Lord hath chosen to him selfe a godlie man the Lorde will heare when I call vnto him The consideration hereof if we way it as we should may giue vs courage and strength against that man of bloud which at this day doth so cruelly persecute the professours of the Gospell and so proudly take vpon him to depose Christian princes and to place hypocrites in their roomes at his pleasure Let him also know that the Lorde hath chosen to himselfe godlie men the Lord will heare when they call vpon him he that toucheth them toucheth euen the apple of the Lordes owne eye Let him tremble that lifteth but a finger against them 10 Contremiscite Be afraide to set your selues against God and your prince to attempt such an ouerthrow to the common state cease from conspiracie leaue your treacherous deuises bee not deceiued you cannot preuaile you doe but worke your owne confusion call your selues to a reckoning betimes haue some quiet and sober consideration of your doinges when you are in your beddes free from all trouble then common with your owne heartes waigh the cause that you take in hand I am your prince God hath placed me ouer you ye are my subiectes God hath so placed you you shoulde loue me and not seeke my shame and subuersion ye owe me obedience not rebellion honor and not treason What occasion haue I giuen you thus to set your selues against me I haue dealt righteouslie and graciouslie with you I haue bene mercifull not cruell ouer you I haue sought your safetie more than mine owne But whom woulde ye haue to raigne ouer you A false worshipper an hypocrite a murderer of his owne brother an incestuous fornicatour one that will flatter you and deceiue you sweare and not performe Consider these things waigh what wickednesse you haue taken in hande and be quiet be still Cease from rebellion and obey peaceably the prince whom God hath placed ouer you So long as ye continew in the hardnesse of your heartes though you offer him all the beastes vpon a thousande hilles it is all in vaine Repent and offer vp the sacrifices of righteousnesse The Israelites when they had sinned were wont to offer sacrifice to pacifie God as appeareth in the law But for the most part this was done without feeling of their sin without true repentance formallie and for fashion sake onely But outward seruice without inwarde remorse and repentaunce for sinne God doth abhorre The rebell Absolon offered sacrifice in Hebron but in vaine because his heart was full of treason Antichrist renueth his oblations euerie day but to what purpose so long as he mindeth murther stirreth rebellion and maliciouslie persecuteth the spouse of Christ Sacrifice the sacrifices of righteousnes offer God repentance for your former faults and put your trust in the Lorde Thus wee see by what occasion the Prophet vttereth these wordes which I haue chosen to speake of at this time 11 To offer vp sacrifices it hath hen vsual in all ages amongst all people kinreds and nations of the earth But I will onelie speake of such as the people of God haue offered vp Before the law Abell Abraham Iacob Iob and othets in the time of the law Aaron with the Leuites presented offerings before the Lord. In the time of the Gospell the Apostles had and at this daie also Christians haue their sacrifices which being faithfully offered are graciouslie accepted in the sight of God 12 Sacrificing is a voluntarie action whereby wee worshippe God offring him somewhat in token that we acknowledge him to be the Lorde and our selues his seruauntes Ye are made saith S. Peter an holie priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. God therefore doth require this dutie at our handes It was commaunded in the law the Prophet Dauid calleth for it and S. Peter teacheth that euen now it is also due vnto God from men 13 Let vs now consider who are priestes to offer vp these sacrifices For there cā be no sacrifice without a priest as there can bee no priest where there is no sacrifice In the scriptures I finde a threefold priesthood allowed of God a Leuiticall priesthoode such as that of Aaron and his sonnes a royall priesthoode figured in Melchisedeck and verified in Christ a spirituall priesthood belonging generallie to all christians The Leuiticall priesthoode continued vnto Christ then ceased For being a figure of the truth which was to come the truth being come it coulde no longer continue Neither is there in the roiall priesthoode of Melchisedeck anie other that hath succeded but onely Christ. He is a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedeck a king a priest a God a mā perfectinnocēt vndefiled vnspotted seuered from sinners yet numbred punished plagued with the wicked humbled to the depth and exalted farre aboue the highest heauens without beginning without ende without father as man without mother as God The thirde priesthood is that which is common to all Christians For he hath made vs kings and priestes vnto God his father Where the popish priesthoode taketh footing in what grounde the foundation thereof is layde I cannot finde in the Scriptures Antichrist is the authour of that priesthoode to him they sacrifice him they serue 14 What sacrifices Aaron did offer vp and what sacrifice Christ hath presented to his father we all knowe It followeth now to bee considered what kinde of sacrifice we must offer Aaron offered sacrifice which coulde not in it selfe bee accepted of God nor take awaie the sinnes of them for whom it was offered For whether they bee offeringes of thankes giuing they were not of that value that God should take delight and pleasure in them or sinne offeringes it is impossible that the bloud of bulles and goates shoulde take awaie sinne impossible But the priest according to the orer of Melchisedeck hath offred the sacrifice of his owne flesh acceptable