and ascend into that euerlasting and glorious kingdō of heauen and so could not be kept in death He must also of necessity haue some people ouer whō he myght be Lord and king and whom he might rule gouern Wherefore his people also can not abide in death but must with their eternall king liue for euer I would haue you make much of this Psalme For I tell you this is a notable Psalm and most comfortable of al other psalmes Agayne in the 69. psalme the prophet doth plainly and manifestly speake of Christes passion the fruit therof saying thus in the person of Christ They haue hated me without a cause I restored that which I toke not The rebukes of them that rebuked thee are fallen vpon me They gaue me gall in my meate and in my thirst they gaue me vineger to drinke Here is set downe the ende of Christes passion and cause why he would suffer to wit that he might paye our debtes and beare our sinnes vpon the crosse He was our pledge and surety and when we coulde not performe and pay that which we ought he payed our debtes for vs If we should haue paid our debtes our selues that is if we should haue borne our owne sins we should al haue bene cast downe into the depe pit of hel and perished euerlastingly You heare it also in this place foretold how the tormentors should crucifie and handle him and how they should giue him gall and vineger to hasten his death or rather to increase his payne and tormentes Which thing plainely appeareth in the Gospell in Mathew Marke Luke and Iohn And Dauid prophesieth in the 41. psalme how Iudas should betray Christ saying My familiar frend whō I trusted which did eate of my bread hath lifted vp hys heele against me And Iohn citeth this prophesie where he speaketh of Iudas his treasō And in the same psalm hard after Christ requireth of his heauenly father that he might rise agayne and ascend into heauen and that after his resurrection he might be exalted vnto the right hand of his father saying Therfore lord haue mercy vpō me and raise me vp so shal I reward them Place me in thy sight for euer And in the 40. Psalme Dauid prophesieth of the destroying and abrogating of the Iewes sacrifice and he speaketh of the true sacrifice of Christ by which he reconciled God vnto vs and fulfilled all his fathers will and satisfied the law These are the wordes of the prophet in Christes person Sacrifices and burnt offrings thou didst not desire for thou hast prepared myne eares burnt offerings and sinne offrings hast thou not required Then said I that is Christ Loe I come For in the rolle of the booke that is in Moses and the prophetes It is writen of me I desired to do thy good wil O my god Yea thy law is within my hart I haue declared thy righteousnes in the great congregation And afterward he prayeth his father that he would not forsake hym in his crosse affliction saying Withdraw not thou thy tender mercy from me O Lord let thy mercy and thy truth alway preserue me for innumerable troubles haue compassed me And a little after he calleth our sinnes his sinnes Not for that he did euer sinne but because he tooke our offences vpon him that hee might purge them and suffer for them euen as if they had bene his owne And this verily is a wonderfull and vnspeakeable kind of mercy and goodnes These are his words My sinnes haue taken such hold me that I am not able to loke vp yea they are more in number then the heares of my head Therefore my harte hath fayled me O GOD let it please thee to deliuer me O Lorde make haste to helpe me And in the 118. Psalme Dauid prophecieth excellently and notably of Christ telling vs how the Iewes should reiect him and especially those amongest them which would be counted most lerned and holy to wit the Scribes and Pharises And yet neuertheles should he attaine to excellent honor and gather together both the Iewes and Gentiles into one spirituall building of the catholike church These be the wordes The stone which the builders refused is the head of the corner This was the lordes doyng and it is meruailous in our eyes this is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce and be glad in it The Apostles and Euangelists do diligētly expound this prophesie and they cite it of Christ in many places saying that Christ alone is the rocke and corner stone on whom when we are builded by fayth we may strongly stande against all euils stormes and tempests that rise against vs The Iewes when they had sealed vp the graue stone thought that Christ had bene vtterly extinguished and the two disciples also which went to Emaus doubted the same but Peter thinketh and preacheth farre otherwise saying Let therfore the whole house of Israel know for a surety that God hath made him both Lord Christ This Iesus I say whom you haue crucified Agayne he sayth to these folish builders The God of our fathers hath raised vp Iesus whom ye slew and hanged on a tree him hath God lift vp with his right hand to be a prince and a sauiour c. But now ye shall heare what worthy and notable things Dauid prophesieth of Christes glory in the 18. Psalme where Christ sayth Thou hast deliuered me frō the contentions of the people Thou hast made mee the head of the heathen A people whom I haue not knowen shall serue me Out of all doubt the spirit of God speaketh here especially of Christ against whom his owne proper people did kicke in that they would not haue hym to be their king And therfore are they forsaken and Christ is made the king and head of all nations in the world Which came to passe after the resurrection ascension of Christ where he was by the preaching teaching of the gospel published and preached through the whole worlde and became famous and was acknowledged for a king Dauid in the 21. psalme speaketh of the eternall and spirituall kingdom of Christ and of his great princely honour telleth how miserably his enemies should ende saying The king shall reioyce in thy strength O Lord yea how greatly shall he reioyce in thy saluation Thou hast giuen him his hartes desire and hast not denied hym the request of his lippes Selah For thou didst preuent him with liberall blessings and didst set a crowne of pure gold on his hed He asked life of thee and thou gauest him a long lyfe for euer and euer His glory is great in thy saluation dignity and honour hast thou layd vpon him For thou hast set him as blessinges for euer Thou hast made him glad with the ioy of thy countenaunce because the king trusted in the Lord in the mercy of the most high he shall
I will set his hand also in the sea and his right hande in the floudes He shall cry vnto me thou art my father my God and the rocke of my saluation Also I will make him my first borne higher then the kinges of the earth My mercy will I keepe for him for euermore and my couenaunt shall stande fast with him His seed also will I make to endure for euer and hys throne as the dayes of heauen But if his children forsake my law and walke not in my iudgementes If they breake my statutes and keepe not my commaundements then will I visite their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with strokes yet my louing kyndnes wil I not take from hym neither will I falsify my truth My couenant wil I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips I haue sworne once by myne holinesse that I wil not fayle Dauid saying his seed shall endure for euer his throne shall be as the sunne before me he shal be established for euermore as the Moone and as a faythfull witnesse in the heauen Behold how certayne and sure gods grace is to vs in Christ and for Christ Iesus our king Although we sin very often and much yet shal not sin condemne vs if we bide in Christ For what soeuer the Lord hath spoken it is the very truth it selfe and cannot but come to passe and be as he hath sayd For though we be most vnworthy wretches of our selues and haue no merits but sin wickednes to the attayning of so great grace and goodnes of God yet this is our stay and comfort that God hath promised vs these worthy benefites not for our deserts or worthines but onely for hys mercy sake in Christ Wherfore those thinges whiche be here promised are most sure certaine as also the state of our saluation is certayne because it standeth and dependeth on the euerlasting mercy truth of Gods promises of which he can neuer repent him nor vnsay or recant the same In the 111. Psalme he sayeth Hee hath sent redemption to his people he hath commaunded his couenant for euer Here is Christ promised that he shal be our deliuerer or redemer neither is there any other sauiour but Iesus Christ alone This Psalme was song in Iuda for a thanksgiuing on Easterday when they eate the Paschall lambe because God had deliuered them out of the captiuity of Egypt But that temporall or corporall deliuerance and the lambe was nothing els but a figure of the true and euerlasting deliuerance and of our true lambe Iesus Christ by whose bloud we are deliuered and brought out of hell and euerlasting captiuity into our heauenly countrey In the 113. Psalme he prophesieth of the glory honour of Christes kingdome telling what a one how great it shall bee thoroughout all the worlde For he sayth From the rising of the sunne to the goyng down of the same the name of God is glorified Which thing can not otherwise be but by the catholike faith that is that the Gentils should heare the gospell of Christ thereby acknowledge and set forth his grace and goodnes which is the sacrifice of prayses which the Christians offer The wordes of the Psalmes are these Prayse the Lord O ye his seruants prayse the name of the Lord blessed be the name of the Lord from henceforth for euer The name of the Lord is euer praised frō the rising of the sunne to the goyng downe of the same The Lord is high aboue all nations and his glory aboue the heauens Who is lyke vnto the Lord our God that hath his dwellyng on high who abaseth himselfe to behold things in heauen in earth Likewise the 117. Psalme sayth that the whole world both Iewes Gentils shal magnify Christ Iesus honor and acknowledge him for their true God in his kingdom in which is is all felicity mere grace mercy forgiuenes of all sinnes true righteousnes true peace true comfort true ioy euerlasting life The wordes be these All nations praise ye the lord all ye people praise him for his louing kindnes is great towardes vs and the truth of the Lord endureth for euer And the 130. psalme also setteth forth to vs the grace of God in Christ which God hath promised vs in him our true propitiatory reconciler Dauid sayth in that Psal. Let Israel wayte on the Lord for with the lord is mercy and with him is great redemption and he shal redeeme Israel from all his iniquities All this must bee vnderstood of Christ for the new testament is the kirnell the perfect and ful interpretation of the old And the new testament witnesseth in euery place that there is no other deliuerer sauiour or recōciler but Iesus Christ and it teacheth vs that our reconciliation redemption commeth only by Christ who is the alone sacrifice satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world Wherfore take this for a sure rule in scripture which neuer fayleth that wheresoeuer deliuerance reconciliation redemption remission of sins or the grace of God is promised in the prophets there always though the name of Messias or Christ bee not expressed must we needes vnderstand Christ and hys death and bloudsheding absolute sacrifice For these great things to wit forgiuenes of sinnes reconciliatiō c. are prepared gottē obtained by no other means but only by the sacrifice and death of Iesus Christ And these are almost the chief prophesies which Dauid hath concernyng Christ Anna. Whac hath Esay prophesied of Christ and of his passion resurrection and euerlasting kingdom Vrb. After Dauid is the notable and worthy prophet Esay who hath prophesied both plainly truly of all the mysteries of Christ In his 2. chap. he describeth the spiritual kingdom of Christ that is the catholike church saying that it shal be ample glorious through all the world among the Gentiles by the preaching of the gospell by which men do acknowledge the grace of God in Christ and be conuerted and do willingly and ioyfully serue and worship the lord His words be these It shall be in the last dayes that the mountain of the house of the Lord shal be prepared in the top of the mountaines and shal be exalted aboue the hils and all nations shal flow vnto it and many people shall go and say come let vs go vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his wayes and we wil walke in his pathes For the law shall goe forth of Sion and the word of the lord from Ierusalem he shal iudge amongst the nations and reserue many people they shal break their swordes also into mattockes and their speares into sithes nation shal not lift vp a sword against nation neither shall they learne to fight any more O house of Iacob come ye and let vs walke in
Paul calleth this righteousnes the righteousnes of faith which standeth not on our merits but on the merits of christ He therfore that knoweth Christ and beleeueth that he is the true purger of sinnes and the destroyer of death and apprehendeth him in his hart by true faith and taketh him for his only treasure of life that man is iustyfyed and saued But he which doth not beleeue is already condemned for the Lord hath decreed this thing and told it vs by his law prophetes and euangelists that he wil haue mercy on vs for nothing neither in heauen nor earth but by Christ and for Christ for whose cause he wil pardon our sinnes and geue vs euerlasting life if we will beleeue in him Act. 4.13 Rom. 3. Gal. 23. And therefore not without a cause sayth the prophet he shall beare their sinnes seing that there is no other neither in heauē nor earth who can beare or purg our sinnes but euen that Messias It followeth therfore vndoubtedly that no man can be iustified saued and deliuered from his sinnes vnles he beleue in this onely sauiour Iesus Christ Now then you heare that Christ is the seruaunt of God in the worke of our redemption and that hee is therefore worthely called righteous because he onely is iust iustifieth others as S. Steuen calleth him He iustifieth vs in his owne knowledge and vnderstanding that is he iustifieth vs when we heare in the gospell that he onely and none other hath borne our sinnes and when by sure fayth we retayne it and put all our trust in him both in our lyfe and death and saye both with hart mouth Christ onely hath borne our wickednes and died for our sinnes and onely is our righteousnes before God and this righteousnes which we get thus by fayth because it is founded built on Christ stādeth fast and firme agaynst the gats of hell ¶ Anna. As far then as I can heare if I should be asked how it commeth to passe that I being a sinner am become righteous thus I ought to annswere I am not righteous because I haue not sinned or because I haue done many good deedes or for that I haue satisfied for my sinnes but I am righteous because Christ hath borne my sinnes in whome I beleue and in whome I repose all my trust Vrba You aunswere well and soundly and so haue all the patriarks prophets apostles and true Christians from the beginning of the world to this day beleued neither is there any other beliefe auailable before god He that beleueth not as you haue said isdāned neither can there be any waye found to saue him though he were couered with all the cowles of all the monks in the world and had all the good workes merites crosses sufferinges and penants in himselfe alone that is in the whole world For they all cannot auaile him or healpe him but he must needes be a firebrande of hell there to burne for euer if he doe not beleue as you say Well let vs hold one The prophet furthermore speaketh here of the fruit and reward of Christs passion And he sayth it is an eternall triumph or victory ouer sinne death the world and the deuill For Christ hath ouercome these cruell and bloudy enemies and hath deliuered his elected from them and so hath receaued through the whole world generally for his inheritaunce a great and glorious people or a most beutifull church which is his spirituall kingdome And this hath that the ignominious death of Christ don because he bore our sinnes and suffered himselfe to be hanged betwene ij theeues and prayed for transgressours and sinners as Paule sayth to the Hebrues Christ in the dayes of his flesh did offer vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death and was also heard in that which he feared and though he were the sonne yet learned he obedience by the thinges which he suffered and being consecrate was made the author of eternall saluation vnto all them that obay him and is called of god an highe priest after the order of Melchisidech ¶ Anna. What sayth Esaias of Christ in the 54. chap ☞ Vrb. In that chapter he describeth the kingdome of Christ in fayth that is to say the catholick Church which in this word is vnder the crosse poore miserable helplesse and base to behold But he comforteth it promising to helpe it and enrich it so that it shall become most populous with men of all sortes from ech side presing into it in so much that it shall bring forth an infinite multitude of Children of grace and haue many moe sonnes then the malipert synagoge though she seemed neuer so fruitfull and in deede she seemed fruitfull for she had the law and many good workes and worke mongers or worketeachers with all kind of merites these be the prophets wordes Reioyce thou barren that bearest not burst out and sing thou that trauailest not because the desolate hath more Children then the maryed sayth the Lord. This comfort must also be well obserued least taking offence at the smale number of Christians we be dismayd and fall from the fayth For the dayes will come when the number of the faythfull shal be great and populus Thus was Sara barren but our God so blessed her that she became the mother of many Childrē and a great people To be short Abraham must needes according to Gods promise in Genesis and according to the Etimologie and signification of his name be made a father of many people heyre of the earth For his blessed seede with all his blessinges was also promised to the gentiles The prophet moreouer vseth certayne similies taken of tentes which are set vp and spread in the fieldes so largely that many may dwell in them Whereby he geueth vs to vnderstand that the church should be spread all abroad through the whole world and that the day should come that the Gospell should be preached in all landes and that they should receaue Christ These be his wordes Enlarge the place of thy tents and stretch out thy cords make fast thy stakes for thou shalt increase on the right hand on the left He promiseth moreouer to the church Gentiles for inheritaunce But not so that the Churche should inherite the Gentiles after a worldly manner of inheriting as kinges of the earth inherite and haue their people in subiection For Christes kingdome is not of this world It is a spirituall inheritaunce which the Church by the Gospell getteth and it shall dwell there where before through ignoraūce and incredulitye was a deserte and wilde wildernes as it was at Athēs where before the Gospell came they vnderstod nothing of God aright But S. Paule conuerted many at that place and tought them which came and beleeued the Gospell the right fayth And therefore sayth the prophet thy seed shall possesse the Gentiles and dwell in the desolate cities
