been before him and raigned in the seat of Dauid For Ieremy saith that he shall execute iustice and iudgement in the earth through the whol world cōdemne destroy the wicked make them which were vniust and sinful very pure righteous For his kingdome is a kingdome of true iustice and innocency And Iuda Israel that is both those people shall haue help of him not that the x. tribes shold returne out of Assiria into Samaria and there haue a king of their own and set vp a corporall kingdome as Iudah had before time in Ierusalem when they liued vnder Dauid and Salomon with peace and quyetnes but that they shold haue a spiritual help through Christ who should deliuer them from sinne and death that so they might dwel boldly and safely that is that they might haue their consciences quyeted appeased and mery as men which now by faith in Christ haue their sinnes forgeuen are at peace with God through Christ So that they need not dread nor feare death or any other euill because that this wise king the most pure and florishing blossome of righteousnes is made the righteousnes of all Christians that all faithfull beleeuers the spirituall Israell consisting both of the Iewes and Gentils may through faith receiue the holy Ghost which testifyeth in their harts that they are the children of God heyres of God and coheires with Iesus Christ and so with bouldnes of siprite say with Paul We are perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Is not this a famous help and a strong and firme fortresse for the godly that they can say we know that we are translated from death vnto life That is the holy spirite hath taught vs by the word and heauenly vnction that Christ hath freed vs both from sinne and death and that we by him after death shall rise from death and liue for euer This is that hope of Israell which neither Gentil nor Infidel hath Now marke what noble and miraculous works of diuinity which none could doe but very God him selfe the prophet ascrybeth to this sonne of Dauid He sayth He shall execute and set vp iustice and iudgement in the earth And he shall iustify others Ergo he must not only outwardly but also inwardly purge the hart and forgeue sinne And this is only the worke of god For it is he onely that can change a wicked and malicious hart and it is he which can illuminate and regenerate vs and none but he And agayn if he can forgeue sinnes he can also abolish death which is the reward or stipend of sinne and the sting of death If then he could ouercom death and make vs righteous and geue vs euerlasting life he is true God which can only in deed deliuer vs from our sinnes and eternall death and geue and preserue true tranquility and peace If then Iudah and Israell that is the hole church of the godly shall be delyuered from their sinne and death then must it needes follow that they shall liue with Christ for euer Here then in this prophecy if we marke it wel we may see that Christ should dye as the naturall sonne of Dauid but not abide in death but that he should iustify and saue Iudah and Israel that is to say his people the godly and faithful And for this cause should he first rise again from death that he might rayse his Israelites that is his faithful from death and that he might purchase for them and geue them eternal life securitie for euer For if he should haue geuē them peace but for a time he should not truely and in deede haue delyuered them neither were it a true tranquility and peace Wherfore it was necessary that that peace and saluation which he should geue his elect should continue for euer and euer Thus then in this short prophecy haue we this eternall king together with his death resurrection and euerlasting kingdome expresly and soundly descrybed And so doth Ieremy again teach vs in the 33. chapter calling the gospel the voyce of ioy which God speaketh to Israel and Iuda For the law only sheweth Gods wrath and punishment but the gospel that new couenant promyseth meere grace and redemption And then he prophesieth how the helpe and redēption which this king bringeth shal extend it selfe to all people farre and nere The people of God in tyme past soong and spake of the great benefits of god how he brought them forth out of the land of Egipt and deliuered them by many marueilous miracles but when Christ that sonne of Dauid shall come then shall they gloriously triumph and tell of farre greater good gifts of God to wit how Christ hath brought and deliuered vs out of the hellish black Egipt and kingdome of sin death and euerlasting damnation and gathered not onely the Israelites after the flesh but all his elected children in all the world out of all nations into this Church of the godly which thing hath ben done euer since the Apostles time euen to this daye For wee which beleue in Christ haue a more excellent and notable captaine then Moses and Iosua Wee haue Iesus Christ for our captayn who hath deliuered vs out of the bondage and howse of the spirituall Pharao to wit from the captiuitie of Sathan This eternall redemption doth euery day renew in vs the remembraunce of our god so that we say the Lord liueth who hath deliuered vs from sin death and Sathan hath brought vs from all errors to the true knowledge of the Gospell This is a spirituall deliueraunce and bringing out of Egipt and a spirituall kingdome where in wee see Iudaisme should once cease Christianisme by Christ our king be set vp through all the world and therefore it was conuenient that he should rise agayne that he might erect this kingdome vpon earth and conserue it for euer To which sence the prophet speaketh saying Therfore behold the day is come sayth the Lord that they shall no more say the Lord liueth which brought vp the children of Israell out of the land of Egipt but the Lord liueth which brought vp and led the seed of the house of Israell out of the north country and from all countryes where I had scattered them and they shall dwell in their owne land Here we must note that all temporall deliuerances which the Iewes had here vpon earth from the hands of earthly tyrants and the gentiles were but figurs of the true and euerlasting deliuerance which we haue by our Messias Christ of which in this place to speake is not to our purpose The prophets for most part set downe such circumstances in their writings that we may well gather they had a farther respect then
