through Christ taken away As Christ witnesseth in Iohn I wil see you againe and your hartes shall reioyce and your ioy shall no man take from you And in the Apocalips the voyce saith That GOD shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shal be no more death neither sorow neither crying neither shal there be any more payne ¶ Anna. Seyng that we through our Messias should haue such full and perfect redemption from all our sinnes death and damnation and enioy euerlasting lyfe felicity out of doubt he neither could nor should remayne in death And would to God we could beleue this and alwayes reioyce in the Lord. Vrban Truely so we should in deede alwayes beleue and reioyce But that euill spirit through his wicked temptations oftentymes doth so with thick clouds darcken this cleare sonne of ioy and fayth in vs that sometymes we cannot see it Yea he maketh vs sometymes so heauy that we either altogether forget this great and iuestimable promise of euerlasting life or els waigh it not so diligently nor print it so deeply in our harts as we ought But let vs alwayes keep in our hands the sword of the spirite that is the gospell and therewithall defend our selues from the fiery dartes of our enemies We must stir vp and exercise our faith by diligent vsing reading hearing and handling the scripture least we sleep in carnal security Yea we must say euery foot with the holy prophet Dauid Behold heare me O Lord my God lighten mine eyes that I sleepe not in death lest mine enemy say I haue preuayled against him and they that afflict me reioyce when I slide Esay prophesyeth again of Christ O Syon that bringest good tidings get thee vp into the high mountaynes O Ierusalem that bringest good tidings lift vp thy voice with strength lift it vp be not afrayd say to the Cities of Iuda Behold your God behold the Lord God will come with power and his arme shall rule for him Behold his wages is with him and his worke before him Here Syon and Ierusalem are warned that they preach the comming grace power of God in Christ As if he should say to other cities in Iuda ye haue looked long for Messias which was promysed in the law and prophets now looke vp now lift vp your eares and harts behold here is your God Messias the most mighty Lord who hath shewed his power in that he hath redeemed you from those mighty and cruell
were more cruel and deadly enemies to god then the Iewes were and therfore vnworthy to trouble and vex the children of God at their pleasure But now for the second The Lord by his prophet saith you are yet miserably afflicted and trobled For they which rule ouer my people to wit the pharisies and saduces and such like make them by tormenting and excruciating their consciences so to houle lament and mourn that the corporall captiuity was much more easy then this spirituall bondage of their soules And therfore I wil make an end of this butcherly tirannye which they exercised in their conscience and I will call and congregate my people to my self that they may know my name because that I only am their iustifier and redeemer But when shal this be he answereth in that day that is at the former comming of Christ He goeth on therfore saying Loe I my self wil speak Here God promyseth again his humanity For whē the sonne of god was made man and liued here on this earth it was in a strange maner and such as before was not heard of to wit he was here as true man and did speak himself and he who before had spoken and talked with man by his angels and prophets is now euen in his own person present a true teacher who alone is to be heard of vs euen as the father hath commaunded in Mathew saying heare him And what this teacher speaketh he perfourmeth in deede ¶ Anna. What be hys words What speaketh he He is a notable personage or messēger therfore out of doubt hys wordes must needes be notable excellent ¶ Vrb. He came to preach as Paul faith to the Ephesians peace vnto vs and to tell vs that God for hys sake doth forgeue vs our sins and will neuer herafter be angry with vs but still continue our mercifull father this eternall peace which he speaketh of is surely that ioyful gladsome desired message and most true gospel it selfe And therefore he sayth O how beautifull amiable are the feet of those that preach the gospel or that bring that good and ioyfull message of eternall peace from heauen Christ hym self as the minister of circumcision preached to the Iewes his fathers mercy which is freely geuen vs And he commaunded hys Apostles to preach this ioyfull message or Gospell of eternall peace and saluation yea he preacheth it yet by his ministers which he endueth with the holy ghost that so they may vnderstād the scriptures and instruct others in thē Here you see that the spirituall kingdome is not erected and stablished by corporal armour but by the Gospell for the preachers do nothing els in the pulpet but declare the grace of God and eternal saluation in Christ Iesus saying in times past Sathan came mightely raigning in this world but now O Sion commeth a stronger euē thy God which is a king Christ Iesus who hath ouercome both Sathā and the world He is the mightiest of al he ruleth ouer all and therfore no creatures can hurt thee to wit vs the church so long as we abide vnder the protectiō and defence of this omnipotent prince for this king is God him selfe The Apostles were Watchmen or seers which so exalted their voyce that the whole world was filled with their wordes They also receaued great comfort and reioysed that Christ our sauiour himselfe was come to saue vs and deliuer vs and it was also visibly seene and known that this king did conuert Sion and yet he vsed no violence or tyranny in his gouernment in Syon For sometime he went vp to Ierusalem and sometime he came down from Ierusalem and all as a pilgrime or straunger But he so conuerted Sion to wit his people by the Gospel so that they cast away all their errors and left their sinnes and led righteous and godly lyues yea the spirit and word of Christ wrought all miracles and that so mightely that he atchieued and did that with a word that the whole world could not do with all their strength and riches Hys kingdom is amiable and wonderful he biddeth Ierusalem that is his people reioyce and with one consent gloriously set forth and boast of that so great and wonderful mercies of their god And he calleth Ierusalem a desart or desolate place because the people of God was then small and of no countenance But now the chiefest cause of their ioy is this that their comfort is now presēt with them for that Lord himself cōforteth hys people redemeth them out of extreme horrible and euerlasting calamities He hath sent his onely begottē sonne whome he calleth the arme of God that is his power strength fortitude And it was his pleasure to make him perfectly knowne to all nations by the Gospell that all nations of the earth might see the saluation of our God that is Iesus Christ who was nothing knowne before amongst the Gentiles For the Iewes onely were the people that looked for him none els ¶ Anna. What sayth Esay of Christ in the 53. Chapter which you alway call the golden chapiter and commend so greatly that you would haue all men to haue it at their fingers ends and in their memories ☞ Vrba Hetherto you haue heard of the spirituall kingdome of Christ vnder the crosse and therwithall the notable and worthy comfort which the Church receiueth to wit that all beleuers in Christ shall in him haue full deliueraunce and after the end of these troubles receaue euerlasting ioye But Esay in this Chapiter telleth vs by what meanes our king Christ hath obtayned for vs and geuen vs such wonderfull thinges to wit full deliueraunce from all euill an euerlasting kingdome continuall peace heauenly ioye and eternall saluation and he prophesieth very playnly of the passion resurrection and glory of Christ wherunto he should enter through his passion the wordes of the prophesie are these Behold my seruaūt shall prosper he shal be exalted and extolled and be very high As many were astonied at thee his visage was so deformed of men and his forme of the sonnes of men so shall he sprinckle many nations The kinges shall shut their mouthes at him for that which had not bene told them shall they see and that which they had not heard shall they vnderstand Who will beleue our report and to whome is the arme of the Lord reuealed but he shall growe vp before him as a braunche and as a roote out of a dry ground he hath neither forme nor beautye whē we shall see him there shal be no forme that we should desire him he is despised and reiected of men he is a man full of sorrowes and hath experience of infirmities we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we estemed him not Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes yet we did iudge him as plaged and smitten of God and humbled But
the Iewes I pray you in the beginning receaue the gospel how absurd and incredible seemed it to them Did not Christs own kindred according to the flesh at the first refuse to beleue him had not Iohn Baptist much to doe to draw his discyples from himself and to bring them to Christ And when they had seen all those great miracles and wonders yet would they scarcely in the end geue credit vnto Christ so offended were they at his base habit and lowly conuersation And this ran alwayes in their heads if he had bin our true Christ or Messias he would haue come after a more regall magnificent and imperiall sort then thus But how fel it out with Cleophas and his companyon was not this prophecie verefyed and fulfilled euen in them they had heard before of Christ and they had seen his works and great wonders Whereupon they supposed and iudged that he was the true deliuerer of Israell But when they saw so much humility and weaknes in him on good Fryday that he suffered himself to be slayn and buryed it offended and trobled them very much so that they then began to stagger and wauer and doubt whether he was the true Messias or no. It would not sink into their heads that Iesus whom they had seen crucified could help other and delyuer Israell seeing that was now the third day since he himself suffered death vpon the cros And these cogitations ran in their heads How shal he delyuer Israel from al his calamities which suffered himself to be taken and nayled to the cros we beleeued that he had been the redeemer of Israel but our hope is frustrate Behold how hardly the disciples beleued the misteries of the gospel concerning the death resurrection and kingdome of Christ But when the women sayd that they had seen Angels at the graue and when the discyples heard them say that Christ was rysen to life agayn O how strange was that to them how hardly did they beleue it Christ in Luke told his disciples before what things should happen vnto hym at Ierusalem that is to wit how he should suffer and rise agayn the third day But Luke sayth that they vnderstood not those things So vtterly ignorant were they of all these things And in the last of Luke when Christ was rysen the discyples hardly beleeued that he was rysen and when Christ appeared vnto them they thought they had seen some spirit or vision vntil they had seen and handled his true body and eaten meat with him and therfore it is sayd in Esay to whom shal the Lordes arme be reueled This arme is Christ the vertue and power of God who is eternall infinite and almighty Reason cannot perceiue or vnderstand it and therfore was it needful that it should be reueled vnto our harts by the holy spirit by which spirit onely we are able to vnderstand perceiue and beleue these great and wonderful treasures which Christ hath geuen vs. Paul to the Corinthians saith The natural man neither perceiueth nor vnderstandeth these things Therfore Christ himself opened his disciples harts and by his holy spirit lightened them that they might both vnderstand and beleue the scriptures ¶ Anna. Why doth the prophet call Christ a branch or root springing out of a dry and barrain ground ☞ Vrb. This may be vnderstood two wayes First of his wonderful natiuity For al mankind was a dry and barraine ground destitute of the liuely water of grace And yet of this dry and cursed ground of mankind was Christ borne a most beutyful and blessed branch and was made man in deed without all spot of sinne Surely surely this is a very strange branch which groweth out of such a dry ground and yet bringeth neither blot nor blemish of that cursed ground with it He hath the nature of Adam truely but cleane without sinne Secondly it may be vnderstood thus It is wonderfull that Christ after he had put of that base habit and humiliation is made Lord of all things No man would euer haue thought that such a glorious glory should come of so vile a cros For there was no beuty then in his flesh all was dry vaded feeble flagge withered and weake And therfore the prophet sayth very well and to good purpose he shall grow vp or he ascended vp before him that is before God because he was before him a most beutifull branch He was before God in the most splendent and highest glory although contemned of the world and without beuty in his passion The prophet saith he was not beutiful alas what beuty could there be in him his most blessed face was all to be torne and defyled with bloud and spittle and so deformed rent with thornes that euen Pilate the Gentile wondered at their cruel dealing and had more compassiō on him then those enuyous blind Iewes In the words folowing Esay doth more at large set forth the ignominious passion of Christ telling vs how he was miserably and cruelly tormented He was sayth the prophet most despised and least regarded of all men There was no account made of him and out of doubt in deed the Iewes regarded him nothing but had him in great despite for they made him being the king of glory their mocking stock and sent him to Herod for a may game But seeing that Esay had foretold thus much of Christ the Iewes ought in no wise to haue bin offended at the contumelious and shameful passiō of Christ especyally seeing these things happened by the ordinance will and prouidence of god And seeing that Christ yealded himself into the Iewes hands of his own wil not of compulsion But now harken what good he wrought by this his passion and debasing of him selfe Hee bare not his owne infirmities but oures Wee had perished in euerlasting shame if he of his meere mercy had not taken compassion vpon vs and born that most heauy burthen which came by our sinnes and was layd vpō all mankind to wit if he had not taken vpon him selfe our calamities which was due to al mankind for their sins and born them himself and quite discharged vs of that burthen we had dyed eternally And now first of all learn here that mans nature through sinne is most dāgerously diseased and should by eternall death haue dyed for euer if Christ had not helped vs and not borne our deadly disease and great weaknes Secondly it appeareth that our sinnes and those infirmities which proceed of sinne was so great so heuy and so importable a burthen that al mankind could not beare it but had fainted vnder the burthen and so must needes haue been drowned in hell And therfore natural and simply mā which being no more but mā could not make satisfaction for sinnes But Messias who was not only true man but also true God onely both had abilitie and ought to doe it Thirdly it must needes be both meere and horrible blasphemy to teach
