THe Apostle in this chapter be­ginneth to proue our Sauiour Christ to be y ^e onely hie Priest of the new Testament. And because the people of Israel had so great af­fiance in the Priesthood of Aaron, that they could hardly be drawen a­way from the deteining of it, thine-king assuredly that vnto that priest­hood the law & testimonies of God [Page] had bene tied for euer: & not know­ing that all the Ceremonies of the law were ordayned vntyl the tyme of reformation, in whyche Christ shoulde appeare and chaunge that Priesthood, to become him selfe vn­to vs a Priest of a better Testamēt, therfore y ^e Apostle first setteth forth the properties of the Priesthood ac­cordyng vnto the law, and after by comparisō applieth thē vnto Christ, in whō they al shine in a much more excellent sort then before in Aaron, and therefore it cannot be neyther breach nor dishonour vnto the law of God nor the Priesthoode of it, if the shadow & the figure, which was Aaron, shuld now be taken away, & the body & the truth, which is Iesu Christ, shuld be established for euer.

The properties which the Apostle speaketh of, necessarilye appertay­ning vnto euery Priest, as vnto one that must be a Mediator, are these: [Page] that first he shuld be man as we are, as Aaron and hys posteritie were. For neyther Angel, nor Archangel, nor principalities, nor powers can do this woorke, to present flesh and bloud vnto the maiesty of God, whē them selues are but Spirites: And therefore Christ, that hee myght be hye Priest, tooke not an Angels na­ture, but was made of the seede of Abrahā, lyke vnto vs, that as there is but one God, so ther might be but one Mediatour betwene God and man, euen the man Christ Iesus, in this respect as able to be hie Priest as Aaron him selfe, beyng as natu­rally and as truly clothed with our flesh, as Aaron was.

The second propertie of the Priest is, that he should be ordayned, not onely for him selfe to make his own attonement, but also for other men, to accomplishe whatsoeuer was be­tweene God and them, that where [Page] they were before enemies & straun­gers, they might by hym be reconci­led, and haue free accesse vnto the throne of grace, to finde mercy and succour in due tyme. And for thys cause Christ alone is a perfect priest, more excellent thē Aaron, who was encombred with his own synnes, to make first reconciliation for them, & therfore could not profit other. And as this was the Priests office to be a Mediator for other, so the meanes he must vse, and the mediation to be wrought in thys worke, was to of­fer vp giftes and sacrifices for syns: that is, to present vnto God the sa­crifice of righteousnes, pure & holye in his sight, in which he myght be pleased, and the sinnes of the people might be taken away. The whych sacrifice, because it must bee so pure, that in it they for whō it was made must be sanctified, and so precious, y ^t it must be a sufficient purchase to [Page] redeeme man from al transgression: therfore it could not bee made wyth y ^e bloud of Calues or Goates, which cannot take away synne, nor wyth gold nor siluer, which cānot redeme our Soules, nor with meates and drinkes, which profited not them that were exercised therein, nor in any such carnal rites, for which the Priesthoode of Aaron was orday­ned: and therefore an other Priest must make this sacrifice, which cannot be any other then Iesu Christ, who beyng made hye Priest of the good thinges to come, by a greater tabernacle, & a more precious sacri­fice, euen by his own bloud hath ob­tained for vs an euerlasting redēp­tion, and therefore is nowe to be ac­knowledged our onely Priest, the first Priesthood and the first law being altogether abrogated.

One other property of the Priest­hood is, that none thrust in him self [Page] beyng not appoynted, nor take vnto him selfe this honour, being not cal­led vnto it. And God euer shewed him selfe a ready reuenger agaynst all such as should defile his Priest­hood, to take to them selues the dig­nity to which they were not apoin­ted. But this calling also was ge­uen vnto Christ from God hys Fa­ther, as before vnto Aaron, both by word and by oth, that no flesh shuld resist it, euen as it is wrytten: The Lord hath sworne, and wyll not re­pent, thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech: So that in this behalfe, our sayth must be e­uer strong, that the calling of Christ is of the Lord, euen as the callyng of Aaron was: and wyth so muche the greater iudgement it shall bee reiected, because it was confirmed wyth an othe.

