as hath not onelie giuen lyfe and beeing vnto hys chyldren but also as S. Paule saith hath poured into theyr harts the diuine spyrite of hys onelie eternall Sonne styrring them vp to most assured confidence and inuincible hope in hys fatherlie goodnes and protection And vpon assuraunce of thys hope haue as well sinners as Saints from the beginning fledde vnto him confidently vnder this tytle of paternitie and neuer were deceiued So the Prophet Esay as well in his owne name as in the name of the sinfull people of Israel doubted not to cry Thou art our father Abraham hath not knowne vs and Israell is ignorant of vs Thou O Lorde art our father thou art our redeemer And to confirme thys assuraunce vnto vs Christ sent that most sweete and comfortable embassage vnto his Disciples presently vpon his resurrection Goe tel my brethrē that I doe ascend vnto my father and vnto your father vnto my God and vnto your God By which two wordes of Father and God the one of loue and the other of power the one of will the other of abilitie he tooke away all doubt of not speeding frō each man that should make recourse to thys mercifull Lord Father God himselfe also after many threates vsed by the Prophet Ieremie against the people of Israel for their sins in the end least they shoulde dyspaire turneth about his talke and changeth hys style assuring them of many graces and fauours if they would returne vnto him telling the house of Israel that hee had loued her from the beginning and had sought to drawe her vnto him by threates to the ende hee might take mercie vpon her and that now he intended to builde her vp againe to adorne her with ioy exultation to gather her children from all corners of the earth to refresh them wyth the waters and riuers of life and all thys sayth he Quia factus sunt Israeli Pater for that I am become nowe a Father to Israel And in the same place to wicked Ephraim the heade Cittie of the rebellious kingdom of Samaria he saith Ephraim is becom my honorable son my delight deerely beloued child therefore my bowels are moued with compassion vpon him in aboundance of mercy wil I take pitty of him So much attributed God to this respect of being a father vnto Israel Ephraim of theyr beeing his children that for this cause only notwithstanding their infinite enormous sinnes hys bowels of endlesse mercie were mooued wyth loue and compassion towardes them And these are those tender and mercifull bowels which holie Zacharie father to Saint Iohn Baptist protesteth to be in almightie God towardes mankinde that had offended hym These are those which were in that good olde father mentioned in the Gospell who beeing not onely offended but also abandoned by his younger sonne yet after he sawe him returne home againe notwithstanding he had wasted all his thrift and substaunce and had wearied out his bodie with wicked life hee was so farre off from dysdaining to receiue him as he came forth to meete with him fell vpon his necke and kyssed him for ioy adorned him wyth newe apparrel rich iewels prouided a solemne banquet for him inuited his freendes to bee merrie with him and shewed more exultation and tryumph for hys returne then if he had neuer departed from him By which parable our Sauiour Christ endeuoured to set forth vnto vs the incomprehensible mercy of his heauenly father towards sinners in which respect hee is trulie called by his Apostle Pater misericordiarum the father of mercies For that as Saint Bernard well noteth thys sea and Ocean of mercies doth flowe peculiarly from the hart of a father which cannot be said so properlie of the gulfe and depth of his iudgments For which cause he is called in Scripture the God of iustice and reuenge and not the Father And finally thys blessed name of Father in God dooth import vnto vs by Gods owne testimonie all sweetnesse all loue all freendshippe all comfort all fatherly prouidence care and protection all certaintie of fauour all assuraunce of grace all securitie of mercie pardon and remission of our sinnes whensoeuer vnfainedly we turne vnto him And in thys poynt his diuine Maiestie is so forward and vehement to giue vs assurance that beeing not content to sett foorth his loue vnto vs by the loue of a fathers hart he goeth further protesteth vnto vs that hys hart is more tender towardes vs in thys behalfe then the hart of any mother can bee to the onely childe and infant of her owne wombe For thus he saith to Sion which for her sinnes beganne to doubt least he had forsaken her Can the mother forget her owne infant or can she not be mercifull to the childe of her owne wombe if she could yet can I not forget or reiect thee beholde I haue written thee in the flesh of mine owne hands And thys for so much as God is called our father There remaineth yet a third consideration which more setteth forth Gods inestimable loue then any of the other demonstrations before handled And that is that he gaue the life and blood of his onely begotten and eternal sonne for purchasing and redeeming vs when we were lost a price so infinite and inexplicable as no doubt his diuine wysedom wold neuer haue giuen but for a thing which hee had loued aboue all measure Which our Sauior himself that was to make the payment doth plainly signifie and therefore also seemeth as it were to wonder at such a bargaine when hee saith in the Gospell So deerely hath God my father loued the world that he hath giuen for it his only begotten sonne In which wordes hee ascribeth this most wonderfull dealing of his Father vnto the vehemencie and exceeding aboundance of loue as dooth also his deerest disciple and Apostle S. Iohn saying In thys appeareth the great loue charitie of God towards vs that he hath sent his only begotten sonne into the worlde to purchase lyfe for vs. In thys I say is made euident his exceeding charitie that we not louing him he loued vs first and gaue his own sonne to be a raunsome for our sinnes Whereunto also the holy Apostle S. Paule agreeth admiring in like manner the excessiue loue of God in these wordes God doth meruailously commend and set forth his great loue vnto vs in that we beeing yet sinners he gaue his sonne to the death for our redemption And in an other place framing out as it were a measure of Gods mercy by the abūdance of his loue saith thus God who is rich in mercie thorowe the exceeding loue which he bore vnto vs wee beeing deade in sinne he reuiued vs in Christ and raysed vs vppe euen vnto heauen making vs to sitte downe there with him to the ende he might declare to al ages and worlds ensuing the