and condemned to the death of the cros but that heuy and vnspekable payn that the Lord of all things and iudge both of the liuing and dead suffered himself to be iudged and condemned by sinful men was not to continue longer then three dayes After which torments he should at the last being rysen agayn raigne with great glory ouer Israell He dyed once and dyeth no more Death henceforth hath no more power ouer him but he is ruler ouer it for euer Whereupon sayth the prophet who shal declare his age or generation or tel of the time of his raign When the Iewes supposed he had bin dead and quite destroyed then at the last he passed from time which perysheth into eternity which neuer shall haue end and he rose from death into the glory of the euerlasting ioy and immortality This is that infinite merite of Christes passion by which he deserued for vs forgeuenes of all our sinnes and euerlasting life He was cut of and taken away by his passiō out of the land of the liuing which liue here in this transitory life Our life verely is miserable and short and alwayes caryeth death about with it and is euery moment in danger of death and hath death following it euen as the shadow doth follow the body But Christ then in his passion passed from death to euerlasting life where he doth now raign our Lord and king for euer and euer ¶ Anna. Why saith Esay the Lord made his sepulchre with the wicked or suffered him to be buryed as the wicked ☞ Vrb. The prophet speaketh of the outward passion of Christ Paul to the Gala. calleth him a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is cursed or maledcition and there he sayth that for our sakes he became accursed as though he should say although Christ as touching his own person was innocent and that blessed seed of Abraham againste whom neither sinne nor death had any power yet of his own free wil he became in his outward man contemned and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accursed and suffered himself to be slain vpō the cros for vs poore miserable sinners this kind of deth is due only to those who for their offēces and wicked life are condemned He suffered this most shameful death became for our cause the curse that we through him might obtayn blessednes Thus then suffered he on the cros for great offences wherewithall the blinded Iewes did most vniustly charg him They accused him of blasphemy and sedition saying that he trespassed against God Cesar so rightly deserued that cruel death wheras in deed he suffered willingly for our sakes that vile ignominye false accusation which they falsly forged against him For he him self neuer sinned neither could offend but so was the wil of our heauenly father He spared not his deerely beloued Sonne that we poore sinners might by that his most shameful and contemptuous death but vnto vs sure saluation be delyuered from all our sinnes Esay teacheth in the words following what commodity we haue by this miserable and ignominious death of Christ and he sayth The figures or types of the sacrifices in Moyses law are fulfilled by this onely Sacrifice of Christ These be his words when he shall spend his life for our sinne when he shall make his soule an offering for sinne or when he shall geue his life a sacrifice for sinne then shal he haue seede his age shall be prolonged that is when he shal haue offered himselfe vp in Sacrifice vpon the cros to his heauenly father for our sinnes then shall he haue seed or children that is faithfull beleeuers in him And his yeares shall be so long that the life of him and all faithfull christians shal be without end It is otherwise with erthly kings for they when they dye depart from their kingdomes their Successors possesseth thē But this our king of glory Christ dyed another holesome and liuely kinde of death by which he entereth into true life and most mightely beginneth the administration of his eternall kingdome And here again is the resurrection of Christ and faithful Christians foretold For this is the right and true ruling gouerning erection and establishing of a kingdome whē the king erecteth such a kingdome as wil neuer decay in which the subiectes alwayes haue continuall and perfect safety protection peace surety felicity and all good things aboundantly and this can no earthly king doe For all earthly kings dye their kingdomes perish and decay with them as we see all dominions princely power and kingdomes continue in this world but a while and not for euer but within a few ages to come vtterly to ruine Wherupon Esay saith that the wil of the Lord is in his own hand or his determination or purpose by the hand of Messias shal haue prosperous succes For what thing soeuer the father commaunded Christ to doe for vs all that hath he fully finished with perfection yea with faithfulnes and to our great commodity and he plainly declareth that this was done by Christes merite where he saith his soul was in payn that is he suffered much vexatiō greef sorrow misery for our sake but shall haue a great reward or worthy hire For after so many tribulatiōs he shal see those things which wil make him ioyfull that is the catholick church or the true godly who through sincere faith doe openly honor Christ glorify Christ preach Christ and confes the Lord Christ and so highly esteem these his labors miseryes and greefes that they doubt nothing but that by the same they shal attain euerlasting saluation peace rest and consolation And therfore they wil not be afraid to suffer temporall death for the glory of Christ For they know that true righteousnes euerlasting life eternall saluation and aboundant treasures of all goodnes and felicity are to be found in Christ Iesu Now haue you heard how Christ bare our sinnes and satisfyed for them In the words following Esay teacheth vs how we may be iustifyed and made partakers of that most holsome passion and merits of christ And he sayth his knowledge or the vnderstanding of Christ is the mean wherby we receaue attain that great treasure Wherfore wife if you beleue this prophecye to wit that Iesus Christ the true sonne of God God man tooke away from you your sinnes satisfyed for them and offered him self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sacrifice for you and that he became your sauiour hath by his myserable and innocent death reconcyled you to God These I say if you beleue by this faith shal you receue forgeuenes of your sinnes and be reputed before God both iust and holy as the Euangelists and Apostles and especially S. Peter Paul and Iohn in euery place witnes This is the righteousnes of Christians to acknoledge and beleeue that Christ is our onely Mediator Sauyour and Redeemer whom God sent to take our sinnes vpon him and satisfy for them
from you and iudge your selues vnworthy of euerlasting lyfe loe we turne to the Gentiles for so hath the Lord cōmaunded vs c. And agayne he sayd to the Iewes at Rome that would not beleue the Gospell Be it knowne therefore vnto you that this saluation of God is sent to the Gentiles and they shall heare it Esaias also doth plainely promise that Christ should be the redeemer of Sion that is to saye of such of the Iewes as be elect so that all shall not be condemned although thy be fallen into most greeuous horrible and long blindenes and God also promiseth that he will not take his word holy spirite frō the Churche For as Mathew sayth Christ shall tarry alway with vs So also sayth Esay And the redemer shall come to Sion and vnto them that turne frō iniquitie in Iacob sayth the lord And I will make this my couenaunt with them sayth the lord My spirite which is vpon thee and my wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of thy mouth of thy seede nor out of the mouth of the seede of thy seede sayth the Lord from henceforth and euen for euer ¶ Anna. Is this the prophecye which Paule reciteth in the 11. of the Romans where he cōforteth the Iewes saying that many of them shall be conuerted before the last day ☞ Vrb. It is the same and he speaketh mistically to the Gentiles that they should not vtterly contemne the remnaunt of the Iewes or dispaire of their saluation saying Partely obstinacy is come to Israell vntill the fulnes of the Gentiles be come in and so all Israell shal be saued As it is written The deliuerer shall come out of Siō and shall turne away the vngodlines from Iacob And this is my couenaūt to them whē I shall take away their sinns As concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sakes But as touching the election they are beloued for the Fathers sake Out of all these prophecies might Cleophas his felow haue drawne some comfort and knowne that Christes kingdome was spirituall But to go on marke how sweetly pleasaūtly gratiously Esayas prophecieth of the kingdome of Christ saying that it should by preaching be enlarged spred all abroad that there is no lyfe but only in the Church and that he which refuseth to be of this spirituall kingdome is damned The prophets vse very much figuratiue and borowed speches We must therefore be acquainted with their phrase of speaking These then be his wordes in the 60. Chapiter Arise O Ierusalem Be bright for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is rysen vpon thee This light is the gospel the glory of God and the gifts of the eternall treasures as wisedome security health and life It followeth For behold darknes shal couer the earth gros darknes the people But the Lord shal arise vpon thee and his glory shall be seen vpon thee And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light And kings at the brightnes of thy rising vp Lift vp thine eyes round about and behold all these are gathered and come to thee Thy sonnes that is to say the faithful in Christ shal come from far That is to say in all the parts of the wide world shal the gospel be taught and the people shal beleeue on Christ And thy daughters shal be nourished at thy side Then thou shalt see and shine thine hart shal be astonyed and enlarged because the multitude of the seas shal be conuerted vnto thee That is to say the Gentils that inhabite the Ilands and al the sea coastes And the riches of the Gentils shall come vnto thee This prophecy was then fulfilled whē the gentiles in Spayne Fraunce Italy Greece Asia Cilicia Affrica Egipt Cyprus Creet Rodes Liuonia Borus or Pruse Pomeriane lower Germany about the West sea Scotland England Ireland Island and in other countreis and places were conuerted by the preaching of the gospell The multitude of Camels shal couer thee That is the people of the East which abound in Cammels shall also come to the heauenly Ierusalem The Dromedaries of Midian and Ephah That is the people about the red Sea and they of Arabia shall beleeue in Christ All they of Sheba she l come they shal bring gold and incense and shew forth the prayses of the Lord. All the sheep of Kedar shal be gathered vnto thee The Rams of Nebayoth shal serue thee By Seba is ment the people on the right hand of the East By Kedar and Nebayoth those that be on the left hand He saith that these should serue the Church and gather them selues together to it and should preach and glorify Christ as our onely Sauyour They shall come vp to be accepted vpon mine Altar This is fulfilled when the preachers of the word of God conuert the people so that they mortify the old man and willingly submit them selues to the cros and so offer vp and sacrifice them selues to God through Christ our Altar And I will beutefie the house of my glory That is I will enrich and beutefy my church my spiritual Temple with all kind of gifts of the holy ghost It followeth who are these that fly like a cloud and as the doues to their windowes These words be figuratiuely spoken The cloudes be the Apostles who are very fruitfull For they bring the sweet shoures of the word of god And they were swift as the cloudes as doues for they did flye to all people in all parts of the world that they might preach to them the gospell It followeth Surely the Iles shall wayt for me and the ships of Tarshishe as at the beginning that they may bring thy sonnes from farre and their siluer and their gold with them vnto the name of the Lord thy God and to the holy one of Israel because he hath gloryfied thee And the sons of straungers shal build vp thy walles and their kings shal minister vnto thee That is men shal greedely and earnestly desire the gospel as the only comfort of their sad and troubled conscyences And they shall frankely lay out their substance and goods to help to set out and publish abroad the name of the Lord and to preserue and delyuer the miserable and afflicted men These children of strangers or strangers be the doctors of the gentils in the church such as Athanasius Nazianzenus Cyrillus Chrysostomus Augustine Hillary and others which builded the church by their wryting and preaching It followeth In my wrath I smote thee but in my mercy I had compassion on thee That is thou hast now some sinnes and it is necessary thou shouldest in this life be beaten and chastened with a fatherly rod and suffer affliction But this yet is a fatherly anger For all thy affliction shal be for thy profit and health that thou be not damned with this wicked world Vnder the
