mercy of our heauenly Captaine toward his faythful seraunts and souldiours Philosophie is mute and dumme in these matters and if at an aduenture it happen to vtter some golden sentence of Gods mercy loue toward mākind yet it kéepe not holde handfast constantlie but in the ende declineth to a dubitation or an vtter deniall of the same Antilochus wylled menne to ascribe al thing to Gods prouidence VVho oftentimes aduaunceth poore to their deserued degree of dignitie honor and throweth down the high and mightie These such lyke sentēces of Gods prouidēce are scattered in the writings of Ethnicks which for a tyme delight mens mindes but they are not built vpon any sure foundation For they neuer knew God as he hath reueled him selfe in his sonne by his worde they doubte in their prayers whether God heareth them as Euripides in the person of Hecuba cryeth out and sayth O you Gods I call vppon impotent and slouthfull helpers But the worde of God conteyned in the olde and newe testament doth effectuallie and truly describe vnto vs the liuing God reueled in his onely sonne Iesus Christe who commaundeth vs to call vppon the heauenly Father in his name with boldnesse and trust without any trembling or doubting for that through him his heauenly Father is wel pleased with vs we may then speak thus vnto him Thou O God art the Creator and conseruor of heauen and earth thou art also the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe who was borne suffered dyed and rose againe for the iustification of mankinde Thou sendest thy holy ghost into our harts who kindleth in vs by the sounde of thy holye worde true fayth and spirituall motions agreeable to thy holy wyll thou art my hope and strength thou doest couer mee vnder thy winges thou doest keepe mee with thy holy Angelles thou dost heare mee and deliuer mee thou art with mee in this my tribulation out of the which in thy mercie thou wylt delyuer mee yea and glorifie mee thou wylt aduaunce mee from aduersitie to prosperitie thou wylt satisfie mee with long lyfe If the same maye tender to the setting foorth of thy honour and glorie and to the profite and furtheraunce of thy holy Church This confidence and liberty of spéech wee maye vse with our Captaine but not in respect of our owne worthinesse for this cheerefulnesse and courage of minde wee maye conceaue through our raunsome once satisfied and through the continuall intercession of the Sonne of God who dyed and rose againe for all penitent sinners We our selues bring nothing for fayth is also the gyfte of God kyndeled in our hartes by the holie ghoste through the preaching of the gospell Let vs then place and oppose this promise of GOD togeather with the death and intercession of his sonne Christe through fayth and true repentaunce against all doubting and vnworthinesse of our selues and let vs flee awaye and appeale from God being angrie with vs for our many and greeuous offences vnto God most louing and mercifull turned and reconcyled vnto vs through the passion resurrection and intercession of his deare and onely sonne Iesus Hereof commeth that stoute and valyaunt harte of Christians that they feare not although the earth gape and open her mouth the Element doo fall vppon them and the waues of the Sea woulde seeme to ouerflowe them according as Dauid wytnesseth The sound of many waters and of the waues of the Sea are strong and mighty but the Lord aboue is stronger and mightier Iulian the Reneger was for a time of great power and strength but hee being vanquished at a fielde foughten in Persia was enforced to yéelde the honour of the victorie to this Captayne and with a lowde voyce sayde Thou hast gotten the victorie of mee O thou Galilaean Apries King of Egipt who put the Prophete Ieremie to death said That no power neyther of God nor man was able to take his kingdom from him hee had so firmelie established his Scepter and Crowne But our myghtie Captaine who hath power ouer all kingdomes of the worlde spoyled him of his kingdome and strangled him by the handes of Amasis his Courtyer Neoptelemus the player of Tragedies being demaunded what sentence hee had obserued as most notable in Aeschilus Sophocles and Euripides aunswered that he founde in them nothing woorthye so great admiration But hee rather accoumpted it a thinge memorable that hee sawe with his owne eyes King Phillippe of Macedon at the mariage of his daughter Cleopatra in the most noble assemble of the world honoured as a great God and the next day after ryding in the Tylte or Theatre miserably murdred and contempned And Herodus Agrippa who stopped not the flattring mouthes of such as named him a God but fedde and delighted him selfe with the same perished immediatly with corrosion of his Intralles and lowsie sicknes Surely all humaine power is no better then glasse whiche whē it is most bright and