watchman set vpon the walles and a Lyon to denounce wyth open mouth whatsoeuer daunger hee sawe comming towards them And GOD taught the Prophet to cry in this sort to their Sentinell or watchman Custos quid de nocte custos quid de nocte Thou watchman what seest thou comming towards thee by night what espiest thou ô Sentinell drawing on vs in the darknesse By all which circumstaunce what els is insinuated but that God wold haue vs stand vpon our watch for that his iudgments are to come vpon the world by night when men least thinke thereof they are to come as a theefe at midnight as also in another place we are admonished and therefore happy is the man that shall be founde watchfull But nowe the doore and sole entraunce into thys watch whereof the securitie of our eternall life dependeth can be nothing els but consideration for that where no consideration is there can be no watch nor fore-sight nor knowledge of our estate and consequentlie no hope of saluation as holy S. Bernard holdeth which thing caused that blessed man to wryte fiue whole Bookes of consideration to Eugenius Consideration is the thing that bringeth vs to know GOD and our selues And touching God it layeth before vs his Maiestie his mercie his iudgments his commaundements his promises his threatnings his proceeding with other men before vs whereby wee may gather what wee also in time must expect at his hands And for our selues consideration the key that openeth the doore to the closet of our hart wher al our bookes of account doe lye it is the looking glasse or rather the very eye of our soule wherby she taketh the view of herself looketh into all her whole estate into her riches her debts her dueties her negligeÌ„ces her good gifts hir defects her safety hir danger hir way she walketh in her course she followeth her pace she holdeth and finally the place ende whereunto she draweth And without this coÌ„sideration she runneth on headlong into a thousand brakes and bryers stumbling at euery steppe into some one inconuenience or other and continually in perrill of some great deadly mischiefe And wonderfull truely it is that in all other busines of this life men can see and confesse that nothing may be begunne prosecuted or well ended without consideration yet in this great affayre of winning heauen or falling into hell fewe thinke consideration greatly necessarie to be vsed I might stand heere to shew the infinite other effects and commodities of consideration as that it is the watch or larum bel that stirreth vppe and awaketh all the powers of our minde the match or tynder that conceiueth and nourisheth the fire of deuotion the bellowes that enkindeleth and inflameth the same the spurre that pricketh forwarde to all vertuous zealous and heroycall actes and the thing indeed that giueth both light life and motion to our soule Our fayth is confirmed and increased by consideration of Gods workes and miracles our hope by consideration of his promises of the true performaunce thereof to all them that euer trusted in him our charitie or loue to God by consideration of his benefits and innumerable deserts towards vs our humilitie by consideration of his greatnes of our owne infirmitie our courage and fortitude by contemplation of his assistaunce in al causes for his honor our contempt of the world by consideration of the ioyes of heauen eternall and so all other vertues both morrall and diuine doe take their heate quickning and vitall spirit from consideration By the exercise of consideration and meditation holy Dauid saith that he felt a burning fire to flame within his breast that is the fire of zeale the fire of feruour in Religion the fire of deuotion the fire of loue towards God and his neighbour And in anoplace he saith that by the same exercise hee swept and purged his owne spirit which is to be vnderstoode from the duste of this world from the dregges of sinne from the contamination and coinquination of humaine creatures for that consideration indeed is the verie fan that seuereth and driueth awaie the chaffe from the corne For which cause wee shall neuer reade of any holy man from the beginning of the worlde neyther before Christ nor after who vsed not much familiarlie this most blessed exercise of consideration pondering And for the first three Patriarches it shall be sufficient to remeÌ„ber the custome of young Isaac recorded in Genesis Which was to goe forth towards night into the fieldes ad meditandum that is to meditate consider and ponder vppon the workes iudgments and commaundements of GOD. And thys hee did beeing yet but a childe and vnmarried farre different from the custome of young Gentlemen nowe adaies who frequent the fieldes to follow their vanities and as lyttle Isaac could not haue this custome but from his Father Abraham so no doubt but hee taught the same to his sonne Iacob Iacob againe to his posteritie And as for Moses and his successor Iosua it may easilie be imagined howe they vsed this exercise by the most earnest exhortations which they made thereof to