been before him and raigned in the seat of Dauid For Ieremy saith that he shall execute iustice and iudgement in the earth through the whol world cōdemne destroy the wicked make them which were vniust and sinful very pure righteous For his kingdome is a kingdome of true iustice and innocency And Iuda Israel that is both those people shall haue help of him not that the x. tribes shold returne out of Assiria into Samaria and there haue a king of their own and set vp a corporall kingdome as Iudah had before time in Ierusalem when they liued vnder Dauid and Salomon with peace and quyetnes but that they shold haue a spiritual help through Christ who should deliuer them from sinne and death that so they might dwel boldly and safely that is that they might haue their consciences quyeted appeased and mery as men which now by faith in Christ haue their sinnes forgeuen are at peace with God through Christ So that they need not dread nor feare death or any other euill because that this wise king the most pure and florishing blossome of righteousnes is made the righteousnes of all Christians that all faithfull beleeuers the spirituall Israell consisting both of the Iewes and Gentils may through faith receiue the holy Ghost which testifyeth in their harts that they are the children of God heyres of God and coheires with Iesus Christ and so with bouldnes of siprite say with Paul We are perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Is not this a famous help and a strong and firme fortresse for the godly that they can say we know that we are translated from death vnto life That is the holy spirite hath taught vs by the word and heauenly vnction that Christ hath freed vs both from sinne and death and that we by him after death shall rise from death and liue for euer This is that hope of Israell which neither Gentil nor Infidel hath Now marke what noble and miraculous works of diuinity which none could doe but very God him selfe the prophet ascrybeth to this sonne of Dauid He sayth He shall execute and set vp iustice and iudgement in the earth And he shall iustify others Ergo he must not only outwardly but also inwardly purge the hart and forgeue sinne And this is only the worke of god For it is he onely that can change a wicked and malicious hart and it is he which can illuminate and regenerate vs and none but he And agayn if he can forgeue sinnes he can also abolish death which is the reward or stipend of sinne and the sting of death If then he could ouercom death and make vs righteous and geue vs euerlasting life he is true God which can only in deed deliuer vs from our sinnes and eternall death and geue and preserue true tranquility and peace If then Iudah and Israell that is the hole church of the godly shall be delyuered from their sinne and death then must it needes follow that they shall liue with Christ for euer Here then in this prophecy if we marke it wel we may see that Christ should dye as the naturall sonne of Dauid but not abide in death but that he should iustify and saue Iudah and Israel that is to say his people the godly and faithful And for this cause should he first rise again from death that he might rayse his Israelites that is his faithful from death and that he might purchase for them and geue them eternal life securitie for euer For if he should haue geuē them peace but for a time he should not truely and in deede haue delyuered them neither were it a true tranquility and peace Wherfore it was necessary that that peace and saluation which he should geue his elect should continue for euer and euer Thus then in this short prophecy haue we this eternall king together with his death resurrection and euerlasting kingdome expresly and soundly descrybed And so doth Ieremy again teach vs in the 33. chapter calling the gospel the voyce of ioy which God speaketh to Israel and Iuda For the law only sheweth Gods wrath and punishment but the gospel that new couenant promyseth meere grace and redemption And then he prophesieth how the helpe and redēption which this king bringeth shal extend it selfe to all people farre and nere The people of God in tyme past soong and spake of the great benefits of god how he brought them forth out of the land of Egipt and deliuered them by many marueilous miracles but when Christ that sonne of Dauid shall come then shall they gloriously triumph and tell of farre greater good gifts of God to wit how Christ hath brought and deliuered vs out of the hellish black Egipt and kingdome of sin death and euerlasting damnation and gathered not onely the Israelites after the flesh but all his elected children in all the world out of all nations into this Church of the godly which thing hath ben done euer since the Apostles time euen to this daye For wee which beleue in Christ haue a more excellent and notable captaine then Moses and Iosua Wee haue Iesus Christ for our captayn who hath deliuered vs out of the bondage and howse of the spirituall Pharao to wit from the captiuitie of Sathan This eternall redemption doth euery day renew in vs the remembraunce of our god so that we say the Lord liueth who hath deliuered vs from sin death and Sathan hath brought vs from all errors to the true knowledge of the Gospell This is a spirituall deliueraunce and bringing out of Egipt and a spirituall kingdome where in wee see Iudaisme should once cease Christianisme by Christ our king be set vp through all the world and therefore it was conuenient that he should rise agayne that he might erect this kingdome vpon earth and conserue it for euer To which sence the prophet speaketh saying Therfore behold the day is come sayth the Lord that they shall no more say the Lord liueth which brought vp the children of Israell out of the land of Egipt but the Lord liueth which brought vp and led the seed of the house of Israell out of the north country and from all countryes where I had scattered them and they shall dwell in their owne land Here we must note that all temporall deliuerances which the Iewes had here vpon earth from the hands of earthly tyrants and the gentiles were but figurs of the true and euerlasting deliuerance which we haue by our Messias Christ of which in this place to speake is not to our purpose The prophets for most part set downe such circumstances in their writings that we may well gather they had a farther respect then
be their God. Ezechiel when the Lord had raysed him vp to prophesy of these thinges doth comfort the Iewes beyng prisoners in Babilō by this prophesy And he promised thē that the Lord would deliuer thē out of the bōdage that they were in and bring them safely into their owne country to Ierusalem which thinges came so to pas in deed in the dayes of Zerubabel Iehoschua Esdras and Neemias when they should no more commit Idolatry with Babell and other Idols as before they had done But this deliuerance out of the captiuitie in Babilon was but onely a signe of our true deliuerance by Christ wherby all prisoners and such as remayne captaynes are at the last truely deliuered and saued as soon as they cast away their vngodlines and Idolatry and imbrace the true Christian fayth This prophesy hath respect vnto that time of Messias whē he gaue hys spirit vnto hys people circumcised their harts purified their own blind and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnpenytent hartes and put in place thereof a newe hart which feruently and ardently desireth to obserue and keep the commaundements of god For Christ is the only alone Phisition of our heauy sick and deadly wounded nature He alone regenerateth vs with his spirit he healeth vs and he restoreth vs agayn and he onely is our intercessor who putteth away and remoueth from vs the wrath of God and reconcileth vs vnto the Father so that with a fatherly hart and affection he embraceth vs and maketh vs hys children because Christ hath both purified our hart pardoned our sinnes and brought vs into fauour with the father agayne Moyses by hys lawe could do none of these for vs. He can onely shew vs the curse of the Lord prophesy of the blessed seed of Abraham and this was al that he could do But to take away sins and to worke our iustification was a work which none could do but onely Messias This is the way and meane by which Christ planteth and preserueth his spirituall kingdome when of sinners hee maketh godly and righteous persons and geueth them new harts and lightneth thē by his word and holy spirit and reneweth them that they may be in the inward man enclined with a redy delight and alacritie to do the will and pleasure of God. This is the meaning of Moyses in Deutrinomy when he commādeth that they shoulde circumcise the fore skin of their hart that is their euil thoughts cōcupisences and fleshly desires And he promiseth vnto hys people a spirituall circumcision saying the Lord thy God will circumcise thine hart and the hart of thy seed that thou maist loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart and with all thy soule that thou maiest liue Earthly Kings mayntayne externall iustice and restrayne vices wickednes by the sword but they haue no power to restrayne and bridle the hart For the hart for al that they can do wil abound in concupiscens of al kinde of euils yea it would brust forth into deeds if it were lawfull to do them and satisfy hys own appetite and wallowe in all filthy flagitiousnes And this is che cause that earthly kings defend and maintayn their dominiōs by the galouses torments wheeles swords halters and other punishments and yet notwithstanding all such executions and torments the wickednes and rash bouldnes of louse liuers can scarcely be brideled For so soon as the hart perceiueth that it hath got licence and time by and by it turneth to the olde habit and committeth what lewdnes it listeth But Christ goeth to work after another and better sort For he changeth and cleanseth the hart from euil to good which when he hath once puryfied and changed there followeth by and by honesty holynes and integrity of life in outward conuersation And thus doth he renue those which are indued with true innocency and through faith are drawen cheerefully by a harty desire to work all kind of vertue And thus doth this our king raign spiritually and by his word and spirit preuayleth more then al kings and Caesers in this world can doe by compulsion and all kind of torments though they be neuer so cruel Ezechiel also hath a prophecy and promise of this day of saluation and new league of grace in his thirty six chapter in playn wordes saying Then will I power clean water vpon you and ye shall be clean yea from all your filthynes and from all your Idols wil I cleanse you Here the prophet promiseth the sacrament of baptisme which is most pure and clean water because of the word of God of which it dependeth and hath his excellency And therfore it is caled in Titus The lauer of regeneration and the holy Ghost which God in baptisme by Christ our Sauyour poureth plentifully vpon vs that we by his grace being iustifyed may through hope be made heires of euerlasting saluation This was then fulfilled when the discyples baptysed the people and forgaue sinnes in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ and when the cleansed and godly congregation of the faithfull Christians was first erected who first rightly found forth the Lord God and were dayly more and more increased as we read in the Actes that the spirituall kingdome of Christ by his word did daily more more increase though in their bodyes they suffered great persecutions and dangers And this was the way and maner by which Christ wold gouern his kingdome But the blinded Iewes thought that all these thinges should carnally be fulfilled that Messias wold rule his kingdome in worldly pompe and power God in the 34. chapter of Eze. promyseth his people a true shepherd which hath good and holsome pastures which will keep his sheep faithfully defend thē carefully Which things the pharysies faithles shepheards in Iuda did not but fed and fatted themselues The prophets words be these And I wil set vp a shepheard ouer them and he shal feed them euen my seruant Dauid he shall feed them and he shall be their shepheard and I the Lord wil be their God and my seruant Dauid shal be the prince among them I the Lord haue spoken it And I wil make with them a couenant of peace and wil cause the euil beastes to cease out of the land and they shal dwel safely in the wildernes and sleep in the woods And I wil rayse vp for them a plant of renown and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land neither beare the reproch of the heathen any more Thus shall they vnderstand that I the Lord their God am with them that they euen the house of Israel are my people saith the Lord God. And ye my sheep the sheep of my pasture or men I am your God saith the Lord God. This shepheard is that Messias whom Ezechiell calleth Dauid because he should be borne of Dauides stock And the Iewes thēselues agree with
