wicked in the darke conceit euery thistle to be a tree euery tree a man euery man a diuell afraid of â—uery thing they see yea many times of that they doe not see Polydore Virgil writes that Richard the 3. had a most terrible dreame the night before Bosworth field in which hee was slaine hee thought all the diuels in hell halled and pulled him in hideous and vgly shapes Id credâ— non fuit somnium sed conscientia scelerum I suppose saith Polydore that was not a fained dreame but a true torture of his conscience prâ—saging a bloodie day both to himselfe and all his followers The penner of the Latine Chronicle de vitis Archiepiscoporum Cantuariensium in the life of Archbishop Hubert records a will of a couetous oppressor in this forme Lego omnia bona mea domino regi corpus sepulturae animam diabolo The godly mans will alway runnes in this stile Terram terra tegat daemon peccata resumat Mundus res habeat spiritus astra petat I bequeath my bodie that is earthly to the earth my sins which are diuellish vnto the diuell my goods that are worldly to the world my soule that is heauenly to heauen but this vnhappie wretch in great despaire yeelded vp his coyne to the King whom hee had deceiued and his soule to the diuell whom he had serued It is written by Procopius that Theodoricus as he was at supper imagined he saw in a fishes head the visage of Symmachus a Noble man whom hee had vniustly slaine with which imagination he conceiued such terror as that he neuer after enioyed one good houre but pining away ended his vnfortunate daies Cardinall Crescentius the Popes Vicegerent in the Chapter of Trent on a time writing long letters vnto Rome full of mischiefe against the Protestants and cause of Religion had a sudden conceit that the diuell in the likenesse of a huge dogge walked in his chamber and couched vnder his table the which affrighted him so much as that notwithstanding the counsell and comfort both of friends and Physitians hee died a disconsolate death To conclude this argument the diuell Iudas out of the hell of his conscience was Bailiffe Taylor witnesse Iurie Iudge Sheriffe deaths-man in his owne execution Thus as you see the wicked haue no peace with man no peace with God no peace with themselues The very name of peace betweene man and man is sweete it selfe more sweete like the pretious ointment vpon the head of Aaron that ranne downe vnto his beard and from his beard to the skirts of his clothing Yet the peace of conscience is farre sweeter a continual feast a daily Christmas vnto the good man as the rich Epicure Luke 16. so the godly fareth deliciously euery day The man that trusteth in the Lord is fat saith Salomon he feedes himselfe on the mercies of God and merits of Christ. And so the peace of God passeth all these for it passeth all vnderstanding without which one gift all other are rather curses then blessings vnto vs. As Cyril excellently Dominâ— priuante suo gaudio quod esse potest gaudium It is the consolation of Israel and solace of the Church Reioyce greatly ô daughter Sion shout for ioy ô daughter Hierusalem for behold thy King commeth vnto thee That God is our God that Christ is our Christ that the King of all Kings is our King that he is reconciled vnto vs and we to him is a ioy surpassing all ioyes a iubilation as the Scripture termes it which can neither be suppressed nor yet expressed sufficiently How wretched then are the wicked in being debarred of all this sweete of all this exultation of all these iubilees of ioy for if they can haue no peace abroad no peace at home no peace with themselues no peace with other no peace with man no peace with God assuredly the proposition is most true There is no peace to the wicked Yea but you will say there is none good except God all of vs are gone astray if we say wee haue no sinne the truth of God is not in vs. Of what kinde of wicked is this then vnderstood Answere is made that this onely concernes incorrigible malicious impenitent senselesse sinners For when once men feele their sinnes and repent for their sinnes grieuing much because they can grieue no more then in such as sinne aboundeth grace superaboundeth all things worke for their good euen sinne which is damnable to other is profitable to them occasioning repentance neuer to be repented Remember the speech of God to Rebecca The greater shall serue the lesser Albeit our spirituall enemies are stronger and our sinnes greater then we yet they shall serue for our good the greater shall serue the lesse God who can bring sweet out of sower and light out of darknesse shall likewise bring good out of euill Such offenders haue peace with men so far as is possible with all men indeuoring to keep the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace Secondly being iustified by faith they haue peace toward God in Christ Rom. 51. Lastly Christ dwelling in their heart they want not peace of conscience but abound with ioy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 When sinners are rather passiue then actiue in sinne when it is rather done on them theÌ„ of them albeit their conscience accuse them of the fact yet it doth not condemne them of the fault and so there is all kind of peace to the penitent no kind of peace to the wicked impâ—nitent saith my God Hitherto concerning the thing proclaimed I come now to the person proclaiming in these words saith my God The subordinate proclaimer is Esay the principall God himselfe As heretofore the Prophet so now the Preacher is not onely the mouth of God as Luther cals him but as Iohn Baptist said of himselfe The very voice of God For albeit we speake yet it is Christ who by vs and in vs calleth vnto you 2. Cor. 5.20 See Epist. dom 3. Gospel dom 1. and 4. in Aduent If then the Lord hath said it let no man doubt of it Heauen and earth shall passe but not a iot of his word shall passe he is not like man that he should lie or like the Sonne of man that he should deceiue Yea that we might the better obserue it Almighty God hath spoken once and twice as it is in the 62. Psalme For the Lord had made this proclamation once before in the 48. chapâ—er at the last verse So that as Augustine in the like case verba toties inculcata vera sunt viua sunt sana sunt plana sunt One text repeated twice pressed againe and againe must needs be plaine and peremptory And assuredly beloued if we further examine the person of this Chiefe we shall finde him able to make this war because God and willing to maintaine this war because My God
He is stiled elsewhere the Lord of hosts and therefore all creatures as his warriours are ready pressed to reuenge his quarrels and to fight his battels His souldiers against the wicked are either celestiall or terrestriall all the Creatures in heauen and on earth In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth Gen. 1. and all that therein is Exod. 20. And in this acception according to the Bible which is a lantern vnto our feet and a guide vnto our paths I finde three heauens as Paul saith he was taken vp into the third heauen the 1. Airy 2. Starry 3. Glorious Airy heauen is all the space from vs vnto the firmament so the birds which flie betweene vs and the starres are called in holy writ the fowles of heauen In this heauen are meteors haile wind raine snow thunder lightening all which are at Gods absolute command to serue such as serue him and to fight against them that fight against him As when the wicked old world was filled with cruelty The windowes of heauen were opened and the raine was vpon the earth forty daies and forty nights insomuch that this one souldier of the Lord destroied all his enemies euery thing that was vpon the earth from man to beast onely Noah Gods holy seruant remained and they that were with him in the Arke whom the raine did not hurt but rather helpe for the deeper the flood the safer the ship the water had peace with Noah and his company but open warre with all the rest of that old world So likewise the Lord out of heauen rained fire and brimstone vpon the Sodomites and hailestones out of heauen vpon the cursed Amorites at Bethoron and they were moe saith the text that died with