euen for the worthinesse of it and by the vertue which is in it forcible and more then sufficient to wash awaie all sinne This he did willingly He made himselfe an offering for sinne Hee did it perfectly without offring hee consecrated for euer them that are sanctified Where full remission of sinne is there needeth no further sacrifice for sinne and the holie ghost beareth vs recorde that wee haue full remission of all our sinnes Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more Wee are healed with his stripes where there is no sore there needes no salue Not that wee haue no sinne but acknowledging that wee haue it it is as if we had it not because hee is faithful to forgiue it iust to cleanse vs from it The bloud of Iesus clenseth vs from all sinne The bloude of Iesus once shed the offring of the bodie of Iesus Christ once So that there remaineth no other sacrific to be dailie offered but the sacrifice of righteousnesse which wee
the middest of them and what the Bishoppes in Synode did so conclude to bee godly and behooueful that he did ratifie and confirme 11 The ministers you see should teache the right waie He which beareth that name and performeth not this office is but an Idoll Let another take his Bishopricke Such drones were better smothered than suffered in that hiue where none should liue that wil not labour Such as sowe not why should they reape Neither is it any new thing to cast out vnworthie ministers who cast off care of their duetie Solomon deposed Abiathar the high Priest and Iustinian depriued Syluerius and Vigilius Bishops of Rome These are good presidents for Princes in like case to followe 12 Again such as teach but teach not the good right way such as are open and publike maintainers of errors and heresie such in the iudgement of God are thought vnworthie to liue Falsus Propheta moriatur Elias and Iehu did not thinke themselues imbrued but rather sanctified with such bloud I haue no cruell heart bloud be farre from me I minde nothing lesse Yet needes must it be graunted that the maintainers and teachers of errors heresie are to be repressed in euery Christian common wealth Such troublers of the quiet of the Church such deceiuers of the people are at leastwise according to the auncient commendable custome of the church to be remooued from the ministerie It is no reason that the church enemies should bee fostered in the bosome of the church The histories of things doone by good princes and rulers in these cases are so many and manifest that I neede not trouble you with recitall of them Amphilochius the Bishop sharply reprooued Theodosius the Emperour that he so long winked at Arius and suffered him to spreade his pestilent heresie farre and wide ouer the bodie of the church The Emperour was not angrie at the words of iust reproofe but foorthwith banished Arius and gaue him some part of his iust deserts The ministers what roume soeuer they haue in the church of God ought to pray and teache the good and right way or else to giue place to others that can and will And thus much for the duetie of the ministers 13 It followeth Feare the Lord and serue him in the trueth withall your hearts The Prophet in these words putteth the prince and people in remembrance of their dutie Wherin double seruice is required The seruice due vnto God and the seruice due vnto the common wealth The seruice which we owe vnto God is feare which feare is euer ioyned with loue and for that cause called a sonnelike feare to distinguish it from that seruile feare the ende whereof is desperation as the fruite of the former is loue which maketh not ashamed Feare God for they which feare him shal not feele his power All things bee naked and open before him He doeth see and wil iudge Feare him therefore but loue him too who hath so loued thee that hee hath not spared his onely sonne but giuen him to death for thee 14 God putteth the heads in minde of this duetie knowing that as they goe before so the people wil followe after Ieroboam gaue euil example and he made the people sinne Iosias feared and zealously serued God and the people did the like Quomodo reges Domino seruiunt in timore nisiea quae contra Domini iussa sunt religiosa seueritate prohibendo atque plectendo Aliter rex seruit vt homo aliter vt rex vt homo fideliter timendo vt rex leges iusta praecipientes contraria prohibentes sanciendo How doe Princes serue the Lorde in feare saith S. Augustine vnlesse with religious rigor they forbid and punish things wherein the statutes of the Lorde are broken The king serueth God as a man one way and an other way as a king As a man by leading a faithfull life as a king by making Lawes such as inioyne things that are iust forbid the contrary Ezechias did God the seruice of a king in destroying the groues and temples of Idols which were builded against the commandement of God Iosias did the like in reforming the church in dispatching all Idolatrie and superstition Darius did God royall seruice when he gaue the Idol into Daniels handes and cast his enemies into the denne of Lions Nabuchodonazer did the like when by straite Lawe hee commaunded that none should blaspheme but that all should serue the God of Sydrach My sach and Abednago Herein Princes doe rightly serue God as Princes when to serue him they doe such things as vnlesse they were Princes they could not doe 15 The first point of kinglie seruice vnto God is to purge and cleanse his Church Christ teacheth this by that which he did at his entering into that fowlie defiled temple of Ierusalem It appertaineth to Princes to Magistrates to them which are nowe assembled in this honourable Court of Parliament by all good meanes and Lawes to see Gods house made cleane that it may be the house of prayer and not a denne of theeues 16 First it must be purged