see it whether they will or not and it shall come to passe which the prophet saith c Esa 26.11 They will not behold thy high hand O Lord but they shall see it and shal be confounded with the zeale of thy people and the fire of thine enemies shall denoure them againe when on the other side they that seeme in this life altogether to haue escaped the hand of God shall at once receiue a doome fully answerable to all their sinfull and wicked deeds And surely when God punisheth some in this life as he doth and doth not punish other who notwithstanding haue deserued it as well as they what doth he but teach vs to expect a further day when his wrath shal be further made manifest vpon them both Let it not therefore be grieuous or troublesome vnto vs to see them for the time flourish and prosper in their euill waies neither let vs yeeld our harts to be bewitched with the sight of their present glory so as to be content for the enioying of their deceitfull pleasures to follow them but as our eies do now behold their outward blisse so let our faith in the word of God behold their end and we shall see a portion assigned for them wherof we would not choose to be partakers with them for the gaining or obteining of the whole world The extent of Christs kingdome vnto the Gentiles 9 In the sixt verse the prophet first of all setteth foorth the large extent of the dominion and kingdome of Iesus Christ as who hath his throne erected and established not onely amongst the Iewes to raigne ouer the seede of Abraham but amongst the Gentiles also and heathen people who being before a Ephs. 2.12 aliens from the common wealth of Israell strangers from the couenants of promise without hope and without God in this world are by the preaching of the Gospell b Psal 47.9 ioyned vnto the people of the God of Abraham and graffed vpon their stocke to bee partakers with them of like adoption and grace vnto cuerlasting life Thus had God promised before c Psal 2.8 I will giue thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the vttermost parts of the earth for thy possession d Psal 72.8 His dominion shall be from the one sea to the other and from the floud vnto the worldes ende e Vers 11. All kinges shall worship him all nations shall doe him seruice Manie notable prophecies are there found to this purpose which it shall not be needfull to rehearse Which haue beene so notablie verified since the time of Christes ascention by the passage and preaching of the Gospell through the worlde the Gentiles thereby acknowledging the God of Abraham and accepting the blessing that was promised vnto them in his seede as that we may greatly marualle at the blindnes and obstinacie of the Iewes who by no meanes will belecue that these are the times of which the Prophets foretold or be perswaded that the Messias promised vnto their fathers is come when as notwithstanding they see that come to passe which according to their owne bookes could not be but in the daies and by the comming and kingdome of the true Messias But now that God hath had this compassion vpon our for lorne wretched estate and hath called vs to the felowship of this grace let vs as the Apostle willeth a Rom. 15.9 praise God for this mercie and endeuour with all our harts to b 1. Thess 2.12 walke worthie of him that thus hath called vs to his kingdome and glorie Yea and let the loue that we beare to the roote and stocke whereon we growe mooue vs to praie vnto the Lord for them who were the c Rom. 11.21 naturall braunches of that oliue tree whom God for the time hath out off that by that occasion he might showe mercie vnto vs that now yet at length he will returne vnto them and as hee tooke away the d Eph. 2.14 partition wall that kept vs from them when they as yet enioyed the ptinilege of his grace so hee will nowe take from their harts e 2. Cor. 3.15 the veile of vnbeleefe that keepeth them from vs that seeing the light of his Gospell and being gathered with vs by faith into the bosome of his church and all being made one sheepefold vnder one shepheard both they and wee may thenceforth looke for the comming of this shepheard Iesus Christ to giue vnto vs the end of our faith and hope and to performe vnto vs the good things which he hath promised f 1. Cor. 2.9 which neither eie hath seene nor eare hath heard nor haue entred into the heart of man which God hath prepafor them that loue him 10 Nowe when the father appointeth him the iudge amongst the Heathens Christ appointed the iudge and what is thereby attributed vnto him he thereby giueth him authoritie and power to prescribe lawes to determine controuersies and to punish them that will not be obedient vnto him For God hath put all his wordes into the mouth of this iudge and hath made him the g Luc. 7.16 great Prophet by whom he would fully and finally reueile vnto vs his will that all mens eies may looke onely vnto him Christ the onely lawgiuer to his Church and all mens eares may receiue lawes from his mouth and in all thinges belonging to the state and gouernment of his spirituall kingdome may depend vpon his voice without deuising new lawes themselues or accepting them of the deuise of other men They therefore that set vp other lawgiuers in the church what doe they but pull downe