1. Tim. 3.16. GReat is the mysterie of godlines, saith Saint Paul; God made manifest in the flesh, &c. God in the flesh, man to be God; one and the same to be both God and man, it is Bernaer. in vi­gil. natal. dom. ser. 3. a woon­der of the worlde, nay more then a world of woonders. God higher then the heauens; man of the slime and dust of the earth. God incor­ruptible and immortall; man nothing but mortalitie and cor­ruption. God infinite and incomprehensible; 1. King. 8.27. the heauens and heauens of heauens are not able to conteine him; man a hand­full of wormes meate; a fewe spannes are sufficient to de­scribe and measure him. What comparison is there at all be­twixt the heauenly maiestie of God, and the basenes of vile flesh? And yet the Ioh. 1.1.14. word which was God, became flesh and dwelt among vs, &c. A mysterie vnspeakeable, the secret of Christian faith, the foundation of Christian hope; the in­ducement of Christian loue, both towards him who being God became man for our sakes, and towards other men for his sake.

2 The reuealing of this mysterie to the world we celebrate this day, which by our solemne obseruation is answerable to that day when as the angell brought that gracious and blessed tidings from heauen, Luc. 2.10. Behold I bring you glad tidings of great ioy that shall be to all people, that this day there is borne vnto you in the citie of Dauid a Sauiour, which is Christ the Lorde.

This Psalme written of Christour Lord, and not applia­ble to any other.Of this Sauiour, Christ the Lord, was this Psalme written by way of Prophecie, which for the performance of this solem­nity I haue chosen to entreate of, which although the Iewes of later times haue gone about to wrest to another meaning, yet [Page 2]is so approoued and vndoubted a prophecie of Christ, that the Pharisees durst not dense it, when Math. 22. [...].4 [...]. being apposed and demaunded by our Samour, how it should be seeing Christ is the sonne of Dauid, that Dauid notwithstanding should call him Lord, saying, The Lord said vnto my Lord, they could not answer him a word, whereas the answere had been very easie and readie if they could haue denied this Psalme to be meant of Christ. But they knew it could not be otherwise vnder­stood, and it was commonly taken amongst them to be a pro­phecie of their Messias, according to the verie euidence of the text it selfe, which cannot be fitted to any other, but one­ly to Christ our Sauiour the sonne of God. For whereas some of them sithence haue construed all these things as spoken in the name of the people of Iudah concerning Dauid their king, the text it selfe refuseth that construction, when in those words, sit thou at my right hand, it mentioneth an honour done to him of whom it speaketh, greater then can be fitted to the angels, and therefore much lesse to be applied vnto Dauid. Againe, that which is spoken in the fourth verse of the Priest­hood, cannot be vnderstood of Dauid who was indeed a king, but neuer had any thing spoken as touching the Priesthood to appertaine vnto him, and of whom it cannot be conceiued how it should be saied; Thou art a priest for euer, &c. Yea there is nothing here spoken whereof we may see in Dauid anie more but some little shadow in comparison of that that hath come to passe in Iesus Christ.

The diuision and parts of this Psa [...]me.3 Vnderstanding it therefore of him to whom onely it can properly belong, we may see many notable lessons conteined heerein; of the kingdome and priesthood of Christ: of his mightie power and successe in the gathering and gouer­ning of his Church: of the condition and qualitie of his peo­ple: of his dreadfull reuengement and wrath to be brought vpon all them that resist his kingdome and gouernment. We may for orders sake diuide the whole Psalm into three parts: the one concerning the kingdome of Christ in the three first verses: the other concerning his priesthood in the fourth verse: the third concerning his power and victorie and tri­umph ouer his enimies, Three things to be obserued in the kingdome of Christ. from the fourth verse to the ende. Againe in the first concerning the kingdome of Christ three points may obserued. First the inuesting of him into his king­dome; [Page]in the first verse. In the second verse the meanes and maner how this kingdome is erected and established. In the third verse the qualitie and continuall supply of the subiects of this kingdome.

4. The inuesting of Christ into this glorious kingdome is by the word of his heauenly father. The Lord saied vnto my Lord. Wherein is vttered the euerlasting decree and purpose of God for the exaltation of Iesus Christ to this excellent glorie to sit at the right hand of God. Gods saying is the manife­sting of his euerlasting purpose. For whatsoeuer God doth, or will do he hath before saied it with himselfe in his secret and vnsearchable counsell before the foundations of the worlde were laide. Now we are heere to distinguish him that saieth from him to whom it is saied, the one termed the Lord; The Lord, God the father: my Lord, God the sonne. the other my Lord; to import by the one, that is, the Lord, God the father: by the other, that is, my Lord, the sonne Iesus Christ, who according to the Rom. 1.3. flesh was made of the seed of Dauid, and in that respect was the sonne of Dauid, but yet called by Dauid himselfe my Lord, that we may vnderstand that he is somewhat more then that that he was borne of Dauid. For by being Dauids sonne, he was but onely man, but somewhat there is further for which Dauid speaking of him calleth him Lord, teaching vs thereby to acknowledge him to bee the sonne of God. But when speaking of God the Father, My Lord, why in, speciall maner spoken of Christ. he cal­leth him the Lord, and speaking of God the Sonne, he calleth him my Lord, as thereby to import some more speciall and neerer bond and respect betwixt the sonne and vs, he doth it not to barre vs from calling God the father our Lord also, but thereby giueth vs occasion to consider that all that commu­nion and felowship which wee haue with God the father, thereby we are his people, and he is the Lord our God, ari­seth from the sonne, and standeth in the sonne, so that no otherwise can we call God our Lord and our God, but as with Thomas we can first saie vnto Iesus Christ, Ioh. 20.28. Thou art my Lord and my God. For whosoeuer is excluded from the sonne, is ex­cluded also from the father. 1. Ioh. 2.23. Whosoeuer denieth the sonne, saieth Saint Iohn, the same hath not the father. And the sonne himselfe telleth vs; Ioh. 14.6. God no other­wise good and mercifull vnto vs but in his sonne Iesus Christ. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man commeth vnto the father but by me. God is good & graci­ous, full of mercy and compassion, full of bountie and kinde­nesse, but the fountaine of all this goodnes is stopped and [Page 2] [...] [Page] [...] [Page 4]shut vp against vs, but as it is opened vnto vs in the sonne of God. Whereby we may conceiue how little good they haue reaped by their speculations concerning God that haue liued without the knowledge and faith of Iesus Christ. They haue caried great credite and reputation of wisedome and lear­ning in the world, and haue beene accounted diuine men, and indeed haue vttered many excellent and woorthie sen­tences concerning the diuine nature, his wisedome and po­wer, his iustice and mercy, and our dutie and deuotion to­wards him. But they spake onely as it were by hearesay, and those sentences were but onely weake and languishing imaginations, the authors whereof sought rather to gaine glorie vnto themselues by speaking of God, then to glorifie God of whom they spake. Albeit howsoeuer they spake them, and how farre soeuer they apprehended what they spake, yet what comfort of conscience receiued they there­by? what peace towards God? what perswasion of Gods loue towards them? what assurance of the forgiuenesse of sinnes? what were they the neerer vnto euerlasting life? surely no­thing at al, because they were without Christ, who only is the ladder by which life descendeth from God to vs, & we ascend to liue with God. The necessitie of the know­ledge of Christ. And heereby we may see how necessarie a thing it is for vs to vnderstand the mysterie of Iesus Christ, not thinking it sufficient, as many doe, historically to knowe, and formally of custome to celebrate the memorie of his birth and death, and resurrection, and ascending into heauen, but searching out the fruites and effects thereof; enquiring after that grace and saluation which he hath brought vnto vs ther­by; that so we may know what cause we haue of this solemne reioycing, and our reioycing may be not onely according to the flesh and outward man, but much more inwardly in spi­rit and conscience, whilest that being assured that Christ is our Lord, we finde in him comfort of peace towards God and of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes, and certaine hope of the fa­uour and loue of God towards vs both in life and in death by that mediation and attonement that he hath wrought.

Christs demea­ning and aba­sing of himselfe to make attone­ment for vs.5 Which attonement that he might worke, he woulde be­come of the sonne of God, the sonne of Dauid: both waies a kings sonne; according to his Godhead the sonne of the great king of heauen and earth: according to his manhoode [Page]the sonne of king Dauid: but yet both in his birth & life and death, far demeaned beneath all kingly state, the tabernacle of Dauid being now fallen downe, & onely the ruines thereof remaining: the branches and armes of that goodly tree being now cut off, & only the roote or stump left as it were in a drie and barren ground. Marie his mother of the house of Dauid is maried to Ioseph, of the house of Dauid also, but of no better state but a poore carpenter, and of so small estimation, that in the citie of Dauid, for his wife, yea being with childe, great with childe, yea traueling with childe and childe bearing, he coulde finde no better entertainement but that the mother must be chambered in a stable, and the childe cradeled in a cratch or manger, as if they had beene to base to receiue that common curtesie that in such a case is vouchsafed to the meanest, and other mens horses were to be thought woorthie of as good place as they.

The profitable learning of Christ begin­neth at his hu­miliation and weakenes.6 Now heere are we to beginne in the learning of Christ, if we will learne him fruitefully and to our comfort. If we be­ginne at his maiestie, it will confound vs: if we first looke to the brightnesse of his glorie, it will blinde our eies, his terrors shall make vs afraide, and wee shall not dare to come vnto him. And therefore some whilest they haue immediately fastned their eies vpon the highnesse and maiestie of Christ sitting at the right hand of God, haue beene discouraged and driuen away from him, & wheras he is our only mediatour to bring vs vnto God, haue deuised and set vp other mediators to bring them vnto him. This was the errour of Poperie which embraced the storie of Christs incarnation and death, but neuer taught the vse thereof; and left men in an opinion as if Christ according to the maner of earthly princes, were of that austeritie and statelinesse, that they might not presume directly to come vnto him, but must vse the solicitation and intercession of other saints that were neere about him. But from this error we shall be free, if we begin with Christ where we ought to doe. We must acquaint our selues with him in his weakenes, and then he shall not seeme dreadfull to vs in his strength: we must be conuersant with him in his humility, and that shall minister vnto vs boldnesse to go vnto him in his glorie. If we scorne to sitte with him in the stable, and to learne of him in the manger; if we neglect the comfort that [Page 6]we should receiue by his humbling & abasing of himselfe for our sakes, the beames of his glorious light sitting now in the maiestie of the godhead, shall seeme vnto vs as flames of fire readie to consume vs if we approch vnto him. As therefore we know how we our selues are borne, little and weake, and so grow from infancie to childehood, and from childehood to ripe age and full strength, euen so must Christ haue his be­ginning and proceeding in vs. We must embrace him swad­led in the manger, and grow vp with him euen from his cra­dle and childehood, and continue the decourse of his whole life, and see therein how, as Hilary saith; Hilar. de Tri. lib. 2. Omnes naturae no­strae contumelias transcurrit; He ranne through all the contume­lies and disgraces of our nature. We must behold him Esa 53.2. without forme or beautie, Psal. 22.6. a worme and no man, the scorne of men and contempt of the people, poore and despised, in meaner state then the Math. 8.20. foxes that haue their holes, and the birdes of the aire that haue their nests, whereas he had not where to rest his head, Esa. 53.3. a man full of sorowes, hauing great experience of infirmities, worne and spent with watching, fasting, and traueling; continually bea­ring the reproches and gainsayings of proud men, bought and solde by treacherie and falshood, calumniously and slan­derously accused, condemned, spitted at, crowned with thornes in mockerie and derision, nailed to a crosse, accoun­ted with theeues and murtherers, pearced with a speare, imprisoned in the graue. The beholding of these things shall prepare and fortifie our sight, that with eagles eres without dazeling wee may looke vpon this Mal. 4.2. sunne of righteousnesse, now shining in his strength. For we thus conceiue that Christ hauing vndergone all these things for our sakes, and being ours in his birth, and in his life, and in his death, is ours also now that he is raised againe from the dead, and Rom. 8.34. that he sit­teth at the right hand of God to make intercession for vs, and therefore that Heb. 4.14. hauing so great an high priest for vs entred in­to heauen, and ibid. 9.24. appearing in the sight of God for vs, euen Iesus the sonne of God, wee may with boldnesse goe vnto the throne of grace, to receiue mercy and to finde grace to helpe in time of neede. And thus shall we be enabled to beare 2. Thess. 2.8. the brightnesse of his comming, and Luc. 21.28. to lift vp our heads for ioy that our redemption and full deliuerance is at hand, when other men shall be at their wits end with perplexitie and feare, and shall say Apoc. 6.16. vnto [Page]the mountaines and rockes, fall vpon vs and hide vs from the pre­sence of him that sitteth vpon the throne, &c. Now then let Mar­cion the heretike obiect that those infirmities and weakenes­ses, those afflictions and indignities that we haue spoken of, are matters not beseeming or befitting the glorie of God, and and we will answere with Tertullian, Tertul. cont. Marcio. lib. 2. Totum Dei mei penes vos dedecus sacramentum est humanae salutis. All that you account the reproch and disgrace of our God, is the sacrament or mysterie of mans saluation. It is for mans behoofe whatsoeuer he vndertooke vnwoorthie of himselfe. Hilar. de Tri­nis. lib. 2. Humilitas eius nostra nobilitas est, con­tumelia eius honor noster est, saith Hilarie. The humbling of him is the ennobling of vs; his reproch is our honour. This is the foun­dation whereupon we builde our selues to heauen: in this humiliation and weakenesse of Iesus Christ are conteined the infinite riches of grace and life.

What was the occasion of Christs abasing and bumbling of himselfe.7 But what was it in man that caused the sonne of God to take vpon him this disgraced and dispised state? It was name­ly the sinne of man. Woonderest thou that such indignitie should befall vnto the sonne of God? Remember thy selfe, humble thy selfe before the Lord and say: It was my sinne that caused the Lord of glorie to take vpon him reproch and shame. There could not be found in heauen or earth any o­ther expiation of my sinne, but that the sonne of God must demeane himselfe to suffer things vnwoorthy of God to make attonement betwixt God and me. And when thou art come so far, goe on yet and say: Shall I cherish sinne in me that brought all this wrong vpon the sonne of God? Shall I thinke lightly of that iniquity and vncleanesse, which was so great with God that nothing could satisfie for it, but the bloud of his onely begotten sonne? Shall I bestow my life and daies in vanity and vnrighteousnesse, which I vnderstand was so deer­ly bought to he halowed vnto God? Thus, I say, we should bethinke our selues, and with such meditations busie our selues this solemne tune, which now we see, specially in the greatest houses, not without great sinne, wholy in a manner destinated to excesse of vanity and folly, of wild and vnbride­led behauiour, as if we rather kept the prophane and licen­tious festiualls of Bacchus and Apollo, then a wholy remem­brance of Iesus Christ.

8 Hitherto we haue seene the humbling of Dauids Lord: [Page 8]now let vs see his exaltation and glory. The exaltation of Christ to sit at the right hand of God. For vnto him thus humbled, God the father is brought in saying; sit thou at my right hand, &c. Whereby is signified the lifting vp of the man Christ to the participation and felowship of the maiesty and glory of God, and to all height of dignity, power, primacy ouer all creatures both in heauen and earth. The sequel of humiliation and glorie both in Christ and and vs. In which conse­quence of humility and glory in the person of Iesus Christ we see what our way must be to that heauenly glory and blisse which we desire. For we must be made Rom. 8.29. like vnto the image of the sonne of God, not onely in the end, but also in the meanes and way that leadeth thereunto. We must be humbled with him, that with him we may be exalted: we must 2. Tim. 2.11.12. suffer with him, that we may raigne with him: we must die with him that we may liue with him: we must Heb. 13.13. with him be partakers of reproch that with him we may be partakers of glory: we must with him beare the crosse and crowne of thornes, that with him we may weare the crowne of euerlasting life. If we refuse his company in the one, he will exclude vs from being part­ners with him in the other. As it is said of Christ the head. Luc. 24.26. These things ought Christ to suffer and so to enter into his glory: so it is said of vs that are the body; Act. 14.22. By many tribula­tions we must enter into the kingdome of God. As Christ was Heb. 2.10. consecrated the prince of our saluation through afflictions; so our 2. Cor. 1.6. saluation is wrought in enduring the sufferings of like afflictions. But there is comfort of these tribulations and suf­ferings, for that they conteine the hope and assurance of so blessed reward, inasmuch as therein Rom. 5.2.3. we reioice vnder the hope of the glory of God. And therefore as Christ Heb. 12.2. for the ioy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame, so must we, looking vnto him as the author and fi­nisher of our faith, with willing mindes, when the Lord will, beare the 2. Cor. 4.17. momentary and light affliction of this time, as which bringeth an excellent and an eternall waight of glory, whilest we looke not vpon the temporall things which are seen, but vpon the things eternall which are not seen.

9 The reward of glory that is here assigned vnto Iesus Christ hauing now gone through all his sufferings, and accomplished the worke and seruice of our redemption is to sit at the right hand of God. The fulfilling whereof Saint Marke declareth, telling vs that after his resurrection hauing spoken vnto his [Page 9]disciples Mar. 16.19. he was receiued into heauen and sate at the right hand of God. Which is an honour peculiar vnto the sonne of God. The highest angels are not high enough to bee partakers of this glorie: for Heb. 1.13. to which of all the angels hath he saide at anie time, sit thou at my right hand, &c. Now this phrase of speech borowed from humane and ciuill vse, What is signi­fied by Christs sitting at the right hand of God. attributeth vnto Iesus Christ an excellencie both of maiestie and power. Maiestie imported first in the very terme of sitting. Which is not used is properly to determine any certaine position or gesture of bodie, but figuratiuely to note an eminencie of dignitie and honour. For to persons of maiestie and honour it belongeth to sit, when others stande that are of inferiour place. And thus is it oftentimes vsed in the Scripture, as touching God himselfe, and namely, of many places to alleage one, Dan. 7. where it is said, that Dan. 7.9.10. the thrones being set vp the Auncient of daies did sit: thousand thousāds ministred vnto him, & ten thousand thousands stood before him. Thus the honor which Iesus Christ shall do vnto his saints, we finde expressed also by this terme of sitting: Apoc. 3.21. To him that ouercommeth will I grant to sit with me in my throne, &c. But Christ is not said onely to sit, but to sit at the right of God, which is neuer affirmed of the saints. Now the right hand according to vse of nature, signifieth power and strength: according to ciuill vse it importeth preheminence and honour. The right parts naturally are the nimbler and stronger; the right hand then the left. And therefore more commonly & more fitly, we vse the right parts then the left, and finde them pliable and able to many matters, to which the left doe vs little steede or none at all; and we holde it a preposterous and vnorderly peruerting of natures course, and an vnsightly thing when by euill custome a man hath his left hand more easie and readie for his vse then his right hand is. And this strength of the right hand the holy Ghost hath relation vnto, when to set foorth the speciall power of God exercised in any glorious worke, it expresseth the same as performed by his Psal. 98.1. & 118.15.16. right hand, as in infinite places of Scrip­ture we may obserue. In ciuill vse it is a matter of honor to be set at the right hand. He that sitteth at the princes right hand, is deemed to be next in honour to the Prince. And in this re­gard 1. King. 2.19. Solomon sitting on his throne, caused a seat to bee brought for his mother comming vnto him, and set her at [Page 10]his right hand. And vnto this alludeth that speech concerning the spouse Psal. 45. Psal. 45.9. At thy right hand did stand the Queene in a vesture of gold, &c. Whereby is imported the singular honor that Christ doth vnto his spouse the church. Whether way soeuer we vnderstand the right hand, Christ sitteth at the right hand of God in all most full brightnesse of the glory of God, and in all soueraignty of power and dominion ouer all creatures both in heauen and earth: so that the godhead in the man Iesus Christ ruleth and gouerneth all things; admi­nistreth, guideth, & mainteineth the church purchased by his bloud, and to be short executeth all iudgement by his hand. Whereupon it is said, Iohn. 5. Ioh. 5.27. The father hath giuen him pow­er to execute iudgement in that he is the sonne of man, and Act. 17. Act. 17.31. He will iudge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath appointed. The man Iesus Christ saith: Iohn 17. Ioh. 17.5. Glo­rifie me O father with thine owne selfe, with that glorie which I had with thee before the world was. The man Iesus Christ saith Math. 28. Math. 28.18. All power is giuen vnto me both in heauen and earth. Of Iesus Christ concerning his manhood it is saide, Eph. 1.20.21. Ephes. 1. God hath set him at his right hand in heauenly places farre aboue all principalitie, and power, and might, and dominion, and euerie name that is named not in this world onely, but also in that that is to come, & hath made all things subiect vnder his feete, &c. And againe, Phil. 2. Phil. 2.9. God hath highly exalted him, and hath giuen him a name aboue euerie name, that at the name of Iesus euery knee should bowe both of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth, &c. Behold this is our Sauiour. It is not without cause that we put our trust in him, who is able to doe all things for vs, because Math. 11.27. Iohn 3.35. What comfort we haue by Christs sitting in heauen in our flesh. all things are com­mitted vnto him. And thus hath God exalted and honoured our nature and flesh in the person of Iesus Christ, that wee may not doubt now but that there is a way prepared for vs into heauē, seeing that our flesh is sitting at the right hand of God. Let it not dismay vs, that our flesh is here subiect to the crosse & tribulation, that it is afflicted with hunger & thirst, worne out with trauell and labour, dried vp with weeping and teares, vexed with sicknes and paine, fainted with heat, deadded with colde, tortured and slaine with fire and sword, cast into the pit and consumed to dust and ashes. Iesus Christ in this flesh of ours endured hunger and thirst; was humbled [Page]and afflicted with fasting and weeping, was exercised with sorowe and paine; he was buffeted with fistes, scourged with rods, pricked with thornes, pearced with nailes, wounded with speare, appaled by death, shut vp in the graue; and yet the same flesh nowe sitteth in heauen at the right hand of the maiestie of God. And in what condition? Tertul. de re­surrect. carnis. Pignus toti­us summae illuc quandoque redigendae. As a pledge, saith Ter­tullian, to assure that the whole remainder of our flesh shall one daie be brought thither. Whereupon he notablie inferreth: Feare not flesh and bloud, yee hane in Christ taken possession of heauen and of the kingdome of God: or if any denie heauen to you, let them denie Christ himselfe to bee in heauen. O sonne of God, the euerlasting brightnes of the glorie of God, what was there in corruptible flesh that should mooue thee to haue that re­spect vnto it, that thou shouldest thus lift vp the dust of the earth, and exalt it aboue the highest heauens? what coulde flesh profit thee or do thee good, that thou shouldest vouch­safe vnto it so great a blessing? But this was his mercie and loue towards vs, when there was nothing in vs that might deserue his loue, that wee might learne to honour him that hath so highly honored vs, and might vnderstande that these bodies of ours redeemed with his most precious bloud, and called to the hope of so great glorie, are of more sacred and precious account then that they shoulde be prostituted vnto sinne, and made brothell houses of filthines and vncleannesse, and abused to be made the iustruments for the performing of our vnlawfull and sinfull desires. It shoulde be alwaies a strong reason to mooue vs to the sober and holy vsage of our bodies, to remember that Christ in our flesh sitteth in hea­uen, and our bodies are appointed to sit with him: for howe shall we thinke them to be meete for heauen, if wee by wil­full sinne disgrace them, and make them viler then the earth? The maiestie of Christ sitting at the right hande of God an assu­rance of safetie both to the Church in gene­rall, and to all the members thereof.

