the worlde may know that thou hast sent me and hast loued them as thou hast loued me What a ioyfull state what a notable gift is this Christe reioyceth in his gifte let vs reioyce in our gifte God repenteth hym not of his gifte GOD graunte vs so to keepe and enioy this gifte that Christ may be ours and wee may be his for euer And then as God hath giuen all power to Christe Sicut dedisti ei potestatem omnis carnis As thou O Father sayeth Christe haste gyuen power of all fleshe vnto the sonne Vt omne quòd dedisti ei det eis vitam aeternam That all that thou haste giuen to him he maye giue them eternall lyfe So sayeth Christ for the assurāce of his good wil herein Pater quos dedisti mihi volo vt vbi sum ego illi sint mecum vt videant claritatem meam quam dedisti mihi Father those that thou haste gyuen mee I will that where I am they be also with mee that they may see the glorie thou haste giuen vnto me Thus being giuen to Chryste and Christe to vs hee will bee with vs till the worldes ende and wee agayne worlde withoute ende shall bee wyth hym and followe the Lambe and reygne in that euerlastyng lyfe of glorye whereof hee hathe made a gloryons purchase for vs and of hys free gyfte shall giue the same vnto vs Thus mutche then also for the thyrde parte the meanes that God wrought it by the efficient and formall cause of oure saluation Dedit vnigenitum filium suum He gaue his only begotten sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde and Sauiour The fourthe parte THE fourthe parte is of oure receipte hereof whereby wee applye this effectually to oure benefite of Saluation ▪ For bee a gyfte neuer so franke neuer so liberall neuer so ryche in it selfe yet if it bee not taken what auayleth it to the refuser Bee a playster neuer so excellente if it be not suffered to be layde to the sore it healeth not If a medicine haue neuer so greate vertue of helping the sicke if it be not receiued it recouereth him not if meate be neuer so much a strengthening to the body if it be not eaten and disgested in the stomack it norisheth not If a pardon be neuer so gracious free if the giltie renounce it it saueth him not Euen so this most excellent gifte of God Iesus Christ this souerain plaister of our woūds by whose stripes we are healed this phisition of our soules that hath raised vs from death to life this bread of life that cam down from heauē that al that eate his fleshe and drinke his blood should haue life euerlasting this true and only pardoner of all our offences If he and his pardon and his meate and his medicine and his plaister and his gifte be refused and not receaued what profit get these refusers by him Nay to them he is Lapis offensionis a stone whereat men stumble a rocke whereat they be offēded Behold this Child saith Simeon is set to be the fall and vprising againe of many in Israell and for a signe which is spoken against To the Iewes offence to the gētils folly To bothe of them that refuse him euen the sauiour of death to death So that none but the receauers haue these benefits by him Who then are the receyuers hereof Omnis qui credit in eum saithe Christe All that beleue in him All those that put their trust and confidence not in themselues nor in any other thing or person but only and altogither in him that is in Iesus Christe those onely receyue the benefit of this gift Al that beleue on him Here are three speciall words in the consideration of this receit that would require to be diligently weighed than time will now permit me hauing ben so large in the other that I muste needes for shame be briefe in this last part The first of these three is this worde All comprehending the persons to whome this gifte is offered The seconde Qui credunt is a restraint of this word Al to them that beleue comprehendyng the persons that receyue it and the meanes wherby they take it that is beleefe or faith The thirde in eum sheweth the person on whome they shoulde beleue and is the ground foundation forme scope and direction of theyr beleefe Of this word All I haue already spoken somewhat to shewe howe farre it stretcheth and howe it is restrayned Of it selfe it is a generall worde and excepteth nothing but by that whyche followeth it is straighter laced and that with a very precise bounder wherby so many euen at the fyrste choppe are quite dashte out that this worde All is restrayned to a maruelous small numbre in cōparison of All those that are none of all these which receyue this benefite Howbeit bicause this gift is offered by the preaching of the woorde vnto all to all nations tongs and people to all sortes ages sexes degrees and all kynde of persons what so euer And that the worde of God beeing thus generally proclaymed to all neuer returneth agayne in vayne as God by his prophet Esay testifieth but euermore more or lesse some receiue this gifte so freely by the worde offred vnto them and that this some is of all these sortes and kyndes of persons whose numbre althoughe to vs as appeateth in the seuenth of the Reuelation it be greate and infinite although to the world and those that treade the broade path it be a small number and a very little stock although to God smal or great it be determinate and appointed Firmum fundamentū Dei stat habens signaculū hoc cognouit Dominus qui sunt eius The sure foundation of God standeth fast ▪ hauing this seale the Lord knoweth who are his yet bycause wee are not deuisers of Gods priuie councel but voyces of criers and proclaimers of Gods open offer therfore so farre as our commission stretcheth we trauel to all we cal all we preache to all we teach all we exhort all we reproue all we labour to win all we exempt none we driue away none we debarre it from none nor none from it we bid none despaire but all to truste and beleue in God and to take this gift thus freely offered to them whereof wee be appointed the bringers and the offerers In omnem terram exiuit sonus eorum their voice sayth the Prophet hath gonouer all the yerthe not that we know not before that a great many wil not receiue it Domine quis credidit auditui nostro Lord who hath beleued our preachings But we know not who these shall be that will refuse it nor who those shall bee that shall receiue it we know not who shal be saued nor who shall be damned but this we know all those shal be saued that beleue and he that beleueth not so cōtinueth shal be damned Here ther fore foloweth the
