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
causes then all the kingdomes empires powers honors wealthes and riches of this world to wit to destroy the workes of Sathan with the kingdome of sinne and death and to establish his kingdome of righteousnes and euerlasting life But carnall men do carnally expound the promises of the Lord vntill they receaue the holy ghost the true Doctour and teacher of the truth It is the spirite of God which at the last doth trulye open the eyes of the hart that the truth of God may be seene perceaued and vnderstode The Euangelists vse so to speake of the person of Christs as though we may take thē some tyme to speak of the Godhead and glory of Christ and sometyme of his humilitye submission affliction miserye and contemptible state in the eyes of the world euen as occasion and place serue You haue heard before how Esay prophesied that the onely begotten sonne of God Iesus Christ who was spoken of before by the prophets should come into this world euen in his own person But Esay now in this 35. chap. telleth what he should doe and performe at his cōming in the fleshe to wit that he should be our seruaunt And the Father calleth him his seruaunt in respect of his office because he is to helpe vs obediēt to his Father euen vnto the death the death of the crosse and because he humbleth himselfe beneath all men and is a very abiect and lowlye seruant to all men that thereby he may exalt all men The Prophet also sheweth that Christ after this his humilitye should be exalted vnto the most highest state of honor and glorye ¶ Anna. I pray you then tell me how shall Christ obay and how shall he rule ☞ Vrba Very wisely For he will so rule and gouerne the misterye which his Father committed vnto him that no man can euer sufficiently commende him For though it may seeme absurde and foolish vnto reason that Christ should promise to deliuer other mē from death whē he himselfe dyed and to bring all that beleeue into eternall glorye when he himselfe came to eternall shame and ignominye yet this was the best and fastest way to worke such a notable worke For how can the euerlasting wisedome of the Father doe anye thing that should not in euery respect be most excellently done And Iaskaet may be thus translated He will geue wisedome and vnderstanding or he will make men wise and skilfull For Christian beleuers teach true and perfect wisedome in the schoole of Christ which wisdome no worldling can vnderstād The children of this world by the wisedome of the flesh can search after and get nothing but the fraile and transitory goodes of this world But faythfull Christians are much wiser they vse this world and the treasures thereof as the stranger vseth his inery they after the true eternall treasures of their heuenly cuntrye But we must note that this seruice of Christ was not of long continuaunce and that after it should follow true and perfect glory with euerlasting honor And therfore sayth Esay he shal be exalted extolled hiely estemed And this thing shal be so that many may wonder and be offended at his great and extreame humilitie which thing hapned in the Iewes who abhorre and thinke it detestable great wickednes to say that Messias which is promised in the prophets should be constrained to suffer a most vile and ignominious death whereupon they call Christ Thalui that is hanged vp blaspheming him most horribly wickdly and detestably The cause why they are offended at the crosse of Christ is because they seeke in Messias the corporall goodes and temporall honors and dignities of this world They thinke it wickedly and impiously spoken to say that so great a king of Israell should hang among theues as though he himselfe had bene a most hainous and wicked offender But if so be that the sight of him should be so miserable so vncomely so vile so foule that he should not seeme in the eyes of the world to be the man that could deliuer others and bring them vnto honor and glory and this is the cause that he is the stone of offence how could his kingdome be worldly Worldly princes must so set forth their brauerye dignitye and maiestye that men may euen be amased to looke on them A worldly kingdome cannot stand vnlesse there be in it both power and reuerence where the prince is poore and dispised and oppressed by the violence or tyrannye of the enimies and doth neither in power nor riches excell his aduersaryes there must needes the kingdome come to ruine But this our king wil doe more by his humility then all the princes and kings in this earth can doe with all their pompe power and riches What will he then doe The prophet saith He wil sprinkle many nations This is an Hebrue phrase This word Iaseh doth properly signify to disparce abroad hether and thether euen as drops of water are sprinkled here and there This sprinkling therfore of the Gentils betokeneth nothing els in this place but to teach and preach gods word amongst them and this was fulfilled when the Apostles by the holy ghost instructed the gentils through the holy word opened vnto them this welspring of Gods grace in christ Iesus and dispersed the same euen as the fertil rayn which falleth in May that therby the fruit of Gods knowledge might grow and increase in al places they preuailed so much through the preaching of Gods word that euen mighty Emperors and Princes did worship adore and feare Christ Iesus and held their tongues and were astonyed And among the gentils and other places where before the scriptures were not known and the gospell not heard of there did they so teach the great misteries of the gospel that they were vnderstood Seeing then in Christ such great maruels and wonders are wrought to wit that God becommeth man humbleth him self very lowly and in his blessed and most innocent humanity I cal his humanity that humain nature which he tooke vpon him suffereth so great shame greef and calamity and that of his own people whom he had blessed with so great and infinite benefits both of body and soule and seeing he must by this his ignominious death be exalted vnto honor and so begin his spirituall kingdome but must first as the king therof labour vnder his crosse and suffer all kind of calamity and shame and yet by the self same crosse be in deed exalted to honor and crowned with eternall glory seeing I say these wonderful things which are contrary to mans reason are done in Christ and his kingdome the world wil not beleeue them when it shal heare them And this thing the prophet saw in spirite when he sayd who wil beleue our saying that is our preching or doctrine They are so great incredible that reason cannot be perswaded that such wonders either are or could be done How did
Rom. 8.19 Our hope 1. Tim. 1.1 Our brother Psal 22.22 Hebr. 2.12 Mat. 28. 10. Our shepeherd Ezech. 34.23 Iohn 10.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chiefe shepeheard 1. Pet. 5.4 The dore of the sheepe Iohn 10.7 The bread of lyfe Iohn 6.48 Our rocke Math. 16.18 Our peace Ephe. 2.14 The stone that hath seuen eyes vpon it Zach. 3.9 The stone which was cut out of the mountain without handes which became great and filled the whole earth Dan. 2.34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ende of the law the perfection and fulfilling of the law Rom 10.4 The head of the church Ephes 22. 5.23 The true vine Iohn 15.1 The stone which is become the head stone in the corner Psal. 118.22 and Act. 4.11 The righteous branche or branche of righteousnesse Iere. 23.5 The Lord of lyfe Acts. 3.15 The Lord of all Acts. 10.36 The king of glory Psal. 24.7 The righteous one Rom. 3.26 and 5.7 Esay 51 6.7 Acts. 3.14 and 7.52 1. Iohn 2.1 Mat. 25. The hope of glory Col. 1.27 The heyre of all Heb. 1.2 The prince of the kings of the earth Apoc. 1.5 The word of lyfe 1. Iohn 6. Immanuel God with vs Esay 7.14 Mat. 1.23 The euerlasting word of the father Iohn 1.1 The wisdome of God. 1. Cor. 1.24 The power of God. 1. Cor. 1.1 The image of the inuisible god Col. 1.15 The first borne of all creatures Col. 1.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the brightnesse of the glory of god Hebr. 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the expresse image of the substance of God the father Heb. 1.3 True God and eternall lyfe Iohn 5.20 The Lord of Zebaoth that is of hostes The seuenty Translators interpreted it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is almighty as Hierome noteth vpon Zach. 2.8 The angell of the Testament Mal. 3.1 Wonderfull Esay 9.6 The geuer of counsaile Esay 9.6 The mighty god Esay 9.6 The euerlasting father Esay 9.6 The prince of peace Esay 9.6 The sonne of righteousnesse Mal. 4.2 The iudge of the quicke and the dead Actes 10.42 Christ hath these and many moe most sweete epithites and goodly figuratiue names giuen him in the Scriptures which would be both long to recite and here not much nedefull ¶ Anna. It is vncredible to beleue what light what vnderstanding what comfort and what consolation I haue receyued euen of this bare and briefe recitall and catalogue of these epithites and names of Christ But what vnspeakeable ioy what maruelous profound knowledge and what plentifull and aboundant consolation would then follow euen as out of a ful fountaine to vs if these Heroycall titles were thorowly opened and euery one particularly in his place expounded ☞ Vrb. These epithites in deede plainly and euidently declare though not fully both the qualitie and quantitie of Iesus Christ our Lord as what kinde of one and how great he is and they tell vs what comfort and helpe we may hope to haue at his hands But it were a very tedious trauel at this tyme to handle euery name at large according to his dignity they shal be expounded God willing more commodiously and fitly together in an other place in the openyng of the Prophets ¶ Anna. You promised also to say some thing of the former comming of Christ into the worlde If your leisure serue I would see you performe that your promise ⧠Of the former commyng of Christ into this world and of his humble conuersation and being here on the earth and also of the tyme of his comming Vrbane THis article in deede is worthy to be diligently expounded and well vnderstood If the Iewes had well vnderstood this article and beleued it they had neuer fallen so horribly or if they would yet either vnderstād it or beleue it they would not be so greatly offended at Christ as they are neither would they so obstinately persist thus long in their blyndnes as they doe Before Christes comming and in Christes tyme they of all men in the world gloriously vaunted themselues of their great knowledge and vnderstanding of the holy scriptures as a thing in which they excelled al men and yet were they vtterly ignorant of this especiall chiefe point and article of scripture to wit of Iesu Christ how after what sort for what cause he should come They in their carnal vnderstāding dreamed that Messias should come into the world as a mighty Monarch with a puissant and huge army of men and that in worldly pompe power brauery and dignitie he should exceede all other kings of the earth and with dint of sword subdue Goym that is all nations and bring them in subiection to the Iewes and that he should establish his princely throne at Ierusalem in the land of Canaan and giue the Iewes al welth riches dignity ease and plenty of all worldly pleasure These thinges did they in their doltish iudgement grofly looke for at the hand of Christ so vtterly ignorant were they of the heauenly and spirituall blessings promised in Christ Wherefore carnally construing all the prophecies of Christ they promised themselues in him onely the externall momentany fraile brickle and transitory riches of this short lyfe At this day also the Iewes retayne these and much more doltish dreames and fantasies of Messias For oftentymes at Ratisbone and other places I haue disputed with them of Messias and his kingdome But I could neuer here any thing of them but mere doltish dreames carnall imaginations and ridiculous foolish fables S. Hierome writeth much of the errors of the Iewes how they looked for an earthly kingdome in Christ and many other grosse and foolish fantasticall fansies which I would neuer haue beleeued if afterward I my selfe had not heard them with my eares But it is no maruell to see them which are thus wrapped in darkenes bewitched with all madnesse fowly and foolishly erre seing they neither be nor can abide to be in the catholike church of Christ in which onely and els not the holy ghost doth reueale vnto mē the vnderstanding and true meaning of the scriptures And this is the cause that they vnderstand no parte of diuinitie neither haue any sound iudgement at all in their Bible bookes For where gods holy spirit is not there must needes the mysteries of the holy scriptures lye hid The Iewes deuise and dreame onely of the earthly land of promise But the Scripture speaketh of much more excellent high and glorious things then is any Iudea or Ierusalem though it were of Iemmes or beaten gold The Prophets with their spirituall eyes looked farre aboue this world vp into heauen where we shall need neither perle gold meat nor other necessaries of this mortall lyfe but inherite euerlasting life with celestiall ioy and felicitie As S. Peter sayth the Prophets speake of our saluation But let vs see what the holy ghost sayeth of Christes comming and humilitie in Zachary where he writeth thus Reioice greatly O daughter Sion shoute for ioy O
not then his beginning or began not whē other creatures began but it was then there present when al things were made all things had their beginning by the word And the word was with God without god there was nothing therefore of necessity it must nedes follow that the worde was with god Note diligently that Iohn saith well and plainly The worde was with God. For he doth there plainely and distinctly seperate the person of the word or of God the sonne from the person of God the father If any thing was with god before the beginning of creatures then was he not alone But what I pray you was with God the worde was with God but something to be with God is not God to be alone Therfore of necessitie must that word be another person thē that God is with whom it was in the beginning It followeth And God was the worde You know that God sayth thus in Deut. Heare O Israel the Lorde our God is Lord onely or is one God. If therefore he be one God it followeth that God himselfe is essentially that same word which was in the beginning before all creatures wherby you see that this word in essence is God himselfe or that God himself is the word And and thus you see here the true and naturall godhead of Christ For Christ is the worde And againe in the 8. of Iohn where the Iewes said vnto Christ who art thou He answered saying Verily euē the same that I said vnto you frō the beginning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. This was in the beginning with God Do you not here see how that in the beginning the word was with God God was that word These wordes do plainly and clerely proue that there is one only nature of gods essēce But not one only person yet neuertheles that persō is true God without beginning without ending All things were made by it These wordes do sufficiently proue that the same word Christ is God and the maker of all things which are both in heauē in earth If all creatures were made by him then without all doubt he himself was not made neither is to be accoūted in the number of things made all which had their beginning and substance of the word It followeth Without it was nothing made that was made as Hierom readeth this text If then without hym nothing was made how could he be created or made without whom nothing was made By all these it is plain manifest that this word is true God yet not of himself but of the father and yet not in time but before all tyme frō euerlasting for euermore without al other creatures Seing therfore that this eternal word the true natural sonne of God tooke vpon him mās nature and the same is Iesus Christ of Nazareth then Christ is true god These out of all doubt are most strong sound inuincible arguments and vndoubted proofes of Christs diuinity against Sabellius Arrius Eunomius Martion Manicheus Valentinus Eutiches Nestorius Appolinares other blinded bewitched heretikes which are autors of horrible heresies who while they wil opē intreat or speake of such great high matters which far passe mans capacitie not by the ground certainty of God his word but by the fantasticall folish erronious speculations and opinions of their owne braynes haue fallen into horrible detestable errors heresies It is therfore necessary that we in no wise admit take reason for our guide or ground in this matter but only folow the word of God with tooth and naile sticke to it by faith fully perswade our selues that that is most true and by it speak iudge al we iudge But if we wil refuse neglect the word take vpō vs by the sharpenes of our owne wit reason to vnderstand these articles and by our sences perceiue comprehend measure them then shal we fal from error to error vntil we be quite gone from the truth Well let vs heare more testimonies concerning the godhed of Christ The 45. psalm describeth the deuinitie humanity spiritual kingdom of Christ his promise made to his spouse the Church notably in these wordes Thy throne O God or thy seat is for euer and euer The scepter of thy kingdome is a scepter of righteousnes thou louest righteousnes hatest wickednes because God euen thy God hath annointed thee with oile of gladnes aboue thy fellowes The prophet here calleth Christ true god And this verse doth S. Paul recite to the Hebrues where he proueth the godhead of Christ You heare also that Iesus is mā whom God annointed more plenteously then his fellowes that is indued hym with his holy spirit blessed him with many more richer blessings then his fellowes to wit then the beleuers in Christ This must be vnderstood of his manhood for he was annointed according to his manhood vnto the euerlasting kingdom priesthoode by the holy ghost Christ according to his humanity hath fellowes whō in the psal he calleth brethren And Paul to the Rom. calleth Christ the first borne amongst many brethrē But he hath no fellow according to his godhead but is the only begotten eternal sonne of God. His rod or scepter is the gospell with it he raigneth ruleth that is with the rod of direction streight scepter of eternal true righteousnes which commeth by the gospell that is faith in Christ by which also we receiue the holy spirit which bringeth vs the right way not by the biewais and wrong pathes of mans doctrine but by the straite compendious and most faithfull pathe vnto lyfe true felicitie and God himselfe ¶ Anna. May not the Iewes here obiect that the godhead of Christ can not be fully sufficiently proued by this psalme seing that this word Elohim accordyng to the Analogie of that holy tonge doth not onely signifie God but may be attributed also to Angels Iudges ☞ Vrb. I confesse that this worde Eloha may sometimes be attributed vnto creatures but in this psalme all the circumstances do truly manifestly proue that Elohim betokeneth here only the true natural eternal God because he saith Lord thy seat or throne or thy kingly seat Do you marke how he speaketh here of a seate This euerlasting kingdom or empire or this kingly seat cannot belong vnto any creature but only vnto the true God who in many places of the scripture sayth I am the Lord. Therfore Elohim here doth signify that true euerlasting God which hath an eternall seat And in this place the godhead of Christ is most euidently truly proued against those stifnecked Iewes who are compelled will they nill they to confesse that this psalm speaketh of Christ Paul also proueth the godhead of Christ by the 2. psal Where the father sayth vnto the sonne Thou art my sonne this day
Who gaue the law of god to the Iewes in tables of stone but could not make his people by the law righteous For he could not giue power strength to do perform the law But our law giuer both teacheth vs what is right holy also giueth vs a new hart his holy spirit as he promiseth by Ezec. The finger of god writeth his law in our harts that we may with ioy and pleasure do the will of the lord He is also our king for he ruleth vs in spirit truth defendeth vs And his holy spirit cōforteth vs as Esa. saith Feare not for thou shalt not be ashamed neither shalt thou be confounded For thou shalt not be put to shame For he that made thee is thy husband vvhose name is the lord of hostes thy redemer the holy one of Israel shall be called the God of the vvhole vvorld He speaketh this of Christ his church Paul saith to the Ephes Christ is the husband of the church And here again he calleth him Iehouah Zebaoth that is God almighty And afterward he calleth him by another of the names of God Elohe which also signifieth god And this prophesy is fulfilled euē frō the apostles time vnto this day is now also daily in fulfilling For al the godly beleuers in Christ Iesu do in one spirit faith confesse through the whole world that Iesus of Nazareth is our lord Christ very true God to be lauded and praised for euer Amen The scripture is full of these testimonies of that name of Iehouah Let vs therfore heare more Esay saith This is our God we haue waited for him he wil saue vs this is the lord Iehouah we haue waited for him we wil reioice and be ioyful in his saluation This prophesy doth properly appertain to Messias He shal destroy death for euer then shal the church in the time of the new testamēt say Iesus of Nazareth is our God who onely wil bring vs helth saluatiō For now this doctrine or preching to wit that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners is spred abrode through the whole world And Pet. saith We beleue through the grace of the lord Iesus Christ to be saued euē as our fathers did beleue And Esa. saith Be ye strong feare not behold your God cōmeth with vēgeance euen God with a recōpence he wil come and saue you This prophesie speaketh also of Christ Wherupō Cypr. citeth it against the Iues. For the prophet by by reciteth those miracles which Messias should work here vpō earth And the holy ghost here cōmandeth al the preachers to cōfort the poore in spirit to wit all those which truly repēt are hartily sory for their sinnes which are amazed striken doun quake at the wrath iudgement of god And he biddeth them preach vnto thē diligently the gospel the glad tidings of the lord saying that god himself doth come to take vengeāce of his enemies to deliuer vs frō the tirāny of our sinnes As it came to passe in the fulnes of tyme when the only begotten sonne of god came into this earth vnto vs in his own person tooke vpon him mans nature suffred death for our sins vpō the crosse rose again frō death and therby satisfied for our trespasses deliuered vs from our sinnes death This was done by none other but by Iesus Christ of Nazareth the true son of God who at the time appointed became man therfore he is called by this most worthy comfortable name by which the prophets called him lōg before And the angel in Math. nameth him Ieschuah or Iesus It is also worthy noting full of comfort that where these prophets speake of the helpe by which we are deliuered frō our sinnes there they vse the very root or Schoresch from whēce this most cōfortable name Iesus is deriued As Esa. in the 25. saith the prophet Ioschienu and in the 35. he saith Ioschaechem And these wordes come of Ioscha and Hoschia which is deliuered to help to redeme Iere. fore-speaketh of Christes kingdom calleth him the true brāch of Dauid And he addeth he shal be called Iehouah of our righteousnes that is the name by which they cal him our iust God. The doctors of the Iewes thēselues as Rabbi Kimchi other confesse that the prophet speaketh here of Christ of his kingdom And Thargū saith Akemle Dauid Meschiah de Zadika ia that is I wil raise vp or bring forth a Messias for Dauid which is Christ the righteous Here God promised to Dauid long after the death of Dauid a stock or branch of righteousnes which shold set vp true rightousnes This branch is Christ And there he telleth what his name should be he calleth him by the name of god For he setteth down that holy name Iehouah This testimony doth conuince the wicked Iues damned Arrians of a diuelish heresy And it soundly declareth that Christ is not onely true man borne of the stock of Dauid after the flesh but also the only true and natural god ¶ An. I remember that you were wont oftentimes to say that amongst the briefe short sentences of the holy scripture you neuer had more redy perfect help comfort by any then by these words Our righteous God or Christ the God of our righteousnes You say that this sentence is your most precious iuel which ye would not change with many millions of worlds if there were so many worldes For you say it is the pith of the whole gospel Wherfore I pray you good husband expound and open me the same with al diligence that I may also be partaker of that rich treasure and precious iuell For all thinges ought to be common betwene vs seing that which is yours is also myne ☞ Vrb. Why might I not say with Paul. Those thinges that were vātage vnto me the same I counted losse for Christes sake yea doubtles I thinke all things but losse for the excellent knovvledge sake of Christ Iesus my lord For vvhō I haue accounted all thinges losse and do iudge thē to be dong that I might vvin Christ might be found in him that is not hauing mine ovvn righteousnes vvhich is of the lavve but that vvhich is thorovv the faith of Christ euen the righteousnes vvhich is of God thorovv faith that I may knovv him the vertue of his resurrection I haue had no afflictiō no grief no wound of hart though it were very bitter in which this saying of Ier. did could not comfort refresh me For what storme of temptation soeuer assaileth me what tēpest of affliction soeuer riseth rageth vpon me when my sins vexe me when the horrors of death shake me and when the paines of the euerlasting lake be present before me appeare in my mind by by I
calling for helpe cryeth as one helpeles My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And where as he had sayd that who so beleued in him should not see death for euer yet he himself both suffered death and was buryed in the sepulcher Here if we were led by humayne reason we should with Cleophas and his companion say Wee hoped that he had bene the redemer of Israell whiche should haue saued vs all but now he himself is dead Howe shal a dead man saue vs and how can he which is slain haue an euerlasting kingdom You see howe this name Pele was not without special cause geuen to this child whō it doth by that name of sauiour represēt For so he is in deed the true sauior redemer which deliuereth vs from all our sinnes and miseries And so it pleased him by hys pouerty to blesse vs with spirituall riches by the tauntes and checkes which he suffred to deliuer vs from euerlasting shame by his crosse to bring vs to eternall honour and glory by his weaknesse to giue vs eternall strength and by his death to giue vs a flourishyng lyfe and to abolish our death by dying hymselfe All these he hath done and daily doth in vs when he maketh vs like himself that is to say weake in body but strong in spirite base lowe and contemptible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very ofscouringes before the world but the vessels and instruments of glory in the sight of god And thus he suffereth vs to dye that the Infidels may thinke there is no difference betwene a Christian and no Christian as Turke or iewe But yet our death is precious in the sight of the lord neither doth he suffer vs to abide in death All these things are great meruelous wonderful and far passing our reason and vnderstāding yea far exceding all the strength power effect working of our nature An other name is Ioetz that is councel For though this Pele doth lead and gouerne vs thus wonderfully by his crosse ignominy maketh vs glorious yet are we ignorant rude fayntharted fearfull and therfore is it necessary that he merueilously prouide for coūsail and help vs For it is not in our power and strēgth to endure and stand in trouble and persecutiō But what counsel geueth he verely cleane contrary to the world The world willeth vs to beware flie and eschue the cros affliction to reuenge our selues But Christ casteth hys seruantes into trouble and vexations and therein trieth them as gold is tryed in the fire furnace But yet so that he comforteth them alwayes most louingly as it appereth in Ioh. where he saith vnto the Apostles Be of good chere I haue ouercome the world And a little before he sayth Ye shall weep and lament the world shall reioyce ye shall sorrow but your sorrow shal be turned to ioy and your ioy shal no man take from you What els I pray you is the whole sacred scripture but a plentifull and rich Pharmacopole whence wee may fetch present help and most fruitfull and sound comfort for all sicknes calamities and euils as Paule witnesseth saying what soeuer things be writtē afore tyme are written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might haue hope For hee whiche speaketh in the scriptures is almighty and both can will help vs alway His word is not spoke in vayne but al things are done which he hath promised Yea the holy ghost himselfe whiche is the spirit of truth is our comfort and help For thus we read in the book of wisdome O Lord neyther herbe nor plaister healed thē but thy word which healeth all things hath made vs safe And Ionathas the high priest saith vnto the Spartanes We Iewes stand no nede of the societie and friendship of the Gentiles hauing the holy bookes which are in our hands for our cōfort And now I pray you what trouble what affliction what calamity or what dāger in al this world cā be so great how great so euer it be against which the word of god that most holesome and holy gospel cannot minister giue most holesom plētiful perfect sound consolation and comfort seeyng that it promiseth not only corporal but heauenly help And the promises therof are by Christ confirmed established and sure yea and Amen If you read better read all the workes of the Heathen philosophers you shal find nothing in them and yet their whole study trauel was to find some comfort against death wherin you may take true cōfort All their arte al their knowledge all their wisdom and all the remedies that euer they found are nothing if thei be compared but with these two comfortable sentences in Mat. The first is Feare not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soule Here you see the immortalitie of the soule of which the Ethnikes speake euen as blynde men of coulors But the words folowing which is the second are not vttred by any philosopher but by Christ himself the euerlasting truth and very true lyfe Euery one sayth he that beleueth in the sonne of God hath euerlastyng lyfe and I wil raise him vp in the last day Here you haue the resurrection or rising againe of the flesh of which the Gentils and the whole world with all their wisdome had no knowledge Go to then if any be in the agony of death or assailed with the tempests of persecution afflictiō either els vexed pinched with the bitter dolors terrors of conscience for his sinnes as soone as he shal lay hold on these two sentences by faith lay them vp in his hart he shall find comfort haue true and plenteous consolation For he hath forgiuenes of his sins sure hope of euerlasting life nay rather he hath life alredy because he is in Christ Christ in hym This in dede is true counsell For all mens counsels consolations are vaine momentany cannot help deliuer vs in extremity peril danger but the counsel of the lord doth abide continue for euer God the father commaunds vs to heare this counsailor saying Heare him The 70. interpreters haue expounded this word Ioetz the angel of the great counsail beautifiyng Christ with the notable and apt epitheton giuing him the proper title For Christ is the legate angel of the great counsail of the triple vnitie and most holy trinity and is also the eternal wisdom of the father The third epitheton or name of the child is El it signifieth strēgth fortitude or God as the 70. interpreters haue translated it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the mighty god This name conteineth a singuler cōfort For it telleth vs that Christ doth not only prouide for vs by the word of his gospel but also is presēt with vs doth mightily help vs faithfully perform to vs those