others in their speech and wrytings The good kings of Iuda also notwithstanding their manie great temporall aâ—faires do testifie of themselues concerning this exercise as Dauid almost euery where that the commaundements of God were his dailie meditation not onely by day and that tota die all the day et per singulos dies euery day in matutino in the morning et septies in die seauen times a day but also hee insinnuateth this custome by night meditatus sum nocte cum corde meo I doe meditate by night in my hart vpon thy commaundements ô Lord signifying here by both his watchfulnesse by night when other men were a sleepe and the hartie care that he had of this exercise which we esteem so little Salomon also King Dauids sonne so long as hee liued in the grace and fauour of God obserued this exercise of his Father and exhorteth other men to haue continuall daily cogitation in this affaire Which if himselfe had continued still it is likely hee had neuer fallen from God by women as he did The good King Ezechias is reported to haue meditated like a Doue that is in silence solitarinesse with himselfe alone which is the true way of profitable meditation Esay testifieth of his own watching by night in this exercise and howe he did the same with his spirit alone in the very bowels of his hart Holie Iob maketh mention not onelie of his manner of considering but what also hee considered and what effect he found in him selfe by the same First hee considered as I sayde the wayes foote-steppes and commaundements of GOD then his dreadfull power to wit howe no man was able to auert or turne away his
made heyres with Christ of hys heauenlie kingdome In the Epistle to the Hebrues there is a notable description of that liuely fayth wher it is said to be the ground of things that are hoped for the euidence of things that are not seene Of which description of the Apostle we may make a plain definitiō after thys sort Faith is an assured perswasion of our saluation by the meanes of Christ which is grounded on the promises of God sealed in our harts by the holie Ghost This definition is drawne frō the forme proprietie of true faith but the other in the Epistle to the Hebrues seemeth rather to be taken frō the substance of fayth speaketh of the obiect matter thereof But both of them tend to one and the same thing namely to expresse the nature of true faith to consist in the certaintie of that eternall life which is purchased vnto vs by Christ Iesus which although we enioy not presently yet by faith wee are as fully assured of it as if we had possession and fruition thereof alreadi◠And heereof it is that the Apostle calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulnes or assuraunce of fayth when we are perswaded that wee are so highlie in Gods fauour that nothing is able to seperate or remooue vs frō the loue that GOD beareth vs in his Sonne and our Sauiour Christ Iesus This fulnes of fayth containeth in it these three thinges First a notice or knowledge of the mercifull promises of God in Christ Iesus Secondly an vndoubted perswasiō of the truth of those promises And thirdly the applying of the same to the comfort of our soules and consciences for our saluation For as it is not enough for a man to haue meate vnlesse he also eate it and digest it so it is not enough for vs to know the promises of God vnlesse we beleeue the same to be true and applie them to our owne selues And as it is not enough for a wounded man to haue a soueraigne salue or Medicine in his window vnlesse hee apply it to his wounde so is it not sufficient for vs to knowe that Christ is the Sauiour of the worlde vnlesse also wee acknowledge him to be a Sauiour vnto vs and lay holde on him by the hand of fayth Wherefore this is the propertie effect of a sauing fayth euen to apply Christ wyth his gifts vnto euery one of the faithfull and to make all conclusions of Gods promises perticuler that is peculier to themselues theyr owne saluation And therfore it is that fayth is called the life of the soule because it is the instrument wherewith Christ the true life and foode of our soule is to be eaten Yea it is the mouth the tongue the teeth the stomacke and that heate of our harts soules whereby Christ the worde of God is spiritually taken eaten and digested of vs wyth which worde or rather with which Christ our soules doe liue namely with the fleshe and blood of Christ which we eate drink whilst we embrace and receiue Christ by a liuelie fayth Whereupon S. Cyprian hath this sweete saying Quod est esca carni hoc animae est fides c. That which meate is to the flesh that is fayth to the soule That which foode is to the bodie that is the word to the spirit So that faith is that bond which dooth so straightly vnite and knitte vs vnto Christ no otherwise then the members are vnited to the head wherby wee pertake hys spiritual graces as the members of mans bodie receiue nutriment from the head and in a worde what good things soeuer are necessarie for vs to eternall life doe flowe and are deriued vnto vs from Christ as from a most plentifull and wholesome fountaine and are conueied vnto vs by the instrument of faith as by a strong and substantial Conduit pype It were too long and not so pertinent to the purpose to recite all the properties of this sauing fayth whereof we speake it may suffise therefore to haue shewed you these fewe notes and effects thereof by the due consideration whereof it shall be easie for anie to examine and try themselues as the Apostle speaketh whether they be in the faith or no and consequently whether they be true Christians for the first part of that profession namely for matters of beleefe which consisteth as hath beene shewed not onelie in beleeuing whatsoeuer is propounded vnto vs in the holy Scripture although that