knocketh let vs open the gates of our hearts vnto him hée calleth let vs heare him hee cryeth and willeth vs to come vnto him O therefore let vs runne let vs make hast let vs flye vnto him I haue euer stretched out my hands to an vnfaithfull people saith God by his Prophet Esay all the day long haue I stretched out mine armes vnto a people that will not heare me all the day long haue I stretched out my hands vnto them and yet they will not know me I haue sent you the acceptable time I haue giuen you the dayes of grace the dayes of mercie the dayes of saluation O then let vs not receiue this acceptable time in vaine let vs not take this grace of God in vaine Let vs remember how many thousands of people perish this day for want of the gospell of God and knowledge of his holy word Wée are they whom God hath called to bee his children whom hée hath appointed to bée saued whom he hath receiued to his grace and mercie If wée haue any great policie if wée haue any great wit if wée haue any learning riches wealth and felicitie in this world let vs consider that we haue them from God alone that God giueth vs our policie that God giueth vs our wit that God giueth vs our learning that hée alone giueth vs our riches our wealth and all other felicitie that wée haue in this life O then let vs not take these great gifts of God in vaine let vs not take these graces of his in vaine Let our liues so shine before men that they may sée our good works and glorifie our father which is in heauen Amen THE SEVENTH Sermon Rom. 12. vers 16. 17. 18. 16. We desire you that ye thinke all one thing that yee haue like affection one to another Be not high minded be not wise in your owne opinion 17. Recompence to no man euill for euill 18. If it bee possible haue peace with all men DEerely beleued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ This Epistle or letter of Saint Paul written vnto the Romans is diuided into two seuerall parts In the first part Saint Paul instructeth and telleth them of the beginning of their religion of the foundation of their faith of the grace whereunto they are called by the merits and death of Iesus Christ And for because he saw and well perceiued that euen such of the Romans who had receiued the faith to bée farce from the works of the faith and the profession of the gospel of Christ therefore he instructeth them that they know the testament of Christ that they know the couenant of their saluation and that they should remember that where before time they were strangers from God cleane without any promise of grace enemies vnto God and the children of perdition were now called vnto God were become the sons of Abraham Gods deere friends and the children of adoption and this not of any desert of theirs not by any merit of their owne but onely through the great grace and méere mercy of Iesus Christ For the whole world was couered vnder wickednesse the whole world I say the Iewes onely excepted was ouerwhelmed in sinne and had no promise at all of any saluation by God But yet when Christ Iesus the Sauiour of all the world appeared and the Iewes would not acknowledge him their redéemer it pleased God by him to saue the whole world and call vnto his grace aswel the Gentile as the Iew the vncircumcised as the circumcised and this did he onely of his infinit and great goodnesse And therefore Saint Paul in the conclusion hereof crieth out and saith O the deepnesse of the aboundant wisedome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out Who knoweth the mind of the Lord who was his Counsellor Who hath giuen vnto him first that hee might bee recompensed againe And therefore hée concludeth thus Quia in illo ex illo per illum omnia illi omnis honor gloria For of him through him and for him are all things to him therefore bee glorie for euer Thus doth Saint Paule conclude the first part to know the couenant of their saluation to know the greatnesse of Gods mercie whereunto they are called and to giue the prayse and thankes therefore to him alone In the second part which I now handle hee instructeth them of a vertuous life of honest conuersation and vpright liuing among all men For it is not enough to change our Religion it is not