the haile then they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword But what need we looke so far the great wind this yeere the great frost the last yeere sensibly demonstrate this point What a wracke on the sâ—a what a worke on the earth occasioned by the one what a dearth and so by consequence what a death ensued vpon the other If God cast forth his ice like morsels who is able to abide his frost Psal. 147.17 To step higher the second heauen is the firmament coelum quasi coelatum because it is ingrauen as it were enameled with glorious lights as Moses in the first of Genesis God made two great lights the greater to rule the day the lesser to gouerne the night he made also the stars and placed them in the firmament of heauen Now this heauen declares the glory of God and the firmament shewes his handy worke though they want vnderstanding and are dumbe yet they trumpet forth his worthy praises in such sort that there is neither speech nor language but their voice is heard among them And as they speake for God as schollers so they fight also for God as souldiers for the starres in their course fought against Sisera Iosua 5.20 and when Duke Iosua fought against the wicked Amorites he said in the sight of Israel Sunne stay thou in Gibeon and thou Moone in the valley of Aialon and the Sunne abode and the Moone stood still vntill the people of God auenged themselues vpon their enemies the Sunne abode and hasted not to goe downe for a whole day Iosua 10.13 O Lord our gouernour how excellent is thy name in all the world When I consider the heauens euen the works of thy hands the Sun and the Moone which thou hast ordained what is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the son of man that thou shouldst thus regard and gard him The third heauen is called by Philosophers empyreum by Diuines the glorious heauen by scriptures heauen of heauens or heauen aboue the visible heauens In this heauen Almighty God hath two sorts of tall wariours Angels Saints Angels are heauenly souldiers ministring spirits of God instruments of his mercy toward the good executioners of his iudgements vpon the bad When Iosua was about to sacke Iericho an Angel appeared vnto him as a Captaine with a drawne sword to fight for his people When Zenacherib and his innumerous host came against Israel the Angel of the Lord in one night slew one hundred eighty and fiue thousand 2. Kings 19. The first borne of Egypt slaine by an Angell Exod. 12. blasphemous Herod smitten with an Angell Acts 12.23 To conclude this argument Angels at the last and dreadfull day shall binde the tares that is make fagots of the wicked and cast them into hell fire As they pitch their tents about Gods elect being the Saints guard and nurses as it were to carry them in their armes lest at any time they hurt their foot against a stone so contrariwise speedy messengers and Ministers of Gods anger vnto the reprobate Now for Saints albeit they be milites emeriti as the Romans speake souldiers discharged the field past fighting past sighing for all teares are wiped from their eies euen so saith the spirit they rest from their labours and their good works follow them Apocalyp 14.13 Theâ— be past warfare and now liue in eternall welfare crowned as conquerors in heauen where there is neither militia nor malitâ—a Though I say their fight be ended and they rewarded with an immortall crowne of glory yet for as much as there is a communion of Saints a fellowship betweene the triumphant Saints in heauen and the militant Saints on earth the blessed soules departed and deliuered out of the miseries of this sinfull world howsoeuer they be secure for themselues yet are they carefull for vs as our Churches in their Harmonie speake de foelicitate suà securi de nostrà salute soliciti they wish well vnto vs and pray still for vs in generall albeit they know not our wants in particular Howsoeuer they fight not any longer against Gods enemies with pen or pike with paper or powder yet they continually fight against them with push of praier as Saint Iohn expresly The soules of them that were killed for the word cried with a loud voice saying How long Lord holy and true dost not thou iudge and reueâ—ge our blood on them that dwell on the â—arth Albeit they contend not with earthly weapons yet they maintaine Gods quarrell with heauenly wishes in generall against Satan and his kingdome out of zeale and heat to Gods cause not out of any spleene or hate to any of the wicked in particular I dare not say so for wheâ—e the spirit hath not a pen to write the Pastor must not haue a tongue to speake not the people an eare to heare but that the blessed soules in heauen pray for vs against our enemies in generall is an article of faith and an euident truth of the Bible I come from Gods selected band in heauen to the common band the host of his creatures on earth the which containes both sea and land and
Apostle wils vs to rebuke with all long suffering and doctrine Now himselfe is a paterne of his owne precept for left he should seeme too bitter in chiding the Corinthians and despising their iudgement he doth in this clause somewhat qualifie his speech insinuating that he doth except against all others iudgement so well as theirs Happely some will obiect it is vnciuill and vnchristian not to regard what men speake of vs As wee must haue care of our conscience so likewise of our credit Quâ semel amissâ posteà nullus eris It is good in our courses to gaine the fore-game for it is exceeding hard to play an after-game of reputation Answere is made that albeit Paul esteemed little their iudgement in regard of himself as expecting the praise of God and hauing a good certificate from his owne conscience yet in respect of other who might hereby be scandalized and so the Gospell hindred he was assuredly grieued and therefore reproues here their fault boldly that they might repent heartily To me it is little but vnto other it is a great scandall that I should be thus abused and neglected of you Iudge not mine owne selfe I know more by my selfe then you or any man else and yet I cannot iudge my selfe therefore much lesse ought yee to iudge me This seemes contradictorie to that of Paul If we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged I answer with Aquine that there is a three-fold iudgement 1. Discussionis 2. CondeÌ„nationis 3. Absolutionis Euery man may yea must iudge himselfe with the two former hee must examine himselfe and vpon examination altogether condemne himselfe Euery man ought daily to commune with his owne heart and to search out his spirit Psalm 77.6 Scopebam spiritum I did as it were sweepe my soule Diligenter attendâ— quaâ—tum proficias vel quantum deficias Examine thy selfe whether thou hast gone forward or backward in the waies of the Lord. Summon thy selfe as it were before another and so fift the whole course of thy life wherein thou hast offended in thought word deede by sinnes of omission or commission against God thy neigbour and thy selfe Iudge thine owne selfe in secret before thy selfe and thou shalt not be condemned at the last day before all the world Do this saith Bernard Si non semper aut saepè saltem interdum If not alwaies or often at least sometime especially saith our Apostle when yee come to receiue the blessed sacrament of our Lords Supper Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. The second kinde of iudgement is of condemnation So Iob I will reproue my waies in his sight If I would iustifie my selfe mine owne mouth shall condemne me So Dauid Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified And S. Iohn If wee say we haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and the truth of God is not in vs. A Christian in this world is mundus mundandus cleane in part and in part to be made cleane all his perfection consists in acknowledging his imperfection all his righteousnesse in forgiuenes of sinnes rather then in perfection of vertue Yea but say the Pelagians and after them the Papists Elizabeth and Zachary were iust obseruing all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord Luke 1.6 Iob an vpright man departing