teache hymselfe that he is to the hartes of men When he was at Iacobs Well with the woman of Samaria Ioh. 4.10 he tooke occasion by the Metaphor of water to teache her the lycour of lyfe By the desyre the Iewes had to earthy bread therfore followed him Ioh. 6.15 Luc. 5.3 he began to teach himself to be the bread of lyfe And teaching in the shyp by that myracle of Fishes he taught the Apostles the waye to catch men The same thing he vseth in these wordes I am the lyght c. For teaching in the morning in the Temple the Sunne nowe shyning moste brightly bewtifying the place to the great delight of the beholders he calleth them from the terrestriall to the sonne of righteousnesse affirming in him to finde the true properties of the glorious sonne in déede First as the Sunne is a most pure Planet most bryght and cléere defyled with nothing wheresoeuer it shyneth but maketh the darke and fylthy places more open to the eyes of men So Iesus Christ the brightnesse of his fathers glory Col. 1.15 is of nature most pure and holye and albeit he hath taken oure nature vpon him lyued amongst vs did accompany wyth synners to their good and abhorred not to eate with Publicans yet was he nothing defyled therby but by him these fylthy persons made wholy to know themselues through him were illuminated and fully sanctifyed The Sunne that is to say the light doth so shyne that himselfe may be séene of vs and doth make all other lyuing creatures to sée by him So Iesus Christ our light doth so manifestly in his nature appeare that the insensible heauens and earth do know him he doth so powre by his spirite the beames of his brightnesse into the hartes of hys beloued that they by his spirite and resplendishing Scriptures both perfitly as fleshe may know God the Father and his Christ and all things else which be eyther necessary or expedient to their saluation in him besydes whom there is none other Act. 4.12 Psal 36.9 Thys compelled Dauid to say With thee O Lord is the Well of lyfe and in thy lyght shal we see lyght Through christs light we see God to be our father hym the lord to be our Sauior And as the lyght discouereth darkenesse and refresheth the toyled bodyes in former obscuritie Euen so Christ remouing the former ignorance of God in vs banyshing the terror of cōscience doth most magnificently recreate our sences and refreshe our spirites renouate our conscience quyet oure soule and replenishe vs with ioye And lyke as the lyghte doth not onely in darknesse of night guyde our footesteps but helpeth vs aright to our whole businesse So Christe that eternall worde of God is the Lanterne to our feete and the light to our labours Psal 119. in that the doctrine and preceptes thence shyning to vs doe direct our darke soules into the paths of righteousnesse and that for his owne names sake And as light banyshing darknesse openeth to mans eye many things which in mircke midnight were not onely shadowed The commodities of light but also sheltered and so vnknowne that many adulters théeues murtherers and wicked persons by her were couered Iohn 3.19 and nowe by light disclosed for which cause naturally they loue darknesse hate the lyght So Christ hauing by his worde of most cléerenesse and heauenly power banyshed from Realmes Familyes and persons the darknes of ignorance maketh knowne to them their syns and reproueth their errors accuseth the corruptiō of mans nature and playnely maketh vs sée that all those things which without him we most imbraced are most fylthye and horrible And this is the cause why all such as wallow in wicked lyfe and false Religion doe hate Christ in hys Gospell to this present daye Ioh. 3.19 but to their vtter ruine and selfe condemnation Lastly as one shyning Sunne serueth the vniuersall worlde and is the onely Fountayne of light to all lightes in the same So the bright sonne of God our righteousnesse Christ is the onely author of spirituall light whome the Father of lights hath onely giuen to the whole worlde And he doth lighten euerye man that commeth into the worlde Ioh. 1.9 neyther will he admit any copemate to be ioyned with him What church is not guyded by our lyght Christ onely is eclypsed and bloudy to Christ and his members but kéepeth the whole Regimente in and to himselfe For as the Moone the figure of Gods Church receyueth at the handes of the Sunne her lighte and is so much darkned as she wanteth of his brightnesse So the Churche of God not kept with the countenance of Christs shyning face and Gospell is wrapped in the wayne of darknesse but lightned by his truth she is most gloryous and her naturall spottes shall not deface her yet both Moone and Church remayne to be light by hym else as opposite to him they are eyther darke or bloody or one or bothe Let no man obiect to me Lightened by Christe her spots do not hurt her that the Apostles are called also lightes of the worlde for that hath the true light imported in mercye to them by borrowed