worde vpon vs and we lyke most brutyshe beastes hauing as yet refused the same and taken no delyght at all therein let vs harken what he sayth vnto vs. Unto whom shall I speake and admonishe sayth the Lord that they may heare Beholde their cares are vncircumcised and they can not hearken beholde the worde of the Lorde is vnto them as a reproch and they haue no delight at all therein For the Pastores they are become as beasts and haue not sought the Lord therefore haue they none vnderstanding And the wise men of the worlde they are ashamed of the worde of God Lo saith the Lord. They haue reiected the worde of the Lord and therefore what wysedome can there be in them And the people lykewyse they are spoyled for lacke of knowledge and haue also refused it Therfore heare O earth sayth the Lord I wyll cause a Plague to come vpon this people euen the fruite of their owne imaginations and because they haue refused knowledge I wyll also refuse them and as they haue not taken heede vnto my worde but cast it off euen so wyll I cast off them Wherfore seeing that the Lord hath commaunded the earth to heare what a controuersie he hath therewith and euer more hath had and onely for the contempt and reiecting of his holy worde and we as full of impietie in that kinde as euer any Nation was My purpose is to bring to your remembraunce his iudgementes of olde and to lay them before your eyes as the Prophet sayth he did before his to the end that who so is wyse amongst you as sayth the same Prophet may obserue and vnderstand these thinges and also beholde with the Apostle both the louing kindnes and the seueritie of the Lord His louing kindnes towardes all those that haue delighted in his holy word and by faith imbraced his couenantes therein conteyned and with willingnes obeyed his commandementes and his seuerity against all those that haue rebelled against him and the same That so when you haue heard seene how seuere a Iudge the Lord is you may with all speede euen while it is called To day get you to the Booke of God that so you may heare his voyce and to plough vp the fallowe grounde of your hart that so that immortall seede of the worde of God may take such deepe roote therein as that it may beget you anew euen to the bringing foorth of fruite not only of thyrty or sixty folde but also euen of a full hundreth The which the Lord for his mercies sake graunt vnto vs euery one Amen The Iudgementes of God vpon the Angelles that sinned and likewyse vpon our fyrst Parentes and the rest of the olde worlde SO farre foorth as the Scripture speaketh of Angelles or of other creatures or of any other matter els whatsoeuer so farre may we be bolde to speake and not further For the hid thinges belonge vnto the Lorde but the reuealed thynges belonge vnto vs and our chyldren for euer sayth Moses First then for those Angels which through rebellion agaynst the Lorde beganne to exalt them selues not being contented with their first estate but grudging therat and also repining at the glorious estate of Mankinde and so leauing their owne habitation and calling them the Lord hath not spared but cast them downe euen into the bottomles pit of Hell and hath delyuered them into cheynes of darknes to be kept vnto damnation euen vnto the Iudgement of the great and terrible day of the Lorde Agayne our fyrst Parentes whom the Lorde had created in so glorious an estate euen after his owne image and lykenes and giuen them rule ouer the workes of his handes and dominion and Lordshyp ouer all his creatures yet full sone forgate they his precepts and cast off his commaundementes Wherefore he suffered not them to continue in this their fyrst honour but presently tooke he away euen all their glory and so they became lyke vnto the Beastes that peryshe And through that one offence of theirs sinne entred into the worlde and death by sinne which death went ouer all men for asmuch as all men haue sinned for by that one offence the fault came on all men to their vtter condemnation And Kain their eldest Sonne who was of the wicked euen that seede of the Serpent that should begin to bruse the heele of the seede of the woman hee I say made plaine their corruption for he continued in striuing against the Lord and despised the couenant of saluation pronounced to his father Adam in Paradise the which couâ—…nant he was taught as well as his brother Abell and yet would he not imbrace the same by faith as his brother did but made a mocke thereat and trode vnder foote the Sonne of God So that this his great wickednes by the euent appeared in that he murdered his owne brother whereby hee shewed himselfe to be of his Father the Deuill who as our Sauiour sayth was a murderer from the beginning that is to say from the very first day of Adam his creation for the which cause this Kaâ—…n had an open curse and was excommunicated from the presence of the Lorde euen as a vacabonde and a runnagate giuen ouer to his owne wayes His wicked posteritie as rotten braunches of an euill roâ—…te hold on in the lyke vngodly dealings and euill sayings Unto whom Henoch the seuenth from Adam prophesied saying Beholde you wicked ones the Lorde commeth with thousands of his Saincâ—…s to giue iudgement against al men and to rebuke all the vngodly amongst them of all their wicked deedes which they haue vngodlie committed and of all their cruell speakings which wicked sinners haue spoken against the Lorde Now if you will know what they sayd the holy Ghost doth tell you how that they sayde vnto God Depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes and lykewise they asked what the almightie colde do for them notwithstanding he had filled their houses with all good things Yea and moreouer though Noe were a Preacher of righteousnesse vnto these wicked ones by the space of sixe score yeares all which time he prepared himselfe to the making of the Arke through the which he condemned the whole worlde yet notwithstanding they made but a floute of the threatninges of the Lord saying Where is the promise of his comming for euer since the fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation And moreouer tush say they let vs eate and drinke and take our pleasure Let vs marrie and giue in marriage Let vs build our houses huge and high and so foorth And thus were these wicked wretches willingly ignorant euen vnto the very day that Noe went into the Arke and would not know how that the same word which in the begeinning caused the waters to vncouer the earth might
it Being altogether disobedient to receiue doctrine though he taught them rising vp yeerely and instructed them continually yet would they not heare neyther would they remember what he had done vnto Shilo but stil prouoked hym vnto the like anger with the workes of their handes for they became such rebellious traytors that the Lordes ministers the prophetes knewe not vnto whome they should speake and admonish because the word of the Lord was vnto them as a reproch and they had no delight at all therein neyther would they take any heede thereto nor to his lawes but cast them off and rather inclined to the statutes of Omry and kept all the maner of the house of Ahab And therefore because they cast off the law of the Lord of hostes and contemned the word of the holy one of Israel his wrath was so kindled agaynst them that as a flame of fire deuoureth the stubble and as the chaffe is consumed of y e flame euen so became their roote as a rottennesse so that theyr land shooke them cleane off for in the dayes of Iehoiakim Iehoakin Zedekias the wrath of the Lord was so kindled that he stirred vp the spirite of the Caldeans that bitter and furious nation against them and gaue them into the hands of Nebuchadnezar king of Babel who carryed them into the land of Shinar euen to the place where the Hebrew toonge at the first was confounded by the foolish building of the seuentie families so likewise at this time almost vtterly lost and the Lord caused them to remaine there as dead bones for the space of seuentie yeeres vntil their owne land had payd her sabbothes according as y e Lord long before by Moses had told theÌ„ For sayth he If ye wil not obey me but walke stubbornly agaynst me and despise mine ordinances and abhorre my lawes then will I walke stubbornly agaynst you and I will scatter you amongst the heathen and will draw out a sword after you and your land shalbe wast your cities desolate then shall the land inioy her sabbothes as long as it lyeth voyd and ye shall be in your enimies land that so your land may rest inioy her sabbothes euen all the dayes that it lyeth voyd it shall rest because it did not rest in your sabbothes when ye dwelt vpon it and euen so it came to passe for hauing neglected their sabbothes of euery seuenth yeare they were carried vnto their enemies land vntill theyr owne land had her fil of her sabbothes for al the daies that she lay desolate she kept sabboth to fulfill seuentie yeares according as the prophet Ieremy did likewise tell them who for the space of fortie yeares laboured amongest them before he could make them beeleue that so it should be but yet in y â— end they found it most true for the Lord of hostes bent hys bowe as an vtter enimie agaynst them and his right hand was stretched out as an open aduersary so that he powred out his fierce wrath like fire and consumed all his pallaces and destroyed his strong holds and made her aduersaries the chiefe and her enimies to prosper agaynst her euen agaynst Ierusalem the perfection of bewtie did he cause the Chaldeans to prosper who brake downe the walles thereof and burnt the house of the Lord and the kings house and all the great houses in Ierusalem burnt they with fire and the holy vessels and all the instruments of the house of the Lord by these prophane were carryed to Babell So that notwithstanding the kinges of the earth and all the inhabitantes of the worlde would not haue beleeued as the prophet sayth that euer the aduersarie and the enemie should haue entered into the gates of Ierusalem yet now did they enter euen into the very sanctuary and made a noyse in the house of the Lord as in the day of solemnitie and stretched out their handes vppon all her pleasant thinges and thus was this famous citie made solitarie that was ful of people yea she that was great amongst the nations became now as a widdow and shee that was as a princes amongest the prouinces was nowe made tributary and the Lord caused her feastes and sabbothes to be forgotten yea he vtterly forsooke his altar and abhorred his sanctuarie so that the waies of Sion as it were lamented because no man came to her solemne feastes but in stead thereof the enimies that passed by clapped their handes at her hissing and wagging their heades at the daughter of Ierusalem saying Is this the citie that men call the perfection of bewtie and the ioy of the whole earth yea all her enimies opened their mouthes against her in y e day of her destruction saying Let vs deuoure her for certainly this is the day that we looked for we haue found it seene it therefore downe with her say the sonnes of Edom and rase her walles yea rase theâ—… euen to the very foundation thereof And thus most despitefully did all her enemies helpe forward her affliction and reioyce ouer her in this her visitation and those that were the tayle are nowe become the head and aduance themselues as Lordes ouer them but from the daughter of Sion is all bewtie departed and her princes are now become as heartes that finde no pasture yea all the noble princes of Sion which were comparable to fine gold are now esteemed but as earthen pitchers and all those that were brought vp in skarlet are nowe driuen to imbrace the doong and those that fed most delicately perish now in the streetes yea the toonge of the suckling childe cleaueth to the roofe of his mouth for thirst and the yong children aske bread but no man breaketh it vnto them but rather the hands of the pitifull women are vpon their owne children to seeth â—…em to be their meate euen vpon the fruite of their owne boâ—… children of a span long So that here we may say againe 〈◊〉 behold both the louing kindnesse and the seueritie of the Lord his louing kindnesse towardes the house of Israel and Iuda so long as they delighted to heare hys voyce and were willing to obey hys commandementes and hys seueritie so soone as they reiected the same according as by all hys prophetes he had tolde them euen so came the curse vpon them as it is written in the law of Moses The iudgementes of God vppon the Iewes after their returne from Babell vnto our sauiour Christ his birth and also of their vtter reiection within seuentie yeares after for not receiuing hym THe prophet Daniel being carried into Babylon in the third yeare of Iehoiakim king of Iuda and continuing there vnto the first yeare of Cyrus king of Persia and vnderstanding also by the scriptures the number of yeares whereof the Lord had spoken vnto the prophet Ieremie how that he would accomplishe seuentie yeares in the desolation
of Ierusalem knew very well that in the first yeare of Darius of the seede of the Medes as also of Cyrus king of Persia these seuentie yeares were expired Whereupon he turneth hymselfe vnto the Lord with fasting and in sackcloth and ashes making his confession and praying O Lord God which art great and fearefull and keepest couenant and mercy toward all them whiche loue thee and toward them whiche keepe thy commandementes but wee haue sinned and haue committed iniquitie and haue done wickedly yea we haue rebelled and haue departed from thy preceptes and from thy iudgementes For we would not obey thy seruaunts the prophetes which speake in thy name to our kinges to our princes to our fathers and to all the people of the land O Lord righteousnesse belongeth vnto thee to vs open shame as appeareth this day vnto euery man of Iuda and to the inhabitantes of Ierusalem yea vnto all Israel both neere and farre off through all the countries whither thou hast driuen them because of their offences that they haue committed agaynst thee O Lord vnto vs appertaineth open shame to our kinges to our princes and to our fathers because we haue sinned agaynst thee Yet compassion and forgiueuesse is in the Lord our God albeit we haue rebelled agaynst him For we haue not obeyed the voyce of the Lord our God to walke in his lawes which he had layd before vs by the ministerie of his seruantes the prophetes Yea all Israel haue transgressed thy law and are turned backe and haue not heard thy voyce therefore the curse is powred vppon vs and the othe which is written in the lawe of Moses the seruant of God because we haue sinned agaynst hym and hee hath confirmed his wordes which he spake agaynst vs agaynst our iudges that iudged vs by bringing on vs a great plague for vnder the whole heauen hath not bene the like as hath bene brought vpon Ierusalem All this plague is come vpon vs as it is written in the lawe of Moses yet made wee not our prayer before the Lord our God that we might turne from our iniquities and vnderstand thy trueth therefore hath the Lord made readie the plague and brought it vpon vs. For the Lord our God is righteous in all his workes which he doth for we would not heare his voyce And now O Lord our God that hast brought thy people out of the land of Egypt with a mightie hand and hast gotten thee renowne as appeareth this day wee haue sinned we haue done wickedly yet O Lord according to all thy righteousnesse I beseeche thee let thine anger and thy wrath be turned away from thy citie Hierusalem thine holy mountaine for because of our sinnes and for the iniquities of our fathers Ierusalem and thy people are a reproche to all that are about vs. Now therefore O Lord our God heare the prayer of thy seruant and his supplications and cause thy face to shine vpon thy sanctuary that lyeth wast for the Lords sake O my God incline thine care and heare open thine eies and behold our desolations and the citie wherupon thy name is called for we doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnes but for thy great tender mercies O Lord heare O Lord forgiue O Lord consider and doe it deferre not for thine owne sake O my God for thy name is called vpon thy citie and vpon thy people So here you see a prayer framed vpon a sounde grounde and squared by that iust rule of Moses and according to the forme of that by Salomon with full assurance beeing done according to that rule that the Lord would shewe himselfe a righteous iudge and therefore whiles hee was speaking and praying and confessing his own sinnes and the sinnes of his people Israel and presenting his supplications before the Lord his God for the holy mountaine of his God euen while he was thus praying which was about the time of the euening oblation came the Angel Gabriel vnto him to giue knowledge and vnderstanding of their deliuerance and not onely how that at the very beginning of his supplications the commaundement came forth to returne them from Babylon but also that from that very houre the former seuentie yeares were to be multiplied by seuen and then should Christ the king the most holy be killed and not for himselfe but to confirme the couenant of olde made for the many of all nations that would imbrace the same By the bloud of which couenant they should be freed from confusion and redeemed not onely from the bondage of the outward but also of the spirituall Egypt and Babell and which bloud beeing shed for the remission of sinnes and for a reconciliation of all their iniquities should cause all sacrifice and oblation to cease So that here this welbeloued prophet who alwayes abode constant in the true worship of his God notwithstanding the rage of the enimie was shewed the summe and effect of all Moses and was also heard in that which he required for the Lord euer in wrath remembring mercy doth also at this time remember his mercie and promise of old made vnto their fathers and so bringeth them to the holy hill of Sion agayne euen to that freshe springing mountaine from whence suche gratious streames of doctrine continually issued as were sufficient if rightly vsed to coole the intollerable heate of all the soules that euer were or shalbe in y e world thither I say were these Iewes the people of God agayne brought And from whence Euen from a most filthy pit that without any such water which deliuerance was so great and myraculous as that from this time forward they were not to say any more the Lord liueth that brought the Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt but the Lord liueth that brought them out of the land of the North and from all the landes where he had scattered them yea it was so strange and so farre beyond their expectation as that when it came to passe they were euen like vnto men that dreamed or as men amased at so sodayn a decree and their mouthes were then filled with laughter and their toonges with ioy yea they confessed that the Lord had done great and woonderfull thinges for them But full soone doe they forget it for notwithstanding all this his great mercy and iudgementes shewed vnto them yet still they rebelled agaynst hym prophaning his holy Sabbaothes agayne and making them dayes of marchandice and also ioyned themselues with strang women of y â— land contrary to the law yea they greatly neglected the worke of his holy temple and citie saying The time is not yet come that y â— Lordes house should be built but they thought it was high time to build for themselues that so they might be setled againe in their sieled houses though the Lordes house lay wast Wherfore he was