from euill and preseruing his innocencie Iob 2.3 In Dauid no wickednesse Psal. 17.3 and here Paul I know nothing by my selfe I answere to the first If Zacharie was a Priest then a sinner for as we reade Heb. 7.27 the Priests manner was first to offer sacrifice for his owne sinnes and then for the peoples If then Zacharie did sacrifice he had sinne and sinne is a transgression of the Law so that he did not exactly keepe the whole law but himselfe and his wife so farre obserued the commandements as that they were blamelesse in the worlds eye no man could iustly condemne them for doing vniustly But as Augustine said Vae etiam laudabili vitae hominum si remota misericordia discutias eam Woe to the commendable life of man if God set mercie aside in iudging of it Euen their owne Bernard confesseth ingeniously that if the Lord should take a strait account of vs his stewards it were impossible that any should answere the thousanth yea the least part of his debt nec millesimae nec minimae parti For the commendation of Iob it is not simple but comparatiue There was none like him on the earth at least none so righteous in that part of the earth in the land of Vz. It was a great praise to be so good among that people who were so bad According to the measure of humane perfection Almightie God hath giuen him so great testimonie of righteousnesse saith Augustine Hast thou not considered my seruant Iob how none is like him in the earth an vpright and iust man one that feareth God and eschueth euill But himselfe is afraid of himselfe Verebar omnia opera mea So the Romish translation hath it I was afraid of all my workes Iob 9.28 And in the second verse of the same chapter How shall a man bee iustified before God and in the third verse If I contend with him I shall not be able to answere him one for a â—housand Now for Dauid his praise was not generall but particular and partiall There was no wickednesse found in him that is no plot or practise against Saul wherof he was accused vniustly but otherwise in other things his sinnes were so many and those so heauie that hee crieth out in the 38. Psalme Put me not to rebuke O Lord in thine anger c. Dauid was no traitor but Dauid was an adulterer and a cruâ—ll murtherer He turned from nothing the Lord commanded him all the daies of his life saue only in the matter of Vriah the Hittite 1. Kings 15.5 What had Dauid no fault else but only that against Vriah Yes surely Dauid was conceiued in sin and shapen in wickednesse As he was the sonne of many yeares so the father of many sinnes In his priuate conuersation hee did so much offend as that he saith in the 130 Psalme If thou O Lord be extreame to marke what is done amisse oh Lord who may abide it That text then is to be construed of his publike gouernment as the circumstances import as he was a King the Scripture giueth him this commendation that excepting the matter of Vriah hee gaue no publike scandall in the whole time of his raigne Dauid was in many things a bad man but in most things a good King So likewise this speech of Paul I know nothing by my selfe is not generall extended to the whole course of his life but particular touching his Apostleship So Bishop Latimer said As for sedition for
and vpon such as excell in vertue So likewise wee may reioice with the wife of our youth and disport our selues in good companie we may make Christmas pies and Haruest dinners in a word reioice in euery thing which may further our spirituall reioycing in the Lord. But whether wee eate or drinke or whatsoeuer we doe else all must be done to the honor and glorie of God Reioyce in the Lord alwaies and againe I say reioyce Yea but Christ Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourne Luk. 6.21 Blessed are they that weep This reioycing is not contrarie to that mourning for such as mourne are blessed in being comforted and comforted by reioycing in the Lord. Reioyce saith Christ in that day and bee glad when any shall hate you for my sake the which his Apostles accordingly fulfilled Act. 5.41 They departed from the Councell reioycing that they were counted worthie to suffer rebuke for his Name that Christ would vse them as his buckler and Rom. 5.3 Wee reioyce in tribulations The Father of mercies and God of all consolation comforteth vs in al our afflictions As the sufferings of Christ abound in vs so our consolation aboundeth through Christ. He doth appoint comfort to such as mourne in Sion hee doth giue beautie for ashes oyle of ioy for sorrow the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse so that a martyr when he is most mournefull is mirthfull he speakes of his tormentor as Socrates of Anitus and Petus of Nero the Tyrant Occidere me potest laedere verò non potest He may well kill me but he shall neuer ill me Nihil crus sentit in neruo cùm manus est in coelo saith Tertullian Euery cut is a wide mouth to praise Christ as the Martyr Romanus sweetly Tot ecce laudant ora quot sunt vulnera Grates tibi ô praefecte magnas debeo Quòd multa pandens ora iam Christum loquor Blessed are they that die for the Lord because they reioyce in the Lord. No losse no crosse can interrupt our spirituall ioy for as it followeth in the text to be considered it must be continuall alway reioyce The Christian must keepe Christmas all his life though not in his hall yet in his heart alwaies in his minde albeit not alway with his mouth It is a true rule deliuered in the schoole that Gods affirmatiue lawes obligant semper sed non ad semper ad semper velle but not ad semper agere requiring disposition perpetuall and practise so often as occasion is offered Holy iust valiant men are they who can whensoeuer they will and will whensoeuer they ought execute what their seuerall perfections import There is a time for all things and therefore seuerall duties ought to be discharged in seuerall seasons He that saith heere reioyce alway saith in another place pray continually and in all things giue thankes and therefore we need not alwaiâ—s actually pray nor actually giue thankes not actually reioyce in word and outward gesture but as opportunitie shall require If then as time neuer a better time then this holy time neuer greater cause to shout out for ioy then now for that our King comes vnto vs it is our bounden dutie alwaies intentionally bâ—t at this time with Psalms and songs actually No sinne no sorrow must hinder our spirituall reioycing For in all our aduersitie God is euen at hand not onely nigh in his Maiestie though doubtlesse he be not farre from euery one of vs but also nigh in his mercie Psal. 145.18 The Lord is nigh vnto all them that call vpon him A very present helpe in trouble Yea the Lords second comming is at hand when as hee shall iudge and reuenge our cause rewarding vs with eternall happinesse and punishing our aduersaries with euerlasting fire and therefore reioyce alwaies in all things I say reioyce in the Lord for wee cannot alway reioyce in the things of this life The world passeth away and the lust thereof but Christ is euermore the same the beginning and end of all other things himselfe without either beginning or end If then our ioyes obiect be God it may be continuall but if fixed on earthly things exposed to manifold changes and chances it must necessarily be mutable Gaudium in materia conuertibili mutari necesse sit re mutaâ—â So that as the Poet truly Gaudia principium nostrisunt saepâ— doloris Euen in laughing the heart is sorrowfull and the end of mirth is heauines The world is a sea of glasse Apocal 4.6 brittle as glasse tumultuous as the sea but hee that reioyceth in the Lord is like mount Sion which standeth fast for euer If then any desire to reioyce alway let him reioyce in the Lord. And againe I say reioycâ— The troublâ—s of this life aâ—e so great and our patience so little that Paul doubleth his exhortation to presse the duty and expresse our dulnesse and indeed our reioicing cannot be continued except it be multiplied againe and againe reioice therefore for mercies already receiued and againe reioice for mercies hereafter promised For receiued grace first for thy creation Almighty God might haue