cleare is then the soonest brokē for rashnesse procureth speedy spoyle God alwaies resisteth the prowde Let vs not then feare mans power which when it is at the highest and in his pride then is God able yea and often indeede ouer turneth the same with the leaste blast of winde ⧠The sixt Chapter describeth the Armie and warlyke power of our heauenlie Captaine in this conflicte and battayle The. 6. Chap. THIS our Heauenly Captaine hath many glorious names in the holye Scripture but amongst other he is named the Lorde of Hostes Which tytle albeit it be common to the thrée personnes in Trinitie yet because the Sonne of God was sent to vanquishe and breake the power of the deuyll and to redeeme mankinde this honourable name is properlie and for the most part geuen vnto him as in that Psalme VVho is this King of glorie the Lorde God of Hostes is the king of glorie In the which place without all doubte Christe the King of glorie was signified whereof the Arke of Couenaunt was a testimonie and witnesse And the Prophete Esay sayth That the Lorde God of hostes dwelleth in Syon which sentence is to bee vnderstoode of our sauiour Christ This most noble tytle is geuen vnto him because hee is the cheefe Emperour and Captaine in the Cittie of God againste the Cittie of the Deuil For he is the onely head of all celestiall and terrestriall powers the moste strong and mighty defendor and is therefore named in the Psalme A God that is strong and mighty in battale He is not ydle then but fighteth valyantlie hee is neuer ouercome but but alwayes ouercommeth he neuer flyeth but euer tryumpheth and that not so muche for his owne cause as for the Cittie and Church of God and therfore the Prophet ascribeth vnto him the chéefe souerainty saying Blessed be the name of his glorie for euer and let the whole earth be filled with his maiesty Nowe although this our Captaine
misfortuoes to the ende that one of them myghte commute with another after a lyttle interuewe of perticular estates and condicions euerie man woulde lappe vp his griefe and recarie it to his house There are many and great perylles in euerie vocation be it neuer so base and poore neither is there any man so happie that doeth net often wish his last daye at hande and the holy Ghost by the mouthes of Moyses and Dauid sayeth That which is best in mannes lyfe is sorrowe and labour and Christe himselfe affyrmeth euerie daye in euerie kinde of lyfe to bring his Afflictions And to the ende that Mannes myserie and calamitie maye more euidently shewe forth it selfe let vs with some dyllygence consider the thrée vocations or functions of mans lyfe commonly called Oeconomicall Cyuile and Ecclesiasticall for there is no lyberall man but hee leadeth his lyfe in one of these thrée Condicions Fyrst a mans whole familye is nowe and then neclygent stubberne and disobedient which vnquieteth the householder and therevnto is added such a neclygent carelesnesse and wylfull wasting of the maisters goods that the householder commeth oftentimes thereby vnto extréeme pouertie The Husbande him selfe is oftentymes geuen to prodigallitie casting away care of his Wyfe and chyldren spendeth all the daye in bybbing and iaueling And comming home very late with a dronken head and an emptye purse curseth and sweareth and driueth his Wyfe Children out of the doores and the next morrowe he happely returneth to his olde vomyt and kéepeth this course vntyll all bee consumed The Wyfe séeing her selfe lytle onss contemned and vnprouided for begyuneth to séeke out her gosseppes and passeth the time merely with them so long as any reliefe commeth and at the last dryuen to extremeties shée vyolateth the Mariage bedde and prostituteth her selfe The lyttle Chyldren then begge their breade at euery doore sometyme fall to picking and stealing and in the ende come to the gallowes in the sight of their Parents It happeneth also very oftentymes the good Parentes bringe foorth Chyldren verye vnlyke vnto them selues as wee may sée in Noah and Chame Dauid and Absolon Salomon and Rebohame Nowe what a deadly darte and wounde it is in the harte of the good and godly Parent to haue a Chyld degenerate one that wylfully rūneth into ruine before his face cannot be sufficiently in words declared Surely after the sence of Gods wrath there is no greater sorrowe then that which Parentes conceyue of the dishonestie and destruction of theyr Children In what agonie was our first parent Adam when the murder of his sonne Abell by Caine came vnto his eares And the Patriarche Iacob susteyned deathfull tormentes when hee hearde of the rauishment of his Daughter Dina and of the bloodshedde done vppon Hamor Sechonn and all their Cittie against the leage and confederacie made betwéene them The vexatiō of Dauid can not be expressed in the incest of his owne chyldren Amnon and Tamar and in the