from all false doctrine from all Idolatrie and superstition The good kings Ezechias and Iosias were careful in this behalfe They could not abide Idolatrie to be committed or God to be blasphemed within their dominons It had beene hard to haue purchased such a thing as a Masse at Moses hands with a masse of money That zealous Prince king Asa deposed Maacha his grandemother wholly from all gouernment for setting vp a foule Idol in a groue He that dealt so sharply with his grandmother for this surely would in no case or respect haue tolerated a blasphemous masse in his reformed church and kingdome The euill which others doe by our sufferance is ours We doe it when we suffer it to be done Princes to please princes may not displease the prince of all princes Feare the Lord and serue him in zeale and in trueth cast out of the church of England all leuin of blasphemie and Idolatrie So shall you glorifie God and he shal glorifie you Pauls heart was set on fire his spirit was kindled within him when hee sawe the citie of Athens giuen to Idolatrie Ye knowe the Historie of that woorthie man Mattathias We praie daily Hallowed be thy name but with what mindes if wittingly we suffer his name to be prophaned blasphemed 17 Feare the Lord purge his Church remooue all stones of offence out of his vineyard S. Pauls rule is Let all things in the Church be doone seemely What that seemelinesse is he himselfe expoundeth in these words Let all things be doone vnto edification The primatiue Church casting away Iudaicall and Heathenish rites was simple in her ceremonies The pope hath polluted and burthened the Church with both Wee may haue no other than such as are comely and serue for the
good And as it is profitable for them to be constrained so is it a thing verie reasonable to constraine them For why should not the Church enforce her lost children to returne to saluation if lost children enforce others to turne to destruction Seeing that the whole seruice in our Church is no other than Gods written worde as there can be alleaged no iust cause why any man should withdrawe himselfe from this word so appertaineth it vnto princes that feare God within their dominions to compel euery subiect to come and heare this worde least the church by this euill example should be greatly offended Gods causes are zealously to be seene vnto and the winning of mens soules is religiously to be sought And thus much briefly touching the seruice of God To see the Gospel eueriewhere preached the ministers prouided for and the people compelled to come heare the worde This is the feare of God which Samuel requireth 22 Whereunto must bee added a speciall regard to the common wealth It is commonly saide that the common wealth is sore diseased and that euerie member of that bodie seemeth to be grieued Remedie would bee sought in time least remedie come too late But I am no Phisition for that bodie and therefore is it not fit for me to minister any medicine to it But I shall pray for the health thereof and set it ouer to such as haue skill and can helpe The care of the common wealth chiefly appertaineth to the head of the common wealth who is Parens Patriae the mother of this sicke childe It is required at our handes to feare and serue the Lorde in trueth That prince doth serue God in trueth and in deede which is careful that the euill may be punished and repressed and that the good may bee defended and aduaunced When generally all men are seene vnto that euerie man doe his duetie then God is in trueth and synceritie serued 23 The prince is set as the head ouer the bodie as the chiefe shepeheard ouer the flocke These titles are giuen to Princes and gouernours to put them in minde not onely of their honour and preeminence but of their charge and office also But the prince cannot doe this alone it is a burthen too heauie for one to weeld And therefore hee must according to the counsel which Iethro gaue vnto Moses choose out of all the people men wise and fearing God louers of the trueth such as hate couetousnesse and out of them make rulers ouer thousands hundreds fifties and tennes that they may sit and iudge the people at all seasons Magistrates should bee chosen out of all the people for their woorthinesse It is vnmeete that such things as should followe deserts bee procured by other sinister meanes Magistrates should be wise men furnished with learning vnderstanding good skil and long experience men that feare God religious louers of his trueth fauourers of the Gospell and of all such as liue in the feare of God True and vpright dealers such as will stedfastly fasten their eies vpon the causes brought before them and not regard the face of any man lastly haters of couetousnesse bribes and rewardes Good officers should thus be qualified And to the end that magistrates may be such it must be prouided that there may be choise of officers without sale of offices It is not probable that he which obtaineth such a roume for a price wil leaue it freely or deale iustly in it A greater corruption than this cannot enter into a common wealth For by this meane both the prince and people are deceiued To punish the euil to maintaine the good to ouerlooke the whole and to choose appoint forth worthie officers for the gouernment of the common wealth this is the duetie of a prince that feareth God That prince which doth this serueth God in trueth 24 Homer bringeth in Iupiter sitting in the middest of the assemblie of gods whom he menaceth and threateneth on this wise Let not any god or goddesse attempt the breache of my mandate If I vnderstand that any doe I wil giue him small ioie of this place or prouide him another farre ynough hence a dwelling place the gates whereof are yron and the ground brasse I will plunge him as deepe vnder hel as heauen is ouer earth