Christe neuer went beyond his bondes Whatsoeuer therfore that we waite for let vs neither looke this way nor that but stand to his worde Moreouer because the name of God is often abused let vs looke narrowly and warely whether it is hée that hath spoken vnto vs or not And although Iesus Christe himselfe speaketh not at this present vnto vs yet hath hee ratified whatsoeuer is conteined in the Lawe and the Prophetes Wee must not therefore stand in doubt of the doctrine Why so Because it is allowed Thus we sée that if wée follow this doctrine we cannot do amisse and contrariwise this were a trimme kinde of spéeche to say wee are Christians when in very deede there is nothing in vs but a vaine opinion And nowe let vs beholde the faith which is taught in Popery They will say forsooth I beléeue this and that but if they be asked why beléeue you so They will answere because they were so told But who is it that taught you thus Our auncestours Thus wée sée that there is no certentie in their beliefe but a vaine opinion And therefore we are to consider of the great grace of GOD to vs warde in that he hath pluckt vs from that religion for wée go not nowe by thinking and ghessing but we must stay our selues vpon this infallible trueth which he hath giuen vs. In very déede wee cannot doe thus without the holy Ghoste ratifie the same in our heartes For otherwise it were a iolly kinde of spéeche to say God hath saide it and this is his doctrine And therefore vntill suche time as the holy Ghost hath wrought in vs to shew vs that the promises of God are Autenticall wée shall but stumble But as Iesus Christe is a faithfull witnesse of God his Father euen so confirmeth hee vs by his holy spirite and wee are to beseech him that he would perfourme it more and more in vs. And this is it which wee at this present are to stande vpon For Iesus Christe promised to send the holy Ghoste vnto his Apostles as may bee seene in Iohns Gospell Iohn 14.16.26 15.26 where this promise is set downe that Iesus Christ said vnto them when I am ascended vp into heauen I will sende you the holy Ghoste This saying then hée confirmed vnto them that they might constantly looke for it It followeth Iohn baptized with water but yee shall be baptized with the holy Ghost And this is a confirmation of the promise which he gaue them as if hée shoulde haue saide my office is to baptize not with water but with the holy Ghost And God my Father hâ—th not giuen mée this office in vaine and therefore you must féele the benefite thereof by experience Let vs therefore vnderstand this one point that nothing is in vain giueÌ„ to Iesus Christ Now he hath no néede of this himselfe But it is for his members to the end we might all draw grace with grace Iohn 1.16 out of his fulnesse And so let vs conclude that since Iesus Christe hath this office of baptizing with the holy Ghoste wée must néedes féele it by proofe and be partakers of such a benefite for otherwise it were but an vncertaine title and no trueth in it which were very blasphemie so to say Wee are therefore to vnderstand that Iesus Christ acquainteth vs with such a Baptisme For mark what it was that he said to his Apostles Now S. Iohn Baptist had told the Iewes before that he baptized but with water and the reason why hee so saide was this that they would haue giuen ouermuch honor vnto him and so haue derogated from Iesus Christ And therefore he refused this and said that he did but administer the visible signe of water so that it belonged not to him to giue grace to Baptisme but was the office of Iesus Christ to doe it Behold saith he I baptize you with water Mat. 3.11 Mark 1.7 Luke 3.16 Iohn 1.26 But there is one whom you yet know not that hath power to baptize with the holy Ghoste whose shoe latchet I am not worthy to vntie for although I came before him yet am I no body and it is hée that must haue all the honor And this is the spéech of Iohn Baptist and now Iesus Christ vseth the same as if he should say This ought to be no strange thing vnto you for it was knowne vnto you long ago how that the priuiledge of baptizing with the holy Ghost was reserued to me alone Nowe héere might arise a questioÌ„ why Iesus Christ rather spake of Iohn baptist theÌ„ of any other The reason is manifest because the greatnes of Iohn Baptist as they had abused it was a let that Iesus Christe was not honored as he ought although he had spokeÌ„ of any other yet would it haue ben thought notwithstanding that Iohn might wel enough haue béen compared to Iesus Christ And therfore he chose to speak of the most excellent man to the end he wold shew that he would not haue the worlde deceiued but that it was himself vnto whom all honor was to be giuen And thus we sée that where men go about to get themselues credite estimation amongst men Saint Iohn baptist here doth al he can to abase himself Iohn 3. 