The last propertie in this compa­rison is, that the hye Priest of the [Page] law should haue an inward compas­sion towarde them that were igno­rant and were deceyued: in which perfect knot of vnfayned loue, hys ministery was accepted of God, and his sacrifices receyued and accomp­ted holy. And lest he should cast frō him this brotherly affection, God printed in his owne body the infir­mities of hys brethren, that accor­dyng to the measure of grace which he had receued, he might in dede be moued with hys brothers harmes, as with hys owne: So that he dyd not withdrawe hym selfe from the seruice of the Sanctuary, but put on the holy garmentes, was anoynted with the holy oyle, bare the names of his brethren before the Lord, presented their sacrifices, abstained frō wine & strong drynke, mourned not for his friendes that were departed, taught diligently the people, praied for their transgressions, and bare [Page] the burden of hys people, as God had layd it vpon him.

But yet thys propertie exceeded more in Christ then in all the tribe of Leuie, and the bowels of all com­passion wer more large within him; then the vtmost braunches of it in a­ny other creature. And this the A­postle noteth in thys place whyche now we haue in hand, in which we may see as in a most lyuely glas, the perfect beutye of all excellent loue. The thinges they were not lyght, nor the sorowes small, nor the sigh­inges few in number, nor the pray­ers faynt, nor the anguish of spirite litle, nor the death easy, by which he hath sealed it vnto vs, that hee had compassion on his people, but as the Apostle sayth: In the dayes of his flesh, while he was here clothed in mortalitie, lyke vnto one of vs, to the ende he might be faith­full for our sakes, he did offer vp praiers & supplications, with strong crying and teares vnto hym that was able to saue hym from [Page] death, and was also heard in the things which he feared. And being him selfe the sonne, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered, and being consecrate, was made the authour of eternall saluation to them that o­bey hym.

These wordes my deare brethrē, we haue now in hand, to search & examine what y ^e spirit teacheth vs, so much the more carefully to be hark­ned vnto of vs, how much the more plainly it setteth foorth vnto vs the great loue & compassion that Christ beareth toward vs. Two thinges especially here the Apostle testifieth: First the sufferinges of our sauiour Christ, & then the benefite that we enioy by the same, according as hys sufferinges were onely for our sake. His sufferinges what they were, & how great sorow oppressed hym, he sheweth by those effectes which his sorowes brought forth, that is, prai­ers, supplications, cryinges, teares, feare, and anguish of spirite, whych [Page] things waited euer vpon him, euen to the accomplishing of all his passi­ons, whych was the death of hys crosse. The fruite that we do reape of those afflictions whych he suffe­red, is the saluation of our soules & eternall life, if we wyl obey him.

In thys description of hys suffe­ringes, though the thynges are set forth which were cōmen and vsuall vnto him al his life, yet it appeareth especially the Apostle meaneth that greatest conflict of sorow which he had a litle before his passion, descri­bed by the Euangelistes, in all simi­litude like vnto this which the Apo­stle here declareth. For as it is here said: he made praiers, noting by the word that they were many in num­ber: so it appeareth in the Gospell, y ^t beside other praiers, three tymes he repeated thys one: [...]th 26 Father, if it be possible, let this cup passe frō me. And as it is sayd, he made supplica­tions, [Page] humblyng hym selfe low vn­der the hand of hys Father: so it is said in the Gospel, that thē he knee­led downe, fell vpon his face, and so prayed vnto God. Luk 41. And as the cause of his praiers is here mencioned, to be deliuered frō death: so the words of his praier in the Gospel are lyke: Father, if it be possible, let thys cup passe from me: meanyng the death of his crosse to which he was condē ­ned. And as here is mencioned his great and lowd crying: so there the Euangelist sayth, he cryed out with a lowde voyce: My God, my God, why hast thou forsakē me? And like as here is said, he praied with wee­ping teates: so there is witnessed, that he was sorowful and greuous­ly troubled, that his soule was hea­uy euen vnto death, & that in a great agonye hys sweate was lyke vnto drops of bloud. A wofull kynde of weeping, but such was his compas­sion, [Page] that we might haue sure hope. And as here is said, he was deliue­red from his feate: so at that tyme when all hys spirites were troub­led, the Angell came from heauen to bryng him comfort.