He shall well knowe his might to be somewhat beneath mine For if ye thinke your selues to be stronger than I am make triall of your strength fasten a chaine in heauen and ioyne all your force at the end thereof But yee shall neuer be able to pull Iupiter out of heauen no though ye sweate much about it whereas if I list to put but my finger to the haling of you I wil pluck vp sea and lande with you So much am I superior vnto gods and men Kings and princes in their seuerall dominions haue such power through the prouidēce of almightie God by whose appointment they weare their crownes that their ordinaunces bee not lightly broken vnlesse themselues be carelesse to haue them kept For by reason of the Maiestie that God hath giuen them they are feared of all estates and conditions of men They can throwe downe whom they wil and whom they wil they can aduaunce They haue the chaine and the reine in their hands they can draw others whither they wil but others are not able to drawe them vnlesse they list This power and strength and glorie which GOD hath giuen vnto kings and whereby they are able to leade the worlde as it were in a string leaueth them vtterly without excuse if they vse it not to the benefite of the common wealth They cannot serue God in trueth and giue the bridle to their subiects to sinne without restraint These times of greatest and grauest consultation are fit occasions wherein Princes may most effectually shewe howe heartily and truely they feare the Lord. These are the times to prouide chaines that is to say good statutes and lawes to holde all men within compasse and to binde together the skattered parts of the common wealth When the great counsel of Rome entered into the Senate to consult for the good gouernment and defence of the Empire first they went sacrificed to Iupiter and there euerie man offered vp and left behinde him his priuate affections promising that their consultation should onely tend to the common benefite Leaue you all priuate affections likewise cast them behinde you seeke not your owne commoditie Let it appeare that you loue your Countrie God the Prince and the common wealth require a faithfull performance of this seruice at your hands Seeke by Lawe the syncere setting foorth the maintenance and continuance of Gods true religion Let this be your first and principal care and so shal ye serue the Lorde in trueth 25 Seeke by Lawe to represse the gainesayers and the enemies of this trueth This libertie that men may openly professe diuersitie of religion must needs be dangerous to the
Come apart into the wildernesse and rest a while This lesson is gladly learned and too much practised Requiescite pleaseth euerie man The trueth is that the bodie and minde of man must after labour be refreshed with rest But he which laboureth not is altogether as vnwoorthie to rest as to eate Againe such as will take rest and ease after labours must learne of Christ as well to measure their ease as their paines Hee permitteth his Disciples to take their rest but he limiteth and restraineth his permission saying Rest a while For by too much rest men are not made the more fit but the lesse willing to take paine There is no one fault from which the wise man doth so much indeuour to withdrawe men as from sloth For this cause he putteth vs so often in minde of the great blessings which God doth heape vpon the painefull man The hand of the diligent shall beare rule Hee that tilleth his land shall he satisfied with bread c. Againe indeuouring to set out the liuely paterne of a perfect woman such a one as can hardly be found amongst a thousand hee noteth this as a chiefe and principall vertue in her She laboureth cheerefully her candle goeth not out she ouerseeth the waies of her houshold and eateth not the bread of idlenesse As for the slothfull he did not onely hate them himselfe but laboured by all meanes to make them odious sometime by setting their forlorne estate before mens eyes I passed by the field of the slothfull and by the vineyard of the man destitute of vnderstanding and loe it was all growne ouer with thornes and nettles had couered the face therof and the stone wall therof was broken downe sometimes by shewing their excuses and shifts to auoide labour The slothful man saith A Lâ—on is without I shall be slaine in the streetes sometimes by describing their lasie gestures As the dore turneth vpon his hinges so doth the slothfull man vpon his bed he hideth his hand in his bosome and it grieueth him to put it to his owne mouth sometimes by deriding their vnwillingnesse to take their leaue of their rest Yet a litle sleepe a litle slumber a litle folding of the hands And what is the ende Pouertie commeth as one that trauelleth by the way and necessitie like an armed man Wherefore though wearinesse though labour and trauell doe cause thee to desire necessarie rest yet beware that the sweetnes of rest doe not cause thee to thinke that labour is vnnecessarie Rest but rest a litle 10 The last cause that I gather of Christs going into the wildernesse was as it may be coniectured to auoide the feast of Easter at Ierusalem For so the Euangelist speaketh Easter a festiuall daie of the Iewes was nowe at haâ—de It seemeth strange that Christ the example of all good order behauiour should flie from this solemne feast of Easter which he himselfe by his Prophet Moses had straitly commaunded to be obserued and kept You must therefore consider that the Iewes neglected the commandement of God and in stead thereof set vp their owne traditions as S. Paul recordeth so that the temple was nowe become a denne of theeues Christ therefore auoyded too much fellowship with this wicked generation For what societie hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse what communion hath light with darkenesse