Quirinus Hilary vpon the 52. Psalme Ambros in hys book of fayth and resurrection and in hys third book of the holy ghost Gregory Nazianzene in his funeral sermō of Basill Gregory the great in hys xx homely vpon Ezechell And the Prophet Ezechel chapiter 40. discribeth a wonderful merueilous city and temple of Ierusalē But all these things are to be vnderstood spiritually of the heauenly Ierusalem the eternall Citie of God. But let vs see nowe what Daniell sayth of Christ And as for those things which I opened a little while a goe out of the 2. and 9. thap it shall not bee needfull now to repeat them agayne But in his 7 chapter he prophesieth most sweetly of the kingdome of Christ of his saynts to wit how his kingdome should be euerlasting propagated and spread abroad throughout all the world he sayth As I beheld in visions by night behold one lyke the sonn of man cam in the cloudes of heauen and approched vnto the aūciēt of dayes and they brought him before him And he gaue him dominiō honor and a kingdome that all people nations and language should serue him His dominion is an euerlasting dominion which shall neuer be taken away and hys kingdome shall neuer be destroyed And a little after he addeth and they shal take the kingdome of the Saints of the most high and possesse the kingdome for euer euen for euer and euer You know this to be a generall rule and necessary for the vnderstāding of the prophets wheras any thing is spoken in the Prophets of the eternall kingdome of Christ of Christifidelians and of euerlasting lyfe that there we both may and ought to groūd the resurrectiō of Christ faythfull Christians For if they shall lyue and raigne for euer then must they needs rise againe which thing Daniell prophecieth in his 12. chapiter as plainely and euidently as if some of the Euangelists had written it This prophecy is to be referred vnto the last day wherein this world shall haue an end And these be the wordes of the prophet And at that time thy people shall be deliuered euery one shall be found written in the booke And many of them that slepe in the dust of the earth shal awake some to euerlasting lyfe and some to shame perpetuall cōtempt they that be wise shal shine as the brightnes of the firmamēt and they that turne many to righteousnes shall shine as the stares for euer and euer Doe you not here see the indowted resurrection of all men as wel good as euil But you maye see also here that there shall be great difference amongest them which shall rise For they which are the people of God to wit christifidelians which are written in the booke of lyfe shal be deliuered from the wrath of God which shall come vpon the vnbeleuing and wicked world that is they shall be deliuered from the euerlasting punishment of hell and be brought into euerlasting lyfe But the wicked which haue not in their lyfe time beleued the gospell shall not be saued but the wrath of God shall abide on thē for euer for they haue denied to receue the tru life Christ Iesus and therfore shal they be confounded and perish for euer Dani. also here describeth the glory which Gods childrē shal haue after the resurrectiō saying that they shal be as bright as the sun stars of the firmament for euer world without end And this out of doubt is the true and last deliueraunce of Israell that is of the children of god which we do with firme fayth and hope looke for For as verely as all other thinges which in the prophets are promised are perfitly finished as the birth of Christ with his passiō resurrectiō ascētion calling of the gentills so also at the last day shall this be fulfilled to wit the resurrection of dead with the true deliueraunce of all faythfull Christians These and such lyke promises are our gospell and the ground worke and foundation of our fayth ¶ Anna. What sayth Hose concerning Christ ☞ Vrb. Hose is one of the small prophets but yet he hath many noble prophesies of the misteries of the gospel as of the calling of the gentils vnto the gospel And though the Iewes should haue a greeuous fall yet he promyseth vnto them the grace of God and that at the length they shall beleue and reeeaue Christ and acknowledge him to be their Lord and king whō before they had reiected He prophesyeth also of the great and glorious kingdome of Christ that is of the catholick church of faithfull christians and of that spirituall maryage betweene Christ and all Christifidelians and of the victory of Christ how he should ouercome and abolish sin and death and of the resurrection of Christ and of our rysing agayn He reproueth also the ten trybes of Israell for their Idolatry threatning them euerlasting captiuity vnder the Assirians but he promyseth grace and help to Iuda that is to those two trybes Iuda and Beniamin which fel not away from the house of Dauid In the first chapter he threatneth Samaria with the captiuity of Asiria saying I wil no more haue pity vpon the house of Israell but I will vtterly take them away Yet I will haue mercy vpon the house of Iuda and wil saue thē by the Lord their god And will not saue thē by the bow nor sword nor by battayle by horses nor by horsemen Cleophas and his companyon might here haue learned that the kingdome of Christ is not an earthly kingdome seeing that Hoseas threatned vnto the gretest part of the Iewes such captiuity that they should neuer return to their wonted state or dignity of kingdom as when they had a king of their own in Samaria or Israell If therfore the 12. tribes of Israel shold vnder Messias haue had such a kingdome wherin they might corporally haue ruled ouer the gentils and haue abounded in all pleasures and worldly felicity which carnall opinion all the Iewes had of Messias then consequently had it been necessary that they should all haue been delyuered and redeemed out of Assiria But here you heare how it should come to pas that the very remembrance of Israel should be blotted out Which thing is signifyed by Lorichamoh the prophets daughter Which name by interpretation signifyeth without mercy But seeing the delyuerance of Israell was neuertheles promysed by all the prophets it must needes of necessity be true For the word of God cannot lye or deceaue vs. Seeing therfore their delyueraunce by which they should be delyuered from the Assirian king and be restored into that land whence they were remoued shold not be corporall nor earthly it must needes follow that it should be spirituall For there is no meane nor other way by which they could be delyuered Which thing the words following proue where he promysed such help vnto the trybe of Iuda as cold not be
Christ must from hence forth increase and grow greater and greater vntill the worldes end whereas all earthly empires shall decrease fall and be destroyed And Hose prophesieth againe in the end of the 2. chapiter of the euerlasting couenaunt of grace betwen God and vs in a pleasaunt sweete and comfortable similitude saying And in that day will I make couenants for them with the wilde beastes and with the fowle of heauen and with that that creepeth vppon the earth And I will breake the bow and the sword and the battell out of the earth and will make them to sleepe safely And I will mary thee vnto me for euer yea I will marry thee vnto me in righteousnes and in iudgement and in mercy And in compassiō I will euen marry thee vnto me in faythfullnes and thou shalt know the Lord. He speaketh not here of earthly thinges but of the heauenly peace of conscience with God through fayth in Christ which neither tyrants in the earth nor wicked spirits in the ayre can ouerthrow or take away How can any thing hurt the faythfull christians seing they be by fayth dedicated and as it were maried vnto Christ the Lord of zeboth and are by this spirituall mariages made one flesh by which vnion and coniunction we receaue al these excellent promises which by the commaundement of god the prophets and Euangelists make vnto the Church ¶ Anna. How I pray you commeth this to passe ☞ Vrba Those thinges which are the husbandes are the wiues and so one the other side those that are the wiues are the husbandes Those that be maried together haue all thinges common betwen them We vpon our part haue sinn death and damnation but Iesus Christ our husband is full of grace life and health If therfore we trust in Christ and acknowledge him for our onely husband redeemer and Sauiour then doth that fayth vnite knit vs so to Christ that he becommeth our husband and head and we his mēbers Thus Christ taketh vpon him our euills and calamities geueth vs his graces and felicitie thus are we made righteous and thus are we quickened and saued where before we were sinners dead and damned These are the vnsearchable riches of Gods grace geuē vs in Iesus Christ of which Paule to the Ephesians doth so gloriously bost saying that they exceed all humaine senses passe the capacity of al creatures Consider then what he is able to do and what kinde of parson Christ is to wit an infinite parson God man which can not sinn dy or be dampned because his righteousnes life saluation are inuincible euerlasting and almighty Seing therefore that his innocency lyfe and saluation wrastled and fought vppon the crosse with our sinnes death and dampnation which were not able to ouercome him it must needes follow that in him our sinns death and damnation are swallowed vp and taken away Seeing then that we are ingrafted in christ by faith in him we are also by his mere grace and loue both deliuered from all our sinnes and freed from Sathans tyranny and haue the euerlasting righteousnes lyfe and health of our husband Christ geuen vs Thus doth Christ adorne and decke his welbeloued spouse the Church that she may be glorious without spot or wrinkell and yet purified by the lauer of water in the word of life that is by the fayth of the word of lyfe righteousnes and saluatiō Now ye see how the Lord ioyneth true Israell in mariage to him selfe as his wife in fayth in righteousnes and iudgement Here also must be marked that this mariage shall continue for euer as the prophet sayth Wherby it followeth that Christ must needes rise againe from death and raise his bride to lyfe that she might liue with him for euer This is that euerlasting kingdome of Christ the kingdome of grace out of which all sin death and wickednes is cast and banished and in which meere grace righteousnes innocency lyfe and saluation doe fully dwell for euer as the prophet sayth Thou shalt know the Lord. But to know him is eternall life And in that day I will heare sayth the Lord I will euen heare the heauens and they shall heare the earth and the earth shall heare thee come and the wine and the oyle and they shall heare Israell and I will sow her vnto me in the earth and I will haue mercy vppon her that was not pitied and I will say to them which were not my people thou art my people and they shall say thou art my God. He speaketh here of that most wished and ioyfull time of the new testamēt For whē the gospel is taught and Christ by fayth receued then will not God suffer his Church to want but will prouide for her and cherish her and though in the meane time she gloriously wrastle and grone vnder the crosse yet shall she be so prouided for that she shall not want thinges needfull for her For the true Israell shall by Messias be increased and multiplied The Church shall become true Israell that is the seede of the Lord that it may increase and continue for euer so mercifull is the Lord vnto the rest of the Iewes and Gentills The Iewes or Israelites were before without mercy But in the time of Christ the Lord tooke compassion vpon them The Gentills were not the people of God but in the tyme of Messias being called through the gospel they are made his people which acknowledge calle vpon and honor God in true fayth by our onely sauiour and mediator Christ ¶ Anna. Haue not the Iewes or the Israelites according vnto the flesh son hope in the scriptures that they shall be deliuered from that obstinacy and hardnes of hart wherein they now are Shall no Iewes but onely the Gentills hereafter be partakers of the spirituall kingdome ☞ Vrba Yes they haue some hope that they shall be deliuered And I would to God they could vnderstād the scriptures would learn thereby what grace yet the Lord hath left in store for them For Hose saith The children of Israell shall remayn many dayes without a king and without a prince and without an offring and without an Image and without an Ephod and without Teraphim Afterward shall the children of Israell conuert and seeke the Lord their God and Dauid their king and shal fear the Lord and his goodnes in the latter dayes You haue heard before that Paul would not haue the Iewes despised For they haue a promise of their conuersion before the last day when they shall become christians that is when the Israelites according to the spirit to wit the elect number of the children of God among the gentils shal be accomplished Thē shall the Iewes haue their eyes opened be gathered vnto the true Messias Iesus Christ and embrace the gospel Paul vnderstood this wel out of Hose who maketh here a comfortable promise vnto the Iewes that at