Iesus Christ and nullifie the worde whereby God the father hath set him vp to bee the soueraigne and onely iudge as the papists doe The papists setting vp other lawgiuers against Christ. who not contenting themselues with the worde of Iesus Christ haue imposed vpon the church the burden of their owne traditions and haue set vp the bishop of Rome to bee a perpetuall Dictatour vnto the church to establish lawes of his owne and by his Non obstante to take away the lawes of Christ A notable example whereof appeered in the Councell of Constance where mentioning the institution of Christ administring the sacrament vnder both kindes and saying Drinke yee all of this they yet decree that Hoc non obstante a Concil Constant sess 13. this notwithstanding the laie people shall not be partakers of the cup calling it a peruerse or preposterous vsage to minister vnto them in both kindes and a rash assertion to affirme that so it ought to be and condemning them for heretickes that will minister in that sort What was this but the very presumption of Antichrist setting vp himselfe aboue the sonne of God and taking vpon him to censure and controll the lawes of Iesus Christ But let vs leaue them to their owne pride and wilfull deuises acknowledge no other but
righteous God this iniquity shall neuer be purged from you till ye die Thus the prophet Amos mentioning their extreme cruelty towards the poore inferreth thereupon d Amos 8.7 The Lord hath sworne by the excellency of Iacob that he will neuer forget any of their workes These are fearefull speeches and being pronounced of others they are written to instruct and admonish vs that we doe not by obstinate and wilfull rebellion prouoke the Lord and vrge him from day to day by our proud and insolent contempt and despising of his words least whilest we abuse his patience to far we cause him to sweare our destruction and to set his oath as an euerlasting bar betwixt him and vs. He will haue vs to vnderstand that it is not in vaine that he threatneth the sinfull man and if his word be not enough he sheweth vs that he voweth and sweareth the confusion of them that will not be reclaimed Let vs therefore be wise in time and learne hereby to feare the Lord that we bring not this remeadilesse and dreadfull iudgment vpon our owne heads The â—ath of God for the saluation of the saithfull 6 Now God as he hath sworne the destruction of the wicked so hath he also sworne the saluatioÌ„ of them that beleeue and obey him The foundation of which saluation he here laieth with an oath confirming thereby the priesthood of Iesus Christ not so much to assure the same vnto Christ himselfe as to settle in vs an assurance of comfort to be receiued thereby For God seeing our weakenesse to be such that we haue need of all maner of props and staies to hold vs vp would haue his purpose of grace and life by Christ to be testified vnto vs not onely by his word and promise but also by his oath that whatsoeuer impediments might seeme to hinder that which we haue beleeued through Christ yet nothing should shake vs from faith and hope because we haue to doe with him who being able to doe whatsoeuer he will will not be found a liar in his word much lesse forsworne and periured in his oath a Heb. 6.17 God saith the author of the epistle to the Hebrewes willing the more abundantly to shew vnto the heires of promise the stablenesse of his counsell bound himselfe by an oath that by two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should he that is his promise and his oath we might haue strong consolation which haue our refuge to hold fast the hope that is set before vs c. The reason then why God sweareth vnto vs is that we should receiue strength of comfort thereby resting assured that our b Rom. 5.5 hope shall neuer shame vs and that there is no more possibility that it should deceiue vs then it is possible for God to forsweare himselfe What comfort and assarance we are to conceine of the oath of God as touching our saâ—uation 7 This is his kindenesse towards those that are his this is his fatherly care to comfort and vpholde vs in the assured hope and expectation of his mercies Which mercy of God in thus condescending to our weakenesse and frailtie we are to apply to the stablishing of our faith and to the arming of our consciences against al temptation of distrustful and perplexed feare He hath bound himselfe vnto vs by his couenant and promise by writing and seale and as if all this were not enough he hath added his oath also By all these meanes he hath confirmed vnto vs his blessing the forgiuenesse of our sinnes the assistance of his grace the protection of his hande the continuance of his loue and the blessed hope of euerlasting life What is it therefore that shoulde quaile our faith or discomfort the hope that God hath giuen vnto vs Sinne is offensiue and displeasing vnto God the diuell is mightie and strong hell pleadeth a right whereby it chalengeth vs to it selfe our consciences by any merite of our owne cannot pleade the contrarie but neither the offence of sinne nor the power of Satan nor the pleading of hels title nor the subscribing of our owne consciences to the confession of our owne guilt can so much preuaile as to bring God to the denying of himselfe to the violating of his oath whereby he hath bound himselfe to forgiue their sinnes and to saue them from hell and from the diuell that doe beleeue in him a Hierony epiâ— ad Rusticum If wee beleeue not God vpon his promise saith Saint Hierome yet let vs at least beleeue him when he sweareth for our saluation The oath of God is a sure foundation builde thy selfe vpon it and thou shalt neuer be remooued Thus God comforteth the repentant man b Ezech. 