10 Now this height, and maiesty and power of Iesus Christ serueth also to giue vs comfort and assurance of safety in all dangers, both of the church in generall, and in speciall of our selues. In the shakings of the world; in the totterings and staggerings of empires and kingdomes in the mutations and alterations of states and common wealthes; in the middest of the whirlewindes and stormes and tempests of troubles, at the [Page 12]sight whereof the world standeth amazed, and vnder the bur­then whereof it groneth, yet Christ still sitteth at the right hand of God, and in all things interposeth his hand and by his diuine prouidence and wisedome so gouerneth all things, that howsoeuer things seeme to goe by hap and at all aduen­ture, without the stedfast guiding of any directing hand, yet indeede there is not so much as the moouing of a foote, or the stroke of a hand, or the falling of a heare, wh [...]ch is not disposed by his hand to certeine ends, and those profitable and necessa­ry for the glory of his name, and for the saluation of his elect. And therefore be not afraid for that thou seest Psal. 2.2. the kings of the earth standing vp and the rulers aduising and laying their coun­sells as sure foundations against the Lord and against his Christ. They cannot preuaile against the right hand of God. The ship of Christ may be tossed with waues but it can neuer be drowned. The bush wherein the Lord is may burne, but it cannot be consumed: the house of the Lord being builded vpon the rocke, may be assailed with the windes, but it can­not be ouerthrowen: the vineyard of the Lord may be hewed and cut, but it can neuer be displanted. Iesus Christ sitting at the right hand of God, he hath planted it, and Esa. 27.3. he keepeth it night and day that it may growe for euer. And this is the com­fort and establishment of euery faithfull soule, that he liueth vnder the band & protection of him that sitteth at the right hand of God. Feare not thou beleeuing man. Sinne temp­teth, the diuell rageth, the worlde hateth, the wicked perse­cuteth thee: but fight valiantly against all with most assured trust of victorie and conquest, because thou fightest vnder the banner of him that sitteth at the right hand of God. He is thy Sauiour; he is thy Redeemer: he hath power to preserue thee, and will neuer suffer thee to bee cast away. But thou wicked man, thou enimie of religion, and of the Gospel, thou that laughest and mockest at the seruice of Iesus Christ; thou that grindest thy teeth, and gnawest thy toong for anger to see the successe of the Church, and the growth of true religi­on, do thou I say, tremble and quake for feare. For at whome doest thou spurne? whom dost thou fight against, but him that sitteth at the right hande of God? Thou beatest thy selfe against the rocke, and must needes bee broken in peeces: thou kickest against the prickes, and hurtest thy selfe. Thou [Page]canst not prosper, thou canst not preuaile. Christ shall haue the victory: the triumph shal be Christs: he sitteth at the right hand of God vntill all his enemies be made his footestoole.

11 Where the particle (vntill) noteth not any periode or point of time when Christ shall cease to sit at the right hand of God, for he Luc. 1.33. shall raigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer, and of his kingdome there shall be no end) but it determineth a time and day when all the foes of Christ shall certainly be brought to vtter and euerlasting confusion thencefoorth neuer to rile or to stirre againe. Now they are Christs foes and enemies, Enemies of Christ how vnd [...]rstood. as S. Austen sayeth, August. de ci­uit. dei. lib. 12. cap. 3. Resistendi voluntate, non potestate nocendi: For their will in resisting and rebelling against him, not for any power or ablenesse they haue to hurt him. And they are his enemies not onely by dealing against him in himselfe, but also by practi­sing euill against those that are his, for he hath made vs one with himselfe: he hath taken vpon him our person and our cause. August. in Psal. Caput & corpus vnus est Christus, sayeth S. Austen. The head and the body togither make one Christ. And therefore our enemies are his enemies; they that persecute vs are persecu­tors of him, they that hate vs, are reputed to hate him; so that the afflictions of the Saints and faithfull are called by the ho­ly Ghost Phil. 3.10. Col. 1.24. Christs afflictions, 2. Cor. 1.5. 1. Pet. 4.13. the sufferings of Christ, Gal. 6.17. the markes of the Lord Iesus, Heb. 11.26. and 13.13. the reproch of Christ, 2 Cor. 4.10. the dying of Christ. Christ in himselfe dyed but once, and Rom. 6.9. being raised from the dead dyeth no more; death hath no more dominion ouer him. But yet he is said after a sort to die againe in them who for his sake are put to death. This is the felowship that we haue with Christ, who by faith are ioyned vnto him: to our comfort, for that howsoeuer our cause be neglected with men, yet with God it shall not goe without regard, because it is the cause of Christ; and to the terrour of our enemies, for that by dealing against vs, they fight against Christ, and procure vnto themselues the wrath of so great and so strong an enemy.

Enemies corpo­rall and spi­rituall.12 These enemies are either corporall or spirituall, for that spiritual enemies are here also to be vnderstood appeareth by the application that the Apostle maketh of this place. 1. Cor. 15. where citing the same, he reckoneth death for one of those enemies that are to be destroyed, saying 1. Cor. 15.26. the last enemie that shall be destroyed, is death. But whether corporall or spirituall enemies, all shall be subdued vnto Christ, all shall be brought [Page 14]in subiection vnto him. Which the Prophet here importeth by this that they shall be made his footestoole. Whereby is im­ported an extreme and vtter abasing, What is meant by being made the footestoole of Christ. and bringing downe of all the power and pride and glorie of them that are aduersa­ries to the kingdome of Christ, an abridging and breaking of euery arme that is lifted vp against him. Treading vnder foot in the holy Scriptures signifieth full and perfect victorie and conquest and that with all ignominy and reproch. When the Prophet vnder the figure of Babylon will signifie the vtter confusion of the enemies of Gods Church, he saith; Esa. 26.6. The feete shall treade it downe; euen the feete of the poore and the steppes of the needie. When Iosuah had discomfited the fiue Kings of the Canaanites and had caused them out of the caues where they had hid themselues to be brought vnto him, he called all the men of Israel and sayed vnto the Iosu. 10.24. chiefe of the men of warre, Come, set your feete vpon the neckes of these kings; whereby he gaue token of victory not onely atchiued against these, but to be atchieued against the rest of those wicked nations, accor­ding to the words of encouragement which he addeth for de­claration of this signe; Be strong and of good courage, for thus will the Lord doe to all the enemies against whom ye fight. When our Sauiour Christ would signifie the vtter desolation and ouerthrow of Ierusalem, he sayeth, Luc. 21.24. Ierusalem shall be troden vnder foote of the Gentiles vntill the time of the Gentiles be ful­filled. Thus therefore when it is said that Christ shall make his enemies his footestoole, and so tread them vnder foote, we vnderstand thereby that he shall conquere them and cast them downe, shall disarme them of all their power, expose them to infamie and shame, set them foorth to derision and scorne, and in a word shall bring vpon them vtter confusion, that they shall be no more able to rise against him, then the footestoole is to rise against him that treadeth vpon it.

13 Now the full accomplishment hereof appeareth not vn­till the day come that Iesus Christ shall come to iudge both quicke and dead, but yet euen since the time that he tooke possession of the right hand of God, he hath not ceased to giue vnto his Church some experience and tast of this glorious power, in fighting against them that haue fought against him, striking the Scepter of Princes in peeces, and casting their crownes to the ground, bowing downe their backes and [Page]making them spectacles of infamie and confusion that haue shedde the bloud of his saints, and magnified themselues against his church. What shoulde I heere discourse vnto you of the Herodes, and Pilates, Neroes, Deoclesians, Maximines and other tyrants and persecutors of Christ and his Church; vpon whom the reuenging hande of Iesus Christ hath so ap­parantly and pregnantly shewed it selfe, that the world could not but giue glory vnto God and say, Exod. 8.19. It is the finger of God; Psal. 118.23. The enimies of Christ ouer­ruled to serue for the vse and good of him and his. this is the Lords dooing, and it is maruelous in our eies.

14 To leaue this to his proper place in the end of this Psalm, what shall I say moreouer that howsoeuer satan bend him­selfe and practise his malice against the kingdome of Christ; and his instruments euen some at the mouth for very mad rage and fury against the church, intending the vtter extirpa­tion of the name of it, and therefore infinitely butchering and killing both men and women, old and young, high and low that doe take in their mouthes the testimony of Iesus Christ, yet Christ alwaies hath his hooke in their nostrells, and sitteth at the sterne of their malice, limiting their power, ouerruling their purposes, ordering all their courses in such sort that they can doe nothing but what he seeth to be expedient and pro­fitable for his? A footestoole for ease and helpe. And as the footestoole serueth for the ease and helpe of him that vseth it, vntill being past vse it is hewed in pieces to be cast into the fire, euen so the enimies of Christ and his kingdome, though they conceiue not so themselues, nor appeere so vnto vs, yet are forced to serue for the benefite and good of gods elect, vntill God hauing done by their hand what he thinketh good, they be cut off by the sword of his iudgement and cast into euerlasting fire. Valerianus the em­peror of Rome a most bitter and deadly enemy to the faith of Christ, vsing all most barbarous and sauage cruelty towards them that professed the same, by the iust iudgement of him whom in his members he thus persecuted, was ouercome and taken in battell by Sapores the King of Persia, who pulled out his eies and bound him in chaines, and led him about with him as a prisoner, and when he was to ride, vsed him for a footestoole, and trode vpon his backe, to take aduantage to get the more easily to his horse; and in the ende cau­sed his skinne to bee flaied off, and his body to be sprinkled with salt, and so made him die the same cruell death where­with [Page]hee had before martyred many innocent and righteous persons onely for the profession of Christian faith. Beholde heere as in a glasse, howe Christ maketh his enimies subiect and seruant vnto him: from the beginning he telleth vs Ioh. 16 33. I haue ouercome the worlde; 12.31. the prince of this world is cast foorth: and Saint Paul saith: Col. 2.15. He hath spoiled principalities and powers, and hath made a shewe of them openly, and hath triumphed ouer them by his crosse. The enimies then are ouercome alreadie, and all the power that is against vs, is but as the strugling and striuing of a conquered aduersarie; which though hee bee ouercome, is suffered for a while to liue for the vse and ad­uantage that is to be made of him. He hath pulled out their eies; they see not their owne waies: their Esa. 37.28. going out and comming in are directed by his hande. He hath chained them vp; they cannot stirre further then he giueth them the liber­tie of the chaine; hee hath broken their armes; they strike and cannot kill: he hath striken out their teeth; they bite and cannot hurt; and whilest they minde nothing but the fulfilling of their owne malitious and wicked designements, they are made will they, nill they, by the secret and most mighty hand of Christ to serue for the setting foorth of his maiesty and power and prouidence; for the furthering of the piety and faith of his elect in this world, and their saluation and glory in the world to come. Euen satan himselfe the cap­taine of these rebells and enemies of Iesus Christ is made his vassall and slaue, and lieth at his foote as a dog fast tied, not to stir but at his pleasure. And because the victory of Christ is ours also in him, Rom. 16.20. the God of peace treadeth satan vnder our feet. He is made an instrument to further our saluation. 2. Cor. 12.7. The buf­fetings of satans messenger are vsed to keepe vs from being ex­alted by pride, least by pride we should fall away from God. Ambros. de pae [...]en. lib. 1. cap. 13. By the commaundement of Christ, saith Saint Ambrose, the de­uill is made the keeper of him whom he thinketh to make a pray. Euen against his will he secondeth and serueth the will of the God of heauen. He is deluded, and in his biting woundeth himselfe, and armeth against himselfe him whom he thought to weaken and ouer­come. He causeth vexation to the body but to the preseruation of the soule. Thus this viper hangeth at our hands and yet woun­deth vs not; we put our hand into the hole of this aspe, and he stingeth vs not: we drinke of his deadly poison and it hurteth [Page 17]vs not; nay of his poison is made a spirituall triacle and preser­uatiue against poison. Now if the case be thus with satan him­selfe the head, much more shall it be so with his members. They are troden vnder the feet of Christ, and cannot be hurt­full vnto vs. Whilest they lade vs with reproches, they ho­nour vs: whilest they afflict and vexe vs, they put palmes in­to our handes, and crownes vpon our heads, and garments of righteousnes vpon our backes, and the night of their per­secutions maketh the starres of Christian vertues, and of the graces of God to shine the cleerer in vs, to the glorie and praise of God. So it is with the rest. Sinne it selfe is the drawing on of righteousnesse; the worlde is the subiect and matter of our victorie and glorie; the curse an occasion of blessing; the Gal. 3.24. Lawe a schoole-maister to Christ; death the gate of life; the graue the putting off of mortalitie and corruption. To be short, Esa. 11.9. There shall be nothing to hurt or to destroie in all the mountaine of the Lordes holinesse: Ioh. 10.28. nothing to pull the sheepe of Christ out of his handes: but Rom. 8.28. all things worke togither for good, and for the best to them that loue God. And why so? Because all the enimies of Christ, that is to say, all our enimies are become his footestoole, and in him a footestoole vnto vs. And thus shall Christes enimies serue for his vse & for the vse of his Church, vntill the daie come that that which is heere prophecied shall be perfectly ful­filled, when all the enimies of Christ, nowe alreadie ouer­come, shall be vtterly destroied and abolished; when there shall be none to tempt vs, none to trouble vs; when sinne shall bee quite done awaie; when Reuel. 20.10.14. the diuell and the beast, and the false prophet and death and hell shall bee cast into the lake of fire, that burneth for euer; when Reu. 7.16.17. & 20.4. God shall wipe a­waie all teares from the eies of his: when they shall hunger no more, thirst no more; when the sunne and heate shall no more light vpon them, and there shall be no more death, nor sorow, nor crying, nor any more paine, but 1. Cor. 15.28. God shall be all in all.

15 To conclude, Psal. 74.3. God will for euer destroy euerie enimie that doth euill to his sanctuarie, all tyrants & persecutors & oppug­ners of his Church. Howsoeuer they seeme to haue power in their handes euen at their owne will, yet Christ sitteth a­boue them at the right hand of God; they shall be made his [Page 18]footestoole, confusion shall be their portion, as in al ages God hath shewed, and will shew vnto the end, and specially in the end, as remaineth further to bee spoken at the ende of this Psalme. God the father graunt vnto vs for his welbeloued sonne Iesus Christ his sake, the grace of his holie spirit, whereby through the knowledge of his holie word we may framed to the obedience of his holy will, that wee may serue him faithfully and truely accor­ding to his commandement the whole course of this life, that when it shall please him to take vs out of this mortall life, we may be made partakers of that eternall life and blessednes which he hath promised in the world to come through the same Iesus Christ our Lord. To God the father, God the sonne, and God the holie Ghost, be all honour, glorie, praise, dominion, might, maiestie, and power, both nowe and for euermore: Amen.

IN the former Sermon wee haue seene the sonne of Dauid installed and enthroned to the seate and maiestie of his kingdome. In this second verse is set foorth the meanes whereby, and the maner how this kingdome is founded and established. Foure things to be obserued in the second verse. First therefore we are to obserue from hence what it is whereby the sub­iects of this kingdome are gathered vnto Iesus Christ, and gouerned vnder him, which is, the rod or scepter of his power. Secondly from whence this scepter proceedeth: the Lord shal send it. Thirdly whence it hath his gooing foorth: out of Sion. Fourthly what successe and worke it hath: he thereby beareth rule in the middest of his enimies.

2 Now we see Christ heere brought in imperiall maner, bearing his scepter in his hand: for the scepter is one of the ensignes of princely maiestie. The scepter an ensigne of princely maiestie. Monarches and kings are woont to weare in their hand a rod or scepter in token of so­ueraigne and roiall authoritie, and thereby to import, that they in respect of whom they are kings, are vnder their po­wer, and subiect to their stroke. Thus therefore Iesus Christ whom God hath exalted and lifted vp to bee the Monarch and Lord of the whole worlde, and hath assigned vnto him all power both in heauen and earth, is saide to haue his scepter, whereby hee doth exercise and declare his power for the building vp and gouerning of his Church. Which scepter is called in the Psalme, Psal. 45.6. the scepter of his kingdome, whereby namely he exerciseth and administreth his king­dome. And that we may vnderstand what this scepter is, it is called also Esa. 11.4. the scepter or rod of his mouth, which in the same place and elsewhere is termed also ibib. & 2. Thess. 2.8. the breath of his lips; the [Page 20]breath of his mouth. Now what is it that proceedeth from the mouth and is formed with the breath but only the word? The word of Christ therefore is the Scepter of his kingdome. The Scepter of Christ is his word. The word of of Christ why called the Scep­ter of his power. And it is here called the Scepter of his power, because therein ap­peareth his might and power working great and wonderfull things beyond the opinion and expectation of the world. Which we may obserue both in the course and passage that this word hath had through the world, and in the speciall ef­fects and works that it hath wrought and doth worke in this passage.

The power of Christ appea­ring in the pas­sage of his word through the world.3 We see how in the beginning it went forth as the Sunne: no power could hinder the going of it. It was put into the mouthes not of Philosophers and Oratours, but poore fisher­men, and tentmakers, and toulegatherers, and by their hand, being men of no commendation to the world, subdued more nations to the kingdome of Christ, then sword and battell could euer bring in subiection vnto the great Empire of Rome. The world did striue against it, and it ouercame the world: the Scepters of Princes strooke at it to beate it downe, and Princes scepters gaue it way whether they would or not. They bound the preachers of it, but it selfe was as the winde which cannot be bound nor stayed from his course. Neither policie, nor strength could hinder it but that it ouer­threw their customes, cast downe their idols, stopped the mouthes of their oracles, and wrested from their deuils a con­fession of the power of God, and so went on with victory and triumph till it had set vp the kingdome of Christ in the vtmost coastes and borders of the earth. And haue not our own eies, men and brethren, seene the experience hereof in these lat­ter times, when Emperors and Princes and Popes and Pre­lates and the multitude of the world labored to put out the the light of the Gospell beginning againe to shine amidst the darkenes of Popery and by all their labour could auaile no­thing? They had countenance and counsell and strength: they persecuted the professers of the Gospell with horrible persecutions; they dulled their swords with slaughter, and daunced their horses in blood; but nothing would serue their turne: the dint of their swords entred not so deepe into mens bodies, as the word of Christ did into their soules, raysing vp stil a new ofspring vnto Christ to vpbraid their folly and mad­nesse [Page]in raging and fighting against God.

The diuers ef­fect of the word of Christ.4 But the power of this word appeareth further in the seue­rall effects that it worketh both 2. Cor. 2.15. in them that are saued, and in them that perish, being to the one the sauour of death vnto death, to the other the sauour of life vnto life, as the Apostle speaketh, for we must know that the Scepter and kingdome of Christ hath vnder the imperiall stroke thereof two sorts of men: the one loiall and louing subiects; the other traiterous & wilfull rebels. The power of the word of Christ as touch­ing reprobates and wicked men. To the one it is a Scepter of gould to gouerne them: but it is a Scepter of iron to destroy the other, for of rebels and wic­ked men the Prophet saith: Psal. 2.9. Thou shalt smite them with a rod or Scepter of iron and shalt breake them in peeces like a potters ves­sell. The word of Christ is indeede vnto them as Ier. 24.29. a hammer to breake them in pieces, as Ier. 5.14. a fire to burne and consume them: as Reuel. 19.15. a sword to kill them and cut them off: as Ier. 25.15. a potion of wrath to poyson them, and as a mightie tempestuous winde sent foorth in anger from the Lord renteth and ouerthroweth the tall and mightie trees, and turneth them vp by the rootes, so the word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God vndermineth the foundations of the wicked, & casteth their houses downe vpon their heads, and after it is once gone foorth, neuer cea­seth, as a canker fretting and eating vpon them, vntill it haue quite consumed them to nothing. Yea and in the meane while howsoeuer words seeme to be but winde, yet this winde of the Lord oftentimes, we see, astonisheth the harts of such re­probates and castawaies, appaleth their faces, conuinceth and frighteth their consciences, confoundeth their vnderstan­ding, and as an arrow in their sides galleth and vexeth them; they seeke to pull it out and it will not be, but as a fury it fo­loweth them, and tormenteth them; and as the sheepe tang­led in the bryers, the more they stirre, the faster they are tyed, and the deadly poyson, which they haue conceiued, they strengthen more and more to their owne destruction. To be short, as the sentence of the iudge is the death of the male­factor vpon whom it is pronounced: so the word of God is the death of the wicked man, it bindeth him fast with the cords of iudgement, it kindleth a fire round about him which Esa. 30.33. the breath of the Lord like a riuer of brimstone causeth to burne for euer. This is the Scepter of Christ, this is the power of his word: Let vs not resist it, let vs not despise it, least the iudge­ment [Page 22]thereof fall vpon vs, as the stone of a mightie rocke to grinde vs to dust and powder. Let vs not deceiue our selues. Our pompe and our pride will not beare vs out against the hand of him that sitteth at the right hand of God. We are but flesh, the edge of his sworde will easily pearce vs: we are but dust and ashes; the breath of his displeasure will easilie blowe vs away, and we shall come to nought. If the sweetenesse of earthly things haue so enchanted & bewitched our taste that we finde no sweetenesse in the comforts of the worde of life, if we set more by Num. 11.5. the Leekes and Garlike of Egypt, then by angels food, the heauenly Manna: he will fill our mouthes with grauell and sande; and gall and wormewood, that is, bitternes and sorow shall be our end.