30. because he would haue no more giuen vnto him then became him And after hee had vsed many spéeches hée concluded that he must be abased and Iesus Christ exalted Neither was this hypocritically saide of him but in trueth and in déede And I would it pleased God that the world would take foorth this lesson But what Wée are so continually giuen to this wicked superstition as that we looke stil vnto the creatures who are so many vailes to kéepe vs from beholding of Iesus Christ And by this wée sée what the cause hath béen of the setting vp of such an infinite number of Idols in the world For looke how many holy men and women haue béene in the world euen so many Idols haue béen set vp yea although the graces which God hath liberally bestowed vpon vs ought to be Argumentes sufficient to haue vs put our trust in him not in creatures And the papists when they will honor their Saints say it is written Praise God in his Saints I will not call them beastes Psal 150.1 for taking of this place after this sorte séeing the Prophet in saying Praise God in his holy place or in his Sanctuary meaneth the heauens as if hée should haue said praise this diuine maiestie who ruleth in his heauenly throne ouer all his Creatures And yet they so magnifie the Saints amongst them as that as they themselues say God is not knowne from his Apostles or els is placed all in one ranke with the rest Now this diuelish Prouerbe which is among them A man cannot know God from his Apostles will bée a testimony against them that they haue torne in peeces the glory of god like mastiffe Curres
haue bestowed one péece of it in this place and another in that and haue diuided it euen as pleased themselues and whereas Iesus Christe shoulde haue béene onely exalted and the Prophetes and Martyrs made of no estimation in respect of him they haue turned all cleane contrary Wherefore séeing we are inclined to this sinne to magnifie Creatures and to robbe Christ Iesus of his glory Let vs so muche the rather remember that which is said That Iohn baptized with water to shew that if we would haue any grace we must neither goe to Peter nor yet to Iohn Iohn 1.15 3.34 but to Iesus Christ of whom it is saide that he receiued the grace of God full and whole to shewe that we must come to him alone Moreouer héerein hath béen occasion taken to say that the baptisme of Iohn was imperfect but this is plain deceite for the meaning of Iohn when he spake so was not to declare the truth of the Sacrament which hee administred but onely to shewe the difference that was betwéene him Iesus Christe And therefore although the sacrament of Baptisme which Iohn administred and the Sacrament which Iesus Christ administred was al one tended to one the selfesame end yet Iohn declared that it was not in his power to make baptisme of any force But that Iesus Christe must do it And therefore it is not to be doubted but that he administred true baptisme For we looke not to the signe but to the truth and yet the signe agréeeth with the trueth of Iesus Christ But the principall matter which we haue to consider of in Baptisme consisteth vpon two points that is that we haue put of the old Adam and are renued vnited to Iesus Christ cleansed of al our spots when God forgiueth vs our sinnes And this is the summe effect of Baptisme Mat. 3.2 8. Mar. 1.4 Luke 3.3 8. Let vs now consider if Iohn did not al this It is most certaine that he did For he came preached remissiō of sins baptized to that end purpose Moreouer whē he baptized he preached repentance which importeth as much as we haue said That wee our selues must be mortified this corruptiō which wee receiued frō Adam must be put of that the righteousnes of god might reigne in vs. And so when as we haue thrust out all the corruption we can yet shal we find nothing els in vs But what we must make a difference betwéene the person of the Minister and the person of Iesus Christ In déed this is true that when we speake of baptisme as it is in it self Acts. 9.18 it is a washing away of our sinnes How so Because by it we are cōfirmed ingraffed into Iesus Christ that we might be cleansed liue by his mighty power For so saith the scripture as may be séen whē Annanias baptized Paul who said to him come and wash away thy sins And whē baptisme is spokē of we speake not only of the signe but of the thing signified to wit that we are acceptable to God through the forgiuenesse of sinnes and renued by his holy spirit to the ende we might no longer liue to our selues and as we lust Wherfore doo wée saye that all this is within the compasse of Baptisme forsooth because the commission of Iesus Christ is most certaine and sure and hee performeth that inwardlye whiche is outwardlye signified for otherwise it were but a may game if the truth were not ioyned together with the signe Thus we sée how God ioyneth the