murder of Amnon by Absolon fynally in Absolons vnnaturall and sauadge rebellyon and most tragicall and lamentable destruction Dauid wéepeth in the death of his obstinate chylde he resteth not in any place but running vp and downe repeateth one sentence twise or thryse saying My sonne Absolon my sonne Absolon woulde to God I had dyed for thee Absolon my sonne my sonne There happen many horrible chaunces in Oeconomie As that constant and true reporte of a murder done at Vienna in Austria where dwelt a certayne Baker who had in his house his wyfe his lyttle daughter a man seruaunt a maide seruaunt and a boye Nowe this man seruaunt séeing his master to haue some money and plate was tempted by the deuyll to steale the same He desired his maisters good wyll to depart who was also vnwylling to retaine an vnwylling seruaunt and geueth him his good wyll to goe awaye The fellowe within short space after in a darke euening returning priuely créepeth into his maisters house and knowing all corners perfectlie hydeth him selfe and at mydnight hee commeth out of his denne and murdreth the husbande and wife boye and maide as they were fast a sléepe in their beddes and afterwarde commeth to a Trouckle bedde where the Bakers lytle daughter lay waking nigh vnto her Parents who séeing him approche vnto her with his blooddye handes sayde thus Ah good Barthelmew sley mee not and I wyll geue thee all my babes and puppettes But the Homecide spared her not Who being afterward apprehended put vpon the whéele In all his tormentes confessed that nothing dyd so much afflycte him as the lytle chyldes lamentation which in the myddle of death dyd sounde in his eares most grieuously pricking stynging his harte and conscience Stories are plentifull in recyting such pittyfull examples but amongst al others there is none more lamentable then that of Forrex and Porrex sonnes of Gorbedug wherof mencion is made in our owne Chronicles For after the death of their Father the yonger slewe the elder in the fielde and Videna their Mother mourdered her sonne that suruiued in the night season as he laye in his bedde and with the helpe of her women most cruelly without all Motherly pitty cutte his carkes in péeces and lastly Videna as sume suppose was murdered of her owne people Which story is set out in a Tragedy named Gorbedug excelently pēned by two learned Gentlemen in our English toung would to God the Morrall therof most méete for the present state of our Countrey were wel marked and considered in these days There are also many other myseries and calamityes which make this domsticall regement or housekeping more difficiall as the dayly and incurable disseaces that vexe the husbande the wife their chyldren and seruants dissention betwéene them breath of faith and pollution of the mariage bedde which is not the leaste crosse in Famelies and householdes Wherevnto may be added daungers by meanes of fyre and water an vtter waste spoyle of corne pasture the froward and ouerth wart nature of malitious neighbours and wasting seruaunts with other infinite such sorrowes which euerie daye bringeth vpon vs. Nowe if we cast our eyes vpon the ciuile Magistrate we shal sée that estate euen oppressed with infinite troubles vexations For what are Honours and Authorities but heauie burdens whervnto when many are aduaunced they haue a desperate downefall Whereby Demostenes was moued to name publique Regiment A madde Dogge and constantly affirmed That if there vvere two vvayes offered him the one leading to great honour in the common wealth the other directlie to death he vvould rather chuse the vvaye to death because he had learned by long experience the Cares and thoughtes togeather vvith the enuie and malice vvhich men in aucthoritie can not auoyde to be intollerable and inuitable And Herodotus sayth A kingdom is a perillous thing and yet many desire it there hath neuer bene yet any
extolling his name before the Scribes and Pharisées and saying Hosanna the sonne of Dauid Which voyte being disdayned by the obstinate Iewes Our sauiour aunswered for them Read ye neuer By the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast made perfite thy praise Finally we may right well accoumpt the SuÌ„ne Moone Starres the Earth Water and Fyre together with all the workes of Gods handes Souldiers in this Armie and warfare which doo not onely serue the needefull vse of man to his greate consolation But also are readie at euerie becke and commandement of almightie God to annoye and destroye the wycked and vngodlie Those thinges therefore that I haue spoken of the Lorde GOD of Hostes and of his Armie haue two vses Fyrst to confyrme and encorage the myndes of the godlye in this warfare Secondarilie to terrifie caste downe and confounde the rebellyous and vngodly Wherefore let vs ioyne and vnyte our selues in faith and obedience