againe so displeased with them notwithstanding all their pretence of zeale and shewe of holynesse that they were but as a polluted an vncleaue people in his sight yea all the workes of their handes and that which they offered was vncleane in the sight of the Lord so that hee caused the heauen ouer them to stay it selfe from dewe and the earth stayed her fruit for when they had sowen much they brought little in yea and when they came to their heapes of twentie measures they found but ten and to their wine presses thinking to draw out fiftie vessels they found but twentie and thus the Lord smote them with blasting with Meldewe and with Hayle in all the labours of their handes and onely to teache them to looke better vnto his holy worde that so they myght obey his wyll And yet for all this would they not try thereby wherein they had done amisse but thinke they shoulde well please the Lorde yf they wept and fasted in the first and seauenth moneth as they had done the seauenty yeeres before which was a thing that the Lord had not neyther would now approue but telleth them they shoulde rather geue care vnto his worde which by the ministerie of his Prophetes he had delyuered vnto them But in steade thereof they harden their hartes and geue stoute wordes agaynst the Lord saying It is in vayne to serue God and what profit is it that we haue kept his commandementes and walked humbly before him Doe we not see that the proude are blessed and that euen they that worke wickednes are set vp ouer vs and how they that tempt God are delyuered As yf they shoulde haue sayd Do we not see that the Babylonians reigned ouer vs for seauentie yeeres and then we were deliuered But what are we the better for that for all the tyme since the Medes and Persians reigne and rule ouer vs. And lykewyse we are cursed in all the labours of our handes But whereas they shoulde haue looked into the booke of God to see the cause of all this they are as men blynde Yea and although the Lorde geue them a speciall commaundement euen in the last elause of the olde Testament to remember the lawe of Moses which shoulde leade them as it were by the hand vnto Christe euen to that Angell of the couenaunt whom they desired to beholde yet most rebelliously do they reiect the same and so growe worse and worse euen tyll at length they become Pharisees Sadduces and such like beastes wherefore the Lord suffereth most vyle beastes lyke vnto them selues to reigne styll ouer them euen vntyll the comming of his sonne our Sauiour into the worlde And then who so blynde as the Prophet speaketh as they for whereas he that Worde which in the beginning commaunded all thinges to haue a beeing was nowe become Fleshe and dwelt amongst them whose glory they might haue behelde as the glory of the only begotten Sonne of the father full of grace and trueth yet woulde they not receyue him no although he were the day spring which was now come from on high to visite them and the true lyght which lighteneth euery man that commeth into the worlde yet loued they darknes more then lyght and to walke in the shadow of death rather then in the way of lyfe yea and although he were that true King of Israel by whom they should haue had delyuerance not onely from their mortall enimies but also from their spirituall euen hell and death and also that hygh Sacrificer whose priesthoode was not made after the lawe of the carnall commaundement but after the power of the endles lyfe euen that most holy and iust one which was seperate from sinners and was now come to enter for them not into the holy places made with handes but into the true Sanctuarie euen the very Heauen it selfe and there to appeare in the sight of God to make intercession for them yet woulde they not acknowledge him so to be but despised him and most shamefully reiected him counting him most base and vile and had no desire at all vnto him but drew away their shoulders and became styfnecked and of vncircumcised hartes and eares yea a generation of very Uypers still stopping their eares like deafe Adders and hardening their hartes agaynst him vntyll at length they vtterly denied him to be their king in the presence of Pylate the Romane gouernour saying We haue no king but Caesar. And so ioyne with the Romans to crucifie the king of Glorie euen the Lord of life whō Pylate as bad as he was could not chuse but confesse him to be their king and also to pronounce him guiltlesse and to say he could finde no cause at all of death in him yea and although the diuels themselues coulde not chuse but confesse him to be that holy one of God yet desired they rather to haue Barrabas a murtherer giuen them then the Lord of life saying Let hym be crucified let him be crucified and let his bloud be vpon vs and vpon our children for euer And so according to their owne wish it befell them for moste woefull curses hath the Lord pronounced agaynst them and his wrath as the Apostle sayth is come on them euen to the very vttermost and hath scattered them as vagabondes detested ouer the whole earth for before that generation passed they fell on the sword of the Romaines who as with a floud wrought a finall consummation of them their citie and sanctuarie euen to vtter desolation according as our Sauiour standing on mount Oliuet had told them and referred them to Daniel the ninth saying When you see the abhomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place Let them that read it consider of it that is when you see Ierusalem besieged by the abhominable campe of the Romaine infidels then knowe that your destruction is neere which before that age passed came to passe euen those dayes of vengeance of wrath and of great distresse to that land and people So that here we may say especially with the Apostle O behold both the louing kindnesse and the seueritie of the Lord his louing kindnesse towards the sonnes of Abraham so long as they continued in the fayth of Abraham his seuere seueritie so soone as they became bastardes reuolting from the fayth of Abraham for as our sauiour colde them if they had bene the sonnes of Abraham they ◅ould haue done the works of Abraham that is they would haue beleeued in him as Abraham did but sayth he you goe about to kill me and so did not Abraham but contrariwise he saw my dayes and greatly reioyced yea and many others desired greatly to haue seene these dayes that you see and would also haue reioyced but you seeing will not see and hearing so manie testimonies giuen of me ye◅ will
whereby is meant that whosoeuer were a tree planted by the doctrine of the prophets and Apostles and watered with the graces of the holy spirite shoulde be a fruitfull tree indeede and whosoeuer were a fish nourished by the same waters of the holy spirit should be sure to liue for euer And likewise it was further sayd That whosoeuer they were of al the families of the earth that woulde not goe vp to this citie to worship the king Iehouah of hostes and to keepe the feast of tabernacles that vpon them shoulde come no raine whereby is also meant that vppon them that woulde not worship the Lord according to the rule of his owne most perfect word as the faythfull companie of christians ought to doe vpon them I say that would not so doe should fall no part of that gratious raine the doctrine of the prophetes and apostles And moreouer it was further said That whosoeuer they were that should be found fighters agaynst this citie and the king therof shoulde be smitten with a very great plague euen with so great a plague as that it should consume both their flesh eyes and toonges and therefore according to these prophesies it was reuealed vnto Iohn presently vpon the destruction of the low Ierusalem in what sort the heauenly should be built and who they were that fought and still woulde fight agaynst the same which were the Romaine Emperours and the popes their successors which popes most vehemētly should continue afflicters of the high Ierusalem as y ◠former had begun with the low and likewise a certayne time shoulde continue it agaynst the high Therefore we are here to consider the state of Rome and to marke howe the Lord hath reserued them as a corporation of moste filthy beasts and as a cage of vnleane kytes for hys wrath to ayme at while the worlde shall stand And why so Euen because that by their policie was the king of this high Ierusalem the Lord of life crucified and because that this his citie the companie of faithful Christians by them should continually be persecuted likewise for that they would refuse to be norished by those waters of life euen the most pure doctrine of the holy prophets apostles and for that by them the brightnesse thereof shoulde be continually darkened euen darkened by the smoke that should arise from that bottomlesse pit of their owne doctrines preceptes and foolish traditions and so by that meanes turne those liuely fountaines the doctrines and preceptes of the holy prophetes and apostles from waters of life into waters of bitter gall and wormewood yea euen vnto filthy salt pittes of eternall death and destruction For these and such like causes I say hath the Lord set that cage of Romaine infidels as a marke for his wrath to ayme at while the world shall stand and hath also described them and their villanies by the moste horrible villanies of all ages throughout the old testament and onely to the intent to giue vs warning to auoyd them as also theyr maners and theyr condemnation First then I will shewe you in what sort saint Iohn describeth the Romaine Emperours and afterwardes in what sort the corporatiō of filthy popes The Emperours he describeth in this sort I saw a beast sayth he arise out of the sea hauing the mouth of a Lyon the feete of a Beare the colour of a Leopard seuen heades also and ten hornes As if hee should haue sayd I sawe euen one moste vgly and monstrous beast compounded of those foure the which my fellow seruant the prophet Daniel sawe in the seuenth of hys booke the which beast hath not onely borowed from Ashur that is from the Babylonians Meedes Persians the lyons mouth and beares feete nor from Kittim all readie dead that is from the Grecians the Leopards colour nor from Gog Magog that is from Syria and Egypt the tenne hornes and teeth but hath also the Dragon that old serpent readie euen to giue him hys whole throne power and authoritie likewise and onely to the intent hee might be the more able to make warre against thys citie of faithfull Christians and that so hee might be able to ouercome them and to force them to forsake the word of god and the testimonie which the mayntayned so to haue them to doe worship vnto him and to the Dragon who gaue hym his power but yet notwithstanding all this his strength hee could not ouercome them no although hee persecuted them dayly euen to the losse of their goodes landes life and all for the which cause the wrath of God and of the lambe was so stirred vp against these prophane Emperours as that they were forced in these dayes to wish the mountaynes to fall vpon them and to desire the hilles to couer them euen to couer them from the presence of him that sate vppon the throne and from the wrath of the lambe for the great day of hys wrath was come and therefore they were not able to stand before hym For as the Lord Iesus was that Michael that stood vp for the desence of his people agaynst those tyrantes in Daniel euen so was hee in like maner in the dayes of these prophane Emperours for hee fought agaynst them as riding vppon a white horse as hauing a bowe in his hand with sharpe arrowes to pearce the hartes of them his enimies And moreouer as hee was a iudge sitting vppon a fiery throne from whose presence riuers of fire ishued to consume those beasts in Daniel euen so was he in like maner in the dayes of this beast y e Romaine Emperours for he sent his threefold iudgementes vpon them as sword famine and death altogither the which plagues were expressed by three horses red blacke and pale So that like as these prophane Emperours had shed the bloud of hys seruants the holy martyrs euen so the holy and iust Lord was stirred vp with reuenge to spill and shed theyr bloud and to giue it them in great aboundance to drinke and in y e end vtterly to roote them out So then this beast hauing now the wound of a sword one head cut off Sathan not able by hym to preuayle agaynst the Church you are to looke for that other instrument of hys to appeare in hys likenesse that is you are to looke for a description of that corporation of beastly popes who are not lesse in strength and mischiefe then the former were but rather far exceeding them in both and therefore most fitly is their power described by a beast of the same forme of the other But before I come to saint Iohn to shew you that I will giue you a note or two from the Apostle Paul that so you may see how fitly they agree in the discouery of this latter beast that so you may the better hereafter beware and take heede least you be
and often strike vpon your thygh with sorowe of hart as the Prophet Ieremie also speaketh Now it may be you wyll say agayne Euery one can not reade neyther hath euery one leysure to get suche great and perfect knowledge as you speake of And moreouer many dye before they come to yeeres of discretion as also many in their mothers wombe How then shall all these do shall none be saued but those that vnderstande the whole Bible Yes forsooth for yf they do in steadfast fayth but touch the hemme of Christ his garment they shalbe saued for aswell doth he accept the poore Wydowes myte as the Riche mans great gyft especially yf it come with such willingnes of hart that yf they had or coulde get more more they woulde geue But seeing that fayth is the gyft of God and seeing also that the ordinarie meanes that he hath appoynted to come thereby is the hearing and reading of his holy worde we must euery one of vs desire the sincere Milke thereof as the Apostle Peter sayth that so we may growe thereby both in fayth in grace and in the knowledge of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ. And most meete and necessarie it is that so we shoulde do for seeing that Satan goeth about lyke a roaring Lion continually seeking whom he may deuoure How muche more needefull therefore is it that we should continually be as carefull to get such skill in the handling of the sworde of the spirite which is the worde of God as that we may be able not onely to resist him but also to wounde him most deadly therewithall for otherwyse yf we shall be founde ignoraunt in the vse of our weapon we shall be sure to receiue most deadly woundes our selues because that ignoraunce therein shall not excuse any man Therefore whether a man can read or no that shall not excuse him for yf he can not he must haue the more care to be taught by others that in any wyse he may get some knowledge in this spirituall weapon offered for his helpe least when he shoulde geue the woundes he receiue them most deadly him selfe And as for Chyldren which die in their mothers wombe or before they come to be of discretion to vse y â— ordinarie meanes we must commende them vnto the Lord who is able without the meanes to saue whom pleaseth him being elected in Christ before the worlde was made the which Babes elected it pleaseth the Lorde to inlighten their mindes by the working of his holy spirite euen in their mothers wombes as well you may perceiue by Iohn y e Baptist who when he heard but onely the voyce of the mother of our Lord sprang for ioy as also by the Prophet Ieremie of whom the Lord sayth before thou camest out of the wombe I sanctified thee and so foorth Now as it pleaseth the Lorde to inlighten such Infantes as are elected by such secrete meanes as pleaseth him so is he able to do the lyke vnto all others of greater yeeres But since that he hath appoynted an ordinarie meanes for such to come by the knowledge of his Sonne we must looke to that and desire of the Lord that it woulde please him to inlighten our mindes thereby And whereas you say that all men haue not tyme and leysure to attayne vnto skill and knowledge in the booke of God That is not so for yf they woulde bestowe but that one day of seauen which the Lord hath commaunded them eyther in hearing the worde or reading therein themselues they myght attaine vnto very great knowledge yea so great as that they might be able at the least to geue a sound reason of their fayth yea and to auoyde the deadly blowes of Satan although not able to cast off al especially if that one day were bestowed with like delyght and desire of the atteyning thereunto as they woulde do yf it were a worldly commoditie or vayne desire they shoulde seeke after How much more knowledge trow you myght then be attayned vnto yf men woulde bestow all the houres therein the which they bestow in vayne delights as huntyng hauking tabling dicing carding bouling shooting or any such lyke no doubt but to a woonderful great knowledge euen to so great as that they shoulde be able then to bryng foorth as the Lorde speaketh euen their most strong reasons wherby they myght so foyle Satan and his ministers as that they woulde be ashamed and afrayde to offer combate with them any more So that if men woulde consider with them selues how short the tyme of their abode is here and also how vncertaine and so learne with Moses to pray vnto the Lord that it woulde please him to teach them to number these their few dayes aright that so they myght apply their hartes vnto wysedome No doubt but they shoulde attayne vnto plenty thereof For the Lorde hath so promised But the Deuyll hath so bewitched men and so blinded them and beareth such sway with them that they had rather spende a whole yeere yea all their lyfe tyme in those vayne thinges which tende to none other ende then to draw them vnto him who seeketh for them which is the Deuyll then they woulde bestow one houre yea one minute of an houre in those thinges that shoulde tende to their saluation and to the pleasing of their maister and Sauiour Christ so that in them is fulfilled the saying of the Apostle For in the last dayes sayth he Men shall be louers of pleasures more then louers of God And notwithstanding our Sauiour doth dayly call and seeke for them euen to shroude them as the Henne woulde do her Chickens yet wyll they not come vnder the couert of his winges for ought that he can do but thinke it is enough yf they can say as commonly they do I beleeue in Christe and hope to be saued by hym as well as you although I take no such paynes to get this great knowledge for what neede I so to do For is it not sayd He that beleeueth in him shall neuer perishe but haue eternall lyfe Which is true in deede yf they knewe what they spake but they must well know it is not enough to speake the bare wordes for so much one myght make a Parrat to do but their beliefe must be setled vpon him accordyng to the testimonie which Moses and the Prophetes haue geuen of hym that so they may say with Peter We beleeue and also know that thou art the Christ the Sonne of the lyuing God therefore this speech of theirs doth import nothing els but euen to contemne Christ so for men to content them selues with slothfulnes And therefore the holy Ghost doth geue vnto such a maruellous great reproofe saying O you foolyshe how long will you loue foolyshnes and you skornefull how long wyl you hate knowledge So that by this their hating of knowledge it may well appeare they are none of Christes
but are of that wicked sort who according as the Prophet sayth haue vtterly left of to vnderstande and who in no wyse regarde to haue knowledge Therefore in any case see that you for your partes alwayes remember what the holy Ghost commaundeth you to beware of that is That you be not like the Horse and Mule which haue no vnderstanding whose mouthes are bounde vp with byt and brydle but that you be of that sort whose mouthes are alwayes open to speake of wysedome and whose â—…oonges are euer ready to talke of iudgement So that by this it may wel appeare that it is not enough for a true Christian to content him selfe with a fewe sentences of Christ and so thinke he hath enough but he that professeth him selfe to be a scholler in the schoole of Chrisâ—…e must haue a woonderfully desire to learne Christe euen so farre as that he may dwell in his hart most plenteously in all wysedome whereby he may be able to admonishe him selfe in all spirituall thinges as the Apostle sayth yea he must desire and thirst after the worde of God euen as the Hart doth after the water brookes that when he commeth thereunto he may so drinke as that he may be fylled with all fulnes of God Yea he must continually desire to be increasyng in the knowledge of God that if it be possible for him he may be able to comprehende with all Saintes what is the breadeth and length and deapth and highth of the glory that we shall receiue by Christ Yea and to knowe his loue towardes vs which in deede passeth all knowledge as the Apostle sayth So that in no wyse must we stande styll but euery one must goe on forwarde eyther by hearing of others or readyng therein him selfe euen in the vnitie of fayth to the knowledge of the Sonne of God vntyll he become a perfect man in Iesus Christe For we must not in any wyse remayne as chyldren waueryng and readie to be carried about with euery wynde of doctrine by the deceyte of men as greatly it is to be lamented we are now adayes but we must folow the trueth in loue and in all thinges grow vp vnto him which is the head that is Christ. For not to go on forward in religion is to go backward because Satan draweth most strongly that way and so to remayne in our former folly and contemptuously to cast off the worde of God yea whatsoeuer he be pretende he neuer so much zeale and shewe of holynes Yet yf his chiefest care be not continually to be increasing in the knowledge of Christe he doth nothing els but say in his hart vnto God Depart from me for I desire not the knowledge of thy wayes For the which cause as you shall see anon the wrath of God hath been extended on all the worlde euen to the vtter excluding of them from his presence and casting off from their countries For what thing can men do to please the Lord when that his worde of them shalbe reiected It is not then an outwarde shewe of foolyshe zeale or mortification that the Lord wyll lyke of No although the Papist do for his part in neuer so great zeale afflict his body eyther by whypping or lanching the fleshe with kniues vntyll the blood come foorth lyke vnto Baalles Priestes or in fasting fourtie dayes togeather lyke foolysh Apes in imitation or in dropping neuer so many prayers according to the number of his Beades or in vowing single lyfe or in running on pilgrimage or in punishing the body in what sort so euer he wil which thinges in deede haue a shew of wysedome in them as the Apostle sayth euen in this their voluntarie religion and humblenes of minde and in not sparing the body but yet they shall finde in the ende that all this is but as an abhomiâ—…ation to the Lord. And why Because they haue reiected the worde of God and ouerthrowen the principles thereof and established in steade of it the doctrines preceptes of men And so their feare towardes God is taught by the preceptes of men according as the Prophet Esai speaketh and also as those nations placed in Samaria of whom it is said They feared the Lord but serued their Images also Euen so I say do the Papistes And therefore notwithstanding all their blind zeale it must be sayd of them as of the other that is they neither feare God nor do any thing after his commandementes and therefore whatsoeuer they do it must needes be an abhomination to the Lord. Or yf the Protestant pretende neuer so great shewe of religion in his kinde or neuer so great a zeale yet vnlesse it be seasoned with the true knowledge of Christ none of all this wyll the Lord regarde or therewithal be pleased For when his worde is not delighted and esteemed as it ought to be although we now then do the thinges that it requireth yet are they not accepted because his worde was not our rule to square them by For to what purpose sayth the Lorde do you bring vnto me Incense from Sheba and sweete Calamus from a farre countrey your burnt offeringes are not pleasaunt in my sight neyther are your sacrifices sweete vnto me sayth the Lord. And why Because they had reiected the worde of the Lord therfore did these their holy actions turne vnto an abhomination So that you see that who so euer he be reade or reade not haue he tyme or haue he not no excuse shall serue him to be ignoraunt in the worde of God and so of Christe For the Lorde that knoweth best what is good and fitte for man knewe well enough in the beginning that when he appoynted but one day of seuen to be sauctified vnto his glorie that that was enough to make man voyde of all excuse And why Because that yf they woulde bestow but that one day of seuen accordyng as he hath commaunded that is not in any respect to do their owne willes or to folow their owne affayres no nor so much as to speake one vayne worde but to call the Sabboth a delight to consecrate it as glorious vnto the Lord They might I say yf they would bestow it in this sort soone learne by his holy worde to honour him with such worshyppe as he requireth and also to know a right how Christ is IEHOVAH their God who brought them not only from the bondage slauery of â—…gypt Babell or Rome but also from the bondage and thraldome of hell and death But since it is so that all men as they are borne of Adam are the chyldren of wrath and styll remayne in this captiuitie and seeing there is no meanes neyther in heauen nor earth to redeeme them thence but only by Christ and he likwise not beneficial vnto any but such as know him aright by his holy worde And hauing most gratiously bestowed this his holy