only to the deliueraunce out of the captiuitye of Babilon such lyke as appeareth in the 30. of Iere. Where God sayth write thee all the wordes that I haue spoken to thee in a booke For loe the day is come sayth the lord That I will bring agayne the captiuity of my people Israell and Iuda sayth the lord For I will restore them into the land that I gaue to their Fathers they shal possesse it This prophesy can not be vnderstood of the land of Canaan or of any earthly deliueraunce For Osias sayth that his wife bore him a daughter whose name was Loruhamah that is with out pity Whereby is meant that God would not any more haue mercy vpon the x. tribes as he had mercy vpon Iuda Bēiamin which two tribs he brought home out of the captiuitie of Babilon but he left the x. tribes in Assiria amongste the gentiles Wherefore without doubt Ieremy prophesieth of the spirituall bondage of the remnāt of the 12. tribes of Iuda God will turn away this spiritual bōdage wherein they were holden captiues all abroad in error vnbeleefe vnder Sathā bring thē forth into the land of truth righteousnes as it may be gathered by Ieremies wordes which here follow For in that day sayth the Lord of hostes I will breake his yoke from of thy neck and breake thy bondes and strangers shal no more serue them selues of him but they shall serue the Lord their God and Dauid their king whome I will raise vp vnto them Therfore feare not O my seruant Iacob sayth the lord Neither be affrayd O Israell for loe I will deliuer thee from a farre countrey and thy seed from the land of their captiuitie and Iacob shall turne agayne and shall be in rest and prosperitie and none shall make him affraid For I am with thee sayth the Lord to saue thee In deede the Iewes were vnder a figure corporally deliuered from the bondage in the which Nabucadonezer held them captiues but this deliuerance was but a trifell in respect of the spirituall deliueraunce wherewith Christ deliuered vs from Sathan Here the prophet speaketh manifestly of Christ as the Iews them selues confesse with vs And he calleth Christe Dauid the king of the Iewes For Dauid which was Salomōs father had in the Lord departed this world lōg before this prophesy But Christ many times in the scriptures is called Dauid because he was to come of the house and stock of Dauid after the flesh to this doth the Chaldes translatiō agree For Ionathan hath this text thus Veijschthameum limschicha bar Dauid malcehom that is they shall obay their king Messias the sonne of Dauid And so did the Iewes vnderstād this prophesy of Messias in the tyme of the captiuitie of Babilon whē they had the prophets and vnderstood the Scriptures Zachary singeth a notable song of this deliuerance vnder Christ the true Dauid where he doth plainely and notably expound this prophesy of Ieremy and other such lyke as be ment of the kingdome of Christe For when he vnderstood by the gift of the holy ghost that his sonn Iohn was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fore runner of Christ after whome Christe immediatly should follow and when he saw that plentifull time of grace and saluation in which all the promises of God concerning the redemption of Israell should be fulfilled he soung this most sweete and pleasant song Blessed be the Lord God of Israell for he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raysed the horne of saluation vnto vs to wit a most certaine and sure kingdome in which there is true health and happines in the house of his seruaunt Dauid For many whiche bore this true Dauid Iesus Christ as God before had promise to Dauid was of the house of Dauid It followeth as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets which were since the world began saying that he would send vs deliuerance from our enemies and from the handes of all that hate vs that he would shew mercy towardes our Fathers and rememeber his holy couenaunt and the oth which he sware to our Father Abraham Which was that he would graunt vnto vs that we being deliuered out of the handes of our enemies should serue him with out feare all the dayes of our lyfe in holynes righteousnes before him And thou babe shalt be called the prophet of the most hiest for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his wayes and to geue knowledge of saluation vnto his people for the remission of their sinns through the tender mercy of our God wherby the day spring from on hye hath visited vs to geue light to them that sit in darknes and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace Here we see Christ Iesus is our king vnder whom the faythfull in Christ do sit sure safe without feare in fulnes of heauenly giftes in the spirituall kingdome when Christ hath made them at one with his father whē he shall be their king and god Who thē should they fear and tremble seing the horne of saluatiō is in the house of Dauid that is the kingdome of Christe the kingdome of blessednes in which neither sin death nor Sathā can hurt the faythfull beleuers with whom Christ is alwayes present and whome he doth euer support And this is the true redemption and that true helpe which all the true godly and elect haue gredely loked for from the beginning Ieremy prophesieth of Messias at large in the 31. saying at the same tyme sayth the Lord will I be the God of al the famelies of Israel they shal be my people The fulfilling of this prophecy begun in the appostles time when many of the kingdomes and generations of Israel beleued in Christ and became the people of god and it shall be fulfilled or finished when the fulnes of the gentiles shall be come in wheras those x. tribes were before this vtterly rooted out of the earth from the face of the Lord for your Idolatrye Ieremye prophesyeth of the hope of the Gentiles saying that it should so fall forth that Israell that is to say the remnant which the Lord had chosen should be deliuered from their captiuitie and that they shoulde come into Sion that is into the Catholicke Churche with spirituall songes that the gentills should heare it and speake of it and reioyce at the conuersation of the Iewes If this must thus come to passe then out of doubt must they needes come to Sion that is the church of Christ which is the spirituall kingdome of Christe wherin shall be great aboundance and plentiousnes of all good and precious thinges We must vnderstand by the corne wine and oyle and such lyke heauenly giftes which Christ by his spirite bestoweth on the Churche that it may be glad and reioyce in spirite For the kingdome of God is not earthly meate
he might by his death take away our sinnes and he rose again from the dead and threw Sathan all conquered and ouercome vnderfoote and bereued him of the spoyle and pray which through his false lye he had brought into the bondage of sinne death and damnation that is to say he brought mankind again into the kingdome of God which is the kingdom of health and euerlasting life This is the first promise of grace I wil put enmity betwixt thee and the woman betwixt thy seede and her seede He that is to say the seed of the woman for so is the Hebrue text shal break thy head and thou shalt bruse his heele In these words God promysed his Sonne to the world And this promise is the Gospel it self that is to say most mery and pleasant tidings of Christ Adam being now drowned in sinne and the child of wrath and being both in body and soule subiect to the curse saw nothing but euerlasting damnation and therefore his conscience was miserably trobled vexed and tormented so that in this his agony he was almost come euen to desperations dore For he felt no kind of comfort but the horrible torment of euerlasting death and bitter greef of hart For he had cast him self by disobedyence into the tiranny of Sathan and was now become his prisoner and seruant through sinne But as soon as God had promysed to him the seed of the woman straight way he conceaued hope of life and beleeued that god of his grace and mercy would by that promised seed saue him and delyuer him out of Sathans tyrannye The Gospell therfore is the promise of lyfe in this seede of the woman or through this seede Thus then God promised his naturall sone which should be born of a woman but without sinne that he might tread down and breake Sathans head that is to say that he might ouerthrow Sathans power and kingdome which is the kingdome of sinne and death and that he might tread vnderfoote ouercome and destroy sinne death and hel This promised seede is Christ as Paule sayth The wordes of this promise be but fewe but they contayne many and great misteries First they shew vs that God should take vppon him mans flesh For if that seede had bene nothing els but man he could neuer haue broken the head of Sathan that is haue abolished sinne and death and haue subdued and destroyed Sathan him selfe Furthermore these wordes import that this seede should not be subiect to any sinne neither be naturally conceiued after the manner of man and of mans seede but by the holy ghost and that this seede should not be born as al other mankinde is of a woman that had known a man but of a pure virgin Therfore is he not here called the seed of man but onely of woman Also seing he would deliuer and make mankind free from the tyranny of Sathā sinne being taken away it was needefull that all sinnes should first be purged and that he should first satisfie the high and seuere iustice of God and so this seede or this sonne of this woman is set in the place of a captiue man seing all mankinde for sinne was appointed to dye it was determined that he to wit this seed of the womā should suffer death that by his death he might pay and discharge the sinnes of mankinde That we being deliuered from the power and tyrannie of Sathan might be reconciled to our God by a sufficient purgation and satisfaction Now then if he ought thus to tread downe the head of Sathā to wit abolish death it could in no wise be that he should still abide in the graue but seing he should dye for out offences leauing this fraile and temporall life it was very necessary that he should rise againe from death and begin and posses another euerlasting life Otherwise he could neuer haue delyuered man from so great and horrible a calamity wherin he was Neither could man haue been saued vnles satisfaction had been made for his sinnes and vnles death had bin ouercome and eternal life so obteyned and geuen that neither sinne death nor Satan could further hurt vs Furthermore as the Text here maketh mention there is enmity betwixt Christ and that Serpent the Deuil And by this same Text we know which of them should get the victory to wit the seed Christ with his seruants he shal ouercome and tread down Sathan that venemous Serpent And although that Serpent doe neuer so deadly sting the heele of Christ and the true Church that is persecute and tempt them yet Christ being both far greater mightyer and stronger then he doth return Conqueror from the bataile and caryeth away the victory and in the end tryumpheth with the whol Church that is with the true godly beleeuing which shal raign and liue with Christ foreuer And thus in this promise is foretold as you see the birth passion and resurrection of Christ together with the victory wherin Christ broke the force of Sathan sinne death and hel And though in hid and figuratiue words yet such as admit no other sence but truely and plainly import that which we haue sayd Christ is prefigured prophesied of in the Scripture two wayes Sometime in darck figuratiue and hidden promises and types Other sometimes in manyfest promises and expres and playn words Therfore all promises which followed this in the Byble did betoken this seed and are to be applyed to this seed and are made more manifest and known vntil Christ put on our flesh fulfilled them Some Latin Bibles in this Text of Genesis haue it She shall tread down the head of the Serpent not he nor it Wherupon it grue that this promise was taken to be spoken of Mary as if she had troden down the Serpents head But this promis can in no wise be referred to Mary The Hebrue tongue saith not She but It doth perform this work And the same Text doth vnderstand the seed of the woman For thus saith the holy Ghost in that Sacred tongue wherein the Prophesies were writtē Vben sarecha Vben sarach hu ieschupcha rosch That is I wil put enmity betwixt thy Seed and the Seed of her that is to say euen the seed of the woman shall tread down thy head For it is euident that Hen doth not signifie her but Him or It and this is the proper and right signification of this word * Thargum hath it thus betweene thy Sonne and her Sonne which wordes doe expresse and declare the meaning of this Text more plainly and perfectly For it is ment only of Christ by him alone and by no other Seed nor man is Sathan ouercome sinne abolished and remission of sinnes and life recouered and freely geuen Adam and all Adams childrē that is to say all mankind had been damned and subiect to Sathans tyranny and had perished eternally in hell vnles that seed had bin promysed and geuen vs. He which reiecteth this
what els I pray you do they and haue they sought in Christ all their tyme but temporall riches carnal commodities and worldly dignities ☞ Vrb. Well let vs here leaue these vagabonds ill men let vs returne to the interpretatiō of the prophets ¶ Anna. To that am I most ready for I had rather heare of my Christ my lord then of their villanies and wickednes which for a tyme were coloured hid with the cloke of religion and profession of the gospel but now God be thanked wel discouered and brought to light Wherfore I pray you go to the exposition of the prophets ☞ Vrb. Esay vnderstandeth an other kind of Christ he setteth him forth after an other sort then this fantasticall and folish kind of people do He sayth not that he should stand on his pantophles in princely pomp and magnificēce either yet be a prouider only for the belly or a minister of pleasures but he sayth that he shold come as a preacher apostle who should rule his empire by the word spirit And to the ende we should not looke for any magnificence carnall pompe pride or worldly insolency in Christ Esay sayth He commeth to preache good tidings or the gospell to the poore that is to the afflicted and men oppressed with calamities and miseries Worldly kings and princes haue nothing to do vouchsafe not to deale with the feble vile contemptible deafe lame blind wretched poore afflicted miserable and diseased persons but they are delighted in the company of the healthfull handsome pleasant headed well mannered beautifull iocund ioly rich honourable and couragious courtiers I say they loue and desire the company and presence of such that they may serue them honour them and be delighted with them But Christ came into this world for the miserable afflicted that he might cōfort encourage heale help deliuer thē For Christ is not such a poore simple king as erthly kings be who stand in need of other mē must nedes haue their help counsails comfort seruice ministrations Christ is no such king but an euerlasting king a rich king a plentifull king a king of wonderful great power maiesty might who is the welspring author and giuer of euerlasting lyfe and therfore standeth in no need of our seruice riches or obedience But he is a king of such great mercy goodnes liberalitie bountifulnes that he hath not these great treasures glorious riches for himselfe alone lying on them like a couetous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 miser and pinch peny but he maketh them common vnto vs and largely and liberally bestoweth on vs these his great substance wonderfull treasures and precious Iewels Wherefore he cōmeth not to the strōg mighty but to the afflicted poore sinful S. Luke translateth the Hebrue word Enonim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to the poore And the 70. Translators vse this same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherupō it is likely the the Hebrue text which the seuenty interpreters folowed hath not Enonim but Eniim of Eni which worde Zachary hath in his 9. chapter And that word signifieth poore heauy humble oppressed brought low of base condition and afflicted But howsoeuer it signifieth whether poore or afflicted all is one for by both these words are ment those whō Christ in Math. called poore in spirite who receiue the gospell to whom the gospell with fruit is profitably preached Which haue broken and contrite harts and troubled consciences which feele the burden of their sinnes and tast of the wrath and iudgement of God which are horribly afrayd of gods indignation and for feare thereof begin to dread quake tremble which vncessantly long loke for the grace and helpe of God and which with ardent great and continual prayers desire and craue nothing els but that they may be deliuered from their sinnes and obtayne the grace and fauour of God these men which are thus affected are most fit scholers and disciples for the doctrine of the gospell And these are that good grounde in Luke which bringeth forth fruit On the other side they which do not acknowledge their sinne which see not their misery which feare not God which desire not his grace and which couet not his mercy such as be the hard harted and blind childrē of this world holy hypocrites and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 secure fellowes which know not how to repent thē of theyr sinnes These I say desire not regard not and waigh not Christ and his Gospell And therefore doth Christ pronounce a sharpe sentence against them saying The whole neede not a Phisition but they which are sicke I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance By these righteous in this text are ment such as be negligent proud and hautie spirites which are bewitched by a false persuasion of themselues and thinke that they be alredy iust and do not acknowledge their sinnes And therfore are presumptuous carelesse and stubborne and feele not their owne miseries and remember not as they should death the day of iudgement and the wrath of God to come All which must needes come vpon this world but beyng deeply drouned in carnal securitie haue their myndes busied about nothing but the transitory thinges of this world are nothing touched with the desire of the lyfe to come euerlasting saluation The Prophet teacheth in the wordes followyng what the fruties of this gospell are who these poore and afflicted are saying That I might bynd vp the brokē harted These tidings are in deed true ioyfull tydings these are comfortable and pleasaunt newes to heare these tydings are ful of consolation Moises his law teacheth vs to acknowledge our sinnes and the curse due to vs for our sinnes This knowledge of the lawe terrefieth our consciences For the law onely sheweth and reueleth sinnes but it taketh them not away but leaueth them still in our remembraunce And where sinnes be there death hath dominiō there is trēbling feare horror heauines and desperation so long as the conscience which is the place of tormēt and storehouse of sinne is disquieted and feareth death Such then as feele their sinnes are the contrite in hart and most afflicted of all men these see their misery calamity and danger but to heale themselues and to deliuer them selues out of such danger and miseries they are of thēselues in no wise able But when as Christ commeth accompanied with the healthfull preaching doctrine of the gospell then commeth their comfort and consolation Because the gospell offreth and frely giueth forgiuenes of sinnes true holines euerlasting lyfe to all that faithfully beleue For thus it sayth speaking vnto the poore sinner If thou be a sinner if thy cōscience be troubled if thou be afraid of deth if thou feare gods iudgement marke what thou must do Fly vnto Christ who only can and wil of his own good wil