sufficient to alter our faith but we must also change our old life wee must walke in newnesse of life we must walke in holinesse wee must walke as becommeth the professors of a new Religion as becommeth them that are of a right faith as becometh all such as confesse God and his Gospel And therfore S. Paul writing vnto the Hebrews saith Seeing that we by the means of the bloud of Iesus haue libertie to enter into the holy place let vs draw nigh with a true heart in a sure faith let vs prouoke vnto loue and to good workes So in another place he saith You were sometimes darknesse but now ye are light in the Lord walke therfore as becommeth the children of light So God himselfe when he had chosen the Iewes to be his people and them alone amongst all other Nations to worship him said O Israel what is it that I require or seek for at thy hands but that thou loue mee and keepe my commandements This is the onely thing that I would haue you to doe that you kéepe my Law and walke in my Precepts Therefore Saint Paule himselfe also after hee had declared and set forth at large the great goodnesse and mercie of God he said I beseech you that yee make your bodies a quicke and liuely Sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God which is your reasonable seruing of God Renew your spirits make your selues new harts that it may shew and appeare in you that you are reconciled vnto GOD that you are the children of adoption and professours of Gods holy name Therfore bee not high minded bee not wise in your owne opinions recompence no man euill for euill prouide aforehand things honest in the sight of all men and if it bee possible haue peace with all men Marke well my brethren these words by the way If it be possible haue peace with all men Christ though hee was the author so peace and the true peace it selfe yet could he not haue peace with all men Non veni pacem mittâ—re in terras sed bellum sed discordiam I am not come saith Christ to send peace into the world but war and dissention for from hence forth there shall be fiue in one house diuided three against two and two against three The Father against the Son and the Son against the Father The mother against the daughter and the daughter against the
Iacob c. as who would say I will neuer studie myne owne matters I will neuer go about mine owne businesse before I haue established the matters of my God and the businesse of the God of Iacob Therfore in like maner Ezechias that vertuous king when he was called by God to beare office would not go home to his owne affaires before he had purged the Church of God Iustinian also that good and godlie Emperor was wont to say That he asmuch cared for the preseruation of Gods Church as he did for the safegard of his owne Soule And thus look what care Dauid the prophet of God had ouer Gods people looke what care that vertuous king Ezechias had looke what care that good and godlie Emperor Iustinian had the same and the like ought euery good Magistrate to haue as Dauid Ezechias and Iustinian did so should euery good and godlie officer doe hée must not giue himselfe vnto sléep nor his eye lids vnto rest before he hath prouided a Temple for the God of Iacob he must not go home vnto his owne house before that he hath purged Gods Church he must haue as great respect to the saluation of Gods flocke as he hath regard to the safegard of his owne Soule he must remember that his chaire is Gods chaire that his sword is Gods sword Now good Bretheren it behooueth you of your part to put away all hatred to abolish from him all pride dissention all discord and to honor the Magistrate to follow you your Shepheard as the shéepe do their shepheard to ioy in him your Captaine as the Souldiers reioyce in their Captaine to be gouerned by him your head as the members of the bodie are ruled by the head and lastly so to be in subiection vnto him as the childe is in obedience and subiection to his father And so shall there then be both a godlie Magistrat so shall there be godlie people and so shall there be a godlie Realme Now let vs here thinke that Saint Paule speaketh these words vnto vs as indéed he speaketh them vnto vs if we are or will be called Christians vnto vs he