without the which no mā can turne vntoo God For by faith as saith Paul we haue accesse vntoo God Moreouer where as is added make too your selues a new harte and a new spirite hée requireth that wée should become a newe creature liuing according too Gods wil. Héereupon it is gathered that the true and helthful repentaunce is a hartie sorinesse for Gods displeasure with a desire and hope of forgiuenesse and an earnest endeuer too eschue all sin and too make the whole life from thencefoorth allowable before God This thing we may sée plainlier in this notable example Dauid after his horrible fall intoo aduoutrie and murther repented him according too the fashion expressed in the Psalm First he saith Haue mercy vpon mée O God according too thy great mercy Héer hée both soroweth for his owne miserie that he had so lewdly offended God and also acknowledgeth God too bée merciful Wherby there was in him desire and hope liuely trust of the Messias Now how great his sorow was and how great his faith was whereby he ouercame the sorowe the same Psalme declareth in many woordes And where as hée addeth in the same Psalme Create a new spirite in my bowels hée desireth too become a new creature Such examples as this there bée many as of Adam Manasses Peter the théefe and Mary Magdalene and others whiche things it behoueth vs too thinke vpon that by their example wée may bothe bée taught what true repentaunce is and also repent vs earnestly as they did Although that by the things whiche wée haue said it may bée méetly wel vnderstood how true repentance is doone yet wil I shew it more distinctly For nothing is more necessary too man than by true repentāce too bée reconciled too God and too bée saued Too the intent therefore that wée may knowe how true repentance is doone seauen pointes are too bée obserued First the knowledge of God who requireth obedience This is fetched out of the table of the ten commaundementes I am the Lord thy god that brought thée out of the lande of Egypt c. Héere god requireth an acknowledging of him selfe Secondly foloweth what maner of obedience he requireth Thou shalt haue no strange gods before me Thirdly the threatnings that are added doo testifie that he condempneth disobedience Uisiting sayth he the iniquities of the fathers vpon the children vntoo the third fourth generation Lastly also it is too bée knowne concerning God that hée is mercifull according to the voyce of the gospell Therfore before the entrie bée set open too true repentauuce there is required the knowledge of god who looketh for obedience iudging and condemning disobedience in good earnest and agein pitying and receyuing sinners intoo his fauor for the mediators sake 2 After this knowledge must folow an examinatiō of our dooings by y e law of god and euery precept is to be considered seuerally by himselfe First therfore in this examination sée whether thou make such accompt of God that thou trust too him only sée whither thou feare him loue him worship him with all thy powers sée whither thou halowest his name whither thou extol him praise him and cal vpon him according as the precepts of the first table cōmaund thée After the same maner must thou make thine examination in the secōd table concerning thy neibor c. By this examination thou shalt come to the knowledge of thine owne filthinesse iust damnation for offending God And such an examination demaundeth God at our hands as oft as the Scripture exhorteth vs too repentaunce 3 This examination béeing made by y e knowledge of sin y e iudgemēt of god ther ariseth a great fearfulnesse in y e cōscience which fearfulnes is augmēted by y e circūstāces of Gods iudgemēt which are these present calamities the tiranny of the diuell the paines of hell eternall death and damnation 4 In this great terrour infinite persons should perishe if Fayth rescued them not For in this terror by the beholdings of Gods mercy promised for Christs sake is conceiued trust of remission of sins And so man wresteth himselfe as it wer out of hell and taketh holde on the hande of Gods sonne who haleth him out of hell Héere the minde thinketh vppon Gods promises looketh vpon the sonne of God hanging on the crosse for thy sinnes and mine héereth the voyce of Ioel most full of comfort saying turne too the Lorde your God bicause he is gracious and mercifull slow to wrath swifte too pitie and one that beareth with your naughtinesse Let the examples of these promises bée considered that wée may bée strengthned by them 5 The sinner knowing this mercie of GOD conceyueth hope of forgiuenesse and begynneth openly too bewayle his sinne he confesseth his lewdnesse vntoo God and with earnest prayer and a feruent hart fléeth vnto Gods mercy 6 He that in this wise ascendeth by these degrees first acknowledging Gods iudgement and mercie according as is alreadie set foorth he by this confidence is assoyled of his sin and iustified before God not through his owne righteousnesse but through Chrysts whiche is imputed to euery one that beléeueth For our true iustification is the absolution from sinne of the person that beléeueth in Chryst the imputation of Chrystes righteousnesse vntoo him and the accepting of him fréely vnto life euerlasting for Chrysts sake 7 He that is iustified by fayth and adopted the Sonne of God and regenerate yéeldeth thanks too God extolleth god and amendeth his whole life from that time forwarde Howbeeit too the intent these things may bée the cléerelier vnderstoode of vs I will propounde an example of helthful repentance whereof you haue heard and that shall be Manasses king of Iuda in whose helthful repentance all these things are too bée séene according as it appeareth in his Prayer For first when he sayth O Lorde almightie the God of our fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob whom all men fear and tremble at the countenance of thy maiestie Importable is the wrath of thine indignation vpon sinners but vnmeasurable and vnserchable is the mercy of thy promise for thou art the moste high Lorde gracious merciful and ful of compassion and sory for the naughtinesse of men In these woords of Manasses is first an acknowledging of God 2. A testification of due obedience 3. A confession of gods iudgement against sinners 4. An acknowledging and setting foorth of his mercy Then foloweth the second thing that is too wit the examination of Manasses his dooings by the rule of the lawe For thus he saith I haue sinned aboue the numbre of the sand of the sea my sinnes are multiplyed O Lord. Thirdly how great terrour was in his harte hée sheweth when hée sayth And I am not woorthie too beholde and looke vpon the high heauen for the multitude of mine iniquities Fourthly in these terrours he rayseth him self with thinking vpon Gods mercie and sayeth And nowe I bowe the knées of my hart praying vntoo thée O Lord
who haste promised repentaunce and forgiuenesse of sinnes too them that haue sinned against thée Fifthly foloweth entreatance of forgiuenesse Wherefore I pray and beséeche thée forgiue mée Lorde forgiue mée and destroye mée not toogither with my sinnes neyther bée thou angry with mée for euer for my euil dooings For thou arte GOD I say the God of the repentant shewe all thy goodnesse vpon mée Sixthly hauing prayed in this wise he firmely beléeueth him selfe too bée heard and iustified Wherefore hée addeth For thou shalt saue mée vnworthy person according too thy great mercy Héere Manasses béeing iustified by fayth becōmeth a new creature Seuenthly after this frée iustification ensueth amendmēt in his whole life Whervpon it foloweth in his prayer And I will euermore praise thée all the dayes of my life bicause all the powers of heauen praise thée and vntoo thée bée glory for euer and euer Amen This maner of repenting haue al the saints euer folowed ▪ Dauid acknowledgeth God he acknowledgeth gods iudgement he acknowledgeth his mercy he examineth his owne dooing he is afrayd for sinne he lifteth vp him selfe with confidence of mercie he prayeth forgiuenesse he is iustified by faith and béeing iustified he prayseth God These things are too be séene in the .51 Psalme We haue herd what repentance is how it is doon Now is too be lerned which are the chéef parts of it They are coūted thrée which are sorinesse faith and newnesse of life Untoo sorinesse are required the first thrée things whiche are the knowledging of God the examining of the déede and the terrour of conscience for sinne Untoo faith are required the thrée nexte that is thinking vpon mercy desiring of forgiuenesse and iustification Untoo newnesse of life is required the last thing whiche consisteth in framing the hart the tung and the life according too the law of God ¶ Of the second IT is written in this gospel that Christ put back this woman Why did he so Why sayde hée that hée was not sent but too the lost shéep of the house of Israel Is not he the same Lord that saith Come vnto me all yée that labour are heauy loden c. I answer The Lord did not this without great causes First hée did it that the womans faith might by this delay bée exercised and increased Secondly that shée mighte bée an example of godlinesse againste the stiffnecked Iewes which despised Christe Thirdly that the Lord might shewe how hée would bée ouercome of vs by the importunatenesse of our prayers Fourthly that by this example hée might teach the present beholders a true experiment of godlinesse But the Lord assigneth an other cause why he put back this woman For he sayth I am not sent but too the lost sheepe of the house of Israel I aunswere Chryst sayth not this as though he denyed the Gentiles accesse vntoo his grace For that same woman was an Ethnicke But there are other causes First hée méeneth héere too note the obstinate malice and vnthankfulnesse of the Iewes who acknowledged not Chryst that was sent peculiarly too them The seconde is for that the selfe same Chryst should preache Gods woord to the Iewes before his death who after his death should giue commaundement to preach it too the Gentils For the Lorde had forbidden his Gospell too bée preached too the Gentils before his death But afterward when he was risen from death hée gaue this commaundement too the apostles Go yée intoo the whole world and preache the gospell to all creatures This commaundement dooth manifestlye declare that Chrysts benefites béelong both to the Iewes and Gentiles ▪ that is too say that all as well of the Iewes as of the Gentiles that receyue Chryst and truly repent are partakers of Chrysts benefites so that by his blood all their sinnes are washed away and finally at the last day all shal rise ageine too blissed immortalitie and euerlasting life But they that refuse too receiue christ liuing without repentance they without mercie shall bée punished in euerlasting paines with the diuell For as the Lord hath bin is and wil bée mercifull too al that repent without any respect of persons So hath he bin is and will bée an vntreatable iudge too them that repent not not passing whither wée bée Kings noble men Citizens or countrey folke ¶ Of the thirde A Moste goodly image of Chrysts Churche and of euery member of the same is described in this woman of Cananie For first as this woman of Cananie is ouerwhelmed with misery so also is the Churche and euery member therof Héerevpon Paule sayeth All that will liue godlyly in Chryst must suffer this persecution This doothe Chryste teache when he biddeth vs take his yoke vpon vs. For God will haue vs nowe become lyke vntoo his sonne in afflictions and miseries as well as we shall become like vnto him in time to come in glorie Rom. 8. Secondly the churche in these calamities prayeth for helpe For the church hath none other refuge than prayer vntoo God wherby helpe is obteined Thirdly chryst séemeth too turne away his eare when we doo not out of hand obteine that we would haue Fourthly the church after the example of this woman ceasseth not too pray but continueth in prayer vntil it haue obteined that which it desireth Moreouer euery seuerall member of the churche hath héere too learne by First let euery one of vs acknowledge himselfe too bée a Cananite that is to say vngodly and vnwoorthy of Gods grace Secondly let him crie out with this woman Haue mercy vppon mée haue mercie vppon mée Thirdly if thou bée tried yet continue thou after the example of this woman If he héere thée not to day or to morow yet shall not thy prayers be in vayne but they shall bée herd in déede for chrysts sake if thou pray with fayth as this woman did Fourthly acknowledge thy selfe with this woman too bée a Dog but yet such a dog as is fed with the crummes that fall from his maisters table and therefore continue in prayer Fifthly it will befall too thée as it did too this woman whiche erewhile was called Dog and anone was acknowledged for a daughter So great is the mercie of God to whom bée honour and glory world without ende Amen The thirde Sunday in Lent ¶ The Gospell Luke xj ANd he vvas casting out a diuil and the same vvas dūme And vvhen he had cast out the diuil the dumme spake and the people vvondered But some of them sayd he casteth out diuels through Beelzebub the cheefe of the diuels And other tempted him and required of him a signe from heauen But he knovving their thoughtes sayde vnto them Euery kingdome diuided against it selfe is desolate and one house doth fall vpon another If Sathan also bee diuided against him selfe hovve shall his kingdome endure Because yee say I cast out diuels through Beelzebub If I by the helpe of Beelzebub cast out diuels by vvhose helpe doo your children cast them
through him mighte bee saued But hee that beleeueth on him is not condemned But hee that beleeueth not is condēned already bicause hee hath not beleeued in the name of the onely begotten sonne of God And this is the condemnacion that light is come intoo the vvorlde and men loued darknesse more than light bicause their deedes vvere euill For euery one that euil dooth hateth the light neyther commeth too the light least his deeds should be reproued But he that dooth the truthe commeth too the light that his deeds may bee knovvne hovv that they are vvrought in God The exposition of the Text. WE heard yesterday how the Gospel of Iesus Chryst was confirmed by a woonderfull miracle namely that Chryst sent the holy ghost from heauen in a visible shape whō not onely the Apostles felt but also al that wer that day at Hierusalem sawe according as Luke declareth Act. 2. This day the Church setteth foorth a Gospel wherin Chryst comprehendeth a summe of that doctrine for the confirmation whereof the holy Ghoste was giuen vpon Whitsonday Chryste talketh with Nichodemus who was one of the Pharisies and a Prince of the Iewes as wée shall héere more at large vpon Trinitie Sunday Untoo him dooth Chryste in the texte whiche I recited euen now declare the causes of saluation and damnation sheweth from whence commeth the originall bothe of saluation also of damnation Hée sayeth that Chryst was giuen too the intent that they which beléeue in him shoulde bée saued The reste hée witnesseth too sticke still in their damnation as wée shall cléerly sée in the exposition of the text The places 1 The commendation of Gods louingnesse and mercy towards men 2 The instrument wherby Chrystes benefites are applyed too men is sealed 3 A comfort for the godly ageinst the temptation of sinne and iudgement 4 The difference betwixte the beléeuers and the vnbeléeuers ¶ Of the first SO GOD loued the vvorlde that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne In these few woords is commended vntoo vs the louingnesse and mercy of God and that not by naked woords but by a déed most excellent of all others For it is not a true loue which eyther lyeth hid in the hart only or sitteth in the tong but which procéeding frō the innermore affection of the hart vttreth it selfe by woord and déede How then dooth God loue héer Hée loueth in such wise that he gaue euen his own sonne too be the price of the raunsome for the redēption of the world that he might by his death redéem them that were adiudged too death damnation Of this loue of God speaketh Paul Rom. 5. God condemneth his loue towards vs in that when wée were yet sinners Chryst dyed for vs. And Rom. 8 If God bée on oure side who can bée ageinst vs Who spared not euen his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all Wée dayly behold great tokens of Gods loue towards men in al our whole life in the gouernment of things Notwithstanding that loue whiche so shineth foorthe in the matters of this life is scarsly a slender shadow of that most excellent loue wherwith he embraceth vs in his sonne whom he hath giuen too most bitter death for vs. This loue of GOD hath excéeding mercy going with it of which Moises the Prophets and the Psalmes doo preach in many places out of whom I wil take a few testimonies too confirme our beléefe concerning Gods good wil towards vs. Moses Exo. 34. saith thus O Lord God of power mercifull and gentle and of much compassion and true which extendest mercy vntoo thousands which takest away iniquitie wickednesse and sinne Deut. 5. I am the Lord thy God that sheweth mercy vntoo many thousāds that loue me and kéepe my commaundements Esai 16. And his throne shalbée prepared in mercy Ionas 4. for I know that thou art a gentle and merciful God pacient and of much compassion a forgiuer of mens wickednesse Dauid Psa. 2. The earth is full of the Lords mercy And the .102 Psal. As farre as the heauen is from the earth so hath he strengthened his mercy vpon them that feare him Also Psal. 103. The mercy of the Lord is from generation too generation vpon them that fear him and his rightuousnesse vpon their childrens childrē Also in the same Psalm The Lord is merciful and gentle slow too anger great in mercy he dealeth not with vs according too our iniquities neither rewardeth he vs according too our misdéedes but as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so much hath his mercy surmounted towards them that feare him As the father pitieth his children so doth the Lord pitie thē that feare him There be many such testimonies of scripture which set out vntoo vs the vnspeakable loue and mercy of God and shew the largenesse of the same loue and mercy and the effect and applying therof For the largenes of gods mercy is séene in these poynts that it extendeth it selfe vntoo thousandes that it filleth the earth that God pitieth as the father pitieth his owne children The effect or frute of it is séene in this that it taketh away sinne that it iustifieth sinners that it acquiteth of y e due penaltie This mercy is groūded in his sone bicause he by offring himself in sacrifice hath satisfied Gods iustice by his obedience towards the law of God hath purchased rightuousnesse vntoo vs. This mercy is applied too them that loue God feare him kéepe his commaundements that is too them that beléeue in Christ which through faith performe new obedience But as touching this matter more is to be spoken in the second place Let vs héere consider more déepely the woords of the text God so loued the vvorld sayth he Who loueth God Whom loueth he The world Héer stay thy self think vpon this woord He loueth this world Ergo his healthfull louingnesse perteyneth not to the Iewes only for they ar but a péece of y e world He loueth the world Ergo he loueth not only a certeine few of y e world as the holy vertuous y t are in the world but rather Chryst cam into y e world of purpose to saue y e sinners What meneth he then by the world Al men that are in y e world Behold the Lamb of God saith Iohn which taketh away y e sinnes of the world And agein gods wil is y t al men shuld be saued As often therfore as we héer y t God loueth the world let vs think our selues to be a parcel of that world which he loueth How falles it out then y t he loueth vs cōsidering y t we are sinners God findeth two things in vs. One whiche he himselfe hath made and another which cōmeth of our selues That we are men consisting of soule body it procéedeth of him This his creature God loueth But that we are sinners we haue it not of him but it procéeeeth of our selues This dooth God hate for the