truth with the signe to the end wée might vnderstand and know that as the visible signe signifieth a thing euen so also receiue we the graces therein signified And the like may bée saide of the Supper For when wee come to the supper looke how the minister distributeth to vs the bread and wine euen so doth Iesus Christ make vs partakers of his body blood that we might bee truly and indéede his members and by that meane we may say that the supper is a partaking of the body and blood of our Lorde Iesus But when wee shall come to handle by péece meale the thing which mortall man doth we must then looke what power and authoritie he hath As when I baptise to wit whether haue I the holy ghost in my sléeue to giue or not or when I celebrate the holy supper haue I the body blood of our Lord Iesus to giue to whom it liketh mée Now this were ouer great arrogancy to attribute that to mortall men which properly belongeth to Iesus christ And therfore let vs not take from Iesus Christ the office of baptising with the holy ghost For as I take water to baptize euen so doth Iesus Christ accomplishe the thinge which I signifie by his owne power and might Wherefore let vs mark the saying of Saint Iohn I baptise with water saith hée and Iesus Christ baptiseth with the holy ghost Thus we sée what we haue héere already handled and shal be more throughly in the eleuenth chapter Moreouer it is for vs thus to make aunswer to witte Acts. 11.16 that wée cannot fulfyl the things wherof we make a shew And yet neuerthelesse we must assure our selues this that God accomplisheth that which is signified by the signe and as by the water is signified the washing away of sinnes euen so doth he accomplish it by his blood And thus we sée how we must distinguish betwéene the person of our Lord Iesus Christ and the person of the Minister to the ende euery man might haue his degrée and measure and wée to know that Iesus Christ is the fountaine of all perfection Moreouer this is certaine that whē Iohn said that Iesus Christ should baptize with the holie Ghost and with fire this doth not restrain Mat. 3.11 but that the holy Ghost did once appeare in the same shape For this promise hath byn already performed and shal take place vnto the worldes end Let vs then consider that when the holy Ghost was visibly sent vnto the Apostles it was to signifie vnto vs that the Church should bée alwayes gouerned by the holie Ghost should fill vs with so many of his graces as were néedfull In very déede we shal neuer haue them in ful perfection because it is néedful that we should be humbled For if wée shoulde haue them in ful perfection what would become of vs Surely we would neuer haue anie care to call vpon God neither yet once thinke that wée stoode in néede of him And therefore it is méete wée shoulde alwayes féele the want of his benefites to the end wée might bée stirred vp to beséech him liberally to bestow them on vs. But by the way let vs vnderstand that wée are all baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire and that Iesus Christ will in no wise that his Sacramentes should bée receiued in vayne of his faithful ones In déed although a man bée baptized
therefore wée must conclude that there is but one Father of life which is Iesus Christ Wherefore wée come to séeke him in the Supper and euery one that commeth must haue this setled mind to bée able to say I come hyther to haue a testimony that Iesus Christe is my life that being incorporate into him I might liue for euer But after what sort come wée to finde him in the supper If wée come after the manner of the Papistes to find the body of our Lord Iesus we deceiue our selues For that is the moste cursed Idolatrie that may bée to thinke the bread that we receiue there to bée the body of our Lorde Iesus Christe Wée muste therfore séeke for him aboue and although we know him to be in heauen yet doubt we not but that he is with vs by his grace insomuch that euen as we sée and touch the signes so likewise doth Iesus Christe accomplish in vs the thing which the signes represent vnto vs to wit that he dwelleth in our soules And although by nature our soules are in déede dead by reason of our sinnes yet wil he make vs partakers of this euerlasting life For as he saith This bread presenteth vnto you my body euen so doth he truly accomplish the same in our soules and as our bodies are susteined with bread euen so our soules receiuing Iesus Christ for a spirituall foode are preserued by the power of God and hee remaineth in vs by his grace Howbeit héere is not al to haue vnderstoode thus much but we must also lift vp our mindes vnto heauen for els we should neuer be vnited to Iesus Christe No doubt of it there are many which know well enough that Iesus Christe is not in the bread and wine but in the meane while where are their harts Forsooth some of their heartes are plunged ouer head and eares in couetousnesse some of them are drunken with ambition and other some their heartes are wrapped vp in all kind of villanie For behold the Whooremonger his mind is set on nothing els but vpon Lecherie others vpon drunkennesse and belly cheare in other some is nothing but blasphemy murmuring all villanie which Saint Paule calleth earthly members Colos 3. 