way my paths shal be exalted Behold these shall come from far And loe these from the North and from the West And these from the Lord of Sinim Reioyce O Heauens and be ioyfull O Earth burst forth vnto prayse O Mountaynes for God hath comforted his people and will haue mercy vpon his afflicted But Sion saith the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me Can a woman forget her child and not haue compassiō on the sonne of her wombe Though they should forget yet wil I not forget thee Behold I haue grauen thee vpon the palmes of my hands Thy walles are euer in my sight thy builders make hast thy destroyers and they that made thee wast are departed from thee Lift vp thine eyes round about and behold all these gather them selues together and come to thee As I liue saith the Lord thou shalt surely put them all vpon thee as a garment and gird thy selfe with them like a bride For thy desolation and thy wast places and thy land destroyed shall surely be more narrow for them that shall dwell in it And they that did deuour thee shall be far away The children of thy Barons shall say againe in thine eares The place is straite for me geue place to me that I may dwell Then shalt thou say in thine hart who hath begotten me these seeing I am barrain and desolate a captiue and a wanderer to and fro and who hath nourished them Behold I was left alone Whence are these Thus saith the Lord god Behold I will lift vp my hands to the Gentils and set vp my standard to the people and they shall bring thy sonnes in their armes and thy daughters shall be caryed vpon their shoulders And kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queenes shall be thy nurses They shall worship thee with their faces towards the earth and lick vp the dust of thy feet And thou shalt know that I am the Lord for they shall not be ashamed that wayt for me Shall the pray be taken from the mighty Or the iust captiuity deliuered But thus saith the lord Euen the captiuity of the mighty shall be taken away and the pray of the tirant shall be delyuered For I will contend with him that contendeth with thee and I will saue thy children and will feed them that spoyl thee with their own flesh and they shal be dronken with their own bloud as with sweet wine And all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Sauiour Redeemer the mighty one of Iacob This prophecy comforteth true Israell to wit the church the spiritual kingdome of Christ congregated of the Iewes and Gentils and it teacheth vs what is the state of Christes kingdome in this world to wit that nothing in this world is more contemptible and vile then the true Israelites or the right beleeuers in Christ Iesus For the king him self in this earth shewed all humility and submission and was so far frō al pride cruelty ostentation and worldly pompe that the world vtterly despised and contemned him euen as if all that euer he had done had been nothing For when he had continued almost 34. yeares in very humble and low state euen as a pilgrim or stranger here on earth at last they put him to a most shamefull and ignominious death And those as S. Paul witnesseth that beleue in Christ must be like vnto their head Christ that is in this world they must be contemned persecuted afflicted and subiect to all calamities Tertullian in his Apologie against the Gentiles saith that in his time Christians of all other were counted vnprofitable persons and men good for nothing And Ciprian against Demetrian sayth that in his dayes what euil so euer happened in the earth either dearth of victuall or other euil or misfortune it was alway imputed to the Christians And Paul to the Rom. saith out of the 44. psalme that Christians in this world are accounted as sheepe for the slaughter For who so euer they be that be enemies to Christ the same also goe about to kill or destroy those that truely beleeue in Christ and they that kill them thinke they doe God seruice Wherefore it is specially to be required that the godly here arme them selues and strengthen their harts with true consolations against all assaults least they be discouraged and faint vnder the cros ¶ Anna. What comfort then doth the holy Ghost geue them in these great calamities ☞ Vrb. First he calleth the remnant of his people that is the faithfull Christians poore and contemptible soules which the world abhorreth and which are constrained to be sheep ordained for the tirants slaughter But on the other side he promiseth that there shal be in those enemies great change to wit that they shal be so clean altered and haue their disposition maners and nature so changed and become such that they will imbrace and honour the godly for Gods sake whom they shall by the preaching of the gospell know and professe And this was fulfilled when the Romaine Emperors who before time had bitterly vexed and persecuted the kingdom of Christ continually destroying his faithful christians at last were content in their own persons to professe the name of Christ and did highly honour the christians and decrely and hartely imbrace and reuerence them as the only beloued people of god Of this sort was Constantine the great Theodosius and Charles the great and many other Emperors wherby they which beleeue in Christ haue euen in this world much pleasure and ioy But the true comfort conteyned in the words following shall at last appeare The prophet saith I haue heard them in an acceptable time c. This acceptable time or time of mercy is that time of grace of the new testament in which the Lord the most plentiful welspring of mercy opened the treasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most precious gifts of his grace and commaunded the euerlasting couenant of his mercy to be published abroad preached throughout al the world as Paul expoundeth this prophecy to the Cor. For the Lord sent Christ and Christ performed al things which made for mans deliuerance for with his sacrifice he pacified God for sinne blotted out sinne and swallowed vp death and fulfilled the law and conquered Sathan All which great benefits and rich treasures together with his royal victory and life God cōmaunded shold be offered and geuen to the world by his gospell Indeed this day of the Lord is a most acceptable ioyfull and comfortable day This is the day of perfect health help The Lord also hath geuen his seruants to wit the true beleeuers in Christ for a league of his people euen as Christ is a league betwixt God and man For the word of God and the holy sacraments by which the church doth bring other also into the league of grace that they likewise may be partakers of Gods promises are found and remain in
the 7. chapiter he doth wonderfully and aboue measure land and extoll the great and inestimable riches of Gods mercies which were promised vnto vs in Christ and which were promised vnto Abraham Isaac and Iacob of whose stock Christ the king of glory should come according to his humanitye These are the wordes of the prophecie Who is a god like vnto thee that taketh away iniquitie and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage He retaineth not his wrath for euer because mercy pleaseth him he will turne againe and haue compassion vpon vs he will subdue our iniquities and cast al their sins in the bottom of the sea Thou wilt performe thy truth to Iacob and mercy to Abrahā as thou hast sworne vnto our Fathers in ould time This was a very necessary comfort in the captiuitie of Babilon vnto the Iewes least they should haue fallen into dispaire and doubt of the mercy of God as if the Lord would altogether haue forsakē his people and reuoke his promises of grace in Messias for the sinnes of the people For it is as if he should haue sayd go to we shall be led into captiuitie but it is the iudgement of the Lord and his will. We haue in deede aboundantly deserued all kinde of calamities yet must we not therfore doubt of the mercy of god For his grace in Christ Iesus is very great deepe and a bottomlesse sea wherein all our sins may be drowned and swallowed vp The Lord hath made a couenāt of grace with our fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob that in their seede Messias all nations of the earth should be blessed that is receaue forgeuenes of their sins be deliuered from death and be saued from euerlasting damnation and receaue the free gift of innocensie and euerlasting life This promise will neuer deceaue vs For the Lord sware vnto vs by a holy and faythfull oth that so the rather he might confirme vs in fayth and make vs the lesse doubt that all those thinges should come to passe which he had promised and that for Messias his sake he would helpe vs be gratious vnto vs and deliuer vs from all our calamities This grace and truth can not be called backe but as sure as god is good so sure is it that we shall be partakers of his grace if we beleue his promises Wherfore let vs be of good chere Our sins shall not nor cannot hinder nor make frustrate those thinges which God promised to our forefathers He hath promised Christ therfore out of doubt he will send Christ for our deliueraunce And this was the hope of Israell to wit of all faythfull Christians from the beginning of the worlde euen vnto this day And this in deed is the true Gospell which Messias by his death and bloudshedding confirmed namely that the sonne of God should be made man and borne of Abrahams seede that he might geue vs the heauenly benediction that is righteousnes life and health that we might by him be freed from our sinnes and deliuered frō death and be raysed vnto euerlasting life and raigne with him for euer in euerlasting glory And this is the chiefe summe of all the prophets touching Christ and his kingdome according as God after the captiuitie of Babilon fulfilled them and sent Iesus Christ our true king and deliuerer vnto the world ¶ Anna. What sayth that comforter Nahum of Christ For he may well be called Nahum that is cōforter ☞ Vrba He agreeth with the 52. of Esay vpon the gospell saying Behold vpon the mountaine the feete of him that declareth and publisheth peace O Iuda keepe thy solemn feastes performe thy vowes for the wicked shal no more passe through thee he is vtterly cut of That you may more easly vnderstand what Nahū prophecieth note first he prophesieth against the Monarchy or kingdome of Assiria especially against Niniue the great citie of Assiria which the prophet Ionas conuerted afore that. These thinges therfore was their comfort namely the the enemies of Iuda to wit Sanherib his kingdome who before had proudly and cruelly triumphed ouer Israell and conceaued an opinion of them selues that they could deuour Iuda should be wasted destroyed as Esay in 36.37 comforteth Ierusalem and the king Hischia by the commaundement of God in his 36. and 37. chapiter saying And he will cast vnto it that which shall be escaped of the house of Iuda and that which shall remaine to plant and he will make it to take roote downward and beare fruite vpward For out of Ierusalem shall a remnaunt go and they that escape out of mount Sion the zeale of the Lord of hostes shall doe this Therefore thus sayth the Lord concerning the king of Ashur He shall not enter into this citie nor shoote an arrow there nor come before it with shield nor cast a moūt agaynst it By the same way that he came he shall returne and not come into this citie sayth the lord For I will defend this Citie to saue it for mine owne sake and for my seruaunt Dauids sake Then the Angel of the Lord went out smote in the campe of Asshur an hūdreth foure score and fiue thousand So whē they arose early in the morning behold they were all dead corpses So Sanherib king of Asshur departed and went away and returned and dwelt at Niniueh And as he was in the temple worshipping of Nisroch his god Adramelech and Sharezer his sonnes slew him with the sworde and they escaped into the land of Ararat and Esarhaddon his sonne raigned in his stead You haue heard the history note therefore this also that Nahum comforteth Gods people in this his prophesy bydding them be of good cheare and dispayre not For although the king Asshur will besiege and afflict Ierusalem yet shall there be no danger For God will helpe them they shall heare ioyfull tidings to wit that the enemy shall not hurt their citye but dye miserably that they may yet againe celebrate their feastes merely reioyce in quiet peace And this was fulfilled as you heard of late out of Esay But you must know that this temporall deliueraunce in which earthly Ierusalē was deliuered was onely a figure of the true and euerlasting deliueraunce which we haue in Christ The Angel of the great counsell which was sent to prostrate and destroy the enimies of the spiritual Ierusalem that is of the catholick church and to ouerthrow and abolish that wicked spirite or Sanherib that very Belliall with all his hellish hoste and to deliuer vs from him which thing he performed and by his owne power ouercame those enemies The euangelists and the preachers of the new testament bringe vnto vs this ioyfull and gratious tidings to wit that Sathan is conquered and we beleuers truely deliuered These preach in all congregations perpetuall and euerlasting peace and saluatiō by Christ Iesus And this is the meaning of this prophecye and of Christ and his
Christ and being sent vnto thē on whitsōday taught thē put them in remembrance of all thinges which were written of Christ which Christ before his death with his own tongue had taught them And looke what soeuer the Holy Ghost taught them it tended only to this end That they might know Christ and by Christ know the Father and through this knowledge be iustifyed and saued ¶ Anna. It is possible then as far as I perceiue to know what that Sermon was which Christ made to those two Discyples as they went to Emaus wherewith he made their harts so burne within them But if I also might come to the hearing of that Sermon Oh I would desire nothing in comparyson of it nay I had rather heare that sweet Sermon then haue all the pleasures in the earth and ioyes of the world ☞ Vrb. You may easily coniecture what that Sermon was seeing he expounded all the Prophets beginning at Moyses Doth not Luke I pray you eloquently and plainly testifie that he expounded to thē all that is writen of him in the wholl Scripture It was the Prophesies therfore which are writen in the Scripture of Christ which he interpreted vnto them which is nothing els but euen the very Gospel it self which he commaunded his Discyples to preach and spread euen to the worlds end For this Gospel is the doctrine of Christ the Sonne of God which telleth why he was made man and declareth to vs the eternall counsell of God the Father and his great good wil to vs in promising so redely that he wil be our Father and in imbrasing vs with more then a Fatherly affection and in vouchsafeing to knowledge vs for his deere Sonnes but onlye through his onlye begotten Sonne Christ This Gospel teacheth vs also that the Father so ordained that when the fulnes of time was come Christ should be born true man of the seed of Dauid and that he should dye on the Crosse and rise againe from the dead to the end he might purge mannes sinnes pay the raunsom for them destroy and take away death bring vs to euerlasting life reconcile his Father to vs and ascend into heauen and sitting there at the right hand of his Father begin his true and euerlasting kingdome where we shal raign and reioyce with him for euer Into this glory would his father haue him to enter by his own payn passion and opprobrious death of the Crosse That by this meanes he might deserue the same glory for vs This was done at Ierusalem vnder Herod Pontius Pilat and Caiphas when Tiberius Caesar was Emperor and so were the Prophesies fulfilled which are written of him Now he sitteth at the right hand of Gods Maiesty and being Lord of all he defendeth and gouerneth his Church that is to say all godly and truely beleeuing men by the holy Ghost and in the last day he shall come in his Maiesty to iudge the quick and the dead and shall geue euerlasting Life to those that beleeue But he shall throw hedlong down into hel amongst the multitude of Deuils all those that at that day shall not haue beleeued the Gospell And he doth by his Ministers dayly declare vnto vs these his Merits Works precious Passion Resurrection and Ascention into Heauen That those which beleeue of Christ the sonne of God as the scriptures do speake of him might be deliuered from the burthen of their sinnes be reconcyled to God the Father and liue with him for euer in the glory of Christ And for this cause especially doth the gospel moue vs and cal vs to repentaunce to the end that we may be hartely sory for our sinnes that we may abhor and detest our sinnes and with al our indeuour fly al things that might moue vs to sinne seeing our sinnes could be taken away by no other Sacrifice but only by the most precious bloud of Christ which he shed for vs that he might cleanse vs and delyuer vs from sinne death and hel And furthermore the Gospel promiseth remission of sinnes and euerlasting life to all that beleeue in Christ and refuse not this Gospel but with all their hart faithfully receiue the same vsing it reuerently and holyly And thus of meere grace without all our deserts only for the works and merits of Christ if we beleeue in him are we washed from our sinne beutefyed with the holy Ghost and are iustifyed sanctifyed saued and made heyres with God and coheyres with Christ in his kingdome and liue for euer We also heare the Gospell with a godly deuotion we trust in Christ and we beleeue him to be the only Sauyour of the world And then also are we angry with our sinnes and detest and abhor them we repent vs and are sory that through our sinnes we haue offended God we begin better to frame our liues and we loue God with all our harts which hath bestowed his great and wonderful mercy and his vnspeakable and infinite goodnes in Christ Iesu his Sonne vpon vs we loue also our neighbours euen as Christ loued vs and we doe our diligence that we may as becometh holy children lead a chast holy modest sober and innocent life after Christes example and so for the loue of righteousnes and godlynes we doe all good works sauing that while we are in this flesh we haue not the full feeling of our frailtye and sinne and that our faith and knowledge of Christ that is of the great and incomprehensible mercy loue care grace and benefits which in Christ and for Christ are freely geuen and bestowed vpon vs is not full perfect and pure in this life but while we liue doth stil grow and increase And we must also fight and striue continually while we liue with the flesh and mortefie renue and reforme our old Adam vntil the Image of God be renued again in vs and vntil we shall haue put on that most beutiful and holy Image of Christ like as before our receiuing of faith and regeneration we did beare that euil fauoured and horrible Image of the old Adam Now you haue heard what Christ taught his two Disciples And without doubt the Apostls afterward taught the same things which Christ did teach and confirmed the doctrine of Christ after the same sort by the Prophets wrytings For the holy Ghost had sufficyently instructed them therto as plainly appeareth in the Actes of the Apostles ¶ Anna. As far then as I perceiue Christ preached nothing to those two Discyples out of the prophesies but the very pure doctrine of the Gospel wherby they might learn what Christ was for what cause he was sent into this world what he did what he suffered what he meryted by his suffering and how we might haue benefit by his Merits and what was to be hoped and looked for of him This then no doubt was it that comforted them so made their harts so glad ☞ Vrb. And haue not these thinges I pray you sufficient matter inough to make