made thee a dull asse a venemous serpent an vgly tâ—ade whereas he created thee according to his own image and similitude as it were diuinitatis epitome For the world is Gods book and man is Index of that booke or a commentary vpon that text reioice therefore in the Lord say with Dauid What is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the Son of man that thou shouldest visit him Thou hast crowned him with worship and glory thou makest him to haue dominion of the works of thy hands and thou hast put all things in subiection vnder his feete as a ladder whereby men might ascend to the consideration of thy greatnes and goodnes For thy preseruation he might haue denied thee sight as he did to Bartimeus or made thee deafe or dumbe or a cripple as we reade of many in the Gospell and daily see many crying and dying in our streets If the Lord of hosts had not bin thy guard all other creatures his souldiers would haue banded themselues against thee fire would haue deuoured thee water would haue drowned thee mother earth would open and swallow thee quick the stone out of the wall the beame out of the timber would fight against thee but he hath giuen his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy waies he doth defend thee vnder his wings blesse thy going forth and thy comming home blesse the fruit of thy body the fruit of thy ground the fruit of thy cattell euery way so blesse thee that thou maiest alway reioice in the Lord. For thy redemption at this festiuall especially consider with Bernard Quis est qui venit vnde quò ad quid quando quâ meditate on
Gods vnspeakable loue who sent his Sonne his first begotten onely begotten Sonne whom he loued as himselfe The very character and brightnes of his glory to deliuer vs his seruants vndutifull as vnprofitable from the hands of all our enemies If thou hast any feeling of these mysteries any faith be it so small as a graine of mustard seed euermore reioice in the Lord. For thy sanctification also many men in a reprobate sense doe not call vpon God cannot call vpon God Whereas he hath giuen thee grace to pray with the congregation publikely with thine owne family priuatly with thy selfe secretly giuing thee grace to feele thy sinnes and to be sorie for the same reioice for these good benefits in possession and againe reioice for those mercies of God in expectation for that most excellent and etâ—rnall weight of glory which he hath laid vp and in that day will giue to such as loue his appearing Let vs euermore reioice in this hope saying with Habacuk I will reioice in the Lord I will ioy in the God of my saluation Faith is the mother of our reioicing in the Lord for Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith and faith is by hearing of the word spirituall ioy then is increased by reading hearing meditating on holy Scriptures I haue spoken vnto you these things that my ioy might remâ—â—ne in you Luke 24.32 Did not our hearts burne within vs while he talked with vs and opened vnto vs the Scriptures It is increased also by good life For as sin doth grieue the spirit so good workes on the contrary cheere the soule Prouerbs 21.15 It is ioy to the iust to doe iudgement Here the Gospell and Epistle parallell for the way of the Lord is prepared especially by faith and repentance Now poenitens de peccato dolet de dolore gaudet He that is a good man sorroweth in his sinnes and reioiceth in his sorrow and that he may doe this he must reioice in the Lord wherefore be not carefull for that which is worldly but make your patient mind knowne vnto men and let your petitions bee manifest vnto God And the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding keepe your hearts and minds through Christ giuing you many ioyes in this life to the end and in the next his eternall ioy without end Amen The Gospel IOHN 1.19 This is the record of Iohn When the Iewes sent Priests and Leuites from Ierusalem to aske him What art thou THis Gospell is a dialogue betweene certaine Priests and Iohn the Baptist. The Priests inquire after his person and place cariage and calling Their interrogatories are fiue the which are answered by S. Iohn seuerally shewing and that directly both what he was not as also what he was not Christ not Elias not the Prophet but the voice of a Crier in the wildernesse The first question is Who art thou Quis ego sum is the question of a good man Tu quis es of an enuious He that hath a bad house gads abroad The wicked are busie Bishops in other meÌ„s diocesses A true saying in it selfe but vpon this text a false glosse for it belonged vnto the Priests office to mannage the businesse of the Church and exactly to know what euery Prophet was And albeit Euthâ—mius is of opinion that the Iewes herein malitiously disabled their knowledge yet it is more probable that they made this question to see whether he was Christ. For as we readâ— Luke 3.15 All men mused in their hearts of Iohn if he were not the Christ and our Sauiour told the Iewes plainly that they for a time reioiced more in Iohn who was but a candle then in himselfe who was the Sunne of righteousnesse and light of the world and albeit these messengers vttered not so much in word yet assuredly they harboured such a conceit in their hearts therefore Iohn answering their intention rather then their question acknowledged ingenuously that he was not the Christ. In which answere obserue the matter and the manner In the matter he confessed the truth denying himselfe where note his modesty and acknowledging Christ to be the Messias where note his constancie Fortè saith Gregory graue non est gloriam honorem non petere sed valde graue est non eum suscipere cum offertur It was then great humility to refuse this honour which not onely the people but also the Priests as it should seeme were ready to cast vpon him hereby teaching vs in all our actions to seeke not our owne but Gods glory saying with this holy Baptist he must increase but we must decrease The constant resolution of Iohn is also remarkeable confessing Christ freely not only before the multitude but also before the Leuites and Pharisies men of great learning and no lesse place in the Church and such as he might well suspect would call his preaching into question But the maner of his confession exceeds far the matter hee confessed and denied not and said plainly I am not Christ. The which words are not superfluous and idle for euery tittle of the Scriptures hath his worth and weight Such repetitions are vsuall in the Bible to set out things more fully as vanity of vanities vanity of vanities and all is vanity Returne returne O Shulamite returne returne O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord. By this iteration then of one and the same thing S. Iohn shewed how vnwilling hee was to rob Christ of that honour which onely belongâ—d vnto him When Cornelius fell downe at Peters feet and would haue worshipped him Peter instantly tooke him vp saying Stand vp for euen I my selfe am a man When the men of Lystra would haue sacrificed vnto Paul Barnabas they rent their clothes and ran in amóg the people crying We are euen men subiect to the like passions that yee be When that other Iohn would haue worshipped the glorious Angell who shewed him his reuelation he said vnto Iohn See thou do it not for I am thy fellow seruant so carefull are Gods children in all ages to giue God the things appertaining to God honour to whom honour feare to whom feare diuine worship to whom diuine worship belongeth Here wee may iustly condemne the Papists in giuing that kind of worship to the crosse which is onely due to Christ. If a man should aske them whether the crucifix were Christ I hope they would answer with Iohn and deny and confesse plainly that it is not the Christ. Giue then to the crucifix the respect due to the crucifix reseruing to the crucified that honour which onely belongs to the crucified If a man should aske the bread in the Sacrament What art thou it would answere plainly with Iohn in such language as it can I am not the Christ approuing it selfe to our sight and taste that it is a morsell of bread a