briefe they are true Israelites in whō there is no deceit or fraude because Christ their king blesseth and gouerneth them by his holy spirite and renueth regenerateth them maketh them which were bloud-thirsty and enuious very myld men and patient sufferers of all harmes that happen so that beyng hurt they hurt not agayne nay they wish well vnto their enemies they blesse them that curse them and doe good to them that hurt them Forasmuch then as appertayneth vnto themselues they neede no swords but only for the infidels and wicked which must be ruled restrayned by the sword and by force least that the godly and good liuers be oppressed hurt by them As Esay sayth of the kingdom of Christ They shall do no hurt neither do any iniury in my holy hill because the earth shal be filled with the knowledge of God euen as the sea with flowing waters And Micheas prophecieth of the peace which shall be in the kingdom of Christ saying But they shall sit euery man vnder his vine and vnder his fig tree and none shall make them afrayde And Hose sayth I will make a couenaunt for them in that day that is when Messias shall rule with the wild beastes and with the foules of the heauen and with that that creepeth vpon the earth and I will breake the bow and the sword and the battail out of the earth and will make thē to sleep safely And Zachary saith I will cut of the chariots from Ephraim and the horse from Ierusalem the bowe of the battail shall be broken and he shall speake peace vnto the heathen These things are not to be vnderstood corporally and grosly as the blinded Iewes and Chiliastes did dreame but spiritually of the heauenly peace in the spirituall kingdom of Christ If therfore the Gentiles through all the world according to this prophesie ought to run vnto the Lord into the church or christian religion and receiue the doctrine therof and be partakers of that true peace it was needefull that Christ should rise agayne that he might erect restore and establish that great kingdom which consisteth of the Iewes and Gentils For as yet the Gentils when he dyed knew not who he was Nay the very Iewes themselues could not abide this their king wherupon the prophet warneth euen the Iewes in the ende of his prophesie saying O house of Iacob come ye and let vs walke in the light of the lord that is in his gospell in the fayth of Christ And Esay comforteth the people of the Iewes prophesieng vnto them that although the Iewes should suffer a great destruction and haue a miserable fall yet many of the Israelites should escape all those euils obtaine that euerlasting ioy and incomparable comfort which God promised saying In that day shall the bud of the Lord be beautifull and glorious and the fruite of the earth shall be excellent and pleasaunt for them that are escaped of Israel Then he that shal be lost in Sion and he that shall remayne in Ierusalem shal be called holy and euery one shall be written among the liuyng in Ierusalem when the Lord shall wash the filthines of the daughter of Sion and purge the bloud of Ierusalem out of the midst therof by the spirit of burning In these wordes the prophet foretelleth how glorious and honorable this kingdome of Messias should be And he speaketh properly of the tymes of the new Testament wherein Christ adourned hys kyngdome his Church with beauty aboue measure and with all the giftes of the holy ghost For he washeth cleanseth and sanctifieth his daughter Sion that is the church with holy baptisme by his bloude Hee mortifieth the olde Adam by the spirite of iudgement and of fire And seeing that the churche her selfe must fight here in the fleshe against most wicked and vile enemies and seing that she is here on earth in great daunger Christ her almighty king doth promise her comfort defence ayde and helpe in all aduersities and calamities that she may bee safe vnder the protection of the most high For hee shall be a cloude for his church in the day tyme and a fire lightnyng it in the night as hee visibly deliuered his people out of the house of bondage as we read in Exodus where it is sayd And the Lord went before them by day in a piller of a cloude to leade them the way and by night in a piller of fire to geue them light that they might goe both by day and by night hee tooke not away the piller of the cloud by day nor the piller of fire by night frō before the people Note here that the prophet calleth our Lord Christ the budde or blossom of God and the fruit of the earth because Christ is the sonne of God naturally and also the true sonne of man to wit of the perpetuall and pure Virgin Mary of the tribe of Dauid He is called the fruite of the earth because he tooke his holy humanitie of the daughter of Adam which Adam was made of earth This prophesie the Iewes vnderstood both in Babilon and afterward also of Christ For Thargum Ionathan sayth At this tyme the Messias of the lord shal be our ioy and glory ¶ Anna. Cleophas and his companion by this prophesie might easily haue vnderstood that Israel should not quite perish because Christ died For if it was meet that he should bee the fruite of the earth that is to say naturall man what meruaile is it then if he died But in that he was the budde of the Lord it was not possible that he should abide in death For then should God himselfe haue remayned in death which thing is vnpossible Wherfore he was able both to raise vp and deliuer hymself and other from death Moreouer seyng that not all which were in Ierusalem and in Sion but the remnant only should be holy and numbred amongest the elect it must needes be that there were some wicked men in Ierusalem and so consequently enemies to Christ For holines and wickednes cannot agree What maruayle was it then that these prophayne and wicked bishops and princes deliuered Christ to death But yet for all that he was able to deliuer Israell yea death it selfe was the way and meane whereby God had determined to saue Israel as the Prophetes haue sayde and yet not by force armour and the sworde as the Iewes dreamed but euen by his holinesse as it seemed good vnto the Lorde But it appeareth in Luke that those good disciples as then neither knew nor vnderstood the person and ministery of Messias to wit that he both could and should by death destroy death ☞ Vrbanus You say well and therfore doth Christ call them fooles and slow of hart to beleue and vnderstand all thinges which the prophet spake of Messias But marke what Esay sayth of Christ First he giueth Christ this worthy warriours name calling him Maher
precious bloude of Christ Although many hurtfull beastes inuirone it and goe about by craft to burst into it and vtterly to destroy it yet shall it growe and be fruitfull because the lord him selfe keepeth it and is a watchman and keper thereof which keepeth it with all care and diligence And the new testament in Mathew speaketh of the church after the same sort Although this vineyard abide great tempests violent assaults and grieuous stormes yet is it not torne in pieces broken downe lesned or cutte shorter and made straighter but euery day becommeth more flourishing greater and greener For the church encreaseth and is dilated and spred into the foure quarters of the whole world The Apostles which were to spring of the seede of Iacob and Israel according to the flesh propagated and spread the Gospell abroade through all the world And the Lord by their planting and wateryng gaue such encrease that throughout the whole world there sprong vp of the Gentils spirituall Iacobites and Israelites which haue the fayth of their heauenly father Iacob and by their lyfe professe and witnes that they are endued with the fayth of the Patriarkes and are their children by fayth And thus the true Iacob or Israel that is the true church spreadeth it selfe through the whole world which before was onely in Iudea For many shall come from the East and West and shall sitte downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen And it was conuenient that the trumpe of the gospel should at the same tyme of grace be blown through the whole worlde that the grace of Christ myght appeare and be opened and offered to all men And that both the Iewes and Gentiles might be gathered out of the whole earth into one church and worship the lord Iesus Christ in hys holy hyll Ierusalem to wit the catholike church which is the hill of the Lord and the heauenly Ierusalem For the earthly Ierusalem hath now hys ende and lyeth wasted and destroyed and was but onely a type of the heauenly Ierusalem And now that the truth it selfe and the thyng figured is come and is present there needeth not any more figures In vayne therfore and frustrate is the expectation and hope of the Iewes which vnderstande these prophesies of the earthly Ierusalem which shal neuer be restored to his former state and dignity as Daniel prophesieth in his 9. chapter ¶ Anna. If this vineyard or catholike church that is christian religion should flourish thorough the whole world If also the Gentils should worship Christ and if they should become true Israelites and by the helpe and ayde of Christ flourish and waxe greene then surely was it conuenient that Christ should rise from the dead to plant and kepe the great and ample vineyarde and so saue and deliuer not only Israel according to the flesh but euen vs Gentiles which be the spirituall Israelites But these two disciples considered not this ☞ Vrb. If these prophesies be well and diligently waied and considered we may plainely see and gather out of euery one of them the resurrection of Christ true christians This is the true deliueraunce of Israel not only from the king of Assiria or Babilon but from that great and horrible tirant of hel Satan and euerlasting death Esay prophesieth in other places also of that gracious tyme of the new testament wherin Christ came and the holy ghost was sent into the Apostles by whō the chiefe and true quietnes and peace of consciēce was giuen in the kingdom of Christ And thus he prophesieth in the 32. The pallace shal be forsaken c. vntill the spirit be powred vpon vs from aboue and the wildernesse become a fruitfull field and the plenteous field bee counted as a forest And iudgement shall dwel in the desert iustice shal remaine in the fruitful fields And the worke of iustice shall be peace euen the worke of iustice and quietnes and assuraunce for euer And my people shall dwell in the tabernacle of peace and in sure dwellings and in safe resting places Esay had tolde the Iewes that both their city and kingdome should bee destroyed as it came to passe afterwarde by the Chaldes And so it ought to bee before the commyng of Messias who should ende all calamities and before the holy spirit of Christ should be poured vpon thē from heauen which was fulfilled in Ierusalem on Whitsonday whē Christ sent his spirit visibly vnto his Apostles Then at the last was the true Ierusalem builded by the Apostles on Christ the head corner stone Then the desert that is the remnant of the Iewes and Gentiles shall be as a field well tilled and they shall bring forth aboundance of fruite in the fayth of Christ And the fielde which before flourished to wit the Sinagoge shall be made a forrest and wildernes Then shall true righteousnes dwell in this kingdome of Christ to wit fayth in Christ which bringeth forth most pleasaunt and delectable fruites namely peace euen true peace in the lord peace of conscience with true and euerlasting security He calleth the church of Christ also the habitation of peace the tabernacle of trust or most sure habitation because we can fynde peace and safety from the tiranny of the wicked spirite from sinne and from death in no other place but onely in the churche of Christ For he which kepeth and defendeth the church is the Lord of hostes himselfe which hath ouercome Sathan and established Sion that is the churche on a strong and sure foundation and in all places strongly defendeth it from all euils that hang ouer it He onely deserued and made our reconciliation The church is his heauenly body the church is his temple the church is his kyngdome wherein he dwelleth And therefore there can bee no true peace at all any where but onely in the church in which we haue true peace with GOD thorough our mediator and reconciler Iesus Christ Without this dwelling place of God is very whote indignation wrath and wretchednesse For in hym which beleeueth not in Christ dwelleth the wrath of God therefore he must needes perish But the true peace and securitie which we haue here but in fayth by the holy ghost the earnest peny of our inheritaunce shall then in deede at the last in the lyfe to come haue his beginnyng when our last enemy death shal be vtterly abolished There is also in the 35. of Esay a comfortable prophesie of Christ and of the kingdome of hys church of the doctrine of his Gospell of the miracles and signes of Christ and of our true deliuerance through Christ and of the eternall ioy of faythfull Christians The wordes are these The deserte and the wildernesse shall reioyce and the waste grounde shall bee glad and flourish as the rose it shall flourish aboundantly and shall greatly reioyce also and ioy The glory of Libanus shall be geuen vnto it the beauty of
enemies to wit sinne death and hell What so euer thing he but euen thinketh to doe he can finish and performe the same so as no man is able to hinder it For he is very God himself in vnder the shape forme of mā Esay also telleth how he doth gouern his people or kingdome to wit with great diligence faith and carefulnes saying He shall feed his flock like a Shepheard he shall gather the Lambes with his arme and cary them in his bosome and shall guide them with young Wee are Lambes and Christ the Shepheard he feedeth vs with his holesome word which is our meat And although as yet we be weake and vnperfect as concerning the flesh yet doth he not cast vs away and thrust vs from him but he beareth vs on his shoulders and cherisheth vs euen in his bosome and lap For the kingdome of Christ is the kingdome of grace And so in deed caryed he these two weak sheep Cleophas and his companyon because they were very ignorant heauy and weake in faith But he fed them by the word of God and put such things in their minds as refreshed them and made them very ioyfull so that they were able to comfort others In the 34. of Esay Christ saith vnto his people But thou hast made me to serue with thy sinnes and wearyed me with thine iniquities I euen I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine own sake and wil not remember thy sinnes Here we see what it was that caused Christ to suffer and dye euen our sinnes And Christ alone and no other could and was to satisfy God for them Our works suffrings and merits were neuer able to haue done it Our righteousnes therfore or saluation lyeth not in our hands nor in our works or sufferings but in the actions and passions of Christ Iesus our lord It is he that purgeth pardoneth and wypeth away our sinnes not for the worthynes of our desertes but euen for his own sake Here we haue the cause and fruit of Christes passyon therefore these two disciples should haue thought thus He hath suffered and yet not by constraint but of his own free will. It was his fathers will and it was also his wil to suffer And by this only way and meane he would redeem true Israell and so begin his kingdome And a little after Esay in his 4 4. chapter sheweth what fruites came of these tribulations vexations and afflictions which Christ suffered for our sinnes verely euen this that we haue the holy ghost with all his giftes geuen vs by which the church the kingdome of Christ doth grow and florish as a field that is well watered and moystned with fruitful showers in the moneth of May. When God iustifyeth the wicked then forgeueth he him not only all his sinnes but he geueth him also the holy Ghost with all his benefits to wit faith charity hope ioy and peace of conscience And hereupon groweth and commeth true Iacob and Israel Thus therfore saith he vnto Israel I wil poure water vpon the thirsty and flouds vpon the dry ground I will poure my spirite vpon thy seed and my blessing vpon thy buds and they shal grow as among the gras and as the willowes by the riuers of waters One shal say I am the Lords another shall be called by the name of Iacob and another shall subscribe with his hand vnto the Lord and name him selfe by the name of Israel Here you haue the calling of the Gentiles so that euen they also shal be Iacob and Israel in spirite and faith and they shall both in word and deede professe Christ to be their Lord and god This therfore is the true deliuerance of Israell that Christ doth delyuer both the Iewes and Gentiles from their sinnes from al errors and from euerlasting death and geueth them his holy spirite that they may acknowledge confesse prayse and glorifie God and at the last rise again from death and liue for euer This is the sacred seed of Abraham of which the kingdome of Christ groweth to greter and greter strength The disciples perchaunce were of this opinion that Messias should delyuer the Iewes by force of armes and edge of sword and enrich them in the land of Canaan with continuall peace plenty and aboundance of all kind of cōmodities But this was a light and miserable kind of deliuerance in comparyson of our deliuerance from that eternal captiuity and tiranny of Sathan with which we all were oppressed And when the prophet hath now reproued and accused Israell for their Idolatry because they honoured not the true God aright He sayth thus Remēber these things O Iacob and Israel for thou art my seruant I haue formed thee thou art my seruant O Israell forget me not I haue put away thy transgressions like a cloud and thy sinnes as a mist Turn vnto me for I haue redeemed thee Reioyce ye heathens for the Lord hath done it Shoute ye lower parts of the earth burst forth into praises ye moūtaynes O forrest and euery tree therein for the Lord hath redeemed Iacob and will be glorified in Israell The church vnderstandeth this of Christ our redeemer and true sauyour For there is no other redeemer of mankind but Iesus Christ neither is there any other God which can purge and pardon sin but Christ alone Euery creature may wel and worthely reioyce and prayse God for this glorious incomparable and inestimable deliuerance This benefit to wit that our only and eternal priest Christ Iesus the king of Israell hath blotted out our sinne destroyed hel ouercome death and reconciled vs to God is so great glorious incomparable and inestimable a benefite that it passeth all benefites that could happen to vs nay there is none any whit like it Esay prophesyeth again in the 49. chapter plainly and manifestly of Christ saying Thus saith the Lord the redeemer of Israell and his holy one to him that is despised in soule to a nation that is abhorred to a seruaunt of rulers kinges shall see and arise and princes shall worship because of the Lord that is faithful and the holy one of Israell which hath chosen thee Thus saith the lord In an acceptable time haue I heard thee and in the day of saluation haue I helped thee and I will preserue thee and will geue thee for a couenant of the people that thou maist rayse vp the earth and obtayn the inheritance of the desolate heritages that thou mayst say vnto the prisoners goe forth and to them that are in darcknes shew your selues They shall feed in the wayes and their pastors shall be in all the tops of the hils they shall not be hungry neither shall they be thirsty neither shall the heat smite them nor the sun For he that hath compassion on them shall leade them euen to the springs of waters shall he driue them And I will make all my mountaines as a
through al the world how the Apostles should gather together by the preaching of the gospel all such of the gentils as be elect and should bring them into heauenly Ierusalem the catholicke church as a sacrifice and oblation vnto the lord These be his words For it shal come that I wil gather all nations and tongues and they shall come and see my glory and I will set a signe among them and will send those that escape of thē vnto the nations of Tarshish Pul and Lud and to them that draw the bow To Tuball and Iauan Iles a far of that haue not heard my fame netther haue seene my glory and they shall declare my glory among the gentils and they shall bring all your bretheren for an offering vnto the Lord out of all nations vpon horses and in charyots in horselitters and vpon mules and swift beastes to Ierusalem my holy mountaine saith the Lord as the children of Israell offer in a clean vessell in the house of the Lord. Doe you heare God by the preaching of the gospel wil iudge all the works both of the Iewes and the gentils and will gather them together that they may see the glory of God how that all our hability and strength is nothing but that only his grace obtayned by Christ is al in al. This Christ only forgeueth our sins iustifyeth vs saueth vs and he only destroyeth and ouercommeth death and the deuil and delyuereth all his out of all misery and calamity And this deliuerāce doth he declare by the preaching of the gospell in all parts of the world and he calleth certayn parts of the earth which lye East and West North and South which lye to the foure parts of the world And that rēnant of Iewes which he speaketh of here which escape and are delyuered out of blindnes are the Apostles them doth he send to all the world Wherefore you may well see that there he doth not speake of a worldely kingdome Iesus Christ crucyfied is the signe he is preached to be the only sauyour of the world and the true glory of God which glory that is to say truth mercy power which God hath geuen vs in Christ shall be preached and shewed to the Gentils and by that preaching shal the Gentils be brought to God as it were a gift or oblation purifyed and made acceptable by the gospell as Paul witnesseth to the Rom. saying I put you in remembrance through the grace that is geuen me of God that I should be the minister of Iesus Christ towards the Gentils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is ministring the gospel of god that the offering vp of the gentils might be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an oblation acceptable being sanctified by the holy ghost You see then that the Iewes sacrifice should haue an end and that liuely men not bruit beastes must be offered vnto the Lord in all lands The true delyueranee of Israell by Messias is this that he saueth all his that be in the world as wel Iewes as Gentils which are conuerted and illuminated by the word and his holy spirite and maketh thē partakers of eternall life And these thus delyuered and saued by Christ are that heauenly Ierusalem the holy mountaine and the congregation of the faithfull in Christ into the which there is euery day some brought out of all places and offered vnto the Lord as a pure oblation By these horses chariots horslitters and such other that the prophet here speaketh of must be vnderstoode that sweet faire gentle milde and pleasant preaching of the gospel in which the consciences of men be caryed very easely And by these things as S. Augustine saith may be vnderstood all the help we haue either by God himself or by his angels or men wherby the bretheren of the elected Israelits be drawen into the church as bretheren into the catholick faith And thus do you heare how that the spiritual kingdome of Christ the church consisteth both of the Iewes and gentils and how that in all parts of the world she is gouerned by the preaching of the gospel and is subiect in this life to the cros that she may be made lyke to Christ her king and yet notwithstanding she hath passing fayr great and comfortable promises in which she reposeth her hope and hath her comfort and consolation til such time as Christ the king of glory appeare from heauen in his maiesty with the angels of his power that he may be glorifyed in his saints and praysed in all his faithfull Thē at that day shall it wel appeare how great excellent and infinite the glory of the eternall king and of his kingdome and the holy church is whereof the prophets haue spoken euen from the beginning ¶ Anna. What prophesyeth Ieremy of Christ and his church ☞ Vrb. Ieremy in his 11. chap. prophesyeth of the willing redynes of Christ in suffering his passion he sayth thus The Lord hath taught me and I know it euen then thou shewedst me their practises but I was like a lambe or a bullock that is brought to the slaughter and I knew not that they had deuysed this against me saying let vs destroy the tree with the fruit therof and cut him out of the land of the liuing that his name may be no more in memory But O Lord of hostes that iudgest righteously and tryest the raynes and the hart let me see thy vēgeance on them for vnto thee haue I opened my cause Here in this prophecy Ieremy is a figure of Christ and the church hath 1000. yeares and moe so expounded this text to wit that God the father doth here reuele to his sonne Christ the wicked counsels hatred despite and bitternes of the Iewes and how that they would kil him as a sheep and lambe By the which name Esay also calleth Christ For it was very requisite that he should be that lambe without spot which by his only sacrifice should purge the sinnes of the wholl world euen as the figures in Moyses law fore shewed ¶ Anna. Why doth Christ here say that he perceiued not or knew not their wicked and malicious pretences seeing he him self told his disciples lōg before his passion that he must suffer at Ierusalem and knew euery thing the Iewes ment and deuised against him ☞ Vrb. S. Hierō taketh the meaning of this text thus that Christ saw in him self no sinn or knew him self to be gilty of no sin as Esay saith But although this may be so read and vnderstood yet do I take it to be meant of Ieremy him self against whom the Iewes at Anathoth toke such diuelish deadly and priuy counsell as he had not vnderstoode of if God had not reuealed it to him It is sufficiēt that Ieremy be a figure of Christ in the chief point that is to say in his passion for it is not needful that he should in euery word beare the figure of Christ
worthy sentence of the gospell of Christ as a forceable and waighty testimony of the righteousnes of fayth saying that it is not any otherwise to be gotten retained but by fayth And therfore Christ reproueth Cleophas and his cōpanyon for that they beleued not the prophets speaking of Messias and so became pensiue and doutfull In lyke manner doth Abacuk also He bouldly and vehemētly threatneth the Iewes captiuitie yet neuerthelesse he sayth that the comming of the promised Messias should not thereby be hindered at all but he should in deede deliuer them according vnto the prophets And he sayth that they which will be partakers of this deliuerance must lay sure hould by fayth vpon the holy promises of Christ of his passion of his resurrection of his ascention But they which wil not beleue shal not be partakers of Christes merites but remaine captiues in their sinnes and dye for euer ☞ Anna. What and when did Zephane prophecy of Christ and his kingdome ¶ Vrba He prophecied in the 19. yeare of that vertuous prince Iosias king of Iuda and he sayth thus in his 3. chapiter Therefore waight ye vpon me sayth the Lord vntill the day that I rise vp to the pray For I am determined to gather the natiōs and I wil assemble the kingdomes to poure vpon them my indignation euen all my fearce wrath for all the earth shall be deuoured with the fire of my ielosy Suerly then will I turne to the people pure language that they may all call vpon the name of the Lord to serue him with one consent from beyond the riuers of Ethiopia the daughter of my disparsed praying vnto me shal bring me an offring In that day shalt not thou be ashamed for all thy workes wherein thou hast transgressed against me For then I will take away out of the middest of thee them that reioyce of thy pride and thou shalt no more be proud of mine holy mountaine Then I will leaue in the middest of thee an humble and poore people and they shall trust in the name of the lord The remnant of Israell shall do no iniquitie nor speake lyes neither shall a deceitfull tongue be found in their mouth For they shall be fed and ly downe and none shall make them affrayd Reioyce O daughter Sion be ye ioyfull O Israell be glad and reioyce withall thine hart O daughter Ierusalem The Lord hath taken away thy iudgementes he hath cast out their enimies the king of Israell euen the Lord is in the middest of thee thou shalt see no more euill In that day shall be sayd to Ierusalem feare thou not O Sion let not thine handes be faint The Lord thy God in the middest of thee is mighty he will saue he will reioyce ouer thee with ioye he wil quiet him selfe in his loue he wil reioyce ouer thee with ioy After a certayne time will I gather the afflicted that were of thee and them that bare the reproch for it Behold at that time I will bruse all that afflict thee and I will saue her that halteth and gather her that was cast out and I will get them prayse and fame in all the landes of their shame At that time will I bring you agayne and then will I gather you for I will geue you a name and a prayse among all people of the earth whē I turn back your captiuitie before your eyes sayth the Lord. Zephany prophecieth vnto the people what punishment should come vpō them for their sin as Ierusalē and Iuda should be destroyed and the people be lead captiues out of their countrye But seeing the prophets were the ministers of Iesus Christ sent for the true Israels sake their manner is alway after threatning and denuntiations to the people of their deserued punishment to comfort the elect by sweet and plentifull promises of their true deliuerer Christ and of his kingdom to the end the godly should not dispayre in their captiuity as though the Lord would for euer be angry and reuoke hys worde of the promised helpe in Messias Seing I say the chief end of the prophets be the promises of Christ which are the true very Gospell it self they alwayes preach Christ And so doth Zachary here in the end cōfort the Iewes least in the captiuitie of Babilon they should faint and doubt of Gods worde And he prophecieth that the Lord will gather them together againe in a mightie hand and that he will send Christ and spread his kingdome through the whole world and exalt his people vnto the highest stage of honor This is the meaning of this prophesye Ye must needes be captiues whether ye will or no but ye must not therefore dispaire waight onely for the Lordes leasure For when time shall be I will not faile you but helpe you I will rise vp and declare my power to the whole world sayth the Lord. First of all he stirred vp the king of Babilon to seaze vpon the countrey and miserably to destroy all thinges that were in it But the Babilonian king was well fauordly and deuly punished plunged and destroyed againe himselfe of the Meades and Persians Thus the Iewes the people of god were spread all abroad throughout the whole world by those wordes the great prayse honor glory of gods name was better knowē to all men so that euery one might euen with his handes feele and much rather know the God of the Hebrewes to be the true and onely God euen vntill the time of grace it selfe came when the father by his son Iesus Christ was euery where truely knowen and glorified in his Gospell This pure language or those pleasant and sweete lips be the preachers of the Gospell which preach vnto vs mere grace in Christ and offer vs and geue vs true deliueraunce in Messias For by these the fayth of Christ entereth into mens hartes that they maye receaue the holy ghost so together with one hart publickly and openly praye vnto Christ and confesse him to be their onely Sauiour and deliuerer For they all haue one doctrine one spirite one fayth and one hope and they beleue in their hartes that God hath raised Christ from death and they cōfesse with their mouthes that God hath made this Iesus Lord of all thinges and annoynted him to be his Christ and by this fayth are they saued and Iustified He prophecieth also of the greatnes and widenes of Christ his kingdome and he speaketh of that mighty kingdome of Ethiopia lying beyond that great and famous floud Nilus to wit that it also shal be brought to the fayth of Christ and shall haue true worshippers who shall call vpō God through Christ their only mediator and shall by the Gospell be brought as a presēt to our God into Sion his holy temple as we read in the Actes of the Ethiopian chamberlin of the Queene of Cande who came to Ierusalē to worship the true god