commaundements and word of God. Is not this promise full of comfort where he sayth I will heale Israells backsliding that is he will pardon all their offences and neuer be angry with them any more for their sinns In which promise Christ the throne of grace is included and comprehended For these determinations of God is that he will forgeue sin to no man that he wil loue no man and that he wil receaue none vnto grace by any other meanes but by his deerely beloued sonn who is become our onely redeemer mediator recōciler bishop priest propiciatory or throne of grace as Paule affirmeth saying We are accepted in his beloued by whome we haue redemption through his bloud euen the forgeuenes of sinns according to his rich grace It is manifest therfore by the firme foūdation of the apostles doctrine that Hoseas here speaketh of Christ although he name him not seing that there is no other reconciler which can turne the wrath of God from vs but onely Iesus Christ Wherefore I haue often sayd that where the Lord promiseth his grace redemption forgeuenes of sinns righteousnes lyfe and health that there is Iesus Christ promised by whose death and pretious bloud we are reconciled to God the father and receaue forgeuenes remission of our sinns true righteousnes and lyfe euerlasting There followeth in the text more promises but expressed in figuratiue wordes For he taketh a similitude of the dew of roses of Libanō and of the oliue tree which wordes import nothing els but the great felicitie of Israell or christifidelians after that they beleue and are receaued in the grace of God and obtaine forgeuenes of their sinns Is it not an exceeding great felicitie to obtaine forgeuenes of our sinns to be counted righteous before God and to receaue the holy ghost with all his gifts and by the same to be healed vp in fayth Which is the receauing of that great pretious and heauenly earnest peny that is the spirite of God the father and the son which doth assure vs that we be the children of God and so his heyres and coheyres with Iesus Christ what I pray you can he want which hath the Lorde for his inheritance This prophesy chefely taketh place in the tyme of Christ when the gospell brought forth fruite throughout the whole world and christs heauēly kingdome was builded in euery place that Christ the king of glory be imbrased for our God and sauiour through fayth by which we are made the children of God and shall prayse him for euer together with his holy angells to whome we shall be like in the world to come in the resurrectiō of the dead the glory whereof exceedeth all that the hartes of earthly creatures can conceaue but it is now hid For we are as yet but blessed in hope but when our king the prince of glory shall come in his maiestye to iudgement then shall our felicitie be made manifest To be short the Lord shall be the defence bulwark comfort helpe solace and sound felicitye of Israel But the Prophet speaketh of a greater defence comfort helpe and benefit thē this world hath or can vnderstand The kingdome therfore of Christ is a kingdome of blessing wherin we inioy aboūdance of all goodnes The prophets prophesied that this deliueraunce helpe comfort and kingdome should be a continuall and spirituall not a tēporall kingdome which aboundeth in fraile vayne and transitory welth of this world as the carnall Iewes dreame and imagine ¶ Anna. What I pray you doth Iohell the prophet prophecy of Christ ☞ Vrba Ioell in his 2. chapiter prophesieth that the kingdome of Christ shall be illuminated and beutified with the rich knowledge of God and that it shall receaue the holy ghost with all his gifts and that espetially in the mount Sion to wit in the catholicke church where shall be true deliueraunce helpe and redemption from sinn and death and that afterwarde there shall be no more respect of persons betwene the Iewes and Gentiles but whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord Messias shall be freely deliuered from all his sins These are the wordes of the prophesye Ye shall also know that I am in the middest of Israell and that I am the Lord your God and none other and my people shall neuer be ashamed And afterward as Peter cited this prophecy on whitsonday in his sermon at Ierusalem In those dayes that is in the tyme of Messias I will powre out my spirit vpon all flesh And your sons and daughters shall prophesy your ould men shall dreame dreames and your young men shall see visiōs and also vpon the seruants and vpon the maydens in those dayes will I power my spirite and I will shew wonders in the heauens and in the earth bloud and fier and pillers of smoke The sun shal be turned into darknes and the moon into bloud before the great and terrible day of the Lorde come But who so euer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued For in mount Sion and in Ierusalem shall be deliueraunce as the Lord hath sayd and in the remnant whome the Lord shall call This prophesy tooke place in Christs time for Israell had then experience in deed that god was with thē in mans flesh And the holy ghost was then much more gloriously royally and aboundātly geuē them thē before the natiuitie passiō resurrectiō of Messias For before they were but few which had the spirit of prophesying but when Iesus Christ was ascended vnto the right hand of his father then the holy ghost withall his giftes was wonderfully and richly geuē vnto many as the hebrew word Eschpoch declareth which signifieth to poure out The holy ghost was visibly poured vpon faythfull Christians when they were baptised and the Church in all places had his teachers who had the spirite of prophesying And the knowledge of Christ is now spread abroad and dispersed throughout the whole world But where the prophet speaketh of Sion and Ierusalem it must be vnderstood of the church of faythfull Christians wherein Christ hath his habitation as in his owne kingdome Who so euer will be saued from sinne death and tyranny of Sathan he must beleue in Christ call vpon Christ and be brought into the church of christ for without that Church is neither health nor forgeuenes of sins Neither is there any cause why any sinner should respect this or the citie aboue other as the Iewes did earthly Sion Ierusalem seeing Ioell sayth that the Lord would poure out his spirite vpō all flesh not only vpon the Iewes in Ierusalem or in the land of Canaan but euery where through the whole worlde where the Gospel is beleued It followeth therfore that whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of god shall be safe and not the Iewes onely which serued and called vpō God at Ierusalem for then was that time come of which Christ sayth in Iohn that the heauenly father requireth
church to wit that she should reioyce in the Lord for hir deliueraunce because she is freed from Sathans assaultes from his tyranny from sin from death and from hell O happy Iudah O happy church O happy congregation of the faythfull which doest acknowledge confesse and beleue in thy god Thy Sanherib Sathan with all his host and members as the foolish worlde c who hath so hardly handled pinched and oppressed thee that thou couldest in no wise reioyce is now by Christ ouercome Be therfore of good cheare Thou shalt heare ioyfull tidinges to wit that thou shalt not be in danger neyther that any euill shall happen to thee The Lorde himselfe shall defend and deliuer thee and thou shalt haue true ioy and peace Wherefore yet againe keepe holy thy feastes and dayes of ioye celebrat thy passouer in vnleuened bread that is in truth and holynes be mery and reioyce alwayes in the lord For Beliall Sathan is conquered by the crosse of Christ Thou needest not therfore hereafter feare him he can not now hurt thee For he lyeth now prostrate in the dust that valiant conquerour Christ Iesus thy hed and husband hath entered into his pallace and ouercome him and taken his armour from him and hath triumphed ouer him and hath geuen his victory to thee Wherfore thou maist well and rightly celebrate these feastes of ioy in sacrifices of prayse and thankes geuing for these benifits geuen vnto thee by Christ Iesus This out of doubt is a most plentifull ioyful consolation that the gospel of our eternall deliuerance together with peace ioy and securitie by fayth in Christ shall remayne for euer in Iuda that is in the Church For Sathan is cōquered and ouercome that is all his power against the congregation of the faythfull is taken from him sin by that bloud of Christ is washed away death is destroyed and so all the accusations that this Bellial can lay agaynst vs For sin is clensed and taken awaye and therfore it followeth that we shall be iustified and saued in Christ Iesus for euer And this truly is a great and chiefe principall cause why we for such our deliuerance should celebrate our spirituall feastes of gladnes in prayse and thankes geuing to God our good father vncessantly for euer ¶ Anna. The prophets are briefe in their writings but they containe very waighty and worthy matters in few wordes let me heare now what Habacuk prophecieth ☞ Vrba Habacuk signifieth an imbraser who in imbrasing taketh one by the middle in his armes euen as a mother imbraseth and kisseth hir crying childrē For he cōforted the heauy wreatched people at the hart that they should not dispaire because of the captiuitie of Babilon as if God had quite forsaken his people and as if the promise of sending of Christ of the house of Dauid to be the true deliuerer had bene vtterly frustrat And he louingly imbraseth the people he sparing no paines that might make the Iewes stedfastly beleue that their cōfort Messias should come And he signifieth vnto them that though the Iewes for their sins were banished and Ierusalem destroyed yet all the promises of God in the prophets made concerning our Sauiour should neuer thelesse be fulfilled and that Babilonicall tirant punished These are his wordes in the 2. chapiter I will stand vpon my watch and set me vpon the tower and will looke and see what he will say vnto me and what I shall answere him that rebuketh me And the Lord aunswered me sayd write the visiō make it plaine vpō tables that he may run that readeth it For the vision is yet for an appointed time but at the last it shall speake notly though it tary waite for it shall surely come and shall not stay Behold he that lifteth vp himselfe his minde is not vpright in him but the iust shall liue by his fayth Abacuk was commaunded to wright these wordes in a table and so set them vp in publick places as in the Church or market place that all men might reade thē and vnderstand them and that euery one passing by might esely spie and vnderstand it You shall vnderstand this prophecy thus The vision signifieth a prophecy the prophets are called seers because they see the misteries of the gospel concerning Christ a far of with their spirituall eyes This therfore is the sense of his wordes Wright this vision in a table that is wright vp the confirmation of all the prophets in christ that the faint harted Iewes when they begin to dispaire may see what they ought to ground in their hartes thinke with their selfe of the fulfilling of all these prophecies which haue ben foretold of Christ and his kingdome Let the wordes be written in the table to signifie thus though ye be now captiues your land destroyed yet all the prophecies which are spoken of Messias of his euerlasting kingdome and of your saluation wrought by Messias and what thing else soeuer the prophets haue written of Christ of his miracles and of his ministery are sure and must be fulfilled What the lord promiseth in word that he performeth in deed neither can any tirant or Sathā himselfe hinder it But that is fulfilled at the time in which the Lord apointed it should be fulfilled The prophet then sayth thus in effect Ye shall be wearied by the tediousnes of time and many heauy cogitations shall rise in your hartes so that ye shall almost dispayre of his comming being so long driuen of from day to day euen vnto the end of your captiuitie and yet must ye not therefore doubt of the word of God but patiently waight for the Lordes comming For what the Lord hath promised that is certaine and sure verely it is not lawfull to doubt of the Lordes wordes But if any man vpon contention will not beleue this prophecye of Christ he destroyeth his owne soule But gods promise shall be neuerthelesse fulfilled whether the contentious caitiue beleeue it or no. Marry he for his incredulitie shall haue no part therof fayth is all in all He which beleueth the promise enioyeth it he that doth thus honor god that he beleueth and iudgeth him to be a true sayer and a mercifull God him lykwise doth God honor and accoūteth and calleth him righteous and pardoneth his offences and maketh him partaker of all his goodnes in Christ Iesus For the righteous liueth by fayth that is if any man will liue and be righteous before God it is required of necessitie that he beleue the Lords promises Here you see the way to come to righteousnes and saluatiō to wit if you desire to be iustified and saued then must you beleue the gospel of Christ for by that must we receaue righteousnes life and saluatiō There is no other meane nor other way by which we can be iustified and saued S. Paule in his epistles to the Rom. Galla. and the Hebre alledgeth this notable and
he was crucified But at the last day shall his true humain nature wherin he was crucified and woūded in deed be seen He kept the print of his wounds in his body after his resurrection Moreouer Christes frēds and Christifidelians mourned and lamēted for Christ But especially and properly the godly mourn when by faith they apprehend and deeply ponder the passiō and death of Christ when they imitate Christ in suffering and when euery one beareth his own cros and suffreth with Christ to the mortification of the old man. And Zachery in chap. 13. prophesyeth of the fruites of Christes passion of the forgeuenes of sinnes of the holy ghost of baptisme in the house of Dauid and of the church which should be saying in that day there shall be a fountayn opened to the house of Dauid and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for vncleannes Messias shall make this fountaine to flow in his kingdome of which Iohn speaketh If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke He that beleeueth in me as the scripture saith out of his belly shall flow riuers of water of life He spake this of the spirite which true beleeuers in him should receaue This holy ghost is plentifully poured vpon vs in baptisme by the washing of the new birth And this holy fountain standeth alway open in the house of Dauid that all men may come drinke For the church receaueth both Iewes and gentils into the kingdome of Christ by baptisme which purgeth away the vncleannes and filth of originall sin by which the holy nature of man in his first natiuity is stayned and spotted euen as with poyson It taketh away also that sinne which we our selues commit that is to say al sinnes are by baptisme pardoned in the house of Dauid the new Ierusalem the kingdome of Christ There were in the old testament many washings and cleansings but none could be deliuered by them from sinne but this spring of the new testament hallowed by the precious bloud of Iesus Christ floweth alwayes full of meer grace and this welspring cleanseth and drowneth all the filthynes and vncleanlynes of all sinnes And all these things rise and come to vs vpon this that Christ was crucified and pearced blod and water flowed out of his side and out of doubt it was for the washing away of all our sinnes And Zachary prophesyeth again a litle after of the passion of Iesus Christ our true shepheard saying Arise O sword vpon my shepheard and the man that is my felsaith the Lord of hostes smite the shepheard and the sheep shal be scattered and I will turne my hand vpon the litle ones And in all the land saith the Lord two parts therein shall be cut of and dye but the third part shall be left therin And I will bring that third part through the fire and wil fine them as the siluer is fined and wil try them as gold is tryed They shall call on my name and I wil heare them I will say it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God. This sword at that time was the power of darcknes For