also be a true faith but also in the assurance of Gods loue fauour towards vs wrought in our harts by the preaching of the Gospel and sealed by the holy Ghost whereby wee doe firmely perswade our selues that our sinnes are as vtterly forgiuen vs for Christes sake as if we neuer had committed any and his righteousnes as perfectly imputed vnto vs as if wee had performed the same in our owne persons Wherefore to conclude this first part of our present speech he that not onely protesteth with Saint Ierome that he dooth abhorre all sects and names of perticuler men as Marcionists Montanists Valentinians and the like which like the builders of Babell haue built vp Churches Sinagogues and Conuenticles to gette thēselues a name that men might be called after them Marcionists Montanists and such others hee I say that loatheth and detesteth sects and as he was not baptised in the name of Marcion Montan or Valentine but in the name of Iesus Christ so refuseth to be called a Marcionist Montanist or Valentinian or by any name of any man vnder heauen therwithall reioyceth in the name of Christ to be called a Christian and giuing all doctrines and gospels the slyppe pitcheth him vpon the doctrine and Gospell of Iesus taught by hys holy Apostles he that can captiuate his vnderstanding to the obedience of Christ to beleeue humbly such things as Christ by his Apostles proposeth to him albeit his reason or sence should stande against the same And not onely so but also perswadeth and assureth his owne hart and soule that all the mercifull promises that God maketh in hys word doe belong vnto him in especiall and that he is one of that number which GOD hath elected to saluation and for whose sins Christ Iesus the sonne of God was content to die and to ryse againe for his iustification he that findeth himselfe to be in thys fayth or rather thys fayth to be in him and feeleth the fruites and effects therof that is as they are reckoned by the Apostle Rom. 5. to be at peace with God to haue an entrance vnto grace to haue spirituall ioy not onely in prosperitie but euen in tribulation and affliction to haue hope that maketh not ashamed and to haue the loue of God shed abroade in hys hart by the working of the holy Ghost c. Thys man no doubt is in a most sure case for matters of his faith and cannot
be saued as well as other men then it wyll be to purpose to haue a foundation without a building vppon it or a stocke or tree that beareth no fruite Which thing S. Iames speaking of that historicall and dead fayth whereby the wicked the very deuils theÌ„selues beleeue that there is one GOD expresseth most excellently in this fitte similitude As a bodie without a spirit is dead euen so saith he is fayth without workes Thys poynt of doctrine of vertuous life and obseruing of Gods commaundements not our Sauiour Christ alone in his Sermon most earnestly vrged as hath beene sayde but his fore-runner also Saint Iohn the Baptist and hys followers the holie Apostles whereof the one continually called vpon the people to bring foorth fruites meete for repentance the other in all theyr writings no doubt in all their Sermons after matter of doctrine and faith propounded do proceede to exhortation and precepts of Christian life In so much as Saint Augustine other auncient Fathers are of opinion that the rest of the Apostles S. Peter S. Iames S. Iohn and S. Iude perceiuing the loosenesse and securitie of the people in theyr tymes directed theyr writinges eyther onely or principally to this ende euen to perswade and enforce the necessitie of good life and conuersation among Christians Yea and that Saint Paule himselfe when hee concludeth that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the Lawe doth not exclude the works of charitie as effects and fruites of fayth which followe him that is alreadie iustified in the sight of God but hee excludeth theÌ„ as causes of saluation which goe before him that is to be iustified Wherby it appeareth that S. Paule handling the causes of our iustification in the sight of God is not repugnant or contrary to S. Iames speaking of the notes and signes whereby we are iustified that is as the word is taken els where declared or known to be iust or righteous before meÌ„ The sum is that although good workes are not the causes of our saluation yet they are the way as it were and the path that leadeth thereunto because by them as by certaine markes we perceiue our selues to haue entered and to haue proceeded in the waie of eternall life Yea they are the fruites and effects whereby we testifie and declare both vnto our selues and to others the trueth of that faith which we professe And therefore our Sauiour Christ willeth vs in the Gospel to let our light shine before men that they seeing our good works may take occasioÌ„ therby to glorifie our heauenly father And his holy Apostle Saint Iames biddeth those carnall sensuall Christians that stood so much vpon the only name of faith to shewe him theyr fayth by their workes as he would shew them his faith by his worksâ— that is they should declare and testifie vnto men as I haue said the fayth which they professed by the fruites thereof To men I say because men which iudge but by the outward appearaunce onely cannot knowe the goodnes of a tree bâ—t by the good fruite which it yeeldeth they cannot discerne the inwarde faith but by the outwarde workes But as for God that searcheth the secrets of the harts and reynes it needeth not that wee shoulde shewe him our faith by our workes nor may wee looke for iustification at his handes by the best of them for then might wee haue whereof to boast but there is no boasting with God and therefore no iustifying by workes in his sight Yet notwithstanding the Lorde requireth good workes at our hands to the end that himselfe might be glorified our needie bretheren releeued and comforted others gained wonne by our example to the embracing of the same faith and Religion which we professe our owne faith exercised and strengthened and our calling and election made sure and confirmed And it is very requisite that the children of GOD which are bought with so high a price as with the blood of Iesus should glorifie God both in soule body because they are redeemed both in soule and body and not liue vnto theÌ„selues but vnto him which died and rose againe for them Thys is the ende of our election before the foundations of the world were layde as the Apostle testifieth Ephes. 