The mightie power of Christ in his worde for the sauing of his elect.5 Againe the power of this scepter and word of Christ ap­peareth no lesse for the sauing of his elect. The Apostle cal­leth Rom. 1.16. the Gospell, the power of God vnto saluation, and the 1. Cor. 1.21.24. prea­ching of the crosse of Christ, the power of God, and the wise­dome of God to saue them that beleeue. Heereby he calleth vs, conuerteth vs, quickneth vs, feedeth vs, comforteth vs, sta­blisheth vs, and guideth vs to himselfe. Heereby he dissipa­teth and scattereth the mistes of ignorance and errour, en­lighteneth the blinde eies, subdueth proude and rebellious affections, softeneth the stony and vnpearceable hardnesse of mens harts, changeth lions and woolues and beares and tigers into meeke and harmelesse lambes and dooues; wor­keth in man another nature, another disposition, another will, another heart, euen then when his heart seemeth to be vnmooueably setled against God. Thus therefore we reade: Heb. 4.12. The word of God is liuely and mightie in operation, and sharper then any two edged sword, and entreth through euen vnto the di­uiding a sunder of the soule and the spirite, and of the ioyntes and the marow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, so that 1. Cor. 14.24. when yee prophecie saith Saint Paul, and there come in one that beleeueth not, or one vnlearned, he is rebuked of all, and is iudged of all, and so the secrets of his heart are made manifest, and he falleth downe and worshippeth God, and saieth; God is in you indeed. Thus the hearts of the two disciples Luc. 24.32. burnt within them, whilest Iesus openeth vnto them the Scriptures: the officers sent by the Pharisies to apprehend Christ, whilest they heare his preaching, are turned to another minde and giue glorie [Page 23]vnto him, and say, Ioh. 7.46. Neuer man spake like this man: the Iewes at the hearing of Peters sermon, are Act. 2.37. pricked in their heartes, and say vnto the Apostles, Men and brethren what shall we do? they were so affected with this word that they Act. 2.45. soulde their possessions and goods, and forsooke all, that they might giue themselues wholy vnto Iesus Christ. So mightily hath it pre­uailed and ouerruled the mindes of men against nature and reason, and learning, and wisedome, and custome, and what­soeuer else is stronge to holde men in the liking of those things which they haue once receiued and folowed, as that they haue beene content to renounce the deuotions which their forefathers had so long imbraced; to cast away the gods which themselues had deuoutly serued; to stoppe their eares against the contrarie motiues and perswasions of father and mother; to harden their harts against the kneelings and wee­pings, and embracinges of wife and children; to forgoe their friends and countenance, their honours and inheritances, yea and their liues also rather then loose that peace and ioye of heart which the same worde of Christ had ministred vnto them. Yea how strange is it, and howe greatly doth it com­mend the power of this worde, to see weakenesse heereby preuailing against strength? simplicitie against policie? to see the Lambe standing without feare before the lion; the seely turtle before the deuouring kite; women and children and weakelings, before the great monarches and potentates of the world, not fearing their threatning words, nor dreading their tormenting hands, but boldly vttering Reuel. 12.15. the worde of their testimonie, in despight of all their furie, and neuer yeel­ding to shrinke from it by any thing that coulde be deuised against them? The worde of God in their hearts gaue them courage and resolution and strength to goe through fire and water, to beare all aduentures of winde and weather, and howsoeuer they seemed to be beaten against the rockes, yet they escaped shipwracke, and arriued safe at the hauen of their desire. If we haue felt the worke heereof in our selues, we cannot but acknowledge it to be a diuine power; we can not but cōfesse and say: Psal 76.10. vulg. edit. Haec est mutatio dexterae excelsi [...] this change is wrought by the right hand of the most highest. For to deny our owne wisedome, to crosse our owne desires, to tread nature and affection vnderfoote, to say vnto our pleasures [Page 24]and delights, we know you not, nor will haue any thing to do with you; to be profite and gaine farewell, that we may folow the commaundement of the Lord: to worke these things in vs, argueth a hand that is mightier ouer vs then we are ouer our selues, and setteth foorth the glorious and super­excellent power of the worde of Christ.

The hardnes of our harts in that we are not mooued with the worde.6 Now the greater the power of this word is approued and commended to be, the greater must needs be the hardnesse of our hearts when we are not at all mooued therewith: when we heare it and yet our hearts remaine dead and cold and without feeling of those things that are spoken, as though they did not belong vnto vs. But great is our sinne, and a threefold condemnation we purchase vnto our selues when purposely and maliciously we strengthen our hearts against it, and wilfully put backe the hand of God from vs by the re­fusing of his word, as if we would say vnto the Lord. Away from vs; we will make no triall of thy power to worke in vs: we will die in our sinnes, and will not behold the light of life. Far be it from vs thus to doe: yea rather let vs offer our selues to the power and worke of this scepter and rod of Christ, and it shalbe vnto vs as the rod of Moses to worke woonder­full things, both for vs, and against them that are against vs.

The due recei­uing and hono­ring of the word of Christ is the token that we acknowledge him our king.7 And here we are to obserue a certeine and infallible to­ken whereby we may know where the kingdome of Christ is, and where it is not; where he reigneth as king, and where he raigneth not. For where the scepter of the word of Christ is admitted, and men stoupe and yeeld due obeisance vnto it, there it is certaine that Christ raigneth and is acknowledged for a king. But where his word is excluded or dishonoured, there howsoeuer men professe his name in word, yet indeede they say, Luc. 19.14. We will not haue this man to be our king or to raigne ouer vs. Will a mortall prince be perswaded that we take him for our king, when we presumptuously crosse and thwart his words, and refuse to be gouerned by his lawes? Will he not rather thinke that we dally with him and deride him? Will he not hold vs, and that iustly, for traiterous and dissembling rebells? And shall the Lord account any otherwise of vs, when by our owne words we giue check vnto his words, and set up lawes of our owne against his lawes, and refuse to be guided [Page]at his will? The Papacy is not the king­dome of Christ. Whence we gather that vndoubtedly the Papacy is not the kingdome of Christ, that Christ is not therein faith­fully holden for Lord and king. For they haue cast the scepter of Christ to the ground, and haue troden it vnder their feete, and haue giuen greater authority to their owne lawes then to his word, and Mat. 15.6. by their tradition haue made the commandement of God of none effect. All their deuotion what is it but mens deuise? what else but a peruerting and deprauing of those things which were instituted and ordeined by Iesus Christ? Christ by his word teacheth vs one thing: they by their tra­dition and deuise teach vs quite the contrary. Christ teacheth vs that Heb. 13.4. mariage is honorable amongst all men, but fornicatours and adulterers God will iudge: they teach vs that mariage is damnable in some men, and that it is more tolerable for them to be fornicatours then to be maried men. Christ teacheth vs 1. Ioh. 5.2 [...]. to keepe our selues fram idols: they teach vs to worship them. Christ saieth of the cup of the Sacrament, Mat. 26.27. drinke yee all of this: they say all shall not drinke of it, but onely the Priest. Christ teacheth vs not Gal. 6.14. to reioyce but onely in his crosse: they teach vs to reioyce and to seeke remission of sinnes in the crosse of Peter and of Paule, and in the crosses of all the saints. Many more examples might be alledged very pregnant to this purpose, wherein we may obserue a repugnancie and di­rect opposition betwixt Christianitie and Popery vnlesse wil­fully we blinde our eies and refuse to see. Now thanks be vn­to God which hath deliuered vs from the tyranny of that Scepter of Antichrist, and hath broken from our neckes the yoke of his superstitions, and hath caused the fresh and reui­uing winde of his word freely to blow vpon vs, and hereby hath giuen vs assured token of his most gratious and louely presence, and of the kingdome of Christ amongst vs. Let vs now walke in the light that he hath giuen vs, and willingly yeelde our selues to be gouerned by his Scepter, lest if we despise his word, and bring foorth no fruit of the labour that he hath bestowed vpon vs, we bring vpon our selues that sen­tence which Christ pronounced of the Iewes. Mat. 21.43. The kingdome of God shall be taken from you, and shall be giuen to a nation that shall bring foorth the fruites thereof. The word is di­rected and sent vnto vs from the Lord.

8 It foloweth concerning the Scepter of Christs power, that the Lord doth send it foorth. For the word of Christ neither go­eth [Page 26]foorth nor prospereth by the will or power of man, but the Lord it is that sendeth it, and it is the Lord that giueth successe vnto it. The ministery of the word one of the richest gifts of God. For seeing the ministerie of the word is one of the greatest and richest gifts that God bestoweth vpon men, the treasurie of grace, the power of eternall life, the chariot of Gods spirit, the pipe or channell whereby this spi­rite runneth into our harts, the bellowes whereby this fire is blowen vp and kindled in vs, the fewell and matter where­upon it feedeth, the very aire whereby we take the breath of spirituall and heauenly life, we cannot thinke that the go­ing and course thereof is casuall and vncertaine, but that it is directed by the speciall prouidence of Almightie God: that his hand disposeth the rising and shining of this starre; that he appointeth and ordereth the droppes of this heauenly dew to fall there and then, where and when it seemeth good vnto himselfe; that it is he which Mat. 9.38. sendeth or thrusteth foorth labourers to labour in this haruest. And therefore in the preach­ing of the word we are so alwaies to looke vpon men, and to consider their comming and their gifts as that withall we behold the Lord sending foorth or holding out in them the Scepter of his power, that we may acknowledge his mercie whereby he vouchsafeth to giue vs so vndoubted token of his fauour, and good will toward vs, and when we heare the word, may duely reuerence and regard the same, as knowing that therein is contained a message directed vnto vs from the Lord. And if at any time we be depriued and faile of the vse and comfort of this benefite, we must begge of him to sup­ply our defect in this behalfe, and to giue vnto our hunger-bitten soules this bread of life, least it fall out that for want thereof we famish and pine away.

The errour of men not feeling the want of the word of life.9 Wherein we may behold the maruellous blindnes wher­with Satan the prince of this world, hath couered the harts of worldlings, and vnbeleeuing men, who are so farre from finding any want in the extreame penurie and want of this heauenly foode, as that they either hold it a burden and trouble to haue it, and therefore are so farre from crauing it of the Lord, as that they desire and seeke meanes to be dis­burdened and eased of it, louing like beetles and owles to sit in obscuritie and darkenesse, that their euill deeds may not be crossed or reprooued by the light. We may worthely lament [Page 27]the errour and fearefull estate of these men, and beseech God to open their eies that they may see their owne nakednesse and shame, in that they thus put life away from them, and wickedly reioice in those thinges that are their owne con­fusion. But the number of these despisers is so great amongst vs, that iustly we may feare least God for our vnthankfulnes take away from vs this iewell and pearle which like swine we trample vnder ourfeete, delighting more in our draffe and and graines, and in the sinfull courses of the delights & plea­sures of this life, then we doe in the delicious and sweet taste of the worde of life, wherewith our soules should be nouri­shed and strengthend to liue for euer.

The Gospell be­gun to be prea­ched in Sion and Ierusalem.10 The Prophet further sheweth whence this scepter of Christ shoulde be sent foorth, that is, out of Sion. Whereunto agreeth that which is written by the prophet Esay: Esa. 2.3. The law shall goe out of Sion, and the worde of the Lorde from Ierusalem. And there the Apostles receiued the holie Ghost, and those heauenly gifts, whereby they were prepared and fitted for that great worke of the conuersion of the Gentiles: there they first blew vp the trumpet, the sound whereof went after­wards throughout the whole world. Thus to doe they were forewarned by Christ himselfe, telling them that repentance and remission of sinnes shoulde bee preached in his name among all nations, Luc. 24.47. beginning at Ierusalem. Now vnder Sion and Ierusalem we are respectiuely to vnderstand the whole nation of the Iewes, to whom the Apostles were willed first of all to preach the Gospell of saluation. To which purpose the Apostle Paul saith to the vnbeleeuing Iewes of Antioche in Pisidia; Act. 13.46. It was necessarie that the worde of God should be first spoken to you: but because yee put it from you, &c. beholde wee turne to the Gentiles.

11 Thus God ordeined that the seede of Abraham, to whom the promises were first made, The vnbeliefe of the Iewes the occasion of transferring the Gospell to the Gentiles. should first haue the of­fer of them, that the elect remnant of them might be saued, and the obstinacie of the rest might bee an occasion to trans­ferre the Gospell to the Gentiles, that out of them might be gathered vnto Abraham a seede, to obteine the blessing that was promised in his seede vnto all the nations of the earth. And so it hath come to passe, that Rom. 11.30. by their vnbeliefe we, euen all the Gentiles, haue receiued mercy: their 11. fall hath [Page 28]beene our rising; the casting off of them Rom. 11.15. reconciling of vs; their 17. cutting off, the implanting and engraffing of vs to be partakers of the roote and fatnesse of the oliue tree. We see them that were Math. 20.16. the first, become now the last. We see the Iudg. 6.37. August. cont. Pelag. & Ce­lest. lib. 2. ca. 25. fleece that was wette when all the earth was drie, become dry now when all the earth is wette: wee see the Luc. 15.28. August. quast. Euangelic. lib. 2. q. 33. elder brother sit murmuring without the doore, and refusing to come in, for anger that his yoonger vnthriftie brother, though repen­ting and humbling himselfe to his father, is receiued home. Wee see Math. 22.9. Luc. 14.21.24. the poore and the maimed, and the halt and the blinde sitting at the table, whence they that were the guests first of all and solemnly bidden, are reiected as vnwoorthie. God hath fast locked them vp in vnbeleefe and hardnesse of hart, they haue eies and cannot see; cares and cannot heare; the spirite of slumber and darknes is vpon them, and they see not the comfortable light of God that shineth vnto vs.

The Iewes ex­ample our war­ning to be thankefull vnto God.12 This is the mercie of God towards vs, and his iudge­ment vpon them, that by their example we may learne wise­dome, thankefully to vse the mercie of God and the oppor­tunitie of his grace, least if we doe otherwise, we bring vpon our selues that heauie iudgement that wee see hath lighted vpon them. Their fall, as it is our rising, so it is our warning, to walke woorthie of that honour whereunto God hath cal­led vs; and wheresoeuer we see them dispersed and scattered through the worlde, wee may behold it as it were written in their foreheads, with the beames of the sunne. Behold in vs the iudgement of God: feare to sinne against him: let our example be your assurance, that for vnbeliefe and vnthanke­fulnesse, God will likewise be reuenged vpon you.

13 The other part of this verse setteth foorth the notable effect of the mightie scepter of Christ, that thereby his king­dome shall be builded, and he shall be are rule euen in the midst of all his enimies, Another king­dome opposite and aduersary to the kingdome of Christ. For the kingdome of Christ hath another kingdome aduerse and opposite vnto it: it hath enimies that seeke to hinder both the founding and the standing of it. The prince and captaine of all these enimies is the diuel. Hee hath his vnder captaines and souldiours, whose hand and helpe he vseth against the kingdome of Iesus Christ. They sometimes oppugne it by force: sometimes vndermine it by fraud, som­times by reproch and slaunder, disgrace and defame it. For [Page 29]some are open and professed enimies; other guileful and mas­ked by pocrites: some hate the verie name of Christ, other vnder pretence of his name doe fight against him, and prac­tise the subuersion and ouerthrowe of his kingdome. Of one of these we haue had example in the empire of Rome: of the other in the church of Rome. Which both haue cruelly per­secuted the church of Christ, and with all their might haue endeuoured the vtter ruine and confusion thereof. The first empire of Rome was a professed enimie, seeking to abandon out of the world the verie name of Christ and Christians. The Church of Rome vnder pretence of the name of Christ oppugneth the faith and church of Christ. The later church of Rome hath plaied the wilie foxe, and being indeede a deuouring woolfe, yet hath put on sheepes clo­thing, that with greater authoritie and lesse suspicion shee might make hauocke and spoile of the sheepe of Christ: as indeed she hath done, both spiritually of them that haue bin obedient vnto her, and bodily of them that haue resisted her. But wee see the bishop of Rome pretending himselfe to bee Christes vicar, the head of the church, the successour of Pe­ter to whom Christ committed the soueraigne care, and su­preme gouernement of his church. And in these titles he is soothed and flattered by his folowers, who vnder him call themselues the catholike church, the spouse of Christ, as if there were none that honoured him more then they. When indeed, as traitours doe make proclamations in the name of the prince to leuie power against the prince: euen so, they by pretence of the name of Christ, do gather power vnto them­selues to fight against Christ, knowing that amongst Christi­ans they could not preuaile but onely by this pretence. And thus deceitfully heretikes and false teachers in all ages haue dealt; shadowing themselues vnder the name of Christi­an profession, when they haue sought nothing else but to corrupt the integritie of Christian faith. To be short, no meanes hath satan left vnattempted, both by himselfe and his, that might breake off the course of the Gospell, and hin­der the growth of the church of Christ.

The Church of Christ though mightily op­pugned by eni­mies, yet con­tinuing and growing in the middest of them.14 But howsoeuer the waues haue seemed to tosse this ship, yet could they neuer sinke it: howsoeuer the deuill and the world haue conspired togither to destroy the seed of Christ, yet they could not hurt it: their purposes vanished into the [Page 30]wind: the more they haue oppugned the church, the more it hath growen; yea those things whereby they haue sought to worke the destruction of it, haue been as a whetstone to shar­pen the faith of the disciples of Christ, to stir vp their deuoti­on and diligence, to frame them to patience and holynesse, and the ashes of one hath been as a most fruitfull seed where­of many moe haue sprung, and neuer hath Christ wanted a people ouer whom he hath borne rule in the middest, and in despight of all his enimies. The enimies haue seene it, and it hath beene as thornes in their eies: they haue gnashed at it with their teeth, and it hath made them euen madde to see that by no meanes they coulde preuaile in that they went about. Thus the church of Christ beganne, thus it hath growen and hath continued vntill this day, and vnto the ende, Math. 16.18. the gates of hell shall ne­uer preuaile against it. God the father graunt vnto vs, &c.

WE haue heard how the kingdome of Christ is alwaies oppugned with eni­mies, and that it neuer wanteth the opposition and encounter of an ad­uersarie power. Which yet cannot hinder but that Iesus Christ sitteth at the right hande of God as king and conquerour, preuailing against al, and none preuailing against him, and still maintaining and go­uerning his kingdome, vntill he haue in the ende fullie and finally subdued and destroied all power that refuseth to how and to yeelde obedience vnto him. Vntill the full accom­plishment of which victory and conquest he ceaseth not both in himselfe and in his members to war and fight against his enimies, and continually to maintaine both field and garison against them. Iesus Christ by the preaching of the Gospell ga­thereth his ar­mie against his enimies. The prophet therefore in this third verse de­scribeth him leuying and assembling his souldiours and men of war and preparing them to go foorth to battell against the enemie. To which purpose that serueth which he saith, In the day of thine armie, meaning thereby the day and time when Iesus Christ shall call and gather vnto him his people as an ar­my to fight for him. Which is no other but that which the holy ghost elsewhere calleth 2. Cor. 6.2. the accepted time, the day of sal­uation, euen the day and time of the preaching of the gospell, whereby the Lords trumpet is sounded, and the Esa. 11.10. standard of Christ crucified is lifted vp that nations and people may as­semble themselues vnto him. For as princes and captaines by striking vp the drum and blowing the trumpet, and by aunci­ents and banners displaied doe muster their men, and leuie [Page 30] [...] [Page 31] [...] [Page 32]their souldiours, and prepare them and leade them foorth to battell; euen so Iesus Christ Isu. 5.14. the captaine of the Lords host by blowing vp the trumpet of his word and gospell, whereby he is set vp for a signe vnto vs, and Gal. 3.1. described before our eies as crucified amongst vs, calleth and assembleth his church and traineth his souldiers, and warneth them, leadeth them, com­forteth them to fight his battells against the enemies of his kingdome. And thus doth he supply his army from time to time, and as some are taken away putteth other in their place, vntill he haue obteined an euerlasting victory, and vtterly confounded the power of all his enemies. And this is, men and brethren, the end of our preaching and seruice in the gospell, that by the sound of this trumpet we may gather amongst you an army vnto Iesus Christ, and may traine you and arme you and leade you foorth to the battell of the Lord. Now therfore in the former part of this verse there are three things of vs to be obserued. Three things to be obserued in the former part of the verse. First, what our calling or condition is in the seruice of Iesus Christ; we are his army. Secondly with what affection the subiects of Christ goe foorth to fight for him: with great deuotion or willingnesse. Thirdly how they are attired and armed for this battell; in the excellent beauty of ho­lynesse.

A christian life a continuall warfare.2 First then we are to remember that a Christian life is a continuall warfare, and that there are enemies against whom we are still to lie in campe and to maintaine fight, and with all watchfulnesse and circumspection to looke vnto our selues and to fortifie and strengthen our fortresses and holdes that we be neither surprised by their craft, nor surcharged by their power. Satan the chiefest enimie of Christs king­dome. Satan the deuil the chiefe of these enemies Iob. 1.7. compasseth the earth to and fro, & 1. Pet. 5.8. goeth about like a roaring lyon still seeking whom he may deuour. A mightie & dangerous aduersary, great in power, wily in practise, bould in attempt, fierce in charge, instant and importunate in fight, weerisome in continuance, manifold in all his actions, a very Protêus turning and win­ding himselfe into all fashions, and formes and shapes, some­times a fearefull Dragon, sometimes a flattering Mermaide, and any thing to serue his turne. An expert and beaten soul­diour knowing all stratagemes and policies of warre. A skil­full and cunning fisher, knowing all maner of baites for all kindes and for all seasons, hauing as Cyprian saith, Cypr. de ex­hortat. mar­tyrij. by long [Page 33]experience and practise learned all meanes and waies to cozen and deceiue vs, applying himselfe to the seuerall ages of men, to their estates and degrees, their places and callings, their hu­mours and affections, omitting no occasions, no oportunities that he can any way apprehend to subuert and ouerthrow vs.

The world a speciall instru­ment whereby Satan fighteth against vs.3 A speciall instrument that he vseth to this purpose is the world, with the tentations whereof we are so enuironed and beset, on euery side, and finde them still so lying in our way, that we may seeme to walke amongst bryers and thornes; nay, amongst adders and serpents, the biting and stinging whereof it may seeme vnpossible to escape. Seldome or ne­uer are we free, but that he assaieth vs either by the men of this world, or by the things of this world, to hold vs backe from doing good, and to draw vs on to the committing of euill. He seeketh to winne vs to euill by the euill examples of the world, that whilest we are ashamed to goe alone to heauen, we may with the multitude goe that Mat. 7.13. broad and easie way that leadeth vnto destruction. He discourageth vs from goodnes by the offence and displeasure sometimes of friends, sometimes of great men; that whilest we loue men more then God, we may by pleasing of men fall away frō God. He trieth vs by the reproches and slaunders, the mocks and taunts, the twitings and vpbraydings of the world, that the irkesomenes thereof entring into our soules like arrowes into our bones, may make vs weary of folowing vertue and godlines, where­by we become subiect vnto such disgrace. He raiseth trouble and persecution, that the danger of life and goods, the feare and dread of fire and sword, of imprisonment and banish­ment may driue vs away from our reioycing in the crosse of Christ.

The things of this world strong temp­tations.4 Now by the things of this world he strongly tempteth vs, and vseth the allurements of profit and gaine, of pleasure and delight, of preferment and glory of the world, as three mightie engines wherewith vniuersally he oppugneth the whole nature of man, and as with bullets of [...]ron battereth and beateth downe the castles and towres that seeme inuin­cible, and striketh the very Reuel. 9.1. starres from heauen to earth, ex­tinguishing in men the light of the spirite that hath most clearely shined; quenching the zeale that hath most fer­uently burned: preuailing with men to pull downe in them­selues [Page 34]that which God hath builded vp, to make sale of Faith and shipwracke of conscience, and to become runnegates and apostataes, yea and sometimes persecutors of the Go­spell which they themselues haue professed. The motiue whereof the deuill saw to bee so strong, as that thereby he would needs trie the strength of our Sauiour Christ; Mat. 4.8. Luc. 4.6. shewing him all the kingdomes of the world, and the glory of them, and say­ing? If thou wilt fall downe before me and worship me, they shall be all thine. And surely hereby he winneth many to fall downe before him and to worship him by sinne and vnrighteousnes and wilfull breaking of the commandements of God. For the compassing of their vniust and sinfull desires of the things of this world, yeelding themselues at his will to become vas­sals and slaues to couetousnesse, extortion, vsurie, falsehood; to whore dome and filthinesse; to gluttony and drunkennesse; to ambition, flatterie, hypocrisie, enuie, and all maner lewd and euill works; content to admit a wound in the conscience for a peny in the purse, and for the pleasure of the body to destroy the soule, and for the kingdome and glory of this world, to loose the glorious kingdome of Iesus Christ.