spéeche as we may call the Lanterne a light Eph. 5.25.26.27 bicause the light shyneth by and through it vnto the whole housholde And so are the Apostles called lights not bicause they are the light Christ How the Apostles and preachers of the worde are called lighte but bicause they bring vnto vs the true light that dwelleth in them which doth also by them and their labours preaching and wryting shine into the vtmost partes of the earth to the great comforte of all those that loue the same To conclude great is the mercye of our good God séeing the darknesse of the world so greate that no otherwise it could be discouered remoued gaue vnto vs this his owne son whome he hath made to vs the onely light of God to Iew and Gentyle that we should not for wante of safe conduction perishe in our wandring passage Now the vse of thys light and wherto he is giuen vs of God Symeon doth tell vs and sayth it is that he should be reuealed vnto the Gentyls and to be the glory of the people Israel Two things also the good father telleth vs in these words Fyrst that the ages from tyme to tyme should knowe that this one Christ is to all them and people in them the one and onely saluation light guyde and delyuerer Christ is to all ages the the one and onely lyght to lyfe sygnified by the two Nations by him named Iewe Gentyle The lyke doth Esay before naming the Gentyls and addeth and health to the vtmost partes of the world So Christ himselfe concludeth saying as before is saide I am the lighte of the worlde that is to saye of euerye place in the worlde of all sortes of men women and chyldren
this Razias be thou iudge indifferent Reader thy selfe conferring them together Neyther can the excuse by Augustine and others made that something was lawfull for them which is not for vs wype this bloody body when as the same commandement was then which now is Thou shalt not kyll As for languyshing Lucrece I leaue her to her Torquine whose adultresse she seemeth and to her selfe a murtheresse But to vs godly and chaste Susanna is a contrarye and christian example But Curtius for the loue of his country cast himselfe into the gaping gulfe by whose death the earth reclosed yea but this was Satans arte to whome this Noble and valyaunt Champion was to seruiceable We are to fight for our Country to spend our lyues for our Prince but in the warres to doe our best against the aduersaries and not to cast oure selues desperatly to death by Satans delusion But some will say Did not Christ séeing that no waye else mankinde could be saued most wyllingly gyue himselfe to death for man And so did Curtius Yea but as Christ sayde I lay downe my lyfe for the people and take it to me agayne So did he it in most noble order First he obeyed his fathers ordinance herein A bodye hast thou ordeyned me Loe I am here to doe thy will O God Secondly Heb. 10.5 he nayled not himselfe on the crosse nor thrust hymselfe to the hart or crowned himselfe with thorne but quyetly tooke this crueltie at the Magistrates hande which dyd manger their hartes performe that which the deuyne counsell had determined Act. 2.23 Let Curtius shewe this order or lyke warrante to his case in truth and you shall haue answere Sampson freed from selfe murther As for Sampson which pulled the house vppon hys owne person and all that were therein This appeareth to haue warrante from God as well in that his strength being taken from hym was at this moment of tyme restored to him as also God did by this iudgement execute his wrath on them Iud. 16.30 Psal 1.1 Heb. 11.32 which were obstinately set in the chayre of Scorners And to conclude his actes are warranted to procéede of fayth in the cononicall Epistle to the Hebrewes Furthermore Sampson is not to be taken as a priuate person but he was in déede the Lords Magistrate which office he best executed in the office of his death wherin the Lorde by his hand did reuenge the blasphemy of the Philistines and their Idolatry And did also perfite that curse which by the Prophet Dauid is giuen to those Psal 109. which do afflict them whom the Lord doth scurge This horrible sinne is crauing vengeance vntitl it be powred out euen to the dredges of the Lords angry cup. Amos. 1.11 Wherefore Amos doth threat Edom for that Israell being exiles they vsed them most cruelly which God sayeth by the Prophete he wyll not leaue vnpunished So did the Philistines to Sampson whome God had delyuered into their handes for hys sinne and whoredome They put oute his eyes and caste hym in pryson and proclayming a Popishe feast daye to their Mungril God that Idol Dagon which was in forme aboue the Nauell lyke to a man but from the belly lyke to a Fishe they gathered themselues into his Temple to prayse him for their victory of their enimy Sampson The house was full of men and women and there were all the Princes of the Philistines and vpon the house top were 3000 men which looked down into the house to sée Sampson play whome