finde inclosed and depending vpon it Repentance which is the first part of a Christian mannes life as Christ him selfe teacheth vs For if all people in this seede be blessed It necessarily followeth that al nations that is to say all men which sprong of Adam are without it accursed and abhominable before god And this is so onely because of sinne It is needful therfore that first of all there should be in vs repentance For in sinne are we conceiued and born And by one man sinne entered into the world and death by sinne And so death went ouer all men forasmuch as all men haue sinned and by the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation This fault is originall sinne which to vs the children and posterity of Adam commeth of naturall infirmitie successiuely and dwelleth in vs all and commeth with vs in our first carnal birth by which all our nature is corrupted defyled deformed depraued and made offensiue So that we by nature originally are naturally wicked and ignorant both of God and our selues we beleeue not God we trust not God we seek not after God and we neither dread Gods thretnings nor regard his commaundements And finally we by nature neither feare nor loue god For by sinne our nature is wholy blinded depraued and corrupted And therfore the holy Scripture calleth this nature the natural man that is to say flesh not yet regenerate And it sayth That the Lust and imagination of mans hart is euil euen frō his youth vp And the Apostle saith the same in these words In Adam all men dyed And in the Epistle to the Ephesians he saith That by nature we be the children of wrath And to the Romanes he saith G. The naturall man is fleshly and sauoreth the things of the flesh And the affections of the flesh are death and enmity against God. And to the Ephesians he saith We were dead in sinne And in the same Epistle descrybing at large the cursednes miseries and calamities of the carnal man he sayth We liue in this world by nature al ignorant without hope and with out God and walk in the vanity of our mindes hauing our sences and minds darkned and alyenated from the life of God c. And in the first Epistle to the Thessalonians he saith The Gentils know not God. And the Psalmist saith Euery man is a lyar And Ieremy saieth The hart is deceitful and wicked aboue al things and iuscrutable And Paul to the Corinthians sayth The naturall man perceiueth not those things that be of the Spirit of God for they be foolishnes vnto him nether can he vnderstand them Thus then the whol nature of man is by the first sinne of Adam disobedient infected bestained corrupted depraued and in the very first natiuity defiled Further when man is grown vp to age and beginneth to haue iudgement of things in continuance of time by the force and inclination of this original sinne he rouleth or desireth to roul him self in all kind of voluptuous pleasure in euery foul sink of sinne in euery durty puddle of detestable actes and in all kind of vncleannes as we see with our eyes But now where so euer sinne is there by and by followeth the curse and all kind of misery calamity daunger and siknes And to be breef death it self as it is sayd in Genesis Thou art dust and vnto dust thou shalt return And again Whensoeuer thou shalt eat of the tree of knowledge of good and euil thou shalt dye the death And S. Paul to the Romanes sayth The wages of sinne is death Thus then we learn first by this promise to acknowledge our misery calamity and cursednes and the wrath and iudgement of god Which thing is more largely spoken of in other places of Scripture By Gods law is required of vs perfect obedience sincere purity true godlynes and perfect loue of Religion with true feare and knowledge of God as also that we should perfectly loue him put our whole trust in him prayse him and glorifie him and also that we should loue imbrace and help our neighbour and doe what we can for him To be short it is required of vs that we loue him as our self Such ought we to haue been and so pure were we created But now we bear the Image of our earthly Father Adam and are by his horrible fal infected with originall sinne and so naturally we are vngodly and sinners and without the knowledge and fear of God and nether beleeue nor loue God. Moreouer we set our selues against our neighbor and loue him not as we ought For when we be offended but euen lightly we hate him deadly Thus are we ful of enuy and gilty of all kind of wickednes Wherfore seeing by nature we be voyd of al such vertues as the law of God requyreth in vs as that we should fear God beleeue God loue God glorify God and also faithfully and intierly loue our neighbour And seeing we thus obay not the law as we ought the law of God doth pronounce a most terrible sentence against vs saying Cursed is euery man that contynueth not in all thinges which are written in the book of the law to doe them And again Cursed be all they that doe erre from thy commaundements Also if you