looke on pleasures backe loke not on plesure comming towards thee for she hath an whorishe painted smiling beautifull face to enamout thee but looke vpon pleasure going from thee and thou shalt se a most vgglie and filthie taile and end of had I wiste shame and wretchednesse O that doting age would consider this order not to looke backe lyke Lots wyfe to the follies of their youth and the world passed not neyghing lyke olde stallions and prouokyng other by delyghte in fylthie talke to sutche bestiall wickednesse as they haue liued in and can now do no more them seiues but be stales for the diuell to catche other not considering the wretched ende that them selues are euen ready to fall into Let vs therfore make our Omega our Alpha our end our beginning our last euen our firste As the Philosophers discribed wisdom by a serpente winding about in a rounde circle til she put her taile into her mouthe let vs be wise as serpentes dryuing all the actions of the circle of oure lyfe euen to the tayle and ende thereof If then in all worldly things this be the speciall difference of Folie and Wisedome to begin with the ende how mutche more with the last end the chiefe and euerlasting end to make our first beginning Memorare nouissima tua in aeternū nō peccab◅s These endes are here set out in these wordes Vt non pereat sed habeat vitam aeternam that it should not perishe but haue eternall lyfe By perishing he meaneth death the contrarie to life but not this transitorie death wherby the soule for a time is dissolued from the body for this is via vniuersae terrae out eternall death of body and soule in hell fire prepared for the diuels and the reprobate As appereth by the contrary end that here he maketh relation vnto that is eternal life By eternal life he meaneth not only the coniunction again of the substaunce of body soule to unmortalitie but also he comprehendeth al the vnspeakeable glory ioye and felicitie that is prepared for the electe of god And here first of al thou hast to set before thee that there are but two endes not three endes after this present lyfe as the Papists do beare vs in hande of Purgatorie but the Scripture here and in all other places maketh mention of two only Secondlye for these two endes beholde the order that our sauiour Christ obserueth firste he placeth perdition and then Eternall life Thou muste first behold the danger thou standest in of condemnation else wilt thou neuer perfectly seeke for saluation He that perceiueth not him selfe to stand in peril wil neuer search the means to be deliuered The firste thing therefore is to set before vs thys ende of perdition whiche as it is a moste dreadfull sight the horror of eternall death so must we consider howe it came Perditio tua ex te ◅ Israel c. Thy perdition O Israel came euen of thy selfe of thyne owne wickednesse Stipendia peccati mors the reward of sinis death And here we see that in his nature no sinne is venial as the Papists saie but leadeth euen to perdition how◅eit not so but that by the meanes in this sentence set foorth not only the same is made veniall but also cleane taken away and no hindrance to the other end euen of eternal life Here is the law here is the Gospell in these two wordes comprehended Here is both sinne and grace wrath and fauoure euen life and death set before vs here is a wretched ende of perdition to be considered on the one part an ende without ende of all vnspeakable paine torment Compare me now this endlesse ende of perdition to the vayne pleasures that ende so soone of this transitorie life and put them altogither What hast thou gotten if thou hadst gayned al the world sayth Christ lost thine owne soule all the pleasures of this worlde are nothyng comparable to the to◅mēts woes of hell On the other part behold the end of eternal life those glories and ioys that tong can not expresse nor pen can write nor hart cōceiue that are layd vp for the sons of God whiche if thou viewest-well will so enflame thee that the ioyes glories of this life shall seme but grefes vile vnto thee the agonies afflictiōs of this life shall seeme nothing worthy of the glorie that shal be reuealed to thee Thou wouldest euer feare to sinne to behold perdition thou wouldest neuer feare to dye to beholde Eternall lyfe Here is not Pythagoras Y to looke vpon but a far more excellent matter than euer Pythagoras was able to discerne Pythagoras described the lyfe of Man by this letter Y that as the Y endeth in two strakes so the lyfe of man hath two ways leading to two endes But the true ends of mans lyfe Pythagoras neuer knewe as his foolishe opinions of the passage of mans soule out of one thing into an other dothe declare These endes Aristotle neuer knewe nor all the Peripatetici that dreamed the worlde to haue bene for euer without beginning and so to continue without endyng These endes Epicure neuer knewe considering the end of man no further than the bodily death These endes the Platonistes neuer knew whether the soule wente after