Paul teacheth to the Gala. In former times the house of Dauid had a great prerogatiue for it was more famous and noble then the citye of Sion For it was the kinges stocke and tribe and the citizens of Ierusalem were then more noble then the rest of the Iewes but it shall now be otherwise For all shall be alike For there shall be one spirituall freedome or redemption wherein none shall more arrogantly or gloriously vaunt him selfe then an other but all shall reioyce in the lord In the wordes following where he speaketh of Dauid God promiseth that the faythfull Christians shall be strong in the Lord of which strēgth Paul speaketh to the Phil. I am able to do all thinges through the helpe of Christ which strengthneth me All the godly receaue the spirite of Christ by fayth and haue Christ in their harts by faith Wherfore whosoeuer trauaile vnder the crosse are weak in that appertaineth to the flesh yet in the Lord are they very strong They haue all one fayth one spirite and one Lord and therefore shall they all ouercome sin death and the world Which thing otherwise the whole world with all his might power and pollecye could not euer bring to passe Neuerthelesse this their force or fortitude is not of themselues but of god Therfore sayth Zach. In that day to wit the day of this tribulation shall the Lord defend the inhabitantes of Ierusalem that is all the godly or those that faythfully trust in the lord Wherefore though some of them fall and offend yet shall they be as Dauid Who according to his outward parson was not of any great or portly stature but the strength of God was wonderfully seene in him so that he could and did ouercome that huge monsterous and dreadfull Goliah It is a common thing euen for the righteous and most godly in this life to sin stumble offend and fall But they haue in this place the promise of the lord that he wil not by by reiect them for their fall and sin For though they be weak yet shal they alwaies be most victorious Dauids Surely it is to be required that there be greatstrength and power in him who being but one man alone fighteth against the whol world sathan sin and death and so that he getteth the victory And surely thus to doe is a Dauidlike deed Moreouer these strong men and house of Dauid shal be as the house of God and as the angel of the Lord before or amongst them That is all these inuincible christians such as Dauid was who doe obtayn victory euen in this weaknes of flesh they shal be in the church the true house of the Lord and like vnto the angels of the Lord that is in whom the Lord dwelleth And they which doe instruct others to true godlines shall be so glorified that they shall be most famous amongst christians euen like the angels and messengers of Christ Now he promiseth moreouer that it shall come to pas that the enemies of Christ and the church shall be quite destroyed For he which hurteth the godly hurteth the apple of Gods eye Here you heare agayne what kind of kingdome Christes kingdom is to wit a kingdome which is forced to stand vpon watch and be ready in armure For it hath against it most mighty enemies it must therfore be of some power strength nay of very great strēgth if it shal conquere so great enemies But that can not be by any corporall or worldly meanes but spiritually by faith as the prophets words doe plainly import and signifie But such and so great is the obstinate blindnes of the Iewes that they dreame that the prophets speak of an earthly kingdome of Christ here in this world which shal vse corporall armour and strength and haue worldly pompe and glory Although therfore the godly be sore troubled with very many enemies yet for all that shall they be and remayne without danger but through patience so that they suffer and take al things wel and patiently which come vpon them The prophet also describeth the spirituall weapons wherewithall Christ armeth and defendeth the godly in his kingdome saying I will poure saith he my spirite of grace and prayer or compassion vpon the house of Dauid That is I will geue my holy spirite vnto my seruants that it may lighten them with the true knowledge of the gospel that they may know that I am mercifull vnto them for Christ his sake and that I doe pardon their offences wherupon they may haue quiet and appeased consciences Besides this when the stormes of afflictions doe come vpon them and sore and vehemently vexe their flesh then shal the holy ghost teach them rightly to pray in the name of Iesus Christ who himselfe doth pray for the godly with sighes which are not able to be expressed And these are the weapons wherewithall the congregation of the godly doe ouercome when the cros is at hand and tribulation hangeth ouer their heads The godly straight way fly to the name of the Lord and call vpon it and receaue help in due time but our Iewes and Anabaptists when persecution commeth resist their enemies with force and armes and yet notwithstanding will they boast themselues to be the people of God which is the cause that they are alwayes so miserably confounded Now the prophet telleth what it was that purchased the holy ghost for the godly to wit the passion and death of Christ They shall see and looke vpon me sayth the Lord whom they haue pearced Here God speaketh in his own person who before spake in the prophets person and confesseth that he is pearced that is nayled vpon the cros and wounded And it is here proued by this text that Christ is true God and man who should suffer and die for vs And it followeth also that Christ with all Christifidelians shall rise again For he had promysed before that he wold geue his holy spirite vnto the godly that he wold destroy the enemies of the godly and that he would preserue and defend the godly If therfore he must keepe and preserue his elect for euer and duely punish all the gentils and their enemies it must needes follow that he must rise from death and rayse vp his seruants and gouern thē for euer And here obserue this that God and man Christ is one persō for he saith they shal loke vpon me whom they haue pearced Christ was pearced according to his manhode and not according to his Godhed alone He speaketh plainly of one person alone He saith me and deuideth not his Godhead from his manhode For he him selfe the euerlasting sonne of God was pearced but according to his humanity not according to his great and infinite deity as Paul sayth to Cor. The Iewes crucified the Lord of glory That is the God of Zeboth Psal. 25. And thus Christ by the gospel is preached and seen how
the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eschew euill and doe good Recte iudicate qui iudicatis terram Iudge and gouerne well and rightly ye that be magistrats least the Lord remoue your candlestick Hādle not O ye rich men those that falle into your lappes with rigor and extremitye and geue not your selues ye poore men to sinister double dealing Delight not I beseech you ye mē in the multitude of your riches nor ye women in the furniture of your houses watch ye which haue charge in your callinges and keepe your selues cleare from the bloud of your families Let not your wyues children and bodyes so haue their willes and pleasure that your soules which must aunswere for it suffer woe and payne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O laye hould lay hold vpō discipline and put away pride couetousnes lying swearing and cursed dealing from among you And all these shall you quickely and easely doe if you will pray hartely if you will reade the word diligently and if you will apply it wisely Which the Lord Iesus that dyed for you worke in you And the blessed Lord God which hath caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning graunt that we may all in such wise heare thē read marke learne and inwardly disgest them that sinne and distrust may be remoued from vs and we may in all our extremities be comforted and euer hold fast the blessed hope of euerlasting lyfe which he hath geuē vs in our Sauiour Iesus Christ who euer preserue you and his whole Church Amen Your honors in the Lord W. Hilton Scholemaister at S. Anthonyes ⧠A briefe ingresse to the Christian Reader AMongst all sortes of studies and labors belonging to the lyfe of man as there is none comparable to the searching of holy scriptures so in reading thereof diligent regard ought to be had First with what minde and to what end a man readeth them Secondly in what sence and after what meaning he vnderstandeth them Touching the first as the scriptures and word of God of his nature is holy so is it requisite no man to resort thereunto otherwise then with an holy minde nor to read them but to a blessed purpose That is to profite in a spirituall intelligence to learne the true will and worshippe of God in his word to encrease in fayth and to search out the kingdome of lyfe This done the second consideration is to be had for the true sence and right vnderstāding of the same Some there be and that not a few who entering the studye of the sacred scriptures haue not all peraduēture the right meaning of the holy ghost therein conteined The good Enuch in the Actes of the Apostles was well occupied in his kouche reading the propheticall scriptures yet he vnderstode not what he red before an expositor was sent him Thapostles themselues had the scriptures and red them yet how farre from the meaning thereof were they before their senses were opened So the Iewes and Saracens to this day doe haunt the scriptures but for lacke of trew vnderstanding in what blindenes do they yet remaine They which in reading the misticall scriptures do see nothing els but the literall sence and outward history therof though they thinke to see something yet in very deed see nothing Albeit I denay not but in the externe letter and historye of the ould testament there is a certen veritie of thinges so doon as in the letter is specified yet vnder the same letter and historicall truth lyeth an other more secret and misticall truth which must be opened For as the scriptures of the former testament were written most by the prophets so haue they no doubt a propheticall meaning And as all the scriptures were inspired by the holy spirite of God so carye they a spirituall vnderstanding secretly couered vnder the visible letter As for example the eating of the Apple and casting out of paradise the slaughter of Abell by his brother Caine The floud and Arke of Noah the promised blessing in the seede of Abraham The vnknowen generation of Melchisddech both king and priest The sonne of Abraham geuen and borne by promise with the inheritaunce cast vpon him The whole discourse story of Ioseph The tipicall lambe with his bloud sprinckled and bones vnbroken The passage through the red sea The hard rocke gushing out in water springes Manna The brasen serpent The whole course and lyfe of Moses The land of promise The workes and death of Sampson The victorie of Gedeon The kingdome of Dauid The tabernacle and temple of Salomon with the propitiatory and the Arke The rapting vp of Elias The casting vp of Ionas Yea the geuing also of the lawe it selfe in outward tables vpon the penticoste day that is fifty dayes after the deliueraunce These I say with a number such other thinges moe which from time to time happened amongest that people although in fact and historye they beare a truth in deed yet notwithstanding vnder the same historicall truth as vnder a vaile or curten lyeth hid other matter of higher misteries and greater priuities which if they be well discussed shal rapt a mans minde into more perfect knowledge of spirituall contemplation According as we read to happen to S. Austen by hearing Ambrose expounding the miseries conteined in the oulde testament So that the propheticall Scriptures may well be resembled in a maner to the person of their owne maister that is to Christ himselfe Who being here in earth if a man looke onely vpon his outward shape his humble poore estate in this world his quiet and simple demaynour his paynefull trauailes the manifold afflictions and tentations of his werisome lyfe his sharpe crosse and reprochfull death and looke no further he shall see no great matte in him But draw this curtaine of flesh a little and with a further insight vew well what lyeth within and ther shall appeare an other manner of matter There shalt thou behold the glory of the kingdome of God the admirable wisedome and omnipotent power of the Father the conquest of Sathā hell and the whole world with all the pride thereof and the fulnes of the deitie there corporally dwelling as S. Paul himselfe both did see and testifie In much lyke sort the scriptures writtē and inspired by God if they be sought for no further but for the literall meaning only or outward precepts of lyfe they little auaile to saluation But if the misticall tipes and manifest oracles of the law Psalmes and prophets be thorowly opened what light what lyfe what knowledge geue they without which I see not how the fayth of a Christian man can stand sound and sure And therfore the Lord himselfe whē he would geue fayth to his disciples either opened the scriptures vnto thē or els opened their eyes to vnderstand the scriptures And therefore Doct. Vrbanus Regius thauthor of this treatise is well worthy of thankes and commendation for this his labor in opening to vs such
I had so shrill loud and strong a voyce and so many tongues and mouthes that I might sound out and fil the wholl world with this doctrine God also sayth By his knowledge shal my righteous seruant iustifie many that is to say in the knowledge of him or when he shal be knowen To know and vnderstand Christ is the most marueilous and chiefest knowledge and vnderstanding of all knowledge for this knowledge alone clenseth vs iustifieth vs and maketh vs free from al sinne and therfore the Apostles in all places preach this knowledge and vnderstanding of Christ to all congregations and they speak of it and beat it stil into the peoples eares as the principall point and chiefest article of the wholl Scripture And Paul of purpose doth often vse this word in all his Epistles as in the second to the Collossians I woul ye knew what great fightings I haue for your sakes and for them of Laodicea and for as many as haue not seene my person in the flesh That their harts might be comforted and they knit together in loue and in all riches of the full assurance of vnderstanding to know the mistery of God euen the Father and of Christ in whom are hid al the treasures of wisdome and knowledge And the same Paul to the Corinthians who were puft vp with worldly wisdome and knowledge braggeth of no other skil and knowledge then that he knew Christ crucified He therefore which knoweth this Christ well is passing well learned and hath the knowledge of high great things He which knoweth him not is rude and ignoraunt of that knowledge which may wel and truely be tearmed knowledge He which knoweth Christ the same knoweth God the father and is delyuered from the horrible tiranny raging might and cruel violence of Sathan and is freeed from sinne from death and from euerlasting damnation He which knoweth not Christ knoweth neither him self nor God he is bewitched and blinded he is an Ethnick and Turk he is inwraped in the bands of Sathan and subiect to his Tiranny yea he dwelleth and abydeth in his sinnes in death and in euerlasting damnation What more horrible torment what more greeuous los and what greter misery can there be then to be in the thraldome and power of Sathan and to be all together geuen ouer both in body and soule his bondeslaue for euer Wherefore not without great cause are they heauy and sad which know not Christ because they being ouerwhelmed drowned in al calamities haue not any that can either help them or saue them They also want that great and excellent knowledge which with true ioyes filleth both heauen and earth and is our onely saluation of body and soule As Christ saith in Iohn This is life eternal that they know thee to be the onely very God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ for Christ crucified is to the Iewes a stumbling block to the Gentils folishes but to the chosē that is to the true godly and faithfull he is the power and wisedome of God. ¶ Anna By the grace and goodnes of God I beleeue these things which you say but my faith is slender and weak and my knowledge in the marucilous and great misteries of God is not so great as it ought to be And great darknes as yet so couereth the eyes of my soule that me thinks I can but hardly see them as it were a far of dimly and through a darck cloud and therfore I haue good cause to be sad and I hartely desire of God that he would lighten my hart with such knowledge that the true light may shine in my mind that Christ also would so feed me that I may hartely reioyce in the Lord as those two discyples did when Christ had instructed them taught them and geuen the bread vnto them Vrb. If you aske that hartely and earnestly Christ will not forsake you nor reiect your prayers he hath commaunded that we should aske al good and necesssary thinges of him and he hath mercifully promised that he will heare vs But first of all he teacheth vs to seeke the kingdome of heauen and the righteousnes therof and he crieth saying If any man thirst let him come to me and drink ¶ Anna. It is no maruell then that those two Disciples were glad seeing that Christ the foūtain of life was then present with them and made so wonderful and excellent a Sermon to them wherby they knew him and were filled with ioy and frendly told it and communicated it with the other Disciples saying Verely the Lord is rysen again Would to God I might heare such a Sermon surely there is nothing in the world I had rather heare then that Sermon which he made out of all the Prophets and in which he manifested him self out of the hid treasures of the Sacred Scriptures to his Disciples that they might perfectly know him and be partakers of all perfect and true ioy That Sermon I say that most excellent Sermon without all controuersie was of al other most comfortable and ful of power If we knew those thinges or if those thinges had been kept to the posterities which Christ then spake no precious Iewel nor Treasure were comparable to them and if that Treasure were hid at the vttermost end of the earth or beyond we ought to indeuor and procure with al speed possible that it might be transported and brought to vs. ☞ Vrb. The danger is past I vnderstand that you earnestly desire to learn Christ and to know what the holy Ghost in the holy Scriptures did forespeake of him and peraduenture you think that it cannot be known what Christ spake then and happely you think the catholick Church lacketh that most comfortable Sermon and that none haue knowne what the sermon was but those two disciples which heard it in the way to Emaus Anna. I thought so in deed and how could I think otherwise seing it was nether left in writing by them that heard it to the posteritie nor deliuered to vs as it were by hand Vrb. You are deceiued Christ had greater care ouer his church thought more carefully of the safety therof then that he would defraude and depriue it of so excellent a sermō For for that cause most especially was Christ sent of the Father into the earth that he might teach this sermon to all the Children of god You see not now Christ face to face but you heare his wordes and voyce by his Euangelists and in these same writers of his gospel you heare that sermō which he made then to those two his Disciples What haue we not that incomparable great treasure of his sacred word Prophets besides this we see in the acts of the Apostles how the Discyples vnderstoode the Testimonies and writings of the Prophets concerning Christ and how they prophesied by the inspiration and motion of the Spirit of truth which was promysed them before the death of
seed and trusteth not in him with all his hart he perysheth he is vndone he is ordayned to damnation he is the bondslaue of Sathan how great so euer he be both in body and soule But he that layth hold of this seed here promised by faith he escapeth the tyranny of Sathan and is delyuered from death and eternal damnatiō with him al things go wel because he shal be the Sonne of God partaker of euerlasting saluation and heir of life which lasteth for euer Here must we diligently mark that God doth promise help deliueraunce and sure victory of Sathan death and sinne but not without our Mediator not for our own sakes not by our own strength not for our own vertues not by our own wisdom not by our own skil not for our deserts or worthines By or for what then Not by or for any other thing but only this seed of the womā that is Christ alone our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mediator To this word or holy promise must we trust which if we doe there is no doubt but that God by Christ wil delyuer vs out of the power of Sathan Which thing the holy Ghost doth fully witnes by many testimonies in the new Testament where he saith that Christ is our Priest our high Priest our Righteousnes our Mediator our Redeemer our Life our way our Light our Truth our Sauyour and the Conqueror of the Prince of the world And one that hath geuen vs again a great deal more fully and absolutely those thinges which we lost in Adam then before we had them And this doth Paul very notably set forth to the Romans where making an Antithesis betwixt Adam Christ Sinne and Grace he saith But yet the gift is not so as is the offence for if by one mannes offence many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Iesus Christ hath aboūded to many The Latine text hath Insidiaberis calcaneo eius that is Thou shalt lay wayt to sting his heele as the seuenty Translators did translate it But the Hebrue text hath it Veathath teschu phennu akeb that is Thou shalt rent or bruise his heele The holy Ghost doth vse in both the places in the Hebrue tongue only this word scoph But Rabbi Salomon geueth this note In as much saith he as this word which is here vsed is twise set down in this promise it is as much to say as with hissing to assail or to hisse as doth an Adder which hissingly assayleth a man and puffingly bloweth vpon him and hath not yet stinged him And this interpretation hath a very good sence here very fit and agreeing with this place For although that old Serpent be most cruel and enuyous against vs and although he hate vs stil most deadly and striue against vs and tempt vs euery way yet hath he not power at his plesure to hurt vs as he would For it is but only with vain hissing that he assayleth Christ and his Church And the enmity which is betwixt that old Serpent that vnclean Spirit and Christ and Christians both hath and will shew it self by many and plain signes and persecutions For that sinful Serpent hissed vpon Christ when he was made man very bitterly and enuiously and he prickt and hurt his heel greeuously at what time the Iewes being set on fire with a most deuilish enuy hatred cruelty and spitefulnes rushed like mad men vpō Christ and first horribly and intollerably beat him and then nayled him to the crosse and lastly most shamefully killed him Yet was this foul Serpent so far from extinguishing and ouercomming Christ that by that very means wherby he wēt about to hurt him he ouerthrew him self and destroyed his own kingdome and power For then he lost all the right and abilitie which he had either to trouble appeach or accuse the true beleeuers in Christ And though he as his nature is sting and hisse at all the Children of Adam and miserably vexe greeue and torment them with temptations lyes heresies persecutions sinnes and death it self Yet all that he can doe against the godly though he be neuer so enuyous and wicked is nothing els but hissing yea he is so far from hurting or harming them that he greatly euen profiteth them when he killeth them and thinketh to hurt them For by that hissing wherwith he assayled the Seed of the woman he bringeth mankind out of this miserable and wretched world into most happy and euerlasting blessednes And the womans Seed that is to say Christ who himself also vnder the shape of a Serpent was lifted vp in the wildernes doth in the mean time break his head beat it all to pouder Who so euer doth behold this Christ with holy eyes putteth all his hope trust in him Sathan with all his poysened hissing and byting can neuer a whit hurt him in that appertayneth to the health of his soule He may in deed tosse vs with temptations and puffe vpon vs with his poisonful hissing and throw vs into the puddle of sinne But Christ is redy at hand to help vs and to heale the wounds which we receue of the Serpents biting He forgeueth vs our sinnes and strengthneth vs with his holy spirit that Sinne hath not henceforth dominion ouer vs and he restoreth vs again to life that by this temporall death we enter not into euerlasting death but sleep in Christ which is our life in whom both in body and soul we shal liue for euer So that both truely and godly it may and ought be sayd that the Gentils and the vnbeleeuing only be they that dye and not the faithful in Christ This is most certain and sure Christ by his desert hath wrought this thing in vs and is the Author of this great and wonderfull benefit Sathan can doe vs no harme he cannot any way hurt our soules but shal be thrown as subiect vnder our feet For Christ hath ouercome that our enemie bereft him of his pray and daunted all his force This victory which Christ hath got of Sathā and obtayned in his manhode for mannes saluation doth Paul set forth in the Epistle to the Hebrewes where he saith For asmuch then as the children were partakers of flesh and bloud that is for asmuch as men did spring of Adam He that is Christ also himself likewise toke part with them that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the Deuil and that he might delyuer all them which for feare of death were all their life time subiect to bondage For he in no sort toke the Angels but he took the seed of Abraham And thus that cōfortable promise which was made to Adam was the Gospell and onely comfort of Adā and all the holy Fathers vnto Noe and Abrahā This promise the Fathers beleued and by this promise were they iustified saued For all their trust
signifie that long after the captiuitye of Babilon whē there was none of the stock of Dauid to sit on the kings throne that thē Mary Christ out of Mary should spring as out of a dry stock as Ierom saith Now this prophesy must needes haue bene fulfilled therfore must the house of Dauid before the byrth of Christ be depriued of all kingly glory and be contemned and counted as it were an old vnprofitable withered balke which came to passe in those 129. yeares in which after Ianus Hircanus Asmonay that is to say Iudas with his kinsfolke nephews and posteritie executed the office both of the spirituall and secular power In those yeares the house and stock of Dauid came to such pouerty and contēpt that it was thought a thing vnpossible that so great a king should come out of that so dry a roote being now so long withered dead For when the trib of Iesse was most cōtemned then was Siloh Christ borne in the vile and abiect Bethleē the Citie of Dauid And therfore the Iewes whē Antiochus beganne to vex them and when the Machabees tooke vpon them the priestly and kingly dignity might easely haue coniectured and by euident signes haue sene that the tyme was now at hand in which Siloh should come Moreouer there is no cause why that short time of the Machabees raigne should trouble vs neither is it much to the purpose for though they were not at all of the tribe of Iuda yet did they gouerne in the place of the tribe of Iuda and Dauid and prouided for the tribe of Iuda defended and preserued that tribe and Beniamin togither with the priesthode and their religion euen vnto the tyme wherin Siloh came For the tribe of Iuda had neither kinges nor princes neither of them selues nor of their stock and kindred neither yet any of their affinitie that bore rule but it was altogether vnder the subiection of others Iuda and Beniamin returned from Babilon the tribe of Leui was mixed with these tribes as the minister of the lord And after this sort Iuda obteyned and had rule of the politick gouernment ¶ Anna. You haue satisfied and resolued me in that doubt of the Machabees ☞ Vrb. The parentes of Christ being of the stock of Dauid were remoued from the gouernment not long before the byrth of Christ like it was so to be Gods will that before that tyme both those principalities of the Iewes to wit both the spirituall and temporall dignity of the Priests and Princes should come to one tribe or person seing Siloh was at hand who being the annoynted of the Lord should be both a priest and king in Israell and should purchase vs the blessing and him selfe raigne for euer ¶ Anna. Might not the Iewes here say that Siloh nether is nor signifieth that promised Messias and so wrast this promise from vs deride it For they perchaūce wil alledge that there is another kind of prince of passing great prosperitie specified and foretold here in this place so wilfull vnflexible and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is stifnecked be they when the are vrged and conuinced with the vnuincible Scriptures ☞ Vrb. They cannot alledge any thing that hath any shew or face of truth so plaine apparaunt and forsable is this prophesy with the falling out or fulfilling of it neither doth it agree with any other nor can be applied to any other but onely to Christ For Christ began his kingdome after the same forme and manner in all thinges as the prophet foretold yea and euen about that time that the scepter was taken from Iuda And now since that time the Iewes for this 1576. yeres and more haue had nether prince nor prophet and as well that secular as ecclesiastical gouernment hath his end Besides these their owne Maister and Doctor Schlomo whome they cannot gaynsay affirmeth that Siloh in this place is and fignifieth Messias And you knowe that Thargum hath Messias in steade of Siloh What soeuer therfore the Iewes heare obiect it is nothing at all but their foolish hasting doltish obstinacy egregious impudency and malicious peruersnes ¶ Anna. But how can you gather the state and condition of Christes kingdome out of this word Siloh ☞ Vrb. Well and easily if you diligently consider these wordes that follow And the people shall bee gathered to him or to him shall the Gentiles flow in for so is it nerer the Hebrew text For by these wordes we learne that Christes kingdome is a spiritual kingdome For to him shall many nations conuert or come and flow into him and obey him and that not by compultion of sword or armour but willingly and gladly Other of the Iewish kinges haue borne the secular sword and with it haue subdued and bridled men and that both in their owne kingdoms and countries and also oftentimes in their borders adioyning and yet is there not one of them now remaining but in order they haue all ended their dayes But this Siloh ruleth and holdeth the scepter not for a short time as the other kinges of the Iewes did but for euer that is to say he raygneth for euer and his kingdome extendeth and spreadeth it selfe not ouer one onely part of the world not into Iuda onely but ouer all the earth And this he doth not by dint of sword nor with puissaunt armies of souldiers but onely by his word for his kingdome is a maruelous and spirituall kingdome where the subiects come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is with lusty courage willingly chearfully redily of their own accord with great ioy of hart submit themselues to this king Wherfore in subduing them to him he neadeth neither sword nor weapon For as sone as he speaketh but his word which of all thinges is most sweete and pleasaunt straightway they which be his heare his voyce and willingly gladly follow him For he entreateth all that be his courteously and gently and ruleth not imperiously and tyran lyke but offereth himselfe most gently seruisably and redily to helpe ease and deliuer all men And this his spirituall kingdome doth Moses famously with figuratiue speaches paint out as both what the order of it should be and how it shal be gouerned saying He shall binde his asses fole vnto the vine and his asses colt vnto the best vine in wine shall he wash his garment and his cloke in the bloud of grapes his eyes shal be red with wine and his teeth white with milke All these wordes haue a misticall sense and speake of the administration of the word and gospell because our Messias through the holy spirite ruleth his kingdome by his word in which he speaketh such thinges of Gods great loue toward vs which geueth vs his sonne to deliuer vs from all misery and calamity both of body soule as are most acceptable comfortable and pleasant to the eare which as soone as man doth heare he greatly reioyseth and runneth to Christ