the examples and thinke that God is no accepter of persons but that he will haue mercie on all men in Chryst Iesu. With this confidence fall vppon Chryst and persuade thy selfe that he will héere thée and graunt thée thy requeste if thou aske not poyson that is too say if thou aske not that which will do thée no good or which may hinder Gods glorie And apply vntoo thy selfe this saying Come vntoo me al. c. which thing when thou hast doone thou shalt féele comfort But this woman had Chryst present and sawe him with hir eyes but he is farre from me This a temptation of the fleshe ageynst which set thou first Chrysts promisse I am with you too the ende of the world And secondly that which the Lord said too Thomas Blissed are they that beléeue and sée not And moreouer that Chryste is no accepter of persones and howe by certeine examples when he was héere in the fleshe he shewed howe he would deale with the rest that should call vpon him But I am a great sinner I beléeue thée But Chryst came intoo the world too saue sinners So sayth he first him selfe I came not too call the rightuous but the sinners too repentance Paule repeting this sayeth It is a sure saying and woorthy too bée embraced of all men that Chryst Iesus came intoo this world too saue sinners Also healthfull grace appéered vntoo all men Then let vs behold the examples of Gods mercie Adam had cast him selfe and all the whole worlde into damnation Neuerthelesse he repenteth and is receiued Paule persecuted Chrystes Churche Peter denyed Chryst and Manasses hadde defyled him selfe with horrible Idolatries and with plentiful bloudshed of the saincts and yet all these vppon their repentance were receyued into fauor Wherby is shewed how true this saying is in the Prophet As truely as I liue sayeth the Lorde I will not the death of the sinner but that hée should turne and liue Héereuntoo make also these earneste assurances of Chryste Uerely verely I say vnto you hée that beléeueth in mée shall not perishe but haue life euerlasting Set thou these sentences and these examples ageinst the thoughte of the greatnesse of thy sinnes and knowe thou that Gods mercye excéedeth the hugenesse of sinne and that grace aboundeth aboue misdéede But I know not whither I am predestinate This is the sorest temptation and commeth euen from Sathan himself Who is falne Adam his posteritie For wée were in him as in y e generall lump of all mankind Who receyued y e promisse was it not Adam Then euen as thou arte falne in Adam so art thou partaker with him of the promisse so that thou wilt giue credite too the woord of promisse Ageine it is a cléer saying of Paule God would that all men should bée saued and come too the knoweledge of his truthe Héereuntoo also maketh it that Chryste giueth a generall commaundement too his Disciples Go yée intoo the whole worlde and preache the Gospel hée that beléeueth and is baptized shalbée saued and hée that beléeueth not shalbée damned But fayth is the gift of God whiche hée giueth too whome hée will Sée howe manye things the fleshe deuiseth too shut himselfe out of the way of Saluation Fayth is Gods gifte but it is bestowed in this wise Hee setteth his woorde foorthe vntoo thée and biddeth thée beléeue it and in thy thought will â—â—e woorke effectuallye But take than héede that wyth the Iewes thou resist not the holy Ghost which thing Stephen chargeth his owne Nation wythall When Chryste looked vppon the Citie of Hierusalem and thought vppon the desolation therof hée wept and sayde How often would I haue gathered thée toogither as the Hen gathereth hir Chickens and thou wouldest not Beholde Chryst wil and hée willeth none other thing than the Father willeth What would hée Gather the children of Hierusalem too his shéepeholde But Hierusalem béeing deceyued by hir owne seducers and false Prophetes woulde not Hierusalem béeing caught with the bayte of riches power pleasures and cares of this worlde would not obey Chryst hir shéepeherd Wherfore as shée perished by y e iust iudgement of god so perished shée by hir own default Wherfore trusting too Gods promises specially being vniuersall and confirming our selues with examples Let vs with this woman flée vntoo Chryste in oure sorowes and afflictions so wil it come too passe that we shal find help in time conuenient Wée haue séene the faith of this womaÌ„ â–ª Now let vs look vpon that which I sayd was too bée considered in the third place concerning this woman namely what maner of prayer or supplication this woman made Shée holdes hir peace shée speakes too hir selfe shée dooth no more but touche the hem of Iesus garmente Héere is no prayer too bée herd of vs. True it is in déed héere are recited no woordes of praying howbéeit héere bée signes of one that prayeth and the effectes of prayer The tokens or signes are that shée commeth too him toucheth the hem of his garment and within hir selfe thinketh of his gentlenesse and from the bottome of hir hart wisheth too obteine mercie Chryst heard this wishe no lesse than if it had bin a moste earnest prayer The effects that ensued it were comforte and healing Wée reade also of Moyses that though hée moued not his lippes yet the Lord sayd vntoo him wherfore cryest thou vntoo mée Wherby we are taught that the prayer whiche perceth the clouds is not a wagging of the lips nor a babling of woords much talke but rather an humble lifting vp of the minde too God in which any thing is desired of God through fayth in Chryste This thing is confirmed by the witnesse of Dauid who saith Too thée O Lord haue I lift vp my soule Moreouer for as muche as there is no greater seruice of God than too call vppon him aright and that it behoueth the godly too bée occupied continually therin I will bréefly say somewhat concerning right inuocation I told a little before what true prayer is nowe will I shewe what conditions praying ought too haue continually There be fiue continual conditions as it were properties of a godly prayer which are these First after what sort our mind must be framed too pray Secondly what shoulde moue vs and prouoke vs too pray Thirdly whom wée ought too cal vpon Fourthly vpon what foundation wée should ground our selues when wée preace intoo Gods sight too pray And fifthly what is too bée sought and when with condition wheÌ„ without condition The first Our mind must bée framed in this wise First wée must put of all thought of glorying in our selues like as this woman acknowledged nothing but filthinesse in hir selfe Secondly wée must féele our néedinesse whiche this afflicted woman felt very great in hir selfe Then lette a man with true repentance cast him selfe down before God that rather in minde than in bodye That this woman did so it appered in that she
our senses by outward signs which are the seales of his woord So in these dayes he had disclosed his wil vntoo vs by his Gospel the which he sealeth vp with the outward signes of Baptim and the Lordes supper Howbéeit in this coÌ„munication of the Angel with the virgin this spéech is too be noted wher he saith â—or vvith God no vvord shal be impossible This woord this saying of the Angel conteineth two things First it sealeth vp the truth and certentie of Gods promises And secondly it admonisheth vs to set gods power ageinst al sense iudgement of the flesh to assure our selues y t God is true although the whole frame of things shuld go about to persuade vs otherwise and to say with the virgin do according to thy woord thou reuelest thy wil by thy woord fulfil thy wil by thy power that thou alone may be glorified Thou art a sinner bewailest thy misery But herken what Gods woord saith of his wil. I wil not the death of a sinner Also all that cal vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued Include thou within this woord both Gods wil his power ageinst which nothing is able too staÌ„d When y u art sorowful bicause thou art at deaths doore flée vnto Christ héer his woord Blissed are they that die in the Lord. In this word ioyne togither Gods wil his power then assure thy self y t death shal be vntoo thée the way to blisfulnesse through Chryst Iesus our Lord too whom with the father the holy Ghost be honor praise glory world without end Amen Vpon the Natiuitie of Iohn Baptist. The Gospel Luke j. ELizabeths time came that she should be deliuered and she brought forth a son And hir neibors and hir cousins herde hovv the lord had shevved gret mercy vpon hir reioiced And it fortuned that in the eight day they came too Circumcise the childe and called his name Zacharie after the name of his father And his mother ansvvered and said not so but his name shal be called Iohn And they said vnto hir There is none in thy kinred that is named vvith this name And they made signes to his father hovv he vvould haue him called And he asked for vvriting tables and vvrote saying his name is Iohn And they marueiled al. And his mouth vvas opened immediatly and his toung also and he spake and praysed God And feare came on all them that dvvelt nie vntoo him And all these sayings vver noised abrode throughout al the hie countrie of Ievvrie and they that herd them laid them vp in their harts saying â–ª vvhat maner of childe shal this bee And the hand of the Lorde vvas vvith him And his father Zacharias vvas filled vvith the holy Ghost and prophecied saying Praysed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people And hath raysed vp an horne of saluation vntoo vs in the house of his seruant Dauid Euen as he promised by the mouth of his holy Prophets vvhich vvere since the vvorld began That vve should bee saued from our enimies and from the hand of all that hate vs. That he vvould deale mercifully vvith our fathers and remember his holy couenaunt And he vvould performe the othe vvhich he svvare too our father Abraham for too forgiue vs. That vvee being deliuered out of the handes of our enimies might serue him vvithout feare all the dayes of our life in such holynesse and rightuousnesse as are acceptable for him And thou childe shalt bee called the Prophet of the hyest for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord too prepare his vvays Too giue knovvledge of saluation vnto his people for the remission of sinnes Through the tender mercy of our God vvherby the day spring from an hye hath visited vs. To giue light too them that sate in darknesse and in the shadovv of death and to guide our feete into the vvay of peace And the child grevv vvexed strong in spirit and vvay in vvildernesse til the day came vvhen he should shevv himselfe vntoo the Israelites The exposition of the Text. ALthough it bée a heathenish Idolatrie too call vppon Sainctes which thing is doone by the Papistes in the feastes of Sainctes yet it is very behoofefull and that for many causes too kéepe still the feasts of some Saincts The first cause is for that it is very profitable that the storie of the Church should bée known For from thence wée may fetche instruction confirmation and comfort The second is for that it is a swéete thing too thinke vppon Gods benefites towards his Church whereby commeth singuler frute too the godly hartes The third is that thanks may bée giuen to God for his benefites towards the members of his Churche The fourth is that by weying throughly the variable chaunces of the Sainctes wée may arme and strengthen our minds ageinst chaunces present and too come which we must needes taste of The fifth is that the Sainctes maye bée as it were samplers vntoo vs of repentance conuersatioÌ„ woorshipping confession constancie patience and other vertues according to which wée may frame our liues The sixth is that wée with godly gronings should desire too come too the felowship of the Saincts These and other weightie causes there bée why wée reteine feastes of Sainctes in the Church Would God that many men abused not the feasts of Saincts and other things too their owne pleasures and madde deuises like as many in the papacie abused chéefly this feast when they halowed it with dauÌ„cing and reueling with méetings of louers with bibbing and tippling al night long and with other more shamfull things which I will not speake of wherin they pleased not God nor the Angels and Saincts but they serued Sathan too the reproch of God and of the Angels and Saincts Thus much bréefly concerning the feasts of Saincts and the right vse of them In this feast I wil entreat of one point only that is too wit the story of Iohn out of which I will build certeine admonishments ¶ Of the Storie of Iohn Baptist. IN the Storie of Iohn Baptist let these circumstances bée weyed His parents his conception his birth his bringing vp his calling his office Chrysts recorde concerning Iohn his death and the things that hapned about his death and after his death Iohn Baptists parents wer Zacharie a préest a holy maÌ„ and of blamelesse life and his moother was Elizabeth a woman far striken in yéeres and of singuler godlinesse Of both these Luke the Euangelist beareth this witnesse in his first chapter They were both perfect before God and walked in al the lawes and ordinances of the Lord that no man could find fault with theÌ„ And they had no child bicause Elizabeth was barren both were well striken in age This description sheweth of what yéeres the parents of Iohn were with what innocentnesse they liued that being now growne in yéeres they were destitute of
true blissednesse whiche he is in Chryste Iesu the moste plentyfull welspring of all blissednesse Thirdly it sheweth what is the frute of faith when she sayth For those things shal bée perfourmed whiche the Lorde hath spoken too thée As if she should say Although the experience of all men crye ageinst it although Nature say nay too it although reason determine flat ageinst it Yet shall the thing bée performed that the Lord hath spoken too thée namely that thou being a maid shalt beare a Sonne according too Gods woord Héereby may wée also lerne what is the true inclination of Fayth and after the example of the virgin too giue credite too Gods woord though all the whole nature of things should séeme too warrant the contrary The fourth circumstance At the virgins gréeting the childe sprang in his moothers wombe and by a certeine gesture gaue knoweledge that the Messias was at hād in the virgins wombe Surely this was a greate miracle that a Babe as yet vnborne intoo the worlde acknowledged the repayrer of nature By whiche miracle bothe the fayth of Elizabeth and Mary was confirmed and the goodnesse of God towardes infantes declared who promised Abraham long agoe that hée would bée the GOD of him and of his séede for euermore In assurance of which promise hée established a law that euery male childe of eyght dayes olde should bée circumcised In as much therfore as this promise perteyneth vntoo vs the Anabaptists doo wickedly and shamelesly who will not haue the infants of Christians baptized that is too wit wil not haue them enioy their ensealement whiche are heires of the heauenly grace according too the promise The Anabaptists saye thus Hée that heareth and beléeueth is too bée baptized but an Infant heareth not nor can beléeue and therefore hée is not in any wise too bée baptized But the wretches are deceiued They ought too reason thus rather The Infāts of Christen folkes haue the promise Therefore this promise is too bée sealed vp vntoo them by Baptime as it was sealed vp too the Children of the Iewes by Circumcision The woorde of promise offreth grace and the Sacramente of the promisse sealeth vp the grace and teacheth by outwarde token according as is sayd vppon the day of our Lords supper Therfore let vs set Iohn before vs whoo in his moothers womb béeing full of the holy Ghoste is heire of the grace common too all Infants that haue the promise But they say this was a miracle I confesse it was a miracle and surely a great miracle like as all Gods woorkes in his Churche are miracles Notwithstanding I put too thus muche that this selfe same miracle teacheth vs that Babes are able too receiue the holye Ghoste If they bée able too receiue the holy Ghoste if they bée the Children of Abraham if they bée heires according too the promise If Chryste commaunde them too bée receyued why are they not too bée baptized specially séeing that Baptime is a certeine sealing vp of these things ¶ Of the second WHen Mary had herd Elizabeth talk of the benefit doon too hir by God namely that shée should bée the moother of the Messias shée vttereth the thankfulnesse of hir harte towards God whome shée prayseth in this Psalme partly for that excéeding great benefite whiche happened vntoo hir and also for the mercye might and truthe whiche hée extendeth towardes men while through his mercy hée receyueth them that fear him intoo his fauour iustly punisheth the stubborn and now at length performeth that hée had promised so long ago too the fathers The vse of this Psalme is that knowing Gods mercifulnesse wée shoulde beléeue that knowing his myght wée shoulde feare and that knowing his truthe wée should hope and with pacience wait for the things that God of his grace hath promised setting his mercy ageinst sinne his might ageinst the Deuils tirannie and his truth ageinst all the temptations that the fleshe or the Deuill ministreth And for these causes the auncient Churche hathe ordeyned that euery daye in the congregation of the godly this song of the Uirgins should bée soong Nowe let vs bréefly expound euery verse 1 My soule dooth magnifie the Lord. 2 And my spirite reioyseth in God my Sauyour 3 For he hath regarded the lovvlynesse of his handmayd For beholde from henceforth all generations shal cal mee blissed This is too say I prayse God highly and am altogither set vppon gladnesse and that for God my sauiours sake For he is my ioy bicause he hath bestowed so great fauour vppon me He hath regarded and with frée fauor embraced me his lowly and base handmayde who haue liued hithertoo despysed in base estate and euen after the manner of vyle bondslaues yea and so regarded me that all ages shal frō henceforth accompt me not base and despised as before but blissed to whom so great grace is extended that I shall bée the moother of the Messias who is the sauiour of me of all that beléeue in him By Maryes exāple we may lerne first too acknowledge our own vilenesse to cast our selues down before God in true repentance Secōdly to acknowledge Gods benefits towards vs. Thirdly to praise god for his benefits fourthly too prouoke other too thankfulnesse by our exāple 4 For he that is mightie hath magnified me and holy is his name The chaste virgin maketh héere no boast of merites She attributeth nothing too hir owne power but imputeth all things vntoo God who only is mightie whose only name is holy and therfore deserueth most highly too bée reuerēced For as oft as God is named he ought too bée praysed for his holinesse which shineth foorth in all his woorks with excéeding mercy iust iudgement myghtinesse and truth according as the virgin declareth particularly in hir psalme 5 And his mercy is on them that feare him through all generations This verse teacheth thrée things First that God is mercifull Secondly how largely Gods mercy spredeth it selfe And thirdly too what persons that mercy befalleth Concerning Gods mercy there bée many notable sayinges and exāples I sayth he will bée thy God and the God of thy séede for euer Also I am the God that sheweth mercy And in Esay I am with thée bicause I am thy mercifull Lorde God And the son of Syrach Gentle merciful is God will release sinnes in the day of trouble Héerevpon Paule calleth God the father of mercies saying Blissed bée God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Chryst the father of mercies which comforteth vs in all our troubles The exāples of this mercy that hath bin shewed are many Of which the chéefest is that he hath giuen his only begotten sonne that the worlde might bée saued by him Héervntoo maketh this saying So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne too the intent that all that beléeue in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting Images of this mercy are the prodigal child the Samaritane and the
their vndooing vnlesse they amende The thirde difference is taken of the effects For the godly doo blisse God and call vpon him in their crosse as Iob dyd But the vngodly freat at God and are angry with him The godly are nurtured the vngodly are confounded The godly are tried the vngodly are distroubled The godly vnder the crosse doo hope the vngodly do despaire The fourth difference is taken of the time The godly are afflicted for a shorte time that afterwarde they may bée glorified with Christ their head but the vngodly are wrapped in mischéefe for euer Whose present affliction is as it were a handfull of their endlesse paines in hell The fifth difference is taken of the place The godly are chastized in this world only but the fire of the vngodly shal neuer bée quenched For héere they are tormented with an euill conscience and in the woorld too come they shal bée ouerwhelmed with Gods euerlasting wrath and suffer punishement that neuer shall haue ende So haue wée the differences of the crosses of the godly and the punishments of the vngodly Now wil I adde a few things concerning the comforte wherewith the godly muste raise vp them selues vnder the Crosse. From whence then is comforte too bée sought First the godly that is pressed vnder the crosse shall consider two thinges in his affliction namely iudgement and mercie Iudgemente that hée is punished for his sinnes Therefore sayeth Chryste Sinne not leaste some woorser thing happen vntoo thée And mercie that hée is punished too the intent hée shoulde turne and repent according too this text 1. Cor. 11. When wée are iudged of the Lorde wée are chastized that wée bée not damned with this worlde Therfore when the faythful is exercised with the crosse let him séeke comforte at the fatherly mercy of God Secondly the godly in his crosse shall take comforte by examples whereof many are recited in the .xj. too the Hebrues And Paule dooth oftentimes lay before vs the example of Chryst too which it behoueth vs too become conformable vnder the Crosse that wée may be gloryfied with him in time too come For the godly suffereth with Chryste as it were a meÌ„ber of his For like as Chryst suffered first that hée might obey the Father and secondly that hée mighte vanquishe and condemne our sinne so must wée also obey GOD vnder the crosse bothe too vanquishe and too condemn our owne sinne not by making satisfaction for it as hée didde but by mortifying it Thirdly the godly shall fetche comfort at the endes of the Crosse. For the godly is not chastized with the Crosse too the end hée should perrish but too the end hée may bée holden in and as it were reyned with a certeine brydle from falling away from God Fourthly the godly shal coÌ„fort him self with the presence of God for thus saith God I am with thée in tribulation For if God defeÌ„ded vs not with his presence in our crosse our harts would vtterly faile and wée should renounce our profession Fiftly the godly shall take comforte at the promise of deliuerance asuagement of paines and at Gods helpe Our fathers cryed vntoo thée sayeth the Psalme and thou heardest them Sixtly the godly shall séeke comfort by comparing the present affliction with the glory too come The one lasteth but a moment the other is eternall Let this suffise concerning the crosse of the godly GOD graunt vs grace too glorifie him with true patience vnder the Crosse through our Lord Iesus Chryste too whom bée honour and glorie world without end Amen The iiij Sunday after Easter ¶ The Gospell Iohn xvj IEsus â—ayed vntoo his Disciples Novv I go my vvaye vntoo him that sent mee and none of you asketh mee vvhyther I go But bycause I haue sayed suche things vntoo you your harts are ful of sorovv Neuerthelesse I tel you the trueth it is expedient for you that I go avvay For if I go not avvay that comforter vvill not come vntoo you But if I depart I vvil send him vntoo you And vvhen he is come he vvill rebuke the vvorld of sinne and of ryghtuousnesse and of iudgement Of sinne bycause they beleeue not on mee Of rightuousnesse bicause I go too my Father and yee shall see me no more Of iudgement bicause the Prince of this vvorld is iudged alreadie I haue yet manye things too say vntoo you but yee cannot beare them avvay novv hovv be it vvhen he is come vvhiche is the spirite of truthe he vvil lead you intoo all trueth Hee shall not speake of him selfe but vvhatsoeuer he shall heare that shall he speak and he vvil shevv you things too come He shall glorifie mee for hee shall receiue of mine and shall shevv vntoo you All things that the Father hathe are mine therefore sayde I vntoo you that he shall take of mine and shevv vntoo you The exposition of the text THis gospel is a péece of that sermon that Christ made after Supper the night before he suffred wherin as I tolde you this day seuennight he warned his Disciples aforehande of his Passion Death and Resurrection and disputed of the persecution and comfort of the Churche and the state of his kingdome of what sorte it shoulde bée vntoo the ende of the world and that too this end that his Disciples should be confirmed in the faith and not renounce their profession for the crosse and stumbling blockes thervpon risen among many This also was the cause of this Sermon that I haue rehearsed the effect wherof is that Chryst promiseth to his church an aduocate teacher and gouerner the holy Ghost Wherby is shewed the difference betwéene the administration of the ciuill gouernement and the kingdome of Chryst. For that hath néede of outwarde sinues as lawes decrées of magistrates open punishmentes c. But this is gouerned by the woord by the spirite by fatherly discipline and by sacraments The places are thrée 1 The profite and néedefulnesse of Chrysts departure too the Father wherein the kingdome of Chryste is described 2 What the holy Ghost dooth in the world 3 Of the saying I haue many things too say vntoo you but you are not able too beare them away at this time ¶ Of the first I Go too him that sente mee and none of you asketh mee vvhither goest thou that is too say Nowe is my death at hande and my victorie ouer death which when I haue obteyned I will ascende too my father That the Lorde speaketh so darklye hée dooth it too this purpose too stirre vp his Disciples too make more diligent enquirie of his Death and resurrection But they for all that thought nothing lesse than that he whom they had acknowledged too bée the Messias should bée deliuered too so reprochful a death so blinde is reason in matters perteyning to God It créepeth héer vpon ground it can not déeme aright of heauenly things and of Chrysts kingdome Bicause sayth he I haue tolde you these things your hartes are filled