commaund them to ouerflow the same agayne But yet they found it most true for in the seuenth age of this wicked generation the wrath of the Lord was well knowne amongst the sonnes of men for they were cut downe before the tyme and their foundation was as a Ryuer that ouerflowed So that he spared not this olde worlde which nowe had continued one thousand sixe hundred fiftie and sixe yeeres but onely saued Noe with seuen more of his familie and brought in the floud vpon the rest of the worlde of the vngodly yea he commaunded the fountaines of the great deepe to be broken vp and the windowes of heauen were opened so that all the high mountaines that were vnder the whole heauen were couered because that the wickednes of man was great on earth and all the imaginations of the thoughtes of his hart were onely euill continually And therefore did the Lorde smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lippes did he destroy the wicked Yea hee made them to perish as though they had been doung so that they which had seene them might say where are they nowe But if you will know what is become of their soules Saint Peter will tell you how that they are now in prison that is in hell for disobeying the spirit of Christ who then preached vnto them by the mouth of Noe while the Arke was in making Againe if you will know how they might know that the spirit of Christ did so the answere is that euen the very same Gospell that was preached vnto Adam and Eue in Paradise and afterwardes to Abell to Seth and the rest of the godlie was also preached vnto them And this preaching was that the Seede of the woman should breake the head of the Serpent which notwithstanding being but a verie short Sermon yet was it so effectall and so full of matter as that all the whole booke of God is no more then that But as the preaching of this Gospell was a sauour of life vnto life to all those that laide holde thereon euen so was it also a sauour of death vnto death to all those that reiected the same So that for this first age you see both the louing kindnesse and the seucritie of the Lorde The iudgements of God on Chams posteritie as also on their confederats vntill the giuing of the Lawe NOtwithstanding now the former desolation of all things breathing on earth the which a man would thinke shoulde haue been a terrour vnto men for euer after yet full soone do they forget it For an hundreth and about some thirtie yeeres after the flood in the daies of Peleg do the posteritie of Cham with their adherents reuiue the olde impietie of Kain and his wicked race in that they also despise the couenants of God and the blessing pronounced vnto Sem And so goe about to buyld a Cittie and a Towre whose top as they thought should reach vnto heauen wherby they might get vnto them selues a Sem or name But full soone was the holy Trinitie aware of this their wicked intent and so he came down from heauen in his fierce wrath to confound their most foolish deuices and also to scatter them from thence ouer the whole earth And therefore the name of it was called Babell or Confusion because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth so that they were not onely cut from the holy Language of Sem but also from the religion and true worship of the blessed God of Sem the which continued in his tents Agayne in the tenth age after the flood in the dayes of Abraham the wickednes of those fiue Cities in Canaan as Sodom Gomorrah Admah Zeboiim and Zoar brake out into such filthinesse as that the stincke thereof ascended vp into heauen and cryed for vengeance to be powred vpon them And notwithstanding the Lorde being mercifull and was intreated to haue spared them for ten◅e righteous men their sakes yet could they not therein be found so that their sinnes being so great and greeuous in the sight of GOD his great anger was so kindled against them that in his fierce wrath hee ouerthrew them and turned foure of them into ashes and condemned them and made them an e◅sample of eternall fier vnto all ages that afterwards should liue vngodly So that heere the curse of Noe vpon Cham extending to Canaan tooke effect on these some part of his wicked branches Likewise in the seuenth age from Abraham in the dayes of Moses the wrath of the Lord was manifested also in most vehement sort in Egypt euen in that land of cursed Cham vpon that proude Pharaoh and his countrie the which were other braunches euen of Cham himselfe that wicked roote I say the wrath of the Lord was manifested vpō them in most vehement sort by tenne seuerall plague◅ bestowed vpon man and beast and at last Pharaoh and all his host ouerwhelmed in the Red Sea For sayth he vnto Moses concerning the Lorde Who is he that I should heare his voyce and let Israell go I know not the Lord neyther will I let Israell go neyther do I regarde his words by you spoken for they are but vaine But the right hand of the glorious Lorde ouerthrewe these rebellious treatours which in this sort rose against him and sent foorth his wrath which consumed them as the stubble and also by the blast of his Nosethrils the waters were gathered and the floods stoode still as an heape yea the depthes congealed together in the hart of the Sea to intice them in but presently the waters couered them and they sancke to the bottome as a stone And why so because indeede they had forsaken the hope of Israell euen that most precious fountaine of liuing waters But he brought foorth them his chosen Israell through the middest of the Sea on drie ground and made the waters vnto them a wall both on the one side and on the other So that heere you may see againe both the louing kindnesse and the seueritie of the Lord his louing kindnes on Sem and his posteritie as also on all others that held the same fayth His most seuere seueritie on Cham and his posteritie as also on all other their confederats Now if you will knowe the chiefe cause why these horrible plagues befell them the aunswere is because they regarded not the preaching of the Gospell of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. For as he was made the author of eternall saluation vnto all them that did beleeue in him and obey him euen so is it sayd that he that beleeueth not in y e Sonne of God nor giueth due obedience vnto him shall neuer see life but the wrath of God abideth on him But the very same Gospel that was preached vnto Sem ◅aphet and their posteritie was also preached vnto Cham and his posteritie Now
appeareth to Ioshua in the forme of a man to shew that in time he so would be and therefore doth Ioshua doe worshippe vnto him as acknowledging him to be his only God sauiour Christ. So that by this they might well knowe it was not Iesus the captaine sonne of Nun that conquered the lande for them but Iesus the sonne of God euen that noble captaine of the Lords host who not onely setled them in the rest of that earthly Canaan but also in the heauenly So that if the sixe hundreth thousand in the wildernesse and all the other for the space of three hundreth and fiftie yeares in the land had but considered well of these fewe sermons of Christ which I haue heere layd downe amongest many more their carkeises had escaped the wrath of God and they had entered into the rest of Canaan which through vnbeliefe they did not and also the other in the land had remained as Lordes ouer their enimies where as nowe they became Lordes ouer them and therefore in any wise see that you alwayes remember the louing kindnesse and the seueritie of the Lord and the chiefe cause of both The iudgements of God vpon the house of Israel and Iuda for the time of seuentie seuens of yeares that is from the time of Samuel and Saul to the captiuitie of Babilon THe Lord nowe being full of compassion and not willing to hide the light of hys countenance ouer long from his people causeth such horrible plagues to befall the Philistians while y ◠Ark was amongst them which was seuen monthes as that full glad are they to be rid therof For as there can be no agreement betwixt God and Belyall no more could there be betwixt the Arke of Gods presence and Dagon the God of the Philistians So that home againe doe they send it by a couple of milch kyne who haue more wit to shew the cause of all those plagues that befell them then all the priestes of Dagon had by these two kyne then to Bethshemesh the Ark of God is brought Where you haue a most notable example of foolish zeale running before wit punished for there doth the Lord kill euen of his owne people fiftie thousand threescore and ten men because they had looked into the Arke which was not lawfull for them to do So that euen at this first entrance of Gods presence againe amongest them they had a good warning a man would thinke to take better heed vnto the booke of God then before they had done that so they might heare his voyce and in hearing learn therby to doe that which he commandeth and no more yet neuerthelesse they rebelled still against the Lord euen as they had done euer since he brought them from the land of Egypt For notwithstanding all the great thyngs the Lorde had done for them as styll to rayse vp deliuerers to deliuer them from the crueltie of their oppressours which through their owne idolatrie befell them Notwithstanding all this I say and many other his great benefites bestowed vpon them they continued still in that great sinne of infidelitie and mistrust of the Lorde his goodnes Although he had often told them that so long as they did worship him according to his holy wil layd downe in his word he would defend them from all their enimies round about yet no sooner commeth Nahash the king of the children of Ammon against them but they cry out vpon Samuel that they might haue a king forsooth yea a king to reigne ouer them as al other nations had when as yet the Lord Iehouah of hoastes was their king So that their wickednes as y e holy ghost recordeth was maruellous great herin for they cast not away only Samuel such other iudges or deliuerers but also the Lorde himselfe that he shoulde not reigne ouer them wherefore his wrath for this was so kindled against them that he gaue thē a king indeed euen according to their desire but out of all doubt in his verie great anger and therefore tooke him away in his sore displeasure and so establisheth his couenant with Dauid vnto whom the crowne and kingdome did belong as being a figure of Christ their king euen that true Dauid who should raigne ouer them for euermore Yet notwithstanding al this and although rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and transgression is wickednesse and idolatrie in the dayes of Rehoboam ten of the tribes despise this sonne of Ieshai of the tribe of Iuda from whence theyr glory was to arise and so became children of fornication in following the wayes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat who erected two calues and set the one in Dan and the other in Bethel and made the people to confesse that those were their Gods that brought them out of y ◠land of Egypt And thus Ephraim vnder whom is named the ten tribes ioyned themselues vnto Idols and so became children of fornication euen worse then an harlot committing whoredome with all the chosen men of Ashur and with all on whome they doted neyther left they their fornications learned of the Egyptians for in their youth they lay with them and they brused the brestes of their virginitie Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was so greatly stirred vp against them that hee gaue them into the handes of the kinges of Ashur as vnto Pull-ashur Tiglath Pilesser and Salmanesar euen into the hands I say of the kinges of Ashur vpon whom they doted and they discouered their shame and tooke away their sonnes and daughters and slew them with the sword and why because they would not obey the voyce of the Lord their God but transgressed his couenant that is all that Moses the seruant of the Lord had commanded them and woulde neither obey them nor doe them And therefore Ephraim became vnto the Lord as an abhominable branch and he vnto them as a moth and as a very Lyon yea they became vnto him Loammy that is not his people therefore would not he be their God For when he saw that this rebellious Israel euen Aholah which is Samaria had played the harlot when she was his he cast her away and gaue her a bill of diuorcement And yet for all this was not her rebellious sister Iudah afrayd but she went and played the harlot likewise euen Ierusalem which is a holy bath the other two tribes Iuda and Beniamen euen they his pleasant plant defiled themselues with inordinate loue more then the other and with their fornications more then the other with their fornications for according to y e number of their Cities were their Gods and according to the number of the streetes of Ierusalem did they set vp altars of confusion euen altars to burne incense vnto Baal and also committed their abhominations in the house of the Lord whereupon his name was called to defile
you not vnderstand that the sayinges of the prophets might be fulfilled Now if you aske me in what sort the prophets before time had testified of Christ whereby they might haue knowen him to be that Messias that should come into the worlde the answere is very plentifull and very plaine and many of them did knowe that then was the time that the kingdome of God was to appeare and all the sort of them might haue knowne as well if they had considered well of the ninth of Daniel for there doth the angel Gabriel tell Daniel when Christ the king should be killed euen to the very houre of the day wherin he dyed Likewise they had Moses and all the prophetes euen vnto Iohn to lead them as it were by the hand vnto Christ and that at sundrie times and in diuers manners so that it will not be amisse to run briefly them ouer to shew you in what sort as I neere as I can he was described vnto them First then where as Adam by his disobedience brought not onely death vpon himselfe but also vppon all his posteritie and withall lost that dominion and Lordship he had ouer the creatures of God euen the very day of his creation the verie same day was Christ proclaymed heire of the world and a ful conquerour of Satan in these wordes I will put enmitie sayth the Lord vnto Satan betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seede and her seede thy seede shal bruise the heele of the seede of the woman but her seede euen hee that speciall seede meaning Christ shal breake thy head the which came so to passe when as the fulnesse of time was come that is when as our sauiour tooke the nature of man vpon hym and so through death destroyed him who had the power thereof that is to say the deuill this olde serpent The which seede of the woman was also sayd by Noe to be the blessed God of Sem whom also Sem resembled Hee was also sayde by the Lord himselfe to be that special one seede of Abraham Isaake and Iacob in whome all the nations of the earth shoulde be blessed Likewise he was spoken of by Iacob to be that special childe Shillo the Lyon of y â— tribe of Iuda who if he did but lye downe and couch none durst stirre him vp and that vnto hym the people should be gathered the which Lyon of the tribe of Iuda that holy man Iob saw to be his redeemer and was most assured to see him one day with his owne eyes and none other for him although wormes should destroy that body He was also sayd by the Lord himselfe to be that angel of the couenant that kept their fathers in the way and brought them into the land of Canaan as also that star of Iacob whome Balam prophet false though he were sawe to strike the costes of Moab and to subdue all the sonnes of Seth. He was also said by Moses to be that great prophet whome the Lord would rayse like vnto him vnto whom all the world should hearken as also by the Lord himselfe that he should build an house vnto his name and that he would establish the throne of his kingdome for euer and that he would say vnto him I will be thy father and thou shalt be my sonne Likewise it was sayd of Christ by the prophet Dauid that the Lord sayd vnto him Thou art my sonne this day begat I thee that forasmuch as the Lord delighted not in sacrifices he should come to doe the will of God That in his heart his whole law should fully rest That he would not conceale the righteousnes thereof but declare it in the great congregation euen in the middest of the congregation would hee declare the name of the Lord amongest his brethren and how that notwithstanding that yet would the kinges and princes of the earth assemble themselues together agaynst hym That they woulde make him the contempt of the people haue hym in derision mocke hym and nod their heades at him That they would hit him in the teeth with the trust he had in the Lord as though hys hope therein had bene frustrate That they would like bulls of Bashan nay like dogges compasse hym about pearce hys handes and feete giue him vineger to drinke cast lottes vppon his garmentes and part them amongest them and yet notwithstanding all this their spight the Prophet sheweth that the Lorde would laugh them to skorne and breake them to peeces like a potters vessell That he would set Christ as king vpon y â— holy hill of Sion and deliuer hym from the contentions of the people That hee would grant him the heathen for his inheritance and the vttermost partes of the earth for his possession That he should be the head therof and that a people whom he had not knowne should serue hym euen such as were the kinges of Tarshish and of the Iles who should bring hym presentes and also such as were the kinges of Sheba and Seba who should bring hym giftes yea and that all kings vpon earth should worship him and all nations serue hym and that as soone as they should heare hym they should obey hym and be in subiection to hym and that whosoeuer would not kisse the sonne should be sure to perish but those that would put their trust in hym should be blessed for euermore Againe it was sayd of hym by the same prophet that hee would so loue righteousnesse and hate iniquitie and be so carefull for the house of the Lord that the zeale he would haue thereof would euen eate hym vp and that the Lord woulde therefore annoynt hym with the oyle of gladnesse aboue hys fellowes That hee would cause hys name to be remembred throughout all generations euen hys glorious name for euer and euer And that all nations should blesse hym and be blessed in hym and giue thankes vnto hym worlde without end And that notwithstanding all the râ—…ge of the deuill and his ministers yet should none euill come neere vnto hym for the Lord would giue hys Angels charge ouer hym to keepe him in all his wayes that hee should not hurt hys foote agaynst a stone And that notwithstanding himselfe should be that stone which the builders would refuse yet should hee be made the head of the corner Moreouer this holy Prophet sheweth that the Lorde woulde not leaue the soule of Christ in graue neyther suffer hym his holy one to see corruption That he would rayse him vp from death to life and crowne him with glory and honour That hee should ascend on high and leade captiuitie captiue That he shoulde sit at the right hande of God vntil he had made his enimies his fotestoole And lastly that he shoulde continue there a Sacrificer for euer after the order of