Satan strong a­gainst vs by the lust and concu­piscence of our owne harts.5 We see how dangerous an enemie we haue to deale with­all, but yet the danger is much the greater, for that in our own bosomes we cary a fire to burne our selues; a false Tarpeia, con­spiring with the enemie to betray her owne father; a treache­rous Dalilah flattering her owne husband to bereaue him of all his strength, and to deliuer him bound into the hands of them that seeke his life. I meane the corruption of our owne nature, the frowardnesse and vngratiousnesse of our owne harts, the venome & poison that we bring with vs & nourish in vs euen frō our mothers wombe, which as a troubled foun­taine or rather as a raging sea is still casting vp mire and dirt, and sending foorth the motions and lusts of sinne, which are euermore ready to open the gates to the enemie to let him in vpon vs, by the seeing of the eie, by the hearing of the eare, by the tasting of the tongue, and by all the parts and powers both of our bodies and of our soules. For what are all these but gates, and doores, and windowes, whereby sinne and death, if we preuent it not, doe enter in vpon vs and take fast hold of vs?

6 Thus we harbour with in our selues August. cont. I [...]l. Pelag. lib. 2. exercitum quendam [Page]cupiditatum, as Saint Austen saieth, An army of sin­full affections within vs still occasioning vs to fight. a very army of vicious and sinfull affections, which yeeld vs continuall matter and occasion of fighting from our beginning to our end, against the wan­tonnesse and wilfulnesse of youth, against the crookednesse of olde age; in prosperitie against presumption and carnall se­curitie, in aduersitie against impatiencie and despaire: in high estate against disdaine, in low estate against enuie: in aboun­dance against excesse, in want against vnlawfull shifts: in the folowing of vertue against vaine glory, in the hatred of vice against curiositie and rashnes in iudging & censuring other men: in religion against schisme, heresie, infidelitie; in ciuill conuersation against wrathfulnesse, vnfaithfulnesse, vnmer­cifulnesse, selfeloue, and all iniustice: against euill workes in the profession of true faith, against misbeleefe in the practise of good works. Temptations of sinne still suc­ceeding one another. Yea and as they say of the heads of Hydra the Serpent, that one being cut off, there grew vp moe for it, and as the waues of the sea one still folow in the necke of another, euen so it is with the temptations of sinne, the ending of one is the beginning of another, and one victorie is the drawing on of another fight. Cypr. de mortall. If couetousnesse be ouerthrowen, saith Saint Cyprian, then ariseth wanton lust: if lust be repressed, then ambi­tion comes in place: if ambition be reiected, then anger prouoketh pride swelleth, enuie fretteth, &c. So [...]e is it which the same Father elsewhere saith, Idem de du­plicimartyrio. Although there be not alwaies Neroes, Diocletians, and Maximines raging against the Church, yet neuer doth the deuill cease to busie and trouble them that haue professed the warfare of Christ. And Saint Hierome Hierony. epis. ad Heliodorum Erras si vnquam putas Christianum persecutionem non pati; & tunc maximè oppug­naris quum te oppugnarinescis, Thou art deceiued if thou thinke a Christian man at any time free from suffering persecution and then is a man most of all oppugned, when he doth not know himselfe to be oppugned.

7 Now being thus beset with enemies on euery side, nay carying within our selues enmitie against our selues, we see a necessitie of fighting, we see a reason why we are called the armie of the Lord. Let vs therefore be as we are called; let vs euery man take sword in hand and Iudg. 5.23. goe foorth to helpe the Lord against the mightie, against Reuel. 12.9.17. the Dragon and the Angels thus making warre against the womans seede. If in the middest of so many, so dangerous, so deadly enemies we sit still and sleepe [Page 36]and refuse to fight, what doe wee but betraie our selues and the quarrell and cause of him that hath chosen vs to be his souldiours? No seruant of Christ that is not his soul­diour. And surely if we doe not fight, wee are none of his: if thou be no souldiour, thou art no seruant of Iesus Christ, because to be his seruant, is to be a souldiour. And therefore thou be not skilled in this spiritual battel; if thou be not daily if exercised Iam. 4.7. to resist the diuell, and to Heb. 12.4. fight against sinne; if there be not in thee a daily controuling of thine owne waies, a checking of thine owne hart; a resisting of thine owne de­sires, a subduing of thine owne affections, that thou maiest 2. Cor. 10.5. bring euerie thought to the obedience of Christ; if all bee at peace within thee, and thou findest no diuision, no contra­diction betwixt the flesh and the spirite, betwixt the old and the new man, betwixt that which thou art of thy selfe, and that which thou art of God, what doest thou in the Lordes tents? to what end doest thou professe the seruice of Christ? Go out of the campe, if thou wilt not fight, and keepe not a standing there idlely and in vaine.

Many say they are Christs, who yet are not so, because they fight not for him.8 Let vs consider this in our harts: for many there are that say they are Christs, and take his name in their mouthes, who yet neuer drew sword nor gaue stroke in Christs behalfe, who defie the diuell with their mouthes, but wrestle not against his workes: who haue renounced the worlde, and yet liue in league with the worlde, and continue deepely entangled in the corruptions thereof: whose lust is their law and they make their owne carnall desire the rule and measure of all their doings. These men deceiue themselues. They would faine liue with Christ in heauen, but yet they would 2. Cor. 5.15. liue to themselues here vpon the earth: they would be blessed in the world to come, but yet would not be crossed in the pleasures of this world. But this cannot be. He that hath called vs vnto eternall life, hath told vs that we must Luc. 13.24. striue to enter in at the straight gate that leadeth vnto it. He that hath set before vs 1. Cor. 9.25.26. an incorruptible crowne, hath withall warned vs that we must 2. Tim 2.5. fight for it. And as Saint Ambrose saith: Ambros. in psa. 118. ser. 18. Non decet redimi­tos floribus corona, sed puluerulentos, &c. The crowne is not for carpet knights, that loue to be beset and garlanded with posies and floures, but for them that are beraied with wrastling and tumbling in the dust, and victorie is not the honour of nicelings and wantons, but of them that haue sweate and laboured for it. If therefore we [Page]desire the reward of victorie, and the crowne that is promi­sed to them onely that ouercome, let vs, as I haue saide, addresse our selues vnto the fight, and applie both our harts and our hands to the pulling downe of the kingdome of Sa­tan, and to the maintenance and aduancement of the king­dome of Iesus Christ.

We are to fight for Christ by doing the du­ties of our seue­rall callings.9 Now because as in earthly armies there are men of diuers sorts and places, generals, captaines, lieutenants, sergeants, coronels, common souldiours, &c. So in the warfare of Christ there are likewise diuers callings and conditions of men, we are euery one to consider the standing and place whereunto we are assigned of the Lord, and faithfully to imploy our selues therein for his aduantage, that we may still be getting ground of the enemy against whom we fight. Princes and Magistrates by well managing the sword of ciuill authoritie; by establishing and executing good lawes for Christs behoofe and for the setting foorth of the glory of God. Ministers by vsing carefully and wisely the sword of the spirit, the word of God, for the cutting downe of sinne and vnrighteousnesse, and to breede in mens hearts the feare of God and the loue of his commandements. Parents and maisters by well gouerning themselues and their households, restraining their children and seruants from all loosenesse and lewd behauiour, and training them vp with all care to vertuous and godly life. In a word let euery man esteeme with himselfe what the duety of his calling requireth of him, and therein bestow himselfe faithfully for the Lord. Let vs all be euermore practising and enuring our selues to fight in the Lordes behalfe; against the diuell by faith; against the world by patience and tempe­rance; against the lusts of the flesh by daily meditation and exercise of repentance; against them all by praier and by the word of God.

An incourage­ment to fight in that Christ is our captaine vnder whom we fight.10 And to this fight we are encouraged the more because we are his army: because we haue such a captaine vnder whom we fight. One that is of most puissant and victorious power and might, and hath all things subiect to his will; that sendeth vs not foorth to battell alone, but goeth himselfe with vs: who hauing borne the brunt and heate of the battell himselfe, hath made the fight more tolerable and easie for vs: who himselfe giueth vs armes and strength to fight, and com­maundeth [Page 38]his Luc. 2.13. multitude of heauenly souldiours, his blessed an­gels to fight for vs. So that we may boldly comfort our selues and say, 1. Ioh. 4.4. Greater is he that is in vs, then he that is in the worlde: and 2. King. 6.16. they that are with vs are moe, then they that are against vs, yea, they that are against vs, are ouerruled by his mightie hande, to bee for vs euen in those thinges that they entend a­gainst vs. And to be short, though we be weake, yet hee is strong, and will suffer none Ioh. 10.28. to plucke vs out of his hand, but the end shall be, with reioycing and triumph to sing aloude, 1. Cor. 15.57. Thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs the victorie through Iesus Christ our Lord.

The souldiours of Christ volun­tarie men, wil­lingly offering themselues to the Lords ser­uice.11 It foloweth to declare what affectiō the people of Christ do beare in the vndertaking of this warfare. In earthly king­domes men are oftentimes holden in subiection against their will. They doe dutie to their princes for feare, rather then of any deuotion or good affection towards them. In their harts they murmure and repine, and thinke it a heauie burden to doe them seruice. And therefore if they finde opportunity, they withdraw themselues from the yoke vnder which they are holden. So likewise to earthly battels men vsually go by constraint, and against their owne minde. They seeke by what meanes they can to be freed from such seruice, & to rest in quietnesse at home. But the seruants and souldiours of the spirituall kingdome of Christ, are noted to be of another dis­position. They shall be, saith he, a people of great deuotion or willingnesse. If we will translate it precisely according to the Hebrew wordes, we must say, a people of deuotions, because the worde is vsed in the plurall number. But to expresse the force thereof, I rather choose to reade, a people of great deuotion. For nothing else doth the prophet import heereby, but a singular freenesse and willingnesse of hart, wherewith the people of Christ shall dedicate and giue themselues vnto him to be be­stowed and vsed at his will. And to this purpose the worde is vsed in other places of holy Scripture. As namely in the law of Moses, by this worde are noted the Leuit. 22.18. & 23.38. free offrings which men without any certaine imposition of law offered volun­tarilie, and of their owne accord. By the originall of this worde Moses spake vnto the people for the buying of stuffe for the making of the tabernacle and furniture thereof, and of the garments of the high Priest; 2 Exod. 35.5. If there bee any man whose [Page]hart maketh him willing thereunto, let him bring his offring to the Lord, &c. And by the same verbe, though in another coniu­gation Deborah speaketh of them who of their owne free ac­cord went foorth to battell against Sisera and his companie, Judg. 5.2.9. Praise yee the Lorde for the auenging of Israell, for the people that offered themselues willingly. My hart is set on them that were willing among the people. Euen such are the people of Christ here saide to bee to the battell that we haue spoken of, to wit, voluntarie men, freely and willingly offering and deuoting themselues to doe him seruice and to fight for him.

The scepter of Christ worketh in the inner man.12 Thus the scepter of Christ goeth beyond the scepters of worldly princes, which can preuaile no further but onely with the outward man, whereas the scepter of Christ worketh in the hart and in the inner man, renewing the minde and fra­ming the will to the following of Christ and to the obedience of his will. Prosp. de vo­cat. gent. lib. 2. cap 9. Virtus nolentium nulla est, saith Prosper. Men are not accounted vertuous for those things they do against their wills. It is the will that commendeth the good actions of men, Willingnes com­mendeth good actions, & fur­thereth them; vnwillingnes hindereth and disgraceth them. and then are we approoued with God when with cheerefulnesse of hart we giue ourselues vnto him. And hereby it is that we doe effectually and to the purpose those things that we doe. There is nothing so easie of it selfe, but it is hard to him that goeth about it with an vnwilling mind. Want of will maketh men euermore to be putting off cases, and casting off doubts, and making of delaies, and complaining of paines, and allea­ging of expense; and whither he will not, he cannot a while: still a beare is in the way, Prou. 26.13. a lion is in the streete. But where the heart is affected, and the will deepely and throughly possessed with a thing, it is the cleering of all cases, and the controwling of all doubts, and a spurre against delaies: paines seemeth pleasure; and expense seemeth gaine, and those things that are lions and beares to other men, are but ghosts and sha­dowes to deuotion and good will. And as Saint Ambrose saith, Ambros. in epist. ad Rom. cap. 11. Hoc sequitur vnumquemque quod conatur ex corde: that grow­eth vpon a man and goeth well forward, which he endeuoreth from the hart: whereas coldnesse and carelesnesse in the worker, causeth alwaies crookednesse and vntowardlinesse in the worke.

13 Now therefore the people of Christ, that vprightly and without halting they may serue him, are discribed to be a peo­ple [Page 40]of zealous and willing minde; Deuotion and Zeale the token of our true af­fection vnto Christ. of such resolution towards him as that neither regard of profit, nor feare of perill, nor difficulty of proceeding doe hold them back from going for­ward whither he calleth and commandeth them. Wherefore this deuotion and zeale we must require in our selues, if we will be thought to beare to him that affection that we ought to doe. If we be willinglesse, and without deuotion in his ser­uice, and follow him in such sort as if we were loth to take to much paines or to goe to far, we must take heede least he say of vs as he said of the Laodiceans; Reuel. 3.15. I would thou were either hot or cold; but bicause thou art neither hot nor cold, but lukewarme, I will spue thee out of my mouth. And surely this is the sinne of these times wherein we liue; wherein there is much professing of the name of Christ, and little loue to Christ himselfe. We haue the gospell more in our mouthes then in our harts. Reli­gion is made to serue mens purposes, when they themselues haue little purpose of religion. Policy hath ouermaistred pie­ty, and the world more preuaileth then the word, and godly­nesse is sold for gaine, and their appeereth in vs so little hart towards Christ, that wee may iustly perswade our selues that the blinde conscience of former ages, shall accuse and con­demne the carelesse learning of our age. They changed de­uotion into superstition, but wee haue changed it into pre­sumption and wilfulnesse. The fruites of their deuotion wee haue turned to sacriledge & theft; and whilest we condemne them for misbeliefe, wee condemne our selues by wicked life. We measure our religion by mens liking, and whilest we are loth to go to farre, we are farre to short of that we should be. Whilest we auoid to be accounted foolishly precise, we con­tinue licentiously & grossely prophane. We heare the worde of Christ; but where is our zeale in hearing of it? How easely are we withholden from it by euery trifling excuse, and can like better in time of holie exercise to sit at cardes by a warme fire, then to sit with God in a colde church? If we serue him in the forenoone, it is well: it is too much to serue him againe in the afternoone. If we do him deuotiō in the church, it is more then needeth to do him any at home. And thus wee abridge Christ of his worship, and stint him at our pleasure. Our wil­lingnes is but when we will, and our deuotion is but panges and fittes, and lasteth no longer, then standeth with the [Page]folowing of our owne delights. And if any thing happely at any time doe mooue vs, yet is it but as a flash of lightning which sodainly appeereth, and by and by vanisheth away, as if it had neuer beene. And to be short, farre are we of from that zeale of the honour of Christ, that studie and care of godly life, & eschewing of the corruptions of the world, that should make a difference betwixt the seruants of Christ, and the children of this world.

14 But where is in the meane time that great deuotion that the prophet speaketh of, and how shall wee perswade our selues that those things are verified and fulfilled in vs, which are thus foretold of the people of Iesus Christ? Which if we cannot, how shall we perswade our selues that we are his? Let vs therefore leaue our lame and halting religion, and Heb. 12.13. make streight steps vnto our feete, that we may walke vprightly with the Lord, and Act. 11.23. with purpose of hart cleaue stedfastly vnto him. Let not men heare more in our words, then they see in our deeds, but if we will professe our selues to be his, let it appeere in our true piety and deuotion towards him. He requireth of vs to be Rom. 12.11. feruent in spirit, Tit. 2.14. zealous of good workes, Gal. 4.18. earnest in good things, not onely receiuing the truth, but also 2. Thess. 2.10. the loue of the truth, that we may be saued. It is to small purpose that we haue the truth, if we loue it not, and if we loue it, loue will breede deuotion, and deuotion will yeeld all duety vnto the God of truth.

The souldiours of Christ attired and armed with the goodly beau­tie of holine [...].15 Now volentary men freely and of their owne accord of­fering themselues to the seruice of their princes and cap­taines, are wont to set foorth and shew themselues in all gal­lantnesse and brauery that their person and condition wil ad­mitte. Apparell, armour, horse, and other furniture, are pro­uided in the best sort they may, & euerie one striueth by this meanes to commend himselfe, and to winne the greatest fa­uour in his captaines eies. To the emulation and folowing of this affection the prophet heere calleth vs, and as earthly souldiours studie in this sort to gratifie the desires and to please the eies of their earthly princes and captaines, so he teacheth vs howe we are inwardly and spiritually to garnish and decke ourselues, that we may be gracious in the sight of our heauenly captaine in the day of the mustring of his army. And to this purpose hee nameth an armour or attire which [Page 42]hath little grace or glorie with the worlde, but with singular grace commendeth vs vnto the eies of God. This is that which he calleth the excellent beautie of holines. Where I read, excellent beautie, to expresse the force and importance of the plurall number. For in the Hebrew it is not beautie, but beau­ties, as to signifie that holinesse conteineth in it all true beau­tie, & is the summe of all those ornaments and graces where­with the people of Christ are to decke themselues that they may be goodly and glorious in his sight. So that whereas wee are all naturally desirous to be faire and beautifull, the pro­phet heere instructeth vs what beautie it is that is most of all to be desired; and wherewith aboue all other we should spe­cially seeke to grace our selues. For as for outward grace and beautie, either in the feature of the body it selfe, or in things applied to adde comelinesse vnto it, what is it in it selfe but a fading floure? corrupted by sicknesse, withered by yeeres, and confounded by death. And if withall the soule be a har­bour of vicious and euell affections, a sinke of sinne and vn­cleannes, what is all this goodly beautie, but as varnish vpon rotten woode, and as a faire painted visour vpon a foule wrinkled and deformed face?

16 The beauty therefore which the prophet here commen­deth is that wherein we are approoued with the Lord, who accepteth vs not for any outward glory but for the vertue and good quality of the hart. It is holinesse that draweth the eies of God vnto vs, and whereby we are louely and pleasing in his fight aboue other men. Holines consist­ath in two thinges. Now holynesse consisteth partly in the putting of and eschewing the corrupt maners and con­uersatlon of the world: and partly in putting on those affecti­ons and conditions of vertue and grace, whereby we cary the image and semblance of our captaine Iesus Christ. The things that were holy in the law were seuered from all prophane and common vse; no vncleane thing might be suffered to touch them, that so they might remaine pure and vndefiled to the vses of the Lord. Euen so we whom Christ Ioh. 15.19. hath chosen and Gal. 1.4. giuen himselfe to deliuer vs from this present euill world, that he might make vs 2. Tim. 2.21. vessells of honour, sanctified, and meete for the vses of the Lord, should Iam. 1.27. keepe our selues vnspotted of the world, by 2. Pet. 1.4. flying the corruption that raigneth therein by lust, and ab­horring those polluted and vncleane courses, in the lothsome [Page 43]filthinesse whereof the world walloweth and tumbleth it selfe, to the great offense and displeasure of almighty God. And surely so long as the contagion and filth of the world cleaueth fast vnto vs, and we frame our selues to the fashion and beha­uiour thereof, there can be nothing so lothsome and hatefull vnto vs, as we our selues are lothsome vnto God. And there­fore God himselfe in this sort aduiseth vs, 2. Cor. 6.17. Come out from a­mong them, and seperate your selues, and touch no vncleane thing, and I will receiue you, and I will be a father vnto you, and you shall be my sonnes and daughters, saith the Lord. Whereupon the apostle thus exhorteth in the beginning of the next chapter, 2. Cor. 7.1. seeing then we haue these promises, let vs clense our selues frō all fithines of the flesh & of the spirit, and grow vp to full holines in the feare of God. In which words he expresseth both those parts of holines which I mentioned before: calling the one, the clen­sing of our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirite: the other, the growing vp to full holinesse, or the fulfilling and perfiting of our sanctification in the feare of God. Which fulfilling of our sanctification standeth in clothing from day to day both in­wardly our conscience, and outwardly our conuersation with pietie and the feare of God, thereby to 1. Pet. 2.9. set foorth the vertues of him that hath called vs out of darkenes into his maruelous light. And this the Apostle Saint Paule calleth Rom. 13.14. Gal. 5.16. the putting on of the Lord Iesus Christ, teaching vs thereby not onely to attire our selues by faith with his merites and righteousnes, that there­by we may be iustified in the sight of God, but also by holines to expresse in our life the example that he hath laied before vs, that by our good workes and godly life it may appeere that we haue Christ dwelling and ruling in our harts. Which the same Apostle elsewhere more particularly describeth saying; Col. 3.12. put on, as the elect of God, holy and beloued, tender mer­cie, kindenesse, humblenesse of minde, meekenes, long suffring, &c. And againe, 1. Thess 5.8. Let vs which are of the daie be sober, putting on the brestplate of faith and loue, and the hope of saluation for an hel­met.

17 These and such like are the ornaments whereby the church of Christ is to him that loueth her Cant. 5.9. Holines our at­tyre when we come to the place of the Lords assem­blie. goodly as the mor­ning, faire as the moone, pure as the sunne: and to her enimie terrible as an armie with displaied ensignes. Thus attired and ar­med we shoulde come and present our selues in this place of [Page 44]the assemblie of the Lordes armie: not in hautines and pre­sumption, not in vaine and wanton apparell, not in the care of decking our selues to the eies of the worlde, (the follie whereof in this generation nowe long agoe stinketh in the nostrels of the Lorde:) but in humblenesse and lowlinesse of minde, in meekenesse and quietnesse of spirite, in innocen­cie and simplicitie of hart, in a sacred feare and reuerence of that high maiestie before which we present our selues. If we come not thus prepared, wee are but spots and blots in the Lords assemblie, and we are to feare the same exception to be taken against vs, as was taken against him that came to the wedding supper without a wedding garment: Math. 22.12. friend, howe cōmest thou in hither not hauing on a wedding garment? For what is the wedding garment but euen the beautie of holinesse which the prophet heere commendeth as the attire of the Lords armie. That therefore our comming may be gratefull to the Lord, and without danger to our selues, let vs haue this sentence of the prophet in our mindes, and remember al­waies to appeere before the Lorde in the beautie of holinesse, in true deuotion, humblenesse of minde, obedience, loue 1. Tim. 1.5. out of a pure hart, and a good conscience and faith vnfained: so the Lorde seeing in vs the shadow and picture of his beautie, shal take delight and pleasure in vs, whereas otherwise by hypo­crisie and sinne, our being heere is but abhomination before him.