what concord hath Christ with Belial what part hath the beleeuer with the infidell what agreement hath the temple of God with idols In this we ought all to followe Christ all to flie as he did from the place where the seruice of God is openly prophaned and his name intolerably blasphemed Depart depart goe out from thence Choose rather to suffer want in the wildernes with Christ than to enioye the pleasures of the worlde with an euil conscience to be partakers of the word of life in a desert than to raigne where the aduersarie of Christ and Christianitie beareth sway God be praised for euer in our Churches of England to our great comfort God is serued euen in such sort as him selfe by his holie woord hath prescribed So that no miscontented person can alleage any reason sufficient why to withdraw him selfe from our assemblies Our Church-praiers are the Psalmes our lessons the scriptures our sacraments according to Christes institution Which thing not many yeeres sithence I alleaging vnto one of no small account nowe in Louain his aunswere was I must confesse that is good which you haue in your Churches but the trueth is you haue not ynough Indeede wee haue lesse in their eye than ynough But if we weie things according vnto that rule What soeuer I commaund you take heede you doe it thou shalt put nothing thereto nor take ought there from then can it not be denied but that our litle is sufficient and their more is too much 11 As these considerations droue Christ into the wildernes so the Euangelist setteth foorth some motiues which caused so great a multitude to followe him Some were drawne with the strangenesse of those things which hee wrought and taught amongst them To whom in these our daies wee may compare them which haunt sermons for no other end but either vainly to hearken for newes or curiously to note what order eloquence they may finde in the preacher or maliciouslie to take holde of things spoken when they may by froward construction be drawen to an offensiue meaning These labour to their owne losse they are vnprofitable followers 12 Others followed Christ for bread Such followers our times haue brought out to many So long as the Gospell can feede cherish and mainteine them they are willing and glad to be professors of it but when persecution commeth they shrink A great sort of halting and dissembling ministers doe now occupie roomes in the Church which in heart hate the Gospell yet for bread sake they are contented to goe in the same ranke with the followers of Christ Iesus But he knoweth their secret cogitations and will one day make them knowne vnto others what they are 13 Sundrie there were which followed for a desire which they had of bodilie health For Christ went about healing euerie maladie and euerie infirmitie in the people We see by daily experience that the bodie is more cared for than the soule the flesh than the spirite the carcase than the minde If the bodie be diseased we seeke phisicke and are willing to paie well for it to preserue the bodie from griefe and sickenesse who is not carefull but where is hee that studieth howe to auoide the diseases of the soule that mortifieth the noysome desires of the fleshe that keepeth his heart in awe and subiection that dieteth himselfe according to the rules which that blessed Physitian hath prescribed Chrysostome findeth great fault with parents in this behalfe who if their children fall sicke in bodie weepe and lament but if they be neuer so grieuously
Christ. S. Paul speaketh to the elect of God who doubtlesse will at length awake As for the reprobate they still shal sleepe on in their errours and sinnes vnto their eternall death and confusion But arise Ierusalem and be thou enlightned arise Ierusalem from death to life frō errour to truth from darkenesse to light from Antichrist to Christ who by his holy spirite will illuminate thee that thou mayst knowe God the father and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ and that is the only way to euerlasting life Plinie reproouing our drowsinesse sayeth that sleepe doth steale away the halfe of our life But this sleepe wherof we speake stealeth away the whole life of the greatest part of men Dauid himselfe lay slumbering in the filthy sleepe of whoredome a whole yeare at the least and could not awake vntill Nathan blewe in his eare and stirred him But Dauids sleepe was but a nappe in comparison of such as are so hard and fast a sleepe that they will neuer stirre vntill fire out of heauen flee about their eares to waken them So were the Sodomites wakened and consumed Awake therefore and when ye are wakened then watch 13 Watch that ye be not deceiued by false prophetes who watch to deceiue you teach otherwise thā Christ hath taught The diuell is a subtill perswader of men he is a lying spirite in the mouth of his prophets his ministers workmen are craftie companions such as creepe into houses and leade away the simple as captiues with them A man of a watchfull eye shall knowe these wolues by two properties First they are rauenous cruel bloudy they will persecute and kill they will be as Caine not as Abell as Ismaell and not as Isaak as Esau not as Iacob as Pharao and not as Moses as Caiaphas and not as Peter The seconde note is that which Chrysostome mentioneth Who so in blasphemie yelleth and howleth with a foule and open mouth against the trueth he is a wolfe Such they were of whom the prophet speaketh in the psalme saying They set their mouth against heauen 14 All must watch that they be not themselues deceiued by these deceitfull wolues when they put on sheepes clothing But God giueth charge to such as be the pastors of his people to be watchfull also ouer others not only carefully to feede them as his flocke deerely redeemed in good wholsome pastures but also to