Melchisedech And therfore not onely this prophet but also the whole church desired him whom their soule most dearely loued that it would please him to shew them where his abiding was and to drawe them after him that so they might runne and behold king Salomon euen runne and beholde him with the crowne wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his marriage and in the day of the gladnesse of hys heart Agayne it was sayd of Christ by the prophet Esaiah that there should come a rod forth of the stock of Ishai and a graffe should grow out of hys rootes vpon whome the spirite of the Lord should rest euen the spirite of wisedome and vnderstanding the spirite of counsell and courage the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord. That a virgin should conceiue and bring him forth That they shoulde call his name Emmanuel that is euen God with vs That they should call his name wonderfull councellor the mightie God the euerlasting father the prince of peace And that wheras the faithfull citie had lost both iudgement and iustice Christ shoulde come and sit vpon the throne of Dauid to order it and to establish both iudgement and iustice thereon for euer Moreouer it was sayd by the same prophet that a voyce shoulde goe before hym in the wildernesse That it should cry prepare the way of the Lord make straight in y â— desart a path for our God That the glory of the Lord should be reuealed by hym and that all fleshe should see it together That the Lord would say of him Behold my seruant vpon whome I will stay myne elect in whome my soule delighteth That the Lord woulde annoynt him with his holy spirite and send hym to preache good tidinges to the poore to binde vp the broken hearted to preach libertie to the captiues and to them that were bound the opening of the prison That by hym the eyes of the blinde should be lightened the eares of the deafe be opened That the lame man should leape as an heart and the dumme mans toonge should sing for toy That he should preach that moste acceptable yeare of the Lord euen that great Iubilee wherby they might inioy bewtie for ashes the oyle of ioy for mourning and the garment of gladnesse in stead of the spirite of heauinesse And moreouer that hee should make vnto all people a feast of fat thinges euen a feast of fined wynes and of fat thinges full of marrow and of wynes fined and purified And that he should destroy the couering that couered all nations that so the people that walked in darkenes might see great light and that they that dwelled in the land of the shadow of death might say that vpon them great light had shined And that not onely should hee be giuen for a light of the Gentiles but aso for a couenant of the people euen to be the full glory of them the ioy of the whole earth because that like sheep they had all gone astray and for that they had turned euery one vnto theyr owne wayes Therefore the prophet sheweth that Christ should be wounded for al their transgressions and broken for their iniquities That the chastisement of theyr peace should be vppon hym and that with hys stripes should they be all healed That he should be oppressed afflicted brought as a sheepe to the slaughter and yet woulde he not open his mouth agaynst them That his backe shoulde meete with smyters hys cheekes with nippers his face with shame and spitting and yet would hee not hide it from them but put it forward as a flint That notwithstanding Christ would poure out his soule vnto death as an offering for theyr sinnes beare all their infirmities carrie all their inquities and sorrowes on his backe yet would they iudge hym as one plagued and smitten of God yea the prophet sheweth that they would condemne him amongest the transgressors and make his graue with the wicked That they would despise him reiect hym and accompt hym as one without forme or bewtie yea and although he should be as a sanctuary yet would they make him as a stone to stumble at and as a rocke to fall vpon euen to both the houses of Israel should he become as a snare and as a net Agayne the prophet sheweth that notwithstanding they for theyr partes would forsake him yet should hee the roote of Ishai stand vp for a signe vnto the people to the intent that all nations should seeke vnto hym because hys rest should be glorious And that the Lord would stretch out hys hand again the second time that so he might possesse the remnant of hys people euen of hys people which shoulde be left of Ashur of Egypt of Pathros of Ethyopia of Elam of Shinar of Hamah and of the Isles of the sea and that he would destroy the toonge of the Egyptian sea and with hys mightie winde lift vp his hand ouer the riuer smit hym in hys seuen streames and cause men to walke therin with shoes that so there might be a path to the remnant of hys people which should be left of Ashur euen a path to seeke vnto this signe that should be set vp not onely for the naturall Israel dispersed but also for all nations and strangers that would cleaue vnto the Lord as for them of Medyan of Ephah of Sheba of Nebaioh and Keder and that all these would bring giftes of gold of incense and of all their riches to the house of the Lord and set forth his prayses therein to the intent they might be accepted vpon him the holy aulter and that by them the house of the Lorde myght be bewtified That they shoulde say of him Lo this is our God we haue wayted for him and he wyl saue vs Lo this is the Lorde we haue wayted for him we wyll reioyce and be ioyfull in his saluation because as sayth this Prophet he should destroy death for euer and wype away teares from all faces because he would take away the rebuks of his people from all the earth And moreouer for that he shoulde haue the key of the house of Dauid committed to his charge and power geuen hym to shut and no man to open and to open and no man to shut agaynst hym and for that in mercie shoulde his throne be prepared and for that he shoulde sitte vpon it in stedfastnes in the tabernacle of Dauid iudging and seeking iudgement and hasting iustice and for that he woulde not be discouraged vntyll he had brought foorth iudgement in trueth and vntyll he had established both iudgement and iustice in the earth that so the Iles myght wayte for his law though Israel woulde not so and therefore sayth this Prophet Though Israel would not be gathered by hym yet shoulde he be
most glorious in the eyes of the Lorde and be geuen as a lyght of the Gentiles that so he myght be their saluation vnto the ende of the worlde Lastly Christ was seene by this euangelâ—… call Prophet sittyng vpon his glorious and high throne and the Seraphims standing before him and crying holy holy holy is the Lorde God of hostes the whole worlde is full of thy glory And therefore the Prophet maketh a proclamation saying Beholde thou daughter Sion thy Sauiour commeth vnto thee beholde his wages is with hym and his worke before hym Aryse therefore O Ierusalem and be bryght for thy lyght is come and the glory of the Lord is rysen vpon thee Agayne it was sayde of Christe by the Prophet Micheas that notwithstanding Bethlehem were but lytle amongst the thousandes of Iuda yet shoulde there come one thence who should rule in Israel euen one whose goinges foorth had been from the beginning and from euerlastyng And by the Prophet Hosea to be that king Dauid vnto whom the Israelites should seeke of whom the Lord would say Out of Egypt haue I called thee my Sonne The which Sonne by the Prophet Ieremie was sayd to be that noble Ruler that should arise from amongst them selues as also that ryghteous branche which shoulde growe vp vnto the house of Dauid to perfourme those good thynges promised to the house of Israel and Iuda And by the Prophet â—…zekiel to be that one Sheephearde which should be set ouer them to feede them and to be a Prince amongst them and to be that plant of renowme vnto whom the crowne and diademe did specially belong as being that Michael their chiefest Prince as sayth the Prophet Daniel who woulde stande vp for their defence and so delyuer them not onely from those beastly kingdomes that long tyme ouerruled them here on earth but also as the Prophet Hosea sayth euen from the kingdome of hell and death Moreouer it was sayde of Christe agayne by the Prophet Daniel that notwithstanding Nabuchadnezzer saw hym to be but as a base stone in his base eyes yet such a stone he was in the eyes of Daniel as should dash those beastly kingdomes all to pouder That he shoulde become a great mountayne and that the whole earth should be filled with his glory That he shoulde come in the cloudes of heauen and approch againe vnto the Ancient of dayes That the Lord God woulde geue him dominion honour and a kingdome that shoulde neuer be destroyed and that all people nations and languages shoulde serue him Againe it was sayd of Christ by the prophet Amos that he should raise vp y e tabernacle of Dauid that was fallen downe That he should rayse vp the ruines thereof as in the dayes of old And therefore sayth the prophet Aggai vnto the people be not discouraged but haue patience yet a little and you shal see that euen he the glory and desire of all nations will speedily come Wherefore reioyce greatly O daughter Sion sayth the prophet Zachary shout for ioy O daughter Ierusalem because thy king commeth vnto thee euen hee doth come to thee whose name is called the branch he by whom thy temple shall be built euen one that shall beare the glory of the Lorde that shall sit and rule vppon his throne and be a priest thereon for euer euen one who notwithstanding will come but poorely as riding on an Asse yet shal all mountains be made as plaines that agaynst him will stand vp one that shall be able to bring foorth the head stone of thy temple and that with shoutinges and crying grace grace vnto it one that shal be able to saue not onely himself but Ierusalem also euen to saue Ierusalem sayth this prophet shoulde Christe be able through the bloud of his euerlasting couenant Moreouer it was sayd of Christ by the prophet Ieremie that in his dayes Iuda should be saued and Israel should dwell safely That they shoulde be no more deuided into two kingdomes as sayth the prophet Ezechiel but that they should be as one people and haue one king to raigne ouer them euen one king whose name as saith the prophet Ieremy they should call the Lord our righteousnesse And therfore sayth the prophet Micheas why doest thou cry out with lamentation O daughter Sion as though there were no king in thee Be not afrayd for one shall raigne in thee foreuer euen one that shall stand and feede in the strength of the Lord and in the maiestie of the name of the Lord his God euen one who shall be thy peace when Ashur or anie such like commeth agaynst thee And yet for al this would they value him for nought saith the prophet Zachary euen value him for thirtie smal peeces of siluer And that because they would so doe hee sheweth that the Lord would raise vp a sheepheard euen a sheepheard y â— would not looke the thing was lost neither would he heale the thing was hurt that woulde not feede the thing that would stand vp but eate the fat leaue the flocke euen one that would in no wise lay downe hys lyfe for hys sheepe And therefore it was sayd by the prophet Daniel that when Christ the true sheepheard should come That he would lay down hys life for hys sheepe and not for hymselfe That he would confirme the couenant for them and seale it with his bloud That he would cause all sacrifice and oblation to cease That he would consume wickednes and abolish sinnes That he would make reconciliation for iniquities and bring in euerlasting righteousnesse That he would seale vp vision prophecie And lastly that the whole common weale of Iudea should be consumed by that abhominable campe of the Romaine infidels euen consumed and washt away as with a floud if they would not regard this true king priest and sheepheard And therfore it was sayd by the prophet Malachie that the Lord would send his messenger before hym to prepare his way and that the Lord whome they sought should speedily come to his temple euen that messenger of the couenant whom they desired to behold But yet sayth the prophet like a purging fire and like fullers sope that so he might trie them euen as siluer is tried And therefore the Lord gaue them a speciall commandement euen in the last clause of the olde testament to remember the law of Moses his seruaunt which hee commanded hym in Horeb for all Israel with all his statutes and iudgementes all which should leade them if they would vnto Christ this Angel of the euerlasting couenant And thus you see in part after what sort the prophetes dyd paynt out Christ vnto them who when he came did al things that before were written of hym that so all thse sayinges of the prophets might be fulfilled and yet beleeued they not
in him no although he had done so many great workes and myracles before them but still despised the councell of God agaynst themselues and would not daunce nor leape for ioy no although y ◠prophets as you see had cōtinually piped vnto them Now if you maruell how they could be so blinde as not to see since the light was so bright and Christ so plainly manifested vnto them I will shew you why in few wordes that is because they knewe not the scriptures for so our sauiour doth tel thē saying Ye erre not knowing the scriptures For whereas they should haue made the word of God their onely meditation they had established in stead thereof the precepts and doctrines of men and so made the word of God of no authoritie as our sauiour also telleth them Besides it was so far from their delight as that they had skarce read so much thereof as that one part which told them that the stone which they would refuse should be made the head of the corner And therefore because they had thus cast off the law of the Lord of hostes and would not beleeue the writinges of Moses and the prophetes all which would haue lead them vnto Christ No maruell was it though he cast off them neyther that he should take from them that little vnderstanding which they seemed to haue according as he telleth hys Disciples saying To him that hath shall be giuen in more aboundance and to hym that hath not shall be taken away euen that little which hee seemeth to haue So that to those that had a desire to know the booke of God which paynted them out the Messias to them it was giuen to know the secretes of y ◠kingdome of heauen but to al those that cast it off to them it was not giuen So that in them was fulfilled y ◠prophcie of Esaias which prophesie saith by hearing they should heare but not vnderstande and seeing they should see but not perceiue And the reason was for that their hearts were waxen fat and their eares were dul of hearing also with their eyes they winked least they should see and stopped their eares least they should heare and so vnderstand w t theyr heartes should haue returned that hee might haue healed thē And therfore as y ◠apostle saith when men regard not to know the Lord aright by his holy word no more doth he regard to know them but giueth thē vp into reprobate minds and also to follow their own inuentions in al things and so to runne to their owne destruction for not obeying the sonne of God For as it is eternall life to knowe one true and euer-liuing God and to beleeue in hys sonne whom he the father would or nowe hath sent so he that beleeueth not in the sonne nor obeyeth hys voyce shall neuer see life but the wrath of God abideth on hym Now his voyce was that they should continually meditate in his lawe the which shoulde lead them vnto Christ but they did not and therefore well worthy to be blinded as you see for men must learne to heare the voyce of the Lord while it is called to day and to take heede howe they harden their heartes when the voyce of God doth call least when they would they shall often call them selues and not be hard Nowe if iudgement began at the house of the Lord in this sorte as you see what shall wee thinke befell the rest of the nations before the comming of our sauiour into the world Surely they escaped not for the Lord hath rendred vengeance vnto all those that haue not knowne him which haue not obeyed vnto the Gospel of our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ not onely vnto the Iewes and the citie Iersusalem where his name shoulde haue bene called on who moste of all deserued it because most graces were offered vnto them but also vnto all nations in the world hath hee sent the cup of the wine of the greatnesse of his indignation and hath entered into iudgement with all flesh forasmuch as they haue not desired the knowledge of hys holy lawes and for as much as hee left not hymselfe without witnesse to any nation in as much as he gaue them rayne from heauen and fruitfull seasons and filled them with all good things in great aboundance Therfore all those nations or people that haue refused the knowledge of hym he hath also refused them And as they regarded not to knowe hym a right by his holy word neyther had anie delight at al therin but cast it off euen so hath he cast off them and giuen them vp into reprobate minds as the apostle saith And thus hauing layd his iudgementes before our eyes hitherto we see what is become of all those that haue sayd vnto God depart from vs haue not desired aboue gold y e knowledge of hys holy lawes the which lawes shoulde haue bene esteemed of them aboue gold yea aboue much fine gold and also haue bene more sweeter vnto theyr heartes then the hony or the hony combe vnto theyr mouthes and looke how pretious it should haue been vnto y e Iewes so ought it to haue been to all other nations in the world for all nations heard therof or at leastwise might haue done and thus much of the iudgementes of God from the beginning of the world to the vtter casting off of the Iewes The iudgementes of God vpon the Romaine Emperours the first beast Apoc. 13. as also vpon the Popes theyr successours the latter beast and on all them that receiue the beasts marke SInce we haue seene the iudgementes of God from the beginning of the world hitherto and also the cause why whiche was the neglect of hys holy worde in the which worde they might haue seene hys will and so haue knowne hys true worship let vs proceede in briefe sort and lay the like before our eies euen frō our sauiour hys time vnto the end of the same First then we are to remember that after the destruction of y ◠low Ierusalem was that to be fulfilled which was spoken of by the prophets that is That a Ierusalem should be built the name whereof shoulde be called The Lord is there and that this citie should be lifted vp aboue al mountaines and that from the Sanctuary therof should go waters of life which should runne to the east sea and to the west sea and that there should be plentie thereof both in sommer and winter and that whatsoeuer tree should be planted by the riuer of waters which should runne out of the sanctuary of this citie the leafe thereof shoulde neuer fade neyther should the fruit thereof at any time fayle and that the waters of this riuer should be so wholesome that whither soeuer they should runne the fi◅h that should be nourished therewith should liue thereby