other like Of this strange vnctiō of his which is proper to himselfe the Prophet Esay and Christ himselfe in Luke sayth thus in these wordes The spirit of the Lord is vpon me therfore he hath annointed me Here he speaketh not of a corporall vnction or of baulm where with all they accustomably annointed themselues on their heads hands iointes in their mirth and bankets and wherwith they consecrated their kinges and priestes Christ would not haue vs thinke that he was annointed with such a corporal vnction For he sayth The spirit of the Lord is vpon me He speaketh therefore of the vnction of the holy ghost with which he was anointed to be an holy and euerlasting priest and kyng which the 45. Psalm noteth in these wordes Thy God hath annointed thee with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy fellowes That is God hath consecrated and annoynted thee a priest and king not with earthly baulme for thy kingdome is not of this world but with the spirituall oyle of gladnesse that is with the holy ghost by which likewyse all men beleuing in Christ are consecrated and ordered for spiritual kings and priests and are made partakers of this oyle of gladnesse but yet mesurably As for Christ he was annointed without measure more aboūdantly plētifully liberally infinitely then all Christians in the world For we receiue the spirite but after a measure one beyng beautified with one gift and another with another euery one enioying his owne particularly and no man all vniuersally But the spirite of God was giuen to Iesus without measure He is ful of grace and truth and of his fulnesse haue all we receyued And here it appeareth that Iesus is not a common 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 annointed But that chiefe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ or Messias which was promised in the scriptures should come into the world and all to bewater and replenishe it with his grace As the Prophete Daniel prophesied Seuenty weekes are determined vpon thy people and vpō thy holy citie to finish the wickednes and to seale vp the sinnes and to reconcile the iniquitie and to bring in euerlasting righteousnes to seale vp the vision and prophesie and to annoint the most holy And a little after he calleth Christ by his proper name saying After 62. wekes Christ shall be slayne c. But of this prophesie God willing I will speake more at large in another place Thus also may you read in the Gospell where whē Iohn Baptist had shewed Christ to Andrew the Apostle and had said Behold the lamb of God Andrew sayd to his brother Simon We haue found the Messias And by by Phillip in the same place sayth to Nathaniel We haue found him of whom Moses did write in the law and the Prophets And Nathaniel sayd vnto Christ Rabby thou art the sonne of God thou art the king of Israel This Messias did all Israel carefully watchfully and hartily desire and waite for For they had heard so much of Messias in the scriptures that they had conceiued a good and certayn hope and doubted not but that at his commyng they should be deliuered from those perils calamities discommodities and violences which they suffred and from all other iniuries and euils which either publikely or priuately vexed them And they hoped also that al things should after the comming of Messias goe well with them so that they all theirs should haue a most happy and prosperous state euen a world of wealth and a flowing sea of all felicitie As it may euidently be gathered of the womans wordes of Samaria in the gospel of Iohn which sayd to Christ I know Messias shal come which is called Christ When he is come he will tell vs all things Iesus sayd vnto her I that speake vnto thee am he Consider now here with your selfe how great true pure and precious comfort we may take of these two names of Christ Iesus signifieth saluation or a sauior or els importeth the same that the worde God doth And Christ or Messias is as much to say as annoynted For there is vnderstood in this name the vnction of grace and mercy which God promised vnto vs in his sonne And now what would we more what can we wish more or what need we more nay what is there that we haue not if we be once annointed with this oyntment For if we constantly beleue and be thorowly perswaded that God hath giuen vs Christ to be our priest and our king to the ende he may be our saluation consolation iustification and redemption then vndoubtedly it must be as we beleue Because he hath firmly promised that he will do it if we beleue it He cannot lye or deceyue vs because he is the very truth it self Wherfore if we wil stedfastly and faithfully beleue those things which he hath promised by that faith shal we be iustified and saued ¶ Anna. O good God what exceding comfort do we conceyue and what great ioy and pleasure haue we in hearing these words God our gracious father vouchsafe to giue vs a true and constant faith least we reape no fruit of this his infinite offred grace and fauour ☞ Vrb. Amen ¶ Anna. I pray you take paynes to recite the other names which are giuē to Christ in the scriptures For I feele my hart refreshed and filled with a maruelous and vncredible kynd of comfort sweetenes and pleasure which riseth of these two names and my fayth is wel increased and confirmed with a good knowledge which I haue here gotten of Christ ☞ Vrb. It were a tedious thing to explicate them all one by one and agayne they offer themselues to be opened in their due places in the prophesies which are of Christ yet will I not sticke briefly to recite thē here without further exposition of them Christ is called A king in Zachary 9.9 An euerlasting Priest Psal 110.4 A propitiatory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3. A reconciliation Hebr. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a reconciliation for the sinnes of the world 1. Iohn 2.28 A deliuerer and redemer Esay 48.20 and 60. 16. Mat. 20.28.1 Cor. 1.30 A redemption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 1.68 Our mediator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 2.5 Our aduocate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Iohn 2.1 A sacrifice and offering for sin both in committing omitting any thing against Gods commandement Esay 53.10 An offring and a sacrifice of a sweete smelling sauour to God for vs Eph. 5.2 The lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Iohn 1.36 Our righteousnes knowledge sanctification and redemption 1. Cor. 1.30 The light of the world Iohn 12.46 Our maister Iohn 13.13 The seruaunt of God that is obedient to the commaundement of God for vs Esay 42.1 The way truth and our life Iohn 14.6 Our resurrection Iohn 11.25 The beginning the first borne of the dead Col. 1.18 The first begotten amongest many brethren
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
called Iehoscua or Iesus is set downe apparailed with filthy garments and he is a figure of Christ the true high priest who although he was true God yet did he so humble himself that he vouchsaued to put vpon himself mans flesh that he might beare our sinnes in his body on the crosse he himself beyng free frō al sinne But he hath borne our infirmities and caried our sorowes We are they for whom he so abased deiected and humbled himselfe and for whose sakes he would be counted vile and abiect as Dauid telleth vs saying But I am a worme and not a man a shame of men and the contempt of the people All they that see me haue me in derision they make a mowe and nod their heds c. ¶ Anna. What haue the other prophets writtē of the seruile and humble habite and conuersation of Christ here vpon earth ☞ Vrb. It will be long to speake of all I wil touch some and that the chiefest Ieremy sayth that the Iewes did acknowledge and confesse their faultes for which they were afflicted with all kind of troubles and calamities and amongst other wordes he hath these Lord our rebellions are many we sinned against thee O the hope of Israel the sauiour thereof in the time of trouble Why art thou as a stranger in the land as one that passeth by to tary for a night Why art thou as a man astonied and as a strong man that cannot helpe Yet thou O Lord art in the midst of vs and thy name is called vpon vs forsake vs not In this prophesie the Iewes complaine that they are in great distresse and woful calamity and that they are forsaken of God or els that he semes to be alienated and turned from them and not to regarde them But this onely was their comfort that God was in Sion and Israel and that he had chosen Israel for his peculiar people Because he had defēded them from the hurtes and harmes of their enemies and dwelt amōg them as he had promised them in Leuit saying And I will set my tabernacle among you and my soule shall not lothe you also I will walke among you and I will be your God and you shall be my people But now they were forsaken God did so hādle them as though he disdayned to walke and dwell any longer amongst them and as one all wery of his way which had but turned in vnto them as into an Inne and by and by departed And thus the Iewes vnderstand this text But the olde church a 1000. yeres agoe as S. Hierome sayth vnderstood these things of Christ and beleued that the prophet did foreshew in these wordes the ministery or office of Christ Because he should at the tyme appointed take vpon him the flesh of man and walke in this earth as Paule affirmeth saying Who being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to bee equall with god But he made himselfe of no reputation tooke on him the forme of a seruant and was made like vnto men and was found in shape as a man. To wit he did so humble himselfe that he liued in this earth as a stranger or pilgrime neither had he any place where to abyde As Luke witnesseth in his 9. chap. where the Samaritans refused him when one said vnto him I wil folow thee whersoeuer thou goest He answered the foxes haue holes and the birdes of the heauen haue nestes but the sonne of man hath not whereon to lay his head And in Mathew The Gergesenes desired him that he would depart out of their costes Wherfore in this prophesie he is called Ger and Nidham that is a pilgrime and stranger hauing no abiding place nor house or certaine place to dwell in For at his natiuitie an oxe stall was his inne the manger his cradell After his birth he was constrayned to flie into Egypt And when he had begun the office of his ministery he went out of Galile into Iuda and agayne out of Iuda into Galile now goyng from this city vnto that and then from that to another And although he was the lorde and gouernour of the whole earth yet wandered he in this earth frō place to place now hither now thither euen as a pilgrime or stranger or as a wayfaring man that asketh lodging for a night and hath nothing of his owne And although he was mighty as Esay doth call him which could deliuer himselfe and others out of all danger yet in all the tyme of his being here vpon earth he would not shew his might strength and power but became weake and poore as the Iewes flouting him vpon the crosse said in the gospell of Mathew He saued others but he can not saue himselfe if he be the king of Israel let him nowe come downe from the crosse and we will beleue him he trusted in god let him deliuer him now if he wil haue him But harken now what Esay prophecieth of the former comming of Christ foretelling how humbly and lowly he should behaue himselfe here in the earth Behold saith the Lord by Esay my seruant I will stay vpon him mine elect in whom my soule deliteth I haue put my spirit vpon him he shall bring forth iudgement to the Gētiles he shall not cry nor lift vp nor cause his voyce to be heard in the streete a brused reed shall he not breake the smoking flaxe shall he not quench he shal bring forth iudgement in truth he shall not fayle nor be discoraged till he haue set iudgement in earth and the Iles shall waite for his law Here Esay describeth the person of Christ and telleth what his conuersation should be here in this earth all the tyme of his trauaile in his office or ministery how he should take vpon him our sinnes how he should satisfy for our faultes and how he should with all gentlenes and mercy vse vs poore wretches which deserued nothing but payne and punishment and how he should so entierly loue vs that no man need be afrayd of him dread him or tremble at the presēce of him But all men may rightly looke craue and hope for comfort ayde and helpe at his hand But we will waigh euery one of the prophets wordes in order for they are ful of great and infinit comfort First God the father nameth Christ his seruant because it was the will of our heauenly father that his onely begotten sonne mans flesh being taken vpon him should come downe to vs to be our seruāt which thing Christ himselfe witnesseth in Mathew saying The sonne of man came not to be serued but to serue and giue his lyfe for the ransome of many And Paule sayth He tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse Is not this now a wonderful incredible and great submission and humility May we not here conceiue a
shall shew himselfe humble modest gentle louing and lowly vnto all men he shall vse himselfe most friendly and seruisably to euery body and finally he shall draw all men to him he shall not seeke the applausions of the people he shall not desire the prayse of the common sort neither shall he as one puffed vp with the desire of vayne glory do thinges for a brag or shew as worldly potentates do but he shall despise all worldly pōpe yea he shal flie honors euen due vnto him he shall reiect all mans prayse and glory as it plainly appeareth in the 12. of Math. Where when he had wrought many wonderfull miracles had restored many to their former helth had wonderfully shewed forth his great power towards the miserable afflicted he straitely warned them that they should not make hym known A brused reed shall he not breake The maiesty pomp and power of earthly princes doth terrify the poore afflicted miserable wretched people but Christ is such a lord prince such a doctor teacher as maketh no man afraid and sheweth himself in nothing at all cruell or tirantlike Moses doth sore terrify the weake trēbling consciences of mē by his law His worde is a fierce manacing word his doctrine is a hard heuy doctrine For he requireth of vs most pure innocēcy and obedience to the law of God which in deed we haue not do not are not able to do of our selues And therefore he pronounceth a terrible sentence curse against vs makes vs subiect to the eternal curse But there is no such thing heard in Christ all his speech is amiable sweet pleasant delectable yea such as may greatly comfort troubled consciences hartles amased men His word is the gospell that is the most gladsom swete ioifull message which preacheth nothyng els to heuy harts but grace ioy blessing forgiuenes of sinnes He casteth vs not away for our weakenesse which oftentimes staggereth hee forsaketh vs not for our little fayth which somtimes wauereth neither putteth he vs back for our infirmity which yet dwelleth in vs abundantly but he calleth vs of his own good will allureth vs to come to him that he may cōfort vs refresh vs help vs confirme vs and arme vs gainst al tempests of temptations Is not this a sweet and cōfortable saying Come vnto me al ye that are weary and laden I will ease you Take my yoke on you and learne of me that am meke and lowly in hart and you shal find rest vnto your soules for my yoke is easie my burden light And in the same place he compareth himselfe to a phisition For when he eate with Publicans sinners the Pharises repined at it and thought that it became him not was not lawful that he should haue any doings with thē and that they were altogether to be hated abhorred Christ answered said The whole need not a phisition but they which are sicke For I am not come to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance And the whole story of Christes doctrine through the whole history of the gospel is nothing els but a declaration of his meruailous humanity of his vncredible curtesie of his exceding goodnes of his bountifull liberality of his great good will of his fauorable beneuolence toward vs contēned abiected faint harted sorowfull sickly and miserable mē Whom I pray you did he for his weakenes refuse Whom did he for his low estate basenes despise Nay whō did he not if they desired helpe helpe Did he not receiue and most gently intreat Peter although he had forsworne him Did he not shew himself most gently lowly louyng to Zacheus to Magdalen to the Samaritan adultres to the thieues hanging on the crosse with many other though they had most deadly sinned offended him These such like are those brused reeds smoking flaxe which must not be terrified brokē nor quēched but cherished strēgthened comforted repaired And so Christ doth in deede for he vseth all them most tenderly which are weake which are loden with the burden of their sins which are oppressed with pouerty or any kind of calamity And when he hath gently voluntarily drawn thē vnto him he taketh thē vp comforteth thē cureth thē restoreth thē confirmeth them readily helpeth deliuereth thē euen with his own hand And the prophet prophecied long before that he should in dede be such a one saying He shal iudge the poore of the people he shal saue the children of the nedy shal subdue the oppressor he shal deliuer the poore whē he crieth the nedy also and him that hath no helper He shal be mercifull to the poore nedy shal preserue the soule of the poore And this he doth now stil by his ministers which preach the gospel to the poore in spirit as well as he did then He shal bring forth iudgemēt in truth This world also hath his iudgement but it both is deceiued doth deceiue Because it seeth nothing but that which is apparāt to the eie but Christ seeth that inward secrets of the hart iudgeth the very thoughts of man The world for the most part doth not rightly iudge an hypocrite whose hart is spiteful ambitious foule with other vices and vnclean desires but it taketh him to be a holy innocent man one which leadeth a holy life But Christ iudgeth not according to the external shew for his iudgemēt is vnfallible perfit And he teacheth vs to iudge after the same sort that when we iudge either our selues or other men we should not loke to the outward face but behold examine the inward mā and hart it self For in our selues we must first diligently consider that foule vice which is the roote of all vices namely selfe loue We must loke vpō the incredulitie of our harts and we must search our hartes which want all feare faith and trust in god For when these capitall faults diseases and hellish furies are put out choked and quenched then those outward faults are easily reformed He shal not faint or be discouraged or he shal not be pēsiue or careful or wayward or vntractable that is he shal not be troublesom nor fierce he wil not driue mē from him through the austeritie or fiercenes of his coūtenāce he will offend no man with his high hawty words but he shall haue a great and continuall desire to shew himselfe humble lowly gentle and easie to be spoken vnto To be short he wil do euery thing and seeke alwayes how he may set iudgement in the earth that is how he may finish his worke that he may truely execute and performe the office committed vnto him that he may adorne and set vp equity and iudgement in the land That is that he might correct reprehend amend punish
God hath shewed the king what shall come to passe hereafter In this prophesie is the tyme prefigured in which Messias would come and begin his kingdome by his Gospell and holy spirit First in an humble base habite but afterward at his latter comming in glory and power S. Hierome vpon this text sayth that in the end of these kingdomes a stone that is our lord and sauiour Christ was cut frō the mountaine without hands that is he was borne of the virgin Mary without the seed of man Wherefore it is manifest that Messias in his former comming in great humilitie would not come in the flesh and begin his kingdome before the last Monarchy which is the Romains Empery For Daniel sayth in the dayes of those kingdoms that is whē the three first Monarchies be ended and the fourth last that is the Romaine Monarchy doth florish and rule the roste and when it is tossed and troubled with tumults then shall the kingdome of Christ be erected and begunne and it shall destroy the Romish empire But it is to wit Christes kingdom shal abide for euer All other kingdomes of the world haue their borders limited and their dayes numbred which beyng expired the kingdoms decay and come to naught But that great and mighty kingdome of Christ shall haue no end it shall neuer be dissolued but shall abide for euer and euer neither shall it be in a part or corner of the world as in Europe Affrike or Asia but in the whole world As Daniel witnesseth where he speaketh of the image that Nabuchadonizer saw saying Thou beheldest it till a stone was cutte of the mountayne without handes which smote the Image vpon his feete that were of iron and clay and brake them to pieces Then was the iron the clay the brasse the siluer and the gold broken altogether and became like the chaffe of the sommer flowers and the wynde caried them away that no place was found for them and the stone that smote the Image became a great mountayne and filled the whole earth This stone is Christ to whom is giuen all power as wel in heauen as in earth that he may rule with power in euery place And Daniel saith agayne in the 7. chapiter where the foure Monarchies are vnderstood by foure beasts that Christ should come and beare rule in the tyme of the fourth Monarchy that is when the Romaynes should rule Let vs now gather by the seuenty wekes in the 9. chapter whē the tyme should come and how long they had to looke for Messias and whē he should begin to rule By this reuelation of Daniel the Iewes are plainly and mightely conuinced that Christ according to the Prophets foretelling is alredy come on thousand and fiue hundred yeres ago For first the angel sayth in the 9. chapter out of which I recited the wordes of the prophesie before that there were seuenty wekes determined and appointed for the people of the Iewes and the holy city Ierusalem after which 70. wekes the people and priesthood of the Iewes should cease And the whole state of the kingdō should be destroyed For after that time appointed God determined that al Ierusalem shold be ouerthrown that the Iewes shold be partly blinded and partly destroyed We must also vnderstād that the angel speaketh not here of such wekes as consisteth on seuen dayes For so seuenty wekes woulde scarce make two yere But he speaketh of such wekes as seuen yeare do make but one weke and so seuentie wekes do make foure hundreth and ninety yeres For so the scripture speaketh in other places And the same phrase and maner of speaking is vsed in Leuiticus And so also al men indued with the spirit of prophesiyng haue hitherto continually vnderstood it Note diligently by the wordes of the prophet how great things should happen in the dayes of Messias how wonderful the power of his kingdom should be These are the wordes of the prophet To finish the wickednes and to seale vp the sinnes and to reconcile the iniquity and to bring in euerlasting righteousnes and to seale vp the visiō and prophesie There had bene Moses and many other doctors of the law who had taught commaunded them to do thinges honest godly and forbiddē things that were euill and wicked but none of them all did any thing preuaile For sinne once reueiled by the law became greater and more sinfull For nature without grace though she be neuer so much admonished or instructed vnto honesty and godlines though she be neuer so much moued pricked forward vnto pietie and obedience towards God will yet for all that play her wonted prankes and run her old race followyng her fansie goyng on as she was wont Nay thenceforth after such admonition she becommeth worse and worse more vnhappy wicked more inflamed by heat of lust to offend So then sinne remayned and could not be taken away but as Paule witnesseth to the Galathians our offences afterward became greater heauier and more more without ceasing And therfore was it nedefull that Messias him selfe should come and mend this matter bring helpe with him otherwise our case had bene worse worse and we had fallen into greater and greater euils As Paul preached in the Actes saying Be it knowen vnto you therfore men and brethren that through this man is preached vnto you the forgeuenes of sinnes And from all things from which ye could not be iustified by the law of Moyses by him euery one that beleueth is iustified For Christ was therfore sent from the father made man that he might satisfy for the sinnes of all men obtain for vs the holy ghost and eternall lyfe and so indue vs with perfect righteousnes which before God is auaylable to wit with the christian fayth of which the law and the prophetes foretold many thinges And so it was meete that the visions and prophesies should be fulfilled that is it was conuenient that those things should come to passe which the Sears or Prophetes which were inspyred and illuminated by the holy Ghost had seen and foretold of Messias For all the Prophets and euen the law it self prophesied vntil Iohn And the holyest of holy or most holy shal be annoynted at that tyme This is Christ the Lord and king of all holynes who was sanctyfied by the holy Spirit far aboue his fellowes and was called by God his heauēly father in his baptisme his wel beloued sonne He onely is to be heard as the true Preacher Lord Master of all the Prophets His word is to be imbrased To him only with tooth and nayl must we cleaue And vpon him only must we beleeue Seing then Christ was to be looked for within seuenty weekes that is within 490. yeares at which time he should begin his kingdome We must here search where and when these seuenty weekes should begin and then we may