dogmaticall conclusions appertaining to beliefe The residue containe morall instructions of honest conuersation and loue wherein our Apostle teacheth how wee should behaue our selues to God and man and that by precept and paterne By precept in the 12 13 14 15. Chapters by paterne in the 16. Chapter This scripture shewes how we must demeane our selues to God in Body vers 1. Make your bodies a quicke sacrifice c. Soule vers 2. Fashion not your selues like vnto this world but be yee changed by the renewing of your mind I beseech you brethren Two things induce men especially to suffer the words of exhortation opportunity and importunity The worth of the matter and zealous affection of the speaker Saint Paul makes his louing affection manifest in these sweet termes I beseech you brethren by the mercifulnesse of God He might haue commanded as he told Philemon but for loues sake he doth rather intreat God the Father appeared in a still and soft voice God the Sonne was not a tiger but a lambe God the holy Ghost came downe not in the forme of a vulture but in the shape of a doue signifying hereby that Preachers ought to vse gentle meanes in winning men vnto God herein resembling the good mother which hath vbera and verbera a teat so well as a rod a dug to restore such as feele their sinne with the spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6.1 but a rod to whip the carelesse and senslesse lest they grow too wanton And therefore Saint Paul who doth heere beseech the Romans out of his loue doth adiure them also by the mercifulnesse of God that is as some construe it I beseech you by mine Apostolical authority committed vnto me by Gods especialll mercy 1. Cor. 7.25 as himselfe expounds himselfe in the third verse of this Chapter I say through the grace that is giuen to me where the Greeke verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be translated I command or By the mercifulnesse of God shewed vnto you for as God is more bountifull so you must bee more dutifull We may not sinne that grace may abound but on the contrary because the grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared it teacheth vs to denie vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and that wee should liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present world The mercies of God to me the mercies of God to you be many and manifest I beseech you therefore by the riches of his abundant mercy make your bodies a quicke sacrifice c. Thus you see the zealous earnestnesse of the speaker I come now to the worthinesse of the matter concerning the Romans and in them our selues as much as the saluation of our soules I beseech you therefore marke what the Spirit writeth and first obserue Pauls order After iustification hee speakes of sanctification herein intimating that good workes as Augustine said Non praecedunt iustificandum sed sequuntur iustificatum Not goe before but after iustification As the wheele turneth round not to the end that it may be made round but because it is first made round therefore it turneth round so men are sanctified because first iustified not iustified because first sanctified As Aulus Fuluius when he tooke his sonne in the conspiracie with Catiline said Ego te non Catilinae genui sed patriae So God hath not begotten vs in Christ that wee should follow that archtraitor Satan but serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life making our selues a quicke sacrifice c. There are two kinds of sacrifices Expiatory for sinne which we cannot offer See epist. Dom. 3. Quadragesimae Gratulatory of thanks and praise which wee can and must offer and hereof there are three kinds according to the three sorts of goods of the World hereof there are three kinds according to the three sorts of goods of the Mind hereof there are three kinds according to the three sorts of goods of the Body 1. We must offer our goods of the world Heb. 13.16 To doe good and distribute forget not for with such sacrifices is God pleased He that hath mercy vpon the poore lendeth vnto the Lord. 2. Wee must offer to the Lord the goods of our mind by deuotion and contrition Psal. 51.17 The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit a broken and contrite heart O God shalt thou not despise When by diuine meditation and deuote praier we beat downe the proud conceits of our rebellious hearts we kill and offer vp as it were our sonne Isaac that which is most neere most deere to vs. 3. We must offer to the Lord the goods of our body which are done Patiendo by dying for the Lord. Faciendo by doing that which is acceptable to the Lord. Martyrdome is such a pleasing sacrifice that as Ambrose said of his sister Appellabo martyrem praedicabo satis I will call her Martyr and then I shall bee sure to commend her enough See Epist. on Saint Steuens day S. Paul here meanes a sacrifice by doing Giue your members as weapons of righteousnesse to God For as Christ offered vp himselfe for vs so wee made conformable should offer vp our selues vnto him Interpreters obserue a great Emphasis in the word hostia deriued as Ouid noteth ab hostibus Victima quae dextra cecidit victrice vocatur Hostibus à domitis hostia nomen habet And therefore seeing Christ hath deliuered vs from the hands of all our enemies it is our dutie to sacrifice perpetually to him our selues and our soules and so liue to him who died for vs. Lest we should erre in our offering Saint Paul shewes all the causes Efficient our selues Materiall our bodies Formall quicke and holie Finall acceptable to God Or as other obserue S. Paul sets downe foure properties of a sacrifice 1. Sound and quicke 2. Sanctified and holie 3. Pleasing 4. Reasonable First our sacrifice must be sound and quick not blind not lame not seeble Malach. 1.8 Wee must not offer to the diuell our youthfull yeares and lay our old bones vpon Gods altar his sacrifice must bee the fattest and the fairest he must haue both head and hinderparts hereby signifying that we must remember our Creator in the daies of our nonage so well as in the daies of our dotage for if wee deferre our offering till the last houre when sicknes the bailiffe of death hath arrested vs and paine sicknes attendant dulled our senses it cannot be called a quicke but a sicke not a liuing but a dead offering That our sacrifice therefore may bee quicke let vs I beseech you begin quickly to dedicate our selues vnto God Or quicke That is willing for those things are said to be quicke which moue of themselues and those dead which doe not moue but by some outward violence we may not then be stockes and blockes in Gods holie seruice doing no good
manifesting himselfe to the world that he was the Messias of the world As if he should argue thus If you belieue not my words yet credit me for my wonders I make the blind to see the deafe to heare the lame to goe I cure all kind of diseases euen with the least touch of my finger and least breath of my mouth I heale the leper I heare the Centurion The leper was a Iew the Centurion a Gentile the leper poore the Centurion rich the leper a man of peace the Centurion a man of warre Insinuating heereby that God is no accepter of persons but that his benefits indifferently belong to men of all nations and all fashions Iâ— Christ there is neither Iew nor Grecian neither bond nor free Yet Christ did first cure the Iew then the Gentile For saluation was offered first to the Iewes he touched the Iew but cured the Gentile with his word He visited Ierusalem in his owne person but healed other nations by the Preachers of his Gospell In the leper 2. things are remarkable the Weaknesse of his body sicke and sicke of a leprosie Vertues of his mind Faith Adoration Wisdome Patience Confession In Christ also two things are to be considered his Mercy that would so readilie Might that could so easily cure this distressed Lazer Aleper All weaknesse originally proceeds from wickednesse either from some defect in our conception or disorder in our conuersation as Mephibosâ—eth had his lamenesse by falling from his nurse so euery man his sicknesse by falling from the Lord. Christ who was free from sinne was also free from sicknesse