these wicked Philistines made their iesting Foole. But as Dauid hath sayde Let his dayes bee fewe and another take his office Psal 109. for he remembred not to shewe mercy but persecuted the poore helplesse man the begger and the broken harted that he might slay him So came it to passe Their dayes were fewe for euen the hower of their most tryumph was the moment of their vtter destruction Sampson prayeth to the Lord O Lorde Iehoua remember me In which wordes he confesseth Gods power his owne sinnes calleth for mercy as by the same words did the théefe vpon the crosse Luc. 22.42 He expresseth his faith as well in that he maketh prayer to God for without faith it is impossible in hart to call vpon God as in the presently after he assayeth to doe that which he had prayed for And with the théefe he was receyued to mercye and his prayer heard For his desyre was graunted him he pulled downe the house so in his death he slue mo persons then he did during the dayes of his naturall lyfe Sampson cannot be charged sayth that godlye and learned Martyr Peter Martyr Iudi. ca. 6. For he sought not his owne death but by the spirite of God he roycally bente he desyred and executed herein the iudgement of the Lorde against his enemies which by this waye he knew should come to passe The Apostles acts and Sampsons he tyeth together putting on their persons saying If we teach as we haue begunne the Gospell of Christ without doubt we shall be slayne Well they contynued tho their preaching they were slayne and yet are not the causes of their owne death So sayth Martyr Sampson did not rashly cast himselfe to death but faythfully followed his vocation lyke as the hartie Souldiour albeit the Coward say vnto him beware go not there are arrowes Speares Gunnes and shot innumerable wherewith yée shall perishe They answere what if We go not to séeke death we go to defend our Countrie and goods and to bée reuenged of our enimies to followe our calling Euen so sayth he did Sampson and was thereto ledde by the spirite of God Ambrose sayth that Sampson herein was the Image of Christ who as he lyued he much vexed wounded the Deuill so by his death he tryumphed against him The Philistines he compareth with the Iewes Sampson with Christ as a figure of him The Philistines in the victory against Sampson receyued their vtter ruine and decay And the Iewes crucifying Christ cast themselues into eternall damnation The ende sayth Peter Martyr in nature was both one but in condition sundry twixte the Philistines and Sampson In nature they both dyed but in condition the Philistines in surfetting cruelty and Idolatry are destroyed And Sampson endeth his naturall lyfe in repentance in fayth and in prayer to God Sampson had fallen in déede sayth he but he is turned vnto God he calleth vpon him was heard As for these his wordes Let me loose my lyfe with the Philistines he spake them not of despaire but he hereby humbled himselfe before God for that he had so greatly neglected his function and calling beséeching God hereby to be aduenged of the Philistines who had put out the eyes of Gods magistrate not bicause they would this way punish his trespasse but this they did in despite of Israell and that he should no more be able to doe them violence And iustly sayth mayster Bucer
from the bottome of his harte at that tyme will I put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance sayth the Lord. Repent sayth Christ and beleeue the Gospell Mar. 1.15 Rom. 1.16 The gospel sayth Paule is the power of God to delyuer from sinne Satan and Hell and to bring to saluation euery one that rightly beleeueth 1. Tim. 2.4 Finally this is the will of God that all men shoulde be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth Beholde a most ample delyuerance offered in Gods mercy to all but onely his people haue the fruition thereof and that bicause they come to the knowledge of his truth in their soules taught of God by which they are delyuered from error and synne Gods malediction burning Hell Ab omni peccato sayth saint Iohn from euery synne as well actuall as originall 1. Ioh. 1.7 and that by the bloud of Christ for these be his wordes Christes bloud doth styll daylye wash flowing from the Fountayne of his death away al our synnes The bloude of Iesus Christ doth washe where note he doth not say hath washed but the force thereof doth washe no more offered but beleeued from euery synne Confounded or conuerted at Gods good pleasure be all they that in Popery or else derogate from the sacrifice of Christ this true validitie this mightie and most perfite operation and doe giue to their abhominable Masse and selfe merittes the greater glorye Acurssed are all they that rest vppon the Masse for reconcyliation leauing Christ skante the reast Namely that they hereby delyuer men from actuall synnes and Christes death onely from Originall trespasse O horrible blasphemy what Deuil bewitcheth men to this madnesse But good Reader remember as we haue saide thy deliuerer muste himselfe be thy Lutrosis price of redemption Paule thy Doctor in truth telleth thée that Christ Iesus is onely he 1. Cor. 1.30 saying to the Corinthians Christ is made to vs of God wisedome righteousnesse and sanctifycation Math. 20.