vnto this heauenlie Captaine Christe and vnto his chaste and pure Angels being assured that all those who serue in this holye warfare with fayth and a good conscience shall obtayne an euerlasting crowne which our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus hath promised For as the victorie is moste sure and certaine through the blood of the Lambe and the worde of his Testament so all those who are sprynckled with this blood which thing is done when men beleeue in Christ according to his worde shall without all doubte recarie a glorious and tryumphaunt victorie ¶ The seuenth Chapter wherein is declared what Armour the Souldiours of Christ vse in this vvarfare The. 7. Chap. I Haue read that the fyrste lesson or rule which a young souldiour is commaunded to obserue is to prepare his shéelde or Targette and then his sworde And in skirmishes not that maÌ„ sustained a rebuke that let his sworde fall but his buckler and the reason is that menne ought to haue fyrste and chiefe care to defende themselues and then to strycke and ouerthrowe their aduersaries So that in temporall warres armour is of two sorts the one to defend our selues the other to defend the enemie EueÌ„ so in this spirituall warrefare the worde of God maketh often and large rehersal of two sorte of armour of Artilarye of a Christain man The Prophet Dauid and the Apostle Saint Paule séeme most dyligently and of purpose to haue handled this matter out of whom I wyl gather so much as shal be appertayning vnto this matter The Apostle therefore accouÌ„pteth fiue wherwith faythful meÌ„ defend themselues verely a Girdle a brest plate Shooes a sheelde and an Helmet The gyrdle was vsed in warfare not onely to tye and girde faste the garments together but also to defende the lower partes of mans body for it was full of ringes or studs of brasse This girdle he calleth the Trueth being the vnderstanding of true doctrine whiche is the knowledge of the liuing God and of our iustification in Iesus Christe That we may therefore stande faste againste the assaultes of the deuill wée must gird our selues with Truth which is as it were an Armory of all the rest whereof if men bee destitute therefoloweth ignoraunce of God and dublications of his prouidence whereby in a moment they fal into ruine and distruction For we reade of Saule that when he had loste this gyrdle of Trueth hée fell into fearefull pauors and murdred himselfe and therefore Dauid prayeth earnestly saying Thy worde is a lanterne to my feete and a light vnto my pathes And this gyrdle serueth also to another ende verely that no man should giue ouer much vnto his owne liberty neither yéelde himself to the sweete intisements of Sathan and so eyther laye snares for himselfe or cherishe a deadly enimie at home For hereof commeth the admonition of Christ If thy righte eye cause thee to offende plucke it out and caste it from thee for better it is for thee to haue one of thy members perish then that thy vvhole bodie shoulde bee east into hell And in another place hee sayeth Let your loynes begyrte The Loynes in the bodie are the couples of the inferior superior members and therin the beginning of ryotusnesse is thought to be To gyrde our Loynes therfore is to brydle lust al other vyces to decline from euyll and to do that which is good The breast plate is the defence of the breast which hee tearmeth the Breast plate of righteousnes that is to saâ—e reconciliation with God and thâ— of a good Conscience for both these are so coupled together the one cannot be without the other as the Apostle excellentlie vniteth them Eight a good fight hauing faith and a good conscience vvhich some haue put awaye and as concerning faith haue made shipwracke And again our reioysing is this The testimony of a good CoÌ„science that is in simplicity and godly purenes The matter goeth verie hardlie with vs if our owne conscience fight against vs hope of reconciliation through Christ be waÌ„ting vnto vs For then aryseth byting vexation of mind trembling feare wherof ensueth diffidence distrust finally eternall death Wherof Christ our sauiour doth admonish vs That our loynes be gyrte about and our lyghts burning and that the same shold so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorifie our father which is in heauen The thyrde kinde of defending Armour are Shooes which signifie our profession or rather they dyrect and gouerne our professioÌ„ that we intermedâ—â— not with thinges that appertaine nothing vnto vs Neither is there any kinde of temptation more vsuall dangerous then when Sathan our capytall enimye draweth vs from our profession to things impertynent and vnnecessarie Which peruerse inclynation is almost naturally bredde with vs wherof the verie Panims séemed not to bee ignoraunt whyles one of them sayde That a great part of our tyme passeth away in doing