our harts ioyful and glad as when we vnderstand what inestimable and great riches of his grace God in his Prophets hath promised to vs sinners and when we see those promyses of him fulfilled now in the Gospel and dayly also to be in fulfilling and seeing we haue Christ himselfe the very Sonne of God a most sure pledge of the performance of those promyses may we not well I say reioyce and be glad ¶ Anna. I am very desirous to heare of you if time serue you the order of Christes Sermon out of Moyses and the other Prophets What and how in euery place they prophesyed of Christ that thereby I may when my faith is strengthned haue ioy in the lord And though you spend some time in explicating these prophesies yet happely it may be a work worth our labour and you shal neuer a whit misspend the time nay I think the time that is so spent godly profitably very necessarely spent seeing S. Paul warneth vs that the word of Christ should dwel plentifully in vs. ☞ Vrb. We read in the acts that Paul made a long Sermon of Christ out of the Law and prophets euen from the morning til night Why then should not we speak often much and willingly of our Lord Iesus Christ our only and incomparable Treasure with whom we shal liue and dwel for euer But first note what Luke wryteth in his last chapter where he sayeth when Christ had blessed broken and geuen the bread to his Discyples their eyes were opened and they knew him And a litle after he saith that Christ opened their vnderstanding that they might know the Scriptures Wherfore we also must pray to Christ that he would feed and refresh vs with his bread of the knowledge of him that he would driue away the thick cloudes of our vnbeleef that he would mend and take away our ignorance and dulnes that he would send down into our minds the light of his holy spirit wherby we may learn to know him out of the holy scriptures Paul saith we haue not receued the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the thing which is geuen vs of God. Let vs therfore pray with humble feruent harts Almighty God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ our Father and the Father of all mercy and God of all comfort and consolation haue mercy vpon vs heare vs we beseech thee O God for thy deerely beloued sonne Iesus Christs sake for all his workes and benefits which he hath done for vs and for his precious passion and death which he suffered for the redemption of vs Send thy holy Spirit of truth into our harts that it may geue and ingraft in vs true and constant faith so that the light and brightnes of thy Gospel and the glory of Christ may appeare vnto vs and lighten our harts that we may learn and vnderstand the vnspeakable and aboundant riches of thy mercyes O Father of glory geue vs thy Spirite of wisdome and bring vs to the knowledge of thee and thy deerely beloued Sonne Iesu Christ Open and lighten we beseech thee the eyes of our minds vnderstanding That we may perceue what is the hope of our vocation and what is the rich glory of our heauenly and euerlasting Herytage which in Christ and through Christ thou hast geuen vs That by true faith vnderstanding and knowledge of thy eternal wisdom which is Iesus Christ we may in deed be made as we are called true christiās That we may worship thee alway in Spirit and truth And that we may now and for euer shew forth thy glory whereby thou hast blessed vs in Christ our Sauiour Graunt this O Father through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen ¶ Anna. Amen ☞ Vrb. Now Christ being our gouernor and our good guid let vs begin the treatise and opening of the matter which we haue taken in hand But first of all wife see you harken with as great reuerence diligence desire as if Christ were present seeing Christ sayth He that heareth you heareth me And looke also that you beleeue al things which shal here be spoken and declared vnto you to be as true and certayn as if Christ himself visibly and in his bodely shape had spoken them vnto you out of the Prophets And as if he should in his own person declare vnto you by his own mouth how and for what cause it was conuenient he should be born suffer dye and rise again and so ascend into his glory ¶ Anna. Begin then Husband at Moyses and tel me I pray you what he wrote of Christ ☞ Vrb. Moyses hath written much of Christ as Christ himself witnesseth in Iohn where speaking to the Iewes he saith If you had beleeued Moyses you had also beleeued me for he wrote of me And Moyses euen in the beginning as soone as heauen earth and man were made saith that the Serpent to wit Sathan deceiued Eue and entyced her to make a lye and seduced her and she afterward perswaded and deceued Adam and so God being despised and set aside brought him and threw him headlong into the same calamitie and thus they beleeued a lye wherin they cōmitted an horrible offence because they broke Gods commandement and did not obey the Lord their God as their duety was but were obedyent vnto the Deuil which from the beginning is a lyar and a mankiller into whose power and tiranny they fel both in body and soule by their transgression and disobeydience and so death by the sinne of Adam came in both vpon Adā al Adams posterity in so much that by the iust iudgement and iustice of God all men should haue entered by the death of this body into euerlasting death And thus did death through sinne mightely raign in all the world Alas what is more horrible then this power of sinne and this extreame calamity which casteth vs into euerlasting damnation What burthen is there heuyer or harder then this and what more cruell mischiefe could there haue hapned then this But God here in the middest of this danger being mindful of his mercy as the Prophet saith of him found a most present and soueren salue for this sore to wit he offred vs his grace and promysed that he would pardon our sin and destroy death by a certain marueilous meane to wit by his only begotten Sonne who when the fulnes of time that is to say when the determined time was come was sent into the earth from heauen and salued this sore that is to say redeemed and deliuered the poore prysoner mankind out of the tyranny and power of darknes and Sathā and that after a strange and secret sort For he tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant and being made man subiect to all misery calamity and troble of this life yea and death it self but yet free from all faulte and pure without sinne vouchsafed to dye for vs that
thus examine our life and our manners it plainly appeareth both what kind of men we be what our faults and offences be and how huge sinners we be And forasmuch as we haue not fulfilled the law of God and continued in all things which are written in the book of the law it necessarily followeth that the curse hangeth presently ouer vs and that we be concluded vnder sinne Thus lyeth wretched mankind thrown down damned and subiect to euerlasting death and the reason is for that he is accursed The curse of the law is the fault and the punishment and both present and eternal indignation wrath anguish affliction death and euerlasting torment in hel fire If this then be the condition of our estate as in deed it is if we beleeue the Scriptures witnessing of the calamity and horrible fall of Adam and his posterity then must of necessity all presumption and trust in our own strength worthynes merits natural hability and good works geue place and vanish away and true humility and vnfayned repentance follow For of what I pray you can man glory how can he presume what can he attribute to his own strength and how can he brag if he haue right feeling of this curse and so that he see he is become an Apostata a traytor and a runnagate frō God and altogether the Deuils thrall lying captiue vnder the power of sinne death and malediction And such in deed is his estate For he is conceiued and born in sinne and he cannot so much of himself as think wel wish wel or doe wel but being proue and bent only to euil to vice and to all wickednes he doth nothing but sinne Now he which doth rightly feel the immutable and very seuerity of Gods wrath to him the world it self is an vnpleasant pryson neither doth it graunt him rest or comfort at all til he be free frō these bands and curses Wherfore the holy Scripture vpon good cause doth most diligently and earnestly vrge vpon vs the law to this end that man thus all blinded peruerst and malicious may by the law be drawn to know him self to see his misery and to feel the curse and his incorporated wickednes and the iudgement of God So that by the liuely feeling of his sin gods wrath he might humbly and truly with a troubled Spirite and contrite hart reuerently with submission flye to the throne of grace and call for mercy help of God and with all his hart runne vnto and imbrace Christ his only Sauyour the blessed seed of Abraham To such verely is this blessed seed sent which after this sort with a troubled Spirite and a broken and humble hart acknowledge and confes their sinnes and which hartely repenting are greeuously and terribly vexed and afflicted in conscience because they haue sinned To these I say is he sent that hauing taken away the curse to the which they were subiect he might delyuer them from all perils and calamities both of soule and body For there is none that desire or receiue Christ but these poore ones in Spirit And this doe Paules words import in the Epistle to the Rom. where he saith By the law commeth the knowledge of sinne And to the Galathians The law was our Scholemaster to bring vs to Christ that we might be made righteous through faith And in the same place he sayth The law began and was geuen 430. yeares after the holy promise was made to Abraham and that for transgression vntil the seed came to whom it was promysed c. All natures strength all wisdome all free will all good lawes and all creatures yea Gods law it selfe because of mannes infirmity could not delyuer iustifie and free man from this curse But of necessity this blessed seed Christ must needes be sent to delyuer vs from these euils and deserue for vs and also geue vs the holy Ghost els had man stil remayned altogether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say helples Therfore Paul in the same place excellently disputing of the law and Christ saith thus In deed if there had a law bin geuen which could haue geuen life then truely righteousnes should haue beene by the law But the Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by faith of Iesus Christ might be geuen to them that beleeue But before faith came we were kept vnder the law and shut vp vnto the faith which should afterward be reuealed c. The law indeed may shew vs our sinnes conuince vs accuse vs and condemne vs of sinne and it may bring vs vnder the curse but it can neuer delyuer vs frō the curse The law was cheefly geuen to this end that by terrifying our harts it might stirre vs vp feruently to desire and flye vnto that blessed seede Christ in whom we finde and receiue all thinges which the law requireth of vs to wit perfect obedience innocency righteousnes the fulfilling of all lawes and the holy Ghost with all his gifts as faith loue feare and charity towards our neighbour with such like The wholl Scripture doth nothing els but teach vs thorowly to know Christ earnestly to desire Christ hartely to craue help of Christ faithfully to beleeue in Christ and truely to loue Christ But this we cannot doe vnles we first feel the curse and acknowledge our miseries sicknes and sinne When we haue once the liuely feeling of these things then with all greedy desire of hart we gape for that blessed seede because he onely and alone both can and will clerely altogether take away this curse If the Iewes had knowen this and beleeued they had neuer so despysed and crucifyed Christ And if the Pharisies and Hipocrites of these dayes and we knew these things we would vtterly dispaire of our selues of our merits and of all mans strength in which there is no bealth or help at all wherby we may look for the obtayning of iustification and saluation nay we would not in all these put either hope or trust but would flie to this seed where present helpe and ayde is found If our sinnes doe not thus plainly appeare by the law vncurable foolish and blind reason straight way dreameth that she can salue this sore and that she her selfe can deliuer vs from sinne yea she doth assay by her works to deserue Gods fauor nether will she acknowledge this blessed seed nether is she moued with any desire of him nether doth she any thing esteem of the great promises of God by which only we most miserable creatures are delyuered from these euils Wherfore first learn and know this that as Abraham was iustifyed before God so surely must we also be iustifyed but he was iustifyed by this seed Christ in him he beleeued and in him had he all his hope and trust of saluatiō reposed being perswaded that by this seed he should obtain the blessing And that was coūted to him for righteousnes Paul therfore
daughter Ierusalem behold thy king commeth vnto thee he is iust and saued poore ryding vpon an asse and vpon a colt the fole of an asse I wil cut of the chariots frō Ephraim and the horse from Ierusalem the bow of the battaile shal be broken and he shall speake peace vnto the Heathen and his dominion shall be from sea and from the riuer vnto the ende of the lande Thou also shalt be saued through the bloud of the couenant I haue loosed thy prisoners out of the pit where in is no water Note here first and formost that the holy ghost by the prophet in this text sheweth vs an inestimable and infinite ioy to wit that Messias our onely helpe in all our distresse and the saluatiō of our soules which was promised vs so long before should come vnto vs And therfore to the ende to awake vs and that we should shake of our sleepe and attentiuely and diligently consider what and how great a thing he doth here handle how worthy a thing it is which is here foreshewed to come to passe He sayth Reioyce reioyce greatly thou daughter Sion and shoute forth O daughter Ierusalem c. By daughter Sion and Ierusalem he doth vnderstand the people of Ierusalem but seyng that Sion Ierusalem were a figure of the catholike church and seyng that not only the Iewes but euen the Gentiles also should be partakers of this great and infinite ioy I will apply these wordes to the whole church which consist both of Iewes and Gentils He sayth lift vp thy voyce and reioyce Here must needes some passing and wonderfull matter be vnderstood in that that holy ghost prouoketh vs so earnestly to shoute out and reioyce Behold that is to say awake awake take heed ye sleep not or play the slouthfull sluggardes Looke you leese not or despise not this opportunity offred you Awake take good heed what I tel you giue eare giue eare the state of your soule and saluation is here in hande giue eare Thy king commeth to thee This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cause of this great ioy Our king cōmeth to vs seking his lost people which were led captiue by the wicked spirit and horrible tirant into the kingdom of hel and euerlasting darkenes to perish for euer In which deadly daunger grieuous perill and great calamitie man was so blynded so farre past vnderstanding and so ignorant that he would not acknowledge his misery and wretched state neither see the present daunger of euerlasting death nor yet desire helpe counsayle or remedy But would such was his madnes securitie blindnes haue taried bondslaue in the tiranny of Satan and died captiue to the deuil if this our king being moued with mercy towardes his people standing in such danger had not presently helped vs He saw that we could not deliuer our selues out of this kingdome of sinne neither shake of that cruell tiranny of sathan and that the deuill through his great might strength would haue ouercommed vs and so haue possessed his palace in peace because that in man there was no such strength no such force no such subtletie neyther any such deuise that he could wynd himselfe out of the misery wherin he was wrapped Wherfore Christ seyng this taking compassion of this our miserable state came downe to vs that he might deliuer vs out of this bondage and thraldome and set vs at liberty We neuer desired nor required him neither did our deserts moue him What say I did we moue or desire him to come nay our hartes could not once thinke of him nor desire his helpe or comfort such was the blindnes wherin we were drowned We came not we fled not for helpe to him of our selues for nothing was so farre past our reach We could do nothing lesse it was not in our abilitie such was the corruption of our nature such so darke and so dimme cloudes of deprauation possessed our myndes No no this our king came to vs for we neither could nor would go to him The cause why he came and what he doth with vs what profite he brought vs and how nedefull it was that he should come to vs the Prophet addeth saying He cōmeth to the iust and saued or he commeth vnto the iust and a sauiour This is that great ioy this is the cause of our reioycing and triumphing We were through our sinnes wicked and guilty of all iniquity and defiled with all kinde of vice wickednes and impiety and ordayned to euerlasting death and adiudged to eternall damnation and yet could we not helpe or quite our selues from it But Christ our king commeth to vs he bringeth vs saluation and he iustifieth and deliuereth vs from all dangers This our king was not only iust innocent and free from all offence and spot for and concerning himselfe onely but he giueth also his righteousnes and innocency to vs In so much that through him we are coūted righteous before God if we beleue in him as Paul sayth he onely is iust and iustifieth others This word iust must not here be vnderstoode to be that exact and perfect iustice by which God iudgeth the wicked and punisheth the hard harted For this seuere iustice doth sore afray vs poore sinners and offenders against god Yea it bringeth heuines vexatiō of hart driueth vs to desperatiō neither doth it any thing lesse thē worke ioy gladnes and reioycing in vs But the Scripture vseth for comforte sake to call Christ iust or righteous as well in the olde as new testament For he only among all the sonnes of men is iust and righteous and so iust and righteous that thorough him alone we are counted before God iust innocent and righteous God the father calleth Christ by this name and saith in Esay My seruant is righteous And so saith Zachary Steuen and Iohn And S. Paul sayth the same to the Rom. in these wordes For as by the disobedience of one man that was Adam many were made sinners euē so by the obedience of one shall many also be made righteous We could not of our selues or by our works iustify or redeme our selues but we are made righteous by the only grace of Christ and fayth in him which in holy scripture is called the righteousnes of God that is by which we are accounted righteous before God. Which righteousnes he himselfe doth worke in vs when by his holy spirit he doth make vs righteous and without blame The prophet also calleth Christ our sauiour and that rightly for first he iustifieth vs and whom he iustifieth he both saueth and giueth thē euerlasting lyfe And this is the maner of his worke in vs By his gospell he calleth vs iustifieth vs and then saueth vs The Iewes do here in this prophesie obiect the Hebrew word Noscha which our translator calleth a Sauiour and they say it signifieth saued or deliuered passiuely But this neede not trouble the godly
Psalme the holy ghost very sweetly and comfortably setteth forth Christes ascension glorification and ample kingdome saying thus All people clap your handes sing loud vnto God with a ioyful voice for the lord is high and terrible a great king ouer all the earth God is gone vp with triumph euen the Lord with the soundes of the trumpet Sing prayses to God sing praises sing praises to our king sing praises For god is the king of all the earth Sing prayses euery one that hath vnderstāding God raigneth ouer the heathen God sitteth vpō his holy throne In this Psalme all nations are stirred vp to laud and prayse the Lord who in Christ raigneth now ouer all the world If then all these thinges ought to be accomplished through the whole earth it could not be that Christ should continue in death especially seing it was prophesied that Christ should deliuer the world out of the bandes of death himself be exalted placed in the highest type of honor glory The prophet Dauid also speaketh of the battail victory of Christ in the 68. psal telling how he ouercame death and Satan and by his mighty deuine power deliuered al thē from Satans tiranny which were his captiues ascended into heauen And this psal Paul citeth to the Ephes saying He ascended vp on high he led captiuity captiue S. Augustine here vnderstandeth by captiuity captiue euen death it selfe which held al the children of Adam as sinners in captiuity and mightily ruled ouer them yea euen ouer good christiās which lay bound and captiue vnder the yoke and captiuity of Satan but by Christs death and resurrection are deliuered and redemed Dauid saith The lord raigneth and is clothed with maiesty the lord is clothed and girded with power The world also shal be established that it cānot be moued Thy throne is established of old thou art from euerlasting the floudes haue lifted vp O lord the flouds haue lifted vp their voice the floods haue lifted vp their waues The waues of the sea are maruelous through the noise of many waters yet the lord on hie is more mighty Thy testimonies are very sure holines becommeth thy house O lord for euer Here God the holy ghost prophecieth of the kingdome of Christ to wit how Christ the king of all glory so wonderfully kepeth surely establisheth strōgly fortifieth his kingdom that it cannot fall and be ouerthrown although the sea of this world by violence and huge stormes inuade it set vpon it and seke cleane to subuert it The Iewes did all they could vpō good Friday quite to extinguish this king And now that he is risen again from the dead both Iewes Gentiles Turkes heretikes and false christians with the world and Satan al their power resist him and his kingdom They forge most impudēt and shameful lies against him they lay snares by subtleties to intrap him they fill all places with slaughter of him they assay euery way to hurt him and they doe the worst they can both by force and cunning agaynst him But though they try euery thing they shall preuayle nothing Al their deuises shal be frustrate al their trauaile shal not preuaile yea all their power shall not profite them for he died once