These similitudes they are all so agreable, that it is euident the Apo­stle respected especially aboue other, this part of his passiō, in which hys perfect loue and vnchaungeable af­fection towarde vs, shined in most fulnes of beuty, in that it was so fer­uent and so deepely rooted, that nei­ther feare, nor trembling, nor anye anguishe of spirite coulde make it shake, nor the force of death, nor a­ny bloudy sweates could pull it out of his bowels.

In this one sentence (dearely be­loued) ther is more for vs to learne, then either eye hath seene, or eare hath heard, or all fleshe in this lyfe shall attayne vnto. It is the deapth [Page] of the gloryous Gospell, which the Angels do desire to behold. But to note vnto you somethings in which our faith maye be strengthened, we haue to learn by the example of our sauiour Christ in this place, that in all temptacions we should approche vnto our God, and make our com­plaintes vnto him, who is onely a­ble & ready for to helpe vs. He hath not forgot hys promise that he hath made of old: Cal vpon me in the day of thy trouble, Psa. [...] and I wyll delyuer thee. He is a place of refuge, and of sure defence, a strong tower against al assaultes. The ryghteous man that shal hasten vnto him, he shal be surely saued. The author and fini­sher of our fayth, he is gone before vs: we shall be surelye partakers of the same mercy. It skilleth not how great our tēptacions ar into whych we are fallē, nor how many in num­ber, the Lord wyll deliuer vs out of [Page] all. It skilleth not howe manye one sins are, nor how great in our eyes, that haue procured out troubles, the Lord wyl scatter thē as the cloudes from the heauens, and they shal not turne away his louing countenance from vs. Let vs looke on thys pa­terne Iesus Christ that is set before vs. It would crush our flesh in pee­ces, to beare with hym the wayght of his afflictiōs, from which he was deliuered: and it woulde make our teares to bee as drops of bloude, to be partakers of so great anguish of spirit as he sustained, and yet it was not so great, but the comfort of the Angell sent from hys Father, was much greater: So that by praier he obtained a most excellent victory, & hath brused the Serpentes head, & broken all his force. And why shuld we then bee discouraged? If our syns be as crimosin, or if they be red lyke scarlet, yet they are the syns of [Page] our own bodies: but not ours one­ly, but also the synnes of the world, they rested all vpon Christ our Sa­uiour, and yet he prayed for delyue­rance, and hath obtained: and ther­fore we may say with boldnes: For­geue vs our trespasses. If the loue of Christ were so great to beare the syns of vs all, and of them euery one hath gotten forgeuenes, how shuld not we that ar laden with our own syns lift vp our heads into great as­surance of hope, and heare with ioy fulnes the word of promise: I wyll bee mercyfull to their vnryghteous­nes, Heb [...] and I wil remember their syns and their iniquities no more.

And what though our afflictions are exceeding many, that the whole head be sicke, and the whole hart be heauy: that frō the sole of our foote vnto our heades there bee nothyng whole in our bodies, but al woūdes and swellings, and sores full of cor­ruption, [Page] yet all this is nothing vnto his passions, by whole stripes wee are healed. And these troubles are nothing vnto his mighty cryinges, who was compassed about for our sakes with feares and horrours, til his sweate was as drops of bloud, and hys bones brused in hys fleshe. Then let the whyps and scourges of our chasticement be greuous, and let vs yet bee beaten (if the wyll of God so be) with Scorpions, Christ in great compassion suffering wyth our infirmities▪ hath borne yet a more heauy waight of iniquities, & hath bene deliuered. So that if we obey, we are partakers of his mer­cies, & we haue ful perswasion, that neither death nor lyfe, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor deapth, nor anye o­ther euent are shalbe able to seperate vs from the loue of God, which is in [Page] Christ Iesus our Lord. Yea, & grea­ter boldnes then this if it be possible to dwel within vs, the Apostle here hath offered it in Christ Iesu. If all the syns were vpon hym, and all so­rowes in his flesh, and yet frō them al God hath heard his praiers, why should we not be sure that our syns & sorowes they shall be done away? Why shuld we not be sure that God him self hath appointed vnto al that mourne in Syon (as the Prophet saith) to geue vnto them beutye for ashes, the oyle of ioy for mournyng, the garment of gladnes, for the spi­rite of heauynes? Let vs therefore be bold dearely beloued, for he was wounded for our transgressions, & broken for our iniquities, the cha­sticement of our peace was vpō him. These prayers are ours, these sup­plications for vs, auailable for moe synnes then we are able to commit. This is our victory that shall ouer­come [Page] the world, euen our fayth. In all miseries and multitudes of woe, we are not sonken so deepe in sorow as he that for our sakes made pray­ers and supplications, wyth strong cryinges and with teares, and was delyuered from his feare.