but vnto men carying about them bodies of sinne diseases are as it were a sermon from heauen wherein Almighty God accuseth of sins and shewes his wrath against sinners But the condition of a leper as we reade in the law was of all other sicke most insupportable First he must liue alone separated from the fellowship of Gods people as vnworthy to come into cleane company Secondly he did weare foure markes to be knowne by his garments torne his head bare his mouth couered and he must cry I am vncleane I am vncleane For griefe whereof assuredly some pined away being forlorne in their sorrow destitute of all good comfort and company Yet this leper indued with a liuely faith is not hopelesse howsoeuer haplesse For he comes and saith vnto the great Physitian of the world Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane though he knew that his sicknesse in the worlds eye was incurable yet he did beleeue that vnto God nothing is impossible He felt his owne misery to be great yet hoped Christs mercy was more great and therefore comes vnto him as Ludolphus aptly Non tà m passibus corporis quà m fide cordis If thou wilt thou canst A strong faith in a weake body Faith comes by hearing and the reason why this leper extraordinarily desired to heare Christ and heare of Christ was his vncleane disease so that the weaknesse of his body brought him vnto the Physitian of his soule Note then here with Paul that all things happen for the good of such as are good It was good for Dauid that he was in trouble good for Naaman that he was a leper for his vncleannesse brought him vnto the Prophet and the Prophet brought him vnto the sauing knowledge of the true God It was good for Paul that he was buffeted by Satan for otherwise peraduenture through abundance of reuelations he would haue buffeted God Of all herbes in the garden as one wittily Rew is the herbe of grace Many times our woe doth occasion our weale for as pride doth breed sores of salues so faith on the contrarie doth often make salues of sores altogether renouncing her owne merit and wholly relying vpon Christs mercie Tanto desiderantiùs ad Christum contendit quòd suam indignitatem immunditiam probè sentiret as Luther and Ferus accord in this and that so truly that as a Papist said If Bonauentura had not been a Romish saint he would haue been reputed an asse So the Protestant if Ferus had not been a Romish asse he might haue proued in the Church a renowned saint The second vertue to bee considered as a fruite of his faith is adoration a spiritual fee for a spirituall physitian as the bodily Doctor must be paied so the ghostly prayed He therefore worships Christ and that with all humblenes of Thought humblenes of Word humblenes of Deede He comes to Christ as a vassall to his Lord Domine non tanquam ad dominum titularem sed tanquam ad dominum tutelarem If thou wilt thou canst Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and therefore beleeuing in his heart that Christ was the Lord willing and able to helpe confesseth it also with his mouth If it be for my good I am sure thou wilt and I beleeue thou canst attributing all to Christs might and mercie nothing to his owne either worth or woe Vttering this also with humble gesture For as S. Mark reports hee kneeled and as S. Luke he fell on his face teaching vs in prayer to fall down and kneele before the Lord our maker Hee that worships God irreuerently shewes himselfe not a Christian but a Manichee who thought God made the soule but not the bodie Thirdly note the lepers wisedome who did obserue Circumstances of Place not pressing to Christ on the mount but expecting him in the valley Circumstances of Time not interrupting Christ in his sermon or disturbing his auditory Circumstances of Person speaking in a succinct stile Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Giuing vs to vnderstand that in suing vnto men which are wise and in praying to God who is wisedome we need not vse many but pithie words See Gospel Dom. 2. quadrages The fourth vertue is his patience who was content notwithstanding his extreame miserie to stay Gods leisure and Christs pleasure First seeking the kingdome of God and then desiring that other things might be cast vpon him In y e first place giuing God glory Lord if thou wilt thou canst In the second praying for his own good Make me cleane not as I will but as thou wilt O Lord prescribing neither the time when nor place where nor manner how but referring all to Christ possessing his soule with patience The last vertue to be regarded in this leper is conâ—ession He knew the Pharisies hated and persecuted al such as confessed Christ yet he calles him Lord and worships him as a Lord and proclaimes him in the presence of much people to bee the Lord. It is well obserued that Gods omnipotent power and infinit mercies are the two wings of our deuotion whereby faith in the midst of all trouble mounts into heauen Here the leper acknowledgeth openly Christs omnipotencie for hee saith not intreate
loue of God in electing the fellowship of the holy Ghost in comforting is far from them so long as they continue in their sinnes and vnbeliefe so long they be traitours enemies rebels vnto the King of all Kings he proclaimes war and they can haue no peace Thinke on this ye that forget God Yee that ioine house to house and lay field to field till there be no place for other in the land ye that rise vp early to follow drunkennesse and are mighty to powre in strong drinke Ye that speake good of euill and euill of good which put light for darknesse and darknesse for light c. Agree with your aduersary quickly while you are in the way seeke the Lord while he may be found and call vpon him while he is nigh O Ierusalem Ierusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent vnto thee Suffer the words of exhortation harden not your heart but euen in this day heare the voice of the Crier confesse thy rebellion and come in to the Lord thy God for he is gentle patient and of much mercy desire of him to create in thee a new heart and to giue thee one drop of a liuely faith one dram of holy deuotion a desire to hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Suffer not thine eies to sleep nor thine eie lids to take any rest vntill thine vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen and sinne couered vntill thy peace be made with God and thy pardon sealed O pray pray that thou maist haue this peace O pray pray that thou maiest feele this peace for it is the third kinde the peace of conscience betweene man and himselfe There are foure kinds of conscience as Bernard hath well obserued 1. A good but not a quiet 2. A quiet but not a good 3. Both good and quiet 4. Neither good nor quiet The two good belong properly to the godly the two bad vnto the wicked whose coÌ„science is either too too quiet or else too too much vnquiet in neither peace non est gaudium impijs as the Translators of the Septuagints reade non est gaudere impijs There is no ioy to the wicked Somtime their conscience is too too quiet as Paul speakes euen feared with an hot iron when habit of sin takes away the sense of sinne when as men are past feeling in a reprobate sense giuen ouer to worke all vncleannes euen with greedinesse Ephes. 