nothing a greater parte in doing euyl the greatest part in doing those thinges that are besides our calling A Christian souldiour may not therfore breake his araye and order but doo the workes of his office calling and abide in that roome wherein God hath placed him By mans féete the scripture vnderstaÌ„deth oftentymes his carnall affectioÌ„s desires The meaning therefore of the Apostle is that we should well defend keepe them vnder that they leade vs not captiues to terrene earthly things but that we may be prepared for the gospell of peace which proclaimeth an vniuersall peace vnto both betweene God and man and also betwene man and man. The fowrth kinde of Armour is the shéelde which is fayth and hath therefore that name bicause it fyrmelie apprehendeth Gods promises in Christ beateth backe all the fierie dartes of the deuyll For as the worldlie souldiour holdeth his shéelde before his bodie so the spirituall warrier proposeth Gods goodnesse and mercie and
King inferior to none in temporall battayles For his Ancient once displayed in the fielde he neuer turned his backe or gaue grounde vnto the enimie Hee forsawe daungers had a present minde in perylles hee was fierce in fight and mercifull in victorie And in all these thinges it was his chiefe prayse that he fought Bella domini The Lords warres But as hee was notable that waye so was he an Artificer and as they say his Craftsemaister in spirituall warfare wherein he susteyned so many temptations and assaultes of sathan and so often caryed away victorie through Gods assistaunce that next after Iob I maye place him the seconde Captaine vnder Christes banner And albeit there maye at the first sight séeme to be some diuersitie betwéene the holy Apostle and him touching their Armour and weapons Yet wee must remember the occasion thereof to bee the sundrie sleyghtes and craftie pollicies of sathan rather then the dissenting mindes of these spirituall warriours For the deuyll vseth not alwayes one kind of weapon maner of warre but hath his dayly deuises to inuade the faithful he must therfore be encountred lykewise w store of weapons and varietie of armour if we meane to gette the victorie In olde time the black Byll and Bowe bare the price in battayles but nowe the Gonne and Pyke are better lyked These two Captaines therfore are no more blame worthie in furnishing Christes seruitors with sufficiencie of Artyllarie then a temporall Prince who opening his Armorie wylleth his souldiours to make their choyse of such weapons and armour as maye séeme fyttest and commodious for theyr strength and abilitie And if there bee any difference in theyr preceptes touching this matter it consisteth chiefly in this poynt That the Apostle kindlesh mans industrie the Prophete calleth to our remembraunces Gods prouidencie the Apostle calleth for the labour work of man the Prophet encourageth the same in the power of God the Apostle sheweth how the Lorde blesseth the trauailes of his Childrē in mercy the Prophete openeth howe God tryumpheth ouer his enimies in his myghtye maiestie And although as I sayde before the temptations of Sathan the veration of Gods seruants and his present aide are dispersed lyke swéete spice throughout all the Psalmes yet he séemeth of purpose to haue handled this matter in one place where he also numbreth two kinds of Armour the one defending our selues the other offending the enemie Of the firste sorte are those whiche the holye ghoste nameth The winges of God the worde of the Lorde and the knowledge of his holye name For thus he sayth 1. He will couer thee with his vvinges 2. His trueth shal be thy shield and buckler 3. I vvill defende him because he hath knovven my name For about the Cittie of God where sincere doctrine is deliuered with fruit receyued and sacramentes rightlie administred Gods Angels pitch their campe and builde such high walles that no Tirant is able to scale thē or with gunnes to batter them That Cyttie is couered and shadowed by almighty God euen as an henne hideth her chickens vnder her winges according to that saying of the Prophēt I vvill defende this Cittie Almightie God therefore draweth the Curtayne casteth a cloke as it were ouer that Citie that no stormes tempest nor rayne shall fall vpon it or if it so doo it shall turne to the profitte and benefit of the godly and to the trouble and ruine of the vngodlie as the historie of M. Aurelius Antonius surnamed the Philosopher plainly declareth This Emperour had warres againste the Marcomanes and Quades which people are named at this day Morauians Sylecians in his armie there serued a Legion of Christians who were of the I le of Malta where Saint Paule preached the gospell This Legion dyd not onely serue with swoorde but fought with prayer For when many of the Horsemen and Horses peryshed for wante of water this Legion tooke a