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the pryce of thy redemption And our Sauyour sayth of hymselfe thus The sonne of man is not come to be ministred vnto but to minister and to giue not to sell as Popishe priests do their sacrilegious Masses his lyfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the ransome of many The worde Lutron saye Beza and Erasmus in their great Annotations sygnifyeth the price of Redemption that is that thing which is giuen to redéeme those that be in captiuitie which in Englishe we call a Raunsome Christ sayth he is come to gyue himselfe to his Fathers iustice for this Raunsome But he hath giuen that which he came to giue therfore by his gift to his Father we that beléeue in him are raunsomed and for euer saued For he hath payde as much as coulde or can be for vs asked Thus then thou séest good brother that we are raunsomed by Christ from all our iniquitie and from euerye sinne and as the Apostle sayth Heb. 10.14 all which are sanctified by the fayth in his bloud are made perfyte for euer They which be perfitely whole by Christ his death our medicine néede not the Popishe Phisition Mat. 9.12 But we by Christs death our medicine are perfitly whole No neede of the Masse for it is Popishe phisick and trashe Therfore no néede to vs of the Popishe Phisition For there is full forgiuenesse of our synnes in the sacrifice of Christ to al ages that beleeue in him Therfore there is no more offering for sinne Lastly we are to remember whose sinnes the Lorde Christ thus pardoneth and to whome is this Sauiour vz his people Math. 1.21 as the Angell sayth Hee shall saue his people from their synnes Now who they are which be Gods people I haue sufficiently said in my Booke of Benedictus and here they may be placed into these branches Generally and specially Generally all the people tongues and Nations of the whole earth are the Lordes as Dauid sayeth The earth is the Lords and all that therein is Psal 24.1 the rounde worlde and they that dwell in it The speciall people of God are they which be consecrate to him in holynesse which be of him predestinate to lyfe chosen in and for Christ to saluation sanctified by the holye Ghost redéemed by their Sauiour Christ iustifyed by his grace and death peaceably preserued by his ayde in earth and glorified by his truth in the heauens These are they of whome the Apostle sayth The Lorde hath this sure seale 2. Tim. 2.19 he knoweth who be his And onely these in him their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are saued from their syns the rest haue condemnation abyding them that of themselues For he being the sauyour of the whole worlde as Christ himselfe affirmeth Iohn 8. Ioh. 6.44 I am the worlds Sauiour The same generall sorte from whome these speciall by the Father of heauen to his Christ are drawne refuse their sauing health in him They say with the prowde Iewes we will not haue thys man to raigne ouer vs. Come let vs kill hym and proue whether he be the sonne of God This is the fruite of ignorant blindnesse from which Christ came to delyuer man but bicause the Worlde loued darknesse more then light Iohn 3.19 and refused the light when it was sente them Therfore thys is their condemnation sayth our Sauyour Christ Texte Which thou haste prepared before the face of all people To be a lyghte to lighten the Gentils and to bee the glory of thy people Israel In the verses before sayd the man of God Symeon hath opened one most comfortable true tytle of Iesus Christ affyrming him to be our sauyour And now he prosecuteth his purpose to shewe the same Sauiour to belong to all Nations and people without exception And also that their fayth maye be the more confyrmed in hym He sayth that this Christ our Lorde is prepared of God our father to be our Sauiour our lyght and glory which thou hast prepared before the face of all people sayth he to be a lyght to lyghten c. At the fyrst entring into these verses we must consider that Symeon in them giueth to Christ two most notable Epithits names and tytles He calleth hym the lyghte of the Gentyls and the glory of the people Israel The world he also deuideth into two people Iewes and Gentyls and vnto all and euery of them he preacheth this one Christ to be prepared of God the Father for their sauing health direction and glory But fyrst let vs note the marke that Symeon shooteth at euen that which the whole scriptures of God doe Namely to pretermitte all others and onely to preache vnto vs from God the father alone his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ to be our Sauiour our lyghte guyde Shepheard Byshop Prophete Priest Prince and Lorde which alwayes is the worke of the Father to drawe to his sonne Christ