The seconde poynt that we haue here to learn in this example of our Sauiour Christ, is to knowe vnto whom we should make our prayers in the day of trouble, which the A­postle testifieth in these words: that Christ made his prayers vnto hym that was able to saue him frō death. A rule to be kept of vs in all maner of our peticions and supplications whatsoeuer, to make them knowen vnto him that can graūt our request, that is, vnto God. Thys rule was kept of the Church of God from the begynning. When men were once turned from their Idoles, [...]n 4.26 then in all their prayers they began to call [Page] vpon the name of y ^e Lord. And God him self at no time doth more sharp­lye reproue hys people, then when they woulde aske of those that had no power to helpe them. This les­son that poore Leaper so defiled in flesh, had yet humblye learned, and wyth a pure hart hee prayed accor­dingly: Lord, if thou wylt thou cāst make me whole. Ma [...] 14. Vpon thys foun­dation our sauiour Christ hath built vp all the prayers of his true Disci­ples, adding it as a special clause vnto the prayer that he taught them: For thine is the kingdome, Ma [...] 10. the po­wer, and the glorye, for euer and e­uer. Amen.

Then let vs learne, so manye as wyl pray in spirit, to make our prai­ers vnto hym alone, who is able to saue vs. It is the sacrifice of y ^e new Testament that he hath appoynted vs, that we should offer vp vnto him and not vnto other, the fruit of our [Page] lyps, which may confesse his name. And because this doctrine hath ben troden downe vnder feete, and defi­ted by the man of syn wyth all spiri­tual vncleanes, I beseche you adde vnto this, one reason or two more, that you may answer the aduersary, & be able to stand in the day of euill. When our sauiour Christ was pur­posed to teache his Disciples a true forme of prayer, & a perfect paterne vnto which they must frame their peticions (or it is vnpossible they shuld be accepted) he teacheth them that their begynning must be frō hence: Our Father whych art in heauen. What blessyng so euer wee woulde haue, or from what plague so euer we would bee delyuered, hee alone must be the person of whō we craue, to whom thys name & callyng doth belong: Our Father whych art in heauen. If thys name bee none of his, hee is no Patrone to bee called [Page] on: or if we wyll needes call vpon him, we geue hym thys name whe­ther it bee his or no. Christ is our good warrant, who hath made this the beginning of al christian praier: Our Father whych art in heauen. Therfore the Idolaters of all ages, that haue made thē selues Saintes to pray vnto, according to the num­ber of their prayers, so they haue multiplied their Idoles, & the Chyl­dren of God, to whom they haue sa­crificed, they shall wytnes agaynst them in the day of Christ. And you my deare brethren, agaynst all your enemies defend thus the holynes of your praier, that you know no other waye of speakyng, then as you are taught: Our Father. Adde yet vn­to this one reason more, which you learne of S. Paul, and I doubt not but you shall be well established in this present truth.