created that God by the sonne made the world Whereupon the Hebrew tonge called him Amon because he was and wrought with his father as a most witty and excellent workeman in framing the heauens and earth and by this eternall wisdom the father created all things But this wisdome was neither made nor created because it is not a creature but the creator himselfe and yet begotten of the father from euerlasting And he greatly delighteth to be with mē Which thing he plainely declared in that great worke of his sauyng and holy humanitie which he tooke vpon him for vs This wonderfull great grace and saluation S. Paule calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Loue towardes man because the sonne of God although he stoode no neede of vs loueth vs with such an ardent zeale that for our sake he vouchsafed to become man and was like to vs in all things except sinne from which he was pure He truly tooke vpon him our nature that he might be in vs and we haue euerlasting lyfe in him But I need not bring many proofes and testimonies for the confirming of the euerlasting natiuitie of Christ For where so euer the Scripture intreateth of Christes true Godhead there doth it also firmely and without questiō proue his natiuitie to haue bene without beginning For if he be God and yet not the father as the scriptures do plainly notablely and distinctly make difference of the persons by their properties in Diety then is he another person and not God the father and yet no new nor strange god For seeing that there is but one eternall God it cannot be sayd that God the Sonne is yonger then God the Father as naturally it is amongst creatures that the begetter should bee before the thing begotten God cannot be comprehended in time but is euerlasting and immutable and therfore the sonne in eternity must be like the father So that it cānot be sayd there was a time in which the sonne lyued not and was afterward made It may be thus said of creatures but not of the eternall word which was before all beginning and was with God and the same word was God and all things were made by it Therfore Christ is the only begotten sonne of God as God begotten before all time the naturall sonne of God because he hath the same nature which the father hath who begot him as Hilary saith We may make similies not agreeing in deed in euery point to so great a mistery yet such as wherby we may after a sort vnderstand these great mysteries as far forth as mans mynde can conceiue of them Well then to make a simile to expresse Christes eternitie with the father If this visible and corporall sunne in the firmament had bene without beginning then the bright and beautifull light of the sunne or the sunne beame which commeth and issueth out of the sunne into the whole world had likewise also bene without beginnyng as wel as the sunne and yet the sunne should not procede from the beame but the beame from the sunne and the sunne neuer the more should not haue bene before the beame but both together at one instant and from euerlasting ¶ Anna. I pray you geue me some testimonies out of the Scriptures for the godhead of Christ ☞ Vrb. When Moses that worthy prophet by the holy spirit beginneth his book and speaketh of the creation of all thinges he maketh mention of the sonne of God and calleth him the word In the beginning saith he God created heauē and earth And God sayd let there be light and there was light and God saw the light that it was good In these wordes we may first see the person of the father where Moyses sayth God created God spake And afterward we may also see the person of the sonne For he is not onely God but he speaketh the word which worde was with God in the beginnyng and is the second person in the godhead And seing that God by that speaking or worde created all thinges it followeth necessarily that the worde which he spoke was before all creatures that it was also god And the word could not be a creature seeing God by the word in the beginning made and created all things In asmuch then as the word was not a creature and seeing it was with God the father before all time and al creatures when as yet there was no creature made it followeth of necessity that the word is eternall and true god For what thing so euer is neither creature nor contayned in time nor hath beginning that must needes be true God seeing that between God the creator and the creature there is no mean but what so euer hath any beeing is ether vncreated or created either the creator or creature If therfore the word which God spake be no creature for by the word al creatures were made so the word was the maker of all things made it followeth that this word must needes be true and eternall God. And this word is the sonne of God which in tyme became man as Iohn sayth The worde was made flesh that is true and naturall man And the euangelist Iohn beginneth his gospell which this text of Moses where he saith thus of the blessed dietie of Iesus Christ In the beginning was the worde and the worde was with God and that worde was god The same was in the beginning with God all thinges were made by it and without it was made nothing that was made This testimony proueth euidently and strongly that Christ is true and natural God for that word is very Christ which in tyme was made flesh ¶ Anna. I pray you husband do so much as expoūd these wordes more plainly for they farre exceede my simple wit and capacitie ☞ Vrb. Nay not this article only but all the articles of our christian fayth farre passe and exceede mans wit and reason But if you can subdue your reason to fayth you shall easily perceiue and vnderstand them all For it is not in this respect in spirituall things as in worldly matters we first perceiue know a thing in our owne reason before we beleue it But in the mysteries of the sacred worde the vnderstanding of these articles proceede of faith we must beleue before we see the reason According to that of Esay If ye beleeue not surely ye shall not be established But let vs interprete and expound these wordes In the beginning that is when the creatures which before were nothing tooke their beginning to be something For before that beginning of the creatures there was no beginning For as then there was nothing but god alone who had no beginning but was from euerlasting The word was in the beginning Do thou marke He saith not the worde begun in the beginning but he saith when all things did begin the word was alredy before with god The substance or essence of the word tooke
this child had not bene borne for vs we had all vtterly perished for he was borne for the helpe helth and deliuerance of vs all Wherefore most swete Iesu Christ our child most comfortable which for our sakes humbled thy selfe vouchsafed to be made man we beseech thee to deliuer and defend vs from the tiranny of the deuill This is the meaning of this Germains song which I here recite because it containeth expresseth the effect of this prophesie in ful graue and plaine words because it sheweth the piety of our forefathers and their true faith in Christ First here the holy church saith that a child was borne for a special comfort for all mortal mē And furthermore it saith that for vs and for our sakes he was borne For he had no neede neither was there any cause why he should be born for himself For what nede standeth god of any creature Secondly the church here declareth setteth forth the fruit vse of Christes natiuity to wit our saluation For vnles this child had bene borne for vs we had abidden still in our sinnes neither could we haue deliuered our selues but had all died eternally Thirdly the church confesseth that this sauior or saluation happened to all which thing Simeon confesseth in Luke saying Mine eyes haue seene thy saluation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people to be a light to lightē the Gentils to be the glory of thy people Israel And Paul saith Christ Iesus gaue himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransome for all men Fourthly the church speaking of the kingdom and power of Christ confesseth the true manhood and godhead of the child Iesus beseching him and desiring him for his names sake which is Iesus that is our sauiour or deliuerer that he would preserue and kepe vs from eternal deth By which song the church confesseth this childe to be king and most mighty lord ouer sinne death and hell Which seing it is true it must needes follow that he is true God and that our health and saluation is in his hand and power and that he onely can and will saue deliuer vs from hell fire ¶ Anna. What meaneth this which this prophet Esay sayth his gouernement or kingdome is on his shoulders ☞ Vrb. Did you neuer see the image of the child Iesus painted as if he went downe from heauen vnto Mary bearing the crosse vpon his shoulders ¶ Anna. I haue seene it often but that signifieth his passion What other thing did he beare in his crosse but vs miserable and wretched sinners the heuy burthen of our sinnes Iohn saith This is the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world He is the good shepeherd which sought the lost and wandring shepe and hauing found it caried it home vpō his shoulders We also are the kingdom or principalitie of Christ For Peter calleth vs a royal priesthood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a people redemed or peculiar vnto Christ Christ is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chiefe corner stone or to be placed in the chiefe corner vpon whom all the other stones the spirituall building to wit the whole church standeth leaneth For the church is builded on Christ as on a most soūd and sure rocke The Calde text is in this place of Esay thus Hee that is this child shall take vpon him the law that he may fulfill and kepe it This text out of doubt hath in it notable comfort For our corrupt and sinfull nature could not with all her strength keepe the law of god For it is a law that cōmaundeth such high great things as homo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the natural man cannot perform And therfore God sent his derely beloued sonne Christ Iesus that he might fulfil the law be the fulfilling thereof to all that truly beleue in him who although they should be most miserable sinners yet for Christes sake should they be accounted as righteous before God as if they themselues by their own righteousnes had fulfilled it and that he might deserue for vs and geue vs the holy ghost which might heale reforme restore our wounded decaied and corrupted nature so that euen our nature also might by the spirit of Christ keep the law without which it could neuer haue done it Now followeth vi most notable worthy names or titles of the child Iesus vsed in this prophesie First he is called Pele that is admirable wōderfull merueilous or doing merueilous things he is in deed marueilous in hys person merueilous in hys doyngs and his kingdom is merueilous and he defendeth and gouerneth it merueilously His person is meruelous because he is true man and yet neuertheles holy euerlasting God borne after a strange maner to wit of that virgin without mans seed all hys works are merueilous for being a child of xij yeres old he disputed with the learned and great doctors in the temple at Ierusalem But after when he came to mans state he wrought such wonders strange things as no other man could euer do as Nichodemus witnesseth in the iij. of Iohn Hee gaue sight to the blind and made the deafe to heare he droue wicked spirits out of the possessed he clensed the leprous he healed all maner of sicknes and diseases he raised the dead to lyfe he fed many thousandes with a few loues hee commaunded the sea to be quiet and straight way it waxed calm he forgaue sins he restored men both body and soule to lyfe and health and whē of his own free will he had for our sakes suffered death he by his own power rose agayn from death But look I pray you by how strāge a way it pleased hym to deliuer vs from Sathan and to bring vs into hys kingdom When he would deliuer man from death geue hym euerlasting lyfe he became man hymselfe he yelded himself to death and was buried and taryed in the graue vnto the third day Was not this a very marueilous thing what can bee more marueilous it is hee thorough whom we shall haue euerlasting life whereunto the Prophetes and the Gospell beare witnesse And Paule calleth the Gospell the promise of lyfe in Christ Now consider with your selfe how wonderfull all things be whether it is merueilous or no that our King about to erect hys kingdome redeme hys seruants deliuer vs from all euill casteth hymselfe into extreme misery yeldeth himself to be crossed afflicted reuiled and opprobriously killed He becommeth poore to enrich vs he becommeth shamefull ignominious and suffreth vpon the crosse to exalt vs to honor glory And he promiseth to giue vs power and strength against our enemies where he himselfe vsed no power nor force against his foes but was of thē taken bound whipped crouned with thornes crucified and killed To be briefe he promised to helpe vs when he himself vpon the crosse
our body here is a natural body and to the fustentation therof we must if we wil liue eate drinke slepe disgest purge And the same body is weried and in the ende corrupteth and fadeth And therfore as sone as that soule departeth frō the body the corps beginneth to smell putrify so that no man can abide the stinke therof This is the dishonor which for sinne is laid vpon the body But in the last day the lord wil trāsfigure our body into such brightnes make it so beautiful that it shal be like the sunne so shal alway abide continue a firm sound immortal body without bodily meat fed of god for euer And therfore saith Paul pointing as it were to his body with his finger this corruptible body wherin I now stād sit walke speake this same body I say must put on incorruption this mortal must put on immortalitie When this corruptible body hath put on incorruption this mortal hath put on immortalitie then shall bee brought to passe the saying that is written Death is swalowed vp into victory ¶ Anna. Now I haue heard the fruit of Christes passion resurrection which I take to be this That what Satan in Adam our nature by sin had corrupted destroyed the Christ by his death resurrection hath recouered restored to wit he hath destroyed sin ouercome death giuen life that we which beleue in Christ may be deliuered from our sins freed from the tiranny of deth the diuel be made heires of euerlasting life Now shew me what maner of kingdom Christs kingdom is which is so magnifically set forth promised vnto vs in the law prophets and euangelists ☞ Vrb. The kingdom of Christ which is promised in the prophets is a spirituall kingdom not of this world it is a kingdom of euerlasting blessednes mercy truth righteousnes peace life wisdom light ioy security liberty euerlasting saluatiō in which Christ the king of glory being taken vp into heauen exalted at the right hand of god doth by the gospel the holy ghost in fayth raigne inuisibly gouern defend al that beleue in him euen in the midst of their cruel deadly enemies to wit the world Satan heretikes persecuters of the church sin death Moreouer he is our intercessor in heauen to god the father he forgiueth vs our sinnes he sēdeth his holy spirit into our hartes he renueth repayreth our corrupted depraued decaied nature and he restoreth in vs the most beutiful image of god which through sinne was blotted out destroyed in vs To be briefe he sanctifieth vs defendeth vs preserueth vs in all dangers euils and so he in this life euen vnto the day of iudgement gathereth vp into his kingdom which is the true catholike church of the godly the children of God dispersed throughout the whole world He ouercōmeth in them sinne death the prince of this world by this means he prepareth maketh thē redy for that great glorious day of our full perfect redemption And although the godly die in the mortal body yet will he raise thē all again at the last day and they shall liue with Christ for euer But vntil the day both the euil and the good the godly the vngodly shal be mixt dwel together and the vngodly wil colourably seeke to beare a face and outward shew of godlines wil also be taken in place for godly nay they will be the chiefe in this earth and sit as magistrates vaunt themselues to be the heads of the church as Annas and Caiphas did in Christes tyme yea they wil root out curse and vehemētly persecute the true godly to the vttermost For in deede the true church is so hidden in this world the some times in great temptations it cannot for a space see it selfe ¶ Anna. What meaneth the miserable people the Anabaptists what madnes moueth them to seeke to cōgregate a church heare in this world which shold be pure vnspotted vndefiled and without all blot and where in they wil haue no sinner seing that euē the godly offend fal in many things the greatest part of those which are called christiās are mere hypocrits very wicked mē ☞ Vrb. These miserable mē vnderstand not the scriptures And therefore they know not what is the true church what maner of church it is or what the state of the true church is in this world Christ only is he which at the last day shal purge the chaffe that is the vngodly frō the good wheat which is the godly christians In the meane time that godly are compelled here to dwel liue among the vngodly And yet shall they not haue any discōmōditie or losse therby if they learne not at thē to liue be vngodly The godly may bear publik offices haue such politike functions as the ciuile magistrate doth ordain so long as they be not cōmaunded compelled to do that that is contrary to the commaundement of God and his holy word yea they both may with a safe conscience also ought as far as belōgeth to the body tēporal goods vse al humane publike ordināces and cōtracts which make for that maintenāce of this life society If so be they may be suffred to kepe retaine the true doctrine of the sauing gospel liue as it cōmādeth ¶ Anna. Seing you haue alredy described the kingdom of Christ I pray you discouer me the kingdō of Satan ☞ Vrb. Sathans kingdom is quite contrary vnto the kingdom of Christ it is a kingdom of euerlasting perdicion of lies of death of sinne of ignorance of blindnes of darkenes of heauines of affliction of sorrowe and of continuall captiuity and damnation And this kingdom of condemnation beginneth in this worlde and hath in it all the vngodly which will not beleue and obey the Gospell in whom the euill spirit worketh and is effectual And therupon is called in Iohn the prince of this world the god of this world This spirit blindeth the mynds of that vnbeleuers so that they see not the most cleare light of the gospel of the clearenes of Iesus Christ which is the image and caracter of God. ¶ Anna. How doth Sathan raigne in this world ☞ Vrb He is the strong man armed in his house of whō Luke speaketh who kepeth the wicked in his hande and hath thē in his power driueth thē whether he will at his pleasure Paul saith he bindeth thē holdeth thē in strōg lies errors darknes bewitcheth their harts and casteth thē hedlong into al wickednes filthines vncleannes and moueth and inflameth thē to all vngodlines Satan is alwais an enemy and an aduersary vnto true christians in all their godly enterprises procedings He stirreth vp fals teachers and draweth many into horrible heresies He alwais maketh
dye and be buried but not corrupt and rotte as our sinfull flesh doth and that his blessed deuine soule should not be cast in hell or graue but be vnited againe to the body that he should rise agayne from death sit at the right hand of God giue vs euerlasting lyfe It was meet that he should be the first fruites of thē which were dead that by his glorious resurrection he might open vs the true gate vnto lyfe and make the way for vs by which we also must go to him But Peter and Iohn the other Apostles before Christs rising againe vnderstood not this although they had heard it oftentymes vntill they saw the lord aliue agayne Wherfore it is no wonder though Cleophas and his companion vnderstood it not Dauid saith O lord my God I cryed vnto thee and thou hast restored me O lord thou hast broght vp my soul out of the graue Thou hast reuiued me from them that go downe into the pitte Arnobius and Augustine vnderstande this prophesie of the death and resurrection of Christ And againe he sayth God shall deliuer my soule from the power of the graue for he will receiue me Selah The church vnderstādeth these wordes also to be ment of the death descending into hell and risyng agayne of Iesus Christ And in another place he sayeth Thou hast shewed me great troubles and aduersities but thou wilt returne reuiue me And wil come again take me vp frō the depth of the earth These wordes also doth Arnobius expound of the death of Christ of his descendyng into hel and of his resurrection And againe in the 86. Psal. Christ saith to God the father Thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest graue S. Augustine and with him the whole church of Affrica vnderstand this to bee vndoubtedly ment of the descending of Christ into hell of his rising againe The 22. psalm doth more fully and plainly then any other describe the passion resurrectiō and euerlasting kingdom of Christ And there are the very same wordes in which Christ in his great agony his extreme necessitie called vnto his father vpon the crosse And that psalm describeth Christ his passion also setteth forth the fruite of his death resurrection saying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me All they which see me haue me in derision they make a mo nod their hed saying He trusted in the lord let him deliuer him let him saue him seyng he loueth him They perced my handes and my feet I may tel al my bones yet they behold and looke vpon me They part my garments amōg them and cast lottes vpon my vesture Behold how exactly how liuely how truly and how excellently the holy ghost foretold Christes passion vsing the very same wordes which the Iewes vsed when they mocked Christ hanging on the crosse And the Euangelists are witnesses that al these things happened in his passion which were fore told of it And they recite the very same words to the end they may proue that it was the good will both of God the father and the son that Christ suffered seing the holy ghost prophesied many yeres before that all these things should happen vnto Christ Yea the spirite foreshewed also that Christ by this his passion should enter into his glory be lord ouer al things As before ye haue heard in the 8. psalm But in this 22. psal he saith I will declare thy name vnto my brethren and in the middest of the congregation will I praise thee Do you see he shal first suffer his passiō but he shall not bide in his passion and death For euen thē shal he magnify his fathers name and make it famous and wel known through the whole world by this glorious and famous preaching of Gods mercies in that he spared not his owne onely sonne but gaue him for our sakes to the death of the crosse that we might therby obtaine the benefite of euerlasting lyfe For so it followeth in the psalm The poore shal eate and be satisfied they that seeke after the lord shal prayse him their harts shall liue for euer This eating and satisfieng of the poore is a spiritual satisfieng when the poore sinners eate the true bread of heauen that is when they heare the gospel of Christes humanity passion and resurrection and kepe it in their hartes by fayth For then are they fed by it vnto euerlasting life according to that of Iohn I am the liuing bread which came down from heauen if any man eate of this bread hee shall liue for euer Neither can mans cōscience be otherwise satisfied and set at quiet that it be not vexed and troubled by any other thing but onely by Christ apprehended by fayth It followeth All the endes of the world shall remember themselues and turne to the Lord and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee For the kingdome is the lordes and he ruleth among the nations This is when men by the preaching and doctrine of the Gospell are put in mynd of gods great benefites and are constrayned to acknowledge worship confesse glorify and call vpon Christ their lord who is appointed of God the father to be the head of all things and king ouer all nations of the whole world Here haue ye the kingdome of Christ which is the holy catholike church spread ouer the face of the whole earth And now in all things and places where that euill spirit the deuill before ruled by lying hauing seduced all people and led them into all kindes of errors and idolatry that they might be as Paul sayth without Christ without the worde without hope and without God in the world there I say in those partes shall Christ now be heard It followeth their seede shall serue him and the lord shal be preached from age to age But if Christ shal haue seede that is to say spirituall children borne by the gospell as well of the Iewes as Gentiles as you see by this text he must then can he not be ouercome by deth nor abide in the graue For how could he then regenerate and congregate the Gentiles together into the catholike fayth and rule such an empire which should fill the whole world whose dominion should not extende through one piece of the earth onely but thorough the whole circuit of the wide world and so cōtinue for euer world without end For whosoeuer beleueth in Christ shal be partaker of euerlasting lyfe Wheresoeuer therfore the prophets set down the kingdom of Christ saying that it shall haue continual peace health and felicitye there is set downe and in dede declared the deth and resurrection of Christ and all christian men For if Christ shal be a king and set vp and haue an heauenly and euerlasting kingdome it must needes follow that he should leaue this temporall mortall lyfe by death
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.
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
vs what Christ is and what he doth for vs and howe much he profiteth vs He geueth vs also vnderstāding that we may be able to iudge what a holy lyfe is and what is vngodly and wicked and what is consonant and agreing to true religion and what is repugnant therunto He also helpeth vs by hys good redy and holsome counsayle that the godly may know how they ought to behaue themselues vnder the cros and suffer al things patiently valiantly yea he ministreth consolation to the sorrowful and afflicted he geueth vs also strength in tribulation and affliction that we may haue stedfast hartes and that we may valiantly ouercome all euils and aduersities hee geueth vnto euery one knowledge wisdome that the godly man in the kingdome of God may know how to vse hym self towards euery man whether he be strong or weak in fayth He geueth vs also the feare of God which is the beginning of true wisedom And by that we see that our god raigneth and gouerneth his people far otherwise then earthly kinges do For earthly emperours cannot see the inward parts of the hart and in the innerchamber of the brest those things whiche lye hid within whereby it commeth oftentimes to pas that they iudge some man good and honest by the eye and eare whiche is a very wicked man in hart But Christ our king beyng one which searcheth all mēs harts iudgeth truly as the history of the gospell witnesseth in Mathew where he hath to do with the pharisies and in that and diuers other places seeth their secret thoughts regardeth not that their false visor and shew of godlines But reproueth that fals shew of holines fained integrity And according to their deserts calleth them hypocrites But what kind of subiects I pray you hath this king and who be his people Verely their title cognisance which Christ himself did also beare in the 9. of Zacharye is here vpon earth pouerty affliction and misery Here you see a spirituall kingdom if it had ben a worldly kingdom thē should not the king haue ben a poore miserable wretched king but a rich honorable pompous magnificent and cherefull king his subiects also should haue ben mighty honorable and flowing in delights and commodities in this world but in thys kingdome all things are spirituall yet shall they not always be poore miserable and afflicted it is but for a tyme that they shal be here thus crossed followe their maister Christ in suffering affliction For as a kyng after hys trouble and persecution becommeth great and ascendeth to the highest step of honour so shall all the godly after theyr crosses here at the last day become glorious as the children of God. But in the meane tyme as Saint Paul saith we must dye vnto the world we must be afflicted persecuted and contemned in the worlde for our true lyfe is hid with Christ in god When Iesus Christ which is our lyfe shall appeare euen then we also shall appeare wyth him in glory In the meane tyme our ould and crooked Adam must here be chastned and kept vnder by the crosse of affliction For the flesh and ould Adam shall not inherite the kingdome of Christ Contrarily there must be erected in vs true holynes that is fayth in Christ seeing that God euen for Christes sake pardoneth our sinns and by grace in Christ iustifieth vs and taketh vs for righteous Neither is the rod or scepter of this our king earthly but heauenly namely his holy and saluing worde and holy ghost and with this rod before the last iudgement he smiteth the earth that is our ould Adam which is from the earth earthly He rebuketh smiteth and punisheth our wickednes that we being accused by the word of Christ may hate and flye sin and turne to better lyfe and afterward lyue godly and vertuously all the dayes of their lyfe He doth by his word also hurle downe all earthly and erronious opinions by which men are seduced He smiteth consumeth and killeth as Paule sayth Antechrist With the spirite of his mouth For as Gods kingdome here is not of this world euenso also his armor is not worldly but spirituall to wit righteousnes fayth and truth For we fight agaynst the power of hell and sathanicall army by fayth in Christ which is our righteousnes by prayer proceeding of fayth which God heareth as he hath promised But where the prophet speaketh of wolues lambs that is a figuratiue and darke speach For the prophet regardeth not these brute beastes but he geueth vs to vnderstand that the church should be congregated of sundry sortes of men and that those which before had bene at deadly fead and enmity amongst themselues should by the gospell become so great frendes meeke and secure that they should not one meane harme to an other This is the fruit of the preaching of the gospell to wit the wyld rude and sauage Gentiles with the cruell and swelling Pharises and the mighty potentates of this world are by the gospell mollified tamed humbled conuerted and brought into the church of Christ It followeth in the same chapter of Esay And in that day the roote of Ishai which shal stand vp for a signe vnto the people the nations shal seke vnto it and his rest shal be glorious And in the same day shal the lord stretch out his hand agayne the second time to possesse the remnaunt of his people which shal be left of Ashur and of Egypt and of Pathros and of Ethiopia of Elam and of Chimer of Hamath of the Iles of the sea And he shall set vp a signe to the nations assemble the dispersed of Israel gather the scattred of Iuda from the 4. corners of the world c. Here the prophet foretelleth how ample and large the kingdom of Christ shal be he sheweth vs what shall be the state of the tyme of the new Testament to wit that although the roote of Eshay which is Iesus Christ the sonne of Dauid be despised and refused of his own people yet should he be so glorious so mighty and so famous a king that all the people throughout the whole world should worship honor him For he shold be set vp for a signe or banner vpon which all men in battail fasten set their eyes This is a most comfortable ensigne which maketh the hart ioyful constant and bold and it is a signe of victory This signe is our king Iesus Christ lifted vp exalted vpon the crosse by which crosse Sathan is ouercome and our soules deliuered And as the Iewes in the desert did run vnto the brasen serpent which Moses set vp when they were deadly wounded of the serpēts euen so Christ is set vp before vs and vnto vs that all men may flie to him and with faith loke vpon him and stedfastly behold him and so be healed of that