18 Now followeth the latter part of this verse: Thy youth shalbe as the dew vnto thee from the wombe of the morning. Where the words being very obscure in the Hebrew text are diuersly translated. Vpon searching and comparing of diuers iudge­ments, I haue set downe that which I take to be most fit. And verie answerable heereunto is that which is written by the prophet Micah: Micah. 5.7. The remnant of Iacob shall be among manie people, as the dew from the Lorde, and as the little mistling droppes vpon the grasse, which doe not waite for man, nor hope in the sonnes of Adam. By which wordes the prophet foretelleth the migh­tie increase of the church amongst the Gentiles, whose mul­titude shall be as the small dew, and little drops that fall from heauen without number, and that this shall come to passe, not by any power or worke of man, but by the gracious hand of almightie God, euen as hee onely without the helpe of [Page]man causeth the shewers and dew to fall vpon the earth. To which verie purpose I take it the wordes of our prophet here are likewise to bee vnderstoode: The multitude of the armie of Christ, and by what hand they are raised vp vnto him. for hauing before declared how Iesus Christ shall haue his armie to ioyne with him in fight against his enimies, he addeth heere in what multitude they shall come, and by what hand they shalbe raised vp vn­to him. They shall be innumerable as the dewe, which by the onely hand of God is brought foorth from the wombe of the morning: where the prophet by a metaphor nameth it the wombe of the morning, where the morning dewe is secretly formed, and from whence it commeth as children from the wombe. Againe, the name of youth by another figure impor­teth not meerely yoongnesse of age, but the persons them­selues that are yoong; by the like phrase of speech as we are woont to say; The youth were gathered togither; the youth were sporting themselues, &c.

Youth they that are newly newly borne againe to Christ19 By youth then are meant the young frie of the church; the new increse and supply thereof from time to time in them who are newly Iam. 1.18. begotten by the word of truth, and Ioh. 3.3.5. borne a­gaine Tit. 3.5. by the washing of the new birth, and by the renewing of the holy ghost to become of Adams children the children of God and people of Iesus Christ. Who for that are called 1. Ioh. 2.12. little children, and 1. Cor. 3.1. babes in Christ, and 1. Pet. 2.2. new borne babes that are to be suckled with the milke of the word of God that they may grow thereby. Of whom this prophet elsewhere speaketh when he saith. Psal. 22.31. They shall declare his righteousnesse vnto a people that shal­be borne: and againe: Psal. 102.18. This shalbe written for the generation to come, and the people which shalbe created, shall praise the Lord. Where he prophecieth of a generation and people to be cre­ated and borne, not by the creation and birth whereby we are men but whereby we are according to the phrase of the Apostle, Eph. 4.24. new men, and 2 Cor. 5.17. Galat. 6.15. new creatures, hauing Ezec. 36.26. a new hart giuen vnto vs and a new spirit put into the middest of vs; our stony hart being changed into an hart of flesh, and Heb. 9.14. our consciences by the bloud of Christ purged from dead works that we may serue the liuing God. Such are the youth that the prophet speaketh of in this place. And hereby we are put in minde of our second na­tiuity and birth whereby we are made members of the church of Christ and called to become children againe: children as 1. Cor. 14.20. concerning malitiousnesse; children in Mat. 18.3.4. humility, simplicity, [Page 46]innocencie; that whereas being in time past Luc. 16.8. children of this world we Eph. 2.2.3. haue walked according to the course of this world, in fulfilling the will of the flesh and of our owne minde, we may, being now Gal. 3.26. the children of God, Rom. 6 4. walke in newnesse of life, and liue Eph. 4.18. the life of God, and Phil. 2.15. as the sonnes of God be blamelesse and pure and without rebuke, Math. 5.16. shining by our good works as lights, in the middest of the froward and crooked nation of the world. Yea further we are to be remembred that as youth, as young children are still growing in stature and strength and discretion vntill they come to ripe and perfect age, so we after that we are once new borne vnto Christ should likewise be still encreasing and growing in those things that belong vnto a christian life, in vertue, in holynesse, in faith, in 2. Pet. 3.18. grace and in the knowledge of Iesus Christ, that Psal. 84.7. going thus from strēgth to strength we may be euen Phil. 1.11. filled with the fruits of righteousnesse, and in the end at­taine Eph. 4.13. vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Chist.

20 Now of this new birth and the fruits and effects thereof the solemnitie of this day may giue me some occasion to speake, being as we call it new yeeres day wherein we celebrate the remembrance of the circumcision of Christ, and that Col. 2.11. in him we also are circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands; that Eph. 4.22. putting of the body of the sinnes of the flesh, and the old man which is corrupted through deceiueable lusts, we may be renewed in the spirit of our mindes and put on the new man which according to God is created in righteousnesse and true holynesse. But of this I spake vnto you more at large the last yeere, by occasion of the words of the Apostle; 2. Cor. 5.17. If any man be in Christ, he is, or let him be a new creature. The particulars whereof hap­pely you remember not, but remember that which is the ge­nerall that from yeere to yeere, from day to day you stil goe forward to become new creatures in Iesus Christ. Say with the Apostle, and let vs be carefull that of our selues we may truely say it ibid. Old things are past; behold all things are become new. And surely in this state of our new birth all things are set before vs vnder the name of new things; Mat. 26.28. a new testament, [...]. 13 34. a new com­mandement, Reu. 3.9. a new song, Reuel. 2.17. a new name, Heb. 10.20. a new way, Reuel. 21.2. a new Ie­rusalem, [...]. Pet. 3.13. new heauens and new earth. Nowe what an vn [...]eete thing is it that when all things are new for our sakes, we our selues shoulde remaine old? Nay let vs also become newe, and by our conuersation let vs make it appeere that wee are [Page 47]new borne, and what we haue neglected heeretofore, let vs now beginne to amend with the beginning of a newe yeere, and be carefull heereafter to Eph. 5.16. redeeme the time, that the en­crease of our yeeres may be the encrease of our comfort, and may further vs in the assured hope of that life where there shall be no change of yeeres, but one new yeere to continue for euer and euer.

The multitude that shoulde be borne vnto Ie­sus Christ as the drops that cannot be num­bred.21 But to come towards an end, concerning this ofspring and youth which I haue spoken of, the prophet saith, that they shalbe as the dew from the wombe of the morning. First for their multitude; for that as the drops of heauen cannot be numbred, so the people of Christ shalbe assembled vnto him in multitudes without number: accordingly as Saint Iohn in the spirit saw it come to passe, when as beside the remnant of Israel, he beheld a Reuel. 7.9. great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues, standing before the throne, and before the Lambe; clothed with long white robes and palmes in their hands, and crying with a loude voice, saluation com­meth of our God, &c. So that although in comparison of the multitude of the world the church of Christ be but Luc. 12.32. a little flocke, and Mat. 7. [...]4. few there be that enter into life, euen as the grapes after the vintage, a few here, and a few there, and as after Esa. 17.6. the shaking of the oliue tree there are two or three vpon one bough, and foure or fiue vpon another, seldome to be found; yet in themselues they are according to the promise made to Abra­ham as Gen. 13.16. & 15.5. the stars of heauen that cannot be numbred and Heb. 11.12. as the sand by the seaside. And therefore let it not discourage vs that the chaffe seemeth to hide the corne, and euill men so swarme euery where in the world that the promise made to Christ seemeth to be of small effect. Math. 11.19. Wisedome shall surely be iustified of her children, who though they appeare but few vnto vs, yet are exceeding many in the eies of God, so that we need not thinke we goe alone or be the worse perswaded of the way wherein we goe, because we see but few to walke therein. Let vs goe on forward in faith and patience, and we shall see that the Ioh. 14.2. many mansions in our fathers house shall haue men to furnish them, and that the church of Christ is not so barren but that thereby he shal breede Heb 2.10. many children vnto glorie.

22 Secondly the morning dew waiteth not for man, nor is [Page 48]wrought by mans hand, Our second birth the worke not of man but of God on [...]ly. but descendeth from the Lord, and falleth many times in such sort as that we see it is come but know not when or how it came. Euen so is that generation and new birth whereby we become the children of God. It is not wrought by the hand or power of man, but this worke also descendeth from the Lord. It is the hand of God, the in­spiration of the holy ghost that worketh in you, men and bre­thren, that chaunge whereby you are newly created and borne the people of Iesus Christ. Indeede we speake the words vnto you which tend to the conuerting and regenera­ting of the hart, but what can our words doe in your harts, if there be not the worke of some other power that is mightier then our words. The husbandman may manure and till the ground, but it is not he that can make the fruite. 1. Cor. 3.6.7. Paul plan­teth, Apollo watereth, but God giueth the encrease; and neither is he that planteth, any thing, nor he that watereth, but God that gi­ueth the encrease. That that we doe, goeth no further then to the outward man, and our words make but a sound in the eare of the body, but they that are inwardly taught to the conuersion of the soule, they are Ioh. 6.45. all taught of God. It is a se­cret and hidden worke: our eies see it not, our eares here it not, our vnderstanding cannot sufficiently conceiue it; nay they cannot throughly conceiue it, in whom it is. Cypr. de car­din. Christi ope­ribus. As the lightning breaketh the cloudes, saith Saint Cyprian, and with the suddaine flashing doth not so much enlighten as astonish the eie; so a man is sometimes touched with I know not what motion, and perceiueth himselfe to be touched, and yet beholdeth not him that toucheth him. There are spoken vnto him certeine secret wordes inwardly which he is not able to vtter, so that he cannot doubt but that he is neere him, yea within him that mooueth him, and yet showeth not himselfe that [...] may see him as he is. This is that which our sauiour Christ saith: Joh. 3.8. The winde bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but knowest not whence it commeth nor whither it goeth: so is euery one that is borne of the spirite. And hence it commeth which we else where also reade by the words of Christ: Mar. 4.26 so is the kingdome of he­ [...]en as if a man should cast seede in the ground, and should sleepe and rise vp night and day, and the seede should spring and grow vp, he not knowing how. We sow the seede, but we know not how [Page 49]it groweth; and though we know not how it groweth, yet in the end we see and perceiue that it hath growen. Thus we comfort our selues that though we cannot giue successe vnto our owne labours, yet we loose not our labour, but the spirite of God as it were in the hart of the earth fostereth and cherisheth the seede that we sow, and quickneth it to bring foorth fruite, and out of the wombe of Gods eternall electi­on, still raiseth vp a newe youth, and ofspring to serue in the Lordes campe, and to receiue the promises of grace and saluation by Iesus Christ. It resteth that for the growing of this seede in our harts, wee praie vnto him, &c.

THis verse setteth foorth vnto vs the calling of Iesus Christ to the office of priesthood, Christ both in humilitie and maiestie our priest and me­diatour vnto God. where by he is be come our redeemer and aduocate with the father, that in the kingly height and maiestie of Iesus Christ there may be nothing to dismay vs, seeing we know that both in his humilitie and in his maiestie he is made our priest and medi­atour to reconcile vs and bring vs vnto God. The Scripture woont to quali­fie the dread of Gods maiestie with the consi­deration of his mercie. And thus is the Scripture woont to qualifie the glorious and dreadfull maie­stie of God with the consideration of his gracious and most mercifull inclination towards vs, that we may learne so to re­uerence him for his greatnes, as that by his goodnes wee bee allured to loue him and by praier to seeke vnto him: assuring our selues that he Esa. 57.15. Who is high and excellent, that inhabiteth eternitie; whose name is the Holy one, that dwelleth in the high and holy place, yet is with him also that is of a contrite and hum­ble spirit, to reuiue the spirite of the humble, and to giue life vn­to them that are of a contrite hart. Psal. 138.6. Though the Lorde be high, saith Dauid, yet hath he respect vnto the lowly, and Psal. 102.1 [...].19.20. out of the heauen he beholdeth the earth, to turne him to the praier of the de­solate, and to heare the mourning of the prisoners, and to deliuer the children of death.

2 Thus Iesus Christ is described vnto vs sitting in glorie at the right hand of God, and yet stowping downe to the com­passion of our infirmities, that the conceite of his greatnesse may be no terrour vnto vs, but rather a ground of exceeding great comfort, whilest we stande perswaded that he who by mercy is so readie to succour vs, is by power so able to do for vs whatsoeuer pleaseth him. There is nothing more fearefull then the guiltie conscience of a sinner, which is still running away from God, and hiding it selfe as Adam did, vnlesse it be [Page 51]embouldened and established by the acknowledgement and assurance of his fauour and good will. And hence it came to passe, as hath beene before touched, that they who no other­wise cosidered of Iesus Christ but in his maiestie sitting at the right hand of God, conceiued of him a doubtefull and dis­trustfull feare, and shadowed themselues vnder the winges of other mediatours, and hidde themselues vnder the patro­nage and intercession of saints and angels, that by them they might haue accesse and entrance vnto God. They liued in the darke, and sawe not that light of faith, whereby wee are taught to Heb. 4.16. goe with boldnes vnto the throne of grace, assuring our selues that ( the Ioh. 15.7. words of Christ abiding in vs) 14.13. whatsoeuer we shal aske the father in his name he will do it, that the father may be glorified in the sonne. To which cōfort we are instructed by the doctrine of the priesthood of Christ, whose consecration and enstalment to this office, the prophet describeth vnto vs in this verse. Fiue things to be obserued in this verse of the priesthood. Wherein we may first obserue the confirmati­on of this office by the irreuocable oath of God. Secondlie, the office it selfe, which is priesthoode. Thirdly the person to whom it is assigned, Thou, that is, Iesus the sonne of God. Fourthly, the continuance of this priesthood, which is, for euer. Lastly what order of priesthood it is, namely, after the order of Melchisedec.

3 As touching the first, this protestation by oath serueth ac­cording to the matter in hande, The oath of God a significa­cation of [...] vn­changeable and irreu [...]able purpose. to set foorth the vnchange­able counsell of God for the establishing of the priesthood of Christ, to bee the onely meanes for euer of attonement and peace betwixt God and vs. It is alwaies vsed in Scripture to note Gods immutable purpose, and setled determination that shall neuer be reuersed. For the wordes of God some­times implie conditions and exceptions, and hee saith, thus and thus it shall be, but with limitation, namely, things con­tinuing as they be: but so, that if the case be altered with vs, he will also after the course of his dealing towards vs. Thus he saith by the prophet Ieremie, Ier. 1 [...].7. I will speake sodainely against a nation or against a kingdome to placke it vp, and to roote it out and to destroie it. But if this nation against whom I haue pronoun­ced, turne from their wickednesse, I will repent of the plague that I thought to bring vpon them. And I will speake sodainely concer­ning a nation and a kingdome to builde it, and to plant it. But if it [Page 52]doe euill in my sight, and heare not my voice, I will repent of the good that I thought to do for them. According to the tenure of these wordes God saide of Niniue; Ion. 3.4. Yet fortie daies, and Ni­niue shall be destroied, when notwithstanding vpon their re­pentance God spared them, and turned backe his hande, whereby hee had threatned to destroy them. On the other side God speaketh vnto Eli thus, 1. Sam. 2.30. I saide that thine house, and the house of thy father shoulde walke before me for euer: but nowe the Lord saith, It shall not be so; for them that honour me I will ho­nour, and they that despise me, shall be despised. Thus the wordes of God sometimes though in termes they seeme absolute, yet in meaning are conditionall, and whether they bee for good or euill, they stande or fall according to the good or euill that they finde in vs. But where God putteth to his oath, there is no reuocation, and what he hath once sworne, he neuer re­penteth him thereof, nor goeth back from it. And indeede God neuer repenteth him of any thing, God indeed ne­uer repenteth him: the repen­tance that is at­tributed vnto him is some change in his actions, no change in him­selfe. whether spoken with oath or without oath, but bicause, where the actions & doings of God are altered towards vs, there seemeth to vs to be some alteration in God himselfe, the scripture in this case by the phrase of repentance somewhat submitteth it selfe to our con­ceite, when as indeed God, foreseeing all things before they come to passe, and Act. 15.18. knowing all his works from the beginning of the world, doth nothing but Esa. 25.1. according to his counsells of old; nothing but what from euerlasting he had decreed and pur­posed with himselfe. But in those things, wherein the oath of God is vsed, there is no shew of variablenesse nor shadow of change, but his words and deeds both in semblance and sub­stance are perpetuall and euerlasting.

4 And to this vsage of an oath God for our sakes vouch­laseth to submit himselfe, Why God y [...]ld­eth [...]arre vn­to vs to vse an [...]ath. the more to stirre vs vp to the em­bracing of his wordes, and the more strongly to chalenge and hinde our credite and assent to those thinges which he spea­keth. Now strange it is that God should need to sweare, and that his worde whereby he made the world, should not in the worlde be sufficiently beleeued without an oath. But because he seeketh our saluation, he laboureth by all meanes to pre­uaile with vs that wee may hearken vnto him. And as for Marcions cauill that it is an indignitie for God to sweare, Tertullian answereth: Tertu [...] [...]nt. Ma [...]ion [...]. 2. There is nothing vnwoorthie of God, [Page 53]that furthereth man to beleeue God. The things that are necessa­rie for man, are woorthy of God, because there is nothing so woorthy of God, as the saluation of man is.

God sweareth sometimes in iudgement, sometimes in mercy.5 God therefore vseth an oath, sometimes in threatning of iudgement, sometimes in prounsing of mercy: sometimes in extreme wrath and furie, sometimes in compassion and lo­uing kindnesse. The one way it is matter of extreme hor­rour and dread; the other of singular and vnspeakeable com­fort. When God sweareth in wrath, what is his oath but the sealing vp of irreuocable damnation? the verie opinion whereof is sufficient to astonish our harts, and to confound all the senses and powers both of bodie and soule. For what is it but euen hell it selfe for a man to conceiue that he hath God for his vowed and sworne enimie, who by his oath hath bounde himselfe to destroy him, so that now there is no re­medie but to vndergo that iudgement, at which the angels themselues do tremble and quake, and are not able to stande vnder the burden of it? Thus when the people of Israell pro­uoked the Lord, and increased their rebellions from day to day, the Lord was so farre mooued at length, that Psal. 95.11. he sware in his wrath, that they should not enter into his rest. When by his prophet he called them to Esa. 22.12. weeping and mourning and sack­cloth, that by their repentance they might pacifie the Lord, and they contrariwise as it were to despight the Lord gaue themselues to ioy and gladnesse, slaying oxen and killing sheepe, ea­ting flesh and drinking wine, and in scorne of the prophets words cheered one another, saying, Let vs eate and drinke, for to mor­row we shall die, the Lord saied vnto them in forme of an oath: Vers. 14. If this iniquitie be purged from you till ye die. Which Hebrew maner of swearing if we will expresse, it is as much as to say: As truly as I liue, or am a iust and righteous God, this iniquity shall neuer be purged from you till ye die. Thus the prophet Amos mentioning their extreme cruelty towards the poore, inferreth thereupon, Amos 8.7. The Lord hath sworne by the excellency of Iacob, that he will neuer forget any of their workes. These are fearefull speeches, and being pronounced of others, they are written to instruct and admonish vs that we doe not by ob­stinate and wilfull rebellion prouoke the Lord and vrge him from day to day by our proud and insolent contempt and des­pising of his words, least whilest we abuse his patience to far, [Page 54]we cause him to sweare our destruction, and to set his oath as an euerlasting bar betwixt him and vs. He will haue vs to vn­derstand that it is not in vaine that he threatneth the sinfull man, and if his word be not enough, he sheweth vs that he voweth and sweareth the confusion of them that will not be reclaimed. Let vs therefore be wise in time, and learne here­by to feare the Lord; that we bring not this remeadilesse and dreadfull iudgment vpon our owne heads.

The [...]ath of God for the saluation of the saithfull.6 Now God as he hath sworne the destruction of the wic­ked, so hath he also sworne the saluatiō of them that beleeue and obey him. The foundation of which saluation he here lai­eth with an oath, confirming thereby the priesthood of Iesus Christ, not so much to assure the same vnto Christ himselfe as to settle in vs an assurance of comfort to be receiued thereby. For God seeing our weakenesse to be such that we haue need of all maner of props and staies to hold vs vp, would haue his purpose of grace and life by Christ to be testified vnto vs not onely by his word and promise, but also by his oath, that whatsoeuer impediments might seeme to hinder that which we haue beleeued through Christ, yet nothing should shake vs from faith and hope, because we haue to doe with him, who being able to doe whatsoeuer he will, will not be found a liar in his word, much lesse forsworne and periured in his oath. Heb. 6.17. God, saith the author of the epistle to the Hebrewes, willing the more abundantly to shew vnto the heires of promise the stable­nesse of his counsell, bound himselfe by an oath, that by two immuta­ble things wherein it is impossible that God should he, that is, his promise and his oath, we might haue strong consolation which haue our refuge to hold fast the hope that is set before vs, &c. The reason then why God sweareth vnto vs is that we should re­ceiue strength of comfort thereby, resting assured that our Rom. 5.5. hope shall neuer shame vs, and that there is no more possibili­ty that it should deceiue vs, then it is possible for God to for­sweare himselfe. What comfort and assarance we are to conceine of the oath of God as touching our sa [...]uation.

7 This is his kindenesse towards those that are his: this is his fatherly care, to comfort and vpholde vs in the assured hope and expectation of his mercies. Which mercy of God in thus condescending to our weakenesse and frailtie, we are to apply to the stablishing of our faith, and to the arming of our consciences against al temptation of distrustful and per­plexed [Page 55]feare. He hath bound himselfe vnto vs by his coue­nant and promise, by writing and seale, and as if all this were not enough, he hath added his oath also. By all these meanes he hath confirmed vnto vs his blessing, the forgiuenesse of our sinnes, the assistance of his grace, the protection of his hande, the continuance of his loue, and the blessed hope of euerlasting life. What is it therefore that shoulde quaile our faith, or discomfort the hope that God hath giuen vnto vs? Sinne is offensiue and displeasing vnto God; the diuell is mightie and strong; hell pleadeth a right, whereby it chalen­geth vs to it selfe: our consciences by any merite of our owne cannot pleade the contrarie: but neither the offence of sinne, nor the power of Satan, nor the pleading of hels title, nor the subscribing of our owne consciences to the confession of our owne guilt can so much preuaile as to bring God to the denying of himselfe, & to the violating of his oath, where­by he hath bound himselfe to forgiue their sinnes, and to saue them from hell and from the diuell that doe beleeue in him. Hierony. epi [...] ad Rusticum. If wee beleeue not God vpon his promise, saith Saint Hierome, yet let vs at least beleeue him when he sweareth for our saluation. The oath of God is a sure foundation; builde thy selfe vpon it and thou shalt neuer be remooued. Thus God comforteth the repentant man, Ezech. 33.11. As I liue saith the Lorde, I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked should iurne from his way and liue. If God then haue touched thy hart with true repentance, why doubtest thou of thy selfe, seeing God hath not onely saide but sworne that thy life is the thing that hee desireth and delighteth in? Thus hee comforteth the faithfull afflicted soule: Isa. 54.9.10. As I haue sworne that the waters of Noah shall no more goe ouer the earth, so haue I sworne that I will not be angrie with thee nor rebuke thee: For the mountaines shall remooue, and the billes shall fall downe, but my mercie shall not de­part from thee, neither shall the conenant of my peace fall awaie, saith the Lord that hath compassion on thee. This is the comfort that God yeeldeth, not onely to his church in generall, but in particular also to euery member thereof, that the coue­nant of his peace shall stande in [...]e with them, that his mercie shall neuer faile them; that bee will neuer cease to Icrein 31.3. loue them, as another prophet saith, With an euerlasting loue.