33.11 As I liue saith the Lorde I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked should iurne from his way and liue If God then haue touched thy hart with true repentance why doubtest thou of thy selfe seeing God hath not onely saide but sworne that thy life is the thing that hee desireth and delighteth in Thus hee comforteth the faithfull afflicted soule c Isa 54.9.10 As I haue sworne that the waters of Noah shall no more goe ouer the earth so haue I sworne that I will not be angrie with thee nor rebuke thee For the mountaines shall remooue and the billes shall fall downe but my mercie shall not depart from thee neither shall the conenant of my peace fall awaie saith the Lord that hath compassion on thee This is the comfort that God yeeldeth not onely to his church in generall but in particular also to euery member thereof that the couenant of his peace shall stande inâ—â—â—…e with them that his mercie shall neuer faile them that bee will neuer cease to d Icrein 31.3 loue them as another prophet saith With an euerlasting loue 8 The papists ouerthrow the comfort that God offâ—râ—th vnto vs by his oath Another maner of comfort then we can receiue by the doctrine of the papists who make the promise of God his oath altogither idle and of none effect teaching vs no other faith or hope to be conceiued thereof but such as leaueth vs hanging betwixt heauen hel more perplexed with feare the diuell then reioycing in the perswasion of the loue of of God A man with them may not be fully perswaded in his hart that he hath receiued the grace of God or founde fauour in his sight It is too much presumption for a man to thinke that he is beloued of God or hath obtained the forgiuenesse of his sinnes Which what is it else but to set a man vpon a racke and to waue him and tosse him to and fro anguished and vexed betwixt doubtfull hope and tormenting feare How farre is this from that resolution and ioy of faith whereunto the holy Ghost instructeth vs which mounting vp aboue the skies and laying it selfe in the lappe of Iesus Christ contemneth the world
we harbour with in our selues b August cont Iâ—l Pelag. lib. 2. exercitum quendam cupiditatum as Saint Austen saieth An army of sinfull affections within vs still occasioning vs to fight a very army of vicious and sinfull affections which yeeld vs continuall matter and occasion of fighting from our beginning to our end against the wantonnesse and wilfulnesse of youth against the crookednesse of olde age in prosperitie against presumption and carnall securitie in aduersitie against impatiencie and despaire in high estate against disdaine in low estate against enuie in aboundance against excesse in want against vnlawfull shifts in the folowing of vertue against vaine glory in the hatred of vice against curiositie and rashnes in iudging censuring other men in religion against schisme heresie infidelitie in ciuill conuersation against wrathfulnesse vnfaithfulnesse vnmercifulnesse selfeloue and all iniustice against euill workes in the profession of true faith against misbeleefe in the practise of good works Temptations of sinne still succeeding one another Yea and as they say of the heads of Hydra the Serpent that one being cut off there grew vp moe for it and as the waues of the sea one still folow in the necke of another euen so it is with the temptations of sinne the ending of one is the beginning of another and one victorie is the drawing on of another fight a Cypr. de mortall If couetousnesse be ouerthrowen saith Saint Cyprian then ariseth wanton lust if lust be repressed then ambition comes in place if ambition be reiected then anger prouoketh pride swelleth enuie fretteth c. So â—…e is it which the same Father elsewhere saith b Idem de duplicimartyrio Although there be not alwaies Neroes Diocletians and Maximines raging against the Church yet neuer doth the deuill cease to busie and trouble them that haue professed the warfare of Christ. And Saint Hierome c Hierony epis ad Heliodorum Erras si vnquam putas Christianum persecutionem non pati tunc maximè oppugnaris quum te oppugnarinescis Thou art deceiued if thou thinke a Christian man at any time free from suffering persecution and then is a man most of all oppugned when he doth not know himselfe to be oppugned 7 Now being thus beset with enemies on euery side nay carying within our selues enmitie against our selues we see a necessitie of fighting we see a reason why we are called the armie of the Lord. Let vs therefore be as we are called let vs euery man take sword in hand and d Iudg. 5.23 goe foorth to helpe the Lord against the mightie against e Reuel 12.9.17 the Dragon and the Angels thus making warre against the womans seede If in the middest of so many so dangerous so deadly enemies we sit still