and henceforth dieth no more Now he sitteth at the right hand of God aboue the heauens and is the euerlasting and eternall God himselfe whose throne is builded and standeth on so sure a foundation and ground worke that it cannot be moued or ouerthrown Yea the very gates of hell cannot preuail against the poore church in as much it only dependeth vpon this head Christ that glorious kyng of heauen that most sure and vnmouable rocke He which falleth on this stone shal be broken but on whomsoeuer it shall fall it will grind him to pouder Seing then the habitatiō of this king shal endure for euer it must nedes follow that he shal both liue for euer and also giue euerlasting lyfe vnto vs. Againe Dauid saith The lord raigneth let the people tremble he sitteth betwene the Cherubins let the earth be moued The Lord is great in Sion and he is high aboue all people They shall prayse thy great and fearefull name for it is holy and the kings power that loueth iudgement for thou hast prepared equitie thou hast executed iudgement and iustice in Iacob exalt the lord our God and fall downe before his footestoole for he is holy This king is Christ who ruleth the church which is the spirituall Sion thorough the whole world He hath placed his throne in a high place euen in the very heauens and all the earth is his footestoole and he ruleth for euer But Sathan and the world beyng set on euill cannot abide this And when they are not able to throwe downe Christ from the seat of his maiesty they fret and fume agaynst the godly and cruelly persecute them But for all that they cannot take away their saluation although they indeuour it neuer so much For where this king is there shall all those be also which beleue in him Therefore the vngodly cannot hurt the righteous so as may truely bee called hurting For when they kill them and take their lyues from them which to the world seemeth the greatest hurt that can be then do they most profite them For death is vnto them the gate and redy way to lyfe but the enemies of Christ and his church shal in the end be thrown vnder foote troden downe and be more vile and filthy then any rubbish dirt or dung And agayne Dauid sayth Thou wilt arise and haue mercy vpon Sion for the tyme to haue mercy theron for the appoynted tyme is come For thy seruantes delight in the stones therof and haue pity on the dust thereof Then the heathen shall feare the name of the Lord and all the kinges of the earth thy glory when the Lord shall builde vp Sion and shall appeare in his glory and shall turne vnto the prayer of the desolate and not despise their prayer This shall be written for the generation to come and the people which shal be created shall prayse the Lord for he hath looked downe from the height of his sanctuary out of the heauen did the lord behold the earth that he might heare the mourning of the prisoner and deliuer the children of death In this Psalme we see how earnestly the godly Christians which were before Christes natiuitie did in feruency of prayers looke for his kingdome wherin onely or els not sinnes are pardoned and death is vanquished These true Christians desire and praye that Zion that is the church may be builded euery where and the glory of Christ seene and propagated through all the world as did Dauid Samuel and the rest of the Prophetes who with spirituall eyes saw long before that Messias should first be debased but afterward exalted and glorified through the whole world Neither were they offended at
the humility passion of Christ which of his owne free will he would suffer because they vnderstood the purpose of Gods workes to wit that he would make Christ the Lord and head of the church and that he would with great admiratiō build vp Sion the holy church through all the world They desired to see such a king and his great kingdome reuealed vnto them by the spirite yea to see hym euen with theyr corporal eyes as Christ witnesseth in Luke where he sayth Blessed are those eyes which see that ye see For I tell you that many Prophets and Kinges haue desired to see those thinges which ye see and haue not sene thē and to heare those things which ye heare and haue not heard them And agayne Dauid sayth The Lorde sayde vnto my Lord sitte thou at my right hande vntill I make thine enemies thy footestoole The Lorde shall sende the rod of thy power out of Sion thou ruler in the midst of thine enemies He shall drinke of the brooke in the way therfore shall he lift vp his head In this Psalme is a most comfortable prophesie of Christ howe hee must be placed at Gods right hande that is that he shall be exalted vnto most high glory honor dignity power But yet so that before he must drinke of that brooke that is of the cup of his passiō so by it passe into his glory Wife looke you haue this psalme in great price loue it derely for it setteth forth vnto vs two special things wherin true and sound consolation al our saluation doth consist to wit the euerlasting kingdom deuine power of Iesus Christ He sitteth at the right hande of God that is he hath all power he is most mighty all things are in his handes he is and that euen according to his blessed glorified humanity lord king of all things both in heauen and earth all things are in his subiection Therfore it well followeth that he is able to deliuer vs from all necessities calamities both temporal and eternall neither can any creature do vs harme if we bee in the kingdome of Christ by true faith Moreouer God the father assuredly promised by an othe that he would giue vs Christ to be an eternall priest Here is Christ vpon Gods othe appointed to be our priest and he is touched with the feling of our calamities no lesse then if they were his own He hath purged and taken away our sins by his owne sacrifice vpon the crosse and hath reconciled vs vnto the father yea he doth still make intercession for vs with his father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without ceasing and he teacheth geueth vs by his worde and holy spirit all things which are necessary for the obtaining of euerlasting helth and saluation Wherfore although Christ according to his humanity was the sonne of Dauid that is his sonne by flesh bloud yet neuerthelesse Dauid saith that Christ is his lord not only according to his deuine nature as he is the creator and lord of al things but also as saint Augustine sayth according to that his humaine nature glorified in which he sitteth at the right hand of god For he is the euerlasting king of Israel which truly erected and for euer established and confirmed the kingdome of Dauid Moreouer he is a true priest the true Melchisedech who only could and ought to giue that euerlasting blessing for that he is that blessed seed of Abraham in which onely we are blessed that is we are deliuered from sinne death and are iustified saued Christ in Math. putteth forth this questiō to the Pharises which were puft vp with an opiniō of their own learning saying Why did Dauid call Christ his Lord who was his sonne that is to say of his stock But althogh they semed learned vnto themselues although they swelled with the pride of their owne knowledge yet they were ignorant of this which they ought especially to haue known Again Dauid saith The lord hath prepared his throne in heauen and his kingdom ruleth ouer all And again Thy lord shal raigne for euer O Sion Thy God endureth from generation to generation Hee saith Thy lord O Sion shal rule for euer He speaketh not here of any earthly kingdom in earthly Sion but of that euerlasting Ierusalem And in the 103. Psalme he witnesseth the same where he sayth thus The lord hath prepared his throne not in Canaan but in heauen And againe All thy workes prayse thee O Lord thy saintes blesse thee they shew the glory of thy kingdom speake of thy power to cause his power to be known to the sons of mē the glorious renoume of his kingdom Thy kingdom is an euerlasting kingdom thy dominion endureth throughout all ages All these things are spokē of Christ his kingdom In the 89. Psal. the kingdom of Christ is called an heauēly kingdom where the prophet speaketh of the promise made by God vnto king Dauid in the 2. of the kinges where God promiseth that he will giue a sonne to Dauid which shal be a peculiar notable worthy excellent king a king of all kings whose kingdom shal neuer decay and wherin is forgiuenesse of sins euerlasting mercy and therfore both lyfe and helth For where sins are forgiuen there is the tiranny of death quite abolished destroied And here we haue true helth promised for this kings sake borne of the seed of Dauid according to the flesh in whom that eternall couenant of grace is made established The words of the Psalm be these I wil sing the mercies of the Lorde for euer with my mouth wil I declare thy truth from generation to generation For I sayd thy mercy shall be set vp for euer thy truth shalt thou establish in the very heauens I haue made a couenant with my chosen I haue sworne to Dauid my seruant Thy seede wil I establish for euer set vp thy throne from generation to generation Selah Righteousnesse and equity are the stablishment of thy throne mercy truth goeth before thy face blessed are the people that can reioyce in thee they shall walk in the light of thy countenance O Lord they shall reioyce continually in thy name and in thy righteousnes shall they exalt them selues for thou art the glory of their strength and by thy fauour our hornes shal be exalted For our shield appertaineth to the Lorde and our King to the holy one of Israell I haue found Dauid my seruaunt with my holy oyle haue I annointed him Therefore my hand shall be established with him and my arme shall strengthen him The enemy shall not oppresse him neither shall the wicked hurt him But I will destroy his foes before his face and plage them that hate him My truth also and my mercy shall bee with him and in my name shall his horne be exalted
he was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquityes the chastisment of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes are we healed all we lyke sheepe haue gone astray we haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath layd vpon him the iniquities of vs all He was oppressed and he was afflicted yet did he not opē his mouth he is brought as a sheepe to the slaughter and as a sheepe before her sherer is dumme so he openeth not his mouth he was taken out of prison and from iudgement And who shall declare his age for he was cut out of the land of the liuing for the transgressions of my people was he plagued and he made his graue with the wicked and with the rich in his death though he had done no wickednes neither was any deceit in his his mouth Yet the Lord would breake him and make him subiect to infirmities when he shall make his soule an offering for sinne he shall see his seede and shall prolong his dayes and the will of the Lord shall prosper in his handes He shall see of the trauaile of his soule and shal be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie many for he shall beare their iniquities Therfore will I geue him a portion with the great and he shall deuide the spoil with the strong because he hath powred out his soul vnto death and he was counted with the transgressors and he bare the sinne of many and prayed for the trespassors ¶ Anna. Euery one may see if they waye thease wordes well that this prophecy speaketh of none but of Iesus of Nazareth so playnely and manifestly doth it set forth the passion of Christ not differing at al from the historye of the Euangelistes Vrb. You say true the Iewes see it but being bewitched of sathā they see not that which they do see now they seeke absurd and diuers and marueilous strange and coacted expositions and starting holes to creepe out at least they be forced to graūt that this text speaketh only of Christ and so be found giltye of manslaughter which they cōmitted in their Messias 1576. yeares agoe They complayne in deed and thinke that their sinnes are more heinous and greuous then the sinnes of their forefathers because they haue bene captiues now more then .1500 yeares For their fathers were but .70 yeares captiues in Babilon for committing Idolatrie But when they see that this their captiuity continueth now so long they can conceaue no comfort by the law and prophets neither haue they any certayne hope that euer their bondage shall end that they may returne agayne into the lande of Canaan as at other tymes they did when they were restored and delyuered out of captiuitye And thys doth Rabbye Sammuell himselfe confesse Yea they are so obstinate and so cleane without repentaunce that when they euē see and perceiue by the prophets that Iesus of Nazareth by all mens accounts is the true Messias yet they passe it ouer with silence and conceale it will speake nothing of it in the sinagogue before the youth simple people and so hold them stil in their blindnes error Koheleth of Prage in the disputations at Ausburge which Doctour Phillip Melanctō Doctour Brentius and I had with him wold gladly haue expounded this chapiter of those Iewes which at this day are disparsed afflicted and contemned in all the worlde but he brought in so ill fauored vaine folishe and vnsauery stuffe and reasoned so baldly that he shamed him selfe and blushed before vs all The Iewes before they fell into this blindenes and reprobate sence for killing of Christ that is before the natiuitye of Christ while as yet they had the prophetes vnderstode this text of Messias as appeareth by Ionathas his Thargum which beginneth to expoūd this chapiter thus Haizlach Abdi Meschiho that is behold my seruaunt Messias shal be made fortunate The old Hebrues also expounded this chapiter thus Messias shal be more exalted then Abraham and set aboue Moses and none shal be lyke him in greatnes and glory he shall excell all the angells of god in honour and dignitye Anna. This is a horible blindnes of the Iewes of our time that reding these things in their bokes they will not se the truth For as S. Paul saith euē vnto this day the vale of Moyses couereth their hartes that euen when they reade of Messias yet they vnderstand not what they reade But when they shal be conuerted vnto the Lord then the vale shal be taken away and as soone as they shall beleue the gospel they shall plainely vnderstād all the prophesies cōcerning Christ so that they may very easily knowe them although now they vnderstand no title therof is not this a darke and deepe blindenes that they dreame Messias should in this earth haue an earthly corporall kingdome but that he should purge all mens sinnes and deliuer all mankind from death Of this they are vtterly ignoraunt and of this they cannot abide to heare because they vnderstand noe prophesies but euery day are more more wrapped in blindnes vntill it shall please God to take mercy vpō thē A yet no blindnes seemeth to me more grosse then the blindnes of that euill and doting man Rabbi in hannapher who in the Sinagoge euē before your face did not let to say that he neuer sought nor looked for forgiuenes of his sinnes or righteousnes by Messias O horrible execrable and lamentable blindenes Vrba Yt was my hap to heare the same filthy and abhominable error of the Iewes at Brūsuige in their Sinagog Paule to the Thes pronounceth a very heauye and fearefull saying and sentence agaynst them to wit that the wrath of God is come on them to the vtmost verily they neither know nor vnderstand the person or ministerye of Christ But let vs leaue these blinded bussardes and come agayne to the wordes of the prophet It is sufficient for vs which beleue in Christ that the Euangelists and Apostles do euery where playnely and vndoubtedly expounde this 53 chapter of Esai to be mēt of Iesus Christ as appeareth in Math. 8. Mar. 15. Lu. 22 Ioh. 12. Acts. 8. Rom. 10.4 and 15.1 Peter 2. But first we must note that this Chap. almost in euery verse witnesseth that the kingdome of christ is not of this world but heauēly because he neither hath nor braggeth of any of this worldly beuty glorye or magnificensy nay he which is the king head of this kingdome is mocked scoffed scorned contemned killed of this world and therfore it was a great blind ignoraunce and doltishnes that sum euen of the beleuing Iewes did dreame that he should erect and restore agayne the earthly kingdome of Israell or that he should be an earthly or worldly king of the Iewes in the land of Canaan and deliuer them from the tyranny of the Gentiles He came for greater yea I say for far greater
the Iewes I pray you in the beginning receaue the gospel how absurd and incredible seemed it to them Did not Christs own kindred according to the flesh at the first refuse to beleue him had not Iohn Baptist much to doe to draw his discyples from himself and to bring them to Christ And when they had seen all those great miracles and wonders yet would they scarcely in the end geue credit vnto Christ so offended were they at his base habit and lowly conuersation And this ran alwayes in their heads if he had bin our true Christ or Messias he would haue come after a more regall magnificent and imperiall sort then thus But how fel it out with Cleophas and his companyon was not this prophecie verefyed and fulfilled euen in them they had heard before of Christ and they had seen his works and great wonders Whereupon they supposed and iudged that he was the true deliuerer of Israell But when they saw so much humility and weaknes in him on good Fryday that he suffered himself to be slayn and buryed it offended and trobled them very much so that they then began to stagger and wauer and doubt whether he was the true Messias or no. It would not sink into their heads that Iesus whom they had seen crucified could help other and delyuer Israell seeing that was now the third day since he himself suffered death vpon the cros And these cogitations ran in their heads How shal he delyuer Israel from al his calamities which suffered himself to be taken and nayled to the cros we beleeued that he had been the redeemer of Israel but our hope is frustrate Behold how hardly the disciples beleued the misteries of the gospel concerning the death resurrection and kingdome of Christ But when the women sayd that they had seen Angels at the graue and when the discyples heard them say that Christ was rysen to life agayn O how strange was that to them how hardly did they beleue it Christ in Luke told his disciples before what things should happen vnto hym at Ierusalem that is to wit how he should suffer and rise agayn the third day But Luke sayth that they vnderstood not those things So vtterly ignorant were they of all these things And in the last of Luke when Christ was rysen the discyples hardly beleeued that he was rysen and when Christ appeared vnto them they thought they had seen some spirit or vision vntil they had seen and handled his true body and eaten meat with him and therfore it is sayd in Esay to whom shal the Lordes arme be reueled This arme is Christ the vertue and power of God who is eternall infinite and almighty Reason cannot perceiue or vnderstand it and therfore was it needful that it should be reueled vnto our harts by the holy spirit by which spirit onely we are able to vnderstand perceiue and beleue these great and wonderful treasures which Christ hath geuen vs. Paul to the Corinthians saith The natural man neither perceiueth nor vnderstandeth these things Therfore Christ himself opened his disciples harts and by his holy spirit lightened them that they might both vnderstand and beleue the scriptures ¶ Anna. Why doth the prophet call Christ a branch or root springing out of a dry and barrain ground ☞ Vrb. This may be vnderstood two wayes First of his wonderful natiuity For al mankind was a dry and barraine ground destitute of the liuely water of grace And yet of this dry and cursed ground of mankind was Christ borne a most beutyful and blessed branch and was made man in deed without all spot of sinne Surely surely this is a very strange branch which groweth out of such a dry ground and yet bringeth neither blot nor blemish of that cursed ground with it He hath the nature of Adam truely but cleane without sinne Secondly it may be vnderstood thus It is wonderfull that Christ after he had put of that base habit and humiliation is made Lord of all things No man would euer haue thought that such a glorious glory should come of so vile a cros For there was no beuty then in his flesh all was dry vaded feeble flagge withered and weake And therfore the prophet sayth very well and to good purpose he shall grow vp or he ascended vp before him that is before God because he was before him a most beutifull branch He was before God in the most splendent and highest glory although contemned of the world and without beuty in his passion The prophet saith he was not beutiful alas what beuty could there be in him his most blessed face was all to be torne and defyled with bloud and spittle and so deformed rent with thornes that euen Pilate the Gentile wondered at their cruel dealing and had more compassiō on him then those enuyous blind Iewes In the words folowing Esay doth more at large set forth the ignominious passion of Christ telling vs how he was miserably and cruelly tormented He was sayth the prophet most despised and least regarded of all men There was no account made of him and out of doubt in deed the Iewes regarded him nothing but had him in great despite for they made him being the king of glory their mocking stock and sent him to Herod for a may game But seeing that Esay had foretold thus much of Christ the Iewes ought in no wise to haue bin offended at the contumelious and shameful passiō of Christ especyally seeing these things happened by the ordinance will and prouidence of god And seeing that Christ yealded himself into the Iewes hands of his own wil not of compulsion But now harken what good he wrought by this his passion and debasing of him selfe Hee bare not his owne infirmities but oures Wee had perished in euerlasting shame if he of his meere mercy had not taken compassion vpon vs and born that most heauy burthen which came by our sinnes and was layd vpō all mankind to wit if he had not taken vpon him selfe our calamities which was due to al mankind for their sins and born them himself and quite discharged vs of that burthen we had dyed eternally And now first of all learn here that mans nature through sinne is most dāgerously diseased and should by eternall death haue dyed for euer if Christ had not helped vs and not borne our deadly disease and great weaknes Secondly it appeareth that our sinnes and those infirmities which proceed of sinne was so great so heuy and so importable a burthen that al mankind could not beare it but had fainted vnder the burthen and so must needes haue been drowned in hell And therfore natural and simply mā which being no more but mā could not make satisfaction for sinnes But Messias who was not only true man but also true God onely both had abilitie and ought to doe it Thirdly it must needes be both meere and horrible blasphemy to teach