1.4 euen that we should be holy and blameles before him in loue Thys is the ende of our creation as the same Apostle witnesseth Ephesians 2. 10. Where he saith that we are Gods workmanshyp created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes wherein he hath ordained that wee shold walke This is the end of our redemption as olde Zacharie prophecied Luke 1. 74 75. that beeing redeemed and deliuered from all our spirituall enemies and from eternall destruction whereunto we were subiect we should serue God without feare in holines and righteousnes before him all the daies of our life Finally this is the ende of our vocation For God hath not called vs to vncleannesse but vnto holinesse and as hee that hath called vs is holy so must we be holie in all manner of conuersation And it can not be that they which are truely iustified that is to say made righteous by a liuely fayth in Christ should not also in some measure be sanctified that is made holie by a faithfull lyfe in him Let not men therefore deceiue themselues with the onely name and shadowe of faith without the nature substance therof Let them not promise vnto themselues euerlasting life because they knowe the true God and whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ but let them remember howe Christes Apostle whoÌ„ he deerely loued expoundeth that saying when he writeth By this wee knowe God truely if wee keepe his commaundements and whosoeuer sayth that he knoweth him and yet keepeth not his commaundements is a lyer and the trueth is not in him For as it is a true saying and by all meanes woorthy to be receiued that Christ Iesus came into the worlde to saue sinners so is it as true a saying and no lesse woorthie to be affirmed that they which haue beleeued God should be carefull to shew foorth good works Saint Gregorie vpon the words of Christ to S. Thomas Blessed are they who haue not seene and yet haue beleeued hath a notable discourse to this purpose If any sayth hee inferre heereof I beleeue and therefore am blessed and shall be saued he saith truely if his life be aunswerable to his beleefe for that a true faith dooth not contradict in manners the things which hee professeth in words For which cause S. Paule accuseth certaine false Christians in whom he found not vertuous life aunswerable to theyr profession that they confessed God in wordes but denyed him in theyr deedes And Saint Iohn auoucheth that whosoeuer saith hee knoweth GOD and keepeth not his commandements is a lyer Which beeing
weepe and lament extreamelie I will strippe off my clothes and wander naked I will rore like vnto Dragons and sounde out my sorrowe as Struthious in the desert for that the wounde and maladie of my people is desperate Thys is that great and maine impediment that stoppeth the conduits of Gods holy grace from flowing into the soule of a sinfull man This the knyfe that cutteth in sunder all those heauenly blessed cordes wherwith our sweete Lord and Sauiour endeuoureth to drawe vnto repentaunce the harts of sinners saying by his Prophet I will pull them vnto me with the chaines of loue and charitie For by this meanes euery sinful conscience commeth to aunswer almighty God as did Ierusalem when beeing admonished of her sinnes and exhorted by his Prophet to amendement of life she said Desperani nequaquam faciam I am become desperate I will neuer thinke of any such thing To which lamentable estate when a sinfull man is once arriued the next steppe he maketh is for auoyding all remorse and trouble of conscience to engulfe himselfe into the depth of all detestable enormities and to abandon his soule to the very sinck of all filth and abhominations according as S. Paule said of the Gentiles in like case That by despaire they deliuered themselues ouer to a dissolute life thereby to commit all manner of vncleannesse Which wicked resolution of the impious is the thing as I haue noted before that most of all other offences vpon earth doth exasperate the ire of almightie God depriuing hys diuine maiestie of that most excellent propertie wherein he cheefely delighteth and glorieth which is his infinite and vnspeakable mercie Thys might be declared by diuers and sundry examples of holie writ howe be it two onely shall suffise for thys present The first is of the people of Israell not long before theyr banishment into Babilon who being threatned from God by the prophet Ieremie that manifolde punishments were imminent ouer their heads for theyr greeuous sinnes committed against his maiestie began in stedde of repentaunce to fall to desperation and consequentlie resolued to take that impious course of all desolute life alleaged before out of Saint Paul for thus they aunswered God exhorting thē by hys threates to reforme theyr wicked liues We are nowe growne desperate and therfore we will heereafter follow our owne cogitations and euery one fulfill the wickednes of his owne conceit Whereat God stormed infinitlie and brake foorth into thys vehement interrogation Interrogate Gentes quis audiuit talia horribilia Aske and enquire of the verie Gentiles whether euer among thē were heard any such horrible