will enter into life euerlasting keep the commaūdements But who either keepeth or euer hath kept the commaundements or done that which the law requireth Bring me but one if you can of all the Children of Adam which of his own naturall strength could euer keep but the first commaundement doe the best he could Nay you shal neuer of them all be able to bring me one For in deed none euer did it Nay we all doe the contrary for such as the tree is such is the fruit And how pleasant and prety the fruit of the flesh is that is to say of the natural or carnal man if it please you you may see in the Epistle to the Galathians where Paul by the way hath set down though not all yet a few of the works of the flesh as Adultery Fornicatiō Vncleānes Wantonnes Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Debate Emulations c. And he addeth they which doe such thinges shall not inherite the kingdome of God. The law therfore of God doth wound hold captiue greeuously oppresse and accuse all the children of Adam of impiety and it layeth to our charge that foul offence of rebellion against Gods maiesty and it conuicteth vs to be an vngracious kind of creatures ful of professed malice and wickednes and subiect to eternall damnation vngodly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnfaithfull passing wicked worldlings and contemners of God man and this law exacteth at our hand perfect obedience sinceere godlynes strait vprightnes and a pure innocency of life according to the commandement of God. Seeing then the law of God doth
is to come hath made al thinges subiect vnder his feet hath appointed him ouer all thinges to be the head to the church which is hys body euen the fulnes of him that filleth al in al things Many mysteries of our faith are contained in this Psalm to wit Christes passion resurrection and dominion which he hath ouer al creatures both in heauen earth and what the fruite of Christes workes to wit of his passiō is For he was by his passion to deserue and giue vs infinite benefits that all which beleue the gospel might be deliuered frō Satans kingdom haue place with God in heauē and be ruled and saued by Christ for euer But yet here in this world by faith vnder the crosse but after this fraile and miserable life opēly in glory The kings of this world do get gouerne kepe establish their kingdomes by the sword force of armes ouercomming vanquishing their enemies but this king after a new strāge proper and cleane contrary maner beginneth gouerneth and fortifieth his kingdom to wit by suffering dying on the crosse For in that he was killed he killeth ouercommeth his enemies This passing and exceeding great submission and lowly humbling of himselfe euen to the death of the crosse doth preuayleth more then the force sufferings strength might of all creatures could haue done For it ouercame Satan it swalowed vp death obtayned worthy honor glory As Paul saith to the Phil. Christ humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto death euen the death of the crosse wherfore God hath also highly exalted him giuen him a name aboue euery name that at the name of Iesus shold euery knee bow both of things in heauen and thinges in earth and things vnder earth and that euery tong should confesse that Iesus Christ is the lord vnto the glory of god the father ¶ Anna. Seyng the scriptures set down so many mysteries of our faith briefly and in one place for now I heare in this 8. Psal. the passion resurrection ascension and kingdom of Christ all in one the selfe same place comprehended and fully touched I would haue you expound and teach the vse of the death and resurrection of Christ what his kingdome is briefly And thus in reciting the prophesies concerning these articles as they offer themselues you shal find an indifferent easy way so that you need not ouer labor and wery yourselfe as of late you haue done ☞ Vrb. The fruit and commoditie of this most precious death and glorious resurrection of Christ is the redemption of mankind from al euils and calamities and mans victory ouer death the deuil damnation So that now by Christes infinite and great merites by his deserts and not by ours we obtayne forgiuenes of our sinnes grace peace with God perfect holines the holy ghost with his giftes and that blessed adoption by which we are the children of god and he our father and that after this short life we looke for the resurrection of our flesh in which we shall receiue both in body and soule and immortal incorruptible inheritance an inheritance that shal not fade euen life euerlastyng and the eternall kingdom of Christ which was promised vs in the law and prophets But al this we receiue onely in Iesus Christ the seede of Abraham and Dauid according to the flesh who purchased and deserued all these things for vs This is daily preached to vs in the gospel and all mē are called vnto this grace none is excluded none refused The Euangelists and Apostles as the true expounders of the Prophets do worthely in all places of the new testament preach and declare out of the prophets this fruit of Christes passion Paul to the Rom. sayth Christ was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen agayne for our iustification And agayne in the same epistle God setteth out his loue toward vs seing that while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs Much more then being now iustified by his bloud we shall bee saued from wrath thorough him For if whē we were his enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled we shal be saued by his life And to the Cor. he sayth Christ is made of God vnto vs wisdom and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption In these few wordes he openeth and declareth all those things which Moses and the prophets wrote before of the offerings sacrifices oblations which were offred for the peoples sinnes and offences These sacrifices oblations could reconcile none vnto GOD neyther clense any man from sinne but were onely figures of that most precious sacrifice the bloud of Christ It was he that should recōcile his father to vs and by his precious bloud clense vs from all our sinnes Paule to the Corrinthians sayeth Christ dyed for all that they which liue should not henceforth lyue vnto themselues but vnto him which died for them and rose agayn God made hym which knew no sinne to be sinne for vs that we might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him And to the Gallathians he sayth Christ Iesus our Lorde gaue himself for our sinnes that he might deliuer vs from this present euill world according to the will of God euen our father to whom be glory for euer and euer Amen And agayne Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law while he was made a curse for vs for it is written Cursed is euery one that hangeth on tree And to the Ephesians he sayeth By Christ we haue redemption thorough his bloud euen the forgiuenesse of sinnes according to his rich grace And agayne he sayth But now in Christ Iesus ye which once were farre of are made nere by the bloud of Christ for he is our peace which reconciled both vnto god in one body by his crosse And agayne Christ hath loued vs and hath giuen himself for vs to be an offring and a sacrifice of a sweete smellyng sauour to God. And to the Collos he sayth God by Christ reconcileth al things to himselfe and setteth at peace through the bloud of his crosse both the thinges in heauen and the things in earth And agayne God raysed Christ from the dead and you which were dead in sinnes and in the vncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened together with him forgiuing vs all our trespasses and putting out the hand writing of ordinaunces that was against vs which was contrary to vs he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vppon the crosse triumphing in himselfe ouer all principalities and powers in the same crosse And to the Thessal he sayth I would not brethren haue you ignorant concernyng them which are a sleepe that ye sorrow not euen as they which haue no hope For if we beleue that Iesus is dead and risen agayne euen so them which
slepe in Iesus will God bring with him And to Tim. he sayth Christ came into this worlde to saue sinners And againe There is one God and one mediator betwene GOD and man which is the man Iesus Christ who gaue himselfe for a ransome for all men And againe God saued vs and called vs with an holy callyng not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen vs through Christ Iesus before the world was but is now made manifest by the appearing of our sauiour Iesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality vnto lyght through the gospel And to Titus he saith For the grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we should deny vngodlinesse worldly lustes that we should liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present world loking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the mighty God of our sauiour Iesus Christ who gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeme vs from all iniquity and purge vs to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe zelous of good works And to the Hebr. he sayeth Forasmuch then as the children were partakers of flesh and bloud he also himself likewise tooke part with thē that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the deuil and that he might deliuer all them which for feare of death were all their life tyme subiect to bondage For he in no sort tooke the angels but he tooke the seed of Abraham Wherfore in all things it became him to be made like vnto his brethren that he might be mercifull and a faythfull high priest in things concerning God that he might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people For in that he suffred and was tempted he is able to succour all them that be tempted In the same place the Apostle sayth that Christ by the grace of God tasted of death for all men Read the whole epistle to the Hebr. but especially the 5. 7. 8. 9. 10. chap. concerning Christes priesthood and sacrifice for it is in deede a most worthy and precious treasure Peter sayth Blessed be God euen the father of our lord Iesus Christ which according to his aboundaunt mercy hath begotten vs agayne vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead And it followeth You are not redemed with corruptible things as with siluer and gold from your vayne conuersation receiued by the traditions of the fathers but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a lambe vndefiled and without spot which was lord before the foundation of the world but was declared in the last tymes for your sakes which by his meanes doe beleue in God that raysed him from the dead and gaue him glory that your faith hope might be in God. And agayne Christ himselfe bare our sinnes in his body on the tree that we being deliuered from sinne should liue in righteousnesse Christ also hath once suffred for sins the iust for the vniust that he might bring vs to god And Ioh. saith The bloud of Iesus Christ the sonne of God clenseth vs from all sinne And againe We haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust and he is the reconciliatiō for our sinnes ▪ and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world It followeth Your sinnes are forgiuen you for his names sake And