the bodies deathe althoughe they imagined the soule was immortall These endes the Athenians neuer knewe that scorned S. Paule when he preached to them of the bodies resurectiō And wolde to god concerning these endes that Pythagoras Aristotle and Epicure that the Academikes and other Heathen had no disciples euen among vs Christians or rather wee were not worse than they that knowinge there are these two endes to ensue are nothing moued by them But is there any that knowing these two endes to followe are at least not so farrefoorth moued therby that they woulde not gladlie auoyd damnation and be partakers of eternall life surely none except he bee worse than madde Euery man woulde wish hym self wel the most wicked wil say on his alebench God sende vs to come to heauen none by their good will would be in hell although ye may here some ruffians iest therat Howe then commeth it to passe that so fewe obteyn eternal lyfe but this question is most easily assoyled Al runne in a race sayth S. Paule but all get not the garlande All would haue it but they refuse the meanes wherby they shoulde obteyne it Wishers and woulders were neuer good housholders theyr wishyng is but a vaine woulding either they know not what they would or they would not what they should The Turke the Iewe the Heretike they know there is an heauen they knowe there is an hell they would come to Heauen and not to hell But alacke they know not what they woulde Nescitis quid petitis but are carried awaye with theyr owne dreames of heauen and hell bicause they reiecte the worde of God that should
enstruete them in it The Papists doe knowe these two endes of heauen and hell but they are not cōtent with these two endes but will make for lucre a thirde ende of Purgatorie betweene them bothe If they replie they make this no ende as it is apparaunt to the contrarye they make it a state after thys lyfe betweene Hell fyre and Eternall lyfe and saye it differeth nothing from Hell fire but onely in continuaunce so in this poynt of continuance they imagine Hell fyre to bee sutche an ende also as they with their Masses can deliuer from it not only those that are aliue an are not yet f◅lne into this ende but also the soules that already are damned the rin As they write how Gregory with a Trentall deliuered his mother that came whisking crying in the aire whē she was alredy dāned hauing bin in her life time a priuie whore and murderer of her bastards And likewise how T◅aiā that was an hethē Emperor an enimie of Christ and damned in hell fire that their Masses deliuered him But the Scripture is manyfest to proue thē liers the fire of hell is vnquencheable Discedite a me maledicti in ignem aeternū the worme that gnaweth there shalneuer die In inferno nalla est redemptio in hell there is no gaole deliuerie Est magnus hiatus There is a greatspace saith Abrahā to the cōdemned glutton betwene you and vs in so muche that they which would go hence to you can not neither can they come from thence to vs. These therfore are but Popishe lyes as they shall fynd by experience when they come thyther excepte they repent betimes For it is impossible for them to taste of eternall lyfe if that they walke in darknesse and ignorance as they do the blinde leading the blynd both fall in the ditche together If that they go otherways than Christ that sayth of him self Ego sum via if that they enter not by the doore of Christ that sayth of himself Ego sum ostiū they must nedes perish and shall neuer enter into eternall lyfe Neyther is hell the place prepared for pagans Turkes Iewes Heretikes and Papists only but also for false Gospellers It shall not auayle the Papistes to saye Templum Domini Templum Domini The Churche of the Lorde the Churche of the Lorde Our holy mother the Churche Neyther shall it profite the faise Protestantes to saye Verbum Domini Verbum Domini The worde of the Lorde the worde of the Lorde the Gospell of Iesus Christe wherein we lerne the true knowledge of these endes for what are wee the better or not rather mutche worse by the knowledge of these endes if oure lyuing bee suche as eyther knoweth them not or carethe not for them To what securitie Lorde bee mercyfull to vs are wee growne euen on whom the endes of the worlde are almoste comme and feare not the case nor prepare oure selues therto hell syre is euen at hande both for body and soule and we fare as though there were no suche thing towardes Wee buylde as though it were at the Cowre of Babel wee purchasse as thoughe the worlde shoulde laste for euer wee ruff◅e in apparell as though oure carryons shoulde neuer turne to dust we gather and whoorde as though we should neuer die we liue in pleasure as though oure heauen were here To conclude in what poynte doe wee shewe that wee knowe these endes or wee consyder these endes or regard these endes or prepare our selues agaynst these endes but euen in a retchelesse securitie rather saye eyther there are no sutche endes at all as the meckers that Saincte Peter prophecyed to comme in the last days shall say Where is the promyse of his comming for since the Fathers died all things continue alvke since the begynning of the creation or else wee saye with the wicked seruaunt Tushe the ◅ndes are fa◅re of the Lorde differreth his comming and so eate and drink and strike our felows but thou naughtie seruaunt in an houre thou lookest not for him thy Lord shall come to giue thee thy wretched ende with hypocrites Take him and binde him hande and foote and cast him into vtter darknesse Thou shalt perishe and be beaten with many stripes Behold the ende is euen at hande eyther of perdition or eternall lyfe The Lorde is comming and hee will not slacke his comming hee