or his image or receiue hys marke eyther in hys hand or in hys forhead yea or so muche as the prynt of hys name in any part they shoulde then drinke of the pure wyne of the wrath of God and should haue no rest neyther day nor night but be tormented in fire brimstone before the holy Angels and before the lambe of God for euer and euer And yet dare the voyce of this counterfeit Lambe command and forbid the contrary saying vnto al men See that you worship the beast and the image of the beast and that you receiue his marke either in your right hand or in your forheads or at leastwise beare his name or the number of his name for as many as wil not thus do shal neither buy nor sel no nor liue vpon y â— earth And thus you see how plainly God hath noted vnto you the markes not only of the first beast but also of this counterfeyte Lambe the second whose voyce is all one with the thirde that deceiued Adam all three speake the wordes of the Dragon that is of the very deuill himselfe whose rage notwithstanding was most fiercely exercised in the first beast the Romaine Emperours for the space of three hundreth yeares yet coulde he not so preuaile by them but that many stoode as couragious Lyons most manfully to y â— trueth But after that he had bene thus tyed by good christians for the space of a thousand yeares from the dayes of our Lord so that he could not haue his full sway yet then doth he so preuayle by the second beast this lambe the popes whose commings were as you see with all lying signes and wonders and vnder the pretence of religion that al the worlde was made drunken with the wyne of their fornication and deceiued with their inchantmentes But as kinges then gaue their power and authoritie vnto this second beast so God hath told vs that in the end he will put into the heart of kinges to hate the beast and to eate her fleshe and to make her desolate naked and bare The which we giue hym thankes for we see begunne in diuers countries and I trust we dayly more and more shall see for notwithstanding all their strength hitherto yet know you that they are but that Kittim that shall perish in the end euen as Moses the seruant of the Lord from Baalam doth tel you who although he were but a false prophet like vnto these we nowe speake of yet the Lord made hym to speake the trueth herein in spight of hys heart Knowe you agayne that the Lord will consume them with the spirite of his mouth as that holy Apostle saint Paul doth also tell you yea and knowe you once agayne that the holy Ghost doth assure you that he will giue vnto them and their mountayne the discomfiture of Sisera at Magedon yea and that hee will giue vnto them the cup of the wyne of the fiercenesse of his wrath and that the deuill whiche deceiued them I meane the Romaines the first beast as also the false prophets the second beast with all that haue receiued y â— beastes marke I say all these with their author the deuill shall be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone where they shalbe tormented euen day and night for euermore So that here we may say agayne with the holy Apostle O let vs often behold and beholde agayne the louing kindnesse and the seueritie of the Lord hys louing kindnesse towardes vs in that it hath pleased hym so graciously and louingly to giue vs hys most holy worde by the which wee may see as by a glasse the spottes of this moste filthy state of Rome And his seuere seueritie towardes all those that are depriued of the same Now if you will know the cause here why the Lord doth so deale as to take hys holy word from so many thousandes of people and so by that meanes to suffer them to runne headlong to eternall destruction The answere is because they themselues haue not a loue of the trueth for so speaketh the Apostle when men haue not a loue to the trueth sayth he which is the word of God by the which worde they might be saued it pleaseth the Lord to send them strong delusions that so they shoulde beleeue lyes and also to suffer them to giue heede vnto the spirites of error and doctrines of deuils and so by that meanes to depriue themselues of the true light which should giue them life wherby in y â— end they might be damned and onely because they would neyther receiue nor beleeue the trueth but rather delighted in the preceptes and doctrines of men and as concerning the doctrine of lyfe had no courage to goe on forward but rather delighted to remayne therin as children euer ready to wauour and to be carryed about with euery winde of straunge doctrine and to bee as wandering starres who easily fall from theyr standing And therefore well worthy is the blackenesse of darkenesse reserued to such for euer Wherefore let vs that account our selues Christians be thankfull vnto the Lord that it hath pleased hym to call vs from the power of this damnable darkenesse euen to the most cleere light of the glorious Gospel and let vs not onely be thankfull vnto the Lord for that it hath pleased him to call vs out of this mysticall Babylon but let vs also be much more carefull then heretofore wee haue bene to let the heauenly lerusalem come into our mindes and let vs in any wise giue an entrance to the building of this spirituall worke by the moste holy word of God and euermore hold fast that sworde of the spirite in the one hand while we worke with the other that so we may put in feare al such enemies as would hinder or keep backe this spirituall building And let vs also giue more diligent heede as the Apostle commandeth vs vnto the thinges which we haue heard least at anie time wee should let them slip for if the wordes spoken by Angels was steadfast and euery transgression and disobedience receiued a iust recompence of reward as before we haue seene howe then shall we escape if wee neglect so great saluation since the Lord hath spoken vnto vs in these last dayes by the sonne hymself whose doctrine was further confirmed vnto vs by them that heard hym Therefore let vs in any wise I say giue more aboundant heede vnto the thinges which we haue heard of hym least we also be plucked away with the error of the wicked and so fall from our owne steadfastnesse for assuredly in the same condemnation are all they who liue in ignorance of his truth and despise the knowledge of hys holy word Therefore it is meete you learne to redeeme the tyme euen this very houre and not to moue the patience of God any longer for assure your selfe
confessed that they were strangers and pilgrimes on earth for they that say such thinges declare plainly that they seeke a country not hereupon earth but the desire a better that is an heauenly wherefore God is not ashamed of them to be called theyr God and hath prepared for them an heauenly eitie Now then seeing that fayth is the ground of thinges hoped for and the euidence of thinges whiche are not seene Let vs in any wise vse the meanes that God hath appoynted to come therby And seeing we are compassed with so great a cloud of witnesses Let vs also cast away euery thing that presseth downe and the sinne that hangeth on so fast and let vs runne the race with patience that is set before vs still looking vnto our Lord and Souiour Iesus Christ who is the author and finisher of our fayth And let vs aboue all thinges take heede that we despise not him that speaketh For if all these whiche before I spake of and manie more escaped not which refused those that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turne away from him that speaketh from heauen And seeing we know that the iudgementes of God are according to truth agaynst all them that haue so lyghtly regarded to heare and knowe and haue counted them worthy of death which haue done so let vs not thinke if we doe the same that we shall escape the iudgementes of God but that the like famine will befall vs and our nation that hath befallen others I do not meane a famine of bread as made of corne but of that heauenly bread the worde of God Therfore seeing his word is no vaine word as Moses saith concerning men but is euen their very life Let vs as y ◠Apostle sayth as new borne babes desire the sincere milke therof that so we may grow thereby both in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ especially forasmuche as that in the knowledge of him standeth our eternal life no where els is he to be found but in the holy scriptures for so he hymselfe hath sayd in these words Search the scriptures for in them ye thinke to haue eternall life so you shal for they are they that testifie of me by whō you haue your life breath being and that eternally but you will not come vnto me sayth hee that ye might haue life Therefore hath the holy Ghost sayd in another place hee that obeyeth not the sonne of God shall neuer see life but the wrath of God abideth on hym Seeing therefore that the sonne hath giuen commandement to search the Scriptures and the father that we should not let them depart out of our mouthes and the holy Ghost hath pronounced a blessing onely on them whiche doe therein delight Let vs in anye wise take vnto vs as the Apostle commandeth euen the whole armour thereof and with the holy Prophet make it our onely meditation continually then shall we be sure to prosper and to haue good successe for so the Lord himselfe hath tolde vs yea then shall we be like a tree that florisheth beeing planted by the riuer side which bringeth forth her fruit in due season yea then shall our prosperitie be as a floud and our righteousnesse as the waues of the sea for then will the sonne of righteousnesse hymselfe ouershadow vs vnder whose winges we shall be sure to finde euerlasting health and safetie whereas otherwise we see that God is a consuming fire and hath troden downe the wicked that would not delight herein as wee haue seene in all ages Therfore most heartily I beseech you yea and beseech you agayne and agayne that you will alwayes remember that great commandement of the Lord our God whiche is this Euen to remember the law of Moses his seruant the which he hath commanded with al his statutes and iudgementes and also that most sure word of the holy prophetes with the commandementes of the apostles of our Lord and sauiour and to labour therein both day and night that so you may remayne no longer as children without vnderstanding but to bee of a most ripe age therin and that so it may be sayde of you This people is onely wise and of an vnderstanding heart For they haue knowne the holy scriptures from their childhood which are onely able to make them so to be Come therefore I beseeche you and let vs with the holy prophet confesse before all men say Oh how loue we the law of the Lord It is our onely meditation continually we haue had as great delight in the way of his testimonies as in all maner of riches Therefore shall our eyes preuent the night watches to meditate in hys word because the law of hys mouth is better vnto vs then thousandes of gold siluer yea we hys seruants wil continually meditate in hys statutes and hys testimonies shall be our delight and our onely councellors And because that by hys preceptes hee hath quickened vs wee will neuer forget his word but wee will still hearken vnto hys voyce that so wee may learne to feare it and diligently to obey it all the dayes of our life And we wil also set vp the Lord this day to be our God we wil walke in his wayes and keepe his ordinances hys commaundementes and his lawes for euer and his voice alone will we obey And so doing the Lord our God will set vp vs to be a pretious people vnto himselfe as he hath promised yea so shall wee be set on high aboue all nations of the earth in prayse in name and in glory yea so shall we be counted an holy people vnto the Lord whiche in time past were not a people so shall our enemies that dayly rise agaynst vs fall before our faces yea where as they come out one way agaynst vs they shall flie before vs seuen wayes yea so shall fiue of vs chase an hundreth of them and an hundreth of vs put ten thousand of them to flight as in good part of late we haue seene yea so will the Lord open vnto vs his heauenly treasure and giue vs rayne in due season whereby our land shall yeeld her increase and the trees of the field shall yeeld their fruit yea so shall our thressing reach vnto the vintage the vintage shall reache vnto sowing time yea so shall wee eate our bread in great plenteousnesse and dwell in our land in safetie yea so shall wee haue peace in our land and our sleepe be in quiet and none shall make vs afrayd yea so shall all the blessinges contained in the whole booke of God come vpon vs and ouertake vs if we shall hearken vnto the voyce of the Lord our God and obey it and delight in hys holy worde as in the chiefest
A Direction to the waters of lyfe Come and beholde How CHRIST shineth before the Law in the Law and in the Prophetes and withall the iudgements of God vpon all Nations for the neglect of his holy worde wherein they myght haue seene the same Both which are layde before your eyes in this litle discourse by ROGER COTTON Draper Imprinted at London for Gabriell Simson and William White and are to be solde at their house in Fleete lane 1590. TO THE GODLIE AND LEARNED MAISTER HVGH BROVGHTON TEACHER OF DIVINITIE GRACE AND peace in Christ. FOR as much as it hath pleased the Lorde Right reuerent to make your selfe vnto me a most comfortable Father in that you haue begotten me vnto Christe euen as Paule did Tymothie nay rather as he did Onesimus that is much more then from a seruant of Philemon to be a brother of Pilemon euen from a seruaunt of sinne to be a seruaunt of Iesus Christe For as much I say as it hath pleased the Lord you shoulde beget me after this sort I thought good to present vnto your learned view some part of the fruites of your owne labour in me begotten not to the intent in any respect to benefite your selfe therewith sauing that you wyll reioyce to see that your labour on me bestowed is not altogeather lost but onely to the intent to incourage others to the studie of the most absolute perfect word of God because that Satan our old enimie striueth styl most lyke a subtle Serpent especially to perswade men to the contrarie Therefore so much as in me lyeth I labour to ouerthrow him therein and to styrre vp others in lyke sort to take vp the weapon of their warfare the worde of God against him and to haue them constantly to hold on in the meditation thereof vntyll such time as they shaâ—…l haue skill to handle that sworde of the spirite aright and vntyll such tyme as they shall attayne vnto the sounde knowledge of euery poynt of that heauenly mysterie of our saluation vnto the which high mysterie of saluation you haue ful often as a most heauenly Orator not onely called me but also many more to their vnspeakable comfort euer warnyng vs in lyke maner to geue attendaunce for the furtheraunce thereof vnto the reading of the same most pure and holy worde of God Euen for this cause only haue I put foorth this lytle and vnlearned Treatise VVherefore seeing the Lorde hath made you a Paule from the Apostle Paule and other his felowes to plant in me these thinges and that it hath pleased his heauenly maiestie to geue the increase I thought it meete to dedicate these some part of the fruites vnto you a speciall meanes thereof humbly beseeching you to shielde them vnder your most graue learned protection that so the benefite thereof may redownde to them for whose sakes I brought them foorth The summe whereof is to shew the brightnes of our sauiour Christ in all ages according as it is sayd by the Apostle Christ yesterday and to day and the same for euer As also to what ende the Lord hath created man which is to set soorth his praise and glory aboue all the creatures that he hath made and lykewyse how that can not be done but by the knowledge and direction of his owne most perfect worde and howe that all nations and people that haue delighted or not delighted herein haue founde accordingly the louing kindnes or the seueritie of the Lord. And thus I cease beseeching the Lord to blesse you with a long and happie lyfe euen to the begettyng of thousandes more vnto the kingdome of the euer-lyuing God that so your selfe may shine as a most glorious starre in the life to come Amen Yours begotten in the Lord Roger Cotton TO THE READER I Finde in the Booke of GOD most gentle Reader that a man shoulde not be ashamed to speake of the testimonies of the Lorde yf it were before Kinges as also a charge geuen that a man shoulde not let to delyuer those glorious thynges whiche hee hath heard of by many witnesses to iust and faythfull men to the intent that they also might be able to teach and to delyuer the same vnto others accordyng as other Prophetes commaunde saying Tell you your children of them and let your children shew to their children and their children to an other generation For as much then as I finde suche a charge there geuen I thinke it no shame to speake thereof at this time vnto you but holde my selfe bounde according to that talent which God hath geuen me to make a rehearsall of those glorious thinges which to me haue been reuealed to the intent that you also may come to the Booke of God where you shalbe compassed with such a cloude of heauenly witnesses both of perfect skill and also willingnes that yf you will you may be made able to describe at large vnto others both the wysedome prayse power glory and state of that euerlastyng King and kingdome Therefore as some haue sayd vnto me Come and see the Booke of God for there shall you finde the Messias yea there shall you finde that gloryous King whose wysedome is so great that it farre exceedeth the wysedome of all the sonnes of the East or of Egypt Nay there shall you see him whose wysedome so much excelleth other mens that it farre surmounteth the wysedome eyther of Ethan Heman Chalcole or Derda I say as some haue sayde vnto me Come and see the booke of God that so you may beholde this glorious King whose fame is spread throughout all the nations euen so throughout this litle Discourse say I vnto you Therefore yf you will so do I doubt not but that you wyll say the lyke vnto others and also say vnto me it was a true report indeede that we heard of by you concernyng the wysedome of this King and also the glory of his kingdome how be it we scarce beleeued it vntyll we came and that our owne eyes had seene it But now we perceyue that you tolde vs not the one halfe of the wysedome of this great King nor yet of the glory of his kingdome for indeede it farre surmounteth the fame that we heard thereof by you Therfore happy are those men that stande in the courtes of this King yea thrise happy are his seruauntes which alwayes stande before his presence to heare his wysedome I meane in the presence of that heauenly King who farre excelleth Salomon euen Salomon who so farre surmounted those aforenamed and in whose presence is the fulnes of all ioy and gladnes But yf you wyll not come to heare the wysedome of this great King nor yet to see the glorie of his kingdome which so farre excelleth Salomons he hath pronounced with his owne mouth that the Queene of the South shall ryse in iudgement against you And this is the summe of my lytle and vnlearned Treatise Therefore yf you looke vnto
the booke of God whether this my vnskilfull draught woulde drawe you I shall thinke my laboure well bestowed and you your selfe shall remayne no longer as that lytle Syster which hath no brestes but you shall be lyke that flocke of Sheepe where not one is barren amongst them and as that florishyng Tree fast planted by the Riuer side whose leafe shall euer shew it selfe most fresh and greene euen to the bringing foorth of fruite in great abundance And moreouer you shall be then as a Pillar in the house of the Lorde your God and also as the Towre of Dauid most strongly buylt for your owne defence and shall continually remayne in the eyes of this Salomon as one that findeth peace The which peace the Lord graunt you may speedely inioy Amen Yours in the Lorde R. C. The reason why all Creatures ought to prayse the LORD and why Man ought so to do aboue the rest WHereas the holy Prophet prouoketh the Heauens and all thinges therein the Earth and Sea also with all thinges therein to prayse the Lorde he yeeldeth a reason why they ought so to doo and that is for that he spake the worde and they were created he commaunded and they were made And therfore because that all creatures haue their breath and beeing by him as the Apostle sayth the Prophet calleth them all to sounde foorth the prayse and glory of their Creator but especially he vrgeth Man to aduance the same aboue the rest because that he most chiefly aboue all others was thereunto appoynted For the Lorde speaking of his chosen Israel sayth This people haue I formed for my selfe and therefore sayth he They shall shew foorth my prayse and glory as also Moses taught them that vnto that ende and purpose they were chosen And lykewyse the Lorde speaking of the callyng of the Heathen from all quarters of the earth to be his Sonnes and Daughters in Christ Them also saith he haue I created for my glory and to none other ende but that they shoulde shew foorth his prayse amongst the rest as in diuers places of scripture may be seene So that for this cause were all the holy Prophetes and Apostles so much moued to call vpon Man to set foorth the prayse and glory of God and not onely because he was thereunto appoynted but also so much the more for that he hath done for him such wonderful and excellent thynges as first to elect him in Christ vnto saluation before the foundation of the worlde was layde Secondly to create him in so glorious an estate euen after his owne image and lykenes and as Lorde and King ouer all his creatures Thirdly to redeeme his soule from the iawes of Satan with the precions blood of Christ his Sonne as of a Lambe without spot and vndefiled Fourthly to exalt his horne on high euen to syt with his Sonne in the heauenly and highest places Fifthly to sanctifie and to endue him with his holy spirite whereby he may be led into all trueth Sixthly to lade him dayly with his manifolde and gratious benefites And seuenthly to sanctifie one day of seauen for his owne glory and to the ende that man shoulde rest from his owne workes and be workefull vnto God in geuing due prayse and thankes vnto him for the former benefites receyued And therefore as the holy Prophet sayth Let all them that seeke the Lord reioyce and be glad in him and let them that loue his saluation alwayes say The Lord be praysed Man ought dayly to consider for what cause the Lord shoulde so bountifully deale with him and beholding the Heauens be driuen thereby to confesse his owne duetie SEeing that the Lorde hath created Man to none other ende but to shew foorth his prayse and glory and seeing that he ladeth him dayly with his gratious benefites to the ende to induce him therunto O that men woulde therefore enter into deepe meditation with the holy Prophet and so consider with them selues yea and consider agayne and agayne that when they beholde the Heauens euen the workes of Gods fingers the Sunne the Moone and Stars which he hath ordeyned what man shoulde be that he shoulde be so mindfull of him yea or what sonne of Adam he shoulde be that he shoulde thus consider of for he hath made some one to haue dominion ouer the workes of his handes and hath put all thinges in subiection vnder his feete Surely therefore I wyll seeke him out to whom this glory doth belong and I wyll also seeke the cause why the Lord hath thus aduaunced me For he hath geuen me the vse of all these his goodly creatures and therefore once agayne say I What is man O Lorde that thou shouldest deale in this sort with him Surely thou hast thus aduaunced him for some great purpose and I can see none other ende but to aduaunce thy prayse and glory and that in the highest degree for when as I behold the Heauens I see that they haue neither toonge nor voyce and yet I see that they declare thy glory and the Firmament doth shew forth the workes of thy handes Day vnto day vttereth the same thing and nyght vnto nyght teacheth such knowledge there is no speach nor language where their sounde is not heard and surely to none other intent but that men shoulde be without excuse Wherefore I for my part wyll dayly say as the holy Prophet did My soule prayse thou the Lord and al that is within me prayse his holy name My soule prayse thou the Lord and forget not all his benefites Yea and I wyll also call and say Let all the nations prayse the Lorde and let all the people shew foorth the glory of God euen their saluation If man be styrred vp by all the workes of God to consider his owne duetie which is to prayse the Lord it must not be according to his owne fantasie but according to the rule of Gods worde NOW we haue considered that all the workes of God do set foorth his prayse and glory and that man is bounde thereunto aboue the rest we must consider one thing farther with the holy Prophet which is this My lippes sayth he shall speake thy prayse when thou hast taught me thy Statutes Therefore when you haue learned them then may you set foorth the prayse and glory of God in such sort as he shall like of but otherwyse it is vnpossible you should for notwithstanding Moses was brought vp in all the learning of the Egyptians yet he confesseth him selfe to be ignorant concerning the worshyp of the Lord vntyll such time as he shoulde be directed by his owne most perfect worde How much more then ought we to confesse great ignorance therein vntil such time as we also shal be directed by the same Moreouer for as much as no prayse or worshyp is accepted in the sight of the Lord but such as