againe For this purpose appeared the sonne of God that he might loose the workes of the deuill And again In this appeared the loue of God toward vs because God sent his only begotten sonne into the world that we might liue through him Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his sonne to be a recōciliation for our sinnes To be briefe this is the pithe of all the Apostles preaching And this is the summe of their doctrine that we obtaine forgiuenesse of all our sinnes and euerlasting lyfe by none other but only by Iesus Christ and by no other worke but by his most precious death and victorious resurrection Therfore Peter with great boldnes instructing the Iewes concerning Christ comprehendeth all the whole matter briefly in few wordes in the 4. chap. of the Acts where he sayth You haue crucified Christ whom God raysed frō the dead This is the stone which was cast aside of you builders which is become the head of the corner neither is there saluation in any other For among men there is giuen none other name vnder heauen wherby we must be saued And Paul to the Cor. saith Christ died for our sinnes according to the scripture and was buried and rose agayne the third day according to the scriptures And if Christ be not raised agayne then is our preaching vayne and your fayth vayne Ye are yet in your sinnes and so they which are a sleepe in Christ are perished If in this life onely we haue hope in Christ we are of all men the most miserable But now is Christ risen from the dead and was made the first fruits of them that slept For since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead For as in Adam all die euen so in Christ shall all be made alyue S. Augustine hath a learned and worthy saying namely that one resurrection of Iesus Christ saith he hath giuen vs two resurrections to wit one spiritual from our sinnes and the other corporal For when as Christ rayseth vs vp from the spirituall death of sinne by his holy Gospell and lighteneth our hartes with the knowledge of Gods grace and our sinnes When he pardoneth our sinnes and whē he giueth vs the holy ghost then do we rise from our wickednesse and are counted righteous in the sight of god This resurrection is here in earth by fayth in Christ which we receyue whē we heare his word in the holy gospell As Christ sayth in Iohn Verily verily I say vnto you the houre shal come and now is when the deade shall heare the voyce of the sonne of God and they that heare shal liue Which words are spoken of the rising from our sinnes as S. Augustine expoundeth them The other resurrection which Christ hath deserued wrought or obtayned for vs by his resurrection is that resurrection of the body which shal be in the last day Of which Iohn sayth thus The houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce And they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of lyfe but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation And Paul saith to the Thes If we beleue that Iesus is dead is risen euen so them which slepe in Iesus will God bring with hym For this say we vnto you by the worde of the Lord that we which
glad of the bride so shall thy God reioyce ouer thee Here the prophet sayth a great part of men regard neither God nor Christ and yet shall the elect seeke for the spirituall and true Sion and waight for Christ their onely Sauiour But seing the Church lyeth open to Sathans persecutions and of him is afflicted and wasted it hath great neede to be comforted Therefore he sayth I will not keepe silence but I will teach Christ cōtinually vntill he come For Christ as Paule witnesseth is the onely righteousnes of Sion or of the spirituall Hierusalem And he is the onely saluation of the Church as the Euangelists and Apostls teach in euery place Esay therfore teacheth of none but Christ Iesus whome God sent vs to be our Sauiour that both Iewes and Gentiles might enioy and be partakers of this his benefite as it hath ben fulfilled in all places euer since thapostles tyme And this new name here spokē of is nothing els but that Gos people is now called the Church of the sonne of God and the true and heauenly Hierusalem which is the mother of all the elected saintes And heare behold how precious and deare a darling the Church is to God our good and faithfull father For the prophet calleth it a crowne of glory the worlde counted the godly as vngodly as fooles as doultes as outcasts and as of scouringes of all thinges euery man did scoffe mocke scorne and iniury thē at their pleasure But the Church hath here an other manner of name for it is called a beloued precious glorious crowne my delight is in her and a people that hath a god that will not forget them These be most cōfortable promises when we be vnder the crosse But they must be stedfastly beleued or els they little auailed For it is most certaine although in this world we be contemned and afflicted that God yet loueth vs so derely and wel that al the creatures of the world are compelled to serue helpe vs euen then when the world supposeth they must torment vs Yea the Angels in heauen care for cherish and defend vs and God himselfe beareth vs in his armes as doth the louing Father his onely beloued childe But now consider this great worke of the loue of God I meane the passion of Christ and that God became man for vs All these thinges he did for the Church to the end that hauing deliuered them by this meanes from all euills he might bring them to health lyfe euerlasting How could he declare and shew a more fatherly loue and good will to his Church thē he hath done in deliuering his onely begotten sonne vp vnto death for it that he might deliuer it