standethe euen at the doore and knocketh and biddeth thee watche and looke for the ende Happie is hee that looketh for the ende with the wise virgins Woe woe worth him on whom the ende commeth vnlooked for Blessed is he that abideth to the ende that prepareth hym selfe to the end that setteth euer before him the horrour of eternal death that hath euer in his eies the hope of eternall lyfe that directeth to that lyfe that is eternall all the actions of this lyfe that is so transitorie Thus in this fyrst parte as fyrst of all we muste cōsider these two ends the scape of eternal death the obtayning eternall lyfe so must wee consyder these two parties God and the world God that deliuereth from eternall death and giueth eternall lyfe The worlde that is deliuered from eternall death and receaueth eternall lyfe For in the nature of these two is as much difference of them selues God and the world as is euen betwene eternall death and eternall life For first where as God is al holinesse puritie righteousues goodnesse the worlde is all wickednesse vncleanuesse vnrightuousnesse euen a sinke of sin Totus mundus in maligno positus Al the world is set on mischiefe Omne Quam est in mundo aut est concupiscentia carnis c. Al that is in the world is either the lust of the fleshe the luste of eyes or the pride of lyfe Where as God is eternitie perfection the fountaine of all lyfe yea lyfe it selfe both of grace and glorie the world is ouerrunne with death what is in it but vanitie instabilitie miserie and wretchednesse and what in the ende deserueth it but perdition and condemnation To conclude the kingdome of God is not of this worlde the wisedome of this worlde is follie to god Laste of all God the Father hath drowned the worlde God the Holy Ghost shall reproue the worlde of sinne of Iustice and of Iudgement And the Sonne of God that the worlde refused shall come in the end to iudge the world So that betwene these twain God and the worlde is a great contrarietie Now then proue ye this your fyrst part will ye say that God would the world should not perish but haue eternall lyfe Here welbeloued we must consider what this worde the Worlde in this place dothe signifie for by mistakyng thereof great erroures haue growne The worlde hath diuers significations but foure in principall First the worlde betokeneth vniuersally all Creatures that God the Creator hath created visible and inuisible what soeuer Heauen and earth and
endorsed with a curâ—…e on the contrary not only of putting the disobedient childe to death but if this lawe were not at all yet the parents curse should pull vp the house by the roots â—…nsaÌ„ple the cursed seede of Cham ensample the late storie if it bee be true that is written of credible authors to be done in Germanie within this twenty yeres of a father that hauyng â—…idden his chylde goe on his his errand when the chylde stoode still and would not goe the vnaduised father in his fumish anger cuâ—…sed him and said Standest thou still stand still then so still standing I pray God thou mayst abide And euen sodeinly so soone as the curse was spoken the childe stode still and so standing there aboade till the day of his death A terrible ensample of the wrathe of GOD against childrens disobedience and to the confirmation of the authoritie that God hath giuen the parentes ouer their children For of our parents we haue not only our bodily goods but euen our bodies and al. And shal we not then loue them by whose loue we haue our being our life our norishing and vnder God the beginnings of all wee haue Many fathers and mothers now a days complain of the disobedieÌ„ce wilfullnesse and lacke of loue in their children more than they had wont to do What is the cause here of first this is a general obseruatioÌ„ although in particulers it be not altogether true that the parents loue is greter to his child than the childs loue is to his parents where of the townsmen of 〈◊〉 set vp a monument For wher as on a time they had condemned a father and his sonne for certain notorious crimes committed on muche entreatie made to the senate for theÌ„ it was at length graunted that but one of them shoulde die and that on this condition that the one shoulde do the execution on the other and he that executed the other shoulde him selfe escape agree on the matter as they could which of them should suffer The sonne being asked refused to die for the father and had rather execute his father thaÌ„ his father shold execute him The father being demaunded was conteÌ„t to suâ—…fer death him self of his sonnes hand though his sons vnnaturalnesse did greue him rather thaÌ„ he wold put his sonne to death Whervppon this monument was erected for a perpetuail memorie the pictures of bothe father and sonne the son behâ—…dding his father engrauen in marble and this poesie writen vnderneth Amor descendit nâ—…n asceÌ„dit Loue descendeth but not ascendeth And so the ryuers course descendeth but not ascendethe A stone naturally descendeth not ascendeth And the scripture coÌ„mendeth many fathers vnto vs that ful entierly haue loued their sons but few sons like Isaac Ioseph and Tobie are commended vnto vs for the like loue againe vnto their fathers This naturall loue wrought not in the vnnaturalâ—… sonne Absalon but it wrought so deepe in the father Dauid that he cryed out againe Absalon fili mi fili mi Absalon fili mi c. O Absalon my sonne my son Absalon my sonne woulde to God I myghte die for thee O Absalon my sonne my sonne The seconde reason of the sonnes disobedyence is the fathers cockeryng And that was the cause of Dauids weepyng and Absalons destruction euen hys fathers indulgence Thys destroyed Hely and his sonnes also And hathe broughte