shalbe done according to the rule thereof we must learne to worshyp him according to the same in no case to go one foote farther For as Moses was not to do any thyng about the Tabernacle or for the geuing of lawes statutes ordinances rites ceremonies or whatsoeuer according to his owne wyl or fantasie but in all thinges to do according to the paterne and prescription shewed him in the Mount and elswhere by the Lord no more must we in the very smallest thing we take in hand concerning the worshyp of the Lorde but in all thinges therein must we also be directed by the most pure perfect worde of God For as the Cloude was a direction to their Iornies in the Wildernesse and they not to steppe one foote forwarde or backwarde farther then by it they were ledde Euen so the Lawes there geuen by the Lord are a most perfect rule for men to walke by whyle the worlde shall stande For wherewithall sayth the Prophet shall a young man clense his way The holy Ghost doth answere Euen in taking heede thereto according to the worde of God and therefore did the holy Prophetes and Apostles alwayes pray that it woulde please the Lord to direct their steps according to the same For in no case can the Lord abide any will worship seeme it neuer so holy but in all thynges wyll he be worshypped according to his holy wyll layde downe in his holy worde for otherwyse we worshyppe him in vayne as our Sauiour sayth If insteade of the doctrine of his holy worde we obserue the preceptes and foolysh traditions of men so that To obey his holy worde as the Prophet Samuel sayth is better then al kind of sacrifice and to hearken therunto is better then the fatte of Rams Therefore let vs pray with the holy Prophet that it woulde please the Lord to encline our hartes vnto his law not vnto couetousnesse and that we may esteeme al his preceptes most pure and iust hate al false wayes and abhor al vaine inuentions Seeing that euery man is but as a beast by his owne knowledge we must learne to be made wyse by the worde of God NOw that we know the Lord hath created vs to none other ende but to set foorth his prayse glory and seeing we know also that no prayse or worshyppe wyll please him but that which shalbe done accordyng to his holy worde let vs pray vnto him with the holy Prophet that euen as it hath pleased him to make vs and to fashion vs euen so it woulde please him therefore to geue vs vnderstandyng that we may learne his commaundementes and chuse the way of trueth And agayne seeing that euery man is but as a Beast by his owne knowledge as the Prophet Ieremie doth say and seeing also the Prophet Dauid confessed him selfe so to be vntyll he went into the house of the Lorde and so through his holy worde became wyse We ought therefore to pray vnto the Lorde to geue vs grace to leaue of from leaning any longer vnto our owne wysedome as the holy Ghost vs warneth and onely to hearken withall the holy Prophetes and Apostles what the Lorde wyll say vnto vs that so his holy worde may be a Lanterne to our feete and a lyght vnto our pathes and that by his counsell alone we may be guyded as the Prophet saith euen vnto righteousnes iudgement equitie and to euery good path which thing being done and preceptes kept it shalbe vnto the Lorde a sacrifice of a more sweete smelling sent then the fatte of thousandes of Rammes and Goates or riuers of Oyle Wherefore I beseeche al you that are as my selfe euen of the simpliest sort vnto whom onely I direct my speeches and such as feare the Lord that you woulde cause your eares to hearken vnto wysedome and incline your hartes to vnderstandyng But what am I that I shoulde so beseeche you since that Wysedome her selfe doth intreate you and dayly offereth her selfe vnto you And yet because the holy Ghost commaundes that we should one exhort another I can not chuse but with the holy Prophet euen desire you to taste and see how sweete the Lord is Now if you aske me what this wysedome is that you shoulde hearken so vnto her and this vnderstanding that you shoulde so incline your hartes thereto the Lord himselfe doth tell you Behold sayth he the feare of the Lord is wysedome and to depart from euill is vnderstanding And in an other place the Knowledge of holy thinges is vnderstanding and the only way for you to finde the feare of God which is to haue wysedome and to finde the knowledge of holy thinges which is to haue vnderstandyng is for to repayre vnto the worde of God for the Lorde onely geueth wysedome and out of his mouth commeth knowledge and vnderstanding So that if you searche and seeke in the Booke of God you shall be sure to finde the knowledge of the Lord and then as he is knowen of you euen so shall you feare him and also by your continuall meditation therein you shall be sure to be made wyse vnto saluation for the worde of God is fully able so to do as sayth the Apostle and therefore in any wyse see that you alwayes pray vnto the Lorde that it woulde please him to geue you such a taste therein as that it may be more sweeter vnto your hart then the Hony or the Hony combe vnto your mouth yea and more desired for your necessitie then golde yea then much fine golde or treasures for your plentie The which the Lord for his mercies sake graunt vnto vs euery one whereby we may haue suche a feeling and knowledge therein as that the bryghtnesse of the glorious Gospel may shyne most cleerely in our mindes euen to the vtter abolishyng of our former and most damnable darkenesse Certayne Obiections vpon the former exhortation answered PEraduenture you wyl now say vnto me yf it be so that we can not attayne vnto Wisedome which is to vnderstande holy thynges and those holy thinges not to be founde vnlesse we read and meditate in the Booke of God alas that is so hard that we cannot attayne vnto the vnderstandyng thereof and agayne it is for great Clarkes and not for vs simple soules to meddle withall for many tymes the vnlearned peruert the Scriptures euen to their owne destruction and so I haue heard some say that S. Peter sayth they do so But I may say vnto you in the name of God Be not deceyued for it is the subtiltie of Satan that so perswadeth you and not you onely but almost all men generally throughout the whole world And wherfore trow you doth he so Surely to none other ende but that his owne kingdome may be the better thereby maynteyned for euen as the kingdome of God is dayly inlarged where his worde is
that woulde so leade you into the dytch as to make you beleeue that y ◠Apostle meaneth the Genealogies conteyned in the holy Scriptures In deede he meaneth that endles Genealogies are vnprofitable but you must well know that there is none such in the Scripture neyther any thyng superfluous or vnprofitable for our saluation Therefore who woulde thinke that men who pretende to haue great zeale and knowledge shoulde be so beastly and foolyshe as to expounde the Apostle in that meaning as though the Apostle who spake by the spirite of God woulde speake agaynst the spirite of God For I pray you did not the same spirite set downe them that set downe all the rest and dare men be so bolde then as to speake against the wysedome of the holy Ghost And I pray you what part of the Bible is there that doth not thereof consist be not men the grounde and cause of all the matter there And how can we knowe the matter as we ought vnlesse we know the men of whom the matter speaketh As for example yf the holy Ghost say Sheba and Seba shall bring gyftes or Nebaioh and Kedar shall come and serue how can we know rightly what is meant hereby vnlesse we know the people of whom the holy Ghost doth speake and also the cause why they were estranged from the Lord and now shoulde come agayne Or yf the Lorde do tell you how that he will subdue the Canaanites Heuites Iebusites Gergesites and the rest of those nations to geue vnto Israel their possessions must you not of necessitie yf you wyl know the cause cleerely vnderstande what these people are and of whom they come and also vpon what former prophesie and promises these matters do depende Yes you are bounde to know them for the holy Ghost commaundeth you and all the world to consider of it euen of this how that when y ◠most High God deuided to the Nations their inheritaunce he appoynted the borders of A people meanyng Canaan and his sonnes according to the number of the sonnes of Israel that in tyme they might haue it So that yf you wyll know any thing in the Booke of God cleerely as all thinges therein you are bounde to knowe you must of necessitie knowe the persons that the holy Ghost doth intreate of For when as the holy Ghost doth tell you of blessednesse to befall Sem and his posteritie and lykewyse the contrarie vnto Canaan and his posteritie and also of a reuersion of Sems blessednes to befall Iapheth in the ende and his posteritie and also how Canaan his posteritie shall be seruantes vnto both them and theirs how is it possible I say for you to vnderstande any thing with iudgement vnlesse you be able in some good sort to distinguysh of these Families For all the whole Bible from the ninth of Genesis to the ende of the Reuelation dependeth vpon this one Prophesie euen on this which by the spirite of God was vttered in the Chapter before cyted Or agayne yf the holy Ghost do tell you of Moab Ammon Edom and diuers mo with them to be ioyned in league agaynst the people of God must you not of necessitie also yf you wyll know the cause cleerely herein vnderstande of what rootes those wicked branches do also proceede and likewise how for what cause they became suche rotten ones as they were and also how for what cause the other the Israelites became the people of God of whom they also come Yes in deede must you or otherwyse your hart shall remayne that hard way and stony grounde vnfallowed vp vpon the which the seede of the Worde being cast is not able to take roote to the bringing foorth of fruites And why because without the knowledge of these thinges you are neyther able to heare or reade the worde of God with vnderstandyng Therefore in the name of God take heede that you be not so perswaded by them to beleeue that the Genealogies in the holy Scriptures be endles or vnprofitable or superfluous for yf you so thinke then do you nothing els but take away from the Scripture and so the cursse of God wyll come vpon you euen to your vtter damnation Therefore yf it be so as Moses sayth that the thinges reuealed in the holy Scriptures are for vs and our chyldren for euer And also that the same Apostle that you spake of doth tel you that All thinges that are therein written are written for our learning You must in any wyse take vnto you the whole armour and instrumentes that God hath you appoynted that so your buylding may be so coupled and knit togeather in euery ioynt of the furniture thereof and so surely grounded vpon that precious foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes Christ him selfe being the chiefe corner stone as that it may stande firme and sure against all the assaultes of the Deuyll in the stormy and euyll day Wherefore seeing that these blinde Guydes whose lyppes do not preserue knowledge but woulde take away the key thereof and neyther enter in them selues nor suffer you that woulde Be you carefull your selfe to lay your grounde-sieles so sure and fast vppon the former Rocke as that your spirituall buyldyng may grow vp as an holy Temple for the Lord and in any wyse geue an entrance to the buylding therof by the holy worde of God and assure your selfe the Lorde wyll geue you lyght yea such exceeding shyning lyght as that the hardest knot and darkest place therein wyll seeme most cleere and bryght yf you wyll the Lord beleeue For you shall vnderstande that he doth tell you that yf you woulde but seeke after knowlege as you woulde do after syluer and search after vnderstanding as you would do after treasures then you should be sure not onely to fynde the knowledge of the hardest Genealogie in his Booke conteyned but also in them and by them the feare and knowledge of the Lorde your God Therefore leaue of so much your seeking after trashe which perisheth and seeke for that true knowledge which neither Moth nor Canker nor Theefe decreaseth as our 〈◊〉 you commaundeth Yea but you wil say that some of our guydes do also tel vs that if we shoulde get this great knowledge vnderstanding that you speake of it woulde be very hurtfull vnto vs for it would puffe vs vp make vs vnreasonable proude for so say they the Apostle sayth and it is more meete say they that we should learne Mortification to do good workes and as for such great knowledge it forceth not It is true in deede that the Apostle sayth that knowledge puffeth vp and it is most meete also that you should learne Mortification also to glorifie y ◠Lord through your workes But you must know what knowledge it is that the Apostle speaketh of a man woulde thinke not heauenly knowledge for who knewe more then he
the vertue of Christ his resurrection and also the righteousnes which he shoulde haue by him because it is not the workes that maketh the man good but the man that maketh the workes good For you must well know that yf Abraham had not beleeued the Lord he had not been counted righteous for although he were iustified by workes in the sight of men and thereby had somwhat wherin to reioyce yet had he not so in no respect with God For what sayth the Scripture doth it not tell you how that Abraham beleeued the Lorde and he counted that vnto him for righteousnes So that y e workes which he did had been but as dead workes and rotten in the sight of God had he not beleeued the promyse of God concerning the Seede that shoulde come of him Agayne you must as well knowe that Israel obteyned not that which they sought through workes but the election obteyned it neither were they elected vnto saluation because of the workes which in tyme they woulde do but they were elected through the grace of God in Christ Iesus accordyng as the Apostle also testeth the phesians they were saying By grace are ye also saued through faith in Iesus Christ and not of workes sayth he least any man shoulde boast him selfe and therefore the Scripâ—…ure hath concluded all vnder sinne that so men might see playnely how they are iustified freely by the grace of God and not through workes for yf it were of workes then were it not of grace but since it is of grace it can not be of workes as sayth the Apostle Therefore we conclude sayth he that a man is iustified freely through fayth in Iesus Christe and not through workes for to him that worketh the wages is not counted by fauour but by debt but to him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his fayth is counted for righteousnes euen as Dauid declareth the blessednes of the man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnes without workes saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered blessed is that man to whom the Lorde imputeth not sinne And good cause the holy Prophet had so to say fâ—…r yf men shoulde be rewarded according to their workes or desartes they should be rewarded with euerlasting death because the wages of sinne is death and there is no man but he hath sinned and gon a stray therefore no man but he deserueth the wages of hell and death But yf men do looke for eternall lyfe they must know it commeth as a free gyft of God through fayth in Christe and not in any respect as a due debt vnto them because of their workes For as Abraham receyued not the promise concerning the heireship of the worlde through the fulfilling of the Law but through the righteousnes of fayth no more doth any man receiue the promise of the heireshyp of eternall lyfe through the workes which he can do but through the fayth which he hath in Iesus Christ. What shall we say then concerning good workes Shall we vtterly exclude them No in no wyse for God hath ordeyned them also euen to the ende that those whom he hath elected in Christ shoulde walke in them but not in any respect for men to thinke that they shoulde be the cause of their election neyther that they shoulde thinke the free gift of eternall lyfe commeth as a due debt for them But in deede they are as most excellent fruites which shoulde alwayes floorysh from those whom God hath elected according as the Apostle sayth God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the worlde to the ende that we shoulde be holy and without blame before him in loue So then y e fruites not being the cause of the goodnes of the tree but the tree the cause of the goodnes of the fruites it had ben in vayne I say for the Apostles to looke for good fruites to come from men yf they had not first taken care for the sounde plantyng of the tree that is If they had not first taught men the sounde knowledge of Christ wherby they might see plainely wherein their goodnes stoode it had profited their hearers nothing at all no although they shoulde haue done all the good workes in the worlde or haue mortified them selues neuer so much in the sight of men because without the sounde knowledge of Christ the soule can not be good For I pray you had not the Apostle Paule as great cause to reioyce in the fleshe as any man in the worlde yf by suche thinges God woulde haue been pleased Yes in deede had he for you see he was circumcised the eight day of the kinred of Israel and of the trybe of Beniamin and an Hebrew of Heber and by the Law of the strictest sect euen a Pharisee and also as concerning zeale no man more feruent then he yea and as touchyng the righteousnes which is by the Law euen vnrebukeable and yet you may see that he counteth all these thinges but as dung drosse in respect of y e excellent knowledge sake which he had founde in Christe by the which knowledge he was made to see that notwithstanding all his former righteousnes by the Law yet had he gon to eternall destruction had he not founde the righteousnes which is through fayth in Christ and therefore no maruell was it though he made small accompt of his former righteousnes in respect of the knowledge he had now of Christ. Wherefore in any wyse see that you alwayes desire the same thing for assure your selfe that is more worth in the syght of God then all the burnt offeringes or sacrifices in the worlde for so the Lorde him selfe doth tel you Therefore blame me not I beseech you though somewhat longer I stande vpon this poynt euen vpon this that the sounde knowledge of Christe for vs to haue is more accepted in the syght of God then all the workes which we call good in the worlde For I pray you further was not Cornelius the Captayne that heathen man a godly man as well as Paule Yes euen one whom the holy ghost commendeth to be very deuout to haue the feare of God before his eyes to pray vnto him continually to haue care to teache his whole householde the like and besides all this to be one that gaue much Almes vnto the people and yet you see he was not in that case as he ought to be vntyll such time as Peter had made knowne vnto him the Lorde IESVS that so he myght know that by his death and resurrection came remission of sinnes and onely vnto those that woulde beleeue in his name so that notwithstanding all his former righteousnes yet was he to be counted a most greeuous sinner vntyll such tyme as he apprehended Christ by fayth and therefore is it that the Apostles say so sone as they