driue chase away the wolues least Gods sheepe be deuoured by thē And this pastoral office doth not only pertain vnto priests prechers but also vnto princes tēporal gouerners whō God hath placed in authority to y t end y t they shold promote his glory For the which cause God calleth Cyrus the king his shephard Vigilate watch the wolfe to driue him away watch the flock to fede it 15 Let euerie one be watchfull ouer his life that his conuersation be according to his profession If we walke disorderly we shal not walke alone our example wil draw others after it their sins we shall answere for Lucifer fell not alone he drew cōpany from heauen with him Ieroboam being sinfull made Israell to sin And he is burnt in the hand with that marke of horror for a warning to al succeeding ages Ieroboā the son of Nebat that made Israel to sin Let vs beware that we play not Simeon Leui so make our father Iacob to be loathed of the Cananites We professe Christ true Christianitie Let vs not through our lewd life be a slander to our sauiour and a shame to his gospel Watch therefore But because as S. Paul sayth neither planting nor watering will helpe except God himself do giue encrease because our watching as the prophet witnesseth is in vaine neither can sobrietie and heedefulnes serue to keepe a citie except the Lorde himselfe doe keepe it let vs craue help at Gods mercifull hands let vs pray as wel as watch When S. Paul hath armed Gods souldier he biddeth him pray Man be he neuer so well appointed for defence neuer so stronge and perfit cannot stande without Gods strength He that looketh but a litle into the worlde shall espie iust cause to moue vs to prayer if anie men now if euer The greate diuell in these our later dayes is let loose Antichrist rageth and seeketh our confusion The wicked glistering world maruelously deceiueth bewitcheth The flesh raigneth and beareth swinge The spirite is faint sinne ouerfloweth Christ is comming in the cloudes to call vs vnto iudgement Therefore be ye sober watch pray Pray I say not in shewe but in deede not in appearance but from the heart not for fashion but in earnest Babble not in wordes like hypocrites but powre out thy heart before God as did Hanna And God graunt for his Christ our Iesus sake that in fayth and loue wee may lift vp pure hands sincere affections hartie grones vnto our Lorde that we may ouercome our many dreadfull enemies purchase pardon and glorifie God Let vs with Dauid with whom we haue sinned pray for mercy Let vs with the disciples of Christ with whom we haue wauered pray for the encrease of our faith because the ende of all thinges is nowe at hande 16 It followeth Haue feruent charity amongst your selues This cōcerneth our dutie towardes men as y ◠other did towards God All our dutie towards our neighbour consisteth in loue He that loueth another hath fulfilled the lawe Iohn the beloued disciple of Christ was the preacher of loue it was euer in his mouth as it is in his writings in so much that lying vpon his death bed his disciples requesting to haue one lessō frō him before his departure he was able to deuise no one thing more needful to be spokē of then this which he had oftē said Loue one another my litle childrē Peter would haue our loue to be earnest hote Euery one loueth himself very vehemently but our loue towards others is very cold chill Our loue for the most part this way is in word in phraise but not in deede in truth This world is dubble harted dissēbling is made a trade to liue by There be many Labans but fewe Iacobs Many that salute say Aue but their next word is Apprehendite If Christ came nowe he were like to finde litle faith but lesse charity yet without charity al that we do is vaine yea it is very sin Let vs therfore loue as God hath loued vs he loued vs not slenderly when he tooke so bitter a death for vs. A God for his enemies See therfore that ye haue vehement sincere hearty loue among your selues not contenting your selues barely to haue it in shewe vnlesse yee shewe it by these effectes which Saint Peter in this place setteth down Vehement loue heere spoken of is described by these properties First it couereth y e multitude of
sins Secondly it causeth vs to be giuen to hospitalitie Thirdly it will not suffer men to hide those graces which they haue receiued at Gods handes but is a cause of bestowing the same to the vse benefit of their brethrē 17 It is not our charitie that can couer our sins from the sight of God Christ is the propitiation for our sinnes It is I that blot out your iniquities sayth the Lorde But as Gods loue to vs ward couereth our sinnes so our towardes our brethren doeth couer theirs If God loue vs his mercie is as a cloke that hideth all our shame he seeth no blemish or deformity in vs. If we loue our brethren our charity is as a vaile before our eies we behold not their faults Although they be great we do not waie thē although many we recken thē not For charitie couereth euen the multitude of sins The eye of the charitable man is alwaies vewing his owne woundes as for the scarres of other 〈◊〉 he seeth them not His hād is alwaies occupied not in picking out motes frō other mens eyes but in drawing out beames from his owne S. Augustine to shew the great dislike he had of such as vncharitably delighted to vnfold other mens faults wrote these verses ouer his table Quisquis amat dictis absentum rodere vitam Hanc mensam vetitam nouerit esse sibi Who so loueth to gnawe vpon men in their absence Let him knowe that this table doth not like his presence 18 The next fruit of loue is hospitalitie Be harborus one toward another without grudging S. Paul is of the same iudgement For hauing vsed this exhortation Let brotherly loue continue he immediatly addeth Be not forgetfull to lodge strangers Hospitalitie hath respect