many foolyshe fathers to their graue with heauinesse and hath brought many sonnes to the Gallowes wyth wrâ—…tchednesse Remember the Fable of the chylde that bitte of his mothers nose when hee went to hanging bicause she would not bite his breche with a good rod when he went to filching A great many mothers nowe a dayes can not abide to 〈◊〉 their children beaten and a number of fathers as wise as the mothers the Schoolemaster that shoulde fetche bloudde of theyr chylde oute alas It were a pityfull syghte But were it not a more pitifull syghte to see howe myserablye the one destroyeth the other they thinke it loue it is more than mortaâ—…l hatrede this foolyshe coâ—…heryng of theyr chyldren Whiche if they feele not in the miseries of this life wherby repentance may saue the soule howesoeuer the body abye the follie of this hatefull cockering loue if not yet after this life the father and mother may mete the sonne in helle and there repeate those heauie and horrible curses that Gregorie teâ—…s of Cuâ—…sed be the houre sayth the father that euer thou wast borne Cursed be the tyme sayeth the sonne that euer thou begattest me and thus the one shall curse baâ—… the other and al bicause of this their cursed cockering Dye fathers and morhers especially you of this noble citie of London shaâ—…e not youre Citie vndoe not youre children and youre selues also We are thorough out all the Realme called cockneys that are borne in London or in the sounde of Bow bell this is your shame recouer this shame as god be praised ye do more than euer was wont to be done It had went to be an olde saying that fewe or none but were vnthâ—…ifts and came to nothing that were cockneys borne for so are we termed abroade But God be praised this is nowe a false rule and hath ben a good while since chiefly since the Gospels light hath shined on this noble citie it hath brought for the many worthy gouernors â–ª not able preachers godly pastors wise couÌ„selors pregnaÌ„t wits graue students welthy citiâ—…ens and is ful of maruellous towardes youth God blesse them and I trust will euery day more and more so blesse this renoumed citie that where before for wâ—…nton bringing vp it hath bene althoughe in other thyngs famous inâ—…ug he yet in this poynt of our births place a speck of blushing a terme of cockney a note of nipping vs It shall hereafter by Godly education be a thing to glory in that we borne in sutche a glorious citie as not only God hath made the hed of other in welth and honor but also a myrror of other in godlinesse and religion And that this may be loue your children but hate cockering Read and reade ouer twentie times and write it in steele and iron as Iob saith that is graue it in youre memorye that woorthie chapter in this pointe the thirtie chapter of Iesus the sonne of Syrach and there thou shalt see what the cockering of the chyld will bring bothe father and chyide vnto and what the contrary The third cause of childrens disobedience is the yll ensample of their parentes soone crookes the tree that good camocke will bee It soone prickes wil be a thorne the yong cockrel will learne easily to crow as he heareth the old cocke A great many suche crauen cockes there are that crowe full yll fâ—…uoredly and teach their cockrels to do the same scarse ere they be out of the shell We are prone inough and to proue of our selues to all vice without a teacher and
alas shal the father and mother teache it them nay it is no meruaile how coulde the olde Crabbe teache the yong Crab to goe but a byas They haue nousâ—…ed vp them selues in all wickednesse and so they teache their children so that as it were they clayme hel by inheritance It is a world to see how â—…oone wee are decked vp to be proude or ere we knowe what pride meaneth What a laughter and sport it is to the parentes to se their yong chyld do any vnhappy touch But Extrema gaudij luctus occupat this wicked beginning must nedes haue a wretched endyng Wilte thou loke thou foolish father to reape vertue and sowedst nought but vice thou wast disobedient to God and wilt theu loke thy chyld shal be obedient to thee Nay loke how thou hast done to thy children thy children wyll doo the lyke to thee What measure yee mete withall shal be met to you againe Beware therfore of nourishing them in vice of giuing euill ensample to them tinder wil not so sone take fyre as the child wil take hold of euil ensample And he that offendeth one of these little ones sayth Christe that beleueth in me it were better a mylstone were tied about his necke and he throwen into the bottome of the sea Neyther dothe Christe here excepte father mother or any other but who so euer he be that is occaâ—…ion of sinne to the childe by ensample instruction encoraging or by any other meanes this heauie sentence is pronounced on him Thou father therfore if thou loue thy childe yea if thou loue thy selfe bothe for his parte and for thine owne parte beware of euel ensample The fourthe cause of disobedience is the lacke of knowledge of his duety Thou bringest vp thy sonne in ignorance and idely and howe can he then but proue a stubborn pece chiefly when he hath no knowledge nor fear of god Now wil he stande in awe of thee or know his duetie to thee Dost thou loue in dede thy child loue thaÌ„ the more principall parte of him loue his soule more than his bodye loue the eternall life of him better than this temporall lyfe For else thou louest him not For proofe that thou louest hym thou shewest me what riches thou hast gathered for him what laÌ„des and rentes thou hast purchased for him what lyuings and offices thou haste prouided for him what payne what coste what trouble what sute what trauel what cares and God