4.19 This is no peace but a numnesse yea a dumbnesse of conscience For at the first euery mans conscience speaks vnto him as Peter to Christ Master looke to thy selfe Her prick-arrowes as the shafts of Ionathan forewarne Dauid of the great Kings displeasure but if wee neglect her call and will not lend our eares while she doth spend her tongue this good Cassandra will crie no more Now it fareth with the maladies of the minde as it is with the sicknes of the bodie When the pulse doth not beate the bodie is in a most dangerous estate so if conscience neuer prick vs for sinne it is a manifest signe our soules are lulled in a deadly sleepe That schoole will soone decay where the monitor doth not complaine that armie must necessarilâ—e be subiect to surprise where watches and alarums are not exactly kept that towne is dissolute where no clocks are vsed â—o likewisâ—â—ur little citie is in great perilâ— when our conscience iâ—â—ill and sleepie quiet but not good tunc maxime oppugnaris si tâ— nescis oppugâ—ari saith Hierâ—me to Heliodore None so desperatly sicke as they who feele not their disease Saint Augustine notably Quid miserius misero non miserante seipsum and Bernard Ideo dolet charitas mea quòd cùm sis doleâ—dus non doleas inde ma is miseretur quòd cùm miser sis miserabilis tamen non es and Hierome to Sabinian Hoc plango quòd te non plangis When the strong man armed keepes â—is hold the things that are possessed are in peace Where Diuines obserue that vngodly men already possessed with Satan are not a whit disquieted with his temptations As God is at open war so the diuell is at secret peace with the wicked but yet saith Hierome tranquillitas ista tempestas est This calmâ— of conscience will one day prooue a storme For as God said vnto Cain If thou doest ill sinne lieth at the doore Where wickednesse is compared to a wilde beast which dogs a man wheresoeuer hee goeth in this wildernesse And albeit for a time it may seeme harmlesse for that it lieth asleepe yet at length except men vnfainedly repent it will rise vp and rent out the very throte of their soules A guiltie conscience being once roused and awaked thoroughly will make them like those who lie on a bed that is too strait and the couering too short who would with all their heart sleepe but cannot they seeke for peace of minde but there is no peace to the wicked sâ—iâ—h my God As the coÌ„science was heretofore too too quiet so now too too much vnquiet As godly men haue the first fruits of the Spirit and certaine â—asts of heauenly ioyes in this life so the wicked on the contrarie feele certaine flashings of hell flames on earth As there is heauen on earth and heauen in heauen so hell on earth and hell in hell an outward hell and an inward outward in outward darknesse mentioned in holy Scripture where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth at this feast as Bishop Latymer wittily there can bee no mirth where weeping is serued in for the first course gnashing of teeth for the second Inward hell is an infernall tormenting of the soule void of hope faith and loue this hell the diuels haue alwaies in theÌ„ and reprobate forlorne people carrie about theÌ„ insomuch that they can neither disport themselues abroad nor please themselues at home neither comforted in companie nor quiâ—ted alone but in all places and times Erinnys conscieâ—tiae so Melancâ—hon calles it hellish hags and infernall â—uries affright them Auâ—ustine in his â—narration of the 45. Psalm thus liuely describes the wofull estate of a despairing sinner Fâ—giet ab agro ad ciuitatem à publico ad domum à domo in cubiculum He runnes as a mad man out of the field into the citie out of the citie into his house from the common roomes in his house to his chamber from his chamber into his studie from his studie to the secret closet of his own heart ecce hosteÌ„ suum inuenit quo confugerat seip sum quò fugiturâ—s est and then last of all he is content least of all himselfe being greatest enemie to himselfe The blinde man in the Gospel newly recouering his sight imagined trees to be men and the Burgundians as Comiâ—aeus reports expecting a battell supposed long thistles to be launces so the
all that is therein euermore willing to fight in this quarrell The red sea did ouerwhelme proud Pharaoh and all his host euen all his horses his chariots and horsemen Anno 1588. the sea and fish in the sea fought against the superstitious Spaniard enemy to God and his true religion a wonderfull worke which ought to be had in perpetuall remembrance I say wind and water ouercame that inuincible army prepared for our destruction in such sort that the popish Relator heâ—reof confessed ingenuously that God in that sea-fight shewed himselfe a very Lutheran and meere Protestant The floods and inundations which happened in diuers parts of this kingdome within these few yeeres here should not be passed ouer with dry eyes If the Lord had not according to his infinite greatnes and goodnesse fettered the waters of our seas as Xerxes did the waters of Hellespontus If God had not gathered the waters together on an heape and laid them vp in the deepe as in a treasure house Psalme 33.7 If hee had not spoken to the flood IIitherto sâ—â—lt thou goe but no further and here shall it stay thy proud waues assuredly there had followed a great doomesday to this Iland The waters saw thee O Lâ—rd the waters saw thee and were afraid Blessed be the Lord God euen the God of Israel which only doth wondrous things and blâ—ssed be the nâ—me of his Maiesty for euer and let all the people 〈◊〉 Amen Amen I passe to the shore to drie land which opened and swallowed vp quicke Corâ—â—h Dathâ—n and Abâ—ram In this one Prouince are sundrie rankes of fighting souldiers armies oâ— fell dragons of hissing serpents of roring lions of deuouring wolues of other wilde beasts in the forrest and cattell vpon a thousand hils all which named and all other not named are readie with force and furie to crush the wicked and at Gods alarum to breake them in pecces like a potters vessell Euen the least of these creatures is strong enough if God set them to fight an host of frogges an armie of grashoppers a swarme of flyes able to dismay Pharao and all his people a few rats troubled all the citizens of Hamel a few wormes deuoured Herod a little gnat choked a great man yea the greatest monarch in his own conceit Adriâ—n the Pope The very senselesse creatures haue sense and feeling of the wrong done to God In Siloam as we reade in the Gospell a tower fell vpon eighteene pâ—rsons and slew them In Rome fiftie thousand men were hurt and slaine with the fall of a Theater as they were beholding the games of the Sword-players Anno 25. Reg. Elizâ—b the scaffold about Parisgarden vpon a Sunday in the afternoone fell downe which instantly killed eight persons and hurt many moe A faire warning to such as profane the Sabbath and delight more in the crueltie of beasts then in the workes of mercie which are exercises of the Lords day The time will not suffer me to name much lesse to mufter all the rest of Gods warâ—iers on earth I will only remember one whom I thinke you feare most namely the plague fitly called by the Canonists bellum Dei contra homâ—es the warre of God against men and by the Scripture the sword of God and arâ—oâ—r of his anger In the yeere 1006 there was such an vniuersall plague thoroughout the whole world that the liuing were not able to burie the dead as Sigisbertus and other report Anno 1342. there was in Venice such a pestilence that the hundreth person was scarsly lâ—ft aliue insomuch that the State made a law that whosoeuer would come and dwell at Venice two yeeres he should instantly be made free About the yeâ—re 1522. there died of the plague in Millaine fiftie thousand within the space of foure moneths In Norwich from the first of Ianuarie to the first of Iuly 57104. In Yarthmouth within the space of one yeâ—re 7052. In London and the liberties thereof from the 23. of December 1602. vnto the 22. of December 1603. there died of all diseases as was accounted weekely 38244. whereof of the plague 30578. and from that time to this day the Citie not yet free This last yeere past as appeares in your own bils there died 2262. Lay this heauie iudgement to your heart heare this proclamation againe and againe There is no peace to the wicked As the stones of the field are in league with the righteous and the beasts at peace with the godly they may dwell safe in the wildernes and sleepe in the woods Ezech. 