that sinnes can be done away by works and penance and therfore monasteries and other buildings and els whatsoeuer was founded of that intent end and purpose that therby they might put away sinnes deserue forgeuenes and obtayn euer lasting life What thing soeuer I say was or are done for this intent they are most foule and filthy sects and horible errors therby the state of our saluatiō is gretly hasarded And looke you mark this third note wel Fourthly learn here a true comfort If Christ beare our sinnes and offences then the passion of Christ is oures and only proper vnto vs and all his deserts are oures wherfore our sinnes if the prophet be to be beleued can neuer condemne vs For this was the cause why he tooke them vpon him that he might quite blot them all out for euer so that afterward they should not at any time hurt vs And thus the passion of Christ is become our satisfaction for sinnes and so we are delyuered from al our sinnes by the death of Christ to whō be honor and glory for euer Amen ¶ Anna. Our munks and nunnes beleeue not this for they boast and brag that they deserue forgeuenes of our sinnes and that they beare our offences ☞ Vrb. If monasteryes or munkes beleue not this prophecy but by other works and meanes then by Christes merites and passion seeke saluation and promise it to other their monasteries are very theeuish dens and butcheries of soules and are filled ful of horrible blasphemies euen from the foundation vp to the roofe and are as much to be detested and abhorred as the gates of hel ¶ Anna. What meaneth Esay where he saith we iudged him as plagued and smitten of God ☞ Vrb. Read the history of Christ his passion set down by the Euangelistes and then shalt thou easely see the meaning of it The Iewes falsly accused Christ saying that he was a seducer of men a deceauer of the people an author of sedition and an enemy to the law and a blasphemer of god For in Iohn they sayd vnto Pilat If he were not an euil doer we would not haue delyuered him vnto thee And therfore he was thought to haue sinned and so to haue been punished and smitten of God for his sinnes and offences committed against god It is against all reason that there should be such a law that he which hath not offended should be punished and suffer for another offender Mannes reason saith let the offender suffer for his offence But here by the good grace and bountiful mercy of our God it is otherwise We had offended and therefore by good desert we ought to haue bin eternally punished But christ was without fault gilty in no point and defyled with no spot yet euen of his great mercy and ardent good wil he put himself in our stead and for our sakes suffered that punishment which he neuer deserued And here agayn you haue the true manhood of Christ because you see in very deede he suffered for vs and tooke our sinnes vpon him on the cros Therfore Esay saith God punyshed him not for his own sinnes but for our sinnes and iniquities It was conuenient that he should be that true pascall Lambe which is innocent it self and without blot but beareth the offences of others of the world and by this prophecy Paul taketh occasion to say to the Romanes that Christ was deliuered to death for our sinnes And so that punishment which we had deserued was layd on Christ by the meere mercy and goodnes of God that we might haue peace If he had not taken the punishment of our sinnes vpon him we had neuer bin at one with God nor the wrath of God had neuer bin appeased towards vs We were deadly wounded euen to euerlasting death neither could any other heal vs but the woūds of Christ which gushed forth of his most precious bloud No man is here excepted For all mankind yea the whole stock of mankind was by the deadly poyson of sinne miserably wounded and infected in euery part There is none that doth good no not one as the Psalme witnesseth We had all gone frō thy right way of truth and innocency into the troblesome rough rugged and erroneous wayes of falshood and wickednes like wandring and straying sheep We all lay euen as the half dead wounded man which fell into the theeues handes as he went between Ierusalem and Iericho We had all of vs need of the phisition delyuerer and pastor to seek for vs sheep gone astray to bring vs into the way and to help vs and deliuer vs But there was none other that either could or should doe this for vs but Iesus Christ by the mercyful and free promise which God made to vs of his sonne in the law and the prophets For he was ordayned as Peter sayth for this end to delyuer vs And therfore saith Esay The Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquity of vs al. This is our gospel and what more ioyful and comfortable or better newes can the woūded and sorrowfull sinner hear then that his sinnes are layd on Christ If they be layd on him he wil beare them wipe them away and blot them out For it is certayn that he dyed and rose agayn to saue vs sinners And this obedience of Christ in that it pleased him euen as a Lamb to be sacrifised for our sinnes and in that he suffered that bitter death for vs and all euen of his own good will freely with great patience is so thankful and acceptable a sacrifice to God yea a sacrifice of such infinite merite worthynes before the face of God that he neither can nor wil in any wise condemne vs so we beleue and trust in Christ And therfore God the father layd al our sins vpon his only begotten Sonne Christ least they shold condemne vs. This loue of God is so great towards vs that no hart is able to consider it and this offering or sacrifice for our sinnes is so excellent and precious that there can be no sinne where this sacrifice is offered But how behaued Christ himself when he suffered he was as meek as a sheep brought to the slaughter for the Prophet sayth He shal be brought euen as a sheep to be slain He calleth Christ a sheep because he was sent of his father that he might beare our offences and be offered vp for our sakes and sinnes as sheep were offered in the law of Moyses which offering was onely a figure of Christ ¶ Anna. How was he taken out of prison and from iudgement ☞ Vrb. Here Esay doth prophecie of that glory into which by his passiō he entred For Christ did not dye that he should remayn in death but that he might swallow vp death and rise agayn from death He was for three dayes space in iudgement and tribulation or pryson when he suffered himself by Pilate to be iudgeed
from you and iudge your selues vnworthy of euerlasting lyfe loe we turne to the Gentiles for so hath the Lord cōmaunded vs c. And agayne he sayd to the Iewes at Rome that would not beleue the Gospell Be it knowne therefore vnto you that this saluation of God is sent to the Gentiles and they shall heare it Esaias also doth plainely promise that Christ should be the redeemer of Sion that is to saye of such of the Iewes as be elect so that all shall not be condemned although thy be fallen into most greeuous horrible and long blindenes and God also promiseth that he will not take his word holy spirite frō the Churche For as Mathew sayth Christ shall tarry alway with vs So also sayth Esay And the redemer shall come to Sion and vnto them that turne frō iniquitie in Iacob sayth the lord And I will make this my couenaunt with them sayth the lord My spirite which is vpon thee and my wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of thy mouth of thy seede nor out of the mouth of the seede of thy seede sayth the Lord from henceforth and euen for euer ¶ Anna. Is this the prophecye which Paule reciteth in the 11. of the Romans where he cōforteth the Iewes saying that many of them shall be conuerted before the last day ☞ Vrb. It is the same and he speaketh mistically to the Gentiles that they should not vtterly contemne the remnaunt of the Iewes or dispaire of their saluation saying Partely obstinacy is come to Israell vntill the fulnes of the Gentiles be come in and so all Israell shal be saued As it is written The deliuerer shall come out of Siō and shall turne away the vngodlines from Iacob And this is my couenaūt to them whē I shall take away their sinns As concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sakes But as touching the election they are beloued for the Fathers sake Out of all these prophecies might Cleophas his felow haue drawne some comfort and knowne that Christes kingdome was spirituall But to go on marke how sweetly pleasaūtly gratiously Esayas prophecieth of the kingdome of Christ saying that it should by preaching be enlarged spred all abroad that there is no lyfe but only in the Church and that he which refuseth to be of this spirituall kingdome is damned The prophets vse very much figuratiue and borowed speches We must therefore be acquainted with their phrase of speaking These then be his wordes in the 60. Chapiter Arise O Ierusalem Be bright for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is rysen vpon thee This light is the gospel the glory of God and the gifts of the eternall treasures as wisedome security health and life It followeth For behold darknes shal couer the earth gros darknes the people But the Lord shal arise vpon thee and his glory shall be seen vpon thee And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light And kings at the brightnes of thy rising vp Lift vp thine eyes round about and behold all these are gathered and come to thee Thy sonnes that is to say the faithful in Christ shal come from far That is to say in all the parts of the wide world shal the gospel be taught and the people shal beleeue on Christ And thy daughters shal be nourished at thy side Then thou shalt see and shine thine hart shal be astonyed and enlarged because the multitude of the seas shal be conuerted vnto thee That is to say the Gentils that inhabite the Ilands and al the sea coastes And the riches of the Gentils shall come vnto thee This prophecy was then fulfilled whē the gentiles in Spayne Fraunce Italy Greece Asia Cilicia Affrica Egipt Cyprus Creet Rodes Liuonia Borus or Pruse Pomeriane lower Germany about the West sea Scotland England Ireland Island and in other countreis and places were conuerted by the preaching of the gospell The multitude of Camels shal couer thee That is the people of the East which abound in Cammels shall also come to the heauenly Ierusalem The Dromedaries of Midian and Ephah That is the people about the red Sea and they of Arabia shall beleeue in Christ All they of Sheba she l come they shal bring gold and incense and shew forth the prayses of the Lord. All the sheep of Kedar shal be gathered vnto thee The Rams of Nebayoth shal serue thee By Seba is ment the people on the right hand of the East By Kedar and Nebayoth those that be on the left hand He saith that these should serue the Church and gather them selues together to it and should preach and glorify Christ as our onely Sauyour They shall come vp to be accepted vpon mine Altar This is fulfilled when the preachers of the word of God conuert the people so that they mortify the old man and willingly submit them selues to the cros and so offer vp and sacrifice them selues to God through Christ our Altar And I will beutefie the house of my glory That is I will enrich and beutefy my church my spiritual Temple with all kind of gifts of the holy ghost It followeth who are these that fly like a cloud and as the doues to their windowes These words be figuratiuely spoken The cloudes be the Apostles who are very fruitfull For they bring the sweet shoures of the word of god And they were swift as the cloudes as doues for they did flye to all people in all parts of the world that they might preach to them the gospell It followeth Surely the Iles shall wayt for me and the ships of Tarshishe as at the beginning that they may bring thy sonnes from farre and their siluer and their gold with them vnto the name of the Lord thy God and to the holy one of Israel because he hath gloryfied thee And the sons of straungers shal build vp thy walles and their kings shal minister vnto thee That is men shal greedely and earnestly desire the gospel as the only comfort of their sad and troubled conscyences And they shall frankely lay out their substance and goods to help to set out and publish abroad the name of the Lord and to preserue and delyuer the miserable and afflicted men These children of strangers or strangers be the doctors of the gentils in the church such as Athanasius Nazianzenus Cyrillus Chrysostomus Augustine Hillary and others which builded the church by their wryting and preaching It followeth In my wrath I smote thee but in my mercy I had compassion on thee That is thou hast now some sinnes and it is necessary thou shouldest in this life be beaten and chastened with a fatherly rod and suffer affliction But this yet is a fatherly anger For all thy affliction shal be for thy profit and health that thou be not damned with this wicked world Vnder the
conscience and acknowledge God our Father by Iesus Christ the mediator of the new testament And therefore did they so earnestly looke for him as Christ sayth Abraham in spirite saw this day of the new testament in which Christ should by the Gospel and the holy ghost be manifested and declared vnto the world and he was glad The ould testament was a preparatiue of the new testamēt into Christ in which the outward letter doth not onely sownd into the eares but the spirit also doth inwardly quicken illuminate the hart but these thinges were hid and few did knowe it But in the the new testament these are plaine and manifest whereupon Paule calleth the Corrinthians his Epistle written not with ink but by the spirite of the liuing God not in tables of stone but euen in the fleshly tables of the hart The Iewes receaued the law from God who promised them temporall goodes and blessinges and they on the other side againe promised vnto the Lord that they would keepe it but they performed not their promise neither fulfilled they those thinges which the Lord in his law required at their hāds For they assayd indeuored to keepe it of them selues without the help of Messias but it was vnpossible And then the Lorde made a better testament or a new couenaunt with his people which dependeth not of our workes or worthines which are vncertaine wauering weake vncōstant and vnstable but euen of his owne promise of Christ which is most sure and vnfaileable and without our desert This couenaunt was a couenant of grace a sure couenaunt a continuall and firme couenaunt for it is grounded on Gods mercye in our Messias For the truth and mercy of God abideth for euer and the giftes and calling of God are without repentaunce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore first he sendeth Moyses to teach them the law and to shew the world their sinnes and the curse dew for their sinnes that so he might make them come and cōfesse their faultes and humble them selues before god aske his pardon The Lord had promised from the beginning his grace and blessing in Messias the seede of Abraham and Dauid This promise is the gospell or new testament instituted confirmed at the fulnes of tyme by the bloud of Iesus Christ and therfore was it needefull that Christ should come vnto whome the law sendeth and turneth all men that they may haue grace and truth graunted by Iesus Christ ¶ Anna. Cleophas and his companion vnderstoode not this For if they had they would neuer haue been so heauy but haue thought this with them selues The time is now come wherin our Iudaisme with our ceremonies shall haue an end and Iesus of Nazareth by his wonders hath declared him self to be the true Messias Surely Ieremy prophesyeth that the old Testament when the fulnes of time should come should be abrogated and the new couenant of grace should take place And this must be confirmed by bloud but not by the bloud of sheep and calues but by the death of Messias as Esay and Danyel witnes And this couenant which God made with the people of God shall contynue for euer This is that true delyuerance of Israell And now at the last shall the kingdome of Israell in deed be rightly restored erected establisted for euer God wil not recant this and therfore must it needes be done because God hath spokē it And as he hath not hetherto altered the course of the day and night euen so wil he not change this his promise To be short the hope of Israell shall not be frustered but as we trust so according to the promise of God shall it come to pas For God cānot lye neither did he make this promise vpon any such condition that our saluation shold consist vpon our works and therfore it is sound perfect and sure And therefore must Israell and Iuda needes be saued and Christ aryse again from the dead that he might preach and publish the new couenant ☞ Vrb. You say wel And seeing that the circumcision and other rites were to be abrogated they might easely haue coniectured that the kingdome of Israell could no more stand or tary then the externall priesthoode with his outward and figuratiue ceremonies Wherupon it may wel follow that the Gentiles also should haue accesse vnto Messias be receaued into his spirituall kingdome For seeing the externall circumcisiō with the priesthood sacrifices and genealogies which were drawen from Abraham did cease and were no more esteemed and neither ought nor could doe any thing to the iustifying of sinners but the harts were to be circumcised and the law of God by the holy Ghost to be written in mennes minds what differences I pray you is there now between the iustification of the Iewes and Gentils Anna. None in deed at all but as Peter saith God ordayned from the beginninning that the gospel shold be preached euen to the gentils and that they should become as faithfull christians as Abraham Isaac Iacob and the Patriarches Apostles were For God promysed that he would receaue them into his kingdome for he bestowed on them the holy Ghost as wel as on the Iewes Neither did he after make any difference betwen the Iewes and Gentils The stop of the partision wal is broken down and the Lord hath clensed the harts of the gentils through faith so that now Christians or the church of the faithful are onely the people of God without any further differēce and they are as Christ saith faithful only saued Neither can any man be saued any other way but only by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ ☞ Vrb. This is the foundation of our faith And wheras Ieremy promysed afterward that al from the least vnto the greatest should know the Lord in his new testament you must vnderstand it of all the Isralites which are the children of promise For to them the Lord geueth the catholick faith and the holy spirite by his gospel and he draweth them that they may come vnto Christ and that his spirite may teach them and they know the voice of their shepheard and follow not any strange teacher Now harken how Ezechiel prophesieth of the time of the office and of the kingdome of Messias in his 11. chapter where he hath these words Thus saith the lord God I wil gather you again from the people and assemble you out of the countreis where you haue been scattered and I wil geue you the land of Israel and they shall come thether and they shall take away all the Idols thereof and all the abhominations therof from thence And I wil geue them one hart and wil put a new spirite within their bowels and I wil take the stony hart out of their bodies and wil geue them a hart of flesh that they may walke in my statutes and keep my iudgements and execute them and they shall be my people and I wil