publique fast vpon them with prayer humblie crauing at Gods hande rayne and a happie ende of the warre And immediatlye there arose a myghtie storme and tempest whereby God gaue both great store of raine to the Romane armie and cast downe lyghtening and thunderboltes vpon the Morauians and Quades The Romane armie therfore was couered vnder Gods wings the other were terryblie ouerthrowne and destroied The other sorte of Armour whereby the violence force of our enimies are broken and beaten backe are named in this Psalme 1. Desires of God. 2. And the clamours or cryes of the oppressed For he sayeth Bicause he hath loued mee or desired mee therefore vvyll I delyuer him there shall no euyll come vnto thee neither shall any plague come neere thy tabernacle These Armours proceede from a pure harte and true faith kindled by the holy ghost through the sounde of his worde which doo euen enforce and after a sorte compell our heauenly Captaine to succour and defende vs And when he commeth out of his Chamber hee is not vnfurnished of Armour and Artyllarie for he hath famine pestilence thunderboltes haylestones vehement blasts of winde mundations of waters the sounde of Trumpettes and other infinite terrors The Lorde dyd helpe Titus Vespasianus in the besiege of Ierusalem not onely with the sworde but with famine and pestilence insomuch that when Titus him selfe had taken the Cittie and sawe the Munition Bulwarkes and Trenches made for their defence in the Cittie hee eryed out with great admyration saying VVe haue foughten God assisting vs and it was he that drewe the Ievves from their holdes and defences When Antiochus in his pride sayde that he would make Ierusalem an heap of graues vtterlie destroye the Iewes that beléeued in God he was sodainlie stricken with tormentes and wringing of intestines insomuch that lyfe increased in his bodie which by little and little rotted awaye and annoyed the whole armie with a poysenous odour stincke and so God stryke the Philistians with Emrodes and a flyxe because they tooke the Arke of the Lorbe from the chyldren of Israell The Marcomanes and Quades as I saide before were destroyed with lyghtning thunderbolts And so the Lorde rayned downe greate haylestones from heauen vpon the fiue kinges of the Amorites that a great deale moe perished that way then with the swoorde of the chyldren of Israell Hereof commeth that sētence of Sirache Fire hayle famine death al these are prepared for vengeaunce And in another place They fought from heauen against them the starres fought against Sycera So Theodosius the Emperour fighting against Eugenius and Arbogastus was holpen with vehement blasts of winde which blewe mightily against the Infidelles The windes are also created to hurt and to reuenge Pharao with his Horsemen and Chariots were drowned in the red sea By the hands of those noble women Debora Iael and Iudith hee slewe those cruell Tyrants Sycera and Holofernus With Kinges
and he that sitteth on the throne vvill dwell among them They shall hunger no more nor thirst any more neither shall the Sunne light on them nor any heate For the Lambe vvhich is in the middle of the throne shall gouerne them and shall leade them vnto the liuely fountaines of vvater and God shall vvipe avvay all teares from their eyes These thinges enforced saynt Paul to saye I desire to be loosed and to be vvith Christ and Christ is vnto me both in life and death an aduantage This you sée for what causes God suffereth some perticuler souldiers in this spirituall warrefare to fall in the forefrunt of the armie and yet keepeth his mayne battaile without disorder or discomfeture and there withall what causes ought to moue aminate these witnesses and Martirs to perseuer and indure most valiantlie Nowe although God suffereth some of his seruants to perishe and fall in this conflict yet his promises remayne sure and inuiolable towarde the whole Church which abideth much lyke vnto the body of the trée or mayne battel firme and constante although some branches and members be cutte of and decay And yet those that fall and perish doo procure great profit and commodity to them that suruiue in this warrefare and battell whereof Theodorete writeth excelently as followeth As Moyses sawe in times paste the bushe redde with fyre and yet not consumed euen so the crewell torments and executions of Chrystians by Tirantes did not consume them but rather as wee see it come to passe when men cutte downe woode moo twigges and braunches budde and spring from the roote then were the boughes that were lopped downe euen so when many were murdered for the profession of the gospell moo came vnto the Church for the bloode of those Saynctes dyd as it were water the young and tender plants in the Church of god It is truly therefore sayde of Saint Ambrose A martyr doth not suffer for himselfe onely but