Pilate and the hard harted Iewes bare the sword and authority at that time in the earth but notwithstanding they could not haue hurt Christ vnlesse God had suffered them and ordayned the same before as Christ saith Pilat had his power from aboue This shepheard is Christ the sheep are the Apostles which fled when Christ was taken and suffered Christ himselfe alleadgeth this prophecy in Mat. 26. Furthermore the Lord calleth Christ the man that is his fellow For Christ is the true and onely shepheard in the church and is also with the father for euer as Iohn saith The sonne is in the bosome of his father Marke also how the kingdome of this world hath no beauty but appeareth oftentimes miserable and therefore can it in no wise be earthly and of this world The shepheard him selfe was smitten by the earthly magistrates and his sheep were terrified and disparsed and the disciples them selues were offended in Christ as you haue heard in Cleophas and his companiō They supposed that he would haue smitten others and that he would haue deliuered the Iewes from all tiranny of the gentils neither did they yet see how that they should in Messias haue a spirituall deliuerance from their sinnes and death But those litle ones vnto whō Christ turned him selfe are the afflicted and poore christians which are dispysed in this world but deerely beloued children before God. ¶ Anna. What are these three parts of which the third part only remayneth ☞ Vrb. Two parts is that great multitude of the vngodly in the earth which are offended in Christ of which one part cannot abide the cros and tribulation but turneth back vnto the world and stifly cleaueth vnto it Another part suffereth them selues to be seduced frō the way of truth by false teachers to perish in their errors But the third part are the true godly which stedfastly stand to the gospel and become like vnto gold finely tryed and purifyed in the fire of temptation and persecution These are those true Christians who only doe obtain saluation because they abyde in the true fayth euen vnto the end and suffer not them selues by any meanes to be called or drawne from Christ Their fayth is tryed in tribulation by which they cal vpon the name of god in spirit and truth without hipocrisy and alwaies glorifie God and are hard of god God acknowledgeth them for his dearly beloued sōnes and they also confes god to be their most louing father Seeing then that the Prophets haue so often in time past prophesied that Christ and hys people should be persecuted and afflicted but yet that all crosses and tribulation should not either let or hinder Christ nor his church to attain vnto the ioy promised those two disciples ought not to haue been so offended at the death of Christ And he prophesyeth again of Christes kingdome saying The Lord shall be king ouer all the earth And here agayn Christ is called true god In that day shall there be one God and his name shall be one This is spoken of the vnity of the Christian fayth Before that time there were many fayned Gods but in the day of Messias shall the only true God alone be called vpon in Christ And who so will not come vp of all the families of the earth vnto Ierusalem to worship the king the Lord of hostes euen vpon them shal come no raine That is those which come not into the church of Christ and doe not with one consent together with all the faithfull adore Christ and acknowledge him to be the king of glory they shall be a cursed people vpon whom no rayne of the spirituall benediction shall fall For they which are not in the church of Christ haue neither the word of god nor faith nor mercy
nor the holy ghost nor forgeuenes of sinnes but shall die in their sinnes Because without this spiritual Ierusalē there is no forgeuenes of sins And least any man should thinke that the kingdome of Christ should be an earthly kingdome throughout all the world Zach. sayth that in the heauenly Ierusalem of the Church of Christ the feast of tabernacle shall alwayes be celebrated This is the pilgrimage of the godly that in this world they shall be as pilgrims and strangers which loke for their true eternal and heauēly countrey for the Iewes dwelt not alwayes in their tabernacles but onely taryed there 8. dayes and then returned home Seeing that I haue now troubled you long enough and you haue taken very great paynes in explicating the prophets I pray you tell me but euen briefely what Malachy prophecieth of Christ and his kingdome ☞ Vrba He prophecieth in his first chap. of the holy and sacred kingdome of Christ through the world saying that it should come to passe that christ should be acknowledged to be the true Lord and God of the whole earth and that he should be honored openly as God that all men should confesse him to be God by which he signifieth that at the last the kingdome of grace should not onlye be amongest the Iewes but euen through the whol world among the gentiles also Whereby it is vnderstood that the earthly king of the Iewes and their figuratiue priesthood should cease in the time of Messias and that another kingdome and priesthood which is spirtuall should begin And therefore Cleophas and his companion loked in vaine for an earthly deliueraunce at the handes of Messias For Mala. prophecieth of the spirituall kingdome and pristhood saying I will not accept an offering at your hand for from the rising of the sunne vnto the going downe of the same my name is great among the Gentiles in euery place incense shall be offered vnto my name and a pure offring for my name is great among the heathen sayth the Lord of hosts This last prophet Mala. whome Ionathas the Caldean and Rabiaben suppose to be Esra prophecieth that the name of God shall be great to wit that the name of God should be glorified preached praysed through the whole world This was fulfilled when the gospell was published and waxed famous and brought forth fruite through the whole world For by the gospell Messias was made knowen vnto the world and the grace of God which he promised and gaue vs in Christ was openly published vnto all creatures The Lord in times past was knowen in Iuda by his word and his name was great in Israel but when the apostles and their successors had spread abroad the Gospell of Gods grace through the whole world then was song a new song as it is in the Psal. The Lordes name is praysed frō the rising of the sonne vnto the going downe of the same For wher so euer the gospell is apostolically and sincerely taught that is where so euer repentance and forgeuenes of sins is preached in the name of Iesus Christ there men become humble and contrite of hart and confesse their sins and acknowledge and praise the rich mercy of god in Christ And straight way after they seeke to mortify their old man and by fayth geue their bodies vp vnto God a liuely sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto god which is their reasonable seruing of god And they beare tribulatiō patiently for Gods sake and geue thankes to God for all his blessinges in Christ they praye and call vpon the Lord in all necessitie and they liue a pure and innocent life All these to wit a true fayth in Christ a denying of our selues a consecrating of vs totally to the will of God the preaching of the gospell the incomprehensible riches of Christ which he geueth vs a professing and praysing of Iesus Christ a prayer proceeding of fayth and a thankes geuing for the great treasure of the gospell and for the precious death and victorious resurrection of Christ Iesus and for all the other benefits of the Lord which we haue through Christ Iesus these I say are the true sacrifices by which the name of Christ is made glorious and famous amongest the gentiles and thus doth Thargū also vnderstand this prophecye saying My name is sanctified through you and your prayer is as a pure sacrifice before me Yf therfore it was conuenient and must needes be that Christ should be made glorious among the gentiles through the whole world and that he shall be the true Lord of all nations whome they should worship and acknowledge to be the true and onely Lord who should deliuer them from all trouble and so his kingdome be in euery place it was needfull that he should rise againe from the dead and that he should prouide for all nations and that he should illuminate them by his gospell that he should receaue them into his kingdome and that he should defend cherish and preserue them for euer Mala. in his 3. chap. ioyneth the Maister and his seruaunt together to wit christiā Iohn Baptist and christ saying that Iohn should come before Christ and make ready the way that Christ should straightway follow after Iohn his forerunner these be his wordes Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whome ye seeke shall speedely come to his temple euen the messenger of the couenaunt whome ye desire Behold he shall come sayth the Lord of hostes but who may abide the daye of his cōming who shall indure when he appeareth For he is lyke a purging fire and lyke fullers sope he shal sit downe to trie fine the siluer he shall euen fine the sonnes of Leui and purifie them as gould and siluer that they may bring offerings vnto the Lord in righteousnes then shall the offering of Iuda and Ierusalem be acceptable vnto the Lord as in ould time and in the yeares a fore This prophecy doth Christ himselfe expound in Mathew where he calleth Iohn Baptist the Messenger and he wonderfully setteth him out and maketh him more worthy then all the prophets For he shewed not Christ a farre of but pointed at him with his finger saying Behold the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world Iohn baptised with the baptisme of repentance in the desert preached vnto the people him which should come after to wit Christ Iesus that they might beleue in him Iohns wordes be these Repent for the kingdome of God or heauē is at hand I baptise you with water to amendemēt of lyfe but he that commeth after me is greater thē I whose showes I am not worthy to beare He will baptise you with the holy ghost and with fire which hath his fan in his hand and will make cleane his flowre and gather his wheate into his garner but will burne vp the chaffe with vnquenchable
fier Note that Malla sayth that the Lord that is Christ shall come to his temple Pithom that is by and by vnloked for For when the people came on heapes and flocked vnto Iohn where he preached sodainely Christ came and commaunded Iohn to baptise him and began to teach and went in to the temple at Ierusalem And Mala. sayth whome seeke you for Christ was in the law and prophets promised as the true deliuerer of Israell And therfore all the godly gredely earnestly looked for him And Malla calleth Christ the Angell of the new testament or couenaunt For he was sent from the father as the messenger of the great message that he might be the mediator of the new testament or of the eternall couenaunt of grace which was made and confirmed by the precious bloud and death of Christ Yf this messenger had not ben sent and stroken this couenaunt of grace betwixt God the Father and vs and if he had not recōciled vs and in his owne person wiped away our sinnes we had taried and perished in our sinnes in death and in the wrath of God for euer But seeing that Christ is come and hath made and confirmed this testament or league by so great a price wee which beleue in Christ haue in Christ the messenger of the new testament remission of our sinnes euerlasting righteousnes reconciliation with God and lyfe and saluation He which first promised this testament is god the truth it selfe he which confirmed and approued it is the naturall son of god our sauiour in whom the father is well pleased and he which teacheth vs to vnderstand this couenaunt and to beleue it who also witnesseth vnto vs that the couenaunt is firme and stable and that we are the children of God is the holy Ghost Loe these are the vnsearchable riches of Christ which Paule euery where did magnifically preach And therefore very well sayth the prophet Escher athem hephezim that is whome doe you so carefully greedely and hartely desires You know that Hopheptz in the holy toung doth signifie to be rauished with a singular and harty desire of any thing as when we couet to haue any thing with a harty desire with a good will and with a great and ardēt appetite And thus did the true Israelites with all their hartes earnestly looke for the comming of Christ because they knew that we through Christes merits onely should obtaine all true felicitye with God that is full deliueraunce frō all euils They did know that which the new testament euery where now witnesseth to wit the man of himselfe without the spirite power hope of Messias could not performe the law and that none could obtaine righteousnes and saluation but by Christ And therefore did they looke for him as the onely reconciler and Sauiour and as that true and onely fulfiller of all thinges or as Paule calleth him the fulfilling of the law in whome they put all their confidence For wheresoeuer they desire preach the mercy and deliueraunce of God there also do they desire and glorify Christ who onely and no other in the whole world hath obtained and deserued the mercye of God and hath brought vs true and euerlasting redētion Wherefore Augustine that worthy Doctor of the Church sayth well and godly after this sort For his sake the testament is in him the testament is decided he is the mediator of the testament he sealed the testament he is surety for the testament he is witnes of the testamēt he is the inheritance of the testament and he is fellow heire of the testament ¶ Anna. Whether of Christes comming is it that Mala sayth shall be so heauy and intollerable ☞ Vrba He speaketh of his former comming which although vnto the true Israelites and children of promise it was a singular comfort and great ioy and a thing especially desired as appeareth in Simeon and Anna the prophets and such lyke yet was it a horrible and feareful comming to the rest of the vnbeleuing Iewes Pharises Saduces other deceauers of which they did reape no ioy or profite but were offended in Christ could not stād in his sight Their doctrine had daiseled the eyes of the cōmon sort