saith Bee not high minded vnto vs he saith Bee not wise in your owne opinions vnto vs he saith Recompence no man euill for euill vnto vs he saith If it bee possible haue peace with all men O then why are wee of such proud hearts Why are wee high minded Why are we wise in our own opinions Why recompence wee euill for euill Why séeke we reuengement why agrée not we together O by whose name shall I cal you I would I might call you brethren but alas this heart of yours is not brotherly I would I might call you Christians but alas you are no Christians I know not by what name I shall call you for if you were Brethren you wold loue as Brethren if you were Christians you would agrée as Christians Christ said vnto his disciples and so by them to all such as professe his name Mandatum nouum do vobis vt diligatis mutuo sicut ego dilexi vos I giue you a new commandement said Christ that you loue together euen as I haue loued you By this token by this cognusance of mine shal men know you to be my Disciples if you loue together as I haue loued you Let vs looke well vpon our selues let vs behold our selues well alas this badge this cognisance is gone this peace that Christ left vnto vs is not to be found amongst vs. O yée that sometime were brethren but now mortall enemies ye that sometime ware this Badge this cognisance of Christs peace which now yée haue cast from you O how long will you follow vanitie how long will yée dwell in dissention I haue done my part I haue called you to peace I haue called you to loue I haue called you to vnitie doe you now your parts do you ensue after peace loue you each other continue yée in vnitie together I haue not the keyes of your hearts I am not able to loose and open those stonie hearts of yours God make you al one God mollifie you hearts God make you friends God graunt you to loue as brethren together Let vs lay aside this pride of our heart let vs not bee wise in our owne opinions let vs not requite euill with euill let vs as much as may bee haue peace with all men Alas it is no great thing that I require of you I require onely your loue I require your friendship one towards another I aske no more but that your hearts bee ioyned in mutuall loue and vnitie together Alas it is a thing that soone may bee granted of such as pray together of such as haue one heauenly Father of such as are partakers of Christs holy Sacraments of such as professe Christ and will bee called Christians O how can we pray our Heauenly father to forgiue vs if we will not forgiue our brother wherein hee trespasseth against vs. How can wee with cleere conscience come vnto the holy Communion and bee partakers of Christs most holy bodie and bloud if wee are not in charitie with our owne neighbour Let vs therefore lay aside all discord without hipocrisie let vs lay apart all malice without dissimulation let vs all ioyne together in brotherly loue let vs all be of like affection one towards another let vs not bee high minded but let vs make our selues equall to them of the lower sort So shall wee make our bodies a quick and liuely Sacrifice so shall wee make them holy and acceptable vnto God so shall we bee reconciled vnto God and God reconciled vnto vs and finally so shall we which are called Christians be knowne to be Gods seruants and such as professe the name of Christ if wee shal be found to haue this peace and brotherly loue which is the badge and cognisance of Christ And so shall God be ours and remaine with vs for euer Amen Act. 14. Act. 10. Iohn 6. Act. 2. 2. Cor. 4. Ioh. 7. 1. Cor. 3. Iohn 1. Exod. 16. 1. Cor. 2. Ioh. 1. Math. 16. Ioh. 7. Luk. 7. Ioh. 7. Luk. 7. Ioh. 15. 1. Cor. 15. Gen. 3. Ier. 23. Math. 24 2. Thess 2. Ezech. 3. 1. Cor. 11. Ioh. 7. Ioh. 7. â— Ioh. 1. Esa 8. Luk. 22. 1. Cor. 14. Num. 15. Deut. 11. Ioh. 5. Ioh. 21 Mat. 21. Mat. 5. Mat. 16. Acts 17 Eze. 18. Titus 2. Luke 1. 1. Ioh. 3. Iam. 1. Math. 3. 1. Ioh. 2. Ezech. 33. Iude 1. Rom. 1. Rom. 2. Titus 1. Esay 29. Psal 50. Esay 39. Exod. 20. 1. Reg. 5. 2. Reg. 6. Psal 118. Psal 99. Luk. 1. Luk. 2. Ier. 11. Esa 5. Pro. 29. Tob. 5. Ioh. 5. Ioh. 5. Rom. 1. Ier. 3. Eze. 33. Psal 145. Psal 44. Psal 85. Osc 13. Esa 1. Ephes 6. Psal 107. Ephe. 4. Luk. 1. Ephe. 5. 