deadly sicknes of sinne and ouercome the power of darknes thorough the might and power of this signe Christ crucified But it is especially to be marked that the prophet saith All nations shal seke vnto him The 70. translaters haue interpreted these wordes thus Which shall rise again to be the king of the Gentiles that is of all people in the earth in him shal the Gentils trust Like as the patriarke Iacob said according to the exposition of the 70. translaters in these wordes Siloh shall be the hope or expectation of the Gentils Here haue we a plaine euident testimony of the calling of the Gentiles to the grace of the gospell For they shal enquire after Christ or seeke him as their only sauiour put all their hope trust in him What els is this but that they shall acknowledge Christ to bee true GOD and true man of the stocke of Dauid For hope in the first commaundement is the honour due onely and soly vnto the true and liuing god And thus the kingdome of Christ according to this prophesy shall be as wide and large as the whole worlde so that the Iewes shall bee the least and smallest parte of Christes kingdome And euen all the Iewes vnderstande this chapter of Messias who should recouer and restore the kingdome of Israel And where as the Prophet sayth His rest shall be glorious that is his death and buriall shall be glorious for his body is neither corrupt nor rotten He died an innocent whose death brought all vs the childrē of Adam out of eternall death and shame into euerlasting honour and glory For Christ by this his most holy and sacred death entred into his glorious and euerlasting kingdome and so after his death began his raigne in lyfe And when as the Iewes supposed that hee was dead in deede and quite extinguished al those things which he had promised and spoken to be vaine and of none effect as Cleophas also and his companions supposed then beeing risen from death to life came forth and ouercame and quite destroyed and killed death and became glorious and was made kyng both of the Iewes and Gentiles and raigneth for euer throwyng downe his enemies with euerlastyng shame First therfore in these wordes is contained the deth of Christ for the prophet sayth his rest And afterward is noted his glorious victorious resurrection For the prophet saith that his rest shal be glorious but his rest or death could not haue bene glory or glorious or honorable if he had abiden still in death wrought done nothing by it In Exodus it is written that the lord stretched out his hande and by his great miracles declared his power that he might deliuer his captiue afflicted and oppressed people out of Egypt and bring them vnto the promised land of Canaan And here the Prophet doth agayne promise such a deliueraunce but a much more glorious and meruailous deliueraunce then that was when hee drowned Pharao with all his hoste in the red sea and brought his people out of all danger into the land of promise without hurt and harme The deliuerance out of Egypt was but onely a figure of this deliueraunce of which the prophet speaketh here For God wil deliuer the remnant of the Iewes and Gentiles out of the eternall captiuity of Satan by Iesus Christ and gather them all together into the kingdom of heauen where they shall neuer suffer eyther damage detriment or losse And he calleth all nations throughout all the whole worlde For saluation hath extended it selfe to all the world that the dispersed and wandring children of god might be gathered together out of all quarters of the earth as Christ himselfe saith in Iohn And I if I were lift vp from the earth will draw all men vnto me And agayne Christ should dye for the nations not for the nations onely but that he should gather together in one the children of God which were scattred abroade The prophet Esay singeth a notable Psalme of this great and inexplicable benefite of the true and spirituall redemption in Christ wherby we be deliuered from euerlasting damnation And in that Psalme he meruailously setteth forth the goodnes of god in Christ saying Behold God is my saluation I will trust and wil not feare for the lord God is my strength and song he also is become my saluation If Cleophas and his companion had known him to be the sauiour and deliuerer of Israel as well as Esay did they had neuer bene in harte so heauy as they were It followeth in the prophet Esay Therefore with ioye shall ye drawe waters out of the welles of saluation And yee shall say in that daye prayse the Lorde call vppon his name declare his workes among the people make mention of them For hys name is exalted Syng vnto the Lorde for he hath done excellent thinges This is known in all the world Cry out and shoute O inhabitant of Sion for great is the holy one of Israel in the midst of thee Note here how greatly and aboundantly the prophet reioiceth in spirit or the bountiful grace of god offred in Christ our only sauiour and deliuerer When the gospel of God is taught vnto vs then is the holy ghost with all his graces giuen vnto vs to wit remission of sinnes peace of conscience true ioy He is the true fountain spring of the liuing water of which Christ speaketh in Iohn saying The water that I shall giue him shall be in him a well of water springing vp into euerlasting life And againe Christ sayth If any mā thirst let him come to me drinke he that beleueth in me as saith the scripture out of his belly shal flow riuers of water of life He spake this of the spirit which they that beleue in him should receiue For he obtained this holy ghost by his deth for vs and he mightily shewed forth to vs how that by his death the victory of his resurrection he ouercame sinne death and Satan The true Sion that is the catholike church of the faithfull doth in dede and not without good occasion reioice shout for ioy yea she may well and worthily glory For she hath gotten forgiuenes of sinnes righteousnes the holy ghost peace of conscience and euerlasting saluation For Paul sayth to the Corinthiās That God hath giuen vs a glorious victory triumph ouer the law sin death hel through our lord Iesus Christ Esay prophesieth in like maner in his 25. chapter of the victory of Christ saying God Messias will destroy death for euer and the Lord God will wipe away the teares from all faces and the rebuke of his people wil he take away out of all the earth For the lord hath spoken it Now then if Christ hath swallowed vp death then are we surely deliuered from it For death neither hath nor euer had power ouer Christ because he was
pure free frō al sinne All mankind in deed is subiect to it But Christ paied the price of all our sinnes and in his owne person ouercame death and so destroyed it that henceforth it cannot vtterly vndo vs and deuour vs Because all we which beleue in Christ shall rise again by the vertue of Christes resurrectiō This also might haue comforted Cleophas and his companion haue certified them that Christ was a spirituall king which should not restore that corporall kingdome of Israel but redeme the true Israelites to wit the children of promise through the whole world from the kingdome of Satan and bring them into the heauenly and spiritual kingdom of euerlasting lyfe and immortalitie Esay in his 26. chapter hath a notable song of the kingdom of Christ of the church of the faithfull and of the fortitude and security therof where he sayth We haue a strong city saluation shall God set for walles bulwarks That is to say the walles and armour of it are the sauing helth and victory of Christ which are sure and inuincible fortresses Open ye the gates that the righteous nation which kepe the truth may enter in Here are the citizens of this city described to wit the righteous which beleue in Iesus Christ It followeth By assured purpose wilt thou preserue perfect peace because they trusted in thee This is spokē of the king which ruleth this heauenly city because he doth alwayes and in all places giue and maintayne true pleasant and perpetuall peace against Satan the world and the flesh This peace is in consciēce through faith in Iesus Christ A little after Esay doth prophesie of the resurrection of those dead which shal haue beleued in Messias and are citizens of that heauenly Ierusalem saying Thy dead men shall liue euen with my body shall they rise Awake and sing ye that dwell in dust For thy dew is as the dew of herbes and the earth shal cast out the dead Come my people enter thou into my chambers and shut thy dores after thee Hide thy selfe for a very litle while vntill the indignation passe ouer for loe the Lord commeth out of his place to visite the iniquity of the inhabitauntes of the earth vpon them and the earth shall disclose her bloud and shall no more hide her slaine Now if the righteous which yet lye in the earth shall rise in theyr owne bodies then must it needes be that Christ should rise before who is the head kyng by whome they are iustified and deliuered from theyr sinnes and by whom they shall rise agayne The prophet therefore vndoubtedly speaketh here of the resurrection of Christ and christians and calleth the faythfull of Christ the lordes dead that is pertayning vnto the lord or which are the lordes of whome God will take an accompt and whome he will preserue and not leaue them in death but bring them to euerlasting lyfe For if God be theyrs and they Gods then out of all doubt can not they continue in death neither hath death totally swallowed them vp and cōsumed them but it hath for a short tyme separated their body and soule For God is not the God of the dead but of the liuyng The soule is with Christ and the body in the ground But at the last day the lord will purge and purifie theyr bodies and adorne them with infinit and vnspeakable glory Esay teacheth vs what maner of lyfe we shall haue after our death when he sayeth Awake and sing If the godly must sing and vndoubtedly they shall syng that euerlastyng Alleluya that is a thankesgiuyng because death is swalowed vp in the victory of Christ then out of doubt shall our lyfe after this temporall lyfe be a most happy and blessed lyfe and we shall haue continuall ioyes without any tast of payne or sorrowes perpetuall health without sickenesse eternall and true pleasures delightes and comfortes without any wearisomnesse or molestations After that day sicknesses shall trouble our bodies no more neyther shall olde age wither our bodies or decrease our strength but we shal alwayes haue a continual spring euerlasting pleasure and perpetuall beauty Therefore sayth the prophet Thy dewe shall be as the dewe of a greene medowe That is after your resurrection you shall not fade or decay but flourish alwayes and for euer and be as a fayre medow and greene garden which by her sweete dew comfortable buddes and pleasaunt delectation feedeth the eyes of all men But before this most ioyfull day of the resurrection of the faythfull we must suffer much affliction and heauinesse as Christ warneth vs in Iohn saying In the world ye shall haue affliction and bee made conformable vnto hys death This must be suffered paciently and moderately that be suffering we may be made lyke vnto Christ and so according to our portion be partakers of glory And so Paul sayth to the Philippians The thinges which were vauntage to me the same I counted losse for Christes sake that I might winne Christ and that I might knowe hym and the vertue of hys resurrection and the fellowship of his affliction and bee made conformable vnto his death if by any meanes I might attayne vnto the resurrection of the dead In the meane while we sit as it were shut vp vnknowen to the world in our parlor or closset of the holy church beleuing the doctrine of the sacred Gospell and confirmyng our fayth and hartes with the sweete promise of GOD in hys worde euen vnto the last iudgement that the wrath of GOD may passe ouer and that which ought to be iudged receiue iudgement Our afflictions here are not continuall but for a short tyme which compared vnto eternitie is not the twinckling of an eye And this tyme once finished the Lord will come to iudgement and giue vnto euery one accordyng to his workes Then shall the godly and guiltlesse Abel ryse from the dust of the earth and then shall not the earth any longer couer the bodye of the righteous but it shall giue them vp that together with their soules they may be glorified And the Prophet in his 27. chapiter prophesieng of Christes kingdome and the catholike church calleth it a vineyarde saying In that day sing of the vineyarde to wit the church of red wyne I the Lorde do keepe it and will water it euery moment least any assaile it I will keepe it day and night Hereafter Iacob shall take roote Israel shall flourish and growe and the worlde shall bee filled with fruite And in that day also shall the great trumpet be blowen and they shall come which perished in the land of Ashur and they which were chased into the land of Egypt and they shall worship the lord in the holy mount at Ierusalem This vineyarde is the church of the faythfull which is enclosed and hedged about with the worde of God adourned with the holy spirite and moystened and watered with the
with the church Wheras men which are without knowledge of God being in heresies superstition idolatry exercised and blinded are by that euil destroying and disturbing spirit dispersed and the heritage deuided Cōtrarily Christes faithfull are by the gospell and doctrine of the church gathered together into the vnity of faith which iustifyeth ¶ Anna. But what saith the church to them which yet beleeue not ☞ Vrb. It saith that which Esay speaketh of here saying Goe forth and shew your selues as if he should haue sayd ye sit in Sathans prison in darknes of vnbeleef but if you abide in that pryson and darknes you shall die for euer And therfore arise and come out and fly speedely out of sathans kingdome repent amend your selues and beleeue the gospel and then shal your harts be lighted with knowledge then shall you both learn to know your selues you shall also receiue true holynes be saued In the kingdome and dungeon of sathā is nothing els but euerlasting hunger penury of al things but in the church which is the kingdome of Christ are most delectable pleasant pastures For the gospel is a most ioyful messenger and comfortable word of life which floweth with al delites comforts ioyes in which we finde and haue plenty and ful store of al pleasure goodnes to wit forgeuenes of sinnes true holynes peace with God ioy of spirite and peace of conscience and life yea true and perfect consolation And this is the meaning of these strange words of the prophet where he saith They shal feed in the wayes and their pastures shal be in the plaines or in al the tops of hils they shal neither be hungry nor thirsty and the heat of the day shal not touch them But whence haue they such delights and pleasures The prophet answereth because their deliuerer wil rule gouern thē They are as you here in the kingdome of mercy Christ conducteth thē by his word spirit These three to wit the word the sacraments and the holy spirit are the welsprings and flouds by which only this spirituall thirst may in all places and for euer be quenched And least this spirituall thirst shold not be quenched or these pastures of life be hid and not easely found the Lord wil make all the mountaines into a way that is there shal be in all congregations or companies of Christians place that euē easely with no troble mē may come vnto him There shal be a very broad frequented way redy and easy to be found so that no man shall haue need to aske which is the way lest therby the free acces to Christ might be hindered For in what kind and state of life so euer any man shal be so that it be not quite cōtrary to gods word if he beleeue in Christ doubtles he shall both haue forgeuenes of sinnes and be inheritor of euerlasting life whether he be Iew or Gentil master or seruant mistres or mayd maiestrate or subiect and they shal come from far Before the people of god was in the litle land of Chanaan and the church of God was straitly laced hēmed in but now it shal be let lose through the wholl world and as Christ saith in Luke they shal come frō the East and from the West and from the North and from the South and shall sit in the kingdome of God. Then the prophet biddeth all creatures reioyce and be glad for al creatures which are are in two places to wit in heauē earth now the occasion cause why they ought to triumph and reioyce is this First because God the father hath sent his sonne into this earth geuen vs his gospel from heauen which is a messuage of reconciliation betwixt God man and the word of grace remission of sinnes Secondly because that now the people of God faithful christians are out of al danger and in a happy ease for death is subdued But he calleth the good christians poore or afflicted because while they liue in this earth they are heauy troubled inwardly with feare terror of death and gods iudgement and outwardly they are shaken with persecutions and all kinds of calamities But this is our consolation that god calleth vs his people for if we be his people he our comforter protector thē may we in deed reioyce For if God be with vs who can be against vs what hurt can the creature doe vs how cā it dismay vs seeing the creator himself doth comfort help vs the flesh is very weak and when the tempest thick mistes of aduersitie and tribulations come vpon vs when we are ouerwhelmed with vehement crosses when we are something sharply assaulted with sorowes feares and temptations then doe these comfortable promises of gods grace and help vanish away and fly out of our sight in so much that we think God hath forsaken vs and that he is angry and so plagueth vs because he intendeth to destroy vs For thus saith Sion to wit the miserable afflicted godly in their infirmities and greeuous temtations The Lord hath forsaken me the Lord hath forgotten me my sinnes O Lord are haynous great greeuous and to heauy for me to beare What shal become of me O wretch that I am what shall I doe how shal I escape euerlasting death and the wrath of God ¶ An. Truely husband it is oftentimes so with me for I am many times so afflicted and am in such heuynes feares and temtations that I thinke God careth not for me and that he will euē in these trobles feares afflictions and temtations leaue and destroy me most miserable woman ☞ Vrb. Our weake fearfull flesh cannot alwayes expel such feares cogitations For though the promises of God be neuer so plentiful manifold though god euery foot help vs yea and that so manifestly and redely that we may euen grope and feel him yet whē troble and greef come again we are so vnmindful of al the former helps which we haue had and we are so trobled soroful as if the lord could forget or forsake vs which in deed he can neuer doe For he hath promised both to help comfort vs and surely he will performe his promise for he is true therfore he wil doe it he is of such might that whatsoeuer he saith he can perform it Wherfore Esay addeth to this complaint of the godly which mourn vnder the cros a most ioyfull comfortable consolation by which we may help this our dastardly weaknes and desperation and comfort our heuy harts thus wrastling vnder the cros pressed down with aduersitie desperatiō And to doe it the liuelier he boroweth a similitude of nature which is commōly knowen amongst all men to wit the louing and motherly affection of women which of all other are most naturall to their children We know that God hath planted in the
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
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
be named a Citye sought out and nōt forsaken In these wordes the prophet commaundeth that the word of the Gospell should be diligently painefully and continually tought in all places where men be to heare it The gates of the Church doe stand alway open all thinges are now ready there lacketh nothing but that you diligently vrge and beleue the doctrine of the word and that ye remoue take vp and sweepe away all thinges whatsoeuer hinder the crosse and increase of the Gospell that it may haue better successe Preach you Christ crucified and he shall by his spirite gather and draw all men vnto him To be short the Gospell ought to be published and preached through all the world Tell the daughter Sion that is you must declare to all the electe both Iewes and Gentiles that their Sauiour Christ Iesus is at hand and whatsoeuer he promiseth or enterpriseth for the sauing of his people that is to say the spiritual Sion the same he mightely performeth For the captiuitye wherein he was and the passion which he suffered is our redemption and saluation and his death is our lyfe And though Sion that is the Church be counted but base and vile in the eyes of the world yet shall it be glorious famous of great dignity before God and it shall haue this worthy name and title to be called the holy people of God whom God himself in mannes nature which hee tooke vpon him hath redeemed And although the world supposeth that God hath reiected and forsaken the church and that God himself is sore displeased with it because they see it in misery calamity and vnder the cros yet neuertheles shall it both be called and in deed be found that perfect citye of God which God in no case can forsake And here you see the articles of the creed I beleeue the holy Catholick church the communyon of saints For he that beleeueth in Christ is a citizen in this Citie and a saint in Christ which forgeueth our sinnes and sanctyfieth the church by his word and holy spirit Now then if you wil not haue this work of Christ our Sauiour to be fruitles it is necessary that the gospel should be preached in all the world and that there should be in all places faithful beleeuers in Christ and that the same beleeuers be delyuered from death to the end the church may be made this beutifull citie fayre dwelling or house of god which he cānot forsake Here also it is euydent that it behoued Christ to rise again from death to the end this citie might be builded in all the world and that the faithfull in Christ may be delyuered from all their calamities sinne death and damnation This did not Cleophas and his companion while they were on their way to Emaus vnderstād and that was the cause that they were so sad But let vs now goe to the 63. chapter of Esay in which the magnificall and glorious tryumph of Christ is descrybed to wit how by his cros bloudsheding he marueilously ouercame his and the churches enemies namely sinne death Sathan and the sinagogue of the vnbeleeuing Iewes and valiantly vanquished them by his own strength and vertue Esay in this chapter also vseth after his maner a figuratiue speech saying Who is this that commeth from Edom with red garments from Bosrah He is glorious in his apparrell and walketh in his great strength Here the prophet wondering at the passion of christ vseth an interrogatiue speech Edom signifyeth red ruddy or redly colored Bosrah signifyeth a vine branch from whence the clusters of grapes be gathered which are troaden and prest in the wine pres He calleth the Sinagogue of the Iewes Edom or red because they all bestayned and defyled them selues with the bloud of the prophets and Christ when they sayd his bloud be vpon vs and our children The prophet therfore saw in the spirite how that bloudy Sinagogue tormented afflicted Christ all be slubbered and berayd him in blod as we see the grape treders are besprinkled bestaind with the wine in the vintage He saw also in the same place by the spirit what Christ by his blodsheding hath wrought and done to wit how he hath by his own strength and vertue without the help and ayd of any other ouercome and vanquyshed his enemyes admirably tryumphed as a most fortunat and worthy warryar in his triumphes conquest and signes of victory worthy to be beholden of all men For when the Iewes thought verely he had been dispatched and deead in deed then rose he again from death and began his kingdome and declared him selfe to be a valyaunt vanquisher of sinne death and all the kingdome of darcknes and punished with the horrible plague of captiuity hardnes of hart and apostacy the Iewes in all the world whersoeuer they be for this horrible and cruel fact of sheding of innocent bloud Vnto this interrogatiō of the prophet doth the Messias answere saying I speake in righteousnes and am mighty to saue That is to say why marueilest thou what I am I am he whom God hath sent to teache righteousnes nay euen to help that is to say iustifye and saue of mine own hability But by and by the prophet addeth another interrogation If thou be the true Sauyour which shalt help and geue life in deede wherfore then is thy apparrell red and thy garmentes like his that treadeth in the wine pres How doth this agree and stand with thy promyses wherin thou takest vpon thee to help and saue vs To this Christ answereth I haue troaden the wine pres alone and of all people there was none with me for I will tread them in mine anger and tread them vnder foot in my wrath and their bloud shal be sprinkled vpon my garments and I wil stayn all my rayment For the day of vengeance is in my hart and the yeare of my redeemed is come and I looked and there was none to help and I wondered that there was none to vphold Therefore mine own harme helped me and my wrath it self sustayned me Therfore I wil tread down the people in my wrath and make them dronken in mine indignation and will bring down their strength to the earth In this answere of Christ we see how he would by his passion enter into his glory and thorowly delyuer vs for euer He sayth thou shalt not maruail to see my rayment red For this is the true and redyest way and meanes to saue the world God hath so ordayned it I haue troadē the wine pres alone that is to say I alone haue born the sinnes of the world vpon the crosse No man els was able to satisfy God for the sinnes of the world but I alone It was my bloud only that both could and ought to doe it and nothing els There was no other meanes nor way to saue you from your sins And in that my infirmity I shewed great strength and I
the prophet say that their former troubles are forgott put out of sight and hide from them seing that in the kingdome of Christ that as in the Church there is neuertheles outwardly nothing but affliction vexation and tribulatiō in this lyfe insomuch that euen the most holy men many tymes fall into such trouble of mind that they need the comfort of other men ☞ Vrb. You must acquaint your selfe with the prophets phrase of speach The prophets speake of the kingdome of Christ as if we were now already deliuered out of these troubles and as if the glory of his kingdome which is yet to come had now already apeared nay as if the euerlasting lyfe which is yet to come were already begun where as yet it is but only in fayth And so it behoued thē to speake of it For if they should paint forth the kingdome of Christ in his proper colors and set it forth aright as it ought to be they must not looke vpon that base and homely outward appearaunce in which here vpon earth it lyeth couertly hid vnder the crosse but they must behold the glory also in which it shall florish in the day of our perfect regeneration when all kindes of euills incommodities stombling blockes shal be remoued out of the kingdome of Christe and when we shall be free from all kind of crosses and calamities In as much as we being iustified be fayth in Christ are freed and deliuered from our sinnes and in as much as we beare Christ by fayth in our hartes and are now made the sons of God and haue our lyfe hid and preserued with Christ in God and haue the holy spirite the earnest penye of our inheritance and so spiritually are risen agayne frō the death of sin and haue nothing els to looke for but that this mortall bodye should dye and rise agayne the prophets I say because of these so excellent thinges because we are saued in hope vsed sometimes in that they knew what fayth in Christ could doe and should doe to speake of the kingdome of Christ as if now already we were translated out of this fraile and corruptible lyfe and out of these troubles cares calamities and afflictious into that lyfe that continueth for euer And this certainely is our sure plentifull comfort consolatiō nay it is our spirituall blessing wherwith we now are already blessed And these first fruites of the spirite are such heauenly treasures that no tongue can vtter the excellency and dignitie therof And this is the cause that when we be indued with these heauēly treasures we beare the heuy crosse of persecution trouble more patiētly Before this we were in the kingdome of the deuill the kingdome of the euerlasting curse but now we are in the kingdome of eternall blessing in which onely and els not at all we finde and enioy the grace of God righteousnes helth and euerlasting lyfe It followeth in the prophet For loe I will create new heauens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into minde But the Lord sayth bee you glad and reioyce for euer in the thing that I shall create For behold I will create Ierusalem as a reioycing and her people as a ioy And I will reioyce in Ierusalem and ioy in my people and the voyce of weeping shall be no more heard in her nor the voyce of crying Behold here how exceeding glorious the kingdome of Christ shall be after this lyfe God for his childrens sake his faythful which be heyres of all things in Christ will wake a new heauen and a new earth And then all thinges shall reioyce with the Children of God all affliction and trouble which we suffered here in this earth shall then be forgot For heauines hath then his end and eternall Ioy beginneth Now it is called the earth and so it is in deed euen a vale of misery and a sea of sorrow For which way soeuer a man turneth his eye there is nothing here to be seene but daunger and affliction The water drowneth vs the fire burneth vs and the ayre with tempest stormes thunder lightning haile molesteth vs In the earth we see our graues and the burying places of the dead dens of theeues and here the tortor and there the racke to torment vs To be short there is no place but that of misery and mischiefe it is a place For as yet Sathan with this his world swelleth rageth turneth tosseth euery thing vpside downe and bringeth in all kinde of calamity and mischiefe vpon vs but when he with his incredulous and wicked world shall be hurled hedlong downe to hell when our God shall renew the earth when the true Christians shall only appeare in all places and nothing but true iustice inhabite the land then shall the memory of that former earth the vale of misery in which was nothing but present perill sicknes sorrow affliction and death be vtterly extinguished and forgot then at the last shall the true heauenly Ierusalem be builded where shall be nothing but sure pure and vnspekable ioy and there we shal reioyce in the Lord for euer and euer and God shall be to vs all in all And wheras the Iewes and Chelieasts draw and wrast this text to the lande of Iuda they are foolishly and doultishly deceaued For all Iudaisme with their tempell Ierusalem priesthoode and principalitye had their limites and time appointed and ought to continue but onely till Iesus Christ should come and fulfill the scriptures who together with his Church was by the law priest sacrifice temple and Ierusalem prefigured and signified For Esay a little after in the 66. chapiter prophesyeth of the Iewes ceremonies that they shall haue an end that after for euer in the Church of the faythfull in Christ there shall be month after month and Saboth after Saboth that is to say in this church shall be a perpetuall and continuall Saboth Saboth after Saboth still one vpon one wheras the Saboths of the Iewes were numbred and knowne In this last of Esay also we haue a notable worthy prophesy of the kingdom of Christ or of the church of the faythfull The wordes of it be these Reioyce ye with Ierusalem and be glad with her all ye that loue her reioyce for ioy with her all ye that morne for her that you may suck and be satisfied with the brestes of her consolation and that ye may milke out and be delighted with the brightnes of her glory For thus sayth the Lord Behold I will extend peace ouer her lyke a floud and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing streame then shall ye suck ye shall be born vpon her sides and be ioyful vpon her knees As one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you and ye shall be comforted in Ierusalem And when ye see this your hartes shall reioyce and your bones shall florishe like an