wrought by corporall and earthly armour as bowes swords and such like but euen by the Lord their god What other thing is this but that God would after another way and meane bles and help Iuda that is Dauids kingdome and all other Israelites and confessors of God then worldly princes vse to helpe their subiects The Lord will haue mercy on them That is wil pardon them iustify them and saue them and so bring and delyuer them out of Sathans kingdome of which the Psalmist speaketh thus The Lord wil redeem Israell from all his iniquities This is the sole hope and redemption of Israel from his iniquity and consequently from all his euils which cursed sin had brought vpon man and all mankind that is from that horryble death and captiuity wherein the faithles reuolting murdering and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 frauduler spirit did holde vs as Paul briefly expoūdeth this prophecye to the Eph. saying we haue in Iesus Christ the sonne of God redēption through his bloud euen the forgeuenes of sinnes according to his rich grace And although we vnderstand that temporall help by which God delyuered Iuda from Senachari◠and brought the Iewes from Babylon to Ierusalem yet was that temporal deliuerance angore of the true and euerlasting saluation by which Christ hath delyuered all true Iewes that is his elect from sinne death and the tyranny of hel by his crosse without all externall force But now see how the lord wil at the last forsake and abolish Iudaisme all their earthly and figuratiue priesthood The priests wife brought out a sonne whō the Lord called Loam that is not my people and he addeth the cause Because sayd he you are not my children neither will I be your God Hereby might the Iewes haue seen that there was a notable change to come And they ought thus seriously to haue reasoned the matter with them selues How shall we I pray you vnderstand the word of God He promiseth vnto Israel and Iuda great and infinite treasures in all the prophets he sayth he will be their king and they shall be his people and that he wil haue mercy on them and geue them on euerlasting kingdome and he made an eternall couenant of grace with them How then agree these thinges with this prophecye wherin it is prophesyed that Israel shall be captiue God wil forget them and neuer after haue compassion vpon them Are we the true Israelites or no truely it is like and must nedes be ment of vs And in the 6. chapter the Lord sayth For I desired mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledge in God more then burnt offerings By these words of Hose they might easely haue vnderstood that the foundation of true religion consisted not of ceremonies but that God requyred faith that worketh by loue and is ready to doe good for which Abraham Isaac and Iacob were cōmended and called the seruants of God rather then for their corporall circumsition Here might the Iewes haue seene what was the matter and cause that the Lord denyed them to be his people Anna. I would heare the cause and see this question answered For I doubt not but as all thinges are come vpon the vnbeleeuing Iewes which God thretned so all things shall be performed which he promysed I pray you confer these places and reconcile them ☞ Vrb. God sayth in deed in the psalmes that he wil not reiect or cast of his people and forsake his inherytance And Paul saith That God hath not cast away his people And the Psalmist sayth The Lord hath remembred his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israell Like as also Mary the blessed mother of Christ sayth in her psalme of thankesgeuing And Zacharye sayth that God will not forget his mercy which he promysed to his people Israell Know you therfore that God is true and constant in all his promyses and that he perfourmed vnto the Iewes all thinges which he promysed them But the maner of Gods promyses must be marked for they are of two sorts Some of them are temporal or corporall and are made vpon condition As when God promysed that the land of Canaan and the materiall temple should contynue and such like These promises pertain to Iudaisme and haue this condition annexed If the Iewes would keep the law of God as it was to be kept then that promise should be fulfilled but they kept not the law and yet notwithstanding being blindly bewitched they looked for the fulfilling of those promises The Lord in deed performed those promises rightly as they were to be performed But figures ought of right to geue place when the truth commeth God sent also his sonne the Messias vnto thē that he might be born a Iew of the Iewish family of Abraham Dauid And for this his sōnes sake he brought them out of the land of Egipt and gaue them the land of Cannan for their inheritance and he separated them from all the people of the world by an earthly kingdome by an outward priesthood by an holy worship and by a propper forme in religion to be a people vnto himself and he preserued and defended thē afterward by great wonderfull miracles yea he brought them out of the captiuity of Babilon To be breef he preserued their law religion temple citie and politicall gouernment by a singular care and marueilous zeale euen vntil the promised Messias the true and eternal king of Israel was come of them Wherby in deed they receiued a great glory and prerogatiue aboue all the world and many of them by Messias were deliuered from sinne death and damnation and so at the last were brought into that true Ierusalem and Syon And these are called in the prophet the remnant of his people the remnant of Iacob and Israell whom God amongst others had chosen to himselfe and predestinated to saluation in Christ of which sort there be many But if they be cōpared to the great number of the vnbeleeuers they are but a few There are other free promises of the meere grace and mercy of God without all mans desart and worthynes These doe appertayn to the new testament and consist in the merits and worthynes of Messias These haue a firme sound and vnshaken foundation to wit the great and wonderfull mercy of God and his fatherly goodnes and truth and they depend not of our worthynes at all Wherfore they are firme and certayn and cannot be called back agayn And they are promises of the spirituall and euerlasting treasures to wit of the victory by which sinne death and Sathan were extinguished of the forgeuenes of sinnes of the true and euerlasting righteousnes and of life and saluation in Christ These kind of promyses doe not only appertayn to Israelites Iudaisme and the Iewes according to the flesh but all respect set aside without difference not regarding whether they be Iewes or Gentils to the true Iewes Israelites according to the spirit
15.6 b. Rom. 4.13 Cause why God made the promise before the law c. Heb. 6.17 The christian fayth onely the true fayth d. Act. 3.25 e Gal. 3.8 f. â—â—al 3.13 g. Pe. 2.24 h. Deu. 27.23 i. 1. Cor. 1.23 k. Gen. 26.3 and 28.14 l. Ge. 49.10 Called Thargunâ— What the scripture signifieth Herode a Mat. 2. Siloh Of the Machabees gouernment in Iuda Why Christ was poore at his firster comming a. Esay 11. What a king Christ is Christ ruleth by his word Gen. 49.11 Mat. 11.2 Why Christ is called Siloh Luk. 24. Luk. 24. c. Heb. 7. Melchisedech Psal. 110.4 Rom. 1. Eph. 2. Hebr. 7. The Paschall lamb a. Exo. 12.6 b. 1. Cor. 5.7 Caporeth a figure of Christ Christ is the mercy seate a. Rom. 3. b. Heb. 14. c. Col. 2. d. Ioh. 7. c. Ioh. 14. There is no God but Iesus who in a Sauiour therfore feare not thy sinne Hebr. 10. a. Mat. 22.32 b. Esay 53.10 c. 2. Cor. 5.18 The brasen serpent a figure of Christ d. Ioh. 3.14 Iohn 6. b. Luk. 7.16 Note ye that refuse to heare the word c. 2. Thes 1.7 d. Acts. 3.23 Math. 1. Luke 2. In this 1. chapter of Math. the relatiue is the feminine gender and therfore is referred to Mary and not to Ioseph d. Num. 36.6 e. Esai 11.1 Luke 24. Which is about seuen miles and a halfe of english miles That Christ is the sonne of Abraham and Dauid a. Rom. 9.4 b. 2. Kings 7.12 c. Psal. 132.11 Math. 2. Gen. 35. Exo. 18.25 a. 1. Kings 16.19 f. Luke 11.32 b. Rom. 1.3 g. 2. Tim. 2.8 h. Math. 15 22. i. Math. 20.30 k. Math. 21 9. Math. 22.42 a. Mich. 5.2 b Mat. 2.1 a. Mich. 5.2 b. Math. 2.6 Feudatory is one that holdeth of an other Christes double natiuitie c. Col. 1.15 d. Iohn 1.1 Basar e Ioh. 8.58 f. Heb. 13.8 g Ioh. 12.24 2. Psal. 119 103. a Esay 7.14 b. Esay 7.14 Luke 1.31 d. Luk. 1.35 Math. 1. Keepe in your yong maydens if you will haue them vertuous Haalmahâ— as the virgin Mary was Gen. 24.43 Virgin. b. Exod. 2.8 Achas Hiskia Mary a pure virgin a. Dan. 2.34 Ambr. vpoÌ„ Rom. 10. Hier. vpon Dan. 2. Aug. vpon Iohn tract 9. cap. 2. Iren. li. 3. cap. 8. against Valent What Immanuel signifieth b. Col. 2.9 August lib. 13. de trinit ca. 19. Hebr. 2. c. Phil. 2.6 d. Tit. 3.4 The loue of God towards maÌ„ What good we haue by the incarnation of Christ Christ with vs after a new maner e. Rom. 8 31. Iesus is a comfortable name a. Math. 1.20 b. Acts. 4.6 a. Zach. 3.26 Iosua 1.1 Deu. 31.23 a. Acts. 10.43 b. Ier. 3.23 c. Acts. 4.12 d. Esay 60 16. f. Esay 45 â—7 The deriuation of the name Iesu g. Iohn 8.58 h. Exo. 3.14 i. Phil. 2.9 The second name is Christ k. Esay 61.1 Luke 4.18 l. Psal. 45.7 1. Cor. 12.8 Rom. 12.3 Christ is as much to say as annointed m. Dan. 9.24 n. Iohn 1.36 and 41. o. Ioh. 4.2 Christ signifieth annointed The Iews error The church 2. Pet. 3. a Zac. 9.9 The madnes blindnes of our nature Christ righteous and iust for our sakes and to our vse b. Rom. 3.26 Iust c. Esay 5 3.11 Zach. 9. Act. 7.52 1. Iohn 2.1 d. Rom. 5.19 Faith is the righteousnes of God. e. Rom. 8.30 Christ poore Christes humility Luke 9. â—8 Math. 21.2 Esay 2.3 Zach. 9 10. The peace of Christ k. Rom. 5.10 l. Eph. 2.14 m. Esay 52 7. The pleasant tidings of the gospell n. Col. 1.19 Esay 9.7 Ioh. 14.27 Ioh. 16.33 Psal. 24. We are deliuered by bloud 1. Ioh. 1.7 1. Pet. 1.19 Christ and Moses No rest in hell and sinne Rom. 5.11 Christes former comming Zach. 3.1 Psal. 22.5 Iere. 14.7 Leui. 26.11 Phil. 2.6 Luke 9.57 Math. 8.34 Esay 9.6 Math. 27.41 Esay 42.1 The office of Christ Christ our seruaunt Math. 20.28 Phil. 2.7 Col. 2.9 Eph. 1.5 Math. 3.17 Iohn 3.34 Psal. 45.7 Esay 61.1 Esay 42.1 The gospel is Christes iudgement Esay 42.2 The humility of Christ Math. 12.20 A comparison of Moses and Christ The operation of the law is feare anguish The operation of the gospell is ioy peace Math. 11.28 Math. 9.11 Iohn 8.11 Who be the brused redes Psal. 72.4 How we must iudge Io. 23.5 Esay 42.4 Mat. 12.21 Act. 10.43 1. Cor. 1.30 Esay 42.5 Iohn 8.32 Christes righteousnes Luke 2.34 The faithfull are safe in al storms Christ is geuen of God for a signe that God is at one with vs 2. Cor. 1.20 Luk. 2.32 Ihon. 1.9 Iohn 12.46 Esay 49.1 Hebr. 4.12 The force of Gods word Satans army Math. 22.34 Ioh. 7.46 Ioh. 14.31 Iohn 17.4 Ihon. 1.11 Esay 53.1 Act. 13.46 Ephe. 3.6 Esay 61.1 Luk. 4.16 The vnctioÌ„ of Christ Ioh. 6.26 False Gospellers Carolostadians Anabaptist Papist Anabaptist and Iewes all in one error Christ a preacher Christ commeth to the poore miserable As a miser on his mony Which think themselues rich strong in righteousnes holines as did the Phararasies Luk. 18.10 Luk. 4.18 Math. 5.3 Math. 11.5 Luk. 8.8 Who be the poore in spirit and who not These be the good grouÌ„d which is spoken of Luk. 8.8 A happy heauynes Luk. 8.8 Math. 9.12 Feare of perdition a signe of election True ioyfull tydings None need feare or dispayre for his sinns Psal. 68.16 Col. 2.15 Luk. 11.22 Zac. 9.11 Esay 42.7 We be prysoners vnder the lawe till Christ delyuer vs. Gal. 3.23 The law a pryson The workes of the flesh cannot be called good Rom. 7.14 Noe helpe but in christ Gal. 3.13 Mat. 11.28 Iohn 3.16 Luk. 4.18 The acceptable yere of the Lord The yere of Iubile Luk 1.69 2. Cor. 6.1 This iudgement is of the wicked Hier. 17.6 The operation of faith why Christ is painted with a cros on his shoulders Dan. 9.25 Ioel. 2.23 Mal. 2.3.1 Dan. 9.24 Hier. 25.11 Psal. 1 37.1 Gala. 4.4 The 4. Monarchs of the world Dan. 2.44 Christ is the stone cut out of the mountayne without hands Christ is king of all nations Dan. 2.34 Dan. 9.24 The weeks of yeres Luk. 25.8 Dan. 9.24 The wickednes of our nature without grace How needfull it was that Christ should com Acts. 13 38. Fayth the righteousnes which is auaileable before god Rom. 3.21 Math. 11.13 Dan. 9.25 1. Esdr 6.28 Luke 3.23 Nehe. 2.6 Zach. 1.12 Iohn 2.20 Luk. 19.42 The destruction of Ierusalem Fire out of the ground burned the Iewes What the worde Iewe signifieth 2. Cor. 3.15 Nezacon is a booke in which all the arguments of the Iewes against vs Christians ar set down and it signifieth victory Rom. 11.7 Rom. 11.25 The Iewes shal become christians When the fulnes of time was Gala. 4.4 Gala. 4.4 Christ liued 33. yeares a half here vpon earth 1. Pet. 1.10 Christ is God. Esay 53.8 Prou. 8.22 Cyril lib. 1. cap. 15. Cypri against the Iewes li. 2. cap. 2. Psal. 104.24 1. Cor. 1.30
Christ 22 Carpenters of the Church 134 Cattell who be 203 Christ how when and why promised 7. 10 11. 16. 63. prophesied of in scripture two wayes 8. why promised before the law 15. his natiuitie 3. 7. 16. 31 84. 96. his acceptable yeare 60. his manhood 18. 20. 31. 33. 41. 49. 50. 71. the sonne of Abraham and Dauid 27. 28. how Dauids sonne and Lord. 112 the sonne of the pure virgine Mary 28. 33. a stone cut of a mountaine without hand 35. 63. why the seede of the woman and not of man. 7. the necessitie and benefite of his natiuitie 24. 64. 84. the time of his natiuitie 16. 63. of the Citie where he was borne 29. his flight into Egipt 90. his parents why remoued from the kingdome of Israel 18. 20. to whom he was sent 14. 57. why sēt 64. his names 29. 36. 39. 81. why called Siloh 20. 18. why called Christ 38. an Angell 8. an Angell of the great coūsayle 87. Messias 39. Israell 54. a stone 61. the lord of Zeboth 76. Amon. 71. Moschell 30. Melchisedech 21. 112. his person discribed 49. 50. his Image painted 85 How he is knowen and how necessary to be knowen 2. 4. his cōuersation on earth described 47. Why he eate with publicans 50. his humilitie and pouertie 18. 43 44. 47. 50 59. no cause of our fall 118. our Iewell 11. the end of the Iewes kingdome 18. 44. 66. his teares for Ierusalem 43. his seruice toward vs. 4. 6. how he handleth his frends enemies 87. his cōfort against our ingratitude 54 his comfort for an heuy consciēce 85. he hath followers according to his humanity 74. at enmitie with the the serpent 8. 9. afflicted 47. why painted with a crosse on his shoulders 62. how long he liued 69. Christ his kingdome what a one it is 17. 20. 41. 44. 53. 64. 85. 105 110. 119. what maner of king he is 19. 57. 63. 91. how he ruleth his kingdome 20. 99. by what armour it is sustained 44. how far it reacheth 45. his scepter 17. 61. 74. 120 his poore royaltye 49. his power 44. 88. how he is a Gyant 87. his peace 49. 89 Christ his priesthood and ministrye 21. 47. 51. 91. 53. 6. how annointed 55. 74. 38. aparaled with filthye garmentes 46. the true Melchisebech 112. 21. the high priest 93. our shepheard 92. 94. 85. Gods seruaunt 92. signified by the brasen serpent 21. by Aarons priesthood ibidem by the mercy seate 20. 22. by the pascall lambe 114. 22. he and Moyses cōpared 45. 59. the seale of the Prophets 12. 43. his doctrine gospell 4. 6. 44. 53. the wisdome of his word 34. his maner of teaching 57. 91. his mouth called a sword 53. his Sermon going to Emaus 27. 35. 97. called a prophet 91. a preacher 57. his preaching to what end 91. sanctified of God to be our teacher 55. he counsayleth contrary to the world 86. his care ouer his Church 4. our mediator 93. the onely way to God. 29. 128. our onely sauiour 37. 93. 9. 16. 39. 60 43. 99. 100. 63. 2. 3. our righteousnes 43. 108. 79. 87. 89 our redētion 46. 107. 9. 11. 94. 59. 78. the only forgeuenes of sinnes 46. 99. 100. our reconciliation 23. 39. 100. 45. our propitiation 79. 93. a gage that God is with vs. 52. his exceeding grace loue and mercy to man. 35. 42. 50. 16. 88. 58. 35. his mercifull nature described 50. 57. how he calleth and iustifieth vs. 43. the fulfilling of the law 43. 12. richer in grace then we in sinne 9 Christ his Godhead proued 84. 72. 76. 31. 35. 77. 81. 74. a necessarye point of religiō 83. he is God and not the Father 71. no God but him 21. the bud of the Lord and fruite of the earth 119. his vnion of both natures 18. 82. 48. 49. 3. his name Iehoua 76. how he sitteth on Gods right hand 112. how he is with vs. 36. his miracles 78. 85. 97. his omnipotencye 51 Christ his death and passion 7. 16. 25 32. 10. 85. 107. 98. of what force it was 99. he suffered wholy 82. why he required helpe vpon the crosse 98. his buriall and resurrectiō 121 10. 7. 102. it is made oures 102. the cōmodity of his death resurrection 99. 103. his victorye ouer sin death Sathā 9. 10. 52. 59. 88. 94. 99. 122. our banner in battaile 12. his iudgement 49. 95. 96. Christ killers their punishment 158 Christianitie or Christiās lyfe 5. 116 170. their cognisance 120. why so named 16. 160. what people they are 186. their ioye 1. 6. 128. 27. 42. 58. 133. 136. 163. 153. 122. 161. their state in the world to come 123. 103 163. 178. 153. why afflicted 120. their comfort in affliction 52. how they ought to iudge 50. the temple of God. 176. their foode and bread 160. their thirst and hunger how restored 132. without mony 149. their wisdome 139. why and how they shal be glorified 153. their prayer for the Church 112. their arte 148. they onely saued 93 builded vpon the corner stone 148 false Christians described 55 Christmas caroll at Geneua 84 Church Gods vineyard 124. no peace without it 125. afflicted but not vāquished 91. 112. 105. 103. 151 156. how nourished and comforted 162. 152. 155. how Christ purgeth it 117. why called a crowne 155. deare to God. 154. called a sect of the Iewes heresy of papists 118. the largenes of it 147. defended by Christ 204. 153. 155. her weakenes how comforted 133. 130 136. 147. her mariage 147. the beuty of it 148. her victory 196. her builders 134. the gates thereof are alwayes open 156. False Church described 199 Circumsition and ceremonies of no force 171 Citie of the world most honorable which 30 Cleophas sad in his iorney to Emaus 1. 27. cōforted agayne 3. 5. 27. the Sermon he hard 4. 5. Comforts in persecutiō 131. in tēptation 132. 134. 135. 136. agaynst sinne 58 Confession of sinnes onely hath the benefite of the Gospell 58. it is such as the fayth is 61 Conscience laden with sinne onely pacified by fayth in Christ 107. 58. 78. true councell whence it is fetched 87 Creatiō of man how pure it was 13. Creede the principall article of it 83 Crosse why to be suffered patiently 16. D Daniell his prophecye and prayer in captiuitie 62. his dreame of the foure Monarchies 63. his prayer for the comming of Messias 65 Dauid a figure of Christ 91. strong of hand 184. his ruinous tabernacle restored by Christ 188 Daughter of Hose the prophet what it meaneth 179 Dead where they be till the last day 123 Death comforts against it 87. it is but a sleepe to the Godly 79 Deuill vanquished by his owne hissing 10. his wife 186. he is figured by Pharao 168 Deliueraunce of ours how strong it is 85 Disciples how they vnderstood the Scriptures 4 E Earth a vale of misery 161 Easter daye 1 Eating spiritually 107 Edome what it signifieth 157 Egipt a figure