saying Ioh. 6.44 Mat. 3.17 Mat. 17.5 This is my beloued sonne in whom not in any other matter or man I rest wel pleased heare him The holy ghost in lyke maner beareth wytnesse of Christ preacheth him and teacheth no other doctrine 1. Cor. 3.11 1. Pet. 2.6 Eph. 2.20 then fyrst he gaue to the Church The Apostles lay him the onely foundation and corner stone of Gods house denying all other to haue such place in the conscience of man Peter calleth the Pope and all other onely to Christ Peter the Apostle vpon whose person that Antichrist of Rome falsely fathereth all his vsurped authoritie calleth al men lyuing stones vnto this stone Christ and calleth hym the stone onely precious That sinister doctrine which is layde vppon this buylding shall vanishe awaye but all opposite to the same Gal. 1.8 is thereby moste flatly accursed with the bringer and begynner therof be they men or Angels Hereby then is Popery proued guyltie of highe Treason against the truth of God which flat against the course of Gods booke and holy church setteth into the consciences of men themselues and their inuentions for Gods their Saintes of all sortes for lyghtes and guydes helpers and Sauyours to the glory of their Pope and ignominy of the Lorde of the house Iesus Christ It is not Mary Gods mother his Apostles Angels or men but onely and alone Iesus Christ that Symeon sayth GOD the Father hath prepared and erected as it were vpon an high place that all men might see and perceyue him to be to them al their only Sauyour lyght and glory Secondly our Saluation is by Symeon deuinely here alone giuen to Gods prouision not mans deuise saying He hath prepared and therein his great and inestimable mercy is made manifest who whyle euery man falleth in lust from God to damnation in security without remorse God our good Father yet prouydeth for them all his one and alone sauing health an other himselfe euen his onely begotten sonne Christ our Lorde To this ende is the Parable of the Kings banquet Mat. 22.4 where the Fatlings are kylled and al things made ready before the guestes be called so that their is no other thing for them to do but onely to obey the voyce of the Caller Our Redemption is in Christ the preparation in God the Father our grace to imbrace and receiue it in the holye ghost This was the fayth of the Patriarkes and fyrst fathers Thus Dauid confessed saying Thou doest prepare a Table before me in the syght of myne aduersaryes Psal 23.5 This was the doctrine of Christes Spirite in Zacharius lyps that the mercye of God gaue and prepared vs this lyght of the Gentyls Luc. 1.78 the day starre from an high and not for our procéeding works which all were malicious as Paule sayth to the Romans or for our succéeding merits Rom. 5.8 which are menstruous and fylthy in gods eyes but of hys owne synguler loue Esa 64.6 Rom. 8. Ioh. 3.16 gaue he vs his prepared Christ for our Saluation as this our heauenly lyght and glory sayth So dearely God loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne thereto that as many as beleue in him should not perishe but haue lyfe euerlasting Thirdly he hath prepared him to be a Lyghte to the Gentyls and the glory of Israel Thrée things in the former Verse are to be noted First why Christ is called Lyght Secondly the vse of this light And thirdly to whome he is a light giuen to be made knowne vnto Namely vnto the Gentyls Christ is most worthyly called light not onely bicause he is the engrauen forme and brightnesse of the Father of lyghtes but also bicause he giueth light Col. 1.15 Ioh. 1.9 and doth illuminate the hartes of all things that come into the worlde called so not onely for the light and lyfe he giueth to the body Christ is our onely lyght but also and most speciallye for the heauenly light of Gods knowledge which he engraueth by his worde and spirite in the hartes of all men but most effectually in the Electe and chosen children Of which light and illumination the Euangelist Iohn speaketh in the gospell saying Ioh. 1.4 In hym was lyfe and this lyfe was the lyght of men and thys lyghte did shine in darknesse the darknesse did not comprehend it By the worde life he meaneth all liuing power which at this daye is to be séene in all creatures as well endued with naturall reason spirituall wisedome as sauage creatures and sencelesse things trées plantes herbes grasse corne c. Eche of these hath his proper lyfe and of Christ the Creator the light and lyfe of all things And for that no man should suppose this lyght whereof he speaketh to concerne the lyfe and lyght which euer is common with the bodyes of men and beastes He addeth that this lyfe was the light of men So teaching vs what lyfe we are to receyue of him we being blynde and ignorante darkenesse Namely the lightning of our minds with the word of his truth whereby our hartes doe see in perfite wise Christ Iesus to be the day starre