been before him and raigned in the seat of Dauid For Ieremy saith that he shall execute iustice and iudgement in the earth through the whol world cōdemne destroy the wicked make them which were vniust and sinful very pure righteous For his kingdome is a kingdome of true iustice and innocency And Iuda Israel that is both those people shall haue help of him not that the x. tribes shold returne out of Assiria into Samaria and there haue a king of their own and set vp a corporall kingdome as Iudah had before time in Ierusalem when they liued vnder Dauid and Salomon with peace and quyetnes but that they shold haue a spiritual help through Christ who should deliuer them from sinne and death that so they might dwel boldly and safely that is that they might haue their consciences quyeted appeased and mery as men which now by faith in Christ haue their sinnes forgeuen are at peace with God through Christ So that they need not dread nor feare death or any other euill because that this wise king the most pure and florishing blossome of righteousnes is made the righteousnes of all Christians that all faithfull beleeuers the spirituall Israell consisting both of the Iewes and Gentils may through faith receiue the holy Ghost which testifyeth in their harts that they are the children of God heyres of God and coheires with Iesus Christ and so with bouldnes of siprite say with Paul We are perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Is not this a famous help and a strong and firme fortresse for the godly that they can say we know that we are translated from death vnto life That is the holy spirite hath taught vs by the word and heauenly vnction that Christ hath freed vs both from sinne and death and that we by him after death shall rise from death and liue for euer This is that hope of Israell which neither Gentil nor Infidel hath Now marke what noble and miraculous works of diuinity which none could doe but very God him selfe the prophet ascrybeth to this sonne of Dauid He sayth He shall execute and set vp iustice and iudgement in the earth And he shall iustify others Ergo he must not only outwardly but also inwardly purge the hart and forgeue sinne And this is only the worke of god For it is he onely that can change a wicked and malicious hart and it is he which can illuminate and regenerate vs and none but he And agayn if he can forgeue sinnes he can also abolish death which is the reward or stipend of sinne and the sting of death If then he could ouercom death and make vs righteous and geue vs euerlasting life he is true God which can only in deed deliuer vs from our sinnes and eternall death and geue and preserue true tranquility and peace If then Iudah and Israell that is the hole church of the godly shall be delyuered from their sinne and death then must it needes follow that they shall liue with Christ for euer Here then in this prophecy if we marke it wel we may see that Christ should dye as the naturall sonne of Dauid but not abide in death but that he should iustify and saue Iudah and Israel that is to say his people the godly and faithful And for this cause should he first rise again from death that he might rayse his Israelites that is his faithful from death and that he might purchase for them and geue them eternal life securitie for euer For if he should haue geuē them peace but for a time he should not truely and in deede haue delyuered them neither were it a true tranquility and peace Wherfore it was necessary that that peace and saluation which he should geue his elect should continue for euer and euer Thus then in this short prophecy haue we this eternall king together with his death resurrection and euerlasting kingdome expresly and soundly descrybed And so doth Ieremy again teach vs in the 33. chapter calling the gospel the voyce of ioy which God speaketh to Israel and Iuda For the law only sheweth Gods wrath and punishment but the gospel that new couenant promyseth meere grace and redemption And then he prophesieth how the helpe and redēption which this king bringeth shal extend it selfe to all people farre and nere The people of God in tyme past soong and spake of the great benefits of god how he brought them forth out of the land of Egipt and deliuered them by many marueilous miracles but when Christ that sonne of Dauid shall come then shall they gloriously triumph and tell of farre greater good gifts of God to wit how Christ hath brought and deliuered vs out of the hellish black Egipt and kingdome of sin death and euerlasting damnation and gathered not onely the Israelites after the flesh but all his elected children in all the world out of all nations into this Church of the godly which thing hath ben done euer since the Apostles time euen to this daye For wee which beleue in Christ haue a more excellent and notable captaine then Moses and Iosua Wee haue Iesus Christ for our captayn who hath deliuered vs out of the bondage and howse of the spirituall Pharao to wit from the captiuitie of Sathan This eternall redemption doth euery day renew in vs the remembraunce of our god so that we say the Lord liueth who hath deliuered vs from sin death and Sathan hath brought vs from all errors to the true knowledge of the Gospell This is a spirituall deliueraunce and bringing out of Egipt and a spirituall kingdome where in wee see Iudaisme should once cease Christianisme by Christ our king be set vp through all the world and therefore it was conuenient that he should rise agayne that he might erect this kingdome vpon earth and conserue it for euer To which sence the prophet speaketh saying Therfore behold the day is come sayth the Lord that they shall no more say the Lord liueth which brought vp the children of Israell out of the land of Egipt but the Lord liueth which brought vp and led the seed of the house of Israell out of the north country and from all countryes where I had scattered them and they shall dwell in their owne land Here we must note that all temporall deliuerances which the Iewes had here vpon earth from the hands of earthly tyrants and the gentiles were but figurs of the true and euerlasting deliuerance which we haue by our Messias Christ of which in this place to speake is not to our purpose The prophets for most part set downe such circumstances in their writings that we may well gather they had a farther respect then
and drinke but righteousnes and peace and ioy in the holy ghost The words of this prophesy be these heare the worde of the Lord ye gentiles and declare in the Iles a farre of and say he that scattereth Israell will gather him and will keepe him as a sheppard doth his flocke for the Lord hath redemed Iacob raūsomed him frō the hād of him that was strōger thē he Therfore they shal come reioyce in the light of Sion and shall run to the bountifulnes of the Lord euen for the wheate and for the wine and for the oyle and for the increase of sheepe and Bullocks and her soules shall be as a watered garden and they shall haue no more sorrow The Iewes vnderstand not this but suppose that it shall be carnally fulfilled But I haue oftē sayd that the prophets vse to speak figuratiuely of Christes kingdome and of the great vnspeakeable goodnes therof to wit of the word of god and the holy ghost with all his giftes fayth forgeuenes of sinns peace of conscience ioye in the spirite vnderstanding of the scriptures and comfort and hope out of Gods holy promises of all which both Iews and Gentills that beleue shall be partakers And these are the giftes of god by which he adorneth and maketh his kingdome that is the faythfull Christians fruitfull euen as a firtill garden or a greene orchard In this chapiter Ieremye doth comfort the weake in Israell that they should not dowt of the promised Messias but stedfastly beleue the lyke as he had promised a spiritual drliuerance to wit forgeuenes of sins for Messias hys sake so it should come to pas that he should take some peece of Israel for his people and that so the kingdom of Christ should continue and abyde for euer And the new testament tels vs that there is an euerlasting couenant of Gods grace cōfirmed vnto al fayth ful Christiās saying that our sines are pardoned for christes sake the god will be our mercifull father for euer He promiseth also that he will send the holy ghost into our hart to lighten vs with the knowledge of God and to purify our hartes by fayth in Christ that so we may haue the law of God not onely written in papers but euen engrauen in our hartes The law requireth fayth and feare of God with hope and loue towardes God and our neighbors but the hart of man is wicked euen from his youth vp and sustayned with originall sinn that he hath no vnderstanding no ioy no desire no good will to walke in the law of god But the spirite of Messias the finger of God will take away clens all these thinges will write that within our hartes with liuely letters which the law requireth to wit fayth in Christ by which we haue forgeuenes of our snnes and loue which is the fulfilling of the law Then shall all thinges happen well and we shall be in happy and blessed state For there be none in the kingdome of Christ but men instructed blessed by the holy ghost which both know them selues and God and are bent and redy to serue God from a cleane and a pure hart of a good conscience and an vnfayned fayth although they be very weake and compassed about with sin and often times stumble and therefore with all the Saintes they make their prayer saying O Lord forgeue vs our trspasses these are the wordes of the prophet Behold the day is come sayth the Lorde that I will make a new couenaunt with the house of Israell and with the house of Iuda not according to the couenāt which I made with their fathers when I tooke them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egipt the which my couenant they brak although I was a husband vnto them sayth the Lord but this shall be the couenaunt that I will make with the house of Israell After those dayes sayth the Lord I will put my law into their inward parts and write it in their hartes and I will be their God and they shall be my people And they shall teach no more euery man his neighbour and euery man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them vnto the greatest of them sayth the Lord for I will forgeue their iniquity and will remember there sinnes no more Thus sayth the Lord which geueth the sun for a light to the day and the courses of the moone and of the starres for a light to the night which breaketh the sea when the waues thereof rore his name is the Lord of hostes If these ordinaunces depart out of my sight sayth the Lord then shall the seede of Israell cease from being a nation before me for euer Thus sayth the Lord Yf the heauēs can be measured or the foundations of the earth be searched out beneth thē will I cast of all the seede of Israell for all that they haue done sayth the Lord. The apostle expoundeth this prophesye vnto vs in the Hebrue telling vs that it was fulfilled at the former comming of Christ into this world when Christ the mediator of the new testamēt executed his priestly office offering vp sacrifice for vs and was placed at the right hand of the trone of maiestye in heauen being the minister of the holy thinges and of the true tabernacle wrought by God and not by man The ould testament had then continued vnto the time appointed that is vnto Messias who was by the priesthood sacrifices and ceremonies prefigured But when the light or candle cam it was meete that the shaddow should geue place In the ould testament the law was written in tables of stone by it the false double dealing and curse of the people was manifested and reproued but not takē away For it was a killing letter which tould thē what was iust and what was to be done but it could not inwardly change and renew the hart of the ould carnall man to make them gladly and feruenly do those thinges which were of God but it led men to Messias who should circumcise their hartes with his spirite take away their sinnes and write the lawe in their hartes Outward circumcisiō sacrifices the bloud of beasts the leuiticall priesthoode the law of Moyses and other ceremonies had no such strēgth nor force that they could helpe or deliuer sinners And the faythfull Christians before the comming of Christ had experience of this in them selues They saw in deede that their deliueraunce from sin consisted not in ceremonies and that those ceremonies should not alway continue For no sinner had euer by such ceremonies obtayned redemption or helpe but they knew very well that God had promised a new testament and forgeuenes of sinnes by the bloud and sacrifice of Messias and that the spirite of Messias should imprint and fulfill the law in vs so that through our fayth we might both receaue a cleare
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
be their God. Ezechiel when the Lord had raysed him vp to prophesy of these thinges doth comfort the Iewes beyng prisoners in Babilō by this prophesy And he promised thē that the Lord would deliuer thē out of the bōdage that they were in and bring them safely into their owne country to Ierusalem which thinges came so to pas in deed in the dayes of Zerubabel Iehoschua Esdras and Neemias when they should no more commit Idolatry with Babell and other Idols as before they had done But this deliuerance out of the captiuitie in Babilon was but onely a signe of our true deliuerance by Christ wherby all prisoners and such as remayne captaynes are at the last truely deliuered and saued as soon as they cast away their vngodlines and Idolatry and imbrace the true Christian fayth This prophesy hath respect vnto that time of Messias whē he gaue hys spirit vnto hys people circumcised their harts purified their own blind and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnpenytent hartes and put in place thereof a newe hart which feruently and ardently desireth to obserue and keep the commaundements of god For Christ is the only alone Phisition of our heauy sick and deadly wounded nature He alone regenerateth vs with his spirit he healeth vs and he restoreth vs agayn and he onely is our intercessor who putteth away and remoueth from vs the wrath of God and reconcileth vs vnto the Father so that with a fatherly hart and affection he embraceth vs and maketh vs hys children because Christ hath both purified our hart pardoned our sinnes and brought vs into fauour with the father agayne Moyses by hys lawe could do none of these for vs. He can onely shew vs the curse of the Lord prophesy of the blessed seed of Abraham and this was al that he could do But to take away sins and to worke our iustification was a work which none could do but onely Messias This is the way and meane by which Christ planteth and preserueth his spirituall kingdome when of sinners hee maketh godly and righteous persons and geueth them new harts and lightneth thē by his word and holy spirit and reneweth them that they may be in the inward man enclined with a redy delight and alacritie to do the will and pleasure of God. This is the meaning of Moyses in Deutrinomy when he commādeth that they shoulde circumcise the fore skin of their hart that is their euil thoughts cōcupisences and fleshly desires And he promiseth vnto hys people a spirituall circumcision saying the Lord thy God will circumcise thine hart and the hart of thy seed that thou maist loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart and with all thy soule that thou maiest liue Earthly Kings mayntayne externall iustice and restrayne vices wickednes by the sword but they haue no power to restrayne and bridle the hart For the hart for al that they can do wil abound in concupiscens of al kinde of euils yea it would brust forth into deeds if it were lawfull to do them and satisfy hys own appetite and wallowe in all filthy flagitiousnes And this is che cause that earthly kings defend and maintayn their dominiōs by the galouses torments wheeles swords halters and other punishments and yet notwithstanding all such executions and torments the wickednes and rash bouldnes of louse liuers can scarcely be brideled For so soon as the hart perceiueth that it hath got licence and time by and by it turneth to the olde habit and committeth what lewdnes it listeth But Christ goeth to work after another and better sort For he changeth and cleanseth the hart from euil to good which when he hath once puryfied and changed there followeth by and by honesty holynes and integrity of life in outward conuersation And thus doth he renue those which are indued with true innocency and through faith are drawen cheerefully by a harty desire to work all kind of vertue And thus doth this our king raign spiritually and by his word and spirit preuayleth more then al kings and Caesers in this world can doe by compulsion and all kind of torments though they be neuer so cruel Ezechiel also hath a prophecy and promise of this day of saluation and new league of grace in his thirty six chapter in playn wordes saying Then will I power clean water vpon you and ye shall be clean yea from all your filthynes and from all your Idols wil I cleanse you Here the prophet promiseth the sacrament of baptisme which is most pure and clean water because of the word of God of which it dependeth and hath his excellency And therfore it is caled in Titus The lauer of regeneration and the holy Ghost which God in baptisme by Christ our Sauyour poureth plentifully vpon vs that we by his grace being iustifyed may through hope be made heires of euerlasting saluation This was then fulfilled when the discyples baptysed the people and forgaue sinnes in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ and when the cleansed and godly congregation of the faithfull Christians was first erected who first rightly found forth the Lord God and were dayly more and more increased as we read in the Actes that the spirituall kingdome of Christ by his word did daily more more increase though in their bodyes they suffered great persecutions and dangers And this was the way and maner by which Christ wold gouern his kingdome But the blinded Iewes thought that all these thinges should carnally be fulfilled that Messias wold rule his kingdome in worldly pompe and power God in the 34. chapter of Eze. promyseth his people a true shepherd which hath good and holsome pastures which will keep his sheep faithfully defend thē carefully Which things the pharysies faithles shepheards in Iuda did not but fed and fatted themselues The prophets words be these And I wil set vp a shepheard ouer them and he shal feed them euen my seruant Dauid he shall feed them and he shall be their shepheard and I the Lord wil be their God and my seruant Dauid shal be the prince among them I the Lord haue spoken it And I wil make with them a couenant of peace and wil cause the euil beastes to cease out of the land and they shal dwel safely in the wildernes and sleep in the woods And I wil rayse vp for them a plant of renown and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land neither beare the reproch of the heathen any more Thus shall they vnderstand that I the Lord their God am with them that they euen the house of Israel are my people saith the Lord God. And ye my sheep the sheep of my pasture or men I am your God saith the Lord God. This shepheard is that Messias whom Ezechiell calleth Dauid because he should be borne of Dauides stock And the Iewes thēselues agree with
commaundements and word of God. Is not this promise full of comfort where he sayth I will heale Israells backsliding that is he will pardon all their offences and neuer be angry with them any more for their sinns In which promise Christ the throne of grace is included and comprehended For these determinations of God is that he will forgeue sin to no man that he wil loue no man and that he wil receaue none vnto grace by any other meanes but by his deerely beloued sonn who is become our onely redeemer mediator recōciler bishop priest propiciatory or throne of grace as Paule affirmeth saying We are accepted in his beloued by whome we haue redemption through his bloud euen the forgeuenes of sinns according to his rich grace It is manifest therfore by the firme foūdation of the apostles doctrine that Hoseas here speaketh of Christ although he name him not seing that there is no other reconciler which can turne the wrath of God from vs but onely Iesus Christ Wherefore I haue often sayd that where the Lord promiseth his grace redemption forgeuenes of sinns righteousnes lyfe and health that there is Iesus Christ promised by whose death and pretious bloud we are reconciled to God the father and receaue forgeuenes remission of our sinns true righteousnes and lyfe euerlasting There followeth in the text more promises but expressed in figuratiue wordes For he taketh a similitude of the dew of roses of Libanō and of the oliue tree which wordes import nothing els but the great felicitie of Israell or christifidelians after that they beleue and are receaued in the grace of God and obtaine forgeuenes of their sinns Is it not an exceeding great felicitie to obtaine forgeuenes of our sinns to be counted righteous before God and to receaue the holy ghost with all his gifts and by the same to be healed vp in fayth Which is the receauing of that great pretious and heauenly earnest peny that is the spirite of God the father and the son which doth assure vs that we be the children of God and so his heyres and coheyres with Iesus Christ what I pray you can he want which hath the Lorde for his inheritance This prophesy chefely taketh place in the tyme of Christ when the gospell brought forth fruite throughout the whole world and christs heauēly kingdome was builded in euery place that Christ the king of glory be imbrased for our God and sauiour through fayth by which we are made the children of God and shall prayse him for euer together with his holy angells to whome we shall be like in the world to come in the resurrectiō of the dead the glory whereof exceedeth all that the hartes of earthly creatures can conceaue but it is now hid For we are as yet but blessed in hope but when our king the prince of glory shall come in his maiestye to iudgement then shall our felicitie be made manifest To be short the Lord shall be the defence bulwark comfort helpe solace and sound felicitye of Israel But the Prophet speaketh of a greater defence comfort helpe and benefit thē this world hath or can vnderstand The kingdome therfore of Christ is a kingdome of blessing wherin we inioy aboūdance of all goodnes The prophets prophesied that this deliueraunce helpe comfort and kingdome should be a continuall and spirituall not a tēporall kingdome which aboundeth in fraile vayne and transitory welth of this world as the carnall Iewes dreame and imagine ¶ Anna. What I pray you doth Iohell the prophet prophecy of Christ ☞ Vrba Ioell in his 2. chapiter prophesieth that the kingdome of Christ shall be illuminated and beutified with the rich knowledge of God and that it shall receaue the holy ghost with all his gifts and that espetially in the mount Sion to wit in the catholicke church where shall be true deliueraunce helpe and redemption from sinn and death and that afterwarde there shall be no more respect of persons betwene the Iewes and Gentiles but whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord Messias shall be freely deliuered from all his sins These are the wordes of the prophesye Ye shall also know that I am in the middest of Israell and that I am the Lord your God and none other and my people shall neuer be ashamed And afterward as Peter cited this prophecy on whitsonday in his sermon at Ierusalem In those dayes that is in the tyme of Messias I will powre out my spirit vpon all flesh And your sons and daughters shall prophesy your ould men shall dreame dreames and your young men shall see visiōs and also vpon the seruants and vpon the maydens in those dayes will I power my spirite and I will shew wonders in the heauens and in the earth bloud and fier and pillers of smoke The sun shal be turned into darknes and the moon into bloud before the great and terrible day of the Lorde come But who so euer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued For in mount Sion and in Ierusalem shall be deliueraunce as the Lord hath sayd and in the remnant whome the Lord shall call This prophesy tooke place in Christs time for Israell had then experience in deed that god was with thē in mans flesh And the holy ghost was then much more gloriously royally and aboundātly geuē them thē before the natiuitie passiō resurrectiō of Messias For before they were but few which had the spirit of prophesying but when Iesus Christ was ascended vnto the right hand of his father then the holy ghost withall his giftes was wonderfully and richly geuē vnto many as the hebrew word Eschpoch declareth which signifieth to poure out The holy ghost was visibly poured vpon faythfull Christians when they were baptised and the Church in all places had his teachers who had the spirite of prophesying And the knowledge of Christ is now spread abroad and dispersed throughout the whole world But where the prophet speaketh of Sion and Ierusalem it must be vnderstood of the church of faythfull Christians wherein Christ hath his habitation as in his owne kingdome Who so euer will be saued from sinne death and tyranny of Sathan he must beleue in Christ call vpon Christ and be brought into the church of christ for without that Church is neither health nor forgeuenes of sins Neither is there any cause why any sinner should respect this or the citie aboue other as the Iewes did earthly Sion Ierusalem seeing Ioell sayth that the Lord would poure out his spirite vpō all flesh not only vpon the Iewes in Ierusalem or in the land of Canaan but euery where through the whole worlde where the Gospel is beleued It followeth therfore that whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of god shall be safe and not the Iewes onely which serued and called vpō God at Ierusalem for then was that time come of which Christ sayth in Iohn that the heauenly father requireth
true worshippers which worship and call vpon him in spirit and truth Behold the kingdome of Christ hath not any bond or limits prescribed to it The gates of heauenly Ierusalem are so broad that euery one that will may easely enter in There is no need now that any should be circūsised that is that any should come to Ierusalem to offer vp the bloud of beastes Nether is it necessary that he should be of the stock of Abraham after the flesh onely let him beleue the gospel of the power and grace of Christ and let him cal vpon Christ in al places so maye he haue enteraunce vnto the true Sion This is the most redy compendious and onely way and dore vnto Sion where the true helth and saluation of Gods grace is found This is the notable and large way of deliueraunce not onely of the Israelits according to the flesh but of al men beleuing and calling vpon Christ wheresoeuer they be Thus you read in the acts when the keper of the prison in Philippa asked Paule and Silas what he should do to obtayne saluatiō then Paule aunswered beleue in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued thou and thine houshold They commaund him not to goe to the Temple in Ierusalem or Sion For the Spirituall Ierusalem was then begun to be spread abroad among the Gentiles throughout the whol world And wheresoeuer any beleue the gospell and cal vpon Christ the same are saued and are in the spirituall Ierusalē that is in the Church of the faythfull and haue one true God one sauiour one teacher one spirite one fayth and one hope with all the saints in the world Ioell in his 3. chapiter also amongest other thinges prophesieth of the true and spirituall Ierusalem to wit of the Church of the faythful saying thus The Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the Children of Israell So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Sion my holy moūtaine then shall Ierusalem be holy and there shall no strāgers go through her any more And straight way followeth But Iuda shall dwell for euer and Ierusalem from generation to generation For I will clense their bloud that I haue not clensed and the Lord will dwell in Sion Here we see that though the Church of Christ be persecuted with many and bloudy enemies yet shall that continew for euer and that those which hurt the christians but euen lightly shall not escape scotfree but Christ will punish them and him selfe abide in Sion This prophecy to wit that God himselfe will alway dwell in Sion that is the Church of Christ is often times repeated of the prophets and it hath more comfort and consolation in it then hart can thinke Saint Paule alleged this promise as an vnuincible fortresse for a cōfort for himselfe and for the church in al afflictions saying If God be on our side who can be against vs. As if he should say the kingdome of Christ the spirituall Ierusalem is strong enough and sufficiently well fensed it neede not feare any foe for the Lord himselfe dwelleth in it and who then can ouercome it What is this whol world what are all the deuils in hell what are al the tyrants in the earth what are all creatures in the worlde in respect of God surely nothing but weake wormes flyes and gnats ¶ Anna. Now followeth Amos. What doth he prophecie of Christ and his kingdome ☞ Vrb. He prophesyeth of Christ in his 9. chapter and he calleth him the Tabernacle of Dauid Because Christ was born of the stock of Dauid and he calleth him a fallen tabernacle for he speaketh according to the opinion of the Iewes For while the Iewes were now and then captiues and dispersed afflicted and while the promise of Messias which was that he shold come of the stock of Dauid was in their opinion protracted and long delayd they greatly regarded it not but for the most part despysed it as though God wold not performe it Yea after the captiuity of Babylon when Christ his comming drew neare and those seuēty weekes of yeares which Danyell speaketh of drew towardes their end the famely of Dauid fell in decay and was cleane without power and honor So that thē it was neither esteemed nor regarded and al men thought that Messias that great king of Israell could not rise of that stock For the parents of Christ dwelled not in Bethelem in Iuda in the citie of Dauid or at Ierusalem in Sion but in Nazareth a citie of Galiley so that the house of Dauid and Messias who was promysed to come of Dauid seemed vnto the Iewes a ruinous tabernacle quite fallen down When therfore it came to pas that Christ was born in Bethelem the citie of Dauid the tabernacle of Dauid was restored and that kingdome which was promysed should rise of his seed was then perfectly erected and that which before seemed fallen ruinous and destroyed was then at the last repayred and amended and that promise which was made to Dauid to wit that his seed should raign and rule in his throne was then mightely fulfilled And the Thargum saith that Christ his kingdome is promised by this tabernacle of Dauid and doubt ye not but that this exposition of Ionathas is good and true These are his wordes Akin Iath malcuta debeth Dauid that is I will raise vp the kingdome of Dauids house that is the kingdome of Christ But marke this although Dauids kingdome before was mighty so that he ruled not onely ouer the 12. tribes of Israell but also ouer the Idumites Sirians Moabites Philistines and other nations moe yet was all that his gouernmēt but a ripe of the true Dauid Christ Iesus and his euerlasting kingdome nay being compared vnto Christes kingdome all his kingdome was but as decayed broken and shaken ruinous and torne tabernacle But when Christ came then was the horne or kingdome of Saluation erected in the house of Dauid and that kingly throne of Dauid was then geuen to the true king For Christ by the gospell calleth all the tribes of Israell into his spirituall kingdome and he called the gētiles through the whole world by his Appostles that both the Iewes and Gentiles might receaue this sone of Dauid acknowledge him for their kinge and that he be king ouer all men from sea to sea The most mighty Lord in all the world euen the Lord of all creatures And this is the stopping vp and repairing of the falne and rent tabernacle and this is the restoring strengthning of the thinges which were decayed therin Now heare the wordes of the prophecy In that day will I rayse vp the tabernacle of Dauid that is fallen downe and close vp the breaches therof and I will rayse vp his ruines and I wil build it as in the dayes of ould that they may possesse the remnant of Edom and of all the heathen