knowes withall what conscience thou haddest to compasse these things for thy chylde and is not all this a sufficient argument to proue thou louest him No surely is it not But I will healpe thee with a better argument Thou art content for thy chyld to goe lyke a carle to the dyuell before that thy chylde may come after to the diuel like a gentlemaÌ„ This is a token thou louest thy child that art content so thy chyld may be daÌ„ned thou wilt be damned too Now likest thou this loue is it not more worthy to be called hatred and worse it thou canst deuise â—… worser name for it this preposterous loue of thine to thy child Ah saist thou shal I not then prouide for my childe then were I worse sayeth Saincte Paule than an infidel I deny not but thou mayst yea and oughtest to prouide for him by all conuenient and godly meanes thou canst But the principall thyng that thou oughtest to prouyde for thy chylde is the Riches of the soule the knowledge the feare and the loue of god Primum quaerite regnum Dei 〈◊〉 omnia adijcientur â—…obis Fyrst seeke that thy chylde maye bee a Citizen of the kingdome of God that thy sonnes as Dauid sayeth maye bee As plantes growyng vp in thâ—…yt youthe in all Grace and Uâ—…ttue that thy daughters may bâ—… polished lyke the corner stones of the temple of God shining in the cleere beawty of shamefastnesse and modestie and become olde mothers in Israel And then all other things shall be cast vnto them by Gods prouidence When thou art dead and faire buried they shall haue inoughe to liue on and doe full well although thou hadst lefte them neuer a penie I was yong and now am oldâ—… saithe Dauid as who should saye I haue sene greate experience of many things in my dais yet neuer saw I the rightouse man forsaken and his seed beg their bred No though his father die yet is he as though he were not dead for he hath left one behinde him that is like him In his life he saw him and had ioy in him and was not sory in his death neither was he ashamed before his enemies he left behinde hym an auenger agaynst his enemies and one that should shew fauour to his frends Lo thus shall they be blessed that feare the Lorde bycause they bring vp their children in instructioÌ„ and information of the Lorde This is the true loue of the fathers and mothers to their children And this shall make if any thing wil make this loue of the parents descending to the children to ascende againe from the children to the parents so effectually that no earthly loue can be of greater force But be this loue also neuer so excellent when it once entreth this comparison of gods loue bicause it is so tied with the linkes of nature and bounden dewty on either parte although it somwhat resemble this loue of God our Father in heauen to vs his adopted sonnes in earth Wherby Dauid saith Sicut pater miseretur filioruÌ„ misertus est nostri dominus As the father hath mercie on his children so God hath had mercy on vs Can the mother forget her infant that she should not pitie the childe of her wombe although the mother coulde forget hir child sayth the Lorde yet will not I forget thee for I haue grauen thee vppon the palmes of my hands thy walles are euer in my sight Therfore I conclude on this loue as of the other that So God loued the worlde that no naturall loue of fathers and mothers to their children of children to their fathers and mothers is lyke this loue of God out heauenly father to vs. We reade of greate loue that seruauntes haue borne theyr maysters that maisters againe haue born theyr seruants the one hath suffred death to saue the other This was a notable loue Where are suche maisters and seruants now become nay it is now the old prouerbe vp downe trim tram such maister suche man suche cuppe suche couer neyther barrell better herring bothe maister and man may go in a line together for a great many of men and maisters now a dayes In many places where I come I heare the maisters complaine of their seruantes stubbornesse and vnfaithfull dealing of their seruantes dissolutenesse and lacke of awe But the maister seeth not howe God punisheth hym with his owne rodde howe his owne selfe is the cause here of He would haue his seruant all for
lucre all on the pennie all for aduauntage neyther to care ought howe he cometh by it swering and stering cursing and banning euen to deceaue his owne father on my faith and honestie it cost me thus much hauing in deede neither faith nor honestie to sweare by and therfore it were the leise matter if he appealed only to his false faithe and litle honestie But he spareth not to take to wit nesse the righteous iudgements of almightie God that seeth his falshod and yet will he not spare to say now as God shal saue me as God shall iudge me thus and thus it stands me in and yet it stands him not in half the money yea often times the bier shall haue it for the third penie that the seller asketh O mercifull God what an order is this among Christians And no nation noted for this horrible abusage more than englishmē We think we should not thriue if we should not use this curset kind of bargayning We counte it almost nothing now adaies it is growne into sutche a cusstome euery seconde worde to be poudred with an othe for credit yea to blaspheme God his dredfull iudgementes to renounce God and the benefite of our saluation and that for a little credite or for a paltrie gaine Curfed be that gaine that winneth such a losse that body and soule is lost to the which al the winning of the wide world were but a trifle Cursed be that credite that to retaine his estimation with an haede beleuyng man will not styeke to blaspheme and renounce his part of god But thou louedst cursing and cursing will come vppon thee