from on high Luc. 1.7.8 sente of hys Father to giue light to vs Gentyls that were in the dore and prison of darknesse Esa 42.7 Symeon had respect no doubt calling Christ a Lyght to the Prophets which so spake of him Namely that Noble Esay Esa 42.6 saying I the Lorde haue called thee in righteousnesse and wil holde thine hande and I wyll keepe thee and guyde thee for a couenant of the people and for a lyght of the Gentyls that thou mayest open the eyes of the blynde and bring out the prisoner out from the prison and them that syt in darknesse out of the prison house And againe Esa 49.6 It is a smale thing that thou shouldest bee my Seruant to rayse vp the Tribe of Iacob and to restore the desolations of Israel I wyl also giue thee for a lyght to the Gentyls that thou mayest be my saluation vnto the ende of the worlde Nowe in thys Parable there be two things worthy the note First that all men in themselues as well Iewes as Gentyls be méere darknesse The other that God the Father in heauen and earth hath giuen no other to illuminate mankinde with the light of nature of God and true godlynesse but his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ and him onely to the whole worlde as hymselfe wytnesseth Ioh. 8.12 saying I am the light of the worlde And most lyuely is our Christ represented by the glorious Sunne which being in his Spheare farre aboue Christ our light shadowed forth by the Sunne performeth al his office enioyned him wythout default to the circuits of the whole earth and Seas and that to the endes of the world And by the way note good Reader how the Lorde taketh apt occasion by the tyme and place where he is to
he a little after he is euerye where but as he is man he is onely in heauen yet for the coniunction of the two natures in Christ sundry tymes in Scripture that is spoken of the one which is proper to the other As in example No man ascendeth into heauen Ioh. 3.1.9 but the same which came from heauen euen the sonne of man which is in heauen And yet was not Christ ascended but in earth not glorifyed but subiect to death But bicause of the coniunction with the deuyne nature that is communicated to the humayne nature in spéeche which in déede and truth was onely performed in his Deitie Agayne Act. 20.2 ye are bought with the bloud of God Who knoweth not that this actiō was performed in the humane nature of Christ But bicause he is very God and the nature of his humanitie so connexed that it is inseperable therfore this Conionian and participation of the two natures is often vsed And for thys cause we say God is borne deade and crucifyed for vs when the humane nature onely was so But perhaps it maye astonie thée when I say that the two natures in Christ be inseperable and yet the Godhead is in many places Where his humanity is not nay his deuine nature in all places and his humane nature onely in heauen But consyder in thy self a perfite mirror and ymage hereof Thy soule and body are of two natures the one a spirite the other a compact forme of fleshe the one mortal the other cannot dye Yet during lyfe they are inseperably knit both natures in one in such sorte as eyther nature notwithstanding do kéepe their sundry condition The bodye sléepeth but the soule is alwayes waking the body eateth and drinketh naturall meates the soule onely féedeth of the worde of God the body is sicke and dyeth the soule is for the most parte best healthy when the body is nearest death and most lyuely when she is discharged of the bodye of synne by death Agayne the soule resting with the body is also the selfe instant by her powers at the vtmoste partes of the worlde and aboue the clowds whether shée hath daylie accesse by fayth and inuocation yet for al this the body is but in one place So is it in Christ He is risen he is not here Mar. 16.6 sayth the Angell to the women which came to annoynte Christ in his graue This was spoken of hys humanitie now glorifyed But according to his deuyne nature himselfe hath sayde Wheresoeuer two or three be gathered together in my name Math. 18.20 there am I in the middest of them Thus thou séest who and what is the Lords saluation Namely Iesus Christ the Lorde perfite God the onely begotten sonne of God eternall equall and of selfe substance with his father God and man borne of the Virgin Mary ascended vp in glory reseruing thée eche propertie of eyther nature not confounding the persons nor deuyding the substance Now resteth it to sée also somewhat more of the valor of thy Sauyour in his deuyne nature his valor to thée which best thou shalt perceiue by those noble names according their effects which the sacred scriptures attribute vnto Christ The valour of Christ in hymself and to vs. our one and onely God with the Father and the holy ghost First he is called Tetragramaton or Iehouah which signifyeth that Christ our god with his father is of his owne essence and being hath power and lyfe in himselfe not néeding the helpe of