vnto all men but chiefly to strangers namely such as are of the houshould of faith and are driuen out of their countrie for the profession of Christs Gospel Such are chiefly to be releeued Of such especially it is written and prouided for in the lawe The strāger that dwelleth with you shalbe as one of your selues thou shalt loue him as thy selfe for ye were strangers in the lande of Egypt I am the Lord your God God hath offered vs at this time great occasion to shew foorth our charitie many of Gods good children are straungers in Englande Let vs not omit this good occasion to doe good Abraham and Lot were liberall towardes straungers and when they supposed to haue receiued men they receiued Angelles to their great benefit But we no doubt in receiuing these strangers which wander from place to place beeing cast out of their countries for confessing and professing Christ receiue not Angels but the Lorde of Angelles Hee that receiueth you receiueth me In doing good to straungers we doe good also to our selues for great shall be the benefit when Christ shall say I was a straunger and yee harboured me As great the curse to them to whom it shalbe said I was harbourlesse and ye did not lodge me Saint Peter would haue vs giuen to hospitalitie without murmuring and with kindnesse entertaine straungers For in shewing of beneuolence there are three speciall vertues which if they be wanting our benefits loose their grace and goodnesse The first is willingnesse God doth loue a cheerefull giuer The seconde is bountifulnesse For he that soweth sparinglie shall reape sparingly The thirde is singlenesse of heart for if we giue vainegloriously to be seene of men wee loose our rewarde at Gods handes as by murmuring we deserue no thankes of men 19 There be two graunde enemies of hospitalitie The one is couetousnesse the other profusenesse Nigardlinesse would not suffer Naball that rich carle to bestowe a peece of breade to releeue the necessitie of Dauid a king Shall I take my breade and my water and the flesh of my beastes that I haue killed for my shearers and giue it to men whom I knowe not eyther who or whence they are Others with the prodigall sonne wast that vnthriftilie wherewith they should releeue the poore and comfort straungers Some of them being eaten vp as they say with three H. H. H. Horses Haukes and Harlots Some with vaine apparell casting away as much vpon a garment as would almost ransome a king Some with building some with banquetting some by one meane and some by an other whereby it is come to passe that hospitalitie it selfe is waxen a straunger and needeth harbour we haue shut it quite and cleane out of doores 20 The last fruite of heartie loue is the good bestowing of our graces and giftes to the benefit of others Let euery man as he hath receiued a gift minister the same one to another as good disposers of the manifolde graces of God The giftes that we haue which be good they be of God for euery good gift commeth downe from the Father of lightes And these giftes we receiue to bestowe vpon others as good stewardes of the Lorde S. Peter doeth seeme chiefly as it were to point vnto two sortes of high and principall stewardes at whose handes an especiall reckoning of the graces of God will be required the magistrate and the minister For God leadeth his people like sheepe by the hande of Moses and Aaron whose gifts are the sworde and the woorde whereof the one may not be borne in vaine but drawne to the punishment of euill doers and to the aduauncement of them that doe well the other is to bee preached in season and out of season to the confirmation of the trueth the refutation of errour the exhortation to vertue the disswasion from vice that the man of God may be perfectly inabled to euerie good worke Howbeit as magistrates and ministers are principally ment in this exhortation so are all sexes and sorts of people called vpon For we shall all giue an account of our stewardship we must all make a reckoning of the talentes we haue receiued be they fiue two or one No man is borne nor brought vp to himselfe but to the benefit and behoofe of an other and as stones in one building or members in one bodie so is euerie man interessed and inuested in the possession ech one of an other to the ende no man should seeke his owne thinges but the things that make for the profiting of an other Which one lesson amongest many if once we would heare to learne it and learne to remember it and remember to followe it and followe to continue and perseuer in it we should not onely declare our selues to be good dispensers of the manifolde gifts and graces of God but heare also that blessed voice Euge serue bone fidelis Come my good and faithful seruant I haue set thee ouer a few small things I wil henceforth place thee ouer more and greater come and enter into thy maisters ioy whereunto he bring vs that so dearelie bought it for vs euen Iesus the price of our redemption to whome with the father and