Cushe a poynt sayeth his mayster that fingreth the gaine Iura periura secretum prode◅e noli Sweare h◅oreson and for sweare be wray not my mistery This is a mystery with a very mischefe that the coue◅ouse mas◅ter without all conscience teacheth his man Is this the waie to thriue Haue these menne I will not saie any feare of God for they haue none Non est timor d◅i ante oculos eorū But haue they any opinion there is a God No truely they saie in their harts with the foole ther is no god For if they thought there were they durst not thus abuse him And therfore the master careth not for the seruants instruction how he should come to the knowledge of God but with his seruant would haue all daies alike Sabaoth day and other And neuer passeth whether his seruant here know or beleue God his word or no. The seruant now being without all knowledge like a beast and his master without all conscience like a dyuell he hath as litle conscience to deceaue his master as his master wold haue him haue to deceaue others And hence cometh so many stubborn knaues saucie marchants crafty varlets priuie theeues ruffianlye cutters ryottous prentices and all the wicked sort of suche vnfaithfull seruantes among artificers and marchants that deceiue so many other men make their maysters bankruptes and bring them selues to miserye And thoughe the principall faulte herein bee in the maister that complayneth on his seruaunt yet is not this a bolster to the seruaunt whose dewtye is thoughe not to assent to theire mayster in wickednesse yet in euery rightefull thng to obey honour and loue their master with all seruice truth and diligence If they doe not either they shall neuer be masters them selues or be like wise punished in their seruants Behold the faithful seruise of Abrahams man and how god blessed his iorney and his master made him the guide of all hee had Beholde the faithfull seruice nighte and day hot and colde of Iacob to Laban how plētifully God multiplied and encreased his stock Beholde the chaste fidelitie of Ioseph to his maister Putiphar and his trustie diligence vnder the keper of the prison and how the Lord made euery thing to prosper that hee did and exalted him to the lordship of all Egipt and made all his kynne to honour him Seruants therfore be obedient vnto them that are your maisters according to the fleshe that is whiche haue power ouer your bodies not ouer your soules In all things not with eie seruice as men pleasers but in singlenesse of hart fearing god And whatsoeuer ye do do it hartily as to the lorde and not as vnto men knowing that of the lord ye shall receaue the reward of the inheritance for yee serue the Lord Christ And ye maisters do vnto your seruants that which is iust and equal knowing that ye haue also a maister in heauen And if thou hast a faithfull seruant let him be vnto thee as thine own soule c. Intreate him as thy brother Let thy soule loue a good seruant defraude him not of libertie neither leue him a poore man c. And thus this loue betwene the maister and his seruant wil become an exceding faithfull loue But be it neuer so excellent a loue yet bicause it is but duetie in the seruant and of the master cometh for his seruants painful ▪ trustie and profitable seruice therfore So God loued the world that this is but hireling and seruile loue to be cōpared to it We reade of greate loue that Princes haue loued their subiects withal and subiects again haue loued their Princes This is a goodly and Godly loue also wold to God it were so faithful in euery countrey as it ought to be Then should we not haue harde of suche oppressions and ciuile warres in foreine realmes nor of suche conspiracies and rebellions as hathe bene in oure owne A Prince oughte to be a father and mother to their people and to make reckning of so many children as they haue subiectes The subiect again ought to be as a chylde vnto his Prince and to make reckenyng of his soueraigne as of his own father or mother yea to make a greater accompt of him or her than of his father that begate him or his mother that bare him not only for that the state is greater and euen immediate next to God and representing god him selfe but also for the greater commoditie that both he his parents his kin and all his countrey receyue by the peasable and vertuous gouernement of the Prince not only of infinite benefits of bodye aud goodes but that passeth all bodily and temporall matters the free passage of the Gospel of Iesus Christ the mayntenance of his true Religion the faithfull feding on his word and sacraments that refreshe and nourishe his soule to lyfe euerlasting Therfore next vnder God there is no loue ought to be greater than this that the naturall subiecte doth owe his naturall Prince nor any thing is a surer defence to the Prince next vnder Gods protection whose anoynted the Prince is and in whose handes is the princes hart then is the faithfull loue of his subiects No horse nor harnesse no garde nor gunne nor garrison no forte nor castle no armie no treasure