5. If you will saith he come néere vnto Iesus Christ you must mortifie your earthly members What must we forgoe our handes and féete No that is not his meaning But we must mortifie our fornications vncleannesse inordinate affections euill concupiscences ambition and couetousnesse which is worshipping of Images and all other such like Would wée then séeke for Iesus Christ in heauen Then must we rid our selues of al these earthly mēbers For what agréement can there be betwéene vs Iesus Christ Wée must not thrust him amongest our pollutions but let vs goe vnto him that hée may rid vs of them Thus we sée that wee must not onely vnderstande that he in heauē but we must also mortifie these earthly members which doe separate vs from him and haue our mindes occupied a loft How is that Let vs liue chastly soberly charitably temperatly patiently and altogether vertuosly And these are the fethers wherewith we must flie vp into heauen although to speake properly wee must haue neither winges to flie with nor yet ladders to climbe vp But it is Iesus Christe that bringeth vs thither and rayseth vs vp by the graces which I haue named and which hée bestoweth vpon vs. Héere then wée sée howe wee must apply this doctrine to the Supper so that when the bread and wine shal be deliuered vs wée must learne to séeke for all our felicitie in Iesus Christe liue in brotherly loue together and euery man mortifie his sinfull lustes and affections If I féele my selfe to bée by any meanes carried away from Iesus Christe I ought to pull that meane from mée out by the rootes that I might bee truely raysed vp to Iesus Christ not that we can be perfectly raysed vp but we must labour to goe more and more on For in déede the Supper was ordeined to that end and we should not receiue it onely once in our life but very often to signifie vnto vs that we must goe on in this worlde vntill such time as he hath deliuered vs from this corrupt body and brought vs vnto himselfe And according to this holy doctrine let vs fall downe before the face of our good God and acknowledge our offences beséeching him that he will not suffer vs to be so giuen ouer vnto thē as héeretofore we haue béen but so weane vs from them as that we séeke after none other thing but our Lorde Iesus Christ and obey his commandementes because that is the rule and order by which he would haue vs to bée brought vnto himselfe And so let vs all say O Almightie God and heauenly father c. The second Sermon of the Ascention Acts first 4 AND when Iesus had gathered his Disciples together hee commaunded them that they shoulde not depart from Ierusalem but waite for the promise of the Father of whom saith hee ye haue heard of mee 5 For Iohn truely baptized with water but yee shall be baptized after a while with the holy Ghost WEE haue héeretofore spoken of the obedience of the Apostles and of their patient wayting for the promise which Iesus Christ had made them by mouth and besides although they were appointed to this office of Apostleship yet did they not thruste them selues in to preach before such time as they had bin confirmed by the holy Ghost Héere then wée see their obedience ioyned with humilitie in that they acknowledged God to bee their guide And now wée are to handle that which followeth that when Iesus Christe told them of the promise of God his father hée said yee haue hearde of mee heretofore As if hée should haue said That they were not to looke for that at the handes of God which they in their owne iudgement thought to bée best but for the thing which he had promised To bée short wee must héere gather a doctrine vnto our selues which is this wée must not build our faith vpon any thing that we our selues shall imagine Rom. 10.17 but vpon the promises of God For Saint Paule saith That faith commeth by hearing not by the hering of mens spéeches and talkes but only by the hearing of the worde of God And in deed because wee are inclined to diuers temptations it is méet we should build vpon God and vpon his worde Yea verily howbeit he will not come downe from heauen to speake to vs. That is true in déede but we must be wel assured that the doctrine which is preached vnto vs commeth from him whereof Iesus Christe is a witnesse when he spake vnto his Apostles For all things saith hee that I haue hearde of my Father haue I made knowne vnto you Iohn 15.15 And therefore you muste not in any wise distrust me because I am a faithfull witnesse For we sée that Iesus