of Israell should come after the captiuity of Babylon as we haue sayd before out of the 9. chap. of Danyel And that your Iudaisme should then haue an end and that that earthly kingdome of Iuda should be an eternal and heauēly kingdome Goim that is the Gentils should also come out of all the parts of the earth and be partakers with true Israell of all Gods blessings promised in Messias Wherfore Abdias must be vnderstood here to speak of this spirituall possession which is that Messias And the Apostles and true beleeuers shal through the gospel bring all nations vnder the sweet yoke and obedience of the christen faith that they may acknowledge Christ for their only and euerlasting king and confes the Apostles of Christ with all faithfull Christians conuerted by the Apostles to be the Church their spiritual mother and glorious Citie of God to whom they doe readely and willingly yeeld them selues and obay as you haue heard out of Amos. Now I will expound the prophesy and then shall you more easely vnderstand it Mount Siō you know is the Church of Christ it is also a holy hill because the Lord dwelleth in it and Christ the holyest of all holy consecrateth and sanctifieth it by his word and spirite to be his holy habitatiō for euer as Esay sayth when you reade this hebrew word Kodesch it signifieth the holynes For true holines righteousnes is no where but in this holy mount the Church of Christ Many do reade Kodosch and then it signifieth holy as we haue spoke before The house of Iacob is called the scripture the house of Dauid the tribe of Iuda which alwayes taryed with the house of Dauid And when it is called Iudah and the house of Iacob and Ierusalem and the house of Dauid it is for the most part all one And this was a figure of the great kingdome of Christ Iesus And therefore the Archangell Gabryell in Luke calleth Christes kingdome the house of Iacob the trone of Dauid in which Christ shall rule for euer For the spirituall kingdome of Christ begun in Sion the earthly kingdome of Dauid and from thence spred it selfe through out the whole world when the Apostles according to Gods commandement begun to preach the gospel of christ to all creatures and in the name of Christ preached repentaunce and remission of sinns amongest all nations beginning at Ierusalē as Luke witnesseth Note also how God promised the Patriarkes Abraham Isaac and Iacob seed of their owne flesh and bloud in which all the earth should be blessed that is should be freed and deliuered from the euerlasting cursse of sinn from death and from the bondes o Sathan and be made the children of God who should raigne together with the same seede Christ in the kingdome of innocēcy lyfe and saluation for euer and euer This was a great promise and therefore doth the scripture in euery place make mention of these patriarkes For when this seed was promised them and whē god promised that their childrē should be in number as the sand of the sea then was Christ the eternall king and his eternall kingdome promised them and vs And therfore is this kingdome of Christs also called the house of Iacob the seate or trone of Dauid that is the Church of Christ The house of Ioseph in the scriptures is the very same that the other 10. tribes of Israell be which fell away from the house of Dauid and chose vnto themselues a king of their owne This kingdome seperated by it selfe is called Samaria of that head and Metrapolitaine citie It is called also Ephraim because of Ieroboham which was of the tribe of Ephraim and it is also called Ioseph or the house of Ioseph because Ioseph was the father of Ephraim The house of Esau is the kingdome of the Edomits which tooke their beginning of Esau and had their dwelling in mount Seiar ny to the great desart which lyeth from Ierusalem Southwardes The Southrē menare they which dwelt in the tribe of Iuda Those which dwelt in the champion coūtries are Lidda Emaus as Saint Heirome saith Those v. Citties Gaza Ascalon Azotus Accaron and Geth which lye westward be the Phelistians Ephraim is a country of Samaria wherin dwelt the tribe of Ephraim who was the son of Ioseph Beniamin is a peculier and propper tribe of the Iews but it is counted in the kingdome of Iudah Saint Herome sayth that Gallaad is Arabia The citye Zarphad was betwen Tier and Sidon wherof Iosephus speaketh Siphrad was a citye in the land of Babilon This therefore is the meaning of the prophets he prophecied of the captiuitie of his people and how Edome should be layed wast but now he comforteth the Iewes least they should haue ben discouraged as if therehad bin no hope for Siō in the captiuitie of Babilon as if Messias should not haue come And he promiseth also vnto the Iewes deliueraunce that they should come agayne into Sion though they yet layed wasted by the Babilonians and Edomits For he saith the Lord will bring deliuerance helpe and redemption vnto Sion which came so to pas in deed For hard after that the Iewes came from Babilon and that the citie of Ierusalem with the temple and deuine seruice was restored came Messias our true Sauiour and deliuerer into Sion The Lorde had often times before helped the mount Sion and the Citye Ierusalem but they were not the true helpe or sure saluation which Messias in his owne person should bring But when the king of Israell borne of the tribe of Dauid was come into Sion thē came there also with him all felicitye saluation and aboundance of all good thinges For he began by his word and spirite to call back and redeeme his people from that spirituall captiuity which they suffered vnder Sathan and other false teachers He fulfilled the prophets and obtained a true and euerlasting deliuerance vnto his people by his blessed death and glorious resurrection This was that true Pletho that is redemptiō all other deliuerāces were but only figures of this deliueraunce Reade the acts of the Apostles and note how saluation by the gospell begunne in Sion and thus spread forth it selfe through the whole world Peter redeemed and conuerted 3000. men at on sermon and from that time forth the Lorde mightely increased the kingdome of Christ as luke witnesseth saying the Lord added daily to the congregation such as should be saued This saluation was shewed forth with such powre of the holy spirite that the remnant of Israell the Apostles and their fellow laborers being the true house of Iacob and Ioseph were a flame of fier which lyke straw burnt and consumed the house of Esau that is the Edomits who before were mortall enemies to the house of Iacob Ioseph so that many of the Edomits were in deed won to the gospell and the wickednes and hatred of their Father
Then Ierusalem at that time to wit in the time of Christ when the gospell shall be preached through the whole world thou shalt not be confounded or ashamed any more For thy sins through the Gospell shall then be wiped away and thou shalt plentifully receaue the holy spirite of Messias that thou mayest not be defiled againe with so great Idolatrye as thou wast before The proud hauty and swelling pharises with their accōplises and other of such like stampe which are puffed vp with a perswatiō of their owne holines and trust to their owne righteousnes fastings sacrifice circumsitiō almes deeds the workes of the lawe the temple vpon this presumption haue erected a humain holines of their own reiected the deuine grace of god in Christ these pharisaicall fellowes I say can not abide to acknowledge the true righteousnes of God to wit Iesus Christ as sufficient to saluation whome God himselfe hath geuen vs for our righteousnes and who alone and no other is the fulfilling and end of the Law for righteousnes vnto euery one that beleeueth in him But the Lord hath taken away from the true Ierusalem these proud puft vp Iusticiaries which will be saued by their owne workes and looke not for saluation by the meere and free grace of God that the true Christians may know thē to be seducers and take heede of them Now note that the kingdome of Christ is not an earthly but a spirituall kingdome and that the true christifidelians are not proudly prickt vp in the pomp of worldly vanitie neither doth the world greatly regard them and yet are they in great price and highly glorified with God. He calleth faythfull Christians a miserable and pore people They are not in deed in multitude so many as the wicked be and for the most part the world despiseth and reiecteth them in this earth but with God they are in great honor and highly esteemed For by fayth in Christ they are the childrē and heyres of god whose names are written in the heauens The time is not yet come wherein their glory doth appeare now is the time of trouble with them euen vntill the last day that they may by afflictions crosses and persecutions be made lyke their Maister Christ But at the last day Christes kingdome shal be manifested in glory In the meane time they hould them selues contented with Gods word they trust him who hath promised them true and euerlasting lyfe with sure parfite and eternall treasures He calleth faythfull Christians as other prophets do reliques or remnantes for the smalest cōpany of people come vnto Christ euen as the Lord sayth many are called but few are chosen He calleth thē in Luke his little flocke in whome the Lord is so well pleased that he will geue them his kingdome And where he sayth that the chosen remnant will worke no wickednes it is spoken of the Godlines innocencie integritie and simplicitie of the faythfull because they are honest and simple dealers For they haue that true fayth which worketh by loue And although they are not altogether perfect neyther can in all pointes fulfill the law but haue many infirmities so that they must dayly praye our Father which art in heauen forgeue vs our trespasses and so haue their sinnes also by fayth dayly forgeuen them yet by fayth they are in the gratious kingdom of Christ wherein is perpetuall remission of sinnes and a perpetuall exercise vnto repentaunce and Godlines and the remnant of their sinnes which lurke in their flesh are not imputed vnto them to condemnatiō for Christ the king of glory his sake on whome they beleue and continually call It followeth therefore that the remnant of Israell the faythfull Christians shall liue safely and without daunger For the kingdome of Christ is a kingdome of true peace and securitie in which they are so louing as by fayth in their hartes they lay handes on Christ their Lord who hath ouercome the world and Sathā and both can and will dayly helpe all that be his in all their calamities and dangers What then neede they feare haue they not I pray you in him and of him a true shepheard comforter sauiour deliuerer and a full horne of all happines Now he exhorteth Sion to wit the faythfull Christiās to be hartely merry And he prophecieth very cōfortably of the saluation which Christians haue in Christ the Lord of Sion to wit that Christ saueth christians from punishmēt and turneth their enemies frō them but wheras he deliuereth the earthly Ierusalē driueth away their enemies it is a figure but where as he deliuereth the spirituall Ierusalem to wit the faythfull and taketh away the punishment which their sinnes had deserued and satisfieth for their transgretion and ouercommeth the world death and the deuil and turneth away those enemies from vs this is that true deliueraunce and helpe which Sophonias and other Prophets spiritually had respect vnto What can be spoken more comfortably then that God himselfe is the king of Israell and is ready with vs to helpe vs. For God himselfe is made man and dwelleth with vs We are his tabernacle his possession his darling and his people and he him selfe will alwayes continue with vs there is therfore no cause why we should feare any euill or danger Who can hurt them which haue God the Father and which haue God the son with them as their king reconciler deliuerer and the life it selfe and which haue God the holy ghost as their comforter and earnest peny of their euerlasting inheritaunce and saluation For the prophet vseth that great name Iehoua that is God himselfe 3. persons and one god Is not this kingdome of Christ a glorious and princely kingdome are not these treasures which our faythfull God promiseth by his Prophets in Christ great vnspeakeable and infinite treasures He which hath the Lord God the Father the son and the holy Ghost that summum bonum that onely alone and the chief goodnes to be his defender what can he desire more Wherfore Sophoni sayth furthermore at that time that is in the day of saluation when Christ shall come then shall a ioyfull Message be brought vnto Ierusalē the church as the Angell sayd vnto the sheapherds be not affraid let not thy handfast hold goe that is dispaire not beleue still that God will help thee all things shall hap well your case shall be better thē you can either desire or wishe seeing that thy onely God and mighty Sauior is in the middest of thee And that thou mayest the better looke for helpe and all happines of him be assured of this that thou art so derely beloued vnto him that he doth reioyce in thee euen as the tender father doth in his deerely beloued son when he loueth and cherisheth him The prophet cannot sufficiently declare the ioy which god taketh in the congregation of the faythful Christians saying he will saue thee and he
temple of the Lorde builded by the gospell through the whole world and consecrated by the holy spirite This tēple shall stand for euer against the gates of hell The priest of this temple is an euerlasting priest and therefore the temple must needes be euerlasting This priest hath those true ornamentes prayses and honor which were signified by Arons ornamēts And this priest raigneth stil in his throne and hath both the functions to wit the euerlasting priesthood and the eternal kingdome But note that he sayth vpon his seate by which wordes he signifieth that this priest is the true priest king that all other tipicall priests and kinges were but seruauntes or ministers to this priest and that they in ther ministerie did but onely seruice vnto this true king and priest But Christ the true blossome of Dauid is the true king and priest and the true and naturall Lord of the throne and eternall kingdome He only shall beare rule in this throne This eternall throne is onely his seate and shall so cōtinue for euer Neither shall there euer hereafter be any contention or dissentiō betwene these two kingdomes to wit the spirituall priesthood and kingdome as before times there hath ben betwene the externall priesthoode and terrestriall kingdome For these two functions are both now turned to one person which both can make intercession for vs in heauen before the father as our priest and defend and gouerne vs here in earth as an omnipotent king Ionathan the Caldean confirmeth this exposition who hath translated this text of Zach. thus in the caldean tongue Behold for here is the man whose name is Moschiah which shall come to be made manifest famous and glorious And he himselfe shall build the temple of the lord But you may not heare vnderstand an earthly temple For like as the priest is spiriturall so doth he build vnto the Lord a spirituall temple wherein he himselfe alone doth execute the function both of the priest and king Zach in his 8. chap. prophecieth that the kingdome of Christ shall be very ample and glorious in all the world And that not the Iewes alone should reape profite by Messias but that the Gentiles also shall be ioyned vnto the Iewes and acknowledge and call vppon Christ their Lord his wordes be these Thus sayth the Lord of hostes that there shall yet come people and inhabitantes of great cities and they that dwell in one citie shall go vnto an other saying vp let vs go and pray before the Lord and seeke the Lord of hostes I will goe also yea great people and mighty nations shall come to seeke the Lord of hostes in Ierusalem and to pray before the lord Thus sayth the Lord of hostes in those dayes shall ten men take hould out of all languages of the nations euen take hould of the skirt of him that is a Iew and say we will goe with you for we haue heard that God is with you Although this prophecy was also fulfilled in earthly Ierusalem after the captiuity of Babylō in so much that the city became famous and the name of the temple which was more gloriously and princely builded then the other hefore became so notable in all places that many famous men came thether to worship and many of the Iewes which had been disparsed drew by this occasion many nations to their religiō brought them with them to worship God at Ierusalem Yet this was more gloriously fulfilled in the Apostles dayes at what time many gentils followed one Apostle that they might know the Lord Christ and beleeue in him and so come vnto the spirituall Ierusalem the church of God the true and liuely temple to honour the lyuing God. And in his 11. chap. Zache prophesyeth how Christ should be sold for 30. pence saying And I sayd vnto thē if you think it good geue me my wages and if no leaue of so they wayed for my wages 30. peeces of siluer And the Lord sayd vnto me cast it vnto the potter a goodly price that I was valued at of them And I toke the 30. peeces of siluer and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord. This prophecy was fulfilled when the traytor Iudas sold Christ for 30. pence with which the Iewes bought the potters field This was the potter to whom 30. pence were geuen for Iudas Iscarioth cast them down in the temple and then they caryed them to the potter For the high priest said it is not lawful to put them into the treasury because it is the price of bloud And so when they had cast their heads together they bought with them the potters field to be a burying place for strangers The prophet prophesyeth in his 12. chap. how true Israell the kingdome of Christ should be vnder the cros here in this earth for the profession of the gospell saying The burden of the word of the Lord vpon Israell saith the Lord which spread the heauens and layd the foūdation of the earth and formed the spirite of man within him Behold I will make Ierusalem a cup of poyson vnto all the people round about and also with Iuda I will be in the seege against Ierusalem And in that day will I make Ierusalem an heauy stone for all people all that lift it vp shall be torne though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it In that day saith the Lord I will smite euery horse with stonishment and his ryder with madnes and I wil open my eyes vpon the house of Iuda and will smite euery horse of the people with blindnes And the princes of Iuda shall say in their hartes the inhabitants of Ierusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hostes their god In that day will I make the princes of Iuda like coales of fire among the wood and like a firebrād in the sheaf and they shall deuour all the people round about on the right hand and on the left and Ierusalē shall be inhabited again in her own place euen in Ierusalem The Lord also shall preserue the tents of Iuda as aforetime Therfore the glory of the house of Dauid shall not boast nor the glory of the inhabitants of Ierusalem against Iuda In that day shal the Lord defend the inhabitants of Ierusalem and he that is feeble among them in that day shal be as Dauid and the house of Dauid shall be as Gods house and as the angel of the Lord before them And in that day will I seek to destroy all the nations that come against Ierusalem And I wil poure vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirite of grace and of cōpassion And they shall looke vpon me whom they haue pearced and they shall lament for him as one that mourneth for his only sonne and be sory for him as one is sory for his first borne This prophecy is a consolation for the apostles and christians that they
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
heritical members and yet hath alwayes scaped and in the end obtained victory and triumphed ouer them all For the word of the Lord abideth for euer ¶ Anna. This Easter Sermon is more plenteous and of greater authoritie with me then all the pompe and wealth of the whole world Nay what are a hundred thousand worldes with the vanitie of all their wealth power and pompe in comparisō of such great promises of God as we haue in Iesus Christ Euen nothing at all I hartely thanke God our heauenly father that he hath vouchsafed me to liue vnto that happy daye that I might heare such an apostolicall Sermon And I hope that I shall euer hereafter be better for it while I liue And I trust I haue receaued such comfort here by that that I shall euer hereafter celebrate that ioyfull feast of Easter with spiritual comfort in Christ For this gospell which was promised in the prophets so many ages agoe is now preached openly throughout this world in these latter dayes doth not exclude me For euery one which beleueth in Christ and calleth vpon his name shall be safe Here is no merite of mine spoken of as necessarye to lyfe and saluation but onely the infinit merit of Iesus Christ which is preached of all the prophets and Euangelists The mercifull and euerlasting God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ our Father be praysed for euer and euer for the holsome misteries of the holy Gospell of Christ Iesus which he hath so mercifully opened and so richly geuen vnto vs vnworthy sinners ☞ Vrba Now you know what S. Paul meaneth where he sayth that Iesus Christ is our wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption geuen vs of God and you see what is the true hope helpe and comfort of Israell ¶ Anna. I see it and I beleue it The Lord increase my fayth And I beseech thee O most merciful Father for Iesus Christes sake our onely reconciler that thou wilt also vouchsafe to reueale the comfortable gospell of thy vnspeakable grace promised geuen in thy only begotten son Iesus Christ by thy holy spirite vnto our beloued children which thou hast geuen vs to the inlarging of the kingdome of Christ and to the glory of thy most blessed name that they by the inward instruction of thy spirite may vnderstand and beleue this Sermon of thy son and through thy holy spirite continew vnto the end in that fayth of Christ and hope of the Gospell and true Israell All the riches of this world are nothing to this christian fayth I wish vnto my deere children no other felicitye no other dowries no other riches nor no other inheritaunce but that they may truely and constantly bebeleue this sermon which if they doe then are they rich enough in this world and in the world to come though they should neuer so poorely here begge their bread all the dayes of their lyfe For by fayth in Christ we haue God the father God the son and God the holy ghost one true God by the inestimable benefits and merite of Christ who for our sakes became man that we might be made the children of God and that God might be our louing Father And now what can we want seeing we haue thee O Lord the onely true and louing god to be our Father through Iesus Christ our Lord who is our owne proper righteousnes lyfe and and saluation ☞ Vrba God keepe you and me and our Children in this fayth and then are we fafe then shall we be passing well then shall we haue perfect ioy of spirite and then shall we dayly and hourely with ioy celebrate the ioyfull feast of Easter till we with our beloued childrē passe out of this fraile and trāsitory lyfe into the heauēly kingdome of Iesus Christ our Lord and true God which hath ben prepared for vs from the beginning of the world of which thing I am assured The Lord cōfirme our fayth and hope vnto the eternall glory of his holy name ¶ Anna. Amen ☞ Vrba But you must euery day wife when you haue geuen God thankes and made your prayers thorowely ponder with your selfe these thinges of the gospell of Christ which I haue ben now a good long time in speaking and you must kepe them in your hart as a most rich treasure and pretious iuell ¶ Anna I will doe it by Gods grace and God blesse me and all good Christians ☞ Vrba Amen ¶ Anna. Amen FINIS The Lordes name be praysed And O Lord I beseech thee geue plentifull fruite of these my Labors Amen Amen * ⎠* Luke 9.26 Iohn 8.51 1. Ione 5.1 Reuel 12.12 1. Pet. 5.8 Luk. 22.31 Ephe. 2.12 Acts. 23. Luke 24.16 Rom. 6.23 Gen. 25.33 Reuel 12.12 Iohn 5.25 and August l. 4. de trinitate c. 3. Reuel 12.4 1. Pet. 1.7 Deut. 8.3 Rom. 15.4 Math. 4.4 Emaus signifieth the bright morning Cleophas signifieth all glory Gene. 10.9 Luke 24.13 Acts. 8.23 Math. 13.44 and 45. Iesus signifieth a Sauior Iohn 20.25 Math. 21.22 Ieremy 5.9 Rom. 15.4 Ephe. 2.3 Ezechi 3.18 Genesis Psalmes Prouer. Esay Ieremy Ezechias Daniell Micheas Zephany Aggias Zachary Abdias Mathew Iohn A Iesus Sy. 30.23 B Phll. 2 18. A 2. Cor. 7 10. A holy greyfe Christ the way to god A Ioh. 14. v. 6. Esay 66.14 C Mat. 11.27 B Col. 2.9 D Esay 53 11. How needfull it is to know Christ E Cor. 2.1 F Iohn 17.3 G 1. Cor 1.23 Lukc 24. A Col. 3.16 Pray before we read or heare the word B 1 Cor. 2. ¶ A praier A Luke 10. A Iohn 4 46. The first promise of grace B Gen. 3 C. Rom. 1 Gal. 3. The misteries of the promise in the seede of the woman T' at is the Caldey bible Only by Christ not by our selus or workes are we sauid e. Rom. 5.15 f. Gen. 3.15 Feare not though the deuill fishe he cannot bite g. Rom. 6.14 h. Ebr. 2. The promise which was made to Adam was the Gospell The promise renued to Abraham i. Gen. 12.3 and 18.28 and 21. and 18. k. Gen. 26.4 l. Gen. 28.14 M Rom. 1.1 N Act. 3.24 O Esay 53 10. The end of threats in preaching p. Gal. 3.24 q. Heb. 10.1 r. Heb. 7.18 s. Act. 17.1 t. Luk. 24.44 what the Prophets looked for v. 1. Pet. 1.10 a. Luke 24.47 Repentance the first step to grace b. Psal. 51.5 c. Rom. 5.12 What we are by nature The naturall man. D Gen. 8.21 E 1. Cor 15 22. F Ephe. 2.3 H Ephe. 2.1 K 1. Thes 4.5 L Psal. 116.11 M Ier. 17.9 N 1. Cor. 2.14 O Gen. 3 19. P Gen. 2.17 Q Rom. 6.23 The law r. Deut. 27.26 ſ. Psal. 119.21 t. Mat. 19.17 u Gal. 5.19 The frutes of our flesh naturally x. Gal. 3.22 Where then be papistical merites The cause why we are threatned with the law To whom Christ was sent Y Ro. 3.20 Z Gal. 3.24 Z Gal. 3.21 The end why the law was geuen Fayth saueth a. Gen
of hell 168 Elect their state afteer the resurrection 103. 123. 178. 163. 153. where they be till the last day 123. doubt some tyme that God hath forsaken them 133. 149. 199. their mariage with Christ 183. the true elected who be 48. how they are brought to heauen 195. figured by Ierusalem 196 Election tokens thereof 170. 58 Elohim what it signifieth 74 Emanuell what it signifieth 35 Emaus how farre from Hierusalem 27 Epicure Gospellers 56 Eyes cleare whose be 216. Seuen in one stone what it meaneth 206 Fayth encreased by prayer 3. which is the true fayth 16. the righteousnes of God. 4. semeth sometimes to be wanting in the godly 128. the fruites and operation of it 126. 61. is our righteousnes 120. 145. the righteousnes auaileable before god 64. wherein it is 52. the chiefe poynt of it 83. the foundatiō of it 73. how it purgeth sinne 58. a worke of the first commaundement due onely to God. 80. it maketh vs priestes 93 how it is to be exercised 129 Feare of perditiō a signe of electiō 58. Smell feastes 56 Feudatory what it meaneth 31. Feeling of sinne of what effect 15 Figures of Christ 20. 23 Figures of the law and thinges figured 24 Flesh the frailetie thereof 13. fretteth inwardly 60 G Gentiles called 120. 49. 51. 54. 150. 157. 108. 166. the Iewes saluation and theirs all one 172. how they are sprinckeled 140. the milke of the church 152. Germans Christmas caroll 84 God what he is 72. his names 75. his essentiall name 77. where to be sought 48. his couenaunt to Abraham 182. 4. 7. his mariage with Israell 183. his finger what it is 170. his care for his Church 4. his fatherly correction 151. he gaue the promise before the lawe 15. he swereth 112. 16. what it is to sit at his right hand 112. not to be sought without Christ 83. can not cōdemn vs if we beleeue 143. his honor what it is 81. 198. 177. his sanctuary what it is 177. his strange workes 140. bindeth his mercye to vs with an oth 16. his promises are of two sortes 180 Godly described 174. sometimes sad as without fayth 128. how they be sayd to be hurt by the wicked 9. 112 somtimes tempted 149. 133. their propertye 153. alway persecuted 131 Gospell the doctrine benefits ministers thereof 4. 6. 7. 45. 49. 143. the operation of it 49. 120. 58. the promise made to Adam 4. 7. the tydings thereof 45. the trumpe therof 124. the holy Ghost geuen vs when it is taught 121. geuen without mony 149. ought to be pondered necessaryly 156. the end of the prophetes 11. onely geuen to the poore in spirite 58. the scepter of Christ 74. the sword of the spirite 129. False Gospellers who be 65 Grace of god vpon what first promised 4. 7. why promised before the law 15. is greater thē sinne 9. pledged vnto vs. 52 Ground good what it is 58 H Hearing of scripture requireth praier and beliefe 6 Heauen our state therein 123. 103. 178 163. 153 Hell hath no rest 46. figured by Egipt 168 Herod king of the Iewes 17 Holy ghost his grace and giftes 119 87. why he was sent 91. his sword 129. geuen vs by hearing the gospell 122. what he teacheth 4 Hope due onely to God. 122 Hose the contents of his prophecy 178. his daughter 179 Hunger how refreshed by christ 132 160. without mony 149. nothing els in Sathans kingdome 132 Hypocrisye 105 I Iacob his house in scripture what it signifieth 191. true Iacobites who be 130. he wrastled with the Lord. 181 Iehouah what it signifieth 76. 37 Ierusalem destroyed 66. a figure of the Catholicke church 42. the heauenly Ierusalem 164 Iesse the tribe thereof when and why condemned 18. 20 Iesus a name of Comfort 36. 37 Iewes what it signifieth 67. their error of Christ his comming and kingdome 41. 55. 68. 41. their blindnes in scripture 138. 77. 158. 68. shall become Christians 68. 150. 184. vnderstand no histories 68. their name is odious 160. they haue the same saluatiō that christiās haue 172. their obiection against the Christians 68. 43. 35. burned with fire out of the ground for repairing Ierusalem 67. their contraction in Mariage 28. their gouernment 17. when and why it ceased 17. 66. 18. 44. make a Iest at Gods promise made to Iacob 17. 19. their sinagoue called Edom. 157. apply the prophecies of Christ to Hesechia 35. offended at Christes death 21. 140. their opinion of Christ 32. they spitt at Images 67. their captiuitie in Babilon 63. their pretence to extinguish Christ 165. Ilandes called to the gospell 51 Images abhorred by the Iewes 67 Immanuell what it signifieth 35. Ingratitude punished 66 Ionas the sume of his prophesy 193. a figure of Christ 185 Ionathas his saying of what comfort the scriptures were 86 Iosua why so called 36 Iuvile the yeare of it 60 Iudas and his bagge is where christ is 56 Iudges of the world 96. 61 Iudge how we ought 50 Israell the kingdome of it deuided 182. K. Knowledge of Christ what it is and how necessary 2. 3. 148. it is our righteousnes 145. it is lyke to eyes 7. 206 Knowledge hangeth vpon beliefe in deuine matters 73 L Law what it is 11. what it requireth of vs. 13. 170. why it is vrged vpō vs. 14. why it is was geuē after the promise 15. the figures thereof 24. a prison 59. the operation of it 49. the sacrifices of it 24. it must be spiritually fulfilled 60 Libertye of Christians 189 Lord named fiue times 203 M Machabies their gouernment 19 Man his fall from his pure creation 12. 13. his state without Christ 200 his hart how newe 173. cursed if he trust in man. 80. Marchants of righteousnes who be 149 Mary a pure virgine 28. 33. denyed so to be of the Iewes 34. her petegree why not drawen in scripture 28. falsely sayd to haue troden the serpents head 8 Mariages how cōtracted among the Iewes 28 Maydens their bringing vp among the Iewes 34 Melchisidech his priesthood 21 Merites none in man. 13. of no force 146. haue no fruite of the Gospell 58 Messias what it signifieth 39 Ministers hipocriticall who be 56. 57 Merite of the world 205 Misteries in the first promise of grace 8 Monarches of the world 62 Monastaries to be abhorred 142 Mortificatiō commeth by the crosse 120 Mony who they be that laye it out vpon nought 149 Moyses and Christ cōpared 45. 49 Mylke sould without mony 149 N Names of God in Scriptures 45 of Christ 85. how full of comfort 37. 38 New name what it is 154 Name of Christians 160 Naturall man what he is 13. 142. how blind 42. 64. Nezacon what it is 68 O Offended many be but not through Christ 118 Originall sinne 7. 12. 143 Ornamēts of Christ how they differ from princes ornaments 61 P Patience neuer fayleth of helpe 134 Perseqution followeth the Church 131 Pharao a figure of the Deuill 168 Pharises and papistes alike 136. described