blasphemies And after this for the more declaration of this intollerable iniurie heerein offered to hys Maiestie he commanded the Prophet Ieremie to goe forth out of his owne house and to gette him to a potters shoppe which in the Village was framing his vessels vpon the wheele Which Ieremie hauing doone he sawe before his face a pot crushed broken by the Potter all in peeces vppon the wheele and thinking thereby that the vessell had been vtterly vnprofitable and to be cast away hee sawe the same clay presently framed againe by the Potter into a new vessell more excellent then before Wherat he meruailing God said vnto him Dost not thou thinke Ieremie that I can doe wyth the house of Israell as this Potter hath doone wyth hys vessell or is not the house of Israell in my hands as the clay in the handes of thys craftes-man I will denounce vppon a suddaine against a Nation and Kingdome that I wyll roote it vppe and destroy it and if that Nation or Kingdom doe repent from their wickednes I also will repent me of the punishment which I intended to lay vppon them And then he proceedeth forward declaring vnto Ieremie the exceeding greefe and indignation which he conceiueth that any sinner whatsoeuer shoulde despayre of mercie and pardon at hys hands The seconde example is of the same people of Israell during the tyme of theyr banishment in Babilon at what tyme being afflicted wyth many myseries for their sins and threatned wyth many more to come for that they chaunged not the course of theyr former wicked conuersation they began to despayre of Gods mercie and to say to the Prophet Ezechiell that liued banished among them and exhorted them to amendement vppon assured hope of Gods fauoure towards them Our iniquities and sins doe lye greeuously vppon vs and wee languish in them and what hope of life then may wee haue At which cogitation and speech God beeing greatly mooued appeared presentlie to Ezechiell and said vnto him Tell thys people I doe liue saith the Lord God of hostes I wish not the death of the impious but rather that hee should turne from his wicked waies and lyue Why will the house of Israell die in their sinnes rather then turne vnto me And then hee maketh a large and vehement protestation that how greeuously soeuer any person shold offende him and how great punishments soeuer he shall denounce against him yea if he had giuen expresse sentence of death and damnation vpon him yet Si egerit paenitentiam a peccato suo feceritque iudicium iustitiam that is if hee repent himselfe of hys sinne exercise iudgement iustice for the time to come all his sinnes that hee hath committed shall be forgiuen him saith almightie God for that he hath doone iudgment and iustice And thys now might be sufficient al◠be it nothing els were spoken for remoouing thys first obstacle and impediment of true resolution which is the despayre of Gods infinite goodnes and mercie Neuerthelesse for more euident cleering and demonstration of this matter and for the greater comfort of such as feele themselues burdened wyth the heauie weight of their iniquities committed against his diuine maiestie I haue thought expedient in this place to declare more at large this aboūdant subiect of endlesse mercie towardes all such as wyll truely turne vnto him in what tyme state condition or age soeuer in thys life which shall be shewed and sette downe by these foure poynts and parts that doe ensue The first part touching the loue that God beareth towards man FIrst of all by the infinite and incomprehensible loue that almighty God beareth vnto man which loue is alwaies the mother of fauour grace and mercie If you demand of me in what sort I doe proue that the loue of God is so exceeding great towards man I answer as the Cosinographer is wont to doe who by the greatnes and multitude of the streames and Riuers dooth frame a coniecture of the fountaine from which they flow The proper Riuers which are deriued and doe runne forth of loue are good turnes and benefits which seeing they are infinite endlesse and inestimable bestowed by God vpon man as in the place before hath been declared and the whole vniuersall frame of this world dooth
aboundantly beare witnesse it followeth most euidently that the origine fountaine wel-spring of all these fauours graces and good turnes must needes be infinite immeasurable and farre surpassing all compasse of mans vnderstanding If you require of me the cause and reason why Almightie God should so wonderfullie be affected towards man I can directlie yeelde you none at all but rather meruaile thereat wyth holy Iob why so soueraigne a Maiestie shoulde sette hys hart vpon so base a subiect Notwithstanding the holy scripture seemeth to alleage one principal reason of thys loue whē it saith Nihil odisti eorum quae fecisti parcis omnibus quia tua sunt Domine qui diligis animas That is Thou ô Lorde which louest soules canst not hate those things which thou hast made but dost vse mercie towards all men for that they are thyne And the like manner of reasoning vseth God hymselfe when hee sayth by hys Prophet Ezechiell Behold all soules are mine and heereuppon hee inferreth a little after Numquid voluntatis meae est mors impii Can I haue the wyll to damne a wicked man seeing that his soule is mine created and redeemed by me as who woulde say thys were a case against all order and equitie And the reason of this manner of speech and argument is for that euery man naturally is enclined to loue the things that be of his owne making So wee see that if a man haue an Orcharde wherein be great varietie of trees and plants yet if there be but one of his own peculier grafting that florisheth and prospereth well he taketh more delight therein then in any of the rest for that it is hys owne workmanship So in like manner