and sleepe and refuse to fight what doe wee but betraie our selues and the quarrell and cause of him that hath chosen vs to be his souldiours No seruant of Christ that is not his souldiour And surely if we doe not fight wee are none of his if thou be no souldiour thou art no seruant of Iesus Christ because to be his seruant is to be a souldiour And therefore thou be not skilled in this spiritual battel if thou be not daily if exercised a Iam. 4.7 to resist the diuell and to b Heb. 12.4 fight against sinne if there be not in thee a daily controuling of thine owne waies a checking of thine owne hart a resisting of thine owne desires a subduing of thine owne affections that thou maiest c 2. Cor. 10.5 bring euerie thought to the obedience of Christ if all bee at peace within thee and thou findest no diuision no contradiction betwixt the flesh and the spirite betwixt the old and the new man betwixt that which thou art of thy selfe and that which thou art of God what doest thou in the Lordes tents to what end doest thou professe the seruice of Christ Go out of the campe if thou wilt not fight and keepe not a standing there idlely and in vaine Many say they are Christs who yet are not so because they fight not for him 8 Let vs consider this in our harts for many there are that say they are Christs and take his name in their mouthes who yet neuer drew sword nor gaue stroke in Christs behalfe who defie the diuell with their mouthes but wrestle not against his workes who haue renounced the worlde and yet liue in league with the worlde and continue deepely entangled in the corruptions thereof whose lust is their law and they make their owne carnall desire the rule and measure of all their doings These men deceiue themselues They would faine liue with Christ in heauen but yet they would d 2. Cor. 5.15 liue to themselues here vpon the earth they would be blessed in the world to come but yet would not be crossed in the pleasures of this world But this cannot be He that hath called vs vnto eternall life hath told vs that we must e Luc. 13.24 striue to enter in at the straight gate that leadeth vnto it He that hath set before vs f 1. Cor. 9.25.26 an incorruptible crowne hath withall warned vs that we must g 2. Tim 2.5 fight for it And as Saint Ambrose saith h Ambros in psa 118. ser 18. Non decet redimitos floribus corona sed puluerulentos c. The crowne is not for carpet knights that loue to be beset and garlanded with posies and floures but for them that are beraied with wrastling and tumbling in the dust and victorie is not the honour of nicelings and wantons but of them that haue sweate and laboured for it If therefore we desire the reward of victorie and the crowne that is promised to them onely that ouercome let vs as I haue saide addresse our selues vnto the fight and applie both our harts and our hands to the pulling downe of the kingdome of Satan and to the maintenance and aduancement of the kingdome of Iesus Christ We are to fight for Christ by doing the duties of our seuerall callings 9 Now because as in earthly armies there are men of diuers sorts and places generals captaines lieutenants sergeants coronels common souldiours c. So in the warfare of Christ there are likewise diuers callings and conditions of men we are euery one to consider the standing and place whereunto we are assigned of the Lord and faithfully to imploy our selues therein for his aduantage that we may still be getting ground of the enemy against whom we fight Princes and Magistrates by well managing the sword of ciuill authoritie by establishing and executing good lawes for Christs behoofe and for the setting foorth of the glory of God Ministers by vsing carefully and wisely the sword of the spirit the word of God for the cutting downe of sinne and vnrighteousnesse and to breede in mens hearts the feare of God and the loue of his
commandements Parents and maisters by well gouerning themselues and their households restraining their children and seruants from all loosenesse and lewd behauiour and training them vp with all care to vertuous and godly life In a word let euery man esteeme with himselfe what the duety of his calling requireth of him and therein bestow himselfe faithfully for the Lord. Let vs all be euermore practising and enuring our selues to fight in the Lordes behalfe against the diuell by faith against the world by patience and temperance against the lusts of the flesh by daily meditation and exercise of repentance against them all by praier and by the word of God An incouragement to fight in that Christ is our captaine vnder whom we fight 10 And to this fight we are encouraged the more because we are his army because we haue such a captaine vnder whom we fight One that is of most puissant and victorious power and might and hath all things subiect to his will that sendeth vs not foorth to battell alone but goeth himselfe with vs who hauing borne the brunt and heate of the battell himselfe hath made the fight more tolerable and easie for vs who himselfe giueth vs armes and strength to fight and commaundeth his a Luc. 2.13 multitude of heauenly souldiours his blessed angels to fight for vs. So that we may boldly comfort our selues and say b 1. Ioh. 4.4 Greater is he that