any other but is that sufficiencie which plentifully satisfyeth all others of his fulnes To be shorte the eternall god without begynning and ending In whom we lyue moue and haue our being Act. 17.28 Apo. 1.11 He is Alpha and Omega the fyrst and the last which contayneth all in all in himselfe He is also called Adonay of the Hebrews which of a certaine conceyte would not pronounce hym Tetragramaton or Iehouah rarely but in place thereof set thys name Adonay that is ineffable which all the Interpretors expounde by Dominus Lord. And rightly is Christ with his Father called Lorde For he hath giuen the Regiment of heauen and earth vnto him Mat. 28.18 Col. 1.16 And besydes hym there is none to whome all things visyble and inuysible ought to yéelde their obedience And to this name is added Sabaoth which some interprete the Lord of powers some the Lorde of Hostes the god of battle He it is which ouerthroweth with his myght all power that sturteth vp agaynst god and wyth his armye doth he pull downe the pryde of mightie kings and huge Nations Thys is that Michael who with his army of Angels beate downe Satan from the heauenly habitation of God in his church militant Thys is that Emperour and Monarche Apo. 12.7.9 to whome all kings shall stoupe This is that most tryumphant conqueror who with most symple and small creatures hath can and wyll ouerthrow myghtie Gyants huge armies puyssant Princes and mightie Monarches of the worlde In his campe are infinite Angels Thousande thousands ministred to him sayth Daniell and ten thousand thousands stood before him Dan. 7.10 Beholde of what Maiestie thys christ our Lorde of Hostes is of what force and power when as one Angell of these infinite thousands could and did in one night destroy and kyll in the hoste of Sennacherib which cruelly beséeched the Lordes cytie Ierusalem one hundred forescore and fiue thousand of fyghting Souldiours With water darknesse Frogs Flyes and Grashoppers he wasted and destroyed the pride of the most fertyll lande Egypt With the noyce of Chariots he droue to flyght the kings of Ashur And who is able to withstande his myght For in his army all the Planets and Starres the wyndes fyrie lyghtes Ice Frost Snow rayne Fyre and water Al Deuils in Hell the ayre and Fyrmament all men and kings and all their powers and at one worde all creatures in heauen earth and Hell visyble and inuisible All these are his to vse at hys good pleasure where he wyll when he luste and during his set purpose executing hys vengeance vpon his enimies but the defence of hys Churche Sometyme also he is called Aelion 1. excelsus high As Dauid sayth Psal 113. The Lorde is high aboue all Nations and hys glory aboue the heauens Againe who is lyke the Lord our God that hath hys dwelling so highe and yet abaseth hymselfe to behold the things that are in heauen and earth Euen vnto thys high throne is our Lorde Christ ascended aboue all heauens and set at the right hand of his father on high to beholde the things that are done in earth From this height he sawe Damasco her myserie and Saules pryde and from thence stroake this cruell Tyran to the earth in the mydst of his force and seruantes whose brightnesse stroke Saule with blyndnes but in great mercy wrought his conuersion of persecuting Saule changed him and that bycause he had chosen
hym to preaching Paule And also of a most zealous Pharisey in blyndnesse made him most feruent in the Gospell of God to all our comfortes which be Gentyls For thys our Lord Christ Aelion most highe hath consecrated Paule aboue Peter to be our especiall Apostle both at Rome and else where in the rounde world Our Sauyour Christ our God Iere. 20. Esa 42. is also called of the Hebrewes El. to say of his great strength For whatsoeuer he wyll doe that can he doe For which cause he is called by the Prophets The God of strength and the mightye Lorde or Gygante Sometyme also Eloah and of the Trinitie in coniunction we may say Elohim which signifyeth God our Christ in his deuyne nature to be alwayes and euery where present in heauen and in earth and in peace and warre in persecution and preaching peace in workes and playes in actes and thoughtes in lyfe and death in all places at one and selfe instante Of whose presence the Psalmist sayth thus Whether shall I go from thy Spirite Psal 139. or where shall I flee from thy face If I ascend into heauen thou art there if I go down to hell thou art there also But if I shall take the wings of the morning and dwell in the farthest part of the Sea euen there shall thy hande gouerne me and thy right hande shall beholde me And Paule aptly pronounceth our Lordes presence to the Athenians Act. 17.28 testifying him not to be farre from them but they in him rather saying For in him we lyue moue haue our being And it séemeth probable for this cause the Grecians to haue called God Theos and the Latines to haue formed thence thys worde Deus As one learned affyrmeth Theos to come