when as yet it was his enemy Though this infirmitie sore temptation and cros of ours in this world appeare outwardly horrible and detestable yet in deede thy are nothing els but a Fatherly rod wherewith he correcteth amendeth and reformeth his derely beloued children As for the glory which in the day of redemption shall be reuealed vnto vs I wil now say nothing of it but thē it shal appeare how dearely God loueth his church And then shall it be seene that this temporall trouble which we Christians haue heare is a certaine signe of Gods great good will and true fatherly loue towardes vs Esay his wordes seeme to sound as though he spak of that earthly Ierusalem in the land of Canaā And the prophet beholding the Church with spirituall eyes is cōpelled to speake as if he spake of these earthly thinges because they were figures of the true and heauēly Ierusalem and land of righteousnes As Peter and Paul doe sufficiently witnesse prescribing vs a sure rule how to vnderstād the prophets aright when they speake of Christ and his kingdome the church Note also that Esay calleth the church such a crowne as is in the hand of the Lord or which is caried in the Lordes hand Whiche is as much to say as the Church is a spirituall kingdome which God himselfe doth gouerne and rule It is also a crowne of glory or a glorious crowne in the hand of the Lord because it doth not appeare glorious in the eyes of the world And wheras the prophet taketh his similitude of a mariage and of fayth geuen betwene man wife that is very comfortable For hereby we learne how dearely tenderly and inwardly God loueth vs what infinite treasures we shall receaue of him For we know that the bridgrome makes his bride partaker of all he hath It followeth I haue set watch men vpon thy walles O Ierusalem which all the day and all the night continually shall not cease Ye that are mindful of the Lord keep ye silēce geue him no rest till he repare and set vp Hierusalem the prayse of the world The watchmen are the faythfull preachers of Gods word which watch and take paines in the Church in prayer doctrine least Sathan that deadly enemy by his false prophets should deceaue ouercome thē And these prechers alwayes preach true repentaunce and the grace of God in Christ and they diligently by their exhortations and sermons teach vs the knowledge of god and our selues and to geue God thankes for all his vnspeakeable benefits It followeth The Lord hath sworne by his right hand and by his strong arme surely I will no more geue thy corne to be meate to thine enemies and surely the sonnes of the strangers shall not drinke thy wine for the which thou hast labored But they that haue gathered it shall eate it and prayse the Lord and the gatherers therof shal drinke it in the courtes of my sanctuary This is spoken and ment of the spirituall corne and wine And this is the meaning therof It cannot be but the worde which these preachers teach should take place after it shall follow and rise the fruite of fayth which appeareth not at all in the vngodly These courtes that he speaketh of is the congregatiō or Church of Christiās or the godly amongest whome the gospell is purely taught where mens consciences were pacified quieted mery and pleasaunt in the Lord when the inward man feeleth peace tranquilitie quietnes securitye felicity perfect pleasure in the worde of god None of the vngodly either feele or haue taste of this pleasure And least we should any thing doubt of this promise he bindeth it with an oth that we shall haue those things which he promiseth It foloweth in the text Go through go through the gates prepare you the way for the people Cast vp cast vp the way and gather out the stones and set vp a standerd for the people Behold the Lord hath proclaimed vnto the endes of the world Tell the daughter Sion Behold thy Sauiour commeth Behold his wagis is with him and his worke is before him and they shall call them the holy people the redeemer of the Lord And thou shalt
Christ must from hence forth increase and grow greater and greater vntill the worldes end whereas all earthly empires shall decrease fall and be destroyed And Hose prophesieth againe in the end of the 2. chapiter of the euerlasting couenaunt of grace betwen God and vs in a pleasaunt sweete and comfortable similitude saying And in that day will I make couenants for them with the wilde beastes and with the fowle of heauen and with that that creepeth vppon the earth And I will breake the bow and the sword and the battell out of the earth and will make them to sleepe safely And I will mary thee vnto me for euer yea I will marry thee vnto me in righteousnes and in iudgement and in mercy And in compassiō I will euen marry thee vnto me in faythfullnes and thou shalt know the Lord. He speaketh not here of earthly thinges but of the heauenly peace of conscience with God through fayth in Christ which neither tyrants in the earth nor wicked spirits in the ayre can ouerthrow or take away How can any thing hurt the faythfull christians seing they be by fayth dedicated and as it were maried vnto Christ the Lord of zeboth and are by this spirituall mariages made one flesh by which vnion and coniunction we receaue al these excellent promises which by the commaundement of god the prophets and Euangelists make vnto the Church ¶ Anna. How I pray you commeth this to passe ☞ Vrba Those thinges which are the husbandes are the wiues and so one the other side those that are the wiues are the husbandes Those that be maried together haue all thinges common betwen them We vpon our part haue sinn death and damnation but Iesus Christ our husband is full of grace life and health If