8 The papists ouerthrow the comfort that God off [...]r [...]th vnto vs by his oath.Another maner of comfort then we can receiue by the doctrine of the papists, who make the promise of God & his oath altogither idle and of none effect, teaching vs no other faith or hope to be conceiued thereof, but such as leaueth vs hanging betwixt heauen & hel, & more perplexed with feare the diuell; then reioycing in the perswasion of the loue of of God. A man with them may not be fully perswaded in his hart that he hath receiued the grace of God or founde fauour in his sight. It is too much presumption for a man to thinke that he is beloued of God, or hath obtained the forgiuenesse of his sinnes. Which what is it else but to set a man vpon a racke, and to waue him and tosse him to and fro, anguished and vexed betwixt doubtfull hope and tormenting feare? How farre is this from that resolution and ioy of faith where­unto the holy Ghost instructeth vs, which mounting vp a­boue the skies, and laying it selfe in the lappe of Iesus Christ, contemneth the world, and defieth the power of Satan, and walking in the garden of holie Scriptures, gathereth heere and there the sweete flowers of inward peace, and solaceth it selfe with that which it readeth; Esa. 25.1. O Lord, thou art my God, I will exalt thee. 2. Tim. 1.12. edit. vulg. I knowe whom I haue beleeued, and I am sure enough. Iob. 19.25. I know that my redeemer liueth, Cor. 5.1. and though the earth­ly house of this tabernacle be destroied, yet I shall haue a building that is of God, an house not made with handes, but eternall in hea­uen. In the meane time the Hebr. 13.5.6. Lord is on my side, he wil not faile me nor forsake me, I will not feare what man can do vnto me. Yea who or what Rom. 8.35. shal separate vs frō the loue of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakednes, or perill, or sword? Nay, I stande perswaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor thinges to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. 2. Tim 4.18. He will deliuer me from euery euill worke, and will preserue mee vnto his heauenly kingdome. Hee hath sworne vnto me, and how shoulde I distrust his mercie? Though the whole worlde were against me and all that is therein, and though I knowe there be enough in me for which he may refuse me, yet I know nothing can weaken or impeach the truth of God, to make him depart from his oath, and to cast me away that put my trust in him.

9 The office of priesthood in­tendeth attone­ment and peace betwixt God and man.It followeth now in the second place to consider of the office it selfe that is here confirmed, which is, the office of priesthood. The office of priesthood serueth for mediation and attonement betwixt God and man, which is perfourmed by offering gifts and sacrifices in the name of satisfaction for sinne, and for appeasing the wrath of God conceiued against sinne. To which purpose it serueth which we read to the He­brewes; Heb. 5.1. Euery high priest is ordeined for men in things pertei­ning to God that be may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sinne. The occasion then of priesthood is the sinne of man, who by his dis­obedience hath deuided and stranged himselfe from God, and is become the enemy of God. To make peace betwixt God and man, and to bring man againe to God somewhat must be yeelded that may stand for lue and recōpence of the offence and trespasse by man committed against God. And this the heathens themselues in some part conceiued, either by light of vnderstanding, or as it is more likely by tradition receiued from the patriarches and fathers; from whose faith and fellowship they deuided themselues, but yet retained some shadowes and corrupt imitations of their deuotions, which they applied to the seruice and worship of idolls and false gods of their owne deuising. Whence it is that Tertullian speaketh as of a policy of satan to giue countenance vnto sa­criledge and idolatry: Tertul. de praescript. adu. haer. Ipsas quoqueres sacramentorum diui­norum in idolorum mysterys aemulatur. In the misteries of idolls he counterfeiteth the matters of Gods sacraments. They had there­fore their priests and priesthoods, their rites and cerimonies of sacrifices and offerings whereby to pacifie their angry gods, and to win fauour at their hands. But those Gods were indeed deuills, and those sacrifices and ceremonies nothing else but a horrible deprauing and prophaning of the worship and ser­uice appointed by God, whereby the deuill was honoured and serued vnder the name of God. The onely true piesthood is that that is established by God, and hath his word for the warrant of it: all other priests with all their deuises prouoke the wrath of God, but to pacifie it they can do nothing.

10 Three things to be regarded in him that shall be a pri [...]st for attonement betwixt God and man.Now in him that shall be truely called a priest to make peace and attonement betwixt God and vs, there are three things to bee considered; the excellencie of his person; the woorthinesse of his sacrifice, and the vertue of his praier; in [Page 58]any of which if there bee any defect, there can nothing bee done auaileable on our behalfe. As touching his person he must be in condition & qualitie far superior vnto other men, meete for his greatnes, puritie and holines to appeere before the glorious maiestie of the most high God. The rule of the Law standeth good in this case; Cuius persona non placet, nec catera placent: Where the person is not approoued, nothing else can be accepted. Gen. 4.4.5. The Lord had respect to Abel first, and there­fore to his offring; but he had no regard to Cain; and therefore to Cains offering he had no regard. Whereupon Saint Bernard saith Bernard. in Cant. ser. 24. Quid miraris, O Cain, si ad munera tua non respicit, quite despicit? Why marueilest thou, Cain, that he hath no respect to thy offerings, seeing he despiseth thy selfe. So it is in this case; he can­not be a priest to make attonement for others that admitteth any exception against himselfe. Secondly, as the person of the sacrificer; so the woorthinesse of the sacrifice is to bee re­garded; that it be fit to be offered vnto God, and of sufficient price and value to counteruaile the trespasse for satisfaction whereof it is performed. For whatsoeuer the person be, yet if he offer not vnto God that that is woorthy of God, his sacri­fice is not admitted, neither can he thereby purchase remis­sion and forgiuenesse of sinnes. Thirdly on the excellency of his person, and worthinesse of his sacrifice dependeth the ver­tue and acceptation of his praier. For he cannot by praier pre­sent himselfe vnto God as an intercessour and mediatour for vs, who himselfe standeth subiect to chalenge either for the vnworthinesse of his person, or for the basenesse of his offe­ring. But he that answereth both these conditions, his praier is of force to obtaine grace and mercy for them that commit themselues vnto him. They that teach any priesthood truely, and in it selfe effectuall and auaileable for the forgiuenesse of sinnes, in which these three conditions are not satisfied, they teach not the truth of God but their owne deuise, and there­by deceiue both themselues and other men.

11 The priesthood of the Iewes not auail [...]able in it selfe to giue for-g [...]nes of sins.There was indeed a priesthood amongst the Iewes esta­blished by God himselfe, which yet notwithstanding coulde not worke attonement and peace with God, because these three conditions were not found therein. The persons that ministred in that priesthoode were by lawe tied to certaine outward obseruations, and by rites & ceremonies of apparell [Page 59]and diet, of washings, and purifyings, and annointings, &c. were in some sort separated from other men: but as touching inward qualitie, where the eie of God looketh, they were the same that other men; sinners, weake, vnwoorthie to appeere in the sight of God, and therefore were bound to offer not onely Heb. 7 27. for the peoples sinnes, but for their owne also. Againe their sacrifices were not such as might yeelde any due satisfaction for sinne. For it Heb. 10.4. was vnpossible, as we reade, that the bloud of bulles and goats shoulde take way sinne. A man hauing committed trespasse brought his offring to the priest. He laied his hande vpon the head of the sacrifice as it were there to lay his sinne. The brute and dumbe creature was slaine, as if it had done the trespasse. But what could the bloud of a brute beast auaile to acquite the conscience of him that had offended indeed? It was a testimonie that he had sinned, because in that name it was slaine, but purgation of sinne it could yeeld none, and the vttermost that it could doe was but Heb. 9.13. to sanctifie as touching the purifying of the flesh, & to perform an outward satisfaction to the church. Therefore the praier that was grounded vpon these sacrifices could not be effectuall or strong enough to entreat and mooue the maiestie of God. And hence it is that the authour to the Hebrewes saith, that Heb. 7.18. that priesthood was disanulled for the weakenes and vnprofitable­nes thereof: calling it weake and vnprositable as it is considered meerely in it selfe without respect vnto Iesus Christ figured & shadowed therein. For al the vse and benefit thereof stood in the reference that it had vnto the priesthoode heere esta­blished, which by the oath of God is appropriated for euer vnto Iesus Christ. Thou art the priest. The priest in that priest­hood was accepted with God as in figure & bearing the per­son of this priest. The sacrifices there were called attone­ments, as implying respectiuely his oblation and sacrifice of himselfe. The praier of the priest there was heard for the peo­ple as vttered in the name of this mediatour, and depending vpon the intercession that he should make. The truth of priesthood for forgiuenesse of sinnes belon­geth onely vnto Iesus Christ.

12 Therefore the soueraignty of priesthood belongeth pro­perly vnto the sonne of God, vnto Iesus Christ who is in that respect called Heb. 9.15. the mediatour of the new testament wherein God hath promised forgiuenesse of sinnes. The excellency of whose person to that purpose the holy ghost in sundry places [Page 60]describeth; as that Col. 1.15. he is the image of the inuisible God; the first borne of euery creature; by whom all things were created, both in heauen and in earth, both visible things and inuisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalitics, or powers, &c. And againe, that he is Heb. 1.2.3. the heire of all things; that by him the world was made; that he is the brightnes of the glory of God, and the ingraued forme of his person; bearing vp all things by the power of his word; vers. 4. more excellent then the angels, &c. Thus Saint Iohn also beginneth his gospel, as at the first to shew the greatnes of him of whom he writeth, Ioh. 1.1. In the beginning was the worde, and the worde was with God, and that worde was God, &c. All things were made by it &c. In it was life, &c. vers. 14. We saw the glory thereof as the glorie of the onely begotten of the father, &c. In this glory the holie Scripture setteth him foorth vnto vs that we may vnderstand that seeing he is the sonne of God there is in his person no defect, but all sufficient perfection for the performance of this worke. There was no exception for the father to take against the person of his onely begotten sonne, his owne image, being the same that he himselfe is, because this were al one as to take exception against himselfe. If in God there be worth enough to make attonement for man, then is there enough in Iesus Christ, because Christ is the sonne of God.

13 Christ our priest not onely accor­ding to has man­hood but also ac­cording to his godhead.Which foundatiō they greatly shake who rest the priest­hood and mediation of Christ in his humane nature onely, and yeelde not vnto the godhead any part in this executi­on, whereas the whole power and vertue of that that Christ in his manhood hath done for vs, ariseth from the godhead; the respect whereof being set aside, nothing that he hath done can be of sufficient force to worke our peace and to bring vs vnto God. And therefore hence doth the scripture teach vs to esteeme the force and power of the sufferings of Christ, for that it is Act. 20 2 [...]. God that hath purchased vs with his owne bloud, and 1. Cor. 2.8. the Lord of glory that was crucified for vs, not onely by vni­ty of person, but by act of priesthood & mediation, whilest as he is the sonne of God, he hath giuen himselfe in his manhood to be thus cruelly entreated for our sakes. Which the holy ghost very expresly teacheth vs when he saith that Christ, not onely by the will and worke of his humane nature, but Heb. 9.14. by his eternall spirit offered himselfe vnto God. For if by his eternall spirit, that is, the power of his godhead he offered himselfe, how [Page 61]can it be denied but that by the same eternall spirit and god­head he hath performed the worke and office of a priest. So when the Apostle saith that 2. Cor. 5.19. God was in Christ reconciling the world vnto himselfe he plainely sheweth that the godhead of Christ was an agent in this reconciliation, and adioyned it selfe not onely as a part of the person, but as a partaker of the worke, to effect this attonement betwixt God and man. Therefore Saint Ambrose saith that he is Ambros. in 1. Tim. cap. 2. ex vtroque media­tor; a mediatour in both respects as he is both God and man. And more plainely he speaketh in another place that in Heb. cap. 7. Christ both in his godhead and in his manhood being a mediatour for euer be­twixt God and man, is alwaies liuing to make intercession for vs. So Saint Austen likewise saith that August. orat. cont. Iudae. paga. & Arianos. c. 8. Christ whole man and God, the word, the soule and the flesh one Christ is made a mediatour for vs. To be short when the auncient August. cons. lib. 10. cap. 42. Chrysost. Theo­doret. Theophy. Oecumen. in 1. Tim. cap. 2. fathers teach that Christ in that he is the priest and mediatour betwixt God and man, is and needs must be partaker with them both, and so both God and man, what is it but a meere contradiction to affirme that Christ according to his godhead is not a mediatour?

14 Christ himselfe not our priest onely, but also our sacrifice.Now that the sonne of God our mediatour and priest might haue a meete sacrifice to offer in our behalfe, he tooke vnto him our body and flesh and demeaned himselfe to the condition of our nature, which although in it selfe it be but of small price to offer vnto God, yet being ioyned into one per­son with the sonne of God, becommeth thereby of infinite woorth, because it is the body of the sonne of God. For we cannot doubt but that the body of the sonne of God, the suf­ferings and death of the sonne of God are a sufficient expiati­on & redemption of the sins of men. As therefore against the priest, so against the sacrifice there is no exception, because the priest himselfe is also the sacrifice. For it is otherwise here thē in the former priesthood of Aaron, bicause there the priest was one thing and the sacrifice another; but here the priest and sacrifice are both one, whilest Christ himselfe the son of God Tit. 2.14. giueth himselfe for vs, & Heb. 7.27. offereth vp himselfe, & Heb. 9 26. putteth away our sins by the sacrifice of himselfe. Seing therfore both the priest & the sacrifice are of so infinit worth & value, The intercession of Christ auaile able by has owne woorth. the praier of mediation which this priest vttereth by vertue of the sacri­fice which he hath offered, cannot but be in the highest de­gree acceptable to the Lord, and make them accepted also [Page 62]whom thereby he commendeth to the Lord. Such was the praier that Iesus Christ powred foorth vnto his father imme­diately before his passion, beholding now in spirit the accep­tation of the sacrifice which he was about to offer, and by ver­tue thereof entreating and making intercession for them for whom he offered; not onely his Apostles, but all that Ioh. 17.24. the fa­ther had giuen vnto him, and vers. 20. by their word should beleene in him. Who afterward hauing finished all things which he had to do and to suffer for vs here on earth, ascended into heauen, there thence foorth to doe the office of a priest Heb. 9.24. by appeering in the sight of God for vs.

Christ ascended into heauen still continurth a priest for vs and for euer.15 For he hath not by his ascending into heauen put of the care of his redeemed, or left them to themselues, but euen yet he sitteth at the right hand of God to plead our cause, and to be our me diatour, that by his intercession our sinnes may be forgiuen vs; the loue and fauour of God may be yeelded vn­to vs, and our praiers may be gracious and acceptable in his sight. And what is his verie sitting at the right hande of God in that flesh wherein he hath performed the satisfaction and attonement for our sinnes, but a continuall remembring the Lord of that that in the same flesh he hath done for vs, there­by as it were with strong and mightie voice crauing for vs mercie and grace, and the defence of Gods blessed hande to preserue & keepe vs vntill he bring vs vnto that inheritance whereunto he hath redeemed vs. And this continuall inter­cession for vs the prophet heere noteth, in that he saith, that he is appointed to be a priest for euer. For where as in the for­mer testament the priests could not cōtinue Heb. 7.23.24 by the reason of death, this man, because hee endureth euer, hath an euerlasting priesthood. There is one died, another came in place, and by succession of priests was the continuance of that priesthood: but this priest needeth no successour, because although hee once died, yet being raised againe from the dead, hee liueth for euer, and is euer present with God by himselfe to doe the office that hee hath taken vpon him to make intercession for vs.

Christ a priest after the order of Melchisedec.16 And this eternitie of priesthood is againe implied in that that he addeth that Christ is a priest after the order of Mel­chisedec. Of which fully to speake would require a long dis­course, but I wil briefly knit vp that which is most needful to [Page]be spoken. In the holy scripture therefore we read of two or­ders of priesthood, & only two, Two orders of priesthood. the one Heb. 7.11. the order of Aaron, the other as heere we reade, the order of Melchisedec. The order of Aaron, togither with the earthly tabernacle was but Hebr. 9.9.10. a figure for that time, whereby were offered gifts & sacrifices that could not make holy concerning the conscience him that did the seruice, which onely stoode in meates and drinkes, and diuers washings and carnall rites, Heb. 7.19. which made nothing perfect, but ser­ued onely for an introduction to abetter hope, and to Gal. 3.24. schoole men vnto Christ. Which hauing but the Heb. 10.1. shadowe of good things to come, when for the time it had serued the vse whereunto it was appointed, and now the truth and substance was reuea­led in Iesus Christ, ceased vtterly and became of none effect, and profited them nothing at all that were exercised therein. There remaineth therefore thence foorth no other priesthood faue onely the order of Melchisedech, the title where of resteth onely and entirely in Iesus Christ.

The figure of Melchisedec how it is to be applied.17 For the application of which figure of Melchisedec if we will goe safely we must tread no other steps but those which the holy ghost hath marked out vnto vs: as for mens presum­tions we cannot safely build vpon them, neither is their word any warrant to iustifie vnto vs their owne conceipts. What there is in the story of Melchisedec to be applied vnto Iesus Christ the holy ghost in the seuenth to the Hebrews prosecu­teth at large. And first in his name and titles we may see the whole mysterie of Christ briefely comprised. For Iesus Christ is indeed the true Melchisedec, that is by interpretation Heb. 7.2. king of righteousnesse, not onely for that he is righteous himselfe, but because he is as the prophet calleth him Ier. 23.6. the Lord our righte­ousnesse, who 2. Cor. 5.21. when he knew no sinne was made sinne for vs, that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him: whose peo­ple are called Esa. 61.3. trees of righteousnesse, the planting of the Lord, bringing foorth the Phil. 1.11. fruites of righteousnesse to the glory and praise of God. He is also Heb. 7.2. king of Salem, that is, king of peace, accor­dingly as the prophet also tearmeth him Esa. 9.6. the prince of peace, because he is the procurer and mainteiner of our peace; at whose birth the angells sound out Luc. 2.14. peace vpon earth; who go­ing to his death bequeathed vnto his a legacy of peace; Joh. 14.27. peace I leaue with you: my peace I giue vnto you: whose Eph. 2 17. preaching was peace both to far and neere: Col, 1.20. by whom the father hath reconciled [Page 64]all things to himselfe, and set at peace both the things in heauen and the things in earth by the bloud of his crosse. So that vnder the re­giment of this king we may boldly say; Eth. 2.14. He is our peace; R [...]m. 5.1. be­ing iustified by faith we haue peace towards God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Furthermore as Melchisedec, so Iesus Christ is the priest of the most highest God. And this on the one part the holy ghost mentioneth indefinitely that Melchisedec was the priest of the most high God, but what was the ceremonie of his priesthood, or what sacrifice he offered, he expresseth not, and therefore for vs to determine any thing thereof is but rash­nesse, neither may we straine the comparison further then the word of God giueth vs way and warrant so to do.

The papists falsly resolue of the sacri­fice of Mel­chisedec.18 The papists take vpon them to resolue out of the storie of Moses what the sacrifice of Melchisedec was, and by a cor­rupt and false translation auouch that Gen. 14.18. hee offered bread and wine, which they say was a figure of their masse, and woulde thereby prooue that in their masse is a verie reall and actuall sacrifice done of the verie body and bloud of Iesus Christ, ser­uing to purchase forgiuenesse of sinnes both for quicke and dead. But the premisses are to short to inferre a conclusion so large, and it is no argument to say, Melchisedec offered bread and wine, therefore Christ hath appointed vs to offer a sacri­fice of his very body and bloud in the likenesse and forme of bread and wine. For to yeeld them their owne translation, what gaine they thereby if wee say that Melchisedec offered these things to Abraham by way of curtesie, not to God by way of mysterie. And heereunto in part S. Ambrose leadeth vs, saying that Ambrose de sacram. li. 4. c. 3. Abraham came from the sight a conquerour, and Melchisedec the priest mette him, and offered vnto him bread and wine. To offer bread and wine to Abraham, was no matter of sacrifice vnto God. But indeed the translation is false, and their collection woorse, neither is the Hebrew worde anie where in the Scriptures founde to signifie the offering of a sa­crifice. The true reading is, Melchisedec brought foorth bread and wine. And so Mieron. in quest. Hebra­icis in Genesim. & epist. ad Fuagrium. Saint Ierome translateth; and giueth the reason of bringing foorth bread and wine, namely, for the re­freshing both of Abraham himselfe and also of his men of warre. So saith Ambros, in epist [...]ad Heb. cap. 7. Saint Ambrose also in the very same wordes, So other of the fathers reade the wordes, and the verie euident truth thereof made Pagnine and Arias Montanus to translate [Page 65]the place as we doe, though they were papists and earnestlie deuoted vnto the Church of Rome: yea, they vary heere­in from the vulgar Latine translation, which by the Councell of Trent they haue decreed to be onely authenticall and of authoritie in the Church. It appeereth therefore that this place yeeldeth little helpe or life to their sacrifice of the masse, and weake is that building that hath no better a foun­dation to rest vpon. And surely woonder it were that the Apostle to the Hebrewes professing to drawe them forward from the Heb. 6.1. first principles of Christian doctrine to the perfecti­on thereof, & to that purpose treating precisely of the priest­hood of Melchisedec, and applying the same vnto Christ, shoulde omit this matter of sacrifice, if there were any mat­ter in it, and not so much as intimate any thing thereof, which the papists woulde make vs beleeue is the chiefest and most important matter of all other. But the silence of the holie Ghost condemneth their sentence of wilfulnesse and presumption.

The fathers make Melchi­sedecs bread and wine an allusion to the Lords supper, but no proofe of the popish masse.19 Neither are they any whit benefited by that which the auncient fathers haue spoken of this matter, who from this story of Melchisedec gathered indeed an allusion vnto the sa­crament of the Lords supper, but to no other purpose saue onely to shew that Melchisedec bringing foorth bread and wine did betoken that Christ should institute a sacrament in bread & wine for a signe and remembrance of his body and bloud. This Saint Hierom declareth when handling Christes institution of the sacrament he saith Hieron. in Mat. cap. 6. Christ taketh bread and goeth to the true sacrament of the passeouer that as Melchisedec the priest of the high God in presiguring of him offering bread and wine had done, so he himselfe also might represent the trueth of his body and bloud. No more did they conceiue done either before by Melchisedec or afterward by Christ, but onely by bread and wine to represent the veritie and truth of his body and bloud. But of the turning of the bread and wine into the verie body and bloud of Christ, and offering the same really and substantially in sacrifice vnto GOD, neither did Melchisedec prefigure any thing, neither haue they affirmed any thing, neither doeth the Scripture teach vs any thing that wee shoulde beleeue the same. To bee short let vs not bee wise beyond that that God hath taught [Page 66]vs: let it suffice vs for this point to beleeue that Melchisedec king of Salem was also the priest of the most high God and so both king and priest, and therein aboue all other a most Iiuely figure of Iesus Christ. If we go further we go in the dark, and it is not likely that we should keepe the way.