is in vs then he that is in the worlde and c 2. King 6.16 they that are with vs are moe then they that are against vs yea they that are against vs are ouerruled by his mightie hande to bee for vs euen in those thinges that they entend against vs. And to be short though we be weake yet hee is strong and will suffer none d Ioh. 10.28 to plucke vs out of his hand but the end shall be with reioycing and triumph to sing aloude e 1. Cor. 15.57 Thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs the victorie through Iesus Christ our Lord. The souldiours of Christ voluntarie men willingly offering themselues to the Lords seruice 11 It foloweth to declare what affectiō the people of Christ do beare in the vndertaking of this warfare In earthly kingdomes men are oftentimes holden in subiection against their will They doe dutie to their princes for feare rather then of any deuotion or good affection towards them In their harts they murmure and repine and thinke it a heauie burden to doe them seruice And therefore if they finde opportunity they withdraw themselues from the yoke vnder which they are holden So likewise to earthly battels men vsually go by constraint and against their owne minde They seeke by what meanes they can to be freed from such seruice to rest in quietnesse at home But the seruants and souldiours of the spirituall kingdome of Christ are noted to be of another disposition They shall be saith he a people of great deuotion or willingnesse If we will translate it precisely according to the Hebrew wordes we must say a people of deuotions because the worde is vsed in the plurall number But to expresse the force thereof I rather choose to reade a people of great deuotion For nothing else doth the prophet import heereby but a singular freenesse and willingnesse of hart wherewith the people of Christ shall dedicate and giue themselues vnto him to be bestowed and vsed at his will And to this purpose the worde is vsed in other places of holy Scripture As namely in the law of Moses by this worde are noted the f Leuit. 22.18 23.38 free offrings which men without any certaine imposition of law offered voluntarilie and of their owne accord By the originall of this worde Moses spake vnto the people for the buying of stuffe for the making of the tabernacle and furniture thereof and of the garments of the high Priest g 2 Exod. 35.5 If there bee any man whose hart maketh him willing thereunto let him bring his offring to the Lord c. And by the same verbe though in another coniugation Deborah speaketh of them who of their owne free accord went foorth to battell against Sisera and his companie a Judg. 5.2.9 Praise yee the Lorde for the auenging of Israell for the people that offered themselues willingly My hart is set on them that were willing among the people Euen such are the people of Christ here saide to bee to the battell that we haue spoken of to wit voluntarie men freely and willingly offering and deuoting themselues to doe him seruice and to fight for him The scepter of Christ worketh in the inner man 12 Thus the scepter of Christ goeth beyond the scepters of worldly princes which can preuaile no further but onely with the outward man whereas the scepter of Christ worketh in the hart and in the inner man renewing the minde and framing the will to the following of Christ and to the obedience of his will b Prosp de vocat gent. lib. 2. cap 9. Virtus nolentium nulla est saith Prosper Men are not accounted vertuous for those things they do against their wills It is the will that commendeth the good actions of men Willingnes commendeth good actions furthereth them vnwillingnes hindereth and disgraceth them and then are we approoued with God when with cheerefulnesse of hart we giue ourselues vnto him And hereby it is that we doe effectually and to the purpose those things that we doe There is nothing so easie of it selfe but it is hard to him that goeth about it with an vnwilling mind Want of will maketh men euermore to be putting off cases and casting off doubts and making of delaies and complaining of paines and alleaging of expense and whither he will not he cannot a while still a beare is in the way c Prou. 26.13 a lion is in the streete But where the heart is affected and the will deepely and throughly possessed with a thing it is the cleering of all cases and the controwling of all doubts and a spurre against delaies paines seemeth pleasure and expense seemeth gaine and those things that are lions and beares to other men are but ghosts and shadowes to deuotion and good will And as Saint Ambrose saith d Ambros in epist ad Rom. cap. 11. Hoc sequitur vnumquemque quod conatur ex corde that groweth vpon a man and goeth well forward which he endeuoreth from the hart whereas coldnesse and carelesnesse in the worker causeth alwaies crookednesse and vntowardlinesse in the worke 13 Now therefore the people of Christ that vprightly and without halting they may serue him are discribed to be a people of zealous and willing minde Deuotion and Zeale the token of our true affection vnto Christ. of such resolution towards him as that neither regard of profit nor feare of perill nor difficulty of proceeding doe hold them back from going forward whither he calleth and