therfore we trust in Christ and acknowledge him for our onely husband redeemer and Sauiour then doth that fayth vnite knit vs so to Christ that he becommeth our husband and head and we his mēbers Thus Christ taketh vpon him our euills and calamities geueth vs his graces and felicitie thus are we made righteous and thus are we quickened and saued where before we were sinners dead and damned These are the vnsearchable riches of Gods grace geuē vs in Iesus Christ of which Paule to the Ephesians doth so gloriously bost saying that they exceed all humaine senses passe the capacity of al creatures Consider then what he is able to do and what kinde of parson Christ is to wit an infinite parson God man which can not sinn dy or be dampned because his righteousnes life saluation are inuincible euerlasting and almighty Seing therefore that his innocency lyfe and saluation wrastled and fought vppon the crosse with our sinnes death and dampnation which were not able to ouercome him it must needes follow that in him our sinns death and damnation are swallowed vp and taken away Seeing then that we are ingrafted in christ by faith in him we are also by his mere grace and loue both deliuered from all our sinnes and freed from Sathans tyranny and haue the euerlasting righteousnes lyfe and health of our husband Christ geuen vs Thus doth Christ adorne and decke his welbeloued spouse the Church that she may be glorious without spot or wrinkell and yet purified by the lauer of water in the word of life that is by the fayth of the word of lyfe righteousnes and saluatiō Now ye see how the Lord ioyneth true Israell in mariage to him selfe as his wife in fayth in righteousnes and iudgement Here also must be marked that this mariage shall continue for euer as the prophet sayth Wherby it followeth that Christ must needes rise againe from death and raise his bride to lyfe that she might liue with him for euer This is that euerlasting kingdome of Christ the kingdome of grace out of which all sin death and wickednes is cast and banished and in which meere grace righteousnes innocency lyfe and saluation doe fully dwell for euer as the prophet sayth Thou shalt know the Lord. But to know him is eternall life And in that day I will heare sayth the Lord I will euen heare the heauens and they shall heare the earth and the earth shall heare thee come and the wine and the oyle and they shall heare Israell and I will sow her vnto me in the earth and I will haue mercy vppon her that was not pitied and I will say to them which were not my people thou art my people and they shall say thou art my God. He speaketh here of that most wished and ioyfull time of the new testamēt For whē the gospel is taught and Christ by fayth receued then will not God suffer his Church to want but will prouide for her and cherish her and though in the meane time she gloriously wrastle and grone vnder the crosse yet shall she be so prouided for that she shall not want thinges needfull for her For the true Israell shall by Messias be increased and multiplied The Church shall become true Israell that is the seede of the Lord that it may increase and continue for euer so mercifull is the Lord vnto the rest of the Iewes and Gentills The Iewes or Israelites were before without mercy But in the time of Christ the Lord tooke compassion vpon them The Gentills were not the people of God but in the tyme of Messias being called through the gospel they are made his people which acknowledge calle vpon and honor God in true fayth by our onely sauiour and mediator Christ ¶ Anna. Haue not the Iewes or the Israelites according vnto the flesh son hope in the scriptures that they shall be deliuered from that obstinacy and hardnes of hart wherein they now are Shall no Iewes but onely the Gentills hereafter be partakers of the spirituall kingdome ☞ Vrba Yes they haue some hope that they shall be deliuered And I would to God they could vnderstād the scriptures would learn thereby what grace yet the Lord hath left in store for them For Hose saith The children of Israell shall remayn many dayes without a king and without a prince and without an offring and without an Image and without an Ephod and without Teraphim Afterward shall the children of Israell conuert and seeke the Lord their God and Dauid their king and shal fear the Lord and his goodnes in the latter dayes You haue heard before that Paul would not haue the Iewes despised For they haue a promise of their conuersion before the last day when they shall become christians that is when the Israelites according to the spirit to wit the elect number of the children of God among the gentils shal be accomplished Thē shall the Iewes haue their eyes opened be gathered vnto the true Messias Iesus Christ and embrace the gospel Paul vnderstood this wel out of Hose who maketh here a comfortable promise vnto the Iewes that at