for other He suffereth for himselfe to obtayne a Crowne to others for theyr example for himselfe to purchase reste for others to procure them comforte And that Christe assisteth and deliuereth his Church in perrilles and daungers and wyll conserue the same vntyll the ende of the worlde wee are not onely taught by many promises in the scripture but also assured and confyrmed by examples throughout all times and ages Heare ve mee sayth God by the mouth of his Prophet O house of Iaeob and all that remaine of the house of Israell vvhich are borne of mee from the vvombe and brought vp of me from the byrth Therefore vnto olde age I the same euen I vvill beare you vntill the horie haires I haue made you I will also beare you and I vvill carie you and I vvill deliuer you Christ him selfe doth not ouelie promise that he wyll be with vs vntill the ende of the vvorlde but also that he and his Father vvyll come and dwell vvith vs. And in another hee speaketh of his sheepe most comfortablie There shall none be able to pull them out of my hande In the which wordes hee signifieth that hee wyll not be an ydle gaser or looker vpon vs for although worlde and deuyll bende their power to displace the Churche and to dysturbe Common wealthes that confustons and Athisme mighte followe Yet the some of God holdeth as it were in his handes that little flocke whiche calleth vpon him hee represseth the rage of Sathan hee putteth him to flyght and wyll at the last inclose him in the huge and horrible prison of hell eternall Examples also throughout the whole scripture doo ratifie as it were and confirme with perpetuall testimonies that God delyuereth his Churche out of all perilles and daungers But especially that memorable Historie of the people of Israell rydde from thraldome bondage in the Lande of Egipt lyuelie painteth out the same and is of all other Histories from the beginning of the worlde vnto the ende thereof most notable the misterie of our redemption alwayes excepted For it is an Image and liuelie pycture of all ages full of straunge wonders which wytnesse and preache vnto all posterities that God exerciseth his Churche with many calamities and in the ende without mannes helpe deliuereth the same Howe horrible a thing is it in this company of Israelites bearing the name of the Church of God and tasting sensiblie his myghtie working in mercie with them that many of the Princes nobylitie are punished and the whole multitude so often chastised vntyll all those were almost consumed that came out of the Lande of Egipt Yet some small remnaunt of the people were preserued that reuerentlie remembred Gods woonders and kepte his commaundementes with all theyr hartes They had Manna and Quales giuen vnto them and the stonie rocke stryken with the rodde of Moises gaue out large streames of water The whole armie was couered with a clowde in the daye tyme and was guyded with a pyller of fyre in the night season in these battayles God shewed manifest signes of his presence And to conclude the glory of this people was more excellent in the wyldernesse then at any tyme after in the fruitfull Lande of Canaan But it woulde bee too tedious a matter to prosecute all syrcumstaunces particularly I wyll therfore adde one onely example wherein we maye cléerely beholde as it were in a glasse Gods maruaylous regement and reléefe of his Churche There is scarcelie to be founde any more maruaylous Reuelation then that which was exhibited to Moises Exod. 33. Where he is called for to come and speake with God and it is sayde in that place That God communed vvith Moyses face to face as one friende is vvoont to talke vvith another In the which communication Moyses first desyreth of God that hee woulde bee a gouernour and Captaine ouer that people vnto whome hee had giuen his worde and promise For dayly experience had sufficientlie taught him that it was to busie harde a matter for him to guide and dyrect so wylfull and stubborne a multytude whome he sawe for their Idolatrous inclynation to sustaine from tyme to tyme greeuous punishmentes and yet immediatlie to inclyne to theyr former wickednesse againe He sawe the intollerable daungers hanging ouer the Churche and that in a moment pure doctrine and sincere seruing of God was depraued with mans carnall opinions He therefore feared least in that company the ryght reuerence of God woulde be forgotten and that the Church woulde be subuerted especiallie for that hee had hearde Gods terrible threates against the people And thus musing with him selfe of the remnaunts of this Church he could finde nothing wherwithall he might be stayed and comforted but those promyses onelie giuen to the people of Israell concerning Christe the Messias and sauiour And for that he perceyued well that no Regyment can be happie without God Hee sayde Vnlesse thou O Lord doo go before vs