20 It is further to be added that as Melchisedec to Abra­ham, so Christ to his hath pronounced Mat. 5.3. & Iu [...]. 6.20. &c. bleshing, and Eph. 1.3. in him God the father hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauen­ly things. As Abraham paied tithes of all to Melchisedec the priest, so we must pay and yeeld all to the high priest of our profession Iesus the sonne of God. Melchisedec and Christ how vnderstood to be without fa­ther, without mother, &c. Melchisedec is described without father, without mother, without beginning of daies or end of life: which is not simply to be vnderstood, but according to that maner as the scripture setteth him foorth vnto vs, which so dainly bringeth him in as the priest of the high God mee­ting Abraham and blessing him, and neither before nor after mentioneth him any more, as if he were a man sodainly come from heauen, and sodainely returned thither againe, and not to be counted in the genealogie of the fathers. For if we vn­derstand it simplie and barely as it soundeth, we cannot fit it vnto Iesus Christ, who is not altogither without father or mo­ther, &c. but, as saith Saint Ierome, Hierony. in Psal. 110. all Ecclesiasticall writers haue saied, that he is saied to bee without father according to his manhood, without mother and kinred according to his godhead, and therein also without beginning of daies or end of life. Therefore as Melchisedec for any thing we reade, so Christ verily and indeed continueth a priest for euer, seeing he euer liueth as was before saide, to make intercession for vs.

The honour of priesthood pro­per vnto Iesus Christ.21 Nowe of all that hath beene spoken this is the summe, that the honour of priesthood for propitiation and attone­ment for sinne belongeth onely vnto Iesus Christ; that hee alone it is who for the greatnesse of his person, and for the woorthinesse of his sacrifice, and for the power of his inter­cession is sufficient to be our mediatour vnto God: that hee onely answereth that that was figured in Melchisedec, being for vs both a king and a priest, The sufficiencie of the priest­hood of Christ is the condem­nation of the popish priest­hood. in whom we haue righteous­nes and peace and blisse; who neuer ceaseth to stande and pleade for vs before the throne of God. Seeing then hee is thus alsufficient in himselfe, and abideth euer with God to performe in our behalfe the office of a priest, wee learne [Page 67]heereby to looke to another priest, or mediatour, but onely to him, & therefore to cōdemne the popish priesthood togi­her with all their strange intercessiōs of sacriledge & blasphe­mie, as tending to the derogation of the priesthood of Christ, and to the impeachment of that sacrifice and attonement that he hath performed for vs. The popish priesthood of no order ap­pointed by God, and there­fore not of God. Of whom it may be demaun­ded by what order it is that they take vpon them to bee priests, and to offer sacrifice for forgiuenesse of sinnes. The Scriptures as before is saide, name vnto vs onely two orders of priesthood, of which theirs is neither. The order of Aaron they will not chalenge vnto themselues: the order of Mel­chisedec they dare not, because it is noted to be the peculiar and soueraigne royaltie of the sonne of God. Or if they dare (as indeed what dare they not to serue their turne?) how or with what colour can they fitte themselues to that order? for to be a priest after the order of Melchisedec is to be both king and priest; and to be a priest Heb. 7.3. continuing for euer: without fa­ther, without mother, &c. But these things cannot be applied to popish priests. Therefore priests according to the order of Melchisedec they cannot be. If neither according to Aa­ron, nor according to Melchisedec, then their priesthood is not of God, but they are priests of their owne making, and therefore hatefull vnto God.

The popish priesthood im­peacheth and disgraceth the priesthood of Christ. 22 And so much the rather, for that by this their vsurped priesthood they vilifie and disgrace the priesthood which God by his oath hath established for euer in Iesus Christ. For what doe they but mainely detract from the excellencie of his person when in offering sacrifice for sinne they match & mate with him euery varlet and pesaunt to whom it pleaseth any Romish bishop to giue imposition of hands, and make them priestes to appeere before God, and to make attone­ment for sinne, whom men woulde scant thinke woorthie enough for the wiping of their shooes, or the keeping of their swine? The sacrifice of his crosse & that Heb. 7.27. & 9.12.26. & 10.10.12.14. once offering of him­selfe, which onely and without any second offering the scrip­ture commendeth vnto vs, teaching vs that thereby we Heb. 10.10.14 are sanctified and perfited vnto God, so that wee haue no neede of any further offering, what doe they but disgrace as vnsushci­ent when they make a necessitie of offring him vp in sacrifiec euery day to purchase thereby forgiuenesse of sinnes both for [Page 68]quicke and dead: and when the holy Ghost most expressely saith that Heb. 9.24.25. he is entred into heauen to appeere in the sight of God for vs, not that hee shoulde offer himselfe often, doe yet not­withstanding teach that being in heauen he often and euery day Rhem. Tesia. Annot. Heb. 7.23. concurreth with their priests as the Rhemists speake, to offer vp himselfe? His intercession they haue made in a man­ner frustrate and voide by putting in his place other inter­cessours and mediatours by whome they haue perswaded themselues to haue more ready accesse vnto God, euen as many as there are saints to be found in heauen: as if Christ were either vnwilling or vnable to procure them fauour with God; or were asleepe and had forgotten either the office committed vnto him, or this promise whereby as before was noted he hath assured vs in this sort: Ioh. 14 13. Whatsoeuer ye aske the father in my name, I will doe it, that the father may be glorified in the sonne: teaching vs to vse no other but onely his owne name because God in this behalfe hath chosen to be glorified nei­ther in Peter nor Paul nor in the virgin Mary but onely in his sonne. To discourse these points at large would be too long and tedious, but thus in a word they rob Christ so much as in them lieth of that honour which God the father by an irre­uocable oath hath confirmed vnto him, and make the word of God of none effect by communicating that to other which the father hath vowed shalbe proper vnto him alone. And horrible is the iniquitie and villanie that from time to time they haue committed vnder the pretence of this priesthood, even 2. Pet. 2.1.3. denying the Lord that hath bought them and through co­uetousnesse with famed words buying and selling and making mer­chandise of the Renel. 18.13. soules of men; and whilest they fed them with an opinion of forgiuenesse of sinnes by their priesthood and sacrifice, bereauing them of forgiuenesse of sinnes which they should haue found indeede in the bloud of Iesus Christ. Let vs not be partakers of their error, but refusing all other priest­hood and mediation let vs cleaue vnto that onely which God hath ordeined in the person of Iesus Christ. He hath Heb. 1.3. by him­selfe purged our sinnes and perfectly fulfilled the worke of re­conciliation which was committed vnto him of the father he needeth no aslistants or helpers in this behalfe. The comfort that we receiue by the priest­hood of Christ.

23 But of all this a singular comfort is ministred vnto vs. For seing we haue such an high priest, so glorious and great in [Page 69]person; so sufficient in woorth of sacrifice; so gratious in in­tercession, sitting also at the right hand of the maiesty in hea­uen, so neere vnto God, the very sonne of God, what good thing is there that we may not hope for at the hands of God by his meanes? How should we doubt but that God is alwaies ready to yeelde vs fauour and grace comming to him in his name? How may we comfort our selues in affliction and di­stresse lifting vp our eies to heauen and saying, He sitteth in my behalfe at the right hand of God who is able to doe all things for me. His eies are alwaies ouer me, his care is alwaies for me: his mouth is neuer shut from soliciting and pleading my cause with God the father. There is nothing so grieuous in my sinnes but his bloud is able to acquit it: nothing so high in the gifts of God but his intercession is able to obteine it. He hath taken me to be his; he wil not suffer me to perish but will preserue and keepe me for euer. God the father grant vnto vs, &c.

THese verses serue for declaration of that that we read in the first verse. For heere is shewed howe Iesus Christ set vp in the maiestie of his kingdome exerciseth his power for the confusion of them that refuse him for their king, and denie to stoope vnto his scepter, vntill that be performed which is there promised that all his enimies shall bee made his footestoole. This is the generall drift of these wordes; but more particularly we may obserue heere set foorth concerning Iesus Christ the seueritie of his wrath; What points we are to obserue in these three last verses. the extent of his gouernment: his authoritie of iudgement: the prosecution of his victorie: and after all accomplished his triumph and glory. Of all which I will speake as the course of the wordes themselues doth giue occasion.

2 As touching the first, the prophet in the fift verse turning his speech to God the father speaketh to this effest: O Lord, he to whom thou saiedst, sit thou on my right hand, &c. after that thou shalt haue exalted him to that fulnesse of maiestie and power, shall in the day that he shall appoint for the exe­cution of his wrath, strike through and wound with a mortall wound not onely the viler and baser sort and as it were the common souldiers, but euen the captaines themselues, yea the very kings & potentates of the world whosoeuer they be that shall oppose themselues against him, & refuse to yeeld their neckes to the bearing of this yoke. A double end of Christs sitting at the right hand of God. Where at the first sight there is giuen vs occasion to consider a double ende of Christs sitting at the right hand of God. The one concerneth [Page 71]the saluation of his faithfull people: the other the destruction of rebells and enemies. The one yeeldeth great comfort and assurance of hope, and the doctrine thereof is proper to them that beleeue in Iesus Christ, and incline their eares to his words, and apply their feete to walke in his waies, to whom it cannot but yeelde great matter of confidence towards God to bethinke themselues that they haue such an high priest and mediatour as sitteth at the right hand of God in so great ac­ceptation with God; in the height of the glory of God; in all souerainty of power and dominion ouer all creatures both in heauen and earth. Why should I doubt but that my praiers are heard of God, when he that sitteth at the right hand of God is there alwaies ready to intreate for me? Why should I feare least my sinnes condemne me, when he that sitteth at the right hand of God is ready to pleade his satisfaction for my sinnes? What can the deuill do against me when he figh­teth for me that sitteth at the right hand of God? He is my redemption and life that sitteth at the right hand of God and therefore how shall death or hell be able to doe me harme? Who will accuse me, when as he hath acquitted me? who will condemne me seeing he hath sealed a pardon for me? To be short, it is riches in pouertie, health in sicknesse, ioy in sorow, safety in danger, life in death faithfully to remember and har­tely to imbrace Iesus Christ sitting at the right hand of God the father. Blessed is the man whose hart Iesus Christ posses­seth by this faith: but he that accepteth not of this great grace by faith and obedience of the gospel, vnhappy is he and thrise vnhappy howsoeuer according to the course and condition of this world he seeme to be most happy.

3 For Christ as to his that receiue and loue him he is grati­ous and louely, Christs sitting at the right hand of God full of terrour to rebellious and vnthank­full men. and sitteth at the right hand of God for their defence and safety, so to them that vnthankefully refuse him or rebelliously fight against him, is full of terrour and feare, full of wrath and rigour, and sitteth at the right hand of God to be reuenged of them, wounding and killing and not sparing euen the very kings and monarches of the world that are not reconciled vnto him. He is not onely a lambe to saue, but also a lion to destroy. He hath not onely a scepter to gouerne, but also a sword to kill. Psal. 2.10. Be wise now therefore, saith Dauid, O ye kings, vnderstand ye that are iudges of the earth: Kesse the sonne [Page 72]least he be angry: when his wrath shall sodainly burne, blessed are they that trust in him, but woe to them that haue despised him.

Mat. 3.12. He hath his fanne in his hand, saith Iohn Baptist, and he will purge or make cleane his floore, and gather his wheate into his gar­ner, but the chaffe he will burne with vnquenchable fire. And who are this chaffe but the wicked and vngodly? but sinners and vnbeleeuers and hypocrites who in the field of this world, and in the floore of the church liue and grow togither with the good corne, with the faithfull and iust; securely flattering themselues for that they haue place to grow in the Lordes vineyard, whereas in the meane time to God-ward they are vnprofitable and good for nothing; bringing foorth no good fruite; being void of faith and a good conscience; yeelding no true deuotion, no sound obedience vnto Iesus Christ, when notwithstanding they honest and grace themselues with the profession of his name. Vnto them Christ shall adiudge a por­tion in the fire that neuer shalbe quenched. He shall say at the last day not onely, Mat. 25.34.41. Come ye blessed, inherite the kingdome, but also, Go ye cursed into euerlasting fire. 2. Thess. 1.7. The Lord Iesus, saith saint Paul shall shew himselfe from heauen with his mightie Angells in flaming fire to render vengeance vnto them that know not God, and that obey not vnto the gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ: which shalbe punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power.

4 Let vs remember these things that wee deceiue not our selues in that which wee pretend of our glorying and reioy­cing in Iesus Christ: with great solemnitie wee celebrate his natiuitie and birth; wee keepe holy daies: we feast it with daintie fare; wee braue it with our best attire; we forbeare our ordinarie labours; and all as in the honour of Iesus Christ. But if we despise his Gospell, and tread his worde vnder our feete; if wee cast his commaundements behinde our backes and refuse to be guided by his direction; if vnder pretence of keeping holiday to the Lord we seeke our owne will, and folow our owne carnall and corrupt desires, and regard no more in our harts but with the Israelites to Exod. 32.6. sit downe to eate and to drinke and to rise vp to play, what is there in that that we do, but that which God elsewhere reprooued in them: Esa. 29.13.1 [...] This people drawe neere vnto me with their lippes, and honour me with their mouthes, but their hart is farre from me? Men deceiue [Page 73]themselues and make a way to their owne destruction, when they fancie Iesus Christ to be so mercifull a Sauiour, as that vnder him they may doe what they will, and liue as they list, ignorant, carelesse consciencelesse, sauouring of nothing but of the flesh and of the worlde, and yet in the ende be no­thing hindered from comming vnto him. And this is the common errour of many that liue vnder the name of Christi­ans. They call him their Lorde Iesus, but liue as if they ac­knowledged him onely Iesus to saue them; Christ not onely Iesus to saue vs, but also the Lord Iesus to rule and go­uerne vs. and not the Lord Iesus to rule and gouerne them. Thus they diuide Iesus Christ, and where they list they accept of him; and other­where reiect him. But Christ is not diuided, neither will he be Iesus to saue where he is not Lord to rule. If wee will re­ceiue him, we must receiue him entier and whole 2. Pet. 2.20. the Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ. If we denie vnto him that subiection & dutifull obedience whereby we should approoue that we take him for our Lord, he shall be vnto vs a Lorde indeed, and not a sauiour; we shall feele his power, and not finde his mer­cie; his sword shall ouerrule vs that would not be content to be ruled by his word. We remember the sentence of Christ, Luc. 19.27. Those mine enimies that would not haue me to raigne ouer them, bring them hither and slare them before me. Let vs assure our selues if we yeelde not vnto Christ his kingdome to raigne ouer vs, he taketh vs for his enimies, and howsoeuer we now call him Ioh. 1.29. the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world, yet at that great day of his appeering, the conscience of our vnfaithfulnesse and rebellion shall make vs to Renel. 6.16. say vnto the mountaines and rockes, fall vpon vs and couer vs from the sight of him that sitteth vpon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lambe. To this purpose Christ hath forewarned vs, Mat. 7.22. Manie shall say vnto me in that day, Lord, Lord, haue we not prophecied in thy name, and in thy name cast out diuels, and in thy name done ma­ny miracles: and then I well professe vnto them: surely I neuer knew you: away from me yee workers of iniquitie. And againe, Luc. 13.25. When the goodman of the house is risen vp and hath put to the doores, and yee shall begin to stande without and to knocke saying, Lord, Lord, open vnto vs, and he shall answere and say, I know yee not whence yee are, then shal yee beginne to say, Lord we haue eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streetes; & be shall say vnto you I know you not whence yee are: depart from me yee wor­kers [Page 74]of iniquitie. If we be workers of iniquitie, the Lord of righ­teousnes hath no place for vs to dwell with him.

Earthly digni­ties are no ex­emptions from the seruice of Christ, nor de­fence against bis wrath.5 Furthermore it is expressed that this wrath of Christ is extended vnto kings and princes that wee may vnderstand that with God there is no respect of persons, and that our earthly prerogatiues, whereby wee seeme so farre to excell others, are no dispensations or charters of libertie, that lesse dutie should be required of vs, then of those that are inferi­ours vnto vs. Earthly state swelleth and puffeth vp the mindes of men; and in their pride they thinke scorne to be tied to any rules for the ordering of their life. They holde it a wronge vnto them to haue dutie vrged vpon them as vpon other men, and it must not be expected of them to serue Iesus Christ, further then their leisure and liking will giue them leaue. But therefore as I haue saied, the prophet heere na­meth kings as subiect to the wrath of Christ, that no height of men may perswade them that they haue any priuiledge whereby they are exempted from seruing the Lord, but ra­ther that the highest are most in sight, and specially marked of God, and in the contempt of Christ, are subiect to so much the greater wrath; by how much the more it cōcerneth them, not onely themselues to be religious and dutifull vnto him; but also both by their authoritie, and by their example to forward those that liue vnder them to doe honour vnto his name.

Kings persecu­ting the church are subiect to the wrath of Christ, and shall do no more then he seeth good.6 But yet the prophet heere specially intendeth those po­tentates & kings that professedly oppose themselues against Christ and his Gospell, according to that that he speaketh in another Psalme: Psal. 2.2. The kings of the earth stand vp, and the rulers take counsell togither against the Lord & against his annointed. Which is applied by Saint Peter in the fourth of the Acts: Act. 4.27. Against thine onely sonne Iesus whom thou hast annointed both Herode and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israell haue gathered them selues together, and is further also to be ap­plied to all other tyrants and persecutours of the church. Now hereby the holy ghost would strengthen our mindes against the terrour and feare of the princes and great men of this world that wee may not be ouermuch troubled or dismaied when we see them banding and bending themselues against the church of Christ, inasmuch as we know, that be they neuer [Page 75]so great, they are subiect to the hand of him that sitteth at the right hand of God; so that howsoeuer they fume and rage, and by their power seeme to threaten ruine to heauen it selfe, yet they can doe nothing but as it pleaseth Christ to vse them to serue his turne, as who hath it in his hand to destroy them at his owne will. The maiestie of Christ shoulde more affect vs then the power of earthly prin­ces. And therefore the maiesty and power of Ie­sus Christ should much more affect and moue vs, then all the power and greatnesse of earthly princes; and the feare of him should be stronger to conteine and hold vs within the bounds of duety and faithfullnesse towards him, then the feare of any secular power should be to remooue vs from the same. August in Psal. 75. Ter­ribiles sunt reges, saith saint Austen, sed super omnes terribilis qui terret reges: Kings are greatly to be feared, but he is fearefull aboue all that maketh kings themselues afraide. If we feare kings because they can destroy vs, how much more shall we feare him that is able to destroy kings? Earthly kings can but de­stroy our bodies; neither can they do that but when & as the Lord will giue them leaue; but this king hath power ouer bo­die and soule, and is able when he will to destroy both: Mat. 10.28. feare not them, saith Christ, that kill the bodie and are not able to kill the soule, but feare him that is able to destroy both soule and bodie in hell fire.

7 Againe it is to be obserued how the prophet setteth downe a certaine time determined by Iesus Christ for the execution of his wrath. A day appoin­ted for the ex­ecution of the wrath of Christ. For this is imported in that that he saith: In the day of his wrath. Wherby he calleth vs to patiēce & to a quiet & contented expectation of the reuealing of the Lords hand, that we take it not amisse, if the Lord do not so soone manifest his wrath against his enimies as we desire and looke for. We see it oftentimes fall out that the enimies of Christ and his church infinitely storme and rage against his name and Gospell, and yet in the meane time all thinges goe with them according to their owne desire. They murther the righteous and innocent, and wash their feete in the bloude of them that giue anie testimonie vnto the faith of Christ, and the Lorde in the meane time maketh as if he saw it not, and holdeth his hand as if he cared not what were done by them. This sometimes wee woonder at, and are amazed in our mindes to see that God suffereth those thinges to bee [Page 76]done to poore innocent soules for his sake, and doth not straightwaies drawe his sworde, and bring foorth his wea­pons for the reuenging of their cause. But the prophet wil­leth vs alwaies to consider that the Lorde hath appointed a daie for the manifesting of his wrath against his enimies, which as in wisedome and iudgement hee hath determi­ned, so in wisedome also hee will obserue and keepe the same. In the meane time their courses are not vnknowen vnto him, but he appointeth both which way and how far they shall goe, and disposeth their goings to good ends and vses; howsoeuer the same be not alwaies apparant to our eies. But that which the Lord hath appointed they cannot passe; they cannot goe beyond it: where he hath set thenet, they shalbe taken: where he hath digged the pitte, they shall certeinly fall; and shall not escape the plague that he hath prepared for them. Howsoeuer therefore they reioyce in their present successe, against the iust, and comfort themselues in the assu­rance of their owne estate as if heauen and earth were sworne to serue their will, yet, as Dauid saith; Psal. 37.13. the Lord laugheth them to scorne, because he seeth that their day is comming: the day that shall strip them of all their glory, and turne their light into darkenesse, and giue them the full reward of Zepha. 2.10. their pride, whereby they haue reproached the iust and magnified themselues against the people of the Lord. Let vs therefore in this be halfe submit our selues vnto the wise dome of the Lord and not prescribe vnto him when or how he shall glorifie himselfe in the deliuerance of his people or in the destruction of his enemies. And seeing the impieties and blasphemies of the wicked conteine far more wrong and offence vnto the ma­iestie of God, then they can doe vnto vs, and yet he is content in respect of himselfe to for beare and to defer his wrath, let vs not maruell that he is so slow in the mainteining and insti­fying of our cause, that vseth so great sufferance and patience in his owne.

The day of wrath s [...]ially to be vnder siood of the day of iudgement, or the ast day.8 But this day of wrath as it hath relation vnto all those daies of particular iudgements wherein God in this world from time to time taketh open reuenge vpon wicked men and persecutours of his church; so it must be extended also to that Reuel. 6.17. great day of wrath wherein shalbe the consumation and full [Page 77]accomplishment of all iudgment. Which saint Paul cal­leth also Rom. 2.5. the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God; and saint Peter: 2. Pet. 3.7. the day of iudgment and of the destruction of vngodly men. Which is therefore speci­ally so called because God shall then in speciall manner make his iudgement to appeare vniuersally vpon all the wicked, so that there shalbe no deniall of his hand. For now although the wrath of God doe oftentimes light vpon the wicked in such sort, as that plainly men that haue eies may discerne vpon them the hand of the sonne of God whom they haue dispised, yet the world wilfully blindeth it selfe and will not behold or acknowledge therein the work of God, but rather impute all to mishap, and fortune, and ouersight, and therefore through hardnesse of hart feare not to goe forward in the same waies wherein they haue seen others to fall before them. Thus children tread in their fathers steps, and successours follow the cruelties and vn­godly courses of their predecessours, without any doubt or feare at all of their vnexpected and fearefull end. Although therefore that God doe thus set foorth his iudgement by many dreadfull examples euen in this life, yet it is to the most as if he iudged not, because men will not take it to be his iudgement. Againe albeit many there be that are thus made spectacles of the wrath of God in this world; yet ma­ny there are also that seeme to goe to their graues in peace, as if God had taken no notice of them or vnderstood not what they had done against him. Prosperitie and honour accompany them to their end, and the world cannot dis­cerne but that they are blessed and happie men. But that day of iudgement shall reforme all this errour, when as they that now refuse to see or to acknowledge the power and worke of God in those executions which hee performeth in this world, shall haue their eies opened to see it whether they will or not, and it shall come to passe which the pro­phet saith: Esa. 26.11. They will not behold thy high hand, O Lord, but they shall see it, and shalbe confounded with the zeale of thy peo­ple, and the fire of thine enemies shall denoure them; & againe when on the other side they that seeme in this life altoge­ther to haue escaped the hand of God, shall at once receiue [Page 78]a doome fully answerable to all their sinfull and wicked deeds. And surely when God punisheth some in this life, as he doth; and doth not punish other who notwithstanding haue deserued it as well as they, what doth he but teach vs to expect a further day when his wrath shalbe further made manifest vpon them both? Let it not therefore be grieuous or troublesome vnto vs to see them for the time flourish and prosper in their euill waies; neither let vs yeeld our harts to be bewitched with the sight of their pre­sent glory, so as to be content for the enioying of their de­ceitfull pleasures to follow them: but as our eies do now behold their outward blisse, so let our faith in the word of God behold their end, and we shall see a portion assigned for them wherof we would not choose to be partakers with them for the gaining or obteining of the whole world.