the length the Lord will take compassion vpon them and call and conuert so many amongst them by the gospel as appartayn to the kingdome of Christ which knoweth who be his sheep and his sheep shall know their shepheard This prophecy is so playn that it needeth no long exposition The Iewes haue now these 1560. yeares since the comming of Iesus of Nazareth which time is those many dayes which the prophet speketh of bin dispersed abroad throughout the whol world and haue neither king nor prince of their own neither yet vntil this day know they Christ the true Messias or king And they are constrayned as afflicted and abiects and miserable men to liue here and there vnder straunge kings throughout the whol world Their temple and altar with their place of sacrifice are destroyed and so continue And they haue neither priest nor true diuine seruice God graunt that they may shortly be plentifully conuerted Amen The word of God can not lye or deceiue vs They shall seek the true God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob the father of our Lord Iesus Christ by Iesus of Nazareth the true Messias And after their long error at the last they shall be conuerted and brought into the way and shall seek after Iesus Christ the true king promised in Moyses and the prophets who was sent at the fulnes of time born of the house of Dauid and is placed at the right hand of the father and equall with him in power They shal also preach and set forth with vs his bounteous grace and liberality which he offereth and geueth vs in the gospel Anna. Hoseas saith that they shall come vnto Dauid in the last day Shall Dauid then rise again before the last day to be king ☞ Vrb. No forsoth You haue heard before in Ezechiel and in the psalme that Christ is called Dauid because he was born of Dauids stocke according to the flesh And he is in deed true Dauid as in this place S. Hierome noteth that is strong of hand For he onely by his own power vertue and strength delyuered his people frō the captiuity of the deuil and so the Iewes themselues vnderstood this prophecy to be meant of Christ the seed of Dauid of which thing their Thargum is witnes in which this text is read thus After this shall the children of Israell be conuerted and seeke the glory of their God and be obedient to Messias the sonne of Dauid that is to Christ their king ¶ Anna. If the matter stand so then truely are not the Iewes quite to be condemned and reiected seeing God hath promysed that he will be so gracious vnto them and conuert so great a number of them ☞ Vrb. I often speake and geue warning of this that christians doe not with such despight vpbrayd despice or spite so proudlye and contemptuouslye at the Iewes but let them call to minde and wey well the warning which S. Paul geueth to the Rom. Hose doth prophecy more of our resurrectiō by messias saying In their affliction they will seek me diligently saying Come and let vs returne to the Lord for he hath spoyled and he will heale vs He hath wounded vs and he will binde vs vp After two dayes will he reuiue vs and in the third day he will rayse vs vp and we shall liue in his sight Then shall we haue knowledge and indeuour our selues to know the lord His going forth is prepared as the morning and he shall come vnto vs as the rayn and as the latter rayn vnto the earth which maketh it fruitfull S. Ambrose and other holy doctor of the church doe vnderstand this prophecy to be meant of the resurrection of Christ and of our rising agayne For Messyas rose agayn frō death the third day And whē we haue borne our cros in this frayl and mortall life and are fully mortefyed vnto the world then will he rayse vs vp againe in the day of redemption and we shall euer be and liue with him as Paul saith to the Thessalonians For he is rysen again and hath appeared with the bright morning star as the true sonne of righteousnes which doth illuminate vs and make vs fruitfull with the ferrill rayn of his grace that we may bring forth the fruit of true repentance And Hoseas in his 13. chap prophesyeth very plainly of Christ his victory how that for our sakes profit he hath ouercome sinne death and hel saying I will redeeme thē frō the power of the graue I will delyuer thē from death O death I will be thy death O graue or hell I will be thy destruction This thing Christ fulfilled when for our sakes he died vpon the crosse and gloriously rose againe the 3. day by which he satisfied for our sinnes and ouercame death which had ouerthrowne vs redeemed vs frō the damnation of hel The sin with which mans nature was infected euen vnto euerlasting death was deadly or present poysō but now Christ by his death destroyeth sin and killeth death in which of right we should haue taried for euer Hose also in his 14. chapiter doth very cōfortably prophesy of Christ and his kingdome and telleth vs that in him is grace and forgeuenes of sinns in him is mere loue and fayth in him are true good workes and securitye and in him is great good will toward vs and the bud of God in vs For Iesus Christ is God in deede and our defender saying O Israell returne vnto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thy iniquitie Take vnto you wordes and turne to the Lord and say vnto him take away all iniquitie and receaue vs gratiously so will we render the calues of our lips Asshur shall not saue vs neither will we ride vpon horses neither will we say any more to the worke of our hands ye are our Gods for in thee the fatherles findeth mercy I will heare their rebellion I will loue them freely for my anger is turned away from him I will be as the dew vnto Israell he shall grow as the lily and fasten the rootes as the trees of Libanon His braunches shall spread and his beuty shall be as the olyue tree and his smell as Libanon They that dwell vnder his shadow shall returne they shall reuiue as the corne and florish as the vine the sent therof shall be as the wine of Libanon Ephraim shall say what haue I to do any more with Idolls I haue heard him and looked vpon him I am lyke a greene fir tree vpon me is thy fruite found In the beginning of the 14. chapiter Hoseas moneth the Israelites to repētaunce But seing that true repentaunce is the worke of the holy ghost in vs and not of the naturall man the holy ghost at the end addeth these notable promises that Israell by them might be stirred vp to beleue the grace which god promised so receaue the power of the holy ghost that he might obay the