them too héere Chryste and too liue after a godly and vertuous maner Héerupon is that saying of Paule Bring vp your children in the lawe and feare of the Lord. The Magistrate shall likewise compell his subiectes by good lawes and ordinances by example and by taking away of idolatrie Like as Ezechias and Theodosius did who tooke away the instruments of Idolatrie But of all men it belongeth chéefly to the ministers of the woord too coÌ„pell folke by thretning and rebuking them as wée réede that Chryst the prophetes and the apostles did ¶ Of the fourth NOne of those men that vvere bidden refused too come shall taste of my Supper That is to say All despisers of the Gospell shall be shut out from euerlasting lyfe For the wrath of God abydeth vpon all that beléeue not in the Son This is the effect of the fourth place Howbéeit this dayes Gospell serueth too thrée vses The first is that weying throughly the greatnesse of Gods mercie wée shold giue him thanks by Iesus Chryst. The second is that wée should beware that we withdraw not our selues from obedience of the Gospell vnder no pretence The third is that wée bée not mysseled by the example of men of â—ower rich men and voluptuous men and so fall headlong intoo destruction but rather that wee endeuer by al meanes wée can too bée conueyed intoo this heauenly supper by our Lord Iesus Chryst too whom with the father and the holy ghost bée honor and glorie world without ende Amen Vpon the .iij. sunday after Trinitie ¶ The Gospell Luke xv THEN came vntoo him all the publicans and sinners for to heere him And the Phariseis and Scribes murmured saying Hee receyueth sinners and eateth vvith them But hee putte foorth this parable vntoo them saying VVhat man among you hauing an hundreth sheepe if he lose one of them dooth not leaue ninetie and nine in the vvildernesse and goeth after that vvhiche is loste vntill he finde it And vvhen hee hath founde it he layeth it on his shoulders vvith ioye And assoone as he commeth home he calleth togither his louers and neighbours saying vntoo them Reioyce vvith me for I haue founde my sheepe vvhich vvas lost I say vntoo you that lykevvise ioy shall bee in heauen ouer one sinner that repenteth more than ouer ninetie and nine iust persons vvhiche neede no repentance Eyther vvhat vvoman hauing ten grotes if she lose one doth not light a candle and svveepe the house and seeke diligently till she fynde it And vvhen she hath founde it she calleth hir louers and hir neighbours togither saying Reioyce vvith me for I haue founde the grote vvhiche I lost Likevvise I say vntoo you shall there bee ioye in the presence of the Aungels of God ouer one sinner that repenteth The exposition of the Text. THe occasion of this dayes Gospell is this For as much the goodnesse of our lord was so great that hée disdeyned no man were he neuer so miserable or neuer so great a sinner but rather allured all men vnto him according too this saying Math. xj Come vntoo me all yée that labour and are loden and I will refresh you It came too passe that the very Publicanes â–ª knowing of this mercy and goodnesse of Chryst came too him that they might bée partakers of the grace that was offered most fréely and bountifully too all men And therfore would Chryst not only coÌ„fort them with woordes but also with déedes and with kéeping companye with them Therfore when any of them bade him too a meales meate he came and ate with them and that too this end that he might win them too God the father that is too saye might turne them from their moste naughtie wayes vntoo true and healthful repentance too the intent that being quit from the gilt of cursednesse they might bée made heires of eternall lyfe through Iesus Chryst. The Pharisies marking this dooing of Chrysts as they were a proude sect swelling in their own pharisaicall that is too say false righteousnesse murmured ageinst Chryst and priuily accused him of breaking Gods law But what sayth Chryst too this He techeth them both The Publicans if he coÌ„meth to saue sinners and the Pharisies why he kéepeth company with sinners wherby is gathered y e Chrystes kingdome sighteth ageinst the opinion of the Pharisies the kingdom of SathaÌ„ For as Christes kingdom is mercy forgiuenesse of sinnes in so muche that the angels in heauen reioyce at euery sinner that repenteth so Sathans kingdome is mercylesse crueltie and a certein ouerthrowing of sinne The places are two 1 The murmuring of the Pharisies wherfore Chryste kept company with sinners 2 It is taught by twoo parables why Chryste came intoo this worlde and what wée must doo if wée will bée saued ¶ Of the firste THe Publicans and sinners resorted too him too heare him and the Scribes and Phariseys murmured saying This man receyueth sinners and eateth vvith them Héer are set forth vntoo vs twoo kindes of men and their manners The one is of Publicanes and sinners which come vntoo Chryst too heare him that they might bée gathered intoo his shéepfolde and be saued For after that they herde how Chryst reiected no sinners but offred grace too all so they refused not too amende they douted not too come vntoo him yea and that vpon great hope of saluation The other is of Phariseys and Scribes These disalowed Chrystes dooing and his mercifulnesse towards sinners and therfore murmured saying This man receyueth sinners and eateth vvith them Now of this murmuring of the Phariseys there bée many causes whereof I wil reherse some that we may sée with what spirite they speake and beware oure selues that wée be not attached with the same disease and séeme too hinder the saluation of other men The first cause therefore is enuie or spitefulnesse whiche is proper too the Deuill and his members For this spitefulnesse sticking in their hartes makes them that they cannot abide too sée Chryste and the Publicans in company toogyther â–ª for they enuyed the Publicans so much that they could not finde in their harts that they should bée amended by kéeping company with good men Of this sorte of Pharisies there bée 〈◊〉 at this daye than wil be knowne by the name of Pharisies The seconde cause of murmuring was intollerable pryde in the Scrybes and Phariseys wherethroughe they despised the Publicanes as Dogges in so muche that they eschued too eate meate with them or too enter intoo the house where they were The thirde cause of murmuring was the ouerwéening of their owne rightuousnesse and holynesse For as they vaunted them selues too bée rightuous for kéeping the traditions of their Fathers for their sacrifices as he that sayth I am not as other sinners nor as yonder Publican I fast twice a wéek c. so they stoutlye dispised those that had not this vysour of holynesse as folke accursed and abhominable The fourth cause was their desirousnesse too haue
is effectuall and bringeth foorth frutes most acceptable too God through Iesus Chryst. And where this frute is not séene there is skarce any fayth too bée founde For when wée beléeue therewithall wée are borne new men that wée should yéelde new obedience vntoo God Now let vs sée this selfe same doctrine of Chrysten ryghtuousnesse in the example of the Publicane First as the text sayeth hée stoode a farre of For béeing put in feare with his own vnwoorthinesse hée durst not come foorth with the Pharisie intoo the sighte of Gods maiestie In likewise Peter falling downe at Chrystes féete sayde Away from mée for I am a sinful man Likewise the Centurion Lorde I am not woorthie that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe This fearfulnesse in the conscience of man ryseth of the knoweledge of the Law by the squyre whereof when a man examineth his owne déedes hée is enforced too crye oute I am a sinfull man Secondly he dareth not lift vp his eyes Héere is noted howe the Publicane was ashamed of the filthynesse of hys sinne 3. Hee knocketh himselfe vppon the breast whereby is signified his striuing ageinst wanhope and despaire 4. when hee sayeth Lorde be merciful vntoo mée a sinner hée giueth vs too vnderstand how we ought too flée vntoo God onely for the putting away of oure sinnes Hithertoo hée hath wrestled with sinne with the sentence of the Lawe and with wanhope By whiche wrestling is declared that he was sorye in déede Nowe foloweth how he wounde him selfe oute of this Hell as it were For when he sayeth GOD be mercifull too me a sinner he reyseth himself vp by fayth ageinst dispaire For héere hée called too remembraunce the promises concerning Chryste that GOD will bée mercifull vntoo sinners which falling too repentance doo flée vntoo Chryste with true fayth For hée is the propitiation for our sinnes In reysing him selfe vp in this wise hée imputeth sinne too himselfe and mercie vntoo GOD hée acknoweledgeth himselfe the sicke man and GOD too bée his Phisition hée setteth mercie ageinst sinne and so beléeuing God too bée fauourable vntoo him he is iustified by Faith alone After the same manner dyd Daniell Untoo thée Lorde bée rightuousnesse and vntoo vs confusion and shame And so wée may learne of this Publicane first the maner of true repentance and Christen rightuousnesse for euen as true repentance is true sorynesse for sinne euen so Chrysten rightuousnesse is to bée loosed and acquit from sinne whē wée come vntoo God by true fayth as I haue sayde before 2. We may lerne of him of what sort true Prayer ought too bée For it must procéede from the bottom of the hart in the feare of God and leane vntoo the propitiation which is in Iesus Chryst. 3. Wée must learne of the Publicane too behaue our selues after a lowly maner both before God and before men Must wée then liue after the maner of Publicans Yea surely must we so farre foorth as they repent and amend according as this Publicane did For as this Pharisie is not mislyked for the outwarde honest woorkes that he did but bycause hée trusted in the woorkes So this Publicane is not too bée commended for the synnes that he had committed but for his repentaunce whiche ensued Yea wée haue lessons in bothe of them that wée may fare the better by With bothe of them wée must go too Churche with bothe of them wée must giue thankes vntoo God with both of them wée must pray Wée must learne of the Pharisie too doo honest outwarde woorks and of the Publican too bring with vs godlynesse of minde and true faith ¶ Of the third I Say vntoo you this man vvent home too his house iustified and not the other Héere wée haue Chrystes iudgement of the Pharisie and the Publicane The Publicane sayth he departing out of the Temple came home too his owne house iustified by Fayth And the Pharisie returned not iustified but rather condemned This confirmeth he with a generall sentence For euery one that exalteth him selfe shall bée brought low and he that humbleth himselfe shal bée exalted The Pharisie exalted himselfe thinking himselfe rightuous by his deeds of the law which were none at al and therfore he was brought lowe by the sentence of damnation The Publicane humbled himself by acknowledging his sinne by lowly prayer and by trust in Gods mercie through Chryst and therefore he was exalted by the grace of acquitall and glorie of blissednesse That wée may be humbled after this mans example Christ graunt too whom with the father and the holy ghost bée glorie for euermore Amen Vpon the .xij. Sunday after Trinitie ¶ The Gospell Marke vij IESVS departed from the coastes of Tyre and Sydon and came vntoo the Sea of Galilee through the middes of the coastes of the ten cities And they brought vntoo him one that vvas deafe and hadde an impediment in his speech and they prayed him too put his hande vpon him And vvhen he had taken him aside from the people he put his fingers intoo his eares and did spit and touched his tongue and looked vp too heauen and syghed and sayde vntoo him Epham that is to say be opened And streight vvay his eares vvere opened and the string of his tongue vvas losed and he spake plaine And he commaunded them that they should tell no man But the more he forbad them somuch the more a great deale they published saying He hath doone all things vvell hee hath made both the deafe too heare and the dumbe too speake The exposition of the text THis Gospell conteyneth one of the Lordes miracles whereby hée shewed his power his will and his office His power appéereth in this that all things created are at his commaundemente as the Sea the Windes the Féendes and diseases as in this place Hys will is séene by his readinesse too helpe for hée is moste readie too help all that cal vpon him His office appéereth in that he is a sauiour according to his name which is Iesus Those thrée things are too bée séene well néere in euery of Chrystes miracles which wée must lerne too vse aright For wée must vse the power of Chryste our Lorde ageinste the tirannie of the worlde Sophistrie and Hipocrisie yea and ageynste all the whole kingdome of Sathan Let vs set the knowledge of his will ageynst the ouerthwarte will and iudgemente of our fleshe Let vs arme oure selues with the minding of his office ageinst all Antichristes that will robbe Chryste of his office These thrée things wée may behold in this present gospell as in a Glasse Héere the deafe and dumb man is hild in bondage by the Deuil But what dooth Chryste in thys case Hée vttering his power openeth his eares and looseth hys toong maugre the Deuilles resistance Ageine in that hée helpeth this miserable and wretched creature hée sheweth him selfe too haue a remorse of his miserie and by so dooing vttereth his good wil towards him Lastly hée declareth his own
not only ageinst the sorow that wée conceiue for the deade but also ageinst all afflictions as well of minde as bodie But some man obiecteth I haue forgon the comfort of my life TheÌ„ thou bewaylest not him that is dead but thou bewaylest thine owne self and thy losse that thou hast by forgoing him It is a naturall thing too wéepe Thou sayest truthe but let grace ouercome nature Thâ—s muche is added bréeflye in the seconde circumstance concerning comfort at the death of our déere fréends The third Our Lord toucheth the coffin wherin the deadâ— men lay By which touching he declareth that his body was the instrument too get vs life and saluation The fourth He speaketh too the yoong man and sayeth I say to thee yong man arise So also raysed he the yong maâ—d as is in Marke So raysed he Lazarus that had bin buried foure dayes as is in Iohn Héere wée are taught bothe that Chryst is stronger than death and that his word is the word of life and saluation The fifth The dead man ryseth at Chrysts call and this is the miracle he riseth y t was dead he began streight wayes too speake and our Lord deliuered him too his moother The sixth Feare fel vpon them al â–ª and they glorified God saying A great prophet is risen vp among vs and God hath visited his people and this saying vvas spred abrode of him through all Ievvrie Héere is described a double frute of this miracle The one befalleth too the present héerers and the other extendeth vntoo others too whom the report of this miracle came The present beholders conceyued faith héereby and so feared God glorifying him with true woorship and acknowledged the Messias too bée come whom also they confessed Besides that the report héereof came vntoo others that were in Iewrie and the countrey bordering thervpon who in likewyse conceyued Fayth in the Messias And in these dayes the report héereof commeth vntoo vs wherby we may acknowledge Christ too bée the very Messias and too bée stroÌ„ger than death â–ª and may conceiue faith in him magnifying God with hart voyce confession and manners and so it will come too passe that one day wée shall haue by him a ioyfull resurrection too euerlasting life ¶ Of the second SAinct Ambrose sayeth that the image of the Churche is set foorthe héere and bicause it representeth our estates it is woorth the opening The widow saith he signifieth y e church the dead yong man euery sinner y t liueth without repentaÌ„ce and the 〈…〉 the body of sinne The widow bewaileth hir dead 〈◊〉 â–ª That is to say the church lâ—â—â—nenteth for the vnrepentantnesse of the wicked entreateth Chryst too moue them and draw them too him with his woord his spirit Chryst therefore biddeth them that caried the corse too stand still Foâ— the sinner is borne to hell byfoure porters which are theâ—e First 〈◊〉 of longer life Secondly looking vppon other mennes faultes Thirdly presumption vppon Gods mercy And fourthly â—â—atterie of lend company Now if thâ—u wilt ryse from the death of sinne thou must néedes héere Chryst who biddeth the porters stay First therefore then must exclude hope of long lyfe bicause life is â—ncerteyn according as the experience of many teacheth and perill is at hand as it is too bée séene in the riche glutton Ageine thou muste not set another mannes euill lâ—â—e before thée as a paterne too follow â–ª but thou must submit thy selfe too God as Abraham did thou must trust in him and thou must â—mend thy coÌ„ditions knowing thâ—t the 〈…〉 in iudgement â–ª It 〈…〉 The 〈◊〉 that thou gauest mee hath giuen mée of the Apple Thirdly lâ—y away presumption of Gods mercy for this presumption is a great contempt of God Rom. 2. Fourthly put away flatterers that entice thee too euill And when thou hast done so leane vppon Chryst with liuely faith the will quicken thée too eternall lyfe the which Chryst graunt vnto vs 〈◊〉 whom bée 〈◊〉 for euermore Amen Vpon the .xvij. Sunday after Trinitie ¶ The Gospell Luke xiiij IT chaunced that Iesus vvent intoo the house of one of the cheefe Pharisies to eate bread on the Saboth day and they vvatched him And behold there vvas a certeine man before him vvhich had the dropsie And Iesus ansvvered and spake vntoo the Lavvyers and Pharisies saying Is it lavvfull too heale on the Sabboth day And they hild their peace And he tooke him and healed him and let him go and ansvvered them saying vvhich of you shall haue an Asse or an Oxe fallen intoo a pitte and vvyll not straight vvay pull him out on the Sabboth day And they coulde not ansvvere him ageine too these things He put foorth also a similitude too the guestes vvhen he marked hovve they preaced too bee in the highest roumes and sayde vntoo them VVhen thou art bidden too a vvedding of any man sit not dovvne in the hyest roume lest a more honourable man than thou bee bidden of him and he that bad him and thee come and saye too thee giue this man roume and thou beginne vvith shame too take the lovvest roume But rather vvhen thou art bidden goe and sit in the lovvest roume that vvhen he that bad thee commeth he may say vntoo thee frende sit vp hyer Then shalt thou haue vvoorship in the presence of them that fit at meate vvith thee For vvhosoeuer exalteth him selfe shall bee brought lovve and he that humbleth himselfe shall bee exalted The exposition of the Text. THe occasion of this Gospell was this Chryst beyng bidden too dinner of a certeyne Pharisie was watched by those that sate at meate with him that either in his woordes or in his déedes they might haue found somwhat too charge him withall For the world is so wicked that like as men cloke vices vnder the visors of vertue So they are not ashamed too rayse slaunder vppon honest déedes and true vertue So great is the malice of men Notwithstanding Chryst is not feared away with their leudnesse but kéepeth his old woont and executeth his office euen in the thickest of his enimies leauing vs an example that wée should not cease too procéede in well dooing though wée should sée all the whole world hent ageinst vs. Chryst therefore healeth this wretche declaring therein the might of his Godhead his most forward will too helpe them that bée in miserie and his Office for which he came intoo the worlde Moreouer he sheweth the right maner of halowing the Saboth day and by his déede dooth as it were define the true kéeping of the Saboth By which thing like as he reproueth the pryde of the Pharisies and their ignorance in the scriptures So he exhorteth them vntoo true humilitie And thus much concerning the summe of this present Gospell The places are thrée 1 Of the Saboth and the true woorks therof 2 Of the miracle by which the true vse of the Saboth is confirmed 3 Of true Humilitie ¶ Of the firste WHen the