heard of this We perceiue now that God hath also graunted vnto the Gentiles repentance vnto lyfe So that the necessitie of this poynt is farre greater then I can wel declare because men are geuen generally to thinke that yf they can frame them selues to do well as they tearme it and to mortifie the lustes of the fleshe that that is the onely thing the Lorde requireth and accepteth of but they are marueylously deceyued For the Lorde delighteth more that men shoulde haue the sounde knowledge of him then he doth in all the workes which we call good be they neuer so many by vs perfourmed for yf it stoode onely vpon good workes and mortification wherewith the Lorde woulde be pleased I am sure you can not denie but that all the people in the worlde were then in as good case one as an other For who can deny but that the verie Insidels for outwarde actions behaue them selues as well as men can do and yet notwithstanding they go to eternal destruction And why Because they know not God in Christ. For this is an eternall rule whch you are bounde to holde that is that who soeuer knoweth not the Sonne of God nor beleeueth in him shal neuer see lyfe but the wrath of God abydeth on him Therefore yf you be one of those which loue eternall lyfe you must haue an earnest minde to know him aright that so your beliefe in him may stande most firme and constant and then assure your selfe you haue perfourmed the chiefest worke that God requireth at your handes For when the people demaunde of our Sauiour what they shoulde do whereby they myght worke the workes of God His answere is that they shoulde Beleeue in him whom the Father had sent for that in deede was the onely worke that God required at their handes as he also telleth them Agayne when the keeper of the Prison demaundeth of Paule and Silas what he shoulde do whereby he might be saued Their answere is in like maner that yf he woulde beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ he shoulde then be saued Now it may be you wyll say vnto me in this place yf that be all in all to beleeue in him what neede you then to bestowe such long speech in this poynt For we beleeue in the Lord Iesus and know well enough that all the workes in the worlde will not helpe vs vnles we do so Then must I say vnto you agayne yf it be so that you do beleeue in him as you say you do it must folow then of necessitie that you haue a minde to knowe him for those that beleeue in Christe the Sonne of God the Lord hath geuen a minde to knowe him sayth the Apostle Iohn therfore if you haue an earnest minde to be increasing in the knowledge of the Sonne of God then may you safely say that you are one of those that do beleeue in him and then agayne yf you be one of those that do stedfastly beleeue in him you haue then perfourmed the chiefest worke that God requireth at your handes yea then haue you also learned true mortification in deede otherwyse you haue it not For true mortification consisteth not only in humilitie or in not sparing of the body or in not satisfiyng of the fleshe to fulfill the lustes thereof Neyther do good workes as you see onely consist in the doing of that which is required vnto men for so the Papistes and many others as the forenamed woulde goe before you in that kinde but they both consist chiefly in the soundnes of your knowledge which you ought to haue of the Sonne of God Therefore whereas the most part of people are brought to this passe that is euen to thinke that yf they can say they do beleeue in Christ and learne withall to bring foorth the fruites of a christian lyfe which is to feede the hungrie to cloath the naked to visit the sicke to relieue the prisoners to do vnto all men as they woulde be done vnto and to mortifie the lustes of the flesh all which in deede are their dueties concerning the seconde Table and therefore worthy of commendation for so much But whereas they are brought to this passe I say which is to thinke that yf they can performe these thinges that they haue then performed the only thing the Lord requireth they are greatly deceyued for the Lorde requireth a great deale further matter at their handes then so For knowe you not the answere of our Sauiour vnto the Ruler who had asked what he might do to inherite eternall lyfe yf you do not this is it Yet lackest thou one thing sayth our Sauiour Now what this one thing was that he then lacked I wyll shew you First then the Ruler demaunding of our Sauiour what he myght do to inherite eternall lyfe and our Sauiour reciting the dueties of the seconde Table and he replying that he had kept them all euen from his very youth Our Sauiour trieth him then with a further and more chiefer poynt that is with his duetie concerning the fyrst Table and telleth him playnely that he lacked one thing yet and that in deede the most chiefest thing of all which was his loue towardes our Sauiour Christ and therefore sayth our Sauiour vnto him Sell all that thou hast and come and folowe me thinking thereby to try his obedience towardes the first Table that is to see whether he did so loue the Lorde in hart mynde and soule as that he coulde be contented to leaue all that he had and folow him as Abraham Moses Dauid Daniel and diuers others in the Gospell did but when he came to that poynt the case was altered whereby you may playnely see that yf men neuer so well performe their dueties concerning the seconde Table and yet misse therein as touching the chiefest poynt of the fyrst it profiteth them nothing at all Therefore this is the marke the which most earnestly I do shoote at euen this to haue you and all men well to know that the Lorde requireth most chiefly your whole duetie as touching the fyrst Table which is not fulfilled onely in saying there is but one God Father Sonne and holy Ghost nor in saying you beleeue to be saued by the seconde person in the trinitie but you must well knowe that the Lorde doth also require a most intire loue to be shewed towarde him that is he wyll haue you to loue him euen with all your hart with all your minde with all your soule with all your strength the which loue can in no wyse be so greatly expressed as when you haue a most earnest desire to heare his voyce and when as rather then you woulde be hindered from the hearing thereof by worldly matters you woulde rather be contented to forsake them all Therefore it is not enough onely to say you know this or beleeue that but you must shewe a willing minde to know beleeue according
to Scripture for the Lord wyl in no case like that you shoulde be troubled about many matters with Martha but wyll haue you without all excuse to choose the best part with Marie because that in deede is y e most excellent thing you can desire I meane the hearing of his voyce continually as Marie did that so you may haue all his most gracious words printed in your hart as Moses speaketh And why so Euen to the intent you may be able to rehearse them continually vnto your chyldren and that so you may be able to teach them and your selfe to knowe aright how that he IEHOVAH your God is one and that there is none but he according as he requireth in that first great Commaundement saying Heare O Israel IEHOVAH thy God IEHOVAH is one Therefore yf you holde them happie as happie blessed they are whose God this Iehouah is and that your selfe woulde be of this happie sort you must learne to know him aright that is you must learne to know according to the Scriptures how that vnder this name and nature there be three the Father the Worde and the holy Ghost and that these three are but one God for the Worde is the Sonne and yet he is IEHOVAH as S. Iohn in his twelfth teacheth you out of Esai the sixth And the holy Ghost is IEHOVAH as S. Paule in the Actes 28. teacheth you out of the same text of Esai And how this name IEHOVAH is opened S. Iohn in Apocalips the first sheweth you in this sort I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ende sayth the Lord euen he who was who is and who will be The knowing of this true God who is but one as also that the seconde person in this Trinitie was to take the nature of man that so he might suffer to the intent that in death he might destroy him that had the power thereof and so geue lyfe vnto the worlde The knowing of this I say according to the Scripture the which in all ages most playnely hath been manifested is the chiefest thing the Lorde requireth at your handes therefore you are to vnderstande that the holy Prophetes and Apostles did euer first and most chiefly labour to set foorth this and afterwardes exhorted men to walke according to their dueties layde downe in the seconde Table For you are not to thinke that when Iohn the Baptist came preaching in y e wildernes that his only drift was to bring the people to a more perfection of workes although after their demaunde he tell them that thus and thus they were to do but you are to vnderstande that most chiefly his drift was to bring them to a change of iudgement and to a more perfection of this knowledge and to a repentaunce of their former ignoraunces and a beleefe in Iesus Christ. For you see he telleth them playnely that the kingdome of God was euen now at hand and that a stronger then he came presently after him who in deede was before him and that him selfe was not worthy to stoope downe and vnlose the latchet of his Shoes and that although he baptised but with water yet he that came after him woulde baptise with the holy Ghost and with Fire and that he would come with his Fanne in his hand to make cleane his floore and to gather his Wheate into his Garner and to burne vp the Chasse with vnquenchable Fire And therefore vnles they did beleeue in him which shoulde come after him that is in Christ Iesus they woulde prooue to be this chasse Wherfore he telleth his kinsmen the Iewes that notwithstanding they for their partes began to say within them selues We haue Abraham to our Father and therefore we are the onely people because the couenauntes and promises of God belong onely vnto vs and also for that the Oracles of God were committed chiefly vnto vs and also because we are the Circumcision whereby we are separated from the sinners of the Gentiles I say notwithstandyng they beganne to bragge in this sort of all these outwarde thynges yet he telleth them that vnles they did beleeue in him of whom all the Prophetes before had spoken and was now come into the worlde they shoulde finde them selues to be this Chasse here spoken of and not the good Seede of the woman and of faythfull Abraham but euen the naturall seede of that olde Serpent their father the Deuill and that God was able to rayse vp sonnes vnto Abraham in steade of them euen of the very stones Whereby is meant that whereas the Gentiles vnto that time had hartes as hard as stones for asmuch as they regarded not to knowe the Lorde aright and therfore he regarded not the time of this their ignorance but suffered them to runne on in the hardnes of their hartes euen to their owne destruction Yet now he admonisheth all men eâ—…ery where to repent them of their former ignorance and beleeue the Gospell Yea now Iohn telleth them that the axe is put euen to the very roote of the trees and therefore yf these Gentiles woulde repent them of their former ignorances and beleeue in Christ as faythfull Abraham did then shoulde they be counted the sonnes of Abraham and the other shoulde be cut off euen according as the Apostle sayth Those which are of fayth are the chyldren of Abraham And againe He is not a Iew which is one outwardly neyther is that circumcision which is outwarde in the fleshe but he is a right Iew which is one within and whose hart is filled so full with the knowledge of God that he can alwayes prayse the Lorde aright and likewyse that is true circumcision which is of the hart and in the spirit and not in the letter and therefore yf these Gentiles woulde be such they shoulde then be the true circumcision in deede yea they should then be the true seede of Abraham and also the right Iewes and so their praise shoulde be of God and not of men Agayne whereas the Apostle vrgeth the Hebrewes to be led forward vnto perfection you are not to thinke he meaneth it of workes although no man will be so madde as to thinke otherwyse but that by those that haue knowledge a perfection of workes must also be practised for otherwyse because you shall not mistake me I tell you still your knowledge is in vayne For what hast thou to do with my couenant in thy mouth sayth the Lorde if thou hatest to be reformed And therfore as we are to grow vp in knowledge so are we also as the Apostle saith to grow vp in holines but in this place you are to vnderstande that the Apostle meaneth it of the perfection of knowledge which not onely y â— Hebrewes but also all others ought to attayne vnto that so they might see how Christ was answerable to all the former types figures shadowes and ceremonies in
if you will knowe agayne what this preaching was it was no more but euen this Blessed be the Lord God of Sem. And tenne ages after that an other In thy seede O Abraham shall all the nations of the earth be blessed Now out of all doubt two meruellous short Sermons as possible can be heard and yet so full of vertue and grace that whosoeuer wroung out the iuice therof and applied it to his sores found euerlasting lyfe thereby but he that trode them vnder foote a biting Serpent whose sting was vnto eternall death and destruction The iudgements of God vpon the Israelits in the time of their being in the wildernes and also vpon their successors vnto the time of Samuel and Saule THus you see then the louing kindnes of the Lord towards the Israelites the seede of Abraham the seede of Sem in that he deliuered them from the Iron furnace the lande of Egypt the house of bondage according to his promise made vnto Abram which was That they should be straungers in a lande that was not theris where they should be afflicted and euill intreated for the space of foure hundreth yeeres But in the ende he woulde iudge that nation and bring them againe to the lande of Canaan in the fourth generation euen so it came to passe For all the host of Israell came out of the lande of Egypt by the blood of a Lambe figuring the seede that was promised to Abraham euen the selfe same day foure hundreth and thirtie yeeres before by whose bloud they were deliuered from that spirituall Pharaoh the Diuell Yet notwithstanding all this this grudging Israell the sonnes of Iacob the seede of Abraham who had seene the meruellous workes of God in the land of Egypt and his wonders in the fielde of Zoan and howe he had brought them thence as vpon the winges of an Eagle and howe he went before them by day in a pyller of a cloude to leade them the way and by night in a pyller of fire to giue them light and how he came downe vpon mount Sina and spake vnto them from heauen and gaue vnto them right iudgements and true lawes ordinaunces and good commaundements and declared vnto them his holy Sabothes and commaunded them precepts ordinances and lawes by the hand of Moses his seruaunt and how he gaue them bread from heauen for their hunger and brought foorth water for them out of the rocke for their thirst and how he rayned flesh vpon them as dust and fethered foule as the sande of the Sea and how he suffered them to lacke nothing for theyr clothes waxed not olde and their feete swelled not And all this hee did to teach them that man liueth not by bread onely but by euerie worde that proceedeth from him Yet notwithstanding I say all these his great benefites bestowed vpon them full soone did they forget his noble actes and the woonderfull workes that he had shewed them and styll they rebelled agaynst him yea full often did they prouoke him in the wyldernesse and greeue him in the Desart they made a Calfe in Horeb and woorshyped the molten Image and thus they turned their glorie into the similitude of a Calfe that eateth Haye Wherefore his wrath was so greatly kindled agaynst them that the fyre burnt vp the wicked yea they prouoked hym so greeuously in misbeleeuyng styll his worde that he swore in his wrath that onely two of sixe hundreth thousande shoulde enter into his rest which by the tyme that fourtie yeeres was expired in the Wildernes their chyldren whom they had sayd shoulde be a pray for the enimie they I say sawe the performaunce of this othe For they saw this wicked company consumed and their Carkeises ouerthrowen in the Wildernesse So that not one of the sixe hundreth thousande was left saue Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh and Ioshua the sonne of Nun. Here then might you pause a lytle and consider with your selfe of the ingratitude of man and how that yf the Lord shoulde deale with vs according to our desertes we shoulde be sure to fynde that we shoulde deserue no better then here you see because as the Apostle sayth these men are euen as very stampes of our owne natures But because I would not haue you to tarry in this Booke I wyl proceede to the rest that when you haue heard all you may consider the drynes of your owne soule and so get you with all speede to the fountayne it selfe wherein you may drinke yf you wyll euen your fyll of those waters of lyfe the which sprang out of the Rocke that here folowed them and also learne to auoyde that vnholsome pit of mistrust the which became vnto them their onely poyson Agayne then when as now it had pleased the Lord to bryng in the younger sort as all vnder twentie by Ioshua or Iesus euen into the borders of his Sanctuarie and to the holy Mountayne which his right hand had purchased that so he myght perfourme his promyse made vnto their fathers and had cast out the Heathen before them and geuen them their possessions and lykewyse had fylled them with all good thinges in great abundance although not of theyr owne desertes Iwis but through his great goodnes Yet notwithstanding they also became disobedient and rebelled agaynst the Lord and cast his heauenly Lawes behinde their backes yea they tempted and prouoked him and kept not his testimonies but turned backe and dealt falsly lyke vnto their fathers yea they turned euen lyke vnto a deceitfull Bowe So that he gaue them vnto the handes of most cruell oppessours that greatly vexed them as vnto the Aramites Moabites Canaanites Midianites Ammonites and the Philistimes Yea they prouoked him to anger in such sort with their high places and moued him to wrath with their grauen Images that in the ende he greatly abhorred Israel euen so farre as that in the dayes of Ely he forsooke the habitation of Shilo euen the Tabernacle where he dwelled amongst them and so he deliuered his power the Arke so called into captiuitie and his beautie into the enimies handes Yea he gaue vp his people to the sworde and was marueylous angrie with his owne inheritaunce For sixe tymes now since they came into the Land had the Lorde suffered them to be most cruelly oppressed by the a forenamed So that here we may say agayne O beholde both the louing kindnes and the seueritie of the Lord. His louing kindnes towardes Israel whyle they tooke good heede vnto the couenaunt that he the Lorde their God made with them and his seueritie when so euer they began to tempt Christ in not obeying his voyce according as the Lord had tolde them Now yf you wyll know in what sort Christe was preached vnto them that they were thus destroyed for not obeying his voyce The answere is euen in as
plentifull sort as the Apostles and the rest of the Iewes in our Sauiours tyme had for so sayth the Apostle in these wordes As the Gospell was preached vnto vs euen so was it also vnto them Now in this place he hath onely relation vnto the Hebrewes in the tyme of their being in the Wildernes but in the same sort that he was preached vnto them who left their carkeises there was he also preached vnto the younger sort that went into the Land and in lyke maner to their successours for the fyrst seuen Iubilees or three hundreth and fyfty yeeres the which I haue here ioyned togeather as one speech So that it wyl not be amisse if we consider here in what sort Christe was preached vnto these Hebrewes or Israelites of both these tymes Fyrst then they were to consider with them selues whyle they were in Egypt and there serued Idols that they were not bonde slaues for a tyme onely in body vnto Pharaoh but they were also to looke backe vnto their first father Adam his storie that so they myght see how they were bond slaues both in body and soule vnto the spirituall Pharaoh the Deuyll Now yf you aske how thâ—…y might know this seeing those Bookes of Moses which should shew it were not written tyll they came into the Wildernes The answere is they myght and also dyd knowe it very wyll for you shal vnderstande that Adam he lyueth two hundreth fourtie three yeeres with Methusalah to teach him Methusalah he liueth one hundreth wanting but two yeeres with Sem to teach him Sem he lyueth vnto the hundreth and fiftie yeere of Abrahams life to teach him Abraham he lyueth to teach his owne sonne Isaak and also Iacob his graundchylde Iacob he lyueth in Egypt seuenteene yeeres and there dyeth and as he foretold his sonnes at hys death of their redemption by Christ also of which of them Christ should come euen so you may be sure he would and also had taught them of the creation and the story of their first father Adam and what intollerable bondage both of body and soule by his meanes they were brought vnto that so they might receiue such comfort as they ought of their redemption by Christ. And to put you out of all doubt that they were thus taught before the law you haue Iob those that dispute with him for an example for those matters fell out before Moses wrote the lawe and the story of the creation and yet you see how plentiful they are in the handling of y e creation likewise of the corruption which they had by Adams fall and also how Iob for his part saw Christ in most cleere sort For notwithstanding all the assaults of Sathan yet was he fully assured that his redeemer liued and that hee should see him with his owne eyes though wormes destroied that tabernacle which hee then carried about him so that by these men you may see how carefull Abraham was according as the Lord giueth commendation of him to teach his sonnes the knowledge of the Lord. For of him by Keturah as most like it is commeth Iob and as he was carefull to teach his sonnes he had by her both of their captiuitie by Adam and redemption by Christ so you may be sure he was as carefull to teach hys other sonnes by Sarah which are those of whome we nowe speake So then these Israelites being thus taught aswell of the captiuitie by Adam as of the redemption by Christ as of necâ—…ssitie so it must be they were I say to consider with them selues that they were not onely in bondage of body for a time vnto Pharaoh but also in most intollerable bondage of body and soule vnto that spiritual Pharaoh the deuil that not for foure hundreth yeeres but eternally vnles they had some one to redeeme them thence So that hauing wel considered with themselues of this double bondage and captiuitie they were also as well to consider and know being come out of Egypt that as they were deliuered from that outward bondage and destroyer by the bloud of a silly poore lambe euen so should they be deliuered from that spiritual bondage and destroying destroyer the deuill by the bloud of Iesus Christ as of that immaculate lambe of God which was slaine from the beginning of the world that is to say from the verie day of their father Adams his creation to recouer then his fall Now if you ask how they might know that this lambe did signifie Christ the answere is very well for many of them did know it all the rest might and ought to haue knowne as well for if they had but thought vpon one sermon made to their father Abraham euen the very selfe and same day foure hundreth thirtie yâ—…eres before they might haue found therein a seed promised in whome all the nations of the earth if they would put their trust in him should be blessed And to make the matter more plaine that this lambe did signifie Christ that seede then promised saith Moses vnto them It is a day to be kept holy to the Lord because he brought them out of the land of Egypt This is that day of the Lord saith he Which all y e children of Israel muâ—…t keepe throughout al their generations And why Euen to put them still in remembrance not onely of their outwarde but also of their spirituall redemption and for this cause were the fathers bound to teache their children the vse heereof For vnlesse they saw the spiriâ—…uall meaning heerein as well as the outward it profited nothing because the vaile that couered Moses face that they coulde not beholde the brightnes thereof remained also ouer their hartes and so they went to eternall destruction But that Moses taught this matter playnely that Christ that Lambe of God shoulde suffer it is manifest for so sayth the Apostle Now it must needes be that herein it is to be considered for you see he appoynteth this day to be obserued throughout their generations and he also telleth them that when they shall neglect their Sabaothes and fall from the Lorde he wyll cary them into their enemies Land and they shall be there vntyll their owne Land haue enioyed her Sabaothes But yf there they be humbled and turne vnto the Lord their God then wyll he remember his couenaunt of olde made vnto their father Abram which is euen this by the which he brought them from the land of Egypt So that yf you consâ—…r the ninth of Daniell with the twentie sixe of Leuiticus you shall see how Moses sawe Christe playnely to be that Lambe of God that should be killed that so he myght confirme this couenant for the Many of all nations that woulde trust herein euen this couenaunt of olde made vnto Abraham to Isaak and to Iacob and there doth the Angell Gabriel tell Daniel euen the very yeere weeke day and