We know al and do confesse, that [Page] we are able to doo no good thing of our selues, but all our sufficiencie is of God: we are not able so much as to thinke a good thought. Yea, the very wisedome of the flesh is enmi­tie vnto all ryghteousnes: so true it is that the Prophet sayth: Euerye man is a beast in his own vnderstā ­ding. And how much lesse then are wee able to offer vp vnto God that most precious sacrifice of praier and thankes geuyng, to make it accep­table in his sight, if we consult with our own flesh and bloud, & after the wyl of man so make our praiers vn­to God? We must needes acknow­ledge our own infirmities, and con­fesse with S. Paule, that we knowe not what to praye as we ought, but it is the spirite of God that maketh request for the Saintes, accordyng to the wyl of God: and in thys holy spirit alone we must pray, if we loke for y ^e mercy of our Lord Iesu Christ [Page] to eternall life. The spirit that bea­reth rule in our hart, he must teache vs althinges, or els we can doo no­thing that God aloweth. Now the voyce of this spirite that alwayes soundeth within vs, it speaketh not thus, either Sancta Maria, or Sancta dei genitrix, neyther S. Paule praye for vs, nor S. Peter pray for vs. These are but the spicinges of the dronken cups of Rome, the soūdes of words which the spirites of errours haue blowen. But the holy spirit of God, that teacheth vs how to pray, it cri­eth thus in our hartes, Abba, Pater, Our Father whych art in heauen. As Christ hym selfe hath beene our scoolemaister of no other prayer, so the spirite that he hath geuen vs, it knoweth no other sound, but Abba Father: these are the beginninges of our praiers. If we speake not vnto hym, to whom doo wee bow our knees? If we wyll make the spirite [Page] subiect to any other, let vs take hede that we greue not the holy spirite of God, [...]. 4.30 by which we be sealed agaynst the day of redemption. Thus much I haue added to the example of our sauiour Christ, who made his pray­ers to his Father, who alone could deliuer him, y ^t he might the more as­suredly be bold to abide in his steps.

It followeth in the text: with great cryinges, and wyth teares. Here we haue to note in what measure our sauiour Christ was afflicted, euē so far, that he cried out in this bitternes of hys soule. This the Euangelistes do ex­presse in moe woordes, testifiyng of him, [...], that he was greatly afraid, all together astonished, euē fainting for great anguish of mynde, and full pensiue sorowes. For his father had broken him with one breaking vpō an other: so he kyndled hys wrath against him, and accompted hym as [Page] one of his enemies. The heauy hād of God was so greeuous vpon hym, that it brused his verye bones, and rent his raines asunder, hee coulde finde no health in his flesh, but was woūded vnto death as without re­couerye. The Euangelist hym selfe beareth witnes of this miserye, ad­dyng vnto hys lowde crying thys sound of wordes: My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me? Thys sorow, because it was not as waged with wordes, he cried out alowd, & because in silence he could finde no case, his face was wrinckled wyth weeping, and the shadowe of death was vpon his eyes. For what griefe coulde be lyke vnto this? Or what condemnation coulde be so heauye? when there was no wyckednes in his handes, and when hys prayer was pure, when he was the bright­nes of glory, and the sunne of rygh­teousnes that shined in the worlde: [Page] yet as it were to see hys daies at an end, and his enterprises broken, his carefull thoughtes to bee so deepe grauen in his brest, that they chaun­ged euen the daye into nyght vnto him, and all light that approched in to darknes, thys was a sorrowe a­boue all sorrowes. When his excel­lencie was such aboue all creatures, that the world was not worthye to geue him breath, yet he to bee made a woorme, and not a man, a shame of men, and the contempt of the peo­ple, all that saw hym to haue him in derision, and to shut vp hys lyfe in shame and reproches, so vnworthy a reward of so precious a seruaunt: how could it but shake all his bones out of ioynt, and make hys hart to melt in the myddest of his bowels? How could his strēgth not be dryed vp like a potshard, and his toūg not cleaue vnto the iawes of his mouth? Who hath bene euer so full of wo, & [Page] who hath bene brought so low into the dust of death? His vertues wer vnspeakeable, and righteous aboue all measure: yet was he accompted among the wicked. His temperan­cie in perfect beutye, & his appetites bridled with all holye moderation: yet they sayd of him, behold a glut­ton and a drinker of wyne. His be­hauiour honest, without al reproofe and his conuersation vnspotted: yet they sclaundred hym as a friende of Publicans and synners, and repor­ted him as a companion of theeues. He loued the law of his father wyth such fulnes of desire, that he would not suffer one iote, nor one title vn­accomplished: and yet they accused him as an enemye vnto Moyses, a breaker of the law, a subuerter of the Temple, and a teacher of newe doc­trines, such as were not of God. He harkened vnto his Father in all hu­mility, & loued him with al hys hart, [Page] and with al his soule, so that he was obedient vnto hym vnto death, yea euen the death of the crosse: yet they sayd of him presumptuously that he blasphemed, and robbed God of hys honor. He was an enemy of Satan euen vnto death, and by death ouer came hym that brought death into the world, he hated him with so perfect hatred, and held stedfast the en­mitie that was betwene them, vn­tyl he had spoyled his principalities and powers, and triumphed ouer them in an euerlasting victorye: yet horribly they reproched him by the naine of Belzebub, sayd he had a de­uill, and by the power of Satan hee wrought all hys miracles. O the depth of all abominations, and the bottomles pyt of al vncleanes. Who could once haue thought so lothsom a sincke to haue bene couered in the hart of man? O God, ryghteous in iudgemēt, and true in word, is this [Page] it that the Prophet hath tolde be­fore, that the thoughtes of manye hartes should be made open? Then create we beseche thee, Luke [...] 38. new hartes within vs, and take not thy holy spi­rite for euer from vs.