thou doest 7 As God is perfit in himselfe in his worde and in all his workes so we are exhorted to fashion our selues according to that similitude and likenesse which is in him and to become perfit as our father in heauen is perfit There is a perfection which all beleeuers haue by imputation whereof although S. Paule doe not speake directly in this place yet because it is the roote of that perfection whereof he speaketh it is not besides the purpose for me to put you in minde of it Vnto euerie sonne of Adam it may iustlie be saide Thou wast perfit in thy waies from the day that thou wast created till iniquitie was founde in thee But our sanctification being once defiled and polluted with sinne he which liketh no vncleane or vnperfect thing if hee looke vppon vs as wee are in our selues cannot but loath vs. Wherefore except the perfection of righteousnes which is in Christ be imputed vnto vs and accounted as ours except in him we be made the righteousnes of God howe should we euer hope to appeare without spot and wrincle in the sight of God He therefore is perfect whose imperfections Christ with his perfection hath couered This is a secret which because the Iewes were not able to comprehende therefore they stumbled Israel sought perfection and found it not Wherefore Because they sought it by the workes of the law and not by faith they thought perfection by imputation to be a meere fancie Contrariwise the Gentils not following that perfection which is by the lawe attained vnto that which is by faith which S. Paule did so esteeme that although he were concerning the righteousnesse which is in the lawe vnreproueable yet he thought all the labour and trauell lost which hee had spent about attaining perfection that way and desired nothing more than to be found not hauing his owne perfection which was of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ. 8 But the perfection wherof S. Paul heere speaketh is nothing else but the finishing of that which the grace of Christ hath alreadie begun to worke in our hearts our growing and increasing in true godlinesse our proceeding and going forwarde from vertue to vertue from strength to strength till we come vnto that whereunto we striue Brethren sayeth the Apostle I count not my selfe as if I had attained it or were alreadie perfect But one thing I forget that which is behinde and endeuour my selfe vnto that which is before and followe harde towardes the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Let vs therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded let as many as haue attained the former perfection striue vnto this which is the latter 9 For this cause Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes pastors and teachers at the first were giuen vnto this all doctrine and exhortation doth tende that being builded together to be the habitation of God by the spirite wee might rise to a perfect man vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ and in all things growe vp into him which is the head in all thinges whether they be inwarde vertues or outwarde duties which God requireth at the handes of men Touching inwarde vertues although we haue knowledge and be established in the present trueth although our faith bee such that it be knowen and spoken of through out the worlde although we abound in godlinesse in brotherlie kindenesse and in all loue it is neuerthelesse a thing needefull as long as we are in this tabernacle that we be alwayes put in minde stirred vp and prouoked to endeuour that in these thinges we may abounde more and more and go forward in them to perfection 10 The worde of truth which is the Gospell was fruitfull among the Colossians from the very first day that they hearde and truely knewe the grace of God Yet S. Paule ceased not still to pray for them and to desire that they might be fulfilled with the knowledge of his will in all wisedome spirituall vnderstanding that they might encrease in the knowledge of God and so be perfect The Hebrues no dout were not vtterly ignorant in the highest mysteries of their saluation yet are they sharply reproued for their rawnesse and exhorted to proceede from the doctrine of the beginning of Christ and from the first principles of the word of God that at the length they might come to some perfection We must all confesse euen the best learned amongst vs all that as yet we are but beginning to learne we knowe but little our skill is of small and tender growth It behooueth vs therefore to pray continually with the prophet Lord teach vs thy statutes make vs to vnderstande the way of thy preceptes that we may profit in meditating of thy lawe leade vs on in our way by the gracious conduction of thy holy spirite so direct our course that we may run out the race into which we are entred not ceasing till thou hast brought vs into all truth fully instructed vs in thy righteousnesse made vs absolute and perfect vnto all good workes 11 Where there is backwardnesse in knowledge there must needes be also weakenes of faith if we growe in the one we are the nearer to perfection in the other Howe great care the blessed Apostle had that the faith of as many as did beleeue through his preaching might be perfited let that one speach of his to them of Thessalonica serue to shewe in steede of manie Bretheren wee had consolation in you in all our affliction and necessitie through your faith For nowe are we aliue if we stande stedfast in the Lorde What thankes can we recompence to God againe for you for all the ioy for which we reioyce for your sakes before God night and day praying exceedinglie that we might see your face and might accomplish that which is lacking in your faith If he were thus carefull for the faith of others shall we neglect to make perfect our owne When we heare that this is the victorie which ouercometh the world euen our faith that by faith all the firie dartes of Satan are expelled and driuen back that vnto beleeuers all thinges are possible that he which beleeueth commeth not into iudgment but hath passed from death to life are we not glad to say in our hartes Lord we beleeue If we be then considering that by how much our faith is more stedfast by so much we are the more certainlie assured of all these thinges let vs ioyne in request with the disciples of Christ and beg of him to increase faith in vs let vs crie euen with teares Lorde helpe our incredulitie 12 But how can you beleeue saith our sauiour that receaue glorie one of another and the glorie which is of God onelie ye seeke not How should we growe vnto fulnesse of faith which are so emptie and void of godlinesse The complaint