1. Thess 4. Rom. 6. Rom. 12. Rom. 12. 1. Cor. 3. 1. Thes â— 1. Thess 4. Math. 27. Psal 22. Luk. 19. Math. 9. Mat. 27. Gen. 4. Gen. 3. Luk. 15. Dan. 9. 2. Reg. 11. Psal 51. Luk. 16. Luk. 23. Ier. 8. Ier. 44. Ier â— Bel. Exod. 32. 2. Reg. 18. Esai 1. Esai 55. Esai 59. Ier. 2. Esay 1. Ier. 23. Malach. 1. Luke 11. Acts 22. Iohn 20. Acts 2. Act. 19. 1. Cor. 13. Ose 4. Ier. 5. 1. Cor. 10. Math. 14. Ier. 3. Eph. 4. Rom. 1. Psal 17. Rom. 6. Math. 12. Mar. 9. Psal 15. Philipp 3. Psal 1. Gen. 12. Deut. 11. Leuit. 26. Zach. 1. Mat. 5. Math. 18. Ioh. 14. Ier. 32. Deut. 32. Ier. 2. Deut. 8. 11. Gen. 2. Deut. 28. Leuit. 26. Leuit. 26. Psal 103. Exod. 7. Exod. 8. Gen. 19. Psal 104. Luk. 6. Math. 18. Math. 5. Math. 5. 1. Ioh. 4. Esa 1. Gen. 4. Psal 109. 1. Ioh. 4. Ioh. 14. Ioh. 13. Ioh. 17. Rom. 13. Eph. 4. Rom. 12. Psal 108. Act. 1. Luk. 23. Act. 4. Psal 133. Math. 24. 2. Timo. 3. Ose 4. Ier. 9. Psal 12. Ier. 9. Heb. 4. Hebr. 10. Rom. 12. Math. 11. Gen. 3. Gen. 22. Psal 131. Esa 7. Ioh. 5. Ioh. 5. Iohn 8. Esa 9. Esay 11. Esay 64. Luke 1. Luk. 2. Luke 2. Heb. 1. Luke 3. Colloss 1. Mar. 14. Luke 23. Iohn 13. Math. 27. Luke 8. Luke 4. Math. 13. Math. 16. Ioh. 6. 1. Cor. 10. Colloss 2. Apocal. 13 1. Pet. 1. 4. Reg. 21. 4. Reg. 23. Luke 19. Rom. 13. 1. Cor. 6. Iohn 12. Hebr. 13. 〈◊〉 Math. 24. 2. Thes 2. 3. Tim. 4. 2. Pet. 2. Dan. 9. Esay 5. Ioh. 10. Mat. 16. Math. 21. Ier. 31. Baruch 4 Luk. 17. 1. Ioh. 1. Gen. 6. 2. Timo. 4. 1. Thess â— Act. 20. 2. Cor. 11. Gal. 4. 1. Cor. 3. Rom. 1. Exod. 31. Rom. 9. Acts 8. Act. 10. Act. 9. Luk. 11. Exod. 32. 1. Reg. 28. Ioh. 6. Rom. 9. 〈◊〉 8. Math. 21. Malach. 1. Rom. 6. 1. Thess 5. 2. Cor. 6. 1. Pet. 2. Math. 15. â— Cor. 6. Acts 4. Ier. 7. Esay 65. Rom. 11. 33 Rom. 11. 36 Heb. 10. 19. Ephe. 5. 8. Deut. 10. Luk. 12. Rom. 9. Num. 16. 1. Cor. 1. Rom. 14. Luk. 6. Math. 5. Math. 11. Philip. 2. Psal 131. 1. Cor. 1. Psal 8. 1. Cor. â— Act. 4. Psal 138. Esa â—5 Tytus 3. Esa 3. 14. Luk. 1â— 1. Ioh. 4. Psal 127. Rom. 1. Psal 133. Psal 78. Iosua 1. 1. Pet. 2. Iosua 1. Psal 132. 2. Chro. 29. Ioh. 13.
though ye make many praiers yet heare I nothing at all saith God And wherefore Because your hands are full of blood It is written in Genesis that God would not looke vpon Cayn and his Offring that he would haue no regard to his Sacrifice and wherefore because his hart was full of malice Salomon saith Precatio iniusti abhominabilis est The praier of the wicked is abhominable the sinfull mans prayer is abhominable in the sight of God Dauid also Let their prayers be as a sinne let their prayer be turned into sinne saith he O miserable man thou art if thou be not in charitie wretched and too sinfull thou art if thou be not in loue and vnitie thy Prayer is abhominable yea thy prayer is no prayer thy prayer is sinne Thou prayest to be forgiuen but thou thy selfe wilt not forgiue this is ynough to condemne thée For our Religion is none other but a Brotherhood knit together in the loue of God our profession is none other than charitie and brotherlie loue towards all men in our Sauior and Redéemer Iesus Christ God is the God of loue Christ is the Prince of peace his Gospell is the Gospell peace and we that are Gods seruants ought to liue in godlie loue we that are Christs bretheren ought to liue in Brotherlie peace We are all baptized in one water whereby we should haue in remembrance that we should in loue liue as one together These and such other are or may be sufficient to bring vs in remembrance of Brotherlie loue of faithfull amitie and vnfained concord if we of our selues were not too forgetfull O how oft said Christ to his Disciples Pacem meam do vobis pacem meam relinquo vobis I giue you my peace my peace I leaue vnto you By this cognisance and none other shall men know you to be my Disciples saith Christ if ye loue together if ye haue loue one to an other He saith also A new commandment giue I you that you loue together as I haue loued you What a zealous fire what an earnest loue had Christ when he praied and said O Father cause that these be one as thou and I are one that like as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in vs. Because ye be few said Christ to his Disciples and in the middest of your enemies liue you