with a great shew of holynes whereas it was nothing els in deed but horrible errors hipocrisye and deceite When Christ Iesus came the true light of the world and the truth it selfe by whome came grace and truth then all the errors simulations and deceites craftes and hipocrisie of those deceiuers were manifested and they thēselues destroyed For he did openly reproue and accuse their lyfe and doctrine and he so confounded them which before were accounted most godly and learned in Iudaisme that it might easely appeare vnto all men that they were blind guids of the blinde and meere deceiuers For when the gospell was mightely truely taught then could no error or hipocrisie lurke and be vnknowen so forceable was the truth Nay the word is so pure and perfect that euen the most holy are accused by it because no man in this flesh is free from sin To be short for this cause was Christ borne and for this cause came he into the world that he should bere witnes vnto the truth and he that is of truth heareth his voyce Sathan had sowen and spread marueilous hipocrisies and lyes in the world but Christ came that he might confound the lyes and teach the truth And therfore his first comming of Christ because his doctrine was vnpleasāt and sharpe vnto the world and because he accused them of sin was as a fier which purifieth and clenseth all filth and drosse from gould maketh a strange seperatiō of the euill from the good Whē he teacheth he doth seperate gould and siluer that is good men from copper and drosse to wit from the hard harted hipocrites For he which was of God heard the word of Christ and left all his errors and cast all his hipocrisie a side and became a faythfull or true Israelite in whome was no deceite By the crosse also they were purged and tryed as gould in the fier This tribulation and crosse alway waiteth vpon the word and alwayes commeth with the word And Christ at his first comming hath true Leuites spirituall priestes which are consecrated and clensed These are as Peter sayth all that truly beleue in christ but especially they which faythfully teach the word by which the righteousnes of fayth doth enter into the hart These offer true acceptable sacrifices in righteousnes that is in the fayth of Christ which before God is true righteousnes They offer themselues in fayth they offer an humble and penitent hart and they offer prayses and thankesgeuing for their redemption in Christ The holy doctors as often as they do conuert the people by the gospell from darcknes of vnbelefe vnto the light and from the power of Sathan vnto God so often do they offer an acceptable sacrifice vnto the
heritical members and yet hath alwayes scaped and in the end obtained victory and triumphed ouer them all For the word of the Lord abideth for euer ¶ Anna. This Easter Sermon is more plenteous and of greater authoritie with me then all the pompe and wealth of the whole world Nay what are a hundred thousand worldes with the vanitie of all their wealth power and pompe in comparisō of such great promises of God as we haue in Iesus Christ Euen nothing at all I hartely thanke God our heauenly father that he hath vouchsafed me to liue vnto that happy daye that I might heare such an apostolicall Sermon And I hope that I shall euer hereafter be better for it while I liue And I trust I haue receaued such comfort here by that that I shall euer hereafter celebrate that ioyfull feast of Easter with spiritual comfort in Christ For this gospell which was promised in the prophets so many ages agoe is now preached openly throughout this world in these latter dayes doth not exclude me For euery one which beleueth in Christ and calleth vpon his name shall be safe Here is no merite of mine spoken of as necessarye to lyfe and saluation but onely the infinit merit of Iesus Christ which is preached of all the prophets and Euangelists The mercifull and euerlasting God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ our Father be praysed for euer and euer for the holsome misteries of the holy Gospell of Christ Iesus which he hath so mercifully opened and so richly geuen vnto vs vnworthy sinners ☞ Vrba Now you know what S. Paul meaneth where he sayth that Iesus Christ is our wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption geuen vs of God and you see what is the true hope helpe and comfort of Israell ¶ Anna. I see it and I beleue it The Lord increase my fayth And I beseech thee O most merciful Father for Iesus Christes sake our onely reconciler that thou wilt also vouchsafe to reueale the comfortable gospell of thy vnspeakable grace promised geuen in thy only begotten son Iesus Christ by thy holy spirite vnto our beloued children which thou hast geuen vs to the inlarging of the kingdome of Christ and to the glory of thy most blessed name that they by the inward instruction of thy spirite may vnderstand and beleue this Sermon of thy son and through thy holy spirite continew vnto the end in that fayth of Christ and hope of the Gospell and true Israell All the riches of this world are nothing to this christian fayth I wish vnto my deere children no other felicitye no other dowries no other riches nor no other inheritaunce but that they may truely and constantly bebeleue this sermon which if they doe then are they rich enough in this world and in the world to come though they should neuer so poorely here begge their bread all the dayes of their lyfe For by fayth in Christ we haue God the father God the son and God the holy ghost one true God by the inestimable benefits and merite of Christ who for our sakes became man that we might be made the children of God and that God might be our louing Father And now what can we want seeing we haue thee O Lord the onely true and louing god to be our Father through Iesus Christ our Lord who is our owne proper righteousnes lyfe and and saluation ☞ Vrba God keepe you and me and our Children in this fayth and then are we fafe then shall we be passing well then shall we haue perfect ioy of spirite and then shall we dayly and hourely with ioy celebrate the ioyfull feast of Easter till we with our beloued childrē passe out of this fraile and trāsitory lyfe into the heauēly kingdome of Iesus Christ our Lord and true God which hath ben prepared for vs from the beginning of the world of which thing I am assured The Lord cōfirme our fayth and hope vnto the eternall glory of his holy name ¶ Anna. Amen ☞ Vrba But you must euery day wife when you haue geuen God thankes and made your prayers thorowely ponder with your selfe these thinges of the gospell of Christ which I haue ben now a good long time in speaking and you must kepe them in your hart as a most rich treasure and pretious iuell ¶ Anna I will doe it by Gods grace and God blesse me and all good Christians ☞ Vrba Amen ¶ Anna. Amen FINIS The Lordes name be praysed And O Lord I beseech thee geue plentifull fruite of these my Labors Amen Amen * ⎠* Luke 9.26 Iohn 8.51 1. Ione 5.1 Reuel 12.12 1. Pet. 5.8 Luk. 22.31 Ephe. 2.12 Acts. 23. Luke 24.16 Rom. 6.23 Gen. 25.33 Reuel 12.12 Iohn 5.25 and August l. 4. de trinitate c. 3. Reuel 12.4 1. Pet. 1.7 Deut. 8.3 Rom. 15.4 Math. 4.4 Emaus signifieth the bright morning Cleophas signifieth all glory Gene. 10.9 Luke 24.13 Acts. 8.23 Math. 13.44 and 45. Iesus signifieth a Sauior Iohn 20.25 Math. 21.22 Ieremy 5.9 Rom. 15.4 Ephe. 2.3 Ezechi 3.18 Genesis Psalmes Prouer. Esay Ieremy Ezechias Daniell Micheas Zephany Aggias Zachary Abdias Mathew Iohn A Iesus Sy. 30.23 B Phll. 2 18. A 2. Cor. 7 10. A holy greyfe Christ the way to god A Ioh. 14. v. 6. Esay 66.14 C Mat. 11.27 B Col. 2.9 D Esay 53 11. How needfull it is to know Christ E Cor. 2.1 F Iohn 17.3 G 1. Cor 1.23 Lukc 24. A Col. 3.16 Pray before we read or heare the word B 1 Cor. 2. ¶ A praier A Luke 10. A Iohn 4 46. The first promise of grace B Gen. 3 C. Rom. 1 Gal. 3. The misteries of the promise in the seede of the woman T' at is the Caldey bible Only by Christ not by our selus or workes are we sauid e. Rom. 5.15 f. Gen. 3.15 Feare not though the deuill fishe he cannot bite g. Rom. 6.14 h. Ebr. 2. The promise which was made to Adam was the Gospell The promise renued to Abraham i. Gen. 12.3 and 18.28 and 21. and 18. k. Gen. 26.4 l. Gen. 28.14 M Rom. 1.1 N Act. 3.24 O Esay 53 10. The end of threats in preaching p. Gal. 3.24 q. Heb. 10.1 r. Heb. 7.18 s. Act. 17.1 t. Luk. 24.44 what the Prophets looked for v. 1. Pet. 1.10 a. Luke 24.47 Repentance the first step to grace b. Psal. 51.5 c. Rom. 5.12 What we are by nature The naturall man. D Gen. 8.21 E 1. Cor 15 22. F Ephe. 2.3 H Ephe. 2.1 K 1. Thes 4.5 L Psal. 116.11 M Ier. 17.9 N 1. Cor. 2.14 O Gen. 3 19. P Gen. 2.17 Q Rom. 6.23 The law r. Deut. 27.26 ſ. Psal. 119.21 t. Mat. 19.17 u Gal. 5.19 The frutes of our flesh naturally x. Gal. 3.22 Where then be papistical merites The cause why we are threatned with the law To whom Christ was sent Y Ro. 3.20 Z Gal. 3.24 Z Gal. 3.21 The end why the law was geuen Fayth saueth a. Gen
Christ no cause of our sal Math. 11.6 Luke 2.34 Acts. 28.22 Rom. 9.31 Rom. 9.31 1. Pet. 2.4 Esay 11.1 The graces of the holy ghost Mat. 23.13 The title and cognisance of Christians Col. 3.4 We are crossed that our old Adam may be mortified We are crossed that our old Adam may be mortified Christes scepter with which he ruleth Christes scepter the word smiteth the earth the old Adam 1. Thes 2.8 Fayth is our righteousnes Esa. 11.6 The Wolues dwelleth with the lambes Esay 11.10 Christ our banner set vp for vs to loke on in the battalle of a troubled conscience The brasen serpent Gen. 49 The Gentils called to be the people of God. Christes burial a glorious rest Exo. 14.15 Ioh. 12.32 Ioh. 11.51 Esa. 12. Esay 12.53 Ioh. 4.14 Iohn 7.37 1. Cor. 15.57 Esa. 25.8 Christ victorious walles Perfect peace Esa. 26.19 Our resurrection Where the dead be vntil the last day Mat. 22.32 Our state in the world to come Ioh. 16.33 Phil. 3.7 Esa. 27 2◠The church gods vineyard Mat. 20.21 Math. 8.11 The great trumpe the Gospell The true deliuerance of Israel Esa. 13.14 Acts. 8.4 Rom. 5.1 Peace only in the church Esa. 35.1 Esay 52.11 Great comfort Esay 35.5 What that holy way is No way to God but faith Iohn 14.6 Faith the holy way to God and way but it to God. Euen the greatest sinner that is shall be safe if he go this way Who be the redemed Our state without Christ The ioy of christians is the true ioy Ioh. 16.22 Apoc. 21.4 Euen the godly are often sad as it were without faith Psal. 13.3 Esay 40.9 Esa. 40.11 Iho. 10.11 Wekelings Esay 43.20 What caused Christ to dye Good workes are not to be trusted in The regenerated and faithfull are true Iacobites Esay 44.3 Esa. 44 12. Esa. 49.7 1 Cor. 4.17 The godly in this life must be persecuted Rom. 8.36 Iohn 16.2 2. Co. 6.17 Luk. 11.24 Esay 44. The word the sacraments and the holy Ghost the welsprings by which our thirst is quenshed Lust 13.24 The godly are terrified with Gods iudgement and fere hel Euē the elected doubt sometime that God hath forsaken them will distroy them The temptations of the best and godliest A comfort for vs in our temptations Math. 7.9 God watcheth ouer vs to saue vs. He that stādeth in patience shall not fayie of helpe Sin a tyrāt ouer vs 2. Pet. 1. Esa. 50.6 The comfort of the Church by the examples of Abraham and Esay 51.3 A great comfort Esay 52.1 None mēbers of Sion but beleuers Math. 22.12 Phi. 3.20 Mens traditions lawes must not trouble vs Esa. 52.4 The pharisies and papists in this be alike Esay 52.5 Verse 6. Mat. 17.5 Ephe. 2.17 Verse 7. If you will bide and be Christes none shal hurt you Verse 8. Verse 9. Christ the arme of God. Esa. 52.13 and 53.1 Esa. 53.1 Rom. 11.32 Thes 2.16 What kind of kingdom Christ is Wherfore christ came How christ ruleth A note of worldlings and good christians Why the Iewes call christ Thalui What the sprinkling of the gentils is The strange working of god Euen the Apostles staggered douted whether Christ were Messias or no. Luke 13 33. 1. Cor. 2.14 Lu. 24.45 Christ a branch we by nature barren ground and vnfruitful Ioh. 18.8 Our nature is fouly corrupted The greeuousnes of sinne Horrible blasphemy to say good workes purge sinne 2. Pet. 2.1 A true comfort Monasteries to be abhored Esay 53.4 Ioh. 18.30 Mans reason Rom. 4.25 Psal. 14.3 1. Pet. 1.20 Our gospel God cānot condemne vs if we beleue How christ was in iudgement Rom. 6.9 Gal. 3 13. Christ became accursed for vs. The knowledge and vnderstanding of Christ the righteousnes of all Christians The righteousnes of fayth and how we are saued Acts. 7.52 Merites of munks and fryars helpe not in the work of iustification Hebr. 5.7 Gene. 17.16 O noble and cōfortable exchange Rom. 8.18 Rom. 8. 2. Cor. 4 A great and notable comfort The cause why we be tempted troubled The Christians art The beuty of the Church 2. Pet. 3.13 Apoc. 21.1 Heb. 13.14 Needfull to know the word and promises Esa. 55.1 A sweete exhortation Iohn 4.1 Math. 11. Who lay out their mony for nought Iohn 8.52 Psal. 87.4 Euen the godliest of all sometimes weake and offend Rom. 8.1 Rom. 4.16 Acts. 13.46 Act. 28.28 Esa. 59.20 Math 28.20 The Iews shall be come Christians before the last day Rom. 11.25 Esa. 60.1 A prophesie of Inglāds calling to the Gospel Esa. 60.6 Esa. 60.6 Esa. 60.7 Esa. 60.7 Esa. 60.8 Esa. 60.9 Esa. 6.10 A fatherly correction Esay 60.11 The church cannot be ouerthrowen Esa. 60.13 Esay 60.14 Esa. 60.17 A property of the godly Psal. 84.4 Christ forsaketh not his vtterly Our state in heauen Rom. 8 2. Pet. 2 13. Why and how we shal be glorifyed Esay 92 1◠1. Cor. 1.30 Psal. 37 39. The new name Comfort vnder the cros Rom. 5.10 Troble and vexation a signe that we be gods children Esa. 62.6 Esa. 62.8 The vngodly men haue no part of gods peace Esa. 62.10 The catholick church Edom. Christs bloud vpon the Iewes Christ alone trod the wine pres Collos 2. Mat. 12.21 The punishment of those christ-killers Esay 65.11 Esay 65.1 Esay 65.8 Esay 65 13 1. Tim. 4.8 Ioh. 6.27 The true bread and food Luk. 22.24 Rom. 14.17 Rom. 2.8 The name of a Iew odious Acts 11 25. There is no God but Christ Iesus our sauiour and he for our saluation died feare not therefore condēnation How our foremer troubles are forgot Our cōfort and blessing and first fruites of the spirite Esay 65.17 The earth a vale of misery 1 Cor. 15.28 2. Cor. 1.5 Psal 94.19 Ioh. 16.20 Christians ioyes 1. Cor. 2.9 Esa. 64.4 Our resurrection and state after this lyfe De ciuitate Dei. 2. ca. 12. Esay 66.18 Mar. 16 15. Christ our signe or bāner Rom. 15.15 The heauēly Ierusalem De ciuita Dei. ca. 12. Iere. 11.18 Esay 53.6 Ioh. 16.55 2. Cor. 13.4 Ier. 16.19 Ier. 16.16 Mat. 4.19 Ier. 20.1 Iere. 23.5 Gal. 4.4 Christ the blossom of Dauid Reg. 6.12 Rom. 8.38 Iohn 3.14 1. Cor. 15.56 Ier. 33.11 Egipt a figure of hell and Pharao of the deuill Ier. 23.7 Iere. 30.2 Osia 1.6 Iere. 30. chap. 5. Christ is called Christ Psal. 89.20 Luk. 1.68 Ier. 31.1 Rom. 14.17 Ier. 31.10 To haue a will to kepe Gods law and to loue it is not of the flesh ergo of God and a signe of election Iere. 31.31 Heb. 8.6 The law Outward circumcisiō and cerimones Ioh. 8.56 2. Cor. 3.3 The new leage of grace is firme and ure Ro. 11.29 Ioh. 1.17 No difference betwē the saluatiō of the Iewes and Gentiles Eze. 11.17 Captiuitie of Babilon If the hart desire to obserue keep Gods law it is a mery hart and it is a signe the thou art regenerated Moises law Deu. 10.16 Deu. 50.6 A descriptiō of the godly Ezec. 36.25 The sacrament of