Iesus was taken from the crosse to wit that hée was thrust into the side to sée whether he had yéelded vp the Ghoste or not For they hastened not his death so fast as they dyd the two Théeues But when they thought him to bee dead they thrust a Speare into him and then they knewe that he was dead which pleased well the souldiers Now it is true that if we shoulde not be able to bring in the lawe for a testimonie we should haue somewhat a cold pull of it But S. Iohn giueth vs a full proofe that our Lorde Iesus Christe was the true Paschall Lambe since he was by the wonderfull prouidence and counsell of God preserued that there was not abone of him broken Exod. 12.46 Num. 9.12 For it said in Exodus that the Paschal lambe should bée eaten but there should not one bone of him bée broken And why were not the bones of Iesus Christe crushed since it was the common maner at those dayes Surely their will was not to spare him and hée was hanged betwéene two Théeues because they thought him to be the most vyle and detestable person Wée sée then héere that this was the worke of God in kéeping backe the handes of the Souldiers and his will also was that his Sonne should make a spéedie dispatch to the ende hée woulde preserue him and that it might bée an euident signe vnto vs in this place that in him the trueth of this auncient figure shoulde be fulfilled Héere then are wée to obserue that the bones of the Sonne of God were preserued from breaking because we might take him for our Paschall Lambe who shoulde preserue vs from the wrath of God whenas wée are marked with his blood And therefore must wée come to this point that since he is our Paschall Lamb wée must eftsoones bee dewed and sprinckled with his blood for without that the shedding of it will doe vs no good But when we shall accept him with this Sacrifice and séeke remission of our sinnes also thereby because we know that vntyll hée hath washed and cleansed vs wée are very filthie then are wee be dewed with his blood through the spinckling of the holy ghost vpon our soules and so are made cleane and God accepteth and taketh vs for his people and we are assured that although his wrath and vengeance bée ouer all the worlde yet looketh hée on vs with his eye of mercy and alloweth vs for his children Wée sée then in this place what wée are to consider when it is saide That the bones of our Lorde Iesus were not broken to the end we might vnderstand that the thing which was declared by figure in the law was verified in his body And besides it is also saide That water and blood issued out of his side and hee that sawe it beare witnesse thereof When wée sée that water blood issued so out wée must remember that it was hee as Saint Iohn sayeth in his Canonicall Epistle 1. Iohn 5.6 who by his sacrifice wrought our purgation and peace for the blotting out of all our sinnes In very déede Blood when one is dead wil waxe thicke by nature and from it will very thinne water come because the colour and thickest of the blood wil goe from it But howeuer it is Saint Iohn saieth that GOD woulde shewe for what cause the death of his sonne profiteth vs to wit Heb. 9 2◠in the first place hée is at peace with vs by reason of the shedding of blood for as it is saide There can bée no remission of sinnes without the effusion of blood For beholde why Sacrifices were vsed from the beginning of the worlde And God hath saide that hée would be mercifull to all miserable sinners which put their truste in him But yet he woulde haue sacrifices to bee offered as if hée should haue said that men should be fréely forgiuen their sinnes because they can bring nothing of their own with them to obteine it But must haue a mediator to recompence it Wée sée then that the blood which ranne downe from the side of our Lorde Iesus witnesseth vnto vs that the Sacrifice which hée offered was a satisfaction for all our iniquities so that we are discharged of them before God True it is we must cōtinually féele our selues to be gilty that we might bée humbled and brought to true repentance and bée cléerely voide of all presumption But howeuer it is wée are assured that God acquitteth and pardoneth vs in the name of his sonne when we come to acknowledge our sinnes and iniquities And why so Because the sacrifice of his death is sufficient to blot out the memory of al our transgressions It is the water then that cleanseth Wherefore to the end we might be washed from all our spots let vs vnderstande that the meaning of our Lord Iesus Christe was that water shoulde issue out of his side to declare that hée is in very déede our puritie and that wée must séeke for none other remedy to washe vs from all our filthinesse And thus wée sée howe water and blood came from him by which meane wee are throughly saued in him and therefore must make no wandlesses to séeke our ayde