34.25 so contrariwise the stone shall crie â—ut of the wall and the beame out of the timber against the wicked Habacuk 2.11 Their sinne begets their sorrow their faults increase their foes euen their tables are made snares and their iâ—orie beds accusâ—rs and their seeled houses witnesses against them all things which were giuen for blessings are become curses vnto them and that which is most strange beside these two great bands of souldiers one common in earth another select in heauen there is yet a third of rebels euen of the very diuels in hell for albeit they be reserued in euerlasting chaines vntill the iudgement of the great day yet God infinite in his power and wisedome who brings light out of darknesse doth make good vse of these bad instâ—uments It is said in the first of Sam. chap. 16. that the euill spirit of the Lord vexed Saul it was Gods spirit which came vpon Dauid but it was a malignant spirit which was on Saul and yet this spirit is called sâ—â—riâ—us Domini the spirit of the Lord because the Lord sent that euill spirit and suffered it to torment Saul as Augustine and Lombard haue well expounded that place So likewise wâ—e reade in the Gospell that the foule spirits made some dâ—ase some dumbe casting one into the water another into the fire all which actions as they were actions proceeded from God for the Scripture tels vs plainly there is no power but of God Happily some will say the diuels assault the good so well as the bad We wrestle saith Paul against principalities against powers against the prince of darknes for Satan goes about like a roring lion seeking whom he may deuoure Answere is made that God suffers Satan to tempt his children onely to trie them but suffers him to tempt the reprobate so farre as to destroy them the temptations of the good are instruction of the bad destruction vtter ruine of bodie and soule In what a miserable case then is euery wretch irrepentant drawing iniquitie with cords of vanitie and sinne as it were with cart-ropes heaping vp wrath against the day of wrath For the number of his enemies is without number the number of the blessed Saints is innumerable Apocalyp 7.9 After these things I beheld and loe a great multitude which no
man could number of all nations and kinreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the Lambe clothed with long white robes and palmes in their hands The number of Angels is infinite Thinkest thou said Christ to Peter in the 26 of S. Matthâ—w that I cannot now pray to my father and he will giue me moe then twelue legions of Angels A legion is 3000. footmen and 300. horsemen or as Caluin vpon the place 5000. foote 500. horsemen as Vegetius 6000. in all and â—uery particular Angell able in one night to kill as is recorded in the storie of Sennâ—cherib one hundred eightie and fiue thousand The number of starres in the skie of fowles in the aire of fish in the sea of beasts in the field of diuels in hell are without number How infinitely infinite then is the number of all his enemies in what a fâ—arefull â—state doth hee stand when as God and man Angels and Diuels saints and sinners heauen and earth fish and fowle beasts and birds other and himselfe in a word all that is within him all that is without him all that is about him combine themselues together to maintaine Gods holy warre against him I know there are degrees of sinners as there are degrees in sinne some be fautores some actores a third sort authores Of the first Seneca wittily Nihil interest faâ—eas ne sceleri an illud facias It is in a manner all one to commit and commend a villanie Non caret scrupulo occultae societatis qui manifesto discrimini non occurrit saith Gregorie He is suspected to be an abetter of euill who doth not endeuour to better the euill A commoner then that flattereth a Commander that fauoureth vngodly wretches in a citie le ts in so many strong foes to cut your throtes and ruine your estate Yet actors on the stage be worse then idle spâ—ctators for howsoeuer sinne be commendable because common as Sâ—luiâ—nus complained in his time In hâ—c scelus res deuoluta vt nisi quis malus fuerit saluus esse non possit In plaine English except a man be first bad he cannot be reputed a good fellow Yet horrible blasphemers incorrigible drunkards shamelesse whoremongers makebate pettifoggers malcontent accusants on the one side recusants on the other are the very men and meanes which bring and keepe the dearth and plague so long among you But authors of euill and plotters of mischiefe are worst of all as it appeares euen by Gods owne censure giuen of the first sinne in Paradise where the serpâ—nt had three punishments inflicted vpon him as the originall contriuer the woman two being the mediate procurer and Adam but one as the partie seduced Applie for I can no further amplifie When Phocas had built a mightie wall about his palace for his securitie in the night he heard a voice O King though thou build as high as the clouds yet the citie might easily be taken the sinne within will marre all as see Ambrose notably Grauiores sunt iniâ—â—ci mores praui quam hostes inâ—esti Wicked manners are stronger then armed men If God be with vs who can bee against vs if we stand against God who can withstand him And as God is ablâ— because God so willing to maintaine this warre because my God that is the God of his people whom the wicked persecute for his Grant is faire in letters patent to Abraham and his seed for euer I will blesse them that bleâ—â—e thee and curse them that curse thee Or my God that is the God by whom I speake who dealeth alway with his seruants according to his word The gods of the Gentiles are lying gods and dying gods but my God is the truth and the life who can neither deceiue nor be deceiued Or my God because wee must not only beleeue the Maior of the Gospell but the Minor also saying with Thomas my Lord with Mary my Sauiour with Esay my God If we can gaine this assumption it will bring vs to the most happie conclusion enioying peace of conscience which is an heauen on earth peace of glory which is heauen in heauen Vnto which hee bring vs that hath made peace for vs euen Christ Iesus the righteous to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost as we are bound so let vs heartily yeeld all honour c. Amen The Epistle COLOS. 3.12 Put vpon you as the elect of God tender mercy c. THis Epistle consists of two parts In the first Saint Paul exhorts the Colossians vnto many speciall vertues as tender mercy kindnesse humblenesse of mind meeknesse long suffering c. In the second because it is infinit to insist in euery particular he drawes them and all other duties vnto two generall admonitions in grosse whereof the 1. concernes our theory Let the word of Christ dâ—ell in you plenteously c. 2. our practise whatsoeuer ye doe in word or deed doe all in the name of the Lord c. Put vpon you Christ had two sorts of garments as we read in the Gospell one without seame not diuided at his death and that was a figure of faith which maugre the rents of all heretikes and schismatikes in the Church is but one Another with seames parted among the souldiers and that was a type of loue which seekes not her owne but communicates it selfe to many So the Christian must haue two coates one of faith indiuisible by which he puts on Christ another of loue parted among many by which one Christian puts on another reioicing with them that reioice weeping with them that weep Vpon the point these two coates are but one faith being inside and loue outside faith in respect of God and loue toward the world This Epistle speakes of the outside put on tender mercy quoad affectum kindnesse quoad effectum meeknesse bene vtendo prosperis long suffering bene se habendo in aduersis c. These vertues are both ornamenta and munimenta clothes and corslets Ephes. 6.11 Put on the whole armour of God that yee may be able to stand against the assaults of the diuell Seeing we must euery day sight and euery day be seene let vs as well for armour as honour put on tenâ—er mercy kindnesse c. that we may walke vprightly and confidently See epist. dom 21. post Trinit How loue is said to be the bond of perfectnesse and chiefe vertue See epist. dom quinquages As the elect of God Saint Paul builds all these good exhortations vpon one argument drawne ab honesâ—o seâ— debito you are the elect of God holy and beloued chosen and beloued of God before the world through baptisme consecrated solemnly to God in the world wherefore being thus electi selecti dilecti Gods owne workmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good works it is most meete new men should vse new maners in stead of