well as the former forasmuch as the popes had ten nations or kingdomes to yeeld obedience vnto theyr power as the former had to theyrs And to make the matter more playne that Idolatrous Rome was reuiued agayne by these popes saint Iohn hath another vision shewed hym which is this Hee seeth a beast aryse out of the earth hauing two hornes like vnto the lambe Meaning thereby that these popes would come as pretending great shew of religiō and as if they were the vycars of Christ that lambe of God but hee telleth you that he spake like the Dragon and that hee did all that the first beast could doe that was before hym yea and that hee caused the image of the former beast to be made and gaue hym spirite and life and made all the earth to worship hym whose deadly wound by them was healed And furthermore for their helpe therein saint Iohn sheweth you that this lambe should worke great signes and wonders euen so great as if it were to bring fire from heauen as Elyas did to the end that as hee thereby caused all Israel to turne from the worship of Ieroboams calues vnto the Lord to worship him euen so in a contrary sort woulde this lambe seeke with the signes which were permitted hym to doe to turne all men both small and great rich and poore free and bond from the worship of the Lord to the worship of the beast and to force them thereby to receiue his marke eyther in their right hands or in y t forheads or at leastwise to beare his name or the number of hys name for vnlesse they would so doe they shoulde neyther buy nor sell but be killed So that heere you see how fitly this agreeth with the other vision for the popes to be reuiuors of the former beast and also howe fitly it falleth out according to that whiche our sauiour and saint Paul before had told you that is that there should come false prophets which woulde come in sheepes clothing but inwardly be rauening Wolues and that they woulde come with all lying signes woonders and sleightes of deceice and therefore is it that our sauiour giueth vs so great charge to take heede of them And moreouer therefore is it that it pleaseth hym to paynt them out so playne vnto vs for although they woulde seeme neuer so muche to beare the hornes of a lambe or neuer so much to pretend religion or shew of holynesse yet the Lord hath so plainly noted them by one especiall mark aboue the rest as that euery simple man may know them howsoeuer they would seeme to change their shape that is their voyce the whiche you see saint Iohn sayth is all one with the Dragons And therefore although Sathan come not now as vnto Adam and Euah nor as in the daies of the primitiue Church That is although he come not now in y ◠carkas of a luttle serpent nor yet in the forme of a seuen headed beast but contrariwise euen in the skinne of a poore and simple lambe yet the voyce being the selfe and same you may knowe hym howsoeuer he transformeth himselfe It is good for you here then to consider the voyce both of the one and of the other The voyce of the serpent and of the beast commandeth that whiche God forbiddeth and forbiddeth that which God commandeth euen so doth the voyce of this counterfeit lambe as for example The voyce of God forbiddeth the making of grauen images to bowe downe vnto them but the voyce of this counterfeit lambe commandeth the making of them and the bowing vnto them The voyce of God commandeth prayer to be made vnto him alone and not vnto any other but the voyce of this counterfeit lambe forbiddeth prayer to be made vnto God alone and commaundeth it to bee made vnto Saintes withal The voyce of God sayth that whosoeuer he be that beleeueth in Christ his sonne shall be sure to haue pardon of his sinnes through the shedding of his moste precious bloudbut the voyce of this counterfeit lambe sayth that whosoeuer he be that will beleeue hym hee shall be sure to haue pardon for his sinnes through the bloud of the leaden bulles whiche for his monie hee will send hym The voyce of God sayth that better were it for hys ministers to speake fiue wordes in the church to the vnderstanding of his people that so they might say Amen thereunto then to speake ten thousand in a strange toonge vnto the which the people cannot say Amen but the voyce of this counterfeit lambe sayth better is it for hys ministers to speake ten hundreth thousand in a strange language vnto the whiche the people cannot say Amen then to speake one word to their vnderstanding least so they shoulde spye out their knauerie Agayne the voyce of God commaundeth vs not to abstaine from meates but to abstayne from sinne and celleth vs that it is not the meate which a man eateth that can defile him but the sinne that resteth in his heart and yet dare the voyce of this counterfeit lambe command men to abstaine from meates and to make them beleeue that vnles they doe so vpon such dayes as he appoynteth they shall not onely be defiled therewith but also be damned for euermore therby especially if they eate but a bit vpon good Friday Furthermore the voyce of God commaundeth marriage as a moste lawfull thing vnto all men but the voyce of this counterfeit lamb forbiddeth it as an vnlawfull thing vnto some men The voyce of God forbiddeth his ministers the exalting of themselues aboue their brethren but the voyce of this counterfeite lambe exalteth himselfe not onely aboue hys brethren but also aboue all that are called Gods and moste presumptuously setteth himselfe in the temple of the Lord God as if hee were God commaunding what him liketh and forbidding what hym li◅teth as most like a suttle serpent in one thing which is to be noted aboue all others that is whereas the voyce of the Lord God commaundeth all men to read and meditate in hys holy word that so they might weare hys cognisance and be retayners vnto his kingdome the voyce of this counterfeyte lambe forbiddeth it that so they might weare his marke be retayners vnto his kingdome And therfore is it that hee dealeth most impudently as followeth that is wheras the voyce of the Lord God commandeth vs to worship feare him that made heauen and earth the sea and all fountaines of water and that wee should giue glory to him and to the Lambe that standeth on mount Sion because he onely was worthy forasmuch as hee hath redeemed vs vnto God by hys bloud I say whereas the voyce of the Lord God commandeth vs thus to do and contrariwise forbiddeth vs the worship of the Beast or his image threatning withall that if any man doe worship the beast
gayne-sayers For so strong and mightie is the worde of God in operation that if it be rightly expounded or propounded it is sharper then any two edged sworde and entreth through euen to the deuiding a sunder of the very hart and soule of the hearers thereof as the Apostle sayth You see also by these former examples of Schollers and Guydes what is both your duetie and also theirs Yours how diligent you ought to be in reading of the holy Scriptures and also conferring of Christ and his kingdome And your Guydes what course they ought to take in teaching of you when as you shall demande to be resolued of your doubtes and that is to teache you Christ by the Scriptures and thyther to sende you to finde him out your selfe and not els where for no where els is he rightly to be found For searche the Scriptures sayth our Sauiour for they be they that testifie of me So that when you shall be thus instructed by your Guyde eyther priuatly at home or publikely abroade and that you haue perfourmed the one part of your duetie which is to heare them with all diligence and willingnes you must alwayes remember with the Noble men of Berea to performe the other part which is that hauyng heard the worde of God with all willingnes went and searched the Scriptures dayly them selues to see whether those thynges were so or no whereby you may learne that you are not onely to beleeue that this is Christ or that is Christ or he is here or there in the wildernes I know not where because such and such a man telleth you so Or yf he do tel you aright which is he you are not to beleeue him onely because he telleth you so for you see they of Berea went and searched the Scriptures them selues to see whether it were so or no Euen so must you for otherwyse you disobey that which our Sauiour Christ hath commaunded you to do for sayth he Search the Scriptures Yea but you wyll say he spake that to such as woulde not beleeue him but we beleeue them that tell vs. I thinke so in deede for a great many beleeue too much them that tell them vnles they tolde them a more trueth But although they were vnbeleeuers that our Sauiour commaunded to search the Scriptures doth he therefore commaunde you that you shall not search them Thinke not so in any wyse for doth not the holy Ghost pronounce a blessing on al those that reade the worde of God continually And doth not S. Peter wyll them whom he had taught that notwithstandyng they had knowledge and were established in the trueth yet to geue more heede vnto the Prophetes as vnto a most sure worde and as to a light that shineth in a darke place vntyl the day did dawne and the Daystarre shyne more cleere in their hartes And likewyse doth not S. Paule commende those whom he had taught vnto the worde of God as vnto a Schoolemaister which was able to buylde them further yes forsooth So that by these examples you may see that you are not onely bounde to heare the worde of God but you are also bound to search and read the Scriptures dayly your selfe for you see in geuing credite onely to the Teachers thereof many thousande soules goe to destruction as specially amongst the Papists they do Therefore yf you loue to keepe your selfe from destruction you were best to beare in minde that which our Sauiour hath geuen you in charge that is to take heede what you heare as also to take heede of false Prophetes and that you beleeue them not no although their comming wyll be with such signes woonders as that yf it were possible the very elect shoulde be deceyued thereby Yet notwithstanding I say he commaundeth you not to beleeue them but to search the Scriptures because in deede they are the true touchstone whereby you may easely trie the true Christ from the false as also the true Prophet from the false Prophet Now it may be that you wyll aske me here agayne whether you may read no other Booke but the Scriptures only The answere is that yf you wyll you may but yf it be for matters of saluation the Booke of God is the onely Apothecaries shoppe for you to resort vnto because there you may be sure to haue a most precious medicine for euery disease or curing salue for euery sore And surely the Prophet Dauid found it so to be for sayth he I had euen perished in the middest of mine afflictions had not the booke of God been my delyght and therefore made he that his only meditation both day and nyght So that when you haue bestowed long time with lyke delight and diligence therein as he did and that your wittes thereby are quickened so that you may be well able to discerne of Spirites that is betwixt good and euyll then you may if your leysure serue you reade other Bookes and catch no hurt Or yf it be so that you haue not as yet heard of the Booke of God you may also reade some bookes and take no harme for some Bookes there are which are good and tende to very good purpose because their dryft is as I suppose to draw you to the Booke of God euen to that fountayne of all ioy but otherwyse yf their drift be to draw your delight vnto them selues they can in no wyse be good For Iohn the Baptist being tolde that more Disciples followed Christ then followed him he taketh them selues to witnes that he had tolde them plainely that him selfe was not the Christ but that he was sent to shew them which was he and hauing once shewed him vnto them that he him selfe was then to ceasse and therfore when he heard that all men ran to Christ he sayth that then was his only ioy fulfilled because in deede that was his onely drift and purpose So that yf any man write to that ende as of late most learnedly one hath done in a lytle Booke called a Consent of Scripture you are to be thankefull vnto God for such a one and when he or any other haue by their wrytinges thus led you vnto Christ in saying Come and see the Booke of God for there we haue founde the Messias Then may you say also with the Samaritans when you haue so done Now we beleeue not onely for your sayinges but also muche more because of his owne worde for we haue heard him speake our selues now whom before you told vs of and we know now by his owne worde that this is in deede the very CHRIST the only Sauiour of the worlde Againe some Bookes there are which in respect of the holy stories conteined in the Booke of God we cal prophane Stories as the Macchabees Iosephus and the Roman stories the which prophane stories yf you reade you may learne thereby yf you know the Scriptures before how iust the Lord is in
all his sayinges because that some Prophecies in y e holy Scriptures there are whose euent is not altogether in Scripture shewed and yet by those Prophane stories you may see they tooke effect as namely the Prophet Daniel and also the Reuelation of S. Iohn the which by eye sight we are also able to witnes how that Booke is fulfilled by the Popes in all their dealinges But yf you thinke that you can not attayne vnto perfect wysedome and knowledge of Christe without the helpe of other Books then are you greatly deceyued for the Worde of God is an absolute perfect rule sayth the Apostle and fully able to make you wyse in Christ and by it onely may you attayne to the perfect knowledge of Christ without the helpe of any other and is also playne and easie of it selfe for your vnderstanding yf you wyll the Lord beleeue as I sayde before especially yf you wyll come in simplicitie of hart and cast off your owne wysedome for in very deede that is the onely hinderance of the attayning thervnto Agayne some Bookes there are which take vpon them to lay downe preceptes for your lyfe conuersation which bookes yf you thinke you are bounde to read as well as the Scriptures then are you also as greatly deceiued for the Lord hath commaunded you vpon payne of damnation to reade the Scripture because in deede it is the very lyfe and norishment of your soule but as for the reading of such kinde of Bookes you haue no such charge neyther was it needefull for you so to haue because there is nothing that the hart of man can thinke on eyther for vertue to imbrace or vice to eschew but the Booke of God doth contayne a rule and precept for it and therefore what neede we the helpe of man to lay downe preceptes for our lyfe when as the Lorde him selfe hath taken vppon him to be our Guyde and Teacher Therefore in the name of God take heede of the subtiltie of Satan in this poynt aboue all others that is that he deceiue you not so herein as to make you beleeue that you shall attayne vnto as great wysedome or holynes by the wrytinges of men as you shall do by the booke of God or that the booke of God is not perfect of it selfe to instruct you fully in all thinges touching your saluation for then hath he you euen as he woulde therefore rather then he shoulde make you so to thinke better were it for you with them of Ephesus to burne them all yea though the price of all such Bookes were founde to be in value worth fiftie thousande peeces of siluer And God doth know a most heynous sinne it is and reigneth most abundantly amongst vs here in Englande euen this that we esteeme a great deale more of the preceptes and doctrines of men then we do of the Booke of God so that as that hath been the very cause of the destruction of all the worlde greatly it is to be feared least the lyke plague wyll befall vs and our Nation for how fewe haue we that doth take so great delight in the booke of God as to make it the chiefe ioy and reiocing of their hartes as the Prophet Ieremie did make it vnto his Therefore much more fewe there be to be founde that do make so rare accompt thereof as the holy man Iob did that is to esteeme of the wordes of God euen much more then he did of his appoynted foode but in the contrary multitudes do take euen that delyght therefore take heede of that in any wyse Now it may be that you wyll aske me agayne What part of the Scripture it is that you were best to reade The answere is euen all for so you may learne by the last Commaundement of our Sauiour that I spake of for be commandeth to search the Scriptures so that al which is called Scripture you must search for all that doth testifie of him And so you see S. Luke sayth he began at Moses and all the Prophetes that is from the beginning of Genesis to the ende of Malachie for the old Testament which only then was written and all that was nothing els but to teach Christ And now you haue also the new Testament which tendeth to none other ende then the former did and that is to teache Christ. For so the Apostle sayth I taught nothing but what Moses and the Prophetes did say shoulde come And in an other place I kept nothing backe but haue shewed you all the counsell of God and what was that To wit that Christ shoulde suffer and that he shoulde be the fyrst that shoulde rise from the dead and shoulde shewe lyght vnto the people and to the Gentiles So that you may see that all the Scripture tendeth to none other purpose but to teach you that and therefore you must of necessitie reade all that so you may as S. Luke sayth Acknowledge the certaintie of those thinges whereof you haue been instructed not onely by the Euangelistes and the Apostles who haue declared vnto you the thinges of Christe from the day that Zacharias went into the Temple and that the Angell tolde Marie concerning her conception but also what you haue been instructed by Moses and the Prophetes euen from the day that he was first promised that so you may be able to deliuer the glory thereof from poynt to poynt and to stande firme your selfe agaynst all the assaultes of the Deuyll Yea but you wyll say agayne S. Paule of whom you spake before forbids vs Genealogies and commaundes that we shal geue no heede vnto them because they are endles and breede questions rather then godly edifiyng which is by fayth And so in deede a great number of our Guydes wyll tell vs. For many times because we fynd them very hard we go to them to aske the meaning thereof then their answere is that the Genealogies tende not to edification but rather to strife and contention and therefore is it that S. Paule forbiddes them And so likewyse for many other harde places in the Bible when we goe to aske them whose lyppes shoulde preserue knowledge What is the meaning of such and suche places in steade of resoluing vs they cast them off as superfluous not tending to our saluation Therefore why do you say that all the Scripture testifieth of Christ and is profitable for our saluation and must of necessitie of vs be read and learned I wyll tel you why no not I but the holy Ghost wyll tell you how that all the Wordes of the Lorde are most pure wordes yea more pure then golde which in the fire seauen times is tryed And moreouer the same Apostle that you say speaketh agaynst them wyll tell you the contrarie for sayth he What so euer thinges are written aforetyme meaning in the Scriptures are written for our learnyng Therefore woo be vnto those blinde Guydes