els where But when wée shall consider more néerely of the matter wée shall sée a very notable similitude betwéene the blood and the water which issued out of the side of our Lorde Iesus Christe and the Sacraments of the Church in which the thing that was perfourmed in his death is allowed and sealed vnto vs. For after hée had suffered whatsoeuer was requisite for our saluation and fully satisfied GOD his Father by sanctifiyng and purchasing vs full righteousnesse hée would that all the whole matter should bée witnessed vnto vs in the two sacraments of his owne institution I speake of two because there are no moe instituted in his worde But Baptisme and the Supper For all the reste is but a vaine imagination deuised by the rashe boldenesse of men Thus wee see that our Lorde Iesus Christe powreth out the vertue of his death and passion aswel vpon Baptisme as on the holy Supper For Baptisme is a witnesse vnto vs that hée hath so washed and cleansed vs from all our filthinesse as that God receiueth vs vnto his fauour as if wée came cleane and neate before him Now wée must vnderstand that the water in Baptisme worketh not this effect For howe can a corruptible Element washe and cleanse our soules But the matter is because water issued out of the side of our Lorde Iesus Christ And therefore when wée woulde that Baptisme should doe vs good let vs goe vnto him who was crucified for vs and when we would féele the fruit therof let vs runne vnto our Lord Iesus Christ who would haue vs séeke for euerie parte and parcell of our saluation in him without wandring and whéeling hither and thither And besides wée haue in the holie Supper a testimony that Iesus Christ is our
in the name of God yet when hée commeth to age wée sée him enclined to all mischiefe and therefore wée cannot say that hée is a new man but rather like a bruite beast And yet wée cannot say but that the Sacrament had his full nature and proprietie For baptisme of it selfe is as much as if we were renued and then if wée bée not so the fault is oures because wee will not suffer Iesus Christ to accomplishe his grace in vs and so for want of beliefe wée in such sort close vp our heartes as that there is no entraunce for his graces which hée woulde largely bestow vpon vs. Thus we sée that the Sacrament is neuer without his power and vertue howbeit we receiue no fruit nor benefite by it because it cannot enter without faith Wée haue héere therefore to note that the trueth of Baptisme is not in the water but in the holie Ghost And besides Iesus Christ geueth vs the holie Ghost And therefore wée are throughly to marke that if we woulde bée benefited by Baptisme we must not sticke so much to the water as though our saluation were enclosed therein but let vs vnderstand that it is the holie Ghost that must woorke all Moreouer wée sée that the worlde hath receiued this doctrine very perniciously for the Papistes thinke that the grace of God is tyed to it and they charme it like Coniurers geuing to the water the power of the Sacrament And therefore they say that that childe that is not baptized is damned Wherefore for the preuenting of this danger they are not onely contented to geue power authoritie to all men of what state and condition soeuer they bée to baptize but euen to women also for feare say they that the children might die without baptisme And so they think that the truth of baptisme consisteth in the water so that by this meane the blood of Iesus Christ is layde cleane aside But as for vs let vs learne that the truth of baptisme is not in the water but in the holy Ghost And yet is not the signe vnprofitable for it witnesseth vnto vs that our soules are washed But if wée wil haue the truth of it we must come to the holie Ghost as wée haue already shewed Moreouer it is saide that Iesus Christ giueth the holy Ghost to the end wée should neither séeke for it in the water nor yet at the handes of men but looke vp vnto heauen And this is also a poynt wherewith the world hath béen deceiued For who is hée that looketh to Iesus Christ when we speake of any thing concerning our saluation No man For wée thinke it to bée in the power of men as if Iesus Christ had resigned his office vnto them that he had no more to doe in heauen Sée I pray you how blockishe wee are Nowe the Scripture choketh vs by the chin as wée say to make vs looke aloft for in it is the thing which wée heare Iesus Christ teache vs beholde it is I that baptizeth you I graunt it is said that God sendeth the holie Ghost and so doeth Iesus Christ also Iohn 14.16.26 Iohn 15.26 16.7 Mat. 28.18 For when the father sendeth him hée sendeth him in the name of Iesus Christ at his request And besides Iesus Christ speaking of himself said that hée would send him And indéede hée is one and the selfesame God with the father And besides inasmuch as being made man hée