not slide Thine handes shall finde out all thine enemies and thy right hand shall finde out them that hate thee Thou shalt make them like a firy ouē in tyme of thine anger The lord shal destroy them in his wrath and the fire shall deuoure them Here agayne we see that Christ after he had humbled and debased himselfe should be exalted aboue all thinges as the true king of eternall blessednes and felicitie and that the enemies both of Christ and Christians should perish eternally Wherefore it is something strange that those two disciples were so offended at Christes suffring ¶ Anna. It is a strange thing in dede that they vnderstood not their owne prophets For seyng they were Iewes borne they should not haue bene ignoraunt of any of those thinges But peraduenture the carelesnesse and slouthfulnesse of the churchmen or priestes was the cause that the Iewes had so little knowledge of Messias and his kingdom I remember I haue heard you say that when Christ came into the sinagogue the Scribes and Pharises had layd aside the holy Scriptures and taught and vrged the doctrine and traditions of men What meruaile thē if the rude vnlearned people knew not the Scriptures seing they which boasted themselues to be the rulers of the church were blinded and vnderstood them not ☞ Vrban It is as you say for you see in Mathew how at that tyme those blynd guides set aside and despised the commaundements of God and preferred the doctrine and traditions of mē before the word of god Sathan hath alwais his false prophets among the children of God and he soweth spreadeth his errours in all places ¶ Anna. God the father kepe vs and destroy the deuises and assaults of that enemy But now go on and open the prophesies which be in the psalmes ☞ Vrb Dauid prophesieth in the 24. Psalme that Christ should be a most mighty and puissaunt prince in all the world And there he commaundeth that all worldly princes potentates should open the gates dores of glory vnto this most maiestical king and that they should on eche side go out of his way that he might haue a wide large way to walke in For he sayth he is the almighty God that most mighty puissant lord strōg in battail These are the prophets wordes Lift vp your heds you gates and be ye lift vp ye euerlasting doers and the king of glory shall come in Who is the king of glory The lord strong and mighty euen the Lord strong in battail Lift vp your heades ye gates and lift vp your selues ye euerlasting dores and the king of glory shal come in Who is the king of glory The Lord of hostes he is the king of glory Selah And againe he saith The lord doth remayne king for euer The lord shal giue strength vnto his people the lord shall blesse his people with peace This god shal rule for euer Iesus Christ and no other whose kingdom only shal remaine for euer Neither is his kingdō an earthly kingdome wherin Israel accordyng to the flesh raigneth in the lande of Canaan as the Iewes dreamed but it is an heauenly kingdome For Dauid sayth not here that the lord will giue his people cities fieldes grounds medowes vineyardes wealth riches but he sayth he wil giue them strength fortitude and power to wit the power of the holy ghost which is the spirite of strength and fortitude He sayth that he will blesse his children with peace and he blesseth them in deede with that true and eternall peace and enricheth and encreaseth them in all heauenly gifts The 72. Psalme also doth excellently prophesie of this heauenly kingdom of Christ shewyng what kind of kingdome it should be to wit a kingdom of righteousnes a kingdome in which should be perfect true holinesse without hypocrisie a kingdom of true peace wherin nothing is done contrary to law and equitie a kingdom wheras no man hath wrong but al things be wrought and done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by true iustice equalitie equitie and clemency a kingdom where all peace quietnes humanity and iust dealing florishe and a kingdom where the poore afflicted oppressed contemptible and wretched find present helpe comfort and consolation And further he sayth that this kingdom wherin true life dwelleth is so wyde that it extendeth it selfe not ouer Iuda onely but ouer the whole worlde For thus sayth Salomon Giue thy iudgementes to the King O GOD and thy righteousnesse to the kinges sonne Then shall he iudge thy people in righteousnesse and thy power with equitie The mountaynes and the hils shal bring peace to the people By iustice he shall iudge the poore of the people he shall saue the children of the needy and shall subdue the oppressour They shall feare thee as long as the sunne the Moone endureth from generation to generation Hee shall come downe like the rayne vpon the mowen grasse and as the showers that water the earth In his days shall the righteous florishe and aboundaunce of peace shal be so long as the Moone endureth His dominion shal be from sea to sea and from the ryuer vnto the endes of the lande They that dwell in the wildernesse shall kneele before him and hys enemies shal licke the dust The kings of Tharses and of the Iles shall bring presentes The kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring giftes yea all kinges shall worship him all nations shall serue him For he shall deliuer the poore when he cryeth the needy also and hym that hath no helper He shall bee mercifull to the poore and needy and shall preserue the soules of the poore he shall preserue and redeeme the soules from deceite and violence and deare shall their bloud be in his sight yea hee shal lyue and vnto him shal they giue of the gold of Sheba or Arabia they shal also pray for him continually daily blesse him His name shall be for euer His name shal endure as long as the sonne all nations shall blesse hym and be blessed in him It was nedefull that Christ should rise from death that this prophesie might be fulfilled that he might begin enlarge establish preserue this his most ample and wide kingdō for euer and euer And the holy ghost in the 45. Psalm also setteth forth Christ and his kingdom with wonderfull glorious wordes callyng Christ true god Which testimony Paule also citeth to the Hebrues saying O God thy throne is for euer and euer The scepter of thy kyngdome is a scepter of righteousnes thou hast loued righteousnes and hated iniquity Wherfore god euen thy God hath annointed thee with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy fellowes Read the whole Psalme for it doth excellently set forth Christ and his spirituall kingdome in which both sinne death and Sathan yea els whatsoeuer afflicteth and troubleth the godly are extinguished destroyed and ouercome in their places is giuen euerlasting lyfe Also in the 47.
he was crucified But at the last day shall his true humain nature wherin he was crucified and woūded in deed be seen He kept the print of his wounds in his body after his resurrection Moreouer Christes frēds and Christifidelians mourned and lamēted for Christ But especially and properly the godly mourn when by faith they apprehend and deeply ponder the passiō and death of Christ when they imitate Christ in suffering and when euery one beareth his own cros and suffreth with Christ to the mortification of the old man. And Zachery in chap. 13. prophesyeth of the fruites of Christes passion of the forgeuenes of sinnes of the holy ghost of baptisme in the house of Dauid and of the church which should be saying in that day there shall be a fountayn opened to the house of Dauid and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for vncleannes Messias shall make this fountaine to flow in his kingdome of which Iohn speaketh If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke He that beleeueth in me as the scripture saith out of his belly shall flow riuers of water of life He spake this of the spirite which true beleeuers in him should receaue This holy ghost is plentifully poured vpon vs in baptisme by the washing of the new birth And this holy fountain standeth alway open in the house of Dauid that all men may come drinke For the church receaueth both Iewes and gentils into the kingdome of Christ by baptisme which purgeth away the vncleannes and filth of originall sin by which the holy nature of man in his first natiuity is stayned and spotted euen as with poyson It taketh away also that sinne which we our selues commit that is to say al sinnes are by baptisme pardoned in the house of Dauid the new Ierusalem the kingdome of Christ There were in the old testament many washings and cleansings but none could be deliuered by them from sinne but this spring of the new testament hallowed by the precious bloud of Iesus Christ floweth alwayes full of meer grace and this welspring cleanseth and drowneth all the filthynes and vncleanlynes of all sinnes And all these things rise and come to vs vpon this that Christ was crucified and pearced blod and water flowed out of his side and out of doubt it was for the washing away of all our sinnes And Zachary prophesyeth again a litle after of the passion of Iesus Christ our true shepheard saying Arise O sword vpon my shepheard and the man that is my felsaith the Lord of hostes smite the shepheard and the sheep shal be scattered and I will turne my hand vpon the litle ones And in all the land saith the Lord two parts therein shall be cut of and dye but the third part shall be left therin And I will bring that third part through the fire and wil fine them as the siluer is fined and wil try them as gold is tryed They shall call on my name and I wil heare them I will say it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God. This sword at that time was the power of darcknes For Pilate and the hard harted Iewes bare the sword and authority at that time in the earth but notwithstanding they could not haue hurt Christ vnlesse God had suffered them and ordayned the same before as Christ saith Pilat had his power from aboue This shepheard is Christ the sheep are the Apostles which fled when Christ was taken and suffered Christ himselfe alleadgeth this prophecy in Mat. 26. Furthermore the Lord calleth Christ the man that is his fellow For Christ is the true and onely shepheard in the church and is also with the father for euer as Iohn saith The sonne is in the bosome of his father Marke also how the kingdome of this world hath no beauty but appeareth oftentimes miserable and therefore can it in no wise be earthly and of this world The shepheard him selfe was smitten by the earthly magistrates and his sheep were terrified and disparsed and the disciples them selues were offended in Christ as you haue heard in Cleophas and his companiō They supposed that he would haue smitten others and that he would haue deliuered the Iewes from all tiranny of the gentils neither did they yet see how that they should in Messias haue a spirituall deliuerance from their sinnes and death But those litle ones vnto whō Christ turned him selfe are the afflicted and poore christians which are dispysed in this world but deerely beloued children before God. ¶ Anna. What are these three parts of which the third part only remayneth ☞ Vrb. Two parts is that great multitude of the vngodly in the earth which are offended in Christ of which one part cannot abide the cros and tribulation but turneth back vnto the world and stifly cleaueth vnto it Another part suffereth them selues to be seduced frō the way of truth by false teachers to perish in their errors But the third part are the true godly which stedfastly stand to the gospel and become like vnto gold finely tryed and purifyed in the fire of temptation and persecution These are those true Christians who only doe obtain saluation because they abyde in the true fayth euen vnto the end and suffer not them selues by any meanes to be called or drawne from Christ Their fayth is tryed in tribulation by which they cal vpon the name of god in spirit and truth without hipocrisy and alwaies glorifie God and are hard of god God acknowledgeth them for his dearly beloued sōnes and they also confes god to be their most louing father Seeing then that the Prophets haue so often in time past prophesied that Christ and hys people should be persecuted and afflicted but yet that all crosses and tribulation should not either let or hinder Christ nor his church to attain vnto the ioy promised those two disciples ought not to haue been so offended at the death of Christ And he prophesyeth again of Christes kingdome saying The Lord shall be king ouer all the earth And here agayn Christ is called true god In that day shall there be one God and his name shall be one This is spoken of the vnity of the Christian fayth Before that time there were many fayned Gods but in the day of Messias shall the only true God alone be called vpon in Christ And who so will not come vp of all the families of the earth vnto Ierusalem to worship the king the Lord of hostes euen vpon them shal come no raine That is those which come not into the church of Christ and doe not with one consent together with all the faithfull adore Christ and acknowledge him to be the king of glory they shall be a cursed people vpon whom no rayne of the spirituall benediction shall fall For they which are not in the church of Christ haue neither the word of god nor faith nor mercy
nor the holy ghost nor forgeuenes of sinnes but shall die in their sinnes Because without this spiritual Ierusalē there is no forgeuenes of sins And least any man should thinke that the kingdome of Christ should be an earthly kingdome throughout all the world Zach. sayth that in the heauenly Ierusalem of the Church of Christ the feast of tabernacle shall alwayes be celebrated This is the pilgrimage of the godly that in this world they shall be as pilgrims and strangers which loke for their true eternal and heauēly countrey for the Iewes dwelt not alwayes in their tabernacles but onely taryed there 8. dayes and then returned home Seeing that I haue now troubled you long enough and you haue taken very great paynes in explicating the prophets I pray you tell me but euen briefely what Malachy prophecieth of Christ and his kingdome ☞ Vrba He prophecieth in his first chap. of the holy and sacred kingdome of Christ through the world saying that it should come to passe that christ should be acknowledged to be the true Lord and God of the whole earth and that he should be honored openly as God that all men should confesse him to be God by which he signifieth that at the last the kingdome of grace should not onlye be amongest the Iewes but euen through the whol world among the gentiles also Whereby it is vnderstood that the earthly king of the Iewes and their figuratiue priesthood should cease in the time of Messias and that another kingdome and priesthood which is spirtuall should begin And therefore Cleophas and his companion loked in vaine for an earthly deliueraunce at the handes of Messias For Mala. prophecieth of the spirituall kingdome and pristhood saying I will not accept an offering at your hand for from the rising of the sunne vnto the going downe of the same my name is great among the Gentiles in euery place incense shall be offered vnto my name and a pure offring for my name is great among the heathen sayth the Lord of hosts This last prophet Mala. whome Ionathas the Caldean and Rabiaben suppose to be Esra prophecieth that the name of God shall be great to wit that the name of God should be glorified preached praysed through the whole world This was fulfilled when the gospell was published and waxed famous and brought forth fruite through the whole world For by the gospell Messias was made knowen vnto the world and the grace of God which he promised and gaue vs in Christ was openly published vnto all creatures The Lord in times past was knowen in Iuda by his word and his name was great in Israel but when the apostles and their successors had spread abroad the Gospell of Gods grace through the whole world then was song a new song as it is in the Psal. The Lordes name is praysed frō the rising of the sonne vnto the going downe of the same For wher so euer the gospell is apostolically and sincerely taught that is where so euer repentance and forgeuenes of sins is preached in the name of Iesus Christ there men become humble and contrite of hart and confesse their sins and acknowledge and praise the rich mercy of god in Christ And straight way after they seeke to mortify their old man and by fayth geue their bodies vp vnto God a liuely sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto god which is their reasonable seruing of god And they beare tribulatiō patiently for Gods sake and geue thankes to God for all his blessinges in Christ they praye and call vpon the Lord in all necessitie and they liue a pure and innocent life All these to wit a true fayth in Christ a denying of our selues a consecrating of vs totally to the will of God the preaching of the gospell the incomprehensible riches of Christ which he geueth vs a professing and praysing of Iesus Christ a prayer proceeding of fayth and a thankes geuing for the great treasure of the gospell and for the precious death and victorious resurrection of Christ Iesus and for all the other benefits of the Lord which we haue through Christ Iesus these I say are the true sacrifices by which the name of Christ is made glorious and famous amongest the gentiles and thus doth Thargū also vnderstand this prophecye saying My name is sanctified through you and your prayer is as a pure sacrifice before me Yf therfore it was conuenient and must needes be that Christ should be made glorious among the gentiles through the whole world and that he shall be the true Lord of all nations whome they should worship and acknowledge to be the true and onely Lord who should deliuer them from all trouble and so his kingdome be in euery place it was needfull that he should rise againe from the dead and that he should prouide for all nations and that he should illuminate them by his gospell that he should receaue them into his kingdome and that he should defend cherish and preserue them for euer Mala. in his 3. chap. ioyneth the Maister and his seruaunt together to wit christiā Iohn Baptist and christ saying that Iohn should come before Christ and make ready the way that Christ should straightway follow after Iohn his forerunner these be his wordes Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whome ye seeke shall speedely come to his temple euen the messenger of the couenaunt whome ye desire Behold he shall come sayth the Lord of hostes but who may abide the daye of his cōming who shall indure when he appeareth For he is lyke a purging fire and lyke fullers sope he shal sit downe to trie fine the siluer he shall euen fine the sonnes of Leui and purifie them as gould and siluer that they may bring offerings vnto the Lord in righteousnes then shall the offering of Iuda and Ierusalem be acceptable vnto the Lord as in ould time and in the yeares a fore This prophecy doth Christ himselfe expound in Mathew where he calleth Iohn Baptist the Messenger and he wonderfully setteth him out and maketh him more worthy then all the prophets For he shewed not Christ a farre of but pointed at him with his finger saying Behold the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world Iohn baptised with the baptisme of repentance in the desert preached vnto the people him which should come after to wit Christ Iesus that they might beleue in him Iohns wordes be these Repent for the kingdome of God or heauē is at hand I baptise you with water to amendemēt of lyfe but he that commeth after me is greater thē I whose showes I am not worthy to beare He will baptise you with the holy ghost and with fire which hath his fan in his hand and will make cleane his flowre and gather his wheate into his garner but will burne vp the chaffe with vnquenchable