And you dearelye beloued, if these were the causes that Christ had to complaine, then thinke not that hys cryinges were aboue his sorow, to see so nere vnto his hart, euen in his own person, innocency blamed, ver­tue defaced, ryghteousnes troden downe, holines prophaned, loue de­spised, glory contemned, honour re­uiled, all goodnes shamed, faith on­pugned, and lyfe wounded to death. How could he yet abstain frō strong crying and teares, when the malice of Satan had gotten so great a con­quest? If iust Lot, dwelling among the Sodomites, and seing and hea­ring such a wicked people, 2 Pet [...] vexed frō day to day his righteous soule with [Page] their vngodly dedes: what shal we thinke of Christ liuing in such a ge­neration? But O my brethren, be­loued of the Lord, open the eyes of your fayth, and you shal see these thynges they were but the begyn­nings of sorow. What shal we think was his grief of minde for y ^e Iewes his brethren, that wer thus poured out vnto wickednes? How did hys great loue boyle in sorowes of hart, to see their destruction? If Moses, when he beheld the anger of God a­gainst his people, in great compassi­on of their miseries, praied earnest­ly vnto the Lord: [...] 32.33 Forgeue them O God, or rase me out of y ^e booke that thou hast wrytten: If Ieremye in foreseing the captiuitie of Ierusalē, had so great griefe that he cried out: O that my head wer ful of waters, [...] 9.2. & myne eyes a fountayne of teares, that I might weepe day and nyght for the flaine of the daughter of my [Page] people: If Esay in like aboundance of loue bewayled his brethren that woulde needes perish, wyth these words of complaynt: Esa. 2 [...] Turne away from me, I wyll weepe bitterly, la­bour not to comfort me, because my people perish: If Paule that most excellent Apostle, hauyng receiued but his portion of the great loue of Christ, called God to witnes, that he spake the truth, Rom [...] howe he had great heauynes and continuall sorowe of hart for hys brethren, and that for their sakes him selfe wished to be se­parate from Iesu Christ: what ma­ner of teares shall wee thinke were those which Christ him selfe poured our whē he wept ouer Ierusalem? Luk. [...] what sorow of mynde, which then interrupted hys speeches, & made thē vnperfect? How deepe was that angry griefe printed in his bowels, when he beheld the blindnes of his people, and was sorowful for them? Mark [...] [Page] What maner of affliction was it, y ^t in the middest of so great reproches and mockes could neuer bee chaun­ged, but prayed stil: Father, forgeue them, [...]ke 23. they know not what they do? If it bee greeuous vnto vs to lose the thing that is most deare vnto vs in thys earthlye tabernacle, howe much more did this sorrowe pearce euen through the bowels of our sa­uiour Christ, to see man taken from him vnto destructiō, for whose sake hee would so willynglye sacrifice vp his lyfe? This is an other spectacle in which we may behold hys great dolour and anguish, to knowe the paynes hee endured, and the causes of his mighty cryinges.

But thys also dearelye beloued, though it were exceding, yet it was not all, no it was but a taste of griefe in comparison of the rest. Behold if you can, his person here, and see the residue, and so you shal know y ^e loue [Page] of God. His griefe was exceding, to see all vertue & godlynes so troden vnderfeete: and it was yet more in­finite to beholde Satan to preuayle against