became our Mediator al power both in heauen and earth was giuen him so that hée is as it were the very arme and hande to bestow the graces of God vpon vs. Let vs also note why it was that Iohn spake of the Baptisme with the holie Ghost and with fire vsing these twoo woordes For it is all one thing When hée speaketh of fire it is because hée meaneth to boyle vs againe to scombe of al our filthynesse as men vse to melt golde or siluer when they would fine it and as we sée men purge filthy places with fyre And therfore the holy ghost beareth not this name in vaine séeing it is hée that must purge all our spots and blots and it is also to signifie vnto vs that so soone as we come into this worlde we bring nothing with vs but vncleanesse and the longer wée liue the greater heape of vncleane thinges wée lay vp together whereof Ieremie speaketh sayinge that man knoweth not himselfe Ierem. 17.9 for there is such a gulfe of wickednesse in vs as there is none but God alone that knoweth it A man may well cast an Anchor into the bottom of the sea but none is able to search our harts but God For we stinke before the face of God and are more filthy then Lazarus yea too too horrible stinking and filthy But what of all this Beholde héere is our comfort whenas wée sée that Iesus Christ wil purge vs by his holy spirit for we haue thereof a sure testimonye in Baptisme that he wil make vs new cretures by purging of our infirmities But as by purging with fyre all superfluities are taken away euen so also let vs vnderstande that when God will reconcile vs to himselfe all what soeuer is ours must bee cleane taken away Moreouer let vs note that so longe as wee shall remayne in our selues wee cannot choose but perish and yet if wée would alwaies remaine safe and sounde GOD must néedes bray vs that hée might saue vs and make vs become acceptable in his sighte And this hée doth by his holy spirit And thus wée sée that it is by God alone that we must be gloryfied Indéede we are contented to haue a good opinion of our selues that we might be extolled amongst men but when it shall be sifted before the maiestie of God the thing that wée thought to be excellent hée will make no reckoninge of Let vs learne then that there is no goodnesse at all in vs but if there be any it is because that he hath purged vs with his holy spirit Moreouer when he saieth That it shall be after a while it is to encourage them the more and not to murmer and be discouraged when God deferreth his aide for wee must appoint him no time And indéede the time which he taketh is alwaies very short How so because hée leaueth vs not one minute of an houre without ayde As for example let it be that we are any war afflicted and then we call vpon God howbeit he wil not at the first cho◠forthwith deliuer vs but commonly for the most part the torment encreaseth and yet God assisteth vs because hée comforteth vs. And this shall we verie well perceiue when as we fall into the consideration thereof For what man is able to beare the least griefe that is if God assist him not By this we see a proofe of his ayde when as we quaile not For as S. Paule saieth if we haue any tribulation and doe beare it paciently then we knowe that God
deale with a Iewe to bring him to the knowledge of Iesus Christ Moreouer we must let him vnderstand that when the kingdome of the Messiah is spoken of in the scripture that it is a spirituall kingdome to the ende hée should not be deceiued to thinke him to be an earthly King as all the Iewes imagined And this is it which caused them to refuse Iesus Christ forsomuch as he reigned not ouer the people as they thought hée shoulde haue done Nowe for the first point wée haue nothing wherefore to stande against the Papistes but for the second For they graunt vnto vs that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God and the same that was promised in the law and that hée was put to death and rose agayne And héerein we easily agrée But they are to be taught to what end hee came For they doe not acknowledge him to be the same man in déede that hée is Wée knowe that we must beléeue that our saluation commeth by Iesus Christ alone by his death and passion And the Papistes cleane contrary attribute it vnto their workes and merittes and other their inuentions and thinke by that meane to be sanctified Wherefore they séeke in their workes the thing which can no way be founde but in Iesus Christ Thus we see that it is not néedefull for vs to teach the Papistes any thing as concerning the person of Iesus Christ but onely to shewe them what his power and vertue is wherefore hée came and what benefite we may reape thereby Nowe Saint Peter hath héere taken vpon him to set foorth these two pointes For the Iewes knewe not that Iesus Christ was the Messiah sent from God and therefore much lesse knew they his power and why