of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of redynesse and running to and fro so is God called by such a name as best can expresse his presence who is neuer absent from mortall men in earth but to euery man in all places gyueth all things that they possesse Of which his liberalitie some suppose him to be called Deus a dando for that he gyueth to all men that they haue God our Lorde and Christ is also called Schaddai .i. sufficient in himselfe and the sufficientcy to all creatures that whosoeuer hath him to their Lorde hath all sufficientcy to body and soule to this and the lyfe eternall And in oure tongue we call Christ in his deuyne nature God that is the most principall and best good Lastly he is called the God of Abraham the God of Isaack the God of Iacob insinuating vnto vs from whence the holynesse of these Fathers with their fayth came And also that as we are the posteritie of the Noble Abraham by fayth in Christ So is he to vs our best good and most excellent God so that with Paule we may conclude our selues in him most vertuous Rom. 8.31.32 sufficient and blessed saying If God be on our syde who can be against vs. It is God that iustifyeth who shall condemne Againe if he hath giuen vs Christ how shal he not giue vs all things with him And by him we shall bée more then Conquerors Loe this god is thy Iesus whose power is prest and ready to thy best good if thou faythfully put thy trust in him He is also called the Lordes Christ which word Christ Luc. 4.18 Esa 61.1 importeth his honorable Function by the excellent Oyntment aboue his fellowes euen the holy ghost by which he is annoynted of his father to be the king and Priest of his Church for euer according to this saying Heb. 7.17 Thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchesidech So then he is called Iesus of the worde Iesehak and so called as the Angell testifyeth bicause he saueth his people from theyr synne Mat. 1.21 The worde Christ is a greeke word which aunswereth the Hebrewe vocable Messhiah annoynted In olde tyme with the people these persons Prophets Priests and Princes were annoynted with Oyle Wherefore our Iesus is called Anoynted signifying the plentifull graces of Gods spirite giuen to those called of god to these Functions and also into what perillous daungers and harde battles they were to enter which truely exercised that seuerall calling By which Oyling they were as with a Symbole put in mynd what couragious Champions they ought to be in their offices This was the cause why the noble Champions before the pryse playde were annoynted But in as much as the Lord Christ had a greater enimy then all other Champions and therewyth a most deadly fyght towards whose body and soule was to stande in the battle of death vppon the crosse against his fathers iustice for the synnes of the whole worlde Satans malice and mans corruption Hell and Death it was most necessary that he shoulde before thys cruel combate haue a more precious Oyntment then had his shadowing fellowes preaching Prophets sacrifycing priests and ruling Princes Wherefore he was annoynted with the holy ghost The spirit of God is vpon me sayth Christ because he hath annoynted me that I should preache the Gospell to the poore c. Esa 61. Luc. 4.18 This sentence expresseth Christs priesthood kingdome and preaching office He is sente sayth he to preache His kingdome he is annoynted to delyuer the oppressed His priesthood he is giuen to heale the broken and wounded hartes wyth synne and iniquitie by the sacrifice of his death vpon the crosse During hys lyfe he preached the gospel Rom. 1.16 which is Gods power in Christ to saluation to euery one that beleeueth In his sacrifice of hymselfe vpon the crosse he performed both the other By his death he healed our infirmities Esa 53. Col. 1.20 for the chastisment of our peace was layde vpon him In hys death he obtayned the victory hauing fully aunswered the Fathers iustice against synne death and hell and spoyled principalities and powers and hath made a shew of them openly Col. 2.15 and hath tryumphed ouer them in the same crosse He hath forgyuen vs our synnes put out the hande wryting that was agaynst vs he hath taken it out of the waye and fastened it to his crosse hath translated vs from the power of darknes into the kingdome whereof he is king of kings and Lorde of Lordes vz the body of hys Church of which he is the onely heade Whose kingdome is thréefold of power of grace and of glory Of power for all Nations shall bow the knee to this Lorde of Lordes and king of kings Christ the annoynted king and priest And who so wyl not kysse the sonne Christ Iesus shal perish whether Prince Psal 2. 1. Rom. 14 17. Potentate Preacher Magistrate people or pestilente Pope Of grace which he sayth by Luke is within vs and consisteth as Paule sayth in righteousnesse Christ the high Byshop of our soules in peace and ioy in the holy Ghost His kingdome of glory as well in that he