if a man haue a Vineyarde of his owne planting and trymming For which respect the holie Prophet Dauid finding himselfe and the whole kingdome of Iurie in great affliction and calamitie thought no other meanes so forcible to drawe God to compassion and commiseration of their case as to cry out to him in this maner Thou which gouernest Israell looke towards vs and be attent Thou hast brought forth a vineyard out of Egipt thou hast purged the same from Gentiles and hast planted it Thou O God of all power turne towardes vs looke vpon vs from heauen and visite thys thy vineyard which thine owne right hand hath planted The like manner of perswasion vsed the holy Prophet Esay to moue God when he sayd Looke vpon vs I beseech thee O lord which are the worke of thine owne hands But aboue all other the blessed man Iob standeth as it were in argument and dysputation wyth God about thys matter saying haue not thy handes made mee haue they not framed me of clay and earth hast not thou compacted me as cheese is made of milke hast not thou knit my bones and sinowes together and couered my flesh wyth skyn hast not thou giuen me life conserued my spirit with thy cōtinuall protection howe soeuer thou seeme to dissemble these matters hide them in thy hart yet I know that thou remembrest them all and art not vnmindfull of them By which wordes thys holy man signified that albeit God suffered him greatly to be tempted and afflicted in thys life so farre forth as he might seeme to haue forgotten him yet was he well assured that his diuine maiestie coulde not of hys goodnes forsake or despise him for that hee was his creature and the proper workemanshyp of his own hands In which very name of workemanshippe holy Dauid tooke such great comfort considering that the workeman cannot chuse but be louing and fauourable towards his owne work especiallie so excellent and bountifull a worke-man as is almightie GOD towards a worke made as man is to his own shape and likenes that in all his necessities yea euen in his greatest infirmities of fleshe and most greeuous offences committed against his Maiestie he conceaueth most assured hope of mercy pardon vpon this consideration that he was hys workmanship cōsequently wel known to his diuine wisdom of how brickle infirme a metal he was made For thus at one tyme among other hee reasoneth of thys matter Looke how farre distant the East is from the West so far off hath God remooued our iniquities from vs. Euen as a father doth take compassion of his owne children so doth the Lord take mercy vpon vs for that hee well knoweth the moulde whereof wee are made and doth remember that wee are nothing els but dust In which discourse the holy Prophet maketh mention of two thinges that dyd assure him of Gods mercie the one that God was his Creator and maker and therby priuie to the frailtie of hys constitution nature th'other that he was his father whose propertie is to haue compassion on his chyldren this is a second reason more strong and forcible perhaps then the former why euery man may be most assured of pardon that hartilie turneth vnto almightie GOD considering that it hath pleased his diuine Maiestie not onelie to be vnto man a Creatour as he is to all other things but also a father which is the title of the greatest loue and coniunction that nature hath left to things in thys world Wherof a certain Phylosopher said well that no man coulde conceiue the loue of a Parents hart but he onelie that had a childe of his owne For which respect our Sauior Christ to put vs in mind of this most feruent loue and thereby as it were by one fire to enkindle another wythin our harts did vse oftentimes and ordinarilie to repeate thys sweete name of Father in hys speeches to his followers and theruppon founded diuers most excellent comfortable discourses as at one time when hee exhorted them from ouer-much care and worldly solicitude hee addeth thys reason Your father in heauen knoweth that you haue neede of these thinges As who would say hee knowing your wants and beeing your Father you shall not neede to trouble your selues wyth too great anxietie in these matters for that a Fathers hart cannot but bee prouident carefull for hys chyldren The like deduction maketh he in the same place to the same effect by comparison of the byrdes of the ayre and other irreasonable creatures for which if God doe make saith hee so aboundant prouision as al the whole worlde may witnesse that hee dooth much more carefull wyll he be to prouide for men that are his owne children which are more deere vnto him then any other terrestiall thing created All which speeches and reasons of our Sauiour are deriued from the nature and propertie of a Parent which cannot but affecte and looue hys children especiallie such a Father whom Christ calleth celestiall who in thys perfection of true fatherly loue so farre exceedeth al earthly Parents put together as in power clemencie goodnes almightie GOD surpasseth the infirmitie of hys feeble creatures Such a father