bothe eternal and present punishment Héer had hée bin forâ—â—â— for sorowe if hée had not herd the comforte of the Prophete in Gods roume Thou shalt not die the Lorde hath taken away thy sinne At the hearing of this comforte fayth kindled in him wherby taking holde vpon the releasement began too beholde the mercie of God and rested vpon the mediatour Wée haue hearde a late a moste goodlye example in the Publicane whoo in suche wise acknowledged the greatnesse of his det that hée durst not so muche as lift vp his eyes And yet hauing bearde of the greatnesse of Gods mercie hée rayseth himselfe by faith and prayeth O God bée mercifull too mée a sinner And so hée obteyned a frée discharge of y e whole dette Let vs set before vs these exaÌ„ples which playnly shew vs the doctrine of repentance and fogiuenesse of sinnes That forgiuenesse of sinnes is the frée releasement of the dette which happeneth too him that repenteth and fléeth too Gods mercie for Chrysts sake And although this release bée vtterly frée as in respect of our selues yeâ— if wée looke vppon Chryst who for our sinnes suffered dreadfull punishment there is made satisfaction too God for our det Let vs therfore marke wel this woord releasement which of itselfe alone conteyneth in it right manyfolde Doctrine First it ouerthroweth the Moonkish doctrine of satisfaction For if saluation befall men through releasement of the dette according too the Gospell what a madnesse is it too say that saluation happeneth for satisfaction of the det for releasemeÌ„t and payment doo so fight one ageynst an other that they can innâ— wise stand both in one respecte Secondly it ouerthroweth all merites of men For howe 〈◊〉 that bée of merite which is of frée gift Paul sayth openly Unto him that woorketh rewards is giuen not of fauour but of duetie but vntoo him that woorketh not but beléeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his fayth is imputed too him for rightuousnesse â–ª According wherewitâ— Dauid also sayth Blissed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Thirdly the woord of releasment ouerthroweth satisfaction which the Papists teach â–ª whiche satisfaction muste bée made as they beare men in hand by pilgrimages fastings almes déedes Also it quencheth the fire of Purgatorie For if the det bée released why is the detter punished Lastly this woord releasement openeth vntoo wretched sinners the gate of grace in the conflict of death it is the hauen of saluation and it is the welspring of al comfort And thus much concerning the first place ¶ Of the second BIcause this text coÌ„cerning the parable of the creditor sheweth how gret gods loue mercy are toward mankind â–ª I will speake somewhat therof The mercy of God is of twoo sortes The one is vniuersall wherthrough he suffereth the sunne too rise vppon the good and bad and the other is particuler wherewith as a most déere father he embraceth the Churche of his sonne Of which Christ speaketh in the third of Iohn So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne too the intent that euery one which beléeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting Our heauenly father could not by any greater recorde haue declared his mercy towards vs than in giuing his sonne who might by his death redéeme â—â— from deserued damnation and giue vs euerlasting life Therefore as ofte as wée héere Gods mercy named let vs thinke thâ—â—â— things First let vs thinke how great the miserie of mankinde is before he bée receyued intoo fauoure Mankinde lieth vnder foote and wounded by the Diuell with whose venime being moreouer poysâ—â—ed he breatheth nothing but sin for which he is subiect too eternall paines 2. The causes of this miserie are too bée thought vppon which are partly the sinnes of our first parents and also our owne filthinesse For although that by the fall of them wée hée bound vntoo the sentence of damnation yet notwithstanding by our owne 〈…〉 from day too day we are bouÌ„d too sorer punishments 3 The louingnesse of God and his gentlenesse toowards mankinde is too bée thought vpon For the louing kindnesse sayth Paule and the gentlenesse of God our Sauiour appéered vntoo all men What greater louing kindnesse could there 〈◊〉 than that he hath not cast vs away for so great shamefulnesse and filth 4. Is too bée thought vppon the raunsome that is too wit the Sacrifice of the sonne whereby mannes misery is reléeued and sinne abolished Him that knewe no sinne he made 〈◊〉 that wée might bée made the rightuousnesse of God in him 2. Cor. 5. 5 Is too bée thought vpon the way by which wée may come too the possession of Gods mercy That way is shewed in the first place and is none other than true repentance 6 Is too bée thought how far foorth Gods mercy stretcheth that it is not belonging too a fewe or too the men of one age but indifferently too all that feare him For the holie virgin béeing taught by the spirit of Chryst whom shée had conceyued by the holy Ghost singeth in this wise Gods mercie is from generation too generation too them that feare him that is too all that repent 7 Is too bée thought vppon continuall thankfulnesse in all the whole life that wée may glorifie GOD for his so greate mercie with hart mouth profession and behauiour 8 Wée must thinke howe wée may bée héedfull in framing our whole life that wée lose not so greate a benefite through our owne fault as this detter did ¶ Of the thirde THe third thing that I purposed vpon is of mutuall forgiuing eche others skapes that are woonte too happen For this goeth iointly with beléefe of forgiuenesse of sins Nowe there are twoo things y t go ioyntlye with beléefe of remission of sinnes Namely Grace Gifte Grace is the very Iustification it selfe whereby Chrystes rightuousnesse is imputed too them that beléeue and their sinnes cléerely are forgyuen Of this wée haue spoken in the firste place Gifte is the very bestowing of the holy Ghost wherthrough a man that is iustified by faith only is toogither therwithal regenerated and sanctified that is too say is mortified in the fleshe and quickened in the spirit The flesh is mortified when the custome of sinning is abolished and the spirite is quickened when wée begin to performe new obedience vnto God A certeine parcell of this quickening is mutuall forgiuing wherby eche of vs forgiue other their misdéedes and displeasures Howe necessarie this forgiuenesse is this dayes Gospel sheweth most euidently as I sayd at the entrance intoo it Chryst hath commaunded vs too pray forgiue vs our dets as wée forgiue our detters For Christ wil haue vs too folow his fathers exaÌ„ple How bée it there are twoo kindes of men that offende vs. Some as soone as they perceiue themselues too haue offended doo by and by in humble wise desire forgiuenesse But as touching those that procéed too offend
néedeful a thing it is too beléeue in Chryste But what is too beléeue in Chryst It is too persuade a mannes selfe that Chryste is the highe Préeste and King who by his death hathe made satisfaction for sinne and by his glorious resurrection hathe broughte rightuousnesse or that by his bloud he who is bothe GOD and man hathe purchased a Churche vntoo him selfe Actes 20. This fayth is not the woorke of man but of God It springeth not of reason but of Gods woord Moreouer the woord of GOD is of twoo sortes Law and Gospel The law pulleth away trust in our selues and the Gospel woorketh trust in Chryst. For the law setteth before vs the rightful wil of GOD namely that wee should keep the Law or otherwise too bée damned by the wil of God The gospel setteth before vs the gracious wil of God which is that God forgiuing our sinnes wil receiue vs intoo his fauour for Chrysts sake Therfore like as by the law we come too the knowledge of our owne weaknesse and by this too the knowledge of Gods rightful wil and iudgement and so consequently too despaire so by the vnderstanding of the Gospel wée come vntoo the knoweledge of Gods mercy for Chrystes sake who was giuen too bée made a Sacrifice that hée mighte take away the sinnes of al that beléeue in him By this knowledge through the woorking of the holy Ghoste is conceyued faith whereby all sinnes are abolished and Chrystes rightuousnesse offered vntoo vs that wée bée no more condemned as sinners but appéere in Gods sight rightuous as his sonnes too whom eternall life is promised for an inheritaunce according too this Scripture hée that beléeueth in the sonne hath euerlasting life but hée that beléeueth not on the Sonne shall not sée life but the wrath of GOD abideth vppon him Why so Bicause he abideth in his sinne for the whiche he is bound vntoo euerlasting paine according too that saying hée that beléeueth not in the sonne the wrath of God abideth vpon him By the name of wrath is signified curse paine ioyned with damnation Héerby it appéereth how néedful faith is what it bringeth too passe Then foloweth And he shall reproue the vvorlde of rightuousnesse bycause I go too the Father and you shall see mee no more That is the holy Ghost shal reproue the world for not folowing true rightuousnesse wherthrough wée might stand before GOD. And this true rightuousnesse is the rightuousnesse of Chryste namely that hée going too the father is there an high Préest and intercessour for the beléeuers for Christs suffering and intercession too the Father is the rightuousnesse of the beléeuers But bycause the faithlesse worlde beléeueth not this it is reprooued of the holy Ghoste For he effectually conuinceth that righteousnesse cannot happen too men by any meanes else than by the imputation of Chrystes rightuousnesse which falleth too their lot that beléeue on him These are strange and woonderful things too them that vnderstande not the righteousnesse of Faith but dreame themselues too bée righteous eyther for the outwarde obedience of the law or for mennes traditions as the Pharisies in olde time and our Papistes doo in these dayes These perceyue not that all the woorks of the worlde are farre more imperfect than that they can ouercome the power of the Deuill and Death But how is it proued that Chrysts obedience is our righteousnesse It is proued by most grounded testimonies of the scripture Paule Rom. 5. Like as by the disobedience of one man namely of Adam many became sinners So by the obedience of one namely of Chryst many shall bée made rightuous Wée haue this rightuousnesse of Chryste imputed vntoo vs when wée beléeue on him according too that text too the Romanes With the hart wee beléeue vntoo rightuousnesse Also Abraham beléeued God and it was imputed too him for rightuousnesse Paule Rom. 3. Wée suppose that a man is made rightuous by Faith without the déedes of the law The selfe same thing méeneth Christ in this place whē he sayth The holy Ghost shall reproue the vvorld of rightuousnesse bicause I go too the father That is the holy Ghost shall not only proue me too haue bin rightuous but also shall manifestly shew that I am the rightuousnesse of them that beléeue in mée It foloweth further And the holy ghost shall reproue the vvorld of iudgement bicause the prince of this vvorlde is iudged That is the holy ghost shall mauger the worlde proue me too bée that séede that was promised too tread downe the Serpentes head that is too say that should iudge the Prince of this woorld with whom also are all his members iudged and condemned For if the head bée condemned what can the members doo Wherefore let the Deuill rage ageynst the godly as muche as he listeth yet is he able too doo nothing He shall lye in wayte truely but he shall not ouerthrowe vs as long as wée kéepe our Faythe strong and stable For thus sayth Iohn This is the victorie that ouercommeth the worlde euen your faith By the world is ment Sathan himself with al his band of Tyrants Sophisters Hipocrits and meritmongers For Christ by his spirit confoundeth the iudgement of Sathan whoo by his gard condemneth the gospel For he shal not stoppe the course of the Gospel although he oftentimes attempt it with riuers of blud from the beginning of the world vntoo this day and specially after Chrysts Resurrection Wée haue in what sort the holy Ghost shall reproue the world Now let vs shortly see what hée dooth in the Churche First he is present effectually in the woord the sacraments For wheresoeuer the woorde of God is preached purely and the Sacraments ministred according to Chrysts institution there is he present and will worke effectually in the héerers of the woord and in the partakers of the Sacramentes But as for them that either héer the woord slightly or vse the Sacraments without reuerence they set themselues ageinst the holy Ghost and despise the ministration of the word and Sacraments too their owne harme and damnation Ageine as this Texte teacheth the holy Ghoste is present in the Churche as a comforter aduocate and teacher of the truth For we in the world are pressed with many inconueniences ageinst which we haue néede of a comforter least being discouraged with aduersities we should renounce our profession Our aduersarie the Diuel accuseth vs dayly as he accused Iob. Héer could we not stand without our aduocate who warranteth vs that God is at one with vs and wil not cast vs away for our sinnes so we fal too repētance Besides this wée are infected with muche and déepe ignorance so as we are not able to vnderstand gods matters Wherfore wée haue néede of the holy ghost too teach vs who wil lead vs intoo all trueth according to Chrysts promise And when the spirite of truth shall come he shall teach you all truth The holy ghost commeth after two
glory is too bée preferred before all things And thus muche concerning prayer GOD graunt vs grace that these woords may take roote in our harts through Iesus Chryst too whom bée honor and glory for euer and euer Amen Vpon the day of our Lords Ascension ¶ The Gospel Mark xvj IEsus appeared vntoo the eleuen as they satte at meate and cast in their teeth their vnbeleefe and hardenesse of harte bycause they beleeued not them vvhiche had seene that he vvas risen agein from the dead and he sayde vntoo them Go yee intoo all the vvorld and preache the Gospel too all creatures hee that beleeueth and is baptised shall bee saued But he that beleeueth not shall bee damned And these tokens shall folovv them that beleeue In my name they shall caste out Deuiles they shall speake vvith nevve tongs they shall driue avvay Serpentes And if they drinke any deadly thing it shall not hurte them They shall lay their hands on the sick and they shal recouer So then vvhen the Lord had spoken vnto them he vvas receyued intoo Heauen and is on the right hand of GOD. And they vvent forthe and preached euery vvhere The Lord vvorking vvith them and confirming the vvoord vvith miracles follovving The exposition of the Text. THis feast is ordeyned in the Church for that article of our Créed wherin wée professe our selues too beléeue in Iesus Chryste ascending intoo Heauen when hée had bin conuersaunt with his Disciples fortie dayes after his glorious resurrection In this feast as in others there be thrée things too be weyed First the storie with the circumstances thereof Then the benefite that is bestowed vppon vs And lastly the right vse and minding of the story These thrée things offer them selues in the exposition of this Gospel The summe wherof is that the Lord the fortith day after his resurrection appéered too his Disciples whome hée vpbrayded with their vnbeléefe and hardnesse of hart commaunded them too preache the Gospell throughe oute all the world shewing what frute shall redound of the preaching of it too the hearers so they receiue the Gospel by fayth Moreouer too the intente their preaching may bée credited hée promiseth too confirme their doctrine with miracles When hée had giuen this charge hée ascended visibly intoo heauen and sitteth at the right hand of his father And his Disciples obeying his commaundement went abrode too preach the gospel the which our Lord confirmed with signes ensuing And this is the effect of the Gospel The places are thrée 1 The rebuking of the Apostles 2 The institution of the ministerie of the woord 3 Chrystes Ascension intoo heauen ¶ Of the first THe fortith day after his resurrection he appered to his Disciples and vpbrayded them vvith their vnbeleefe and hardenesse of harte bycause they had not beleeued those that tolde them they had seene him risen ageine from death Hée findeth fault with two things in his Disciples hardnesse of hart and vnbeléefe that is too say the roote and his frute The roote is hardnesse of hart whiche taketh increasement and strength partly of it own originall beginning partly of it own corruption For a man that is not inspired with the holy ghost cannot vnderstand any of those things that are of the spirite of God Of this most naughtie roote there are very many and euil frutes The first is that whiche is rebuked héer namely vnbeléefe Out of this afterward bud moste naughtie brauÌ„ches as disobedience towards God whatsoeuer leudnesse and wickednesse is in this life By whiche the power of the roote vnsuppressed is perceyued and also séene how great increasement vnbeléefe hath taken For this is a moste assured token that whersoeuer sinne reigneth there vnbeléefe as an Empresse possesseth the hart of man Furthermore wée may learne héereby first after the example of the weake Apostles not too despaire of oure selues béeing weake althoughe wée cannot by and by comprehende the heauenly misteries For the Churche hath euermore hir certein woundes for oure Lorde too poure his wine and Oyle intoo Neyther is it reason for any man too hope that hée maye put of all weaknesse as long as hée carieth this mortall body about him But like as in olde time the people of God béeing brought intoo the promised land had their neygbors the Philisâ—ines enimies vntoo them ageynst whom they kept continuall warre So wée béeing brought intoo Chrystes churche haue bothe inward and outward enimies ageinst whom wée must make warre leaste wée were sluggishe thorough idlenesse The other thing that wée haue too learne héere is that wée should consider by the déede of Chryst not casting off his rawe weake Disciples how gentle a high Préest we haue who casteth vs not off for oure weakenesse so there bée any sparke of fayth in vs. And consequently by his example also wée may learne too deale gently fauourably with the weaker sorte ¶ Of the second WHen Chryst béeing ready too ascende intoo Heauen giueth commission too his Disciples saying Go yee intoo the vvhole vvorlde and preache the Gospel too al creatures Hee that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued and hee that beleeueth not is condemned already hée beginneth the maner of setting vp his kingdome and sheweth the frute of the same kingdome By twoo meanes is the kingdome of Chryste set vppe by woord and by the sacrament the frute whereof is saluation of the people Contrarywise they that be not Citizens in this kingdome are subiect too the sentence of damnation Héere wée sée there is great difference betwéene the aministration of a kingdome of the worlde Chrystes kingdome and no maruel at all For the kingdome of the world is fleshly but the kingdome of Chryste is spirituall That is set vp mainteyned by the lawes of men but this is set vp mainteyned by the woord of God Howbéeit forasmuch as the woord of God conteyneth singular doctrines I will expound them somewhat more largely and distinctly too the intent wée may the better vnderstaÌ„d Chrysts minde towards vs and the benefits of the Gospel First he saith Go intoo the vvhole vvorld Yée sée the commission For hée sendeth his disciples not too any one nation but too all men dwelling abrode through the whole worlde Héerby wée may consider the riches of Gods mercie and the preciousnesse of Chrystes sacrifice It is Gods mercie that al that were damned throughe sinne shoulde héere the voyce of the Sonne of GOD concerning saluation too bée obteyned through Chryst. For it is not too be thought that God would haue the voice of the sonne of maÌ„ sound vnto the world y t the gretest part should be destitute of the frute therof but rather that by héering they shuld liue bée saued through Christ so that they receyued the preaching of the Apostles by fayth This is more playnly declared by this saying Preache yée or proclayme yée Too whom Too all creatures that is too say too all men without any exceptions of