he came And therefore hée telleth them that he shewed himselfe to be the Sonne of God amongst them in as much as he rose againe so that by his resurrection they might know him to be the verie same because hée was deliuered from death and ouercame it and therefore that life and saluation must be had in him and by him And this is it which Saint Peter meaneth to declare in this first place he will also shewe vs what fruit we haue by his resurrection which wée meane to declare hereafter as it commeth in order to be handled Nowe séeing we at this present vnderstand the purpose of Saint Peter and the order of his Sermon let vs follow it and learne to acknowledge that so soone as God bestoweth any benefite vpon vs that it is because we are the members of Iesus Christ and not for our workes nor yet for any other thing that we are any way able to offer vnto him And therefore let vs haue no more these royling imaginations in our heades as to be persuaded this way and that but let vs come to the acknowledging of our sinnes and be sory for them as we sée Saint Peter goeth about to bring the Iewes theretoo héere in this place when as hée speaketh of the death of Iesus Christ For in the first place hée accuseth them saying Yee haue slaine him Nowe we may verie well sée that hée meaneth not by this spéech to flatter them And indéede S. Peter did cast this in their dish as we say to the end he might pricke their hearts and wound them to the quicke as hereafter we shal sée that it so stuck grieued thē at the hearts as that they were therewith conuerted Thus and by this meane must men be wonne to come to be humbled and brought to the acknowledging of their offences For if we continually preach vnto them pleasant and delightfull things they will doe nothing els but toy and tryfle and be Gods fellowes and play with him euen as they would doe with a mortall man We sée how it fared with the woman of Samaria when she spake vnto Iesus Christ and that he told her of the water of lyfe whereof he said if she drunke Iohn 4. 11. that she shoulde neuer thirst she mocked him like a naughtie packe as she was But after he had once brought her to the acknowledging of her sinne and tolde her that she went to seeke her husbande and remembred her of her wicked life past she was more milde in her speech then she was at the first For when he simplye and plainely layde before her the graces of God she laughed him to skorne and sayd why where shall we haue a Bucket wherewith to draw the water séeing the well is so very deepe but when hée had saide vnto her Thou art an harlot thou hast had fiue husbandes and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband she then acknowledged her sinne and sayde that Iesus Christ was an holy Prophet And therefore vntill such time as we tremble at the horror of our sinnes we will neuer giue place vnto the woord of God And that was the cause that made Saint Peter accuse the Iewes of the slaying of Christ not that he tooke any pleasure in thus reproouing of them but to the ende they might vnderstande that their condemnation was at hande for their sinnes and on the other side that they had forgiuenes of them by Iesus Christ if they woulde acknowledge him and come vnto him Nowe héere in this place haue the ministers of God a rule set downe vnto them to witte that they must touch men to the quick and tell them of their sinnes that they might vnderstand that God is their Iudge and will not leaue their obstinate sinning vnpunished and by that meane be brought backe vnto him by repentance which they wil neuer doe except they be reprooued and roughly handled And therefore let vs suffer GOD too rule and condemne vs to the end he might pardon vs. We shal finde a greate number of men that would be very glad the Gospel should bee preached so that it might be for their gaine serue their carnall desires and be as it were a cloake for their villanies Now this must not bee the end of our preaching For our Lord Iesus Christ saide That when the holy Ghost should come that he should rebuke the world of sinne that hée shoulde sit as a Iudge in the place of iustice and iudge the world Iohn 16. 8. And therfore wée shal neuer bée able to deale faithfully with the Gospel without the worlde bée brought to this condemnation and that euery man may know what it is for euerie of vs to rebuke himselfe Wherfore let all such as flatter themselues groane and bée hartily sory and let al such as take their pleasures be afeard and tremble and let all those who perswade themselues to bée righteous looke more narrowly vnto themselues to the ende wée might all bee brought to this acknowledging of our sinnes by which wée shall grow to be penitent so cōsequently come into the fauour of God Thus wée sée why it is that S. Peter vseth such a bitter reprehension vnto the Iewes whenas hée saith That they