seed and trusteth not in him with all his hart he perysheth he is vndone he is ordayned to damnation he is the bondslaue of Sathan how great so euer he be both in body and soule But he that layth hold of this seed here promised by faith he escapeth the tyranny of Sathan and is delyuered from death and eternal damnatiō with him al things go wel because he shal be the Sonne of God partaker of euerlasting saluation and heir of life which lasteth for euer Here must we diligently mark that God doth promise help deliueraunce and sure victory of Sathan death and sinne but not without our Mediator not for our own sakes not by our own strength not for our own vertues not by our own wisdom not by our own skil not for our deserts or worthines By or for what then Not by or for any other thing but only this seed of the womā that is Christ alone our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mediator To this word or holy promise must we trust which if we doe there is no doubt but that God by Christ wil delyuer vs out of the power of Sathan Which thing the holy Ghost doth fully witnes by many testimonies in the new Testament where he saith that Christ is our Priest our high Priest our Righteousnes our Mediator our Redeemer our Life our way our Light our Truth our Sauyour and the Conqueror of the Prince of the world And one that hath geuen vs again a great deal more fully and absolutely those thinges which we lost in Adam then before we had them And this doth Paul very notably set forth to the Romans where making an Antithesis betwixt Adam Christ Sinne and Grace he saith But yet the gift is not so as is the offence for if by one mannes offence many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Iesus Christ hath aboūded to many The Latine text hath Insidiaberis calcaneo eius that is Thou shalt lay wayt to sting his heele as the seuenty Translators did translate it But the Hebrue text hath it Veathath teschu phennu akeb that is Thou shalt rent or bruise his heele The holy Ghost doth vse in both the places in the Hebrue tongue only this word scoph But Rabbi Salomon geueth this note In as much saith he as this word which is here vsed is twise set down in this promise it is as much to say as with hissing to assail or to hisse as doth an Adder which hissingly assayleth a man and puffingly bloweth vpon him and hath not yet stinged him And this interpretation hath a very good sence here very fit and agreeing with this place For although that old Serpent be most cruel and enuyous against vs and although he hate vs stil most deadly and striue against vs and tempt vs euery way yet hath he not power at his plesure to hurt vs as he would For it is but only with vain hissing that he assayleth Christ and his Church And the enmity which is betwixt that old Serpent that vnclean Spirit and Christ and Christians both hath and will shew it self by many and plain signes and persecutions For that sinful Serpent hissed vpon Christ when he was made man very bitterly and enuiously and he prickt and hurt his heel greeuously at what time the Iewes being set on fire with a most deuilish enuy hatred cruelty and spitefulnes rushed like mad men vpō Christ and first horribly and intollerably beat him and then nayled him to the crosse and lastly most shamefully killed him Yet was this foul Serpent so far from extinguishing and ouercomming Christ that by that very means wherby he wēt about to hurt him he ouerthrew him self and destroyed his own kingdome and power For then he lost all the right and abilitie which he had either to trouble appeach or accuse the true beleeuers in Christ And though he as his nature is sting and hisse at all the Children of Adam and miserably vexe greeue and torment them with temptations lyes heresies persecutions sinnes and death it self Yet all that he can doe against the godly though he be neuer so enuyous and wicked is nothing els but hissing yea he is so far from hurting or harming them that he greatly euen profiteth them when he killeth them and thinketh to hurt them For by that hissing wherwith he assayled the Seed of the woman he bringeth mankind out of this miserable and wretched world into most happy and euerlasting blessednes And the womans Seed that is to say Christ who himself also vnder the shape of a Serpent was lifted vp in the wildernes doth in the mean time break his head beat it all to pouder Who so euer doth behold this Christ with holy eyes putteth all his hope trust in him Sathan with all his poysened hissing and byting can neuer a whit hurt him in that appertayneth to the health of his soule He may in deed tosse vs with temptations and puffe vpon vs with his poisonful hissing and throw vs into the puddle of sinne But Christ is redy at hand to help vs and to heale the wounds which we receue of the Serpents biting He forgeueth vs our sinnes and strengthneth vs with his holy spirit that Sinne hath not henceforth dominion ouer vs and he restoreth vs again to life that by this temporall death we enter not into euerlasting death but sleep in Christ which is our life in whom both in body and soul we shal liue for euer So that both truely and godly it may and ought be sayd that the Gentils and the vnbeleeuing only be they that dye and not the faithful in Christ This is most certain and sure Christ by his desert hath wrought this thing in vs and is the Author of this great and wonderfull benefit Sathan can doe vs no harme he cannot any way hurt our soules but shal be thrown as subiect vnder our feet For Christ hath ouercome that our enemie bereft him of his pray and daunted all his force This victory which Christ hath got of Sathā and obtayned in his manhode for mannes saluation doth Paul set forth in the Epistle to the Hebrewes where he saith For asmuch then as the children were partakers of flesh and bloud that is for asmuch as men did spring of Adam He that is Christ also himself likewise toke part with them that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the Deuil and that he might delyuer all them which for feare of death were all their life time subiect to bondage For he in no sort toke the Angels but he took the seed of Abraham And thus that cōfortable promise which was made to Adam was the Gospell and onely comfort of Adā and all the holy Fathers vnto Noe and Abrahā This promise the Fathers beleued and by this promise were they iustified saued For all their trust
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
with God true peace securitye euerlasting ioy true life and eternall saluatiō For if the sin of the Gentiles should not be taken away then in deede should neither death nor Sathans tyranny and kingdome be taken away neither could they haue any cōfort or hope But seing that Christ is their hope and comfort and that no vaine comfort for God himselfe speaketh it then surely must all heuines calamities and misery be taken away from the gentiles also which is nothing els but sin euill conscience death and euerlasting damnation And therfore must they also of necessitie rise from death and liue for euer with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen You see by the Epistle of S. Peter that the prophets haue respect vnto the health of the soules and therfore their whole indeuor is to preach true comfort seing the prophecie of Christ who brought vs from sin to righteousnes and innocencye and from death to life euerlasting as we finde he doth in deed Moreouer he hath deserued for vs the comforter the holy Ghost by whome he helpeth and comforteth vs vnder the crosse vntill we be called out of this fraile and miserable life and receaue the promised crowne of glory which in deede we posses in this earth though it be but yet in fayth and hope ¶ Anna. You alwayes haue sayd that Zachary is a prophet full of notable comforts Let vs therfore here what comfort he geueth vs by his promises ☞ Vrba He is in deede a comfortable prophet and the dayes wherein he liued required the same For he prophecied when the Iewes were euen at the point of returning out of the captiuitie of Babilon and when the Citie with the temple should be builded agayne The people at that time were yet faint harted fearefull and doubted that they should not be safe from their enemies and therfore he comforteth them and setteth Christ before their eyes as a louing Sauiour that so they might be of good cheare saying that Christ should spedely come and helpe his seruantes and spread his kingdome through the whole world and therfore was it needefull that Iuda and Ierusalem should be builded againe to the end they might receaue their owne king And the prophet speaketh as followeth Ierusalem shall be inhabited without the walles for the multitude of men and cattell therein For I sayth the Lord will be vnto her a wall of fire round about and will be the glory in the midest of her Here he prophesieth of the spirituall Ierusalem to wit the church of Christ for the earthly Ierusalem had hir boundes and walles but the heauenly Ierusalem shal be so wide and large that it can not be compassed with any walles yea it shall be as wide as the world For it is the kingdome of Christ which by little and little without ceasing shall be increased vnto the last day and the true children of Abraham are as the God of Abraham promised euen as the sand of the sea and the starre in the firmament and the promised blessing shall come vpon all nations through the whole world that Christ maye be knowen and worshipped euery where for the true Lord god By the cattell vnderstand weakelinges and such as are ignoraunt in the knowledge of the scriptures and fayth these are led and fed in the pastures of Christ by those which are more strong and firme in fayth But he is a merueilous wall which is all fiery truly the Church of Christ in this place hath so great and comfortable a promise of Gods helpe as you shall scarsely finde in any other place of the scriptures For I wil be saith the Lord a wall of fire round about hir the Church of Christ You see that he speaketh here of the heauenly Citye wherein God himselfe will be the watchman keper wall defēder if their God be thus present with vs we haue iust cause to reioyce in the Lord seeing that wheresoeuer God himselfe watcheth defendeth and fighteth for vs there are we safe out of daunger of this world and Sathan and neede not feare them To be breefe the great humilititie of Christ Iesus in that he vouchsafed to become man being the true son of God and the sending of the holy ghost the true teacher of holsome doctrine in the Church of God whereby the church is still houlden and preserued in truth that it may stedfastly cleaue to God where as otherwise the whole world is blinded with errors caried away with lyes and miserably deceaueth it selfe these I say do sufficiētly declare how gloriously the Lord hath shewted himselfe in this spirituall Ierusalem Sathan the world and heretickes do not cease nor sleepe but bend themselues in all they may yea they striue with hand and foote to destroy Christ his church But although according to the flesh it be weake yet neuerthelesse it standeth and getteth the victory ouer all hir enemies So plentifully doth the Lord declare his glory in his spirituall citye the Church In the wordes following he setteth forth the helpe and comfort which we shall haue in Christ his kingdome saying He which toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye How I pray you could a most louing and tender father speak more louingly or sweetely euen to his darling and derely beloued son if the Lord looke carefully to vs as men vse to looke to the apple of their eyes then surely can no hurt happen vnto vs in the kingdome of Christe neither neede we to feare any daunger A little after Zachary comforteth such Christiās as are vnder the crosse and by reason of the weakenes of the flesh are in feare and trouble euen as the Iewes were at that time saying Reioyce and be glad O daughter Sion for I come and will dwell in the middest of thee sayth the Lord and many nations shall be ioyned to the Lord in that day and shall be my people and I will dwell in the middest of thee and thou shalt know the Lord of hostes hath sent me vnto the. And the Lord shall inherit Iuda his portiō in the holy land and shall chuse Ierusalem agayne Let all flesh be still before the Lord for he is raised vp out of his holy place That is to say O Sion although thou be afflicted here in the earth yet be of good chere because thou shalt cōtinew For I my selfe do come and abide with thee Was not this fulfilled when god became man and at this day wheresoeuer Gods word is receaued there doth God dwell and that is the true Sion as Christ sayth in Iohn He that loueth mee keepeth my commaundementes and my Father will loue him and we will come vnto him and will dwell with him Surely this is the spirituall kingdome wherein god dwelleth with vs by the gospel and by fayth which the holy ghost worketh in vs as S. Paul sayth to the Ephe Christ dwelleth in our hartes by fayth And Esay telleth vs where God