most aboundant riches of hys grace and goodnesse towardes vs. Thys was the opinion of that noble Apostle S. Paule and of all his coequals Apostles Euangelists Disciples and Saints that this work of our redemption proceeded only froÌ„ the inflamed fornace of Gods immeasurable loue And therfore to make no other conclusion heereof then that which S. Paule himselfe doth make if God haue not spared his own propper onely begotten son but hath giuen him vp to death for gaining vs vnto him howe can it be that with him hee hath not giueÌ„ vnto vs al other things If wheÌ„ we were his enemies and thought not vpon him he sent to seeke vs so diligently by such a messenger as he loued so deerely allowing him to lay downe a price for vs which he so infinitlie esteemed what shal we think that he will doe vnto vs nowe we beeing made hys owne by our redemption if we returne willingly vnto him when our receauing shal cost him nothing els but onely a merciful looke vpon vs which is not so much froÌ„ the infinite bowels of his bottomlesse mercy as is one drop of water from the most huge gulfe of the maine Ocean sea And this shal suffise for the first poynt of Gods loue declared vnto vs by the three most sweete and comfortable names and respects of Creator Father and Redeemer The second part howe God expresseth his loue towards sinners NExt after which wee are to consider in what maner God is accustomed to expresse and declare thys loue of his in hys dealings and proceedings towardes sinners And first of all the wyse man hauing had long experience of thys matter beginneth to describe and sette it forth in thys sort saying vnto God himselfe Thou O Lordeâ— dost dissemble the sinnes of men to giue vnto them time of repentance And then when they wyll not vse this benefite of his forbearing but wyll needes enforce hym to punish and correct them hee sayth further of thys correction Such as wilfully doe runne astray O Lord and will not turne vnto thee thou doost correct them sweetly by little and little admonishing and exhorting them to leaue their sinnes and to beleeue in thee These two points then of exceeding clemencie by the testimony of the wyse man are founde in almighty God first to wincke at the wicked life of men and to expect their coÌ„uersion with inspeakable patience and longanimitie according as also the Prophet Esay beareth witnesse adioyning the cause thereof in these wordes The Lorde dooth attend your conuersion to the ende he may take mercie on you and thereby be exalted And secondly for the same respect when he is enforced by reason of his iustice to chastise them yet doth he the same with such moderation and mildnesse as alwayes in thys life he reserueth place of pardon And to these two wee may adioyne yet a third propertie of his mercie more admirable perhaps then the former which is as Tertullian excellently noteth that hee beeing the partie offended yet first principally desireth reconsiliation hee hauing receiued the wrong and iniurie yet dooth he most busilie entreate for amitie and attonement And whereas in all right and equitie hee might denie vs pardon and for hys power take reuenge of vs at his pleasure yet doth he not onely offer vs peace of his own accord but also sueth vnto vs by all meanes possible to accept thereofâ— humbling in a certain manner his diuine Maiestie to our basenes vilitie and behauing himselfe in thys respect as a Prince that were enamored of hys bond-slaue and abiect seruaunt Thys might be declared by many of his owne speeches and dooinges in holie Scripture but one place out of the Prophet Esay shall serue for all where almightie GOD so earnestly wooeth the conuersion of Ierusalem as no louer in the worlde coulde vtter more signes and testimonies of a hart inflamed and sette on fire with loue then he doth towards that Cittie which so highly had offended him For first after many threates poured out against her if she did not return least she might perhaps fal into despayre he maketh this protestation in the beginning of his speech Indignatio non est mihi c. Angry I am not ô Ierusalem but whatsoeuer I haue spoken I haue spoken of good wil and loue Secondly he entreth into this dispute and doubt with himselfe about punishing her for her sinnes what shall I doe Shall I treade her vnder my feete put her to the fier or els will she stay my puissant hande and make peace with me will she I say make attonement with me After which doubt cunctation he resolueth himselfe to change his manner of style and to fall a little to chide wyth her and then he saith Harken O ye deafe inhabitants of Ierusalem looke about ye ye blind folke that wil not see who is blind and deafe but my seruant that will not regard or listen to the messengers which I send O thou which hast open eares wilt thou not heare And then a little after he beginneth to smooth speake faire againe saying Euer since thou hast beene gracious glorious in mine eyes I haue loued thee and for thy soule will I giue whole nations Feare not for that I am with thee Wherewith shee being little or nothing moued hee returneth to a sweet maner of complaint saying Thou hast enthralled me by thy sins with thine iniquities thou hast greatly afflicted me Which being sayd and she somewhat moued therby to loue him as it seemeth hee turneth vnto her wyth this most comfortâ—ble and kynde speeche I am hee I am hee which cancelleth thine iniquities for mine owne sake and will neuer thinke any more vpon thy sinnes All which beeing doone and they now reconciled and made fast freendes together hys diuine Maiestie beginneth a verie louing conference as it vvere and sweete expostulation with her saying in these words Call thou to memorie the things that are past and let vs iudge our selues heere together Tell me if thou haue any thing whereby thou maist be iustified Thy first parent was a sinner c. Whereat she beeing ashamed and hauing nothing in the worlde to aunswere for herselfe almightie God comforteth her and knitteth vp the whole matter in thys moste kynde and amiable sort Feare not for I wyll poure out my spirit vppon thee and vppon thy seede and my benediction shall be vpon thyne of-spring thy children shall bud vp and florish as wylloes planted by the water side Thus saith the Lord and king of Israel the Lorde of hostes that is thy redeemer I am the first and the last besides me there is no other GOD. Be mindfull of this thou house of Iacob I haue dissolued and dissipated thy sinnes as a cloude is dissolued in the ayre be mindfull of this and haue an assured confidence Thus farre continueth the treatie