sonne than vs but only he did it for the loue of vs yet his loue of vs is onely in and for his sonne The Prince might seeke glorie and renowne by this strange fact as the Philosophers did in al their sufferings but Christ sought ignominie due to vs to bring vs to raigne in glorie with him In the ende the Prince must nedes die and his sonne also and how soone either of them God knowes And whether by not so famouse a deathe or no God knowes And how they shold haue liued with what troubles feares and changes God knows These things might moue them to be the willinger to suffer death that once they must nedes suffer and this they know But the sonne of God was not subiecte vnto deathe he neded neuer to haue died for death had no power ouer him as he truly sayd Habeo potestatē ponēdi animam meam iterum sumendi eam I haue power to geue ouer my life and to take it againe It lay in his owne power to die or not to die but that of his mere loue he vouchesaued for to die Moreouer the Princes death could worke but a small and trifling benefit the sauing of theyr bodily life for a whyle that perchaunce myght die body and and soule within a minute of an houre after But the death of oure vnspotted Lambe the sonne of God is become suche a sweete and acceptable sacrifice to GOD the Father and so effectuall vnto vs that if any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous he is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for oure sinnes onely but for the sinnes of the whole worlde To conclude there is as mutche difference betweene this or any other case that can be put of any creature husbande wife parentes children frend enemie neighbour stranger maister seruant prince subiect or whose loue soeuer it be as is betwene the creature creator as is betwene the person of a wretched mortal man the person of the liuing and immortall god The loue of God therefore whereby he so loued the worlde that he gaue his sonne for it doth excell all comparison doth excede all speache doothe passe all vnderstanding Wee speake but in a darke speeche theron we vnderstand it but as chyldren we see it but thorough a gl◅sle we know it but in part yea the angels meruaile at it and cannot fully conceaue the breadth the length the depthe the heigthe of this incomprehensible loue of God to manne and to knowe this loue of Christe whiche go◅th beyonde all knowledge But that we may haue some taste of this sweete loue of God some ioy of this his excellent gifte let vs deare beloued as we maye a little beholde the same He gaue his only begotten son Here are two things to be considered The one is the thing it self that for this loue he bestowed vpon vs The other is the maner of his bestowing it The thing that he bestowed was euen his sonne not his seruant but his sonne not his frende but his sonne euen his true begotten sonne and that his only begoten son Such as the father is suche is the sonne the Father is God the sonne is God God of the substance of his father very God and equall to his father in substance eternitie grace glorie power and euery thing For all that the Father hathe hee hathe giuen to him and he and the father are one Hee is the expresse image of the inuisible God the first begotten of all creatures the wisdome of his father by whome the world was made the light of the worlde the way the truth and the life the authour and fynisher of our faithe the prince of pastours and great shepeherd of our soules the true vine the bread of lyfe the rock and fountayn of the liuing waters the corner stone of the building and foundation therof the king of glorie the prince of peace the anoynted of God the high priest the mediator of the new Testament the lamb of god that taketh away the sinnes of the world the reconciler of God and man the Emanuel the Messias the blessed seede the hope and redemption of Israell The lord sauior Iesus Christ in whome is the fulnesse of the diuinitie in whom only is layde vp the vnsearchable treasorie of all the riches of the glorie grace fauor of this infinit loue of God euen the only begotten son of god So muche more excellent than the angels in as much as he hath obteined a more excellēt name thā they For vnto which of the angels sayde he at any tyme Thou art my son this day haue I begotten thee And agayne I will be his father and he shall be my sonne and againe when he bringeth in his firste begotten sonne into the world be saith And let al the angels of God worship hym c. to the Son he saith O god thy throne is for euer euer the scepter of thy kingdom is a scepter of righteousnes thou hast loued righteousnesse and hated iniquitie wherfore God euen thy God hath anoynted thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellows And thou Lord in the beginning hast established the earth and the heauens are the workes of thine handes they shal perish but thou dost remayn and they al shall waxe old as doth a garmēt and as a vesture shalt thou fold them vp they shal be changed but thou art the same and thy yeares shal not fayle Vnto whiche of the angels sayde hee at any tyme Sitte thou at my right hād til I make thy enemies thy foote stoole And hath he then poured foorth on vs poore and wretched synfull misers sutche treasures of hys blessings that he hath giuen vs euen this his son in quem desiderant angeli prospicere on whom the angels desire to looke yea saithe the same sonne him self Dedit vnigenitum filium suum He gaue his only begotten sonne O infinite and vnspeakable loue O most preciouse gifte O most orient pearle O most happie marchant that can get this iewel The price of this gifte can not be tolde the value of this iewel is inestimable siluer and gold pearle and stone is nothing comparable to this wonderfull gifte of god No we are not bought with corruptible things as siluer and golde but with the precious bloud of Christ the sonne of God The sonne of God why could no lesser gift haue serued vs might not he haue geuen vs an angell But euen his sonne And that his only begotten son Might not he haue gyuen vs one of his adopted sonnes some notable man or womā some patriarche some Prophet some apostle or some holy sainte of god No God spared not to giue his his onely begotten son for man Yea nothing coulde sufficiently pacifie the wrath of God satisfie his iustice make due recompence for our vndue offence reconcile vs to the fauour of GOD againe vanquishe