in concord and peace one with an other one beare with another and all you hold together S. Paul saith That he which loueth his Brother hath fulfilled the whole law Let not the Sunne goe downe on thy wrath saith Paul And againe Reuenge not but giue place vnto displeasure wreke not your selues but giue roome to the wrath of God Dauid when he was in most extreame persecution his enemies laid daily wait for his life séeking his destruction euen then fell he to most earnest praier he sought not to be reuenged but he made his prayer vnto God and said O Lord they speake euill of me they reuile me they call me Traitor they call me all that naught is but I haue none other help but to pray vnto thée my only succour is to flie vnto thée Thus did that holie prophet Dauid and so did the Christians in the beginning of Christs Church For Tertullian an old and holie father saith Fratres se appellabant more voluerunt pro muicem They called them selues Bretheren saith he and one would not sticke to dye for an other O what a charitie what a loue what a Brotherly affection was this among Christians in the beginning of Gods Church Saint Steuen when he was stoned all his bones crusht and burst in péeces and his Soule readie to leaue his bodie euen then he prayed for his Tormentors euen then he cried out vnto God and said O Domine ne statuas illis peccatum hoc Lord lay not this sinne to their charge So that holie father Nazianzen when the hangman that most cruelly had tormented him desired pardon of him he méekely answered Qui mihi ignouit ignoscat tibi He that hath forgiuen me the same forgiue thee God hath pardoned mée and I béesech him that he will in like pardon thée Euen so likewise Christ when he hanged on the Crosse when his hands and féete were nailed to the trée and he in the middest of all his woe euen then he prayed for his persecutors then he desired his Father to pardon them and said O Pater ignosce illis nesciunt enim quid faciunt Father forgiue them for they wote not what they doe This is an example for vs to follow thus ought wée to do as in the beginning of Christs Church the Christians did who called themseues Bretheren and one would dye for an other Thus ought we to say as S. Steuen said Lord lay not this sinne to their charge thus should we do as that holie father Nazianzene did and say He that hath forgiuen me the same forgiue thée And lastly so ought we to pray for our enemies as Christ did for his persecutors and say Father forgiue it them they wote not what they doe Thus ought we to do if we mind to liue according to our profession and if we will be Christians as we are called Christians We read written by S. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles that in the beginning first spring of Gods Church the whole congregation had one thought one mind one hart Such a loue such a charitie such a Christian conformitie was among them And in commendation of Christian charitie brotherly loue one with an other the prophet Dauid said O quà m bonum quà m iocundum habitare fraires in vnum Behold how good ioyfull a thing it is Bretheren to dwell together in vnitie He estéemed loue to be so great a iewel he thought concord and vnitie a thing of so great price that he could not speake too much good of it And therfore he sayd It was like the oyntment that ran vnto Aarons beard and like the dew of Hermon which fell vpon the hill of Sion where the Lord promised his blessing and life for euermore But O mercifull God vnto what times hast thou reserued vs where is now the peace giuen the loue left by our Sauior Iesus Christ where is that charitie that should alwayes remaine among Christians Now is the time euen now good Bretheren are the dayes come which Christ himselfe prophesied should come saying The time shall be that iniquitie shall haue the vpperchand and the loue of many shall abate Christ said that such a time should come and euen now euen now that time and season is come vpon vs. So likewise Saint Paul the Apostle of Christ said In the last dayes there shall come perilous times Erunt homines seipsos amantes There shall bem en which shal loue them selues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers and such as shall be