The extent of Christs king­dome vnto the Gentiles.9 In the sixt verse the prophet first of all setteth foorth the large extent of the dominion and kingdome of Iesus Christ; as who hath his throne erected and established not onely amongst the Iewes to raigne ouer the seede of Abraham, but amongst the Gentiles also and heathen people, who being before Ephs. 2.12. aliens from the common wealth of Israell, strangers from the couenants of promise, without hope and without God in this world, are by the preaching of the Gospell Psal. 47.9. ioyned vnto the people of the God of Abraham, and graffed vpon their stocke, to bee partakers with them of like adoption and grace vnto cuerlasting life. Thus had God promised before: Psal. 2.8. I will giue thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the vttermost parts of the earth for thy pos­session. Psal. 72.8. His dominion shall be from the one sea to the other, and from the floud vnto the worldes ende: Vers. 11. All kinges shall worship him: all nations shall doe him seruice. Manie notable prophecies are there found to this purpose; which it shall not be needfull to rehearse. Which haue beene so nota­blie verified since the time of Christes ascention by the passage and preaching of the Gospell through the worlde (the Gentiles thereby acknowledging the God of Abra­ham, and accepting the blessing that was promised vnto them in his seede) as that we may greatly marualle at the blindnes and obstinacie of the Iewes, who by no meanes [Page 79]will belecue that these are the times of which the Pro­phets foretold, or be perswaded that the Messias promi­sed vnto their fathers is come, when as notwithstanding they see that come to passe, which according to their owne bookes could not be but in the daies, and by the comming and kingdome of the true Messias. But now that God hath had this compassion vpon our for lorne & wretched estate, and hath called vs to the felowship of this grace, let vs, as the Apostle willeth, Rom. 15.9. praise God for this mercie, and ende­uour with all our harts to 1. Thess 2.12. walke worthie of him that thus hath called vs to his kingdome and glorie. Yea and let the loue that we beare to the roote and stocke whereon we growe, mooue vs to praie vnto the Lord for them, who were the Rom. 11.21. naturall braunches of that oliue tree, whom God for the time hath out off, that by that occasion he might showe mercie vnto vs; that now yet at length he will returne vn­to them, and as hee tooke away the Eph. 2.14. partition wall that kept vs from them, when they as yet enioyed the ptinilege of his grace; so hee will nowe take from their harts 2. Cor. 3.15. the veile of vnbeleefe that keepeth them from vs, that seeing the light of his Gospell, and being gathered with vs by faith into the bosome of his church, and all being made one sheepefold vnder one shepheard, both they and wee may thenceforth looke for the comming of this shepheard Iesus Christ, to giue vnto vs the end of our faith and hope, and to performe vnto vs the good things which he hath pro­mised, 1. Cor. 2.9. which neither eie hath seene, nor eare hath heard, nor haue entred into the heart of man, which God hath prepa­for them that loue him.

10 Nowe when the father appointeth him the iudge a­mongst the Heathens, Christ appoin­ted the iudge, and what is thereby attri­buted vnto him. he thereby giueth him authoritie and power to prescribe lawes, to determine controuersies, and to punish them that will not be obedient vnto him. For God hath put all his wordes into the mouth of this iudge, and hath made him the Luc. 7.16. great Prophet by whom he would fully and finally reueile vnto vs his will, that all mens eies may looke onely vnto him, Christ the onely lawgiuer to his Church. and all mens eares may re­ceiue lawes from his mouth, and in all thinges belonging to the state and gouernment of his spirituall kingdome, [Page 80]may depend vpon his voice, without deuising new lawes themselues, or accepting them of the deuise of other men. They therefore that set vp other lawgiuers in the church, what doe they but pull downe Iesus Christ, and nullifie the worde whereby God the father hath set him vp to bee the soueraigne and onely iudge? as the papists doe, The papists set­ting vp other lawgiuers a­gainst Christ. who not contenting themselues with the worde of Iesus Christ, haue imposed vpon the church the burden of their owne traditions; and haue set vp the bishop of Rome to bee a perpetuall Dictatour vnto the church, to establish lawes of his owne, and by his Non obstante to take away the lawes of Christ. A notable example where­of appeered in the Councell of Constance, where men­tioning the institution of Christ administring the sacra­ment vnder both kindes, and saying, Drinke yee all of this, they yet decree that Hoc non obstante, Concil. Con­stant. sess. 13. this notwithstan­ding, the laie people shall not be partakers of the cup, calling it a peruerse or preposterous vsage to minister vnto them in both kindes, and a rash assertion to affirme that so it ought to be, and condemning them for heretickes that will minister in that sort. What was this but the very pre­sumption of Antichrist, setting vp himselfe aboue the sonne of God, and taking vpon him to censure and con­troll the lawes of Iesus Christ? But let vs leaue them to their owne pride and wilfull deuises, & acknowledge no other but only Iam. 4.12. one lawgiuer who is able to saue & to destroy; and therefore folow the faithfulnes of the Apostle, who as Tertullian saith, Tertul. de praescript. cont. haeret. Nihil de suo indulserunt; gaue them­selues no libertie to prescribe anything of their owne, but kept themselues within the limits of that commission, where­with they were sent vnto all nations, Mat. 28.20. teaching them saith Christ, to obserue whatsoeuer thinges I haue comman­ded you.

Christ the onely iudge by his word to deter­mine all causes and contro­uersies in his church.11 Againe, because Christ is appointed to be the onely iudge, therefore are we to yeelde all our causes and con­trouersies to bee decided and determined by his worde. What sentence he pronounceth, we are to stand vnto it: where he pronounceth no sentence, we are to determine nothing. In those infinite controuersies and questions of [Page 81]faith and religion wherewith the worlde at this time is so much distracted and diuided, it is wished that there were some iudge, by whose indifferent sentence there might be resolution of the truth; and so all strife and con­trouersie might be appeased. But who shoulde this iudge be, but he that of God is appointed to be the iudge amongst the Heathen, euen Iesus Christ, who although he be in hea­uen, yet from heauen speaketh vnto vs in the word of the Gospel, & teacheth vs both what to beleeue, & what to do that we may come vnto him. If any man replie, that albeit Christin deed to speake in the Gospell, yet we haue need of some iudge to tell vs the meaning of Christes wordes, because their is question also of the meaning thereof, I an­swere that this is but a wilfull shift of froward men, who by question of the meaning seeke to slip away from the words of Christ, when his wordes doe plainly declare what his meaning is. Surely if the words of Christ be not plaine enough to make his meaning knowne vnto vs, we cannot see but that when some man hath set downe the meaning thereof, there may againe be required a meaning of his meaning. For God oftentimes speaketh vnto vs so plaine­ly in the Scriptures, as that no man can better tell vs what his meaning is, then he himselfe doth. When therefore he speaketh plainely vnto vs, and by manifest wordes setteth foorth his meaning, surely then to require a iudge to in­struct vs of the meaning of his words, is nothing else but to dally with God, and vnder a vaine pretence to reiect the truth whereof he hath assured vs. Chrysostome could say: Chrysost. in 2. Thess. ho. 3. All thinges are cleere and plaine by the holy Scriptures: whatsoeuer things are necessarie, they are manifest. And Austen in like sort: August. de doct. Christ. lib. 2. cap. 9. In those things which are plainely set downe in scriptures are found all those things that belong to faith and con­uersation of life. What can be more definitely spoken to commend vnto vs the sufficiencie and plainnesse of the Scriptures for the deciding and cleering of all necessarie points. Therefore to bee short seeing the holy Scripture conteineth those lawes and statutes by which Christ shall iudge vs, and he himselfe hath there set downe the sen­tence whereby we shall either stand or fall by beleeuing or [Page 82]not beleeuing, liuing or not liuing as he hath taught vs, let vs set aside all other iudges and iudgements, and in simpli­city and faithfulnesse follow the rule that is there deliue­red vnto vs; alwaies assuring our selues that whatsoeuer is necessarie for the obteining of euerlasting life, Christ speaketh it in the scriptures somewhere so plainly, as that we need not feare to take instruction thereof immediately from his owne mouth. And although in those heauenly oracles of sacred iudgements there be many things hard to be vnderstood, which may exercise the wits and studies of the best learned, and giue vs occasion to admire the deepe and vnsearcheable wisedome of almightie God; yet many things also there are wherein God August. ep. 3. speaketh to the harts not onely of the learned, but also of the vnlearned, and yeeldeth not onely a deepe for the elephant to swimme, but also a shal­low for the lambe to wade, in the vse whereof we shall easi­ly perceiue that he hath abundantly prouided for our com­fort and saluation. Onely let vs be carefull daily to exercise our selues in the meditation of the scriptures, least that by our neglect those things become obscure and hard, which by vse and practise of the word should be otherwise famili­ar and plaine vnto vs.

The papists cha­lenging vnto themselues to be iudges of the words of Christ, and their prac­tise in that be­halfe. 12 And as for them who not contented with these reso­lutions and iudgements of Iesus Christ, doe challenge vnto themselues to be iudges for the determining of the contro­uersies of the church, let them follow their owne course. We see well enough what their purpose and practise is. They see the iudgements of Christ to be manifestly against them. But they would perswade vs, yea they bid a man Rhemish Test. in the argument of the Epistles in generall. as­sure himselfe that if any thing therein sound vnto him as contra­ry to their church, he faileth of the right sense. To themselues therefore and to the bishop of Rome they say it belongeth to giue the sense; and whilest they giue the sense, we may be sure they will make euery thing to serue their turne, and nothing to be against them. But by their giuing the sense they bring to passe that when Christ speaketh one thing, he must meane another; and the sense must be a plaine and expresse contradiction to the words. Thus when Christ saith: ^c Ye shall not haue me alwaies with you, they tell vs that [Page 83]his meaning was not but to be alwaies really present with vs, and euery day in the masse to be offered in sacrifice vnto God. And this offering of Christ by the words of scripture is plainely gainsaied, which telleth vs that Christ offered himselfe but Heb. 7.27. once, and needed not often to offer himselfe; that he is 9.25. gone into heauen not to offer himselfe often, because 10.18. where there is forgiuenesse of sinnes, as there is by Christes once offering of himselfe, 9.28. there is no more offering for sinne. But all this notwithstanding we must not thinke that it is so meant, but that Christ is to be offered often, and being gone into heauen doth euery day concur with the priest to offer vp himselfe, and that forgiuenesse of sinnes it not so purchased by the death and sacrifice of Christ vpon his crosse, but that we must continually haue in the church an offering for sinne. Christ saith in words Math. 26.27. Drinke ye all of this, as was before allenged; but we must thinke he meant that all shoulde not drinke but the priest onely. The word of Christ is that we may not Rom. 10.14. call vpon him in whom we do not beleeue: but his meaning for all that is that we shall call vpon saints though we may not beleeue in them. The word of Christ is that as there is but one God, so there is but 1. Tim. 2.5. one mediatour betwixt God and man: but his meaning for all that must be that all the saints of heauen must be our media­tours vnto God. The worde of Christ is that we shall not Exod. 20.4. make a grauen image to fall downe to it or to worship it; but we must thinke that he meant that we should make vs gra­uen images to fall downe before them, to worship them, to offer and pray vnto them. What impudent men are these, and how hard is their forehead that will goe about to per­swade vs that Christ hath a sense and meaning so directly contrary to that that he speaketh. And yet they forsooth must be taken for the iudges of the scriptures, and whatso­euer Christ saith we must beleeue nothing but according to that meaning that they will make of it, because as one of them saith, if a man haue the interpretation of the church of Rome, he hath the true sense of scripture, although he cannot see how it agreeth with the words. Let vs detest these hypocrites more and more, and let these things so pal­pably lewde and absurd teach vs to stop our eares against [Page 84]those Rom. 16.18. faire words and flattering speeches wherewith they send their sirens and mermaides abroade to beguile and se­duce the harts of simple men. Yea and let vs cleaue so much the more stedfastly vnto the iudgement of the word of Christ, because we see that for the mainteining of their bad cause, they are forced so grosly to abuse the same. When we see the text of scripture so plaine for our selues that in words it affirmeth the same that we teach, and so pregnant against them that they are faine so absurdly to wrest it to serue their turne, how can we doubt but that the iudge of truth speaketh on our part, and that their setting vp of another iudgement seate is nothing else but an appeale from the sentence of this iudge. Let them prosecute their appeale, but we will rest in the word and sentence of him whom God hath set vp to be the iudge amongst the heathen. Christ a iudge to be reuenged of them that are disobedient vnto him. Who last of all because he is the iudge shall award iust damnation to them that are disobedient, and will not sub­mit themselues to be guided by his iudgment. And though happely they be such as professe his name, yet being ene­mies to his word, they are enemies vnto him, and shall re­ceiue their iudgement accordingly: as who indeede pre­tend the name of Christ, not to honour Christ, but by pre­tence thereof to serue and set vp themselues.

The furie of Christs wrath against his eni­mies.13 The prophet nowe hauing set foorth Christ as the iudge of all nations, returneth againe to declare his wrath­full indignation and furie against his enimies. And to that purpose he addeth: He shall sill all with dead carkeises, &c. Where he compareth him to a bloudie conquerour, who hauing gotten the victorie, and hauing now the law in his owne handes, killeth and slaieth without mercie, so that the earth is in a maner couered with the multitude of dead men. But what the earthly conquerour doth by crueltie, the same Christ heere is brought in as doing by iust iudge­ment. Onely by these termes of bodily slaughter we must vnderstand those both corporall and spirituall; both tem­porall and eternall destructions wherewith Christ shall reward the pride & rebellion of them, who either in him­selfe or in his members oppose themselues against him. And if it be a fearefull thing vnto vs to fall into the handes [Page 85]of tyrants who practise these cruell and horrible executi­ons vpon mens bodies, how dreadfull a thing should it be vnto vs to prouoke the wrath of him that shall bring this fearefull damnation both vpon bodie and soule? Are we mooued to conceiue the bodies of slaine men lying in heapes vpon the ground, and doth it not mooue vs to con­sider the multiude of the world casting themselues heape-wise and headlong vnder the sword of Iesus Christ, and dy­ing by his hande? And if we naturally abhorre to imagine our owne bodies lying among the carkeises of dead men to be deuoured of wilde beasts, and to be as carion for kites and rauens, how vnnatural are we to our selues when by contempt of Christ and his commandements we suffer our selues to lie amongst the heapes of wicked men in the damnation of sinne, to become the pray and spoile of the diuell and his angels, and with them to be partakers of euerlasting fire? Heb. 10.31. It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God; who is not so gracious and louely vnto them that seeke him, but he is as sharpe and seuere vnto them that will not be guided by his worde.

How Christ hath giuen ex­perience of his wrath in the de­struction of the great monarches and potentates of the world.14 Which seueritie the prophet againe denounceth not onely to the baser sort, but also to the greatest and migh­tiest amongst men, when he saith that he shal strike the head, or him that is the head ouer great countries. For by these wordes he describeth the great monarches and princes of the worlde, who hauing many and great countries vnder their dominion, should in the pride of their greatnesse, re­sist the kingdome of Iesus Christ, but yet for al their might should not escape the deadly stroke of his reuenging hand. And hereof we finde many notable examples in the sto­ries of the church, wherein wee may behold howe ven­geance hath followed princes and great men to strip them of their crownes and dignities; to bring them to contempt and shame; to destroy them by horrible and fearefull death, who haue abused their state and greatnesse a­gainst Christ, and sought thereby the ouerthrow of his church. It woulde be too long to discourse of Herode, who thinking by the death of Christ to gaine the assurance of the kingdome of Iudea to himselfe, was by Caius the em­perour [Page 86]depriued of his kingdome, and ended his life an exile and banished man? of Pontius Pilate who condem­ning the righteous sonne of God to vndeserued death, became afterwards the butcher and murtherer of himselfe? of the other Herode who killed Iames, and would haue kil­led Peter also, who for his pride was striken by the angell of God, and denoured being yet aliue of vermine and lice? Looke vnto the Heathen emperors of Rome, who were in­deed the heads ouer great countries, and who practised the greatest opposition against the kingdome of Christ, and see whether there were in a manner any of them that so did, vpon whom the hand of Iesus Christ was not mani­festly to be seene. Nero the emperour Tertul. in Apologet. ca. 5. dedicator damnati­onis nostrae, as Tertullian calleth him, that is, the first that made a law to condemne Christians to death, after all his vil­lanies and cruelties being condemned himselfe by the Se­nate of Rome to be whipped to death, to auoid this iudge­ment fled away by night, and complaining that he coulde finde neither friend nor enimie to dispatch him, but yet professing that as he had liued a shamefull life, so he would die a shamefull death, fell vpon his owne sword and killed himselfe. Domitian who as Tertullian also speaketh, was Tertul. ibid. portio Neronis de crudelitate, for his crueltie a piece of Nero, was slaine in his chamber by the consent of his owne wife. Hadrian was taught to rue his shedding of bloud by a hor­rible fluxe & issue of his owne bloud, wherewith he grew in the end to that exceeding torment, as that he called for poison & sword to dispatch himselfe. Commodus a man for his lewdnesse and crueltie likened to those monsters Nero and Domitian, was first poisoned by Martia his concubine, and afterward strangled by Narcissus. Seuerus the empe­rour was so cruelly tormented in his whole bodie, as that he also desired poison to end his life. Maximinus was torne in peeces of his owne souldiours. Decius was drowned in a quagmire. Valerius as was before said, was taken by Sapores king of Persia, & after much indignitie his skin was flated off, & salt cast vpon his raw flesh, & so in miserable sort he ended his wretched life. Dioclesian killed himselfe Galienus & Aurelianus were slain by others. Iulian the apostata after [Page 87]all his both violent and wily practises against Christ and his church, in battel against the Persians was woūded to death and taking of his owne bloud in his hand, sprinkleth it vp­ward, & perforce acknowledgeth the iudgemēt of Christ, saying, Vicisti tandem Galilaee; Thou Galilean yet at length hast gotten the victorie. These were tyrants and persecutors of the church, and in them as in many more which it were to long to rehearse, we see the wordes of the prophet verified that Christ should smite and wounde euen the very heads ouer great couniries. Yea these our times haue not wanted verie notable and pregnant examples of this iudgement of the Lord. For if wee looke backe vnto them who haue bene the speciall authors of those massacres and murthers that haue beene committed vpon the professours of the Gospell, we shall easily perceiue that God hath returned the bloud which they haue shed, vpon their owne heades. They haue come to feareful ends by lice, by fluxe of bloud, by poisoning, by stabbing, & hauing first combined them­selues to the destruction of the faithfull, haue afterwards fallen to conspiring and practising one against another. This is the worke of Christ; this is his fearefull wrath; that men may learne to stand in awe of him, and not to abuse their greatnesse and power to the oppugning of his king­dome.

The vengeance of Christ cea­seth not to pur­sue and folow his enimies vn­till it haue de­stroied them.15 There followeth now a word or two to be spoken of the last verse. He shall drinke of the brooke in the way: there­fore shall he lift vp his head. The former part of which words is hard to be vnderstood, neither will I take vpon me cer­teinly to determine the meaning thereof. I like best to fol­low them who construe the same to the like purpose in ge­nerall as the words before; as if the prophet hauing im­ported Christs victorie gotten against his enemies would further signifie that as a noble conquerour hauing wonne the battell and put the enemie to flight, pursueth and fol­loweth the chase with might and maine, and the more in­stantly to presse them, will not turne out of the way to re­fresh himselfe but is content to drinke of the brooke that he findeth in the way and so cutteth them of one and one vntill they be vtterly wasted and ouerthrowne, euen so the [Page 88]sonne of God Iesus Christ with all wrath and furie shall prosecute his enemies, and hold them still in chase, and pur­sue them by his diuine power and sword of iudgement, so that none of them shall escape, but all shall fall vnder his hand. Certeine it is that iust vengeance is still waiting at the heeles of the enemies of Christ, and ceaseth not to fol­low them vntill it haue vtterly destroied them. They may seeme for a time to flie and to escape; their pompe and power may seeme to hide them and to shield them from the Lords hand; but in the end he will ouertake them, and find them out, and pull them out of their holes, and set his feete vpon their necks; and poure vpon them euerlasting confusion. Let no man flatter himselfe; let no man be se­cure in enmitie against the Lord. Present standing is no warrant against future falling. The sworde that hath not yet striken, yet is gone foorth to strike, and shall not re­turne vntill it Psal. 68.21. wound the head of Gods enimies, and the curled pates of them that walke forward in their sinnes; 2. Pet. 2.3. whose iudge­ment long agone, as Saint Peter saith, is not farre of, and their damnation sleepeth not.

Christs victorie and glorious triumph ouer all his enimies.16 The last words import the glorious triumph of Iesus Christ, hauing now subdued all his enimies and cast them vnder his feete for euer. Therefore shall he lift vp his head. It may be taken either that Christ shall lift vp or holde vp his head, or that God the father shall lift vp the head of his sonne Iesus Christ. As holding downe the head betokeneth sorow and shame, so the holding or lifting vp of the head betokeneth reioycing, and triumph, and glorie, and full confidence of safetie and assured estate. Thus shall Christ lift vp the head by way of triumphing and reioycing, when he shall haue taken full vengeance of his aduersaries, and freed, not himselfe onely, but the whole body of his church from the assaults and dangers of all enimies. We see now that oftentimes, though not in himselfe, yet in his mem­bers, he is faine to hang downe the head, and to weare the badges of reproch and shame, whilest the vngodly vaunt themselues, and goe Iob. 32, 26. looking vpon the sunne, and in their harts despise the righteous, accounting more vilely of them then of the dust of their feete. But the case shal be altered: [Page 89]the rising of Christ, shall bee their fall: the lifting vp of Christes head, shall be the casting downe of theirs; and it shall be fulfilled which is written: Esa. 65.13.14. Behold my seruants shall reivice, and yee shall be ashamed: behold my seruants shall sing for ioy of hart, & yee shall crie for sorow of hart, and shall howle for vexation of minde. We may otherwise vnderstand that God the father shall lift vp the head of Iesus Christ in the same meaning as Pharao is saied Genes. 40.13. to lift vp the head of his chiefe butler, that is, to aduance him to his place of dignitie and honour. Which God the father hath done alreadie vpon his first conquest, hauing set him at his right hand as hath beene before declared, and more fully shall doe when he shall haue 1. Cor. 15.27. put all things vnder his feete, and shall make his glorie manifest vnto all the world, and shall so establish the kingdome that he hath giuen him, that thencefoorth there shall neuer be enimie to resist the same. To this king Iesus Christ togither with the father and the holy Ghost, one God, immortall, inuisible, and onely wise be all praise and honour and glory both now and for euer. Amen.