persons nations or kindes For God is a louer of men and willeth the saluation of all men according too this saying his will is that all men should bée saued and come too the knowledge of his truth But what must the Apostles proclayme The gospell that is too wit glad tidings of the ouercomming of the enimies of mankinde whiche are sinne death the deuil and hell of peace made betwixte God and men and of euerlasting saluation which they that beleeue in Chryst shall obtein by inheritance This is the summe of the Gospel Howbéeit too the intent this summe may bée the better vnderstood I will giue a more plentifull definition the whiche I will also bréefly declare by testimonies of the scripture The Gospel is a doctrine reueled from heauen wherin is shewed deliuerance from sinne curse and Gods wrath and wherin is proclaimed forgiuenesse of sinnes saluation and euerlasting lyfe too them that beléeue on the sonne of God for the sacrifice of the same son of God that the goodnes and mercy of God may bée published that they which are deliuered by the son may by faith in the same sonne bring foorth frutes worthy the Gospel This definition conteineth many things which wée will reherse and confirme in order First I saide that the Gospell is a doctrine reueled from heauen which thing is confirmed by that which is written in the .xvj. to the Romanes where Paule calleth the Gospell a mysterie hidden from the beginning By which woordes he signifieth most manyfestly that the Gospel dependeth not vppon mannes reason For yf reason coulde by any meanes through it own sharpnesse haue perceiued this doctrine it might in no wise haue bin called a mysterie hidden from before all worlds Ageine it is saide in the definition that in the Gospell is shewed deliueraunce from sinne from the curse of the lawe and from Gods wrath For the prophet Danieil sayth that Chryst shall take away sinne And Paul sayth that the curse of the Lawe is abolyshed by the comming of Chryste Also the heauenly father telleth vs from heauen that hée is pacified for his sonnes sake And this thing too bée most true all the godly doo féele hauing witnesse of the holy Ghoste by whom they crie Abba father Which thing vndoutedly they shoulde not doo vnlesse they persuaded themselues for a certeintie that sinne is taken away the curse of the lawe abolished and Gods wrath pacified In the thirde place is added that in the Gospel is proclaimed forgiuenesse of sinnes saluation and euerlasting life For thus sayth the Lord himselfe in the .xxiiij. of Luke So is it written and so it behooued Chryst too suffer and repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes too bée preached too all nations in his name And in this dayes Gospell hée sayth Hée that beléeueth shall bée saued And the Lorde him selfe sayth Hée that beléeueth on the Sonne shall haue life euerlasting What néedes many woords All the whole scripture promiseth forgiuenesse of sinnes saluation and euerlasting lyfe too all that embrace the Gospell But forbicause these benefits befal not too al mē for Cain Iudas Saule and many others perished and at this day alas the most part of y e world rūneth intoo destructiō therfore is added in the fourth place of the definition that these benefites happen too the beléeuers For the Lord sayth playnly he that beléeueth in mée shall not perish but shal haue life euerlasting And least any man should think that this dependeth vpon the state of woorks Paule writeth that a man is iustified without woorks the same Paul pronounceth y e euerlasting life is the gift of God through Iesus Chryst that is y t it befalleth too them that beléeue in Chryst not for their owne desert but by the benefite of Chryst. In the fifth place is added for the sacrifice of the Sonne of God For thus sayeth Paule through the redemption that is in Chryste Iesu. For the Gréeke woord Apolytrosis whiche Paule vseth signifieth suche a raunsome as is made by paymente of a fine for the pardon of a mannes life Suche a fine payd Chryst for vs when he was made sinne for vs that we might be made the rightuousnesse of God in him 2. Cor. 5. Sixthly is added that the goodnesse and mercy of GOD might bée published Which thing is confirmed by the example of the troope of Angels singing this Himne at our Lords birth Glorie vntoo God on high and on earth peace and vntoo men good wil. Wée must think that this was doon too this end that all that acknowledge this Chryste may by the example of the most pure Angels lern too set out the goodnesse and mercy of God specially séeing that nature calleth vppon vs too render thanks too suche as haue deserued wel Last of all in the definition of the Gospell is added That those which are deliuered by the Gospel should bring foorthe frutes woorthie the Gospel For Paule in the .2 Ephe. sayth Wée are created in Iesu Chryst vntoo good woorks in which wée must walke And the same Paule sayth that wée oughte too walke in the lighte bycause wée are the Children of light For how I pray you stādeth this with reson that wee should bée exempted out of the bondage of sinne and yet serue sinne and bée oppressed with the yoke thereof The grace of God sayth Paule appéered too the welfare of all men too the intent that renouncing all vngodlinesse and fleshly desires we might liue soberly godlyly and rightuously in this world Forasmuche then as wée haue by strong reasons shewed that sinne curse and Gods wrath are taken away by the Gospell and that in their roome doo succéede rightuousnesse saluation and euerlasting life for Chrystes sake as long as wée beléeue in him and that for this benefite God will haue vs set foorth his goodnesse and shew thankfulnesse in all oure whole life It foloweth that the Gospell as I sayd is a doctrine reuealed from heauen wherin is preached deliuerance from sinne from curse of the law and from Gods wrath and wherein is proclaymed rightuousnesse saluation and euerlasting life too all that beléeue in Chryste for the sacrifice of him that the goodnesse and mercy of God may bée set foorth that those whiche are deliuered by the Gospell may bring forth frutes woorthy the Gospel Thus much concerning the Gospel And as for that which is added concerning Baptim wherby the benefite is applyed too the Gospel and sealed vp it is spoken already in the first Sunday in Lent and often elswhere ¶ Of the third NOw foloweth the place whiche is peculiar too this feast For the Euangelist declareth that our Lord ascended in too heauen Wherefore I wil say a little and that as plainly as I can concerning Chrystes ascension intoo heauen which is an Article of our Créede In this article of our Lords ascension there bée thrée thinges too bée specially considered of vs. First his coming down for before hée went vp hée came downe Secondly his
clensing héerof hath he giuen his sonne willeth that those which wil be partakers of his mercy should mortifie it in thēselues by continual repentāce But how doth God loue the world So as he hath giuen his sonne for it that is to wit that he should take vpon him the sinne of the world die for it vpon the crosse Surely it is a great loue than which there can be none greter But reason is héer offēded which vnderstandeth not Gods purpose and obiecteth in this wise Is not God almighty Yes surely Can he not doo what hée listeth Yes vndoubtedly can he Had it not bin better then if he had shewed his loue towards men by some other meane Austin answereth If hée had doone otherwise neyther would y t haue liked thée It pleased him saith Paul too saue the vnbeléeuers by the foolishe preaching of the Gospel Wherefore setting aside the iudgemente of reason let vs saye with Dauid Thy woorde is a lanterne too my feete Also this is too bée knowne that God is not only almighty but also most iust most merciful and most wise Mankinde was falne intoo sinne What did Iustice require in this case Surely that mankind should bée punished according too the greatnesse of his sinne Nowe as his sinne was infinite for the infinite goodnesse was defaced therby so Gods iustice required that eyther mankinde should suffer endlesse punishmēt or else that rightfull amēds should bée made in stead of the punishemente This amends could none make but God But forasmuch as God ought not too bée punished the sonne of God tooke mannes nature vpon him and in it made satisfaction for the sinnes of the worlde And so God shewed himself not only almighty but also most iust most merciful and most wise For he alone foūd out the way which reason could not find He gaue his sonne whoo by his heauenly power ouercame sinne death the Deuil Hel who of his mercy hath receyued vs who with his rightuousnesse hathe satisfied the iustice of God who through his wisdome hath found out the way of saluation ¶ Of the second THat all that beleeue in him shoulde not perishe but haue euerlasting life Héere is the instrument set foorth whereby the benefites of our Mediatour Chryst are applyed vntoo vs. Howbéeit for asmuch as these are the woordes of the sonne of God and the chéef floure or pith of the whole scripture I wil sift them one by one and shew what doctrine is too bée gathered of euery word First hée sayth All. This woord all remedieth two moste gréeuous temptations whereof the one is of particularitie and the other of vnwoorthinesse for the multitude of sinnes There are diuers that confesse God too bée merciful too many for Christes sake but they dout whither so great a good turne perteine too them selues or no. This is a sore temptation the whiche the sonne of God remedyeth with this one woord all For if Chrystes benefite extended not it self too all he would in no wise haue sayd all but many or some Let vs then giue the praise of truth vntoo Chryste and let euery man throughly persuade him self that Christes benefits belong to him also Ageine another temptation riseth of the thinking vppon the greatnesse of sinnes whiche temptation the miseries of this present life encrease This dooth Chryste remedy also by this woord all For hée sayth not euery iust man or that committeth the lesser sinnes but all that is to wit euery one that is found within this wide worlde This also confirmeth the price of our redemptiō The blud of Christ saith Iohn clenseth vs from all iniquitie that is too say from all that whiche wée doo amisse contrary too the law of God Therefore let no man despaire by reason of the greatnesse of his disease Oure Phisicion Chryste is wise and hath an effectuall remedye ageinst all diseases namely his owne death and obedience Then foloweth the second woord that beleeueth by whiche woord mākind is disseuered intoo twoo sorts of men of whom the one beléeue the other beléeue not They beléeue whiche persuade them selues that Christ is fauorable to them according too his promisse and they beléeue not whiche despise the gospel and wil not credit Christ these perish through their owne default Uerely the benefit extendeth it self too al men is offred too all according too Christs commaundement but it is receiued of the beléeuers only according too Chrysts cōmaundement and promisse Go yee intoo the vvhole vvorld preach the gospel to al creatures He that beleueth shal be saued Behold the benefit is offred vntoo all but only the beléeuers take hold of it the rest perish through their own default For althoughe that God of his mercy is willing too haue all men saued yet wil hée of his iust iudgement that the vnbeléeuers perish whom hée would haue saued if they had not refused to embrace their saluation by faith The third woord is on him For hée is saued that beléeueth on him that is on the sonne of God very man the sauyoure of the world Iesus Chryst. What is it too beléeue on him It is too despaire of thy self and too hope for all good at his hand The fourth woord is should not perish In this saying are shewed twoo things Firste that all whiche beléeue not on Christ are subiect too the sentence of damnation And secondly that men bée acquit from this sentence of dānation by the merites of only Chryst through fayth only This therfore is the greatest benefite of the Gospel too bée set frée from deserued destruction and endlesse damnation The fifthe saying is but haue life euerlasting This is the chéefest benefit of the Gospel Endlesse death is due to vs by oure owne desert eternall life is due too vs by the deserte of Christ so that wée leane vntoo him by stedfast fayth vntoo the end By these things now is too be gathered a firme differēce betwixt the law and the Gospel and betwéene woorkes and fayth The law promiseth eternall life but it is too them that doo the lawe But bicause no man is able too fulfil the lawe it foloweth that no man can atteine life by the law The Gospel promiseth eternal life fréely too all that beléeue in Christ bicause Chryste hath for all suche satisfied the rightuousnesse of the lawe Fayth therefore receyueth that benefite fréely whiche the lawe offereth without condicion of fulfilling the law Notwithstanding when wée haue obteyned this benefite by faith we must doo works not too the intent too deserue Heauen and euerlasting life by them but as Gods Children too performe true obedience too our Father and to shew oure fayth by our frutes in all godlynesse and honestie ¶ Of the third FOr God hathe not sent his sonne intoo the vvorlde too comdemne the vvorlde but that the vvorlde mighte bee saued by him Hee that beleeueth in him is not condemned but he that beleeueth not is iudged already bycause hee beleeueth not on
the godly mennes soules after this lyfe Lazarus is caryed intoo Abrahams bosom What is Abrahams bosom Like as Abraham was therfore called the father of the faithful bycause that with him was layd vp the couenant of eternall lyfe the which he kéeping in faythful custodie deliuered as it were from hand too hand first vntoo his owne children and afterward too all nations that they are called his children as many as are heires of the same promisse So after death they are sayd too bée gathered intoo his bosom bycause thy receyue the frute of the same fayth with him For like as a mannes sonnes whē they come home toogither at nyght from their dayly labor are cherished as it were in their Fathers bosom So the godly after their trauels taken in this life are after death gathered togither intoo blisful rest where they are wel at ease and in happy case vntil the rysing agein of the dead This bosom of Abraham is called also Paradyse as in that saying of Christ to the théefe this day shalt thou be with mée in Paradyse where according too the Psalme is abundance of ioy by beholding of God and euerlasting pleasures in his right hand Too be bréef Blissed are they that die in the Lord bycause they shal bée euermore with God shal enioy endlesse ioy And as concerning the communication of Abraham the Glutton it is to bée known that these things happened spiritually For so thought the Glutton wyth himselfe in his torments and such answer receyued he in his owne conscience Seuenthly behold in Lazarus the image of the Church in this lyfe For it is afflicted and it is despysed of the mighty rich men of this world ¶ Of the third THey haue Moyses and the Prophets let them heere them ▪ This is a very weighty admonishment and excéeding behoofeful for by this saying many are damned First euery one is damned that receiueth not Moyses and the Prophets For these are giuen of God too lead vntoo God and to shew the way of saluation He therfore that receiueth them not abydeth in his damnation Secondly they are damned that receyue them but yet set more by mennes traditions and rather frame their life after mennes commaundements than after Gods commaundements notwithstanding Gods charge giuen openly too the contrary For thus sayth he in Ieremy Cap. 20. Walk yée in my statutes and not in the cōmaundements of your fathers Thirdly are dāned héer Pope Gregorie the Anabaptists and other Euthusiasts which looke for new Reuelations frō heauen and giue more credit too the fumes of a frantike and melancholicke brayne than too the heauenly voyce or rather forsake and vtterly cast away the woord of God Fourthly wée learne héerby too make much of the doctrine of Moyses the Prophets and Apostles which wil be a lanterne for vs too eternall saluation so wée folow the lyght therof For the world hath not a more precious treasure than Gods woord Dauid did make more account of this than of y e finest golde Through this Lazarus who was poore in the world was rich before God By this did Iob rayse vp himself in the middes of his miseries Wherfore ryght déere brethren let vs also loue Gods woord Let vs assure our selues that that is the instrument wherby is offered vntoo vs the preciousest of all treasures Iesus Chryst and by him euerlasting lyfe which our heauenly father graunt vntoo vs by the same Iesus Chryste too whom bée honor and glory for euer and euer Amen Vpon the .ij. Sunday after Trinitie ¶ The Gospell Luke xiiij A Certain man ordeined a great supper and bad many and sent his seruant at supper tyme too say too them that vvere bidden come for all things are novv ready And they al at once began too make excuse The first sayd vnto him I haue bought a farme and I must nedes goe and see it I pray thee haue me excused And an other sayd I haue bought fyue yoke of Oxen and I go too proue them I pray thee haue mee excused And another sayd I haue maryed a vvyfe and therfore I cannot come And the seruaunt returned and brought his master vvord againe therof Then vvas the good man of the house displeased and sayd too his seruaunt go out quickely intoo the streetes and quarters of the citie bring in hither the poore feble the halt blind And the seruaunt sayd Lord it is done as thou hast cōmaunded yet ther is roum And the Lord sayd vnto the seruant go out into the hie vvayes hedges cōpell them too come in that my house may bee filled For I say vntoo you that none of these men vvhich vvere bidden shall taste of my supper The exposition of the Text. LIke as the last Sunday it was shewed in the Glutton y t the contempt of a mannes neighboure is hinderance too saluation so in thys Gospel we are taught another let which is too bée shunned that is too wit that wée set not more by our owne possessions and affaires by the care of worldly matters thā by the Gospel of Chryst or that we suffer not our selues to be letted and busied w t the commodities and pleasures of this world that wée come not too the supper vnto which wée are bidden by the preaching of the Gospel Now the occasion of this Parable was a certein Pharisies talke at a feast too which Chryst was bidden For when Chryste had declared that suche as are liberall too the poore shal bee rewarded in the resurrection of the rightuous the Pharisie intending too sooth Chryst in his woordes sayd Blissed is he that eateth bread in the kingdome of God Notwithstanding for as much as Christ saw the ouerthwart cōditions and froward inclination of this Pharisie and of the rest of the Iewish nation he put foorth this Parable wherin he peinteth out bothe the iust reiecting of the Iewes and the frée receyuing of the Gentiles The dryft end of which Parable is that wée should not suffer the transitorie things of this life too bée a hinderance vntoo vs for cōming too the heauenly supper whervntoo wée are bidden by the gospell The places are foure 1 The greatnesse of Gods mercy is poynted out in thys Supper 2 The vnthankfulnesse of the world is noted in those that refuse too come when they are called 3 Of his compulsion how he compelleth and by whom 4 A thretning of punishmente too them that receyue not the Gospell ¶ Of the firste HOw great Gods mercy is towards mankinde it is euident by many proues For not only Gods woord but also Gods excéeding great benefites towards the whole world and specially towardes Chrystes churche beare witnesse of Gods inspeakable mercie The earth sayth Dauid is full of the Lordes mercye The greatest proofe of this mercy is the giuing of his Sonne too redéeme the worlde drowned in vtter miserie and that by his death and passion too the intēt that men béeing deliuered from this
miserie shuld be rewarded with euerlasting lyfe which is called héer the great supper and in Mathew the mariage of the kyng vntoo whiche great Supper men are called of Gods méere mercie too the intent they may bée filled at it with spiritual daynties euerlastingly Howbéeit too the intent the delicates of this Supper may bée the plesanter vntoo vs I will set out seuerally one by one the circumstaunces that are noted in the text and shew what instruction and admonishment is too bée learned by eche of them The first circumstance therfore too bée considered in this supper is concerning him that biddeth vs vntoo it For thervpon hangeth the estimation of it Who is it then that prepareth this Supper Is it some worldly kyng No. Yet wer that King woorthy too bée muche made of for his liberalitie too bée praysed for his mercie that would prepare a princely feast royally furnished for miserable and poore soules Who is it then It is God our heauenly father the Lord of Lords and king of kings who only is riche and well stored with delicates This circumstaunce is a most euident testimonie of Gods goodnesse and mercy The second circumstance is that God héere the master of the house biddeth guestes too Supper c And what is ment by the name of supper The very Gospel and all those things that are ioyned with the Gospell as is saluation and eternall lyfe Sée how great mercy shyneth foorth héere What is the reason of the terming of it so Why are these so great good thinges called a supper Surely it is not doone without great causes of which number there bée thrée chéef The first is bycause the Gospell promiseth euerlasting ioye and endlesse good things For as the Supper is set before men in the latter end of the day so the good things which the Gospell offereth shall of the méere mercy of God bée giuen in rewarde too the beléeuers after that they in dystresse haue outworne the manyfolde labours of this lyfe The second cause is for that lyke as the euening whiche is the tyme that men are woonte too prepare for supper is the ende of the daye so the age in which all men by the ministerie of preaching are bidden too repaste of the heauenly Supper is of the laste age The third cause is for that the Gospell is the last voyce of GOD in the worlde after whiche there is none other too bée looked for in lykewyse as the Supper is the last meate that is set béefore men in the day For ther shall neuer sound any other voyce of God from heauen but thys selfe same voyce of the Gospell shall sounde vntoo the laste daye of iudgement The third circūstance is in this woord Great by whiche is commended vntoo vs the richnesse of Gods mercy For God biddeth not a kyng or twoo or a wiseman or twoo vntoo this supper but he biddeth the whole world He ouerskippeth not the poore he neglecteth not the riche men he shutteth not out the gentlemen he kéepeth not the country folke nor the townesmen from his feast he holdeth no skorne of the little ones disdeyneth not y e great ones al men without exception that are dispersed through the whole worlde biddeth he too that great supper For the text witnesseth both that it is a greate supper and that many are bidden The fourth circumstance is of the manner of his bidding The manner is expressed in these wordes And he sente his seruaunt at the houre of Supper too saye too them that vvere bidden Héer by the name of seruant is ment the Prophetes Apostles and all godly teachers whom God hath sent from the beginning of the worlde too bid guestes too the Supper Too this supper dyd God himselfe bidde the patriarke Noe. He being bidden bad the rest of the world in Gods sted Afterward when the world throughe it owne vnthankfulnesse was perished in the flud Abrahā was by Gods owne mouth bidden too this supper After which time when the malice of the world was encreased vpon the earth God chose one peculiar people among whome he often times raysed vp Prophets that bad guests too this supper And the master of the house continued in so dooing vntill he sent his owne Sonne our Lord Iesus Chryst whome those that were bidden hanged vpon the Crosse. And he being raised ageyn from death sent out his Apostels intoo the whole world too byd all nations too this most delicate supper The fifth circumstance is of the hour of the supper What is this houre It is the time of grace and the time of glory The time of grace is the time wherin is preached vnto men the liberality mercyfulnesse of y e master of the house which tyme is deuided intoo thrée parts Intoo promise performāce and the tyme that hath folowed the performance The time of promis was from Adam vntoo the birth of Chryst almost foure thousand yéere Then was the tyme of performance during all the while that Chryst was conuersant héere vpon earth in the flesh and preached and offered himselfe the price of redemption for them that wer bidden too this supper The tyme that followed the performance is thencefoorth from the sending of the Apostles intoo the whole worlde vntill the daye of Iudgement in whiche tyme wée also bée and are bidden too this Supper by the voyce of the Ministers of Gods woorde The tyme of glory in eternitie When wée shall sit downe in the heauenly glorie not onely wyth Abraham and Isaac but also with God the Father God the Sonne and God the holy ghoste and shal enioy euerlasting mirth and gladnesse in Chryst Iesu our Lord. The sixth circumstance is the manner of the biddyng Come sayth he for all things are ready That is too saye as wée sée in the bidding of Iohn Baptist and Chryst Repent and beléeue the Gospell for the kyngdome of heauen is at hand This bidding requireth repentance that is too wit an alteration of the former life that wée shuld depart from euil and doo good and it requireth fayth that is too wit that wée should beléeue that this Supper is set on the Table for vs not in respect of our deseruyng but of méere mercy for the Sons sake whom God hath giuen vntoo vs too bée our wysedome ryghtuousnesse sanctification and redemption For with these gyftes and as it were garments of the Sonne of God muste wée enter intoo the Supper of euerlasting lyfe For Chryst by his wysedome reformeth our myndes wyth his ryghtuousnesse he decketh vs when wée beléeue on him with his sanctification or halowyng hée clenseth vs and at length he receyueth vs intoo his parlor where shall bée perpetuall redemption glorie and happinesse And thus muche concerning the firste place wherin is set oute vnto vs the mercyfulnesse of GOD which is from generation too generation vppon all that feare hym as the virgin our Lordes moother singeth ¶ Of the second BVt all began vvith one consent to excuse them selues
amendmente and our owne soule helth is in hand whiche Chryste offreth vntoo all sinners that repent Too him therfore bée honoure for euermore Amen Vpon the .iiij. Sunday after Trinitie ¶ The Gospell Luke vj. BE yee mercyful as your father also is mercyfull Iudge not and yee shall not bee iudged condemne not and yee shall not bee condemned Forgiue and yee shall bee forgiuen Giue and it shall bee giuen vntoo you good measure and pressed dovvne and shaken togither and running ouer shall men giue vntoo your bosomes For vvith the same measure that yee mete vvithall shall other men mete too you ageyn And he put forth a similitude vnto them Can the blind lead the blind Doe they not both fall intoo the ditche The disciple is not aboue his master Euery man shall bee perfect euen as his maister is VVhy seest thou a mote in thy brothers eye but considerest not the beame that is in thine ovvne eye Fither hovv canst thou say to thy brother Brother let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye vvhen thou seest not the beame that is in thine ovvne eye first thou hypocrite cast out the beame out of thine ovvne eye then shalt thou see perfectly too pull out the mote that is in thy brothers eye The exposition of the Text. THis Sermon of Chrysts perteyneth too the third part of Repentance For yée know that there bée thrée partes of Repentance Sorynesse faith and new obedience or amendmeÌ„t of lyfe Sorynesse acknowledgeth the sinne and hateth and shunneth it Faith fléeth vntoo Chryst who deliuereth from sinne and iustifieth them that beléeue New obedience consisteth in four things which are Reuerence towardes God holinesse of lyfe in euery man too himself loue of our neyghbour and diligence in that vocation too which euery man is called Now for as much as these bée the partes amendment of lyfe Chryst in this Gospel frameth an exhortatioÌ„ to charitie or loue towards our neighbour the which he implyeth héere vnder his partes And bycause that mercy towardes our neighbour is as it were the first imp of it he exhorteth vntoo mercy by which he méeneth al maner of duties which we owe one to another in this life For what soeuer one oweth too another when he hath payde it he is no longer a detter sauing only of loue which we can not so fully pay but that we must always remayne detters Whervpon Paule Rom. 13. Owe nothing too any man but that yée loue one another Now too the intent wée may the more cléerly vnderstand this Gospell I will speake of two things 1 What bée the woorks of loue or of mercy which is commended vntoo vs in this place 2 What bée the reasons wherewith Chryst exhorteth vs héer too shew mercy that is too say too the woorkes of charitie towards our neighbour ¶ Of the firste BE yee mercifull c When the sonne of God exhorteth his Disciples vntoo mercy he giueth vs to vnderstaÌ„d both of what mind wée ought too bée one towards another and also that in this life by reason of many infirmities eche hath néede of others helpe Which lesson if they which wil be called Christians would in these dayes beare well away there should bée lesse debate and lesse mischéefe Wée will all of vs bée called Chrysts disciples but no man wil do that he commaundeth The seruant obeyeth the commaundement of his master the handmayde hath hir eye wayting vpon his mistresse yea there is no man but he giueth more eare too his superiors in this world than many that wil bée called Christians doo giue too Chryst their God and Sauiour who hanged vppon the Crosse for them and earned heauen for them And what is the cause Forsooth for that they are Christians in worde only and not in hart For he that is a Christian in very déed mindeth nothing so muche as too obey his master Chryst of whom hée hath both his name saluation Wherfore I admonishe you too lay aside that fleshly carefulnesse too obey Chryst and diligently too marke out of this Gospel what duties towardes our neighbours hée requireth at oure handes In generall truely hée requireth louingnesse according as he saith too his Disciples Loue yee one another as I haue loued you In this they shall know you too be my Disciples if yée shal loue one another And nothing else requireth he héer when hee sayth bee merciful For they that loue are merciful they that bée merciful doo loue So the fountaine sheweth the water and the water the fountaine How bée it Christ in this place did therfore vse the woord Mercy bicause hée sheweth the nature of true loue This mercy whiche procéedeth out of loue is commended by Chryste too his Disciples in this Gospel consisteth of foure parts Of whiche the first is in the very harte and is a certaine curtesie and wel liking wherethrough wée coâ—â—ter all things of our neighbour too the bell and always hope for better of him This curtesie dooth Chryste note by râ—â—â—ouing the contrary when he sayth â–ª Iudge not Héeruppon the Apostle â–ª Cor. 13. Loue thinketh no euill And this is the mening of the 〈…〉 There is no cause then that any maÌ„ shoulde thinke that by this saying iudge not iudgemente is taken away eyther concerning the difference of vertues and vices in men concerning the duetie of housholders schoolemâ—ysters ciuill Magistrates and ministers of Gods woord or câ—nserning brotherly reproofe when it is due wherby one ought tâ—◠〈◊〉 backe another in too the way when hee goe thamisse according too Chrystes commaundemente Bâ—t onely that scope of the minde wherby wée take vpon vs the libertie too misdéeme other folke contrary too the rule of charitie For in respecte of iudgemente concerning the difference of things honest and dishonest the law of GOD is a grounded and vnmoueable rule vntoo vs. For whatsoeuer thing Gods law calleth dishonest or honest we also must déem the same to be so in likewise For what a blockishnesse were it not to discerne these things Wée muste therefore iudge and put a difference betwéene the tirannie of Nero and the gentlenesse of Fabritius and so of the rest Maysters of housholdes haue commaundemeÌ„t too bring vp their children in nurture and chastisement of the Lorde Also Salomon wil haue Fathers and Moothers too chasten their children And Hely the high Preest was punished bicause when hée saw his sonnes Ophne and Phinees behaue theÌ„ selues amisse in the seruice of God for they stâ—le away the better partes of the Sacrifises and also in their life for they defiled them selues with fornication he did not correct them with fatherly iudgemeÌ„t Héerby it is manifest that the saying of Chryst taketh not awaye the duties of Housholders whiche surely they cannot execute without iudgement and discerning betwéene things wel doone things doone amisse Agâ—in what should schoolesmaisters do without iudgement For some scholers are too bée compelled too their duetie by beating and a
What should I make many woordes He hath doone nothing according too the appoyntment of the lawe Is it not a great matter too bée no extortioner too bée no vniust man too bée no aduoutrer too faste and too giue almesse Surely these things are not too bée disalowed But this Pharasie did wretchedly defile the good déedes he had doone with selfe loue and pride What wanted he then The well spring of good woorkes fayth in Chryst which woorketh by charitie Whereas this is not bée the woorke neuer so sightly and faire yet can it not bée acceptable vntoo God yea rather it is an abhomination before GOD specially when there goeth an opinion of ryghtuousnesse with it like as wée sée in this Pharisie Wée haue séene from whence the woorkes of this Pharisie procéeded and howe farre they are voyde from the rightuousnesse of the lawe and what he wanted Nowe let vs sée how gréeuously he sinned and how vnrightuous he was First he durst preace vntoo God and boldly speake vntoo him being without feare of God without fayth without repentaunce without the mediator Chryst by whom only the enteraunce too the father is set open Is this so great a wickednesse Yea In this acte he breaketh all the commaundementes of the first table and as it were trampleth it vnder his féete Ageine ▪ hée béeing but dust and ashes durste boast before GOD when notwithstanding it is written The giltlesse is not giltlesse before thée Howe great a pride was this I beséeche yée Thoughe hée despise bothe God and men doothe hée not feyne himselfe neuerthelesse too bée ryghtuous Thirdlye hée abused the Temple of GOD whiche was ordeyned too praye for forgiuenesse of sinnes bothe publike and priuate But what maketh hée of the Temple A Court barre too accuse others at Fourthly hée layeth violent handes vppon all the whole seconde Table and breaketh it contrary too the nature of Charitie whiche is woont eyther too salue the sinnes of oure neighboure or else too conceale them What dooth hée I am not sayeth hée as other men extortioners vniust aduouterers Yea all this séemed but a little too him Wherefore béeing in the vpper ende of the Temple hée looked behinde him and saw the silie Publicane praying and hée had no sooner espyed him but hée accuseth him by and by at the iudgement seate of GOD. Neyther am I sayth hée as this Publicane If hée had bin a godly man in déede hée would haue bin glad for the Publicane as the Angelles of GOD were whiche reioyce in Heauen vppon a sinner that repenteth But when as hée accuseth the repentaunte hée sheweth sufficiently of what spirite hée spake Hée oughte too haue remembred the saying of Iesus the sonne of Sirach Despise not a man that turneth from his sinne For wée are all of vs in corruption that is too say subiecte too sundry miseries Let him that standeth sée y t hée fall not sayth the Apostle Paule As touching the fasting and Tything of this Hipocrite I say no more but this Fasting whereby the stoutenesse of the fleshe is subdued is a thing not euill But if thou faste too merite any thing at Gods hande then thy fasting becommeth an abhomination For God will not bée woorshipped with mennes traditions but according too the rule of his own law Concerning Tything I say this That God so ordeyned it in his common weale that the Préestes of the Tribe of Leuie should haue whereon too liue And Chryste sayth The labourer is woorthie of his hire and thou shalt not moozel the Oxe that treadeth out the Corne. ¶ Of the second LIke as in the Pharisey wée haue séene what manner of ryghtuousnesse the Pharisaicall ryghtuousnesse is and haue shewed the fondnesse of it by comparing it wyth the ryghtuousnesse of the Lawe So nowe foloweth the second doctrine concerning Chrysten ryghtuousnesse whiche is represēted vntoo vs in this Publicane as it were in some liuely image Howbéeit bicause the scripture teacheth of vertues by twoo wayes that is too wit by rule and by example I wil first sée what the scripture sayth of Chrysten rightuousnesse And afterward I will shewe the same in the example of the Publicane that in so dooing the rule may be confirmed by example Now as concerning the rule of Christen rightuousnesse these are cléere sayings Paule in the third too the Romains sayeth All haue sinned and are destitute of the glorye of God and they are iustified fréely by his grace throughe the redemption that is in Christ Iesu whom God hath set forth too bée the mercy seat through fayth in his bloud And anone after in the same chapter Wée vpholde that a man is iustified by fayth without the woorkes of the lawe 2. Corrinth 5. Him that knew no sinne hée made sinne that wée might bée made the ryghtuousnesse of GOD in him Romaynes ◠Like as by the disobedience of one man manye become sinners So ageine by the obedyence of one man manye are made ryghtuous And of Abraham Abraham beléeued GOD and it was imputed vntoo him for ryghtuousnesse And Dauid Blissed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Such sayings as these there are without number in the Scripture concerning Chrysten rightuousnesse but I haue alledged these fewe that I might therby gather a general doctrine concerning Chrysten rightuousnesse First therfore is gathered of these Textes that Chrysten ryghtuousnesse is not of woorkes albéeit that hée whyche is iustified beginneth henceforth too doo good woorks This therfore is too bée borne in minde that woorkes are in suche wise excluded as that they are not the cause of this rightuousnesse but the effects and frutes as I wil shew héereafter Secondly is gathered of these sayings that Christen rightuousnesse is not the obedience of men themselues but of Chryste for them Thirdlye that this obedience of Chrystes is bestowed vppon man too the intent hée may bée rightuous by it and not by his owne rightuousnesse Fourthly That whosoeuer beléeueth is made partaker of this rightuousnesse of Chrystes so that it is imputed too hym as his owne For Chryste is the ende of the Lawe too iustifie euery one that beléeueth Fifthly that bicause wée are sinners wée bée reconciled vnto the Father by Chryst whom GOD hath set foorth too be the mercy seate Sixthly That Chrystes bloud was shed for the sinnes of them that beléeue so as the Iustice of God or of the Lawe is satisfied Seuenthly By all the things gathered it falleth out that christian rightuousnesse consisteth of acquytall from sinne imputation of Chrystes ryghtuousnesse and acceptation vntoo euerlasting lyfe fréely for Chrystes sake This is the summe of the doctrine of the churche concerning Chrysten rightuousnesse wherby it commeth too passe that Chrysten iustification is an acquital from sinne an imputacion of Chrystes rightuousnesse and an acceptation vntoo eternall life fréely for Chrystes sake How bée it thys is further too bée borne in minde that by fayth onely wherby wée are iustified this ryghtuousnesse
in all our necessities assuring our selues that we shall finde helpe in due time And thus much bréeflye concerning the summe and vse of thys Gospell The places are thrée 1 Of these ten Lepres 2 Why the Lord sent them too the préest 3 Of the thankfulnesse of the Samaritane and of the vnthankfulnesse of the other nine ¶ Of the first IN the first doctrine of this Gospell which I haue purposed concerning y e Lepres I wil say these things in order How despised Lepres were among the people of Israell what the déede of them teacheth vs how a great number are infected with spirituall Leprosie and haue néede of Christ to be their Phisition and what we may gather of Christes déede concerning his affection towards vs. Lepres were counted among the Iewes vncleane and vnwoorthy too be conuersant among the Israelites and that was for their most foule and contagious disease wherewith they were atteinted And by the appoyntment of Gods law they caried about with them badges of reproche and sorow whereby they were put in minde of their vngodlinesse and wicked déedes for which they were falne intoo such miserie In Leuiticus are numbred fiue badges by which they might be discerned from other men least they shoulde bée defiled with their infection One was a loose garment Another was a bare head The thirde was a face muffled The fourth was a dwelling separated from resort of men And the fifth was an open Proclamation whereby they were proclaimed vncleane as which were vnworthy too bée conuersant among y e Israelites Héerby it is easie to coÌ„iecture in how great sorow they liued how miserable their state was and being beset with these miseries they resort vnto Christ. Whervpon we may gather remedies ageinst thrée kinds of temptations of which the first springeth of the thinking vpon the misery and filthinesse of our sinne The second procedeth of our own vntowardnesse for y t we be not of sufficient behauiour to sue to so great a prince as is our Sauiour Iesus Christ. The third issueth of the consideration of deserts wherof wée perceyue our selues to haue none at all For according to the example of these Lepres wée must not suffer our selues too bée feared away with these things from resorting to our only Phisition and Sauiour Now we sée what these ten Lepres did As the Lorde entred into a certaine â—ovvne sayth the text there met him ten Lepres vvhich stoode a farre of and lift vp their voyce saying Iesu maister haue mercy vppon vs. Here haue wée in these Lepres an example of true lowlinesse faith inuocation and confession That they stand a farre of it is a token of submission and lowlinesse For in consideration of their disease and of sinne which was the cause of their disease they did from the bottom of their hart cast theÌ„selues downe before God acknowledging their owne miserie the foulenesse of sinne and the most iust sentence of the law condemning them And so they are rightly humbled before God Which humbling of themselues is the first gréece or step vntoo glory like as pride is y e first step vnto shame which thing the Lord himself witnesseth when he sayth Euery one that exalteth himselfe shal be brought â—owe and euery one that humbleth himself shall bée exalted Let vs then followe these mens example and cast downe our selues by true repentaÌ„ce before god which thing if we doo it shal happen too vs according to Christes saying He that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted In that they resort vntoo Christ it is a witnesse of their faith which they had gotten by héering him spokeÌ„ of abrode For out of all dout they had heard of this most swéete saying of Christ wherewith he allureth all men vnto him after so fatherly a sort and offereth his grace vnto all men Come vnto me all ye that labour and are loden and I will refresh you and you shall finde rest vnto your soules This worde come all yee that labour they had hard and conceyued hope that he who offered himselfe so gently vnto all men would not shake them of Wherfore through the faith that they had conceiued they encouraged themselues came vntoo Christ. Let vs also after these mens example whereby the fatherly promisse is confirmed bée encouraged to hope well of Christ in all our aduersities The frute of this fayth foloweth which is InuocatioÌ„ For thus they pray Iesu maister haue mercy vpoÌ„ vs. In this their most earnest prayer first they acknowledge themselues too haue no deseruings but rather horrible sinnes For he that sayth haue mercy bosteth of no desert nor féeleth any woorthinesse but rather he confesseth his owne vnwoorthinesse acknowledgeth himselfe vnwoorthy a benefite Secondly in this prayer they acknowledge Christ too be the true Messias and the vanquisher of death al misfortunes They acknowledge him too bée méeke mercifull not such a one as encreaseth the affliction of those that bée afflicted but rather suche a one as remedieth and healeth their diseases Let vs also folow this example of praying and let vs in our prayer think and acknowledge Chryst too bée suche a one in very déede as they describe him too bée in this their prayer Also in these Lepres wée haue an example of confession which can neuer bée plucked away from prayer and surely a man could not confesse Chryst in those dayes without perill For the men of greatest might and wisedome did persecute Christ and forbad folke to professe him as we read in the .ix. of Iohn where the Pharisies rebuke the blind man whom our Lord had restored too his sight bicause he coÌ„fessed Christ. But let bs folow the example of these Lepres For although the affliction séeme gréeuous which is too bée susteyned for professing Christ yet notwithstanding the soulhealth whervntoo the profession tendeth is greater more certeine than that wée should fléete from it for any fond frayings I haue spoken of the bodily Leprosie of the coÌ„mendable déede of these Lepres Now wil I bréefly describe the spirituall Leprosie and shew the remedies of it The spiritual Leprosie is the attaynting and infection of the mind the hart the affections of man so as no part in maÌ„ is pure and cleane This Leprosie also hath his markes Wherof the first is separation from the houshold folke of God and from the company of the Saincts Angels and men The second is an vncouered head that is too say a barenesse of the gifts of y e holy Ghost ful of reproche wherof is said in Ezechiell thou wert bare and ful of confusion The third is a muffled mouth that is too say a stinking breth and a pestilent blast of most leude talke which procéedeth from an vnclene hart The fourth is a dwelling set from resort of men such as the dwelling of the rich glutton is who dwelt a great way froÌ„ the habitation of the blissed for t The fifth is open proclamatioÌ„ that is to say the cursse
was not arayed like one of them Séeing then that God dooth so much for the Lilies which wither away within a while and shalbée burned why should hée not clothe vs whom hée hath created too eternall life The fifth After all these things doo the Heathen seeke As if hée should say You in times past after the maner of Heathen folke were ignorant of Gods prouidence and voyde of Faith But now yée knowe that GOD hathe a care of you Why then séek yée things néedful for your life with heathenish carefulnesse The sixth Your Father knovveth that you haue neede of all these things Mark these things aduisedly Hée sayeth not the dreadful GOD the iealous God the maker of Heauen and earth hée that visiteth the sins of the fathers vpon their children knoweth but hée sayth your father knoweth whose father your father What maner a father your heauenly father Bicause he is heauenly he is also most good most mightie and moste wise Bicause hée is moste good hée wil giue those things that bée good Bicause hée is moste mightie hée can giue what he wil. And bicause hée is most wise he knoweth how what and when it is méet too giue ¶ Of the third SEeke yee firste the kingdome of God his rightuousnesse all things else shal bee cast vntoo you In this shorte saying of Christ are two things cōmaūdement promise The commaundement is Seek first the kingdome of God and the rightuousnesse of God And the promise is And all things else shall bee cast vntoo you First and formost therefore let vs sée the commaundement and then the promise The commaundement is that wée should séeke the kingdome of God and the rightuousnesse of God Héere it is demaunded what maner of things Gods kingdome and rightuousnesse are And ageine after what meanes they are too bée sought The kingdom of God is of three sorts in the scripture that is too wit of power of grace and of glorie He biddeth vs not séeke the kingdom of his power but of his grace from whence is the passage too the kingdom of glory What is the kingdome of grace It is that kingdom wherinto wée are receiued of méere grace whyle wée beléeue the Gospell For the Gospell is as it were the voyce of a cryer whereby they are called too this Kyngdome Of this speaketh Chryst in an other place The kingdom of God is among you Then is this kingdome the grace of God which Christes Gospell offereth The promise is the gate The bringer in is the holy Ghoste which sanctifyeth and regenerateth vs a newe in the Laue of Baptime by the woorde Bréefly this kingdome of grace is mercy forgyuenesse of synnes ioyfulnesse of conscience and deliueraunce from the kingdome of Sathan What is that rightuousnesse of God whiche he biddeth vs séeke Out of all doute it is the newe life and obedience which God requireth of his children And it is called the rightuousnesse of God bicause it pleaseth god that is too wit for the faithes sake wherby wée are reconciled too God in the blud of Chryst. The promise is And all things else shal bee cast vnto you That is too say the things that perteine too the sustenaunce of this life shall bée giuen you But Paule wherof no man doubteth did busily séeke the kingdom of God and yet notwithstanding in the .xj. chapter of the seconde Epistle too the Corinthians he cōplaineth that he was distressed with hunger and thirst Agein holy Iacob suffered scarcenesse of corne and other victuals in so muche that he was constreyned too go with his housholde intoo Egypt least he and his shoulde haue perished for hunger Therfore this promise of Chrysts séemeth vayne I answer Chrysts promise fayleth not for the truthe can not lye For Chryst who is our Phisitian is not ignorant when remedies are too bée ministred and when they are too bée withdrawne He regardeth not so muche our vnskilfulnesse as his owne wisedome Therfore let vs take this for a certeintie that he forsaketh not those that are his As for that wée now and then want things necessarie there bée many causes Firste that wée may bée exercise in pacience 2. That nowe and then our sinnes may bée punished with these plagues 3. Forasmuch as wée oftentimes séeke things superfluous wée iustly and rightfully want things necessarie 4. Bicause wée abuse things when wée haue thē 5. Bicause wée yéeld not thanks vntoo God 6. Bicause wée distrust God 7. Bicause wée dyuers times ascribe the good things y t wée receiue rather too our owne endeuer peinfulnesse than too God the giuer of them Wherfore if wée couet Gods blissing let vs confesse and doo as the Prophete dooth which sayth All things are thyne Lorde and wée render vntoo thée the things y e wée haue receyued at thy hand Héer◠as the prophet confesseth al things too bée Gods giftes so he turneth all things too Gods prayse Whiche thing that wée also may do our heauenly father graunt vs through Iesus Chryst too whom bée glory world without end Amen Vpon the .xvj. Sunday after Trinitie ¶ The Gospell Luke vij AND it fortuned that Iesus vvent intoo a Citie called Naim and many of his disciples vvent vvith him and much people VVhen he came nygh too the gates of the Citie Behold there vvas a dead man caried out vvhich vvas the onlie Sonne of his Moother and shee vvas a vvidovve and muche people of the Citie vvas vvith hir And vvhen the Lord savv hir hee had compassion on hir and sayd vntoo hir vveep not And hee came nighe and touched the Coffin and they that bare him stood stil. And hee sayd Yong man I say vntoo thee arise and hee that vvas dead sate vp and began too speake And hee deliuered him too his Moother And there came a fear on them all And they gaue the glory vntoo God saying A great Prophet is rysen vp among vs and God hath visited his people And this rumour of him vvent foorth through out all levvry through out all the regions vvhiche lie rounde about The exposition of the text PAule the Apostle wryting too the Romaynes sayth What things so euer are written they are written for our instruction that through pacience and comforte of the Scriptures wée might haue hope Wherefore when wée read the moste swéete Gospell of this daye let vs knowe that it perteyneth not only too that widow of Naim but also too all mankinde For Chryste in this Gospell beareth witnesse of the power of his owne Godhead of his pitifulnesse towardes them that bée in distresse and of his office For first the Lord proueth himselfe too bée almightie in that hée ouermaistereth Death which is the sting of sinne Agein hée vttreth his pitifulnesse towards vs in hauing compassion vppon this womans miseries And hée sheweth that it is his office too destroy the woorkes of the Deuill for vntoo that purpose came hée intoo the world as Moyses the Prophetes hée himselfe and the
in hope of this redemption by making hir a promisse of the blissed séede At length when the fulnesse of time was come the father sent out his sonne borne of the virgin Mary bouÌ„d vnder the law too redéeme his spouse y t was vnder the cursse of the law which thing came then too passe when he made himself the raunsome wherwith she was redéemed and recouered out of the hands of the adulterer Sathan And as in respect of eche man seuerally the Churche is handfasted and betrouthed too Chryst hir Bridegroome by faith and Baptim according as the Bridegroome himselfe saythâ— I wil betrouth thée too my selfe for euer I will marry thée too me in rightuousnesse and iudgement in mercy and compassion and I will marry thée too me in fayth and thou shalt know the Lord. In this betrouthing there are two things in generall too bée considered The one is the contract and promisse of the Bridegroome and the other is the couenanting of the Bride wherby she is bound vntoo hir husbande In the couenaunt of the Bridegroome there are thrée things First the good will and frâ—e loue of the Bridegroome whereby he fauoureth the Bride without any desert of hirs Secondly the méening of the continuance of the wedlocke betwéene the bridegroome Chryst and the Churche his spouse I will betrouthe thée too me sayth he for euer Therfore he continueth the Churches husband for euer Thirdly the reckening vp of the Iewels which Chryst the Bridegroome bestoweth vppon his wyfe and they are numbered héere too bée foure Rightuousnesse iudgement pitie and mercy With his owne rightuousnesse decketh he his wyfe when forgiuing hir sinnes he ascribeth his owne obedience vntoo hir where through she appéereth a comelie and beautifull Bride in the sight of the Bridegroomes father With his iudgement he reuengeth hir of them that did hir wrong mainteyning hir and pulling hir back intoo the way when shée steppeth awry Hée embraceth hir with pitie that is too saye with husbandly affection For this pitie is a kindly louingnesse issuing from the innermost closets of the minde And hée embraceth hir with mercie in that he pardoneth hir dayly misdéeds and rueth hir miseries These foure things are in the couenant of the Bridegroome And in the couenaunte on the behalfe of the Bride there bée twoo things The acknoweledging of the benefite with the praysing of GOD and fayth wherby the spouse leaneth vpon hir husbands breaste and without any distrust looketh for all the good things that hée hathe promised By this mutuall contract let vs conceiue Doctrine comfort and fayth that no discouragement of any aduersitie cause vs too fléete from this Bridegroome who neuer forsaketh his spouse vnlesse shée like a forsworne woman doo first break the fayth and trouth that shée hathe plighted Ageine wée learne héereby also that whosoeuer hath not the faith of Chryst is none of Chrystes but is defiled with shameful aduoutrie Héereby it appéereth how truely Iohn hathe sayed in his Apocalips Blissed are they that are called too the Lambes supper The fifth It is too bée obserued what they be that bid the guests too this royall mariage First the eternall GOD the Bridegroomes Father by his voyce biddeth guestes too this wedding Nexte many holy Fathers before the flud Then after the flud Noe and Melchisedech Ioseph and Moyses in Egipt The holie Prophets and Kings in the land of Canaan Daniel in Iury. After these commeth the Bridegrooms own maister of houshold Iohn Baptist poynted out the Bridegroome with his finger whoo also himself with his Apostles made Proclamation and bad guests too the wedding saying Come all things are ready The sixth The prouision for the Maryage feaste is too bée considered For euen lyke as at the Mariages of men are killed Bulles Shéepe Oxen and wilde beasts so also ageinst this mariage there is made moste excellent prouision and large alowance of al things First there is set before vs not corruptible bread but liuely bread from heauen wherof whoosoeuer eateth shall neuer after hunger Nexte is set before vs water of life For thus sayeth the Bridegroome himselfe If a man drinke of the water that I shall giue him hée shall not die Thirdly the Bridegroome refresheth our werye soules with his owne body and blud Fourthly he furnisheth vs with his owne apparell whilest wée put him on by Baptim For thus saith the holy Ghost by the mouth of Paul As many as are Baptised haue put on Chryst. And fifthly oure iunkets are the frutes of the trée of life whereby the Bryde shall haue hir strength that shée may neuer die The seuenth But they sayth the texte refused too come Did they so What a churlishnesse is that Were they bidden and woulde not come What letted them Firste their housholde guest sinne that â—â—â—elleth in theÌ„ This guest holds them backe with his pretie conceites that they cannot come too the wedding when they are bidden Secondlye the Bridegroomes enimie that is too wit the Deuill besetteth and forlayeth all the wayes and by diuers meanes stoppeth vp the passage too the wedding Thirdly sundry affaires kéepe them away For one hathe a Farme another hath Oxen another hathe a wife and another some other thing to busie himselfe aboute And the reste caughte his seruauntes and slue them The Storie of the worlde sheweth this too bée moste true Untoo this wedding did hée bid Abell But the Deuill sente out his champion Caine and killed him Untoo this wedding did Noe bidde guestes by the space of a hundred and twentie yéeres but those that were hidden mockte him and laughed him too skorne for his laboure Untoo this did Ioseph also bid guests in Egipt but a filthy strumpet accused him and made him too bée cast intoo prison Too this did Moyses bid guestes but hée suffered many things at their handes whom hée bad Too this wedding did the most holy Kings and Patriarkes bid guests but their talk was hild skorne of At length came the Bridegroomes owne maister of housholde Iohn but he was murthered by Herod To this wedding doth the Bridegroome himselfe the very sonne of God bid guestes but he is hanged vppon the galowes of the crosse Too this wedding do the Apostles bid guestes and after them all godly ministers of God worde Whom the Diuill assayling partly with his Sophistrie partly with his Tirannie and partly with his Hipocrisie striueth too kill So the greatest part of the world being vnkinde refuseth too come too this wedding of the sonne of God The eyght What sayth the king too this First he is angry which surely is no maruell For he sawe both himselfe and his mariage despised of those which will they nill they are compelled too confesse that what so euer good thing they haue they may thanke him for it Secondly he punisheth them bodily whereof the thanklesse world which the Lord destroyed in the flud had experience This dooth the burning of Sodom beare witnesse of This dooth the destruction of
touch the bile as Chryst did too put him to paine that afterward he may y e more luckily bée healed Now as touching this faultfinding of Chrysts it is to be vnderstood that God rebuketh sometime as a Iudge and sometime as a Father so that there is one fault finding which is iudgelike another which is fatherlike The iudgelike is that wherby he reproueth the vnrepentant persons as a Iudge such as were the Scribes Pharisies Hypocrites after such maner as is in Mathew Wâ— bée too you scribes Pharisies and Hypocrites This is a dreadfull manace of the eternall damnation Too which all the worlde is subiect for despising the Gospel according too this Hée that beleueth not is iudged or condemned alredy The fatherly rebuke is that wherby God chastizeth euery sonne whom he receiueth vntoo him This tendeth too this purpose that wée shoulde not be disappoynted of the promised inheritaunce Al the holy men from the beginning of the world vntoo this day are an example of this rebuking For there was neuer yet any of them but he felt this fatherly rod one time or other It is good for me sayth Dauid that thou hast brought me lowe that I might lerne thy iustifications Both these kindes of rebuking shoulde of duetie put vs in minde too flée sinne that wée fal not intoo the hands of the liuing God and perishe for euer as cast away through our owne fault Héer let vs lifte vp oure eyes and looke vppon the conditions of the worlde Many will séeme as though they were no straungers too godlynesse but yet in hope of long lyfe they delay their repentance from day too day Many are deceiued by their own Stoical imaginations and say If I bée predestinate to eternal lyfe I néede not greatly too take thought whither I liue well or ill for God wil not alter his own decrée for my sins This is an horrible blasphemie First for that this horrible saying dooth excéeding great wrong vntoo God whose will is not that any man should bée damned but that all should bée saued and that by saluation that is too say by Iesus Chryst whom they must embrace by fayth The Lorde did not commaunde the Gospell too bée preached too this man or that man but too al men indifferently and he addeth a condition He that beléeueth shall bée saued and he that beléeueth not shal be damned No destiny is able too alter the decrée of God Therfore wée must thinke in this wise that like as Hector sayth in Homer The best hansell of good lucke that can be is too fight for a mans countrie So is it an vndeceiuable destinie too beléeue the Gospel at lest wise if a man minde too bée saued Another sort bicause they héere that Gods mercie is great doo sin at their pleasure and repent at their leasure This imagination hath ouerthrowen many and ouerthroweth many at this day Paule sayeth bée not seduced God is not mocked What soeuer a man soweth that shall he reape And other some set before theÌ„ the multitude of them that sinne That man sayth he hath a minde too bée saued no lesse than I. God will not cast away so greate a multitude But looke what happened in the flud Chryst in spirit by the mouth of Noe preached too the spirits that is too them whose soules are now in prison But the moste part of the world refused too héere Chrysts spirit preaching in so much as only eyght persons were saued Nought at all booted héere the multitude of the euill Fiue cities whereof the chéefe were Sodome and Gomorre hilde scorne too héere God speake What auayleth them their multitude Did they not perishe euerychone sauing Loth and his two daughters Wherfore let vs beware that the multitude of them that sinne hinder vs not from repentance Let vs shun the wordes of the vngodly that prouoke vs too sin Let vs beare in mind Chrysts saying who can not lye vnlesse yée repent yée shall al perish as they didde ¶ Of the third AND the man beleeued the saying that Iesus spake vntoo him â–ª and vvent his vvay Héere it is firste too bée obserued that Chryst reiected not the Courtier bicause his faith was weake In déede he founde fault with the weaknesse of his faith but he did not cast him of For the Lord did not breake the broosed réede nor quenche the smoaking flaxe but rather he reléeued the one and stirred vp the other Hée chydeth his disciples for their wauering faith yet he putteth them not from him as vnwoorthy persons For he knoweth what our infirmities are he knoweth with howe great engins our faith is assaulted he knoweth that in all mankinde there is horrible douting But Philip sayeth too the Eunuche that deâ—ired Baptim If thou beléeue perfectly Therfore if baptim can not bée bestowed but where as is perfect fayth neither are other benefites too bée looked for Héer are two questions one of douting and the other of the perfection of faith As too the douting I aunswere thus Faithe is bothe strong and weake howbéeit in respect of sundry beginnings For if yée haue an eye too the flesh doutes rise continually one after an other Sara too whom the séede was promysed laughed and according too the vnderstanding of the fleshe did cast great doute So Abraham and many holy men as ofte as they bée touched with the féelyng of the fleshe begynne somewhat to doute For the fleshe is euermore ageinst the spirite neyther can any man looke for so great strength of Faythe but that it shall bée oftentimes battered with the battelrammes of the fleshe But yf yée looke too the Spirite Fayth is strong and casteth no doutes Abraham sayeth Paule stickeâ— not through distrust for that he was forspente with yeares and his wyfe Sara barreyne bothe by nature and age But hée gaue glorie too God in beléeuing that hée was able too make good his promise Howe is fayth perfect dooth it not néede of dayly encreasements It is a perfect faith and yet hath néed of daily encreasments Hée had a perfect fayth which sayd Lorde I beléeue how bée it encrease thou my fayth This may bée shewed by this most goodly similitude A childe that is newly borne is a perfect man And a man ful growne is a perfect man So also standeth the case with faith The faith is perfect which receyueth and taketh holde vppon Chryst perfecte but it hath néede of dayly encreasementes too the intent it may become ful in all his partes Like as a childe though hée bée a perfecte man yet hathe néede of dayly foode and nourishement too the intent hée may come too his full growth and making Euen so hée that beléeueth hath néede too minde Gods woorde continually hath néede of the Heauenly bread and hath néede of the spirituall drinke too the intente hée may from day too day take new encreasement Which thing wée sée in the Apostles Peter had fayth when hée sayde Whither shall wée go thou
haste the woorde of life How bée it this fayth of Peters got greater strength and came as it were vntoo full growth on Whitsunday when hauing receyued Chrystes spirite visibly hée came abrode and at one sermon wan thrée thousand people vntoo Chryste So also muste fayth encrease in all others whiche if a man haue respect too the substance of it is perfect by and by as soone as it is conceyued by the woord but if yée haue an eye too the quantitie of it it groweth greater by dayly encrease And as concerning the dooings of Fayth they are moste trimly set oute in this Courtyer For firste fayth compelleth this Courtyer too flée vntoo Chryste for refuge in his aduersities as vntoo a moste true and skilfull Phisitian for all diseases and gréefes Secondlye it enforceth him too call vppon Chryste and too craue his ayde Besides this it maketh him not too giue ouer Chryst forthwith when he could not at the first intreataunce winne his purpose but too hang vpon him with earnest sute and not suffer himself too bée shaken of for a rough answere from him whom hée acknowledged too bée the only Sauyour And by so dooing hée obteyneth of Chryst what hée would Wherthrough his faith encreseth the more hée becometh the more chéerful earnest in suing and yéeldeth the frutes of confession and glorifying as is sayde héere And he beleeued all his vvhole housholde Héerby then wée may gather y e faith hath six frutes going with it continually The first is that fayth wil driue vs too Chryste in our aduersities too séeke help at his hand It knowes no sainctes too call vpon but onely Chryst whom it acknowledgeth too bée the onely mediatour betwéene God and man The seconde is that when it is come vntoo Chryste it calleth vpon him not for it owne woorthinesse but vppon trust of his gentlenesse and mercie The third is that though it obteine not out of hande yet it ceaseth not like a sluggarde nor fainteth like a cowarde but procéedeth stil in praying The fourth is that it obteyneth what it will it willeth that which may turne too the glory of God The fifth is that after it hathe obteyned what it wyll it groweth more and more and commeth too a fulsome quantitie The sixth is that after it yéeldeth the frute of confession praise of GOD. And this sentence is too bée marked héedfully Hee beleeued and all his house The like thing reporteth Luke of Cornelius Héerby therefore wée may learne too inure our housholde vntoo godlinesse Let vs bée a patron and example of doctrine vntoo it Let vs instruct the ignoraunt chastise the offenders quicken vp the dullerds and too bée short let vs too the vttermost of our power endeuer y t there may bée as many churches as there be housholds But as for them that haue no care of their housholde too sée them traded in godlinesse they may brag of faith as much as they list for they haue but the smoke of faith not faith it selfe whiche is alwayes bearing frute through Iesus Chryst our Lorde too whom bée prayse and glorie world without end Amen Vpon the .xxij. Sunday after Trinitie ¶ The Gospel Math. xviij THerefore is the kingdome of heauen likened vntoo a certeine man that vvas a king vvhiche vvould haue accompts of his seruauntes And vvhen he had begonne too recken one vvas brought vntoo him vvhich ought him ten thousand talents but for as muche as he vvas not able too paye his Lorde commaunded him too bee solde and his vvyfe and children and all that he had and payment too bee made The seruant fell dovvne and besought him saying syr haue pacience vvith me and I vvill pay thee all Then had the Lorde pitie on that seruaunt and loosed him and forgaue him the dot So the same seruaunt vvent out and founde one of his fellovves vvhiche ought him an hundred pence and he layde handes on him and tooke him by the throte saying Pay that that thou ovvest And his fellovve fell dovvne and besoughte him saying haue pacience vvith me and I vvill pay thee all And he vvoulde not but vvente and caste him intoo prison till he shoulde pay the det So vvhen his felovves savve vvhat vvas doone they vvere very sory and came and tolde vntoo their Lorde all that hadde happened Then his Lorde called him and sayde vntoo him O thou vngratious seruaunt I forgaue thee all that dette vvhen thou desiredst mee shouldest not thou also haue had compassion on thy fellovve euen as I had pitie on thee and his Lorde vvas vvrothe and delyuered him too the gaylers tyll he shoulde pay all that vvas due vntoo him So likevvyse shall my heauenly father doo also vntoo you if yee from your harts forgiue â–ª not euery one his brother his trespasâ—e The exposition of the Text. THe occasion of this Gospel was the question that Peter asked of Chryste howe often hée shoulde forgiue his brother that offended him whither vntoo seuen times Too him Chryst aunswereth I say not too thée seuen times but vntoo seuentie times seuen times that is too wit of sinnings Seuentie times seuen are foure hundred fourescore and ten Whereby is signified that wée must forgiue the fault of our brother that repenteth as often as he offendeth ageinst vs. For he put a number certeine for an infinite Howbéeit in as muche as this séemed hard to Peter our Lord put foorth a parable the sum wherof is this God our heauenly Father pardoneth vs oftentymes offending ageinst him Wherfore wée also must forgiue our brethren that haue delt amisse with vs as often as they bée sory for it This Gospell therfore perteineth too the third part of Repentance namely too the leading of a new lyfe by fayth of which new lyfe one part is a forgiuing one an other of the mysdéedes that scape vs. Now too the intent this parable may bée the more cléerly vnderstood I wil make a comparison of things in this wise Like as a very rich creditour is in respect of a very poore detter but yet such a detter as humbleth himselfe and casteth himselfe downe flat at his creditours féete beséeching him of release Euen so dooth God behaue himselfe towards sinners humbling them selues before him in true repentance and casting them selues downe and crauing forgiuenesse for Chrysts sake But the rich creditour releaseth the dette too the detter that humbleth him selfe Ergo God of his mercy forgiueth the repentant person all his sinnes Now like as God behaueth him selfe towards sinners oftentimes offending ageinst him so must a Christen man behaue himself towards his brothers or fellow seruaunts that trespasse ageynst him Therefore like as GOD forgiueth vs our misdéeds fréely so must wée also forgiue the displeasures wherewith wée are impeached by our brethren Ageine on the contrary part Look in what wise the Creditor dealeth with his detter too whom hée earst released his dette and afterwarde founde him cruell ageinst his brother
or of God by meanes that is too wit by men that haue aucthoritie too call too any seruice in the common weale or in the Church Ageinst this example of modestie doo curious folkes offend who without calling climb vp into offices by the windowes or the roofe of the house rather than by the dore Such are they which by fréends or by large giftes hunt for spirituall promotions and that not too serue God and edifie his Church but too féede their bellies which thing commeth commonly too an ill end The sixth circumstance is of his office wherof Luke speaketh in this manner And he came intoo all the coasts about Iordan preaching the Baptim of repentance for the remission of sinnes as it is written in the booke of Esay The voice of a cryer in wildernesse prepare the way of the Lord make streight his pathes c. Wée haue Iohns office namely that he baptizeth and preacheth repentance that he may prepare the way of the Lord and poynt out Christ our Lord. And bicause he was the first minister of God that baptized by Gods commaundement he was called Baptist. And bicause he preached repentance he was called a Prophet And bicause he poynted out Chryst he was called Elias that he might come in the spirit of Elias and prepare the way of the Lord. In this mannes office doo shine many vertues as constancy stoutnesse confession tribulation defence of the truthe earnestnesse and endeuoure too enlarge Chrysts kingdome He feared not Herode he regarded not the Pharisies But he mainteined his office stoutly euen too the death The seuenth circumstance is of Chrystes record concerning Iohn Of this circumstance wryteth Mathewe in his eleuenth chapter where Iohn being cast into prison sendes two of his Disciples too Iesus too know of him whither he were the same that was too come or whither some other were too bée looked for And after Chrysts answere is immediatly put Chrysts recorde concerning Iohn What went yée out sayth he intoo the wildernesse too sée A réede How bée it for as much as this commendation of Chrysts giuen vntoo Iohn is declared in the thirde Sunday in Aduent I will say no more of it héere The eight circumstāce is of Iohns death of those things that happened about his death after his death In his death are these things the occasion of it the cause of it the kind of the death Iohns example The occasion was this Herod tooke away his brothers wife and vsed hir as his owne Bicause Iohn saw this thing too bée ageinst the law of God and the honestie of nature he sayd too Herod It is not lawful for thée too haue thy brothers wife Wherwith Herod taking displeasure did cast Iohn in prison Before Iohn had doon so Herod loued him hée estéemed him as a Prophet and now and then vsed him as a counseller But assoon as Iohn began too reproue him for his incest and vncleane life Herod of his fréend became his enimie cast Iohn intoo prison as an euill dooer This example of Herodes is folowed of many nowe a dayes They make muche of Gods seruants as long as they displease them not and as long as they blame not their vyces But assoone as they bewray their disease by and by like mad men they lay hands vpon their Phisicians The cause of his death was Herods othe For when Herod at a feaste had behild the daughter of Herodias daunsing shée lyked him so well with hir daunsing that hée sware hée would giue hir whatsoeuer shée would aske euen too the one halfe of his kingdome As soone as the Damsel her◠this shée runnes too hir moother and asketh counsell of hir what shée shoulde requeste Hir moother who hated Iohn for finding fault with hir whoredom bad hir aske Iohn Baptists head whiche thing shée obteyned For out of hand a hangman was sente for too cut of Iohns head and so it was deliuered too the Damsell Thus haue wée the cause of Iohns death and the kinde of his death Behold héere at the request of a yong wenche was put too death that noble personage than the which there was not a greater among them that are borne of women according vntoo Chrystes testimonie This verely is the lot of the churche Héere wée see that Chrystes churche is gotten with blud and kept with blud This example of Iohns is too be folowed of all sincere ministers of Chryst Namely rather too choose death than too winke at mennes sinnes assuring them selues y t he which accepted Iohns blud as a moste acceptable sacrifise will also haue regard of them in the mids of the fire Too him therefore bée honor praise thanksgiuing and glory for euer and euer So bée it The Visitation of Mary ¶ The Gospel Luke j. ANd Mary arose in those dayes and vvent intoo the Mountaynes vvith haste into a Citie of Ievvrie and entred intoo the house of Zachary and saluted Elizabeth And it fortuned as Elizabeth heard the Salutation of Mary the babe sprong in hir belly And Elizabeth vvas filled vvith the holy Ghost and cryed vvith a loud voyce and sayd Blissed art thou among vvomen and blissed is the frute of thy vvombe And vvhence happeneth this vntoo mee that the Mother of my Lorde shoulde come too mee For loe assoone as the voyce of thy salutation sounded in mine eares the babe sprang in my belly for ioy And blissed arte thou that beleeuest for those things shall bee perfourmed vvhiche vvere tolde thee from the Lorde And Mary sayde My soule magnifieth the Lord and my spirite reioyseth in God my sauioure For hee hath looked on the poore degree of his handmayden For beholde from hencefoorth shall all generations call mee blissed Bicause he that is mightie hath done too mee great things and holye is his name And his mercie is on them that feare him throughout all generations Hee shevveth strength vvith his arme hee scattereth them that are proud in the imagination of their harts He putteth dovvne the mightie from their seats and exalteth them of lovve degree Hee filleth the hungry vvith good things and sendeth avvay the riche emptie Hee remembreth mercie and helpeth his seruaunt Israell Euen as hee promised vntoo our Fathers Abraham and his séede for euer And Mary abode vvith hir aboute three Moneths and returned ageine too hir ovvne house The exposition of the Text. WHerfore feasts of Sainctes were appoynted in the Church is already shewed bothe at other tymes and also vppon the very daye of Iohn Baptist. The effect of the matter commeth vntoo this ende that wée may haue examples of repentaunce and of Gods mercy or too speake more at large firste that when wée are falne with them wee shoulde not dispaire of forgiuenesse but looke vp for grace repenting vs earnestly of oure sinnes after the example of the Sainctes Secondly that wée shoulde folowe their fayth according as Paule warneth commending Abrahams fayth vntoo vs. Rom. 4. And thirdly that we should endeuer
sequele therof For they shall possesse the earth by right of inheritance not for that we shal liue vppon the earth but figuratiuely For the land that was promised in old time vntoo the Fathers was a figure and representation of the heauenly kingdome and therfore the very thing it selfe is called by the name of the shadowe of it They that abuse this place too stablish the doctrine of merits as though wée could earne heauen by our owne power are fooles and vnderstand not Chrysts woords He saith they shall possesse the earth by right of inheritance Wher is that right of inheritance Are wée not therfore heires bicause we are fréely adopted in Chryst by faith Doth not Paul say Eternal life is gods gift through Iesus Chryst our Lord It is another matter too speake of the causes of saluation and too speake of the new qualities of thē y t are heirs of y e saluation Blissed are those that hunger and thirst after rightuousnesse for they shall bee satisfied Christen folke in this life shal neuer draw so much water out of the fountaynes of saluation but that they shal bée more thirstie than before Wherfore héer the Lord comforteth them promising that the time shal come that they shal bée satisfied for the which satisfying and suffizance they shall professe themselues happy Whosoeuer hungreth and thirsteth after rightuousnesse wisheth two things First that God may bée openly glorified by right doctrine holy life and profession And secondly that ech man priuatly should acknowledge God conceiue faith in Chryst bée filled with the holy Ghost and mind gods rightuousnesse in holy and pure life Of this filling speaketh Dauid sayth it shall then bée when his glory shall appéere For there as it is in the Apocalips the Saincts shall neither hunger nor thirst any more Blyssed are the mercyfull for they shall obteyne mercye Héere is commended vntoo vs mercy towardes those that bée in miserie For Chryst will haue his Disciples not only too bée touched with their owne misfortunes but also too rue other folkes miseries Which thing vndoutedly is the duetie of true charitie Neyther dooth Chryst require only that wée should bée sorye with other men for their harmes and miseries But he requireth our déede therewithall Hys wyll is that wée should put too our helping hand And least they might bée discouraged with the vnthankefulnesse of men he addeth a promise For he promiseth that he which is mercifull too his neighbour shall obteyne mercy ageyne and that not only with God but also among men God promiseth mercy too the mercifull and bringeth too passe also that wée finde mercy among men while he boweth their mindes too doo vs good Blissed bee the pure in hart for they shall see God Cleannesse of hart is héer commended vnto vs which is set ageinst two very great vices craftinesse and lustfulnesse When it is set ageinst craftinesse it is a simple or single good mening wherby we deale with men vnfeinedly and plainly without crooked fetches too deceiue them This saying of Chryst therfore is quite ageinst the iudgement of most men For a numbre thinke themselues then happy then when they can craftely compasse men and wind them in too deceyue them In respect whereof they hunt bothe for the commendation of wisedome and for gayne and also gape for the fauor of great men Notwithstanding Chryst will not haue his Disciples doo so but rather that they should be contented with a simple well mening so as their hart hand and tongue may séeme al too agrée throughly at one Too these dooth he promisse that they shall sée God in the sight of God consisteth the highest blisse But whē cleannesse of hart is set ageinst lustfulnesse it is the very true chastitie whiche Paule calleth holynesse when he saith Performe holinesse without the which no mā shal sée God For like as God abhorreth lustes so he is excéedingly delighted in the chastitie of the faithfull Blissed are the peace-makers for they shall bee called the children of God Héere Christ commendeth too his Disciples a great vertue and a rare Peacemakers and those that endeuour too make and mainteine peace and quietnesse These bicause they haue a contrary desire too the children of Sathan shal bée called the children of God as who after the example of God their father are authors of peace quietnesse and do helpe delight many with this their séeking of peace For like as precious balme filleth all the whole house with his swéete sent so one man that is a séeker of peace is able too bring too agréement a great companie that is at oddes And therfore not without cause dooth Dauid commend the desire of concorde and peace singing thus Beholde how good and pleasant a thing it is for brothers too dwell in vnitie As the excellent oyntment that runneth downe from the head vppon the beard euen vppon the beard of Aaron and droppeth downe by the skirtes of his garmentes As the dew of Hermon that falleth vppon the mountayns For as the dew maketh the ground fat through the blissing of y e Lorde so whersoeuer there bée many peacemakers there are fruitefull and happie common weales Churches and householdes Contrarywise where as is not the loue of peace there is scorchyng and droughte that is too say extréeme miserie and wretchednesse Blissed are they that suffer persecution for rightuousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Bicause the stumbling blocke of persecution dooth moste shake the mindes of the weake he dooth in very good season put his Disciples in mynde of the Crosse too the intent they shoulde not bée dismayde with the sharpnesse of persecutions and so renounce their profession but rather looke wisely vpon the kingdome of heauen which is set before them the desire of atteinement whereof might make them striue more earnestly too enter intoo it by many tribulations Therfore let vs folow the example of those that runne in a race who alwayes haue an eye too the prise that is appoynted by the mayster of the gaming and so runne foorth chéerfully till they come too their races end So will Chryste haue his too do he will haue no loytering but vnwéeryable endeuer of running tyll they come too the end of their race which is the kingdom of heauē Ageine wheras Chryst nameth but one cause of persecution namely Rightuousnesse his méening is that wée shoulde so order our life that wée bée not compelled too suffer for our owne fault or for our owne misdéedes For then should persecution bée a iust punishment and not a testimonie of the defence of rightuousnesse and truth And Peter admonisheth vs that wée should not suffer as euill dooers but as well dooers and that after the example of Chryste the Prophets Apostles and many Martyrs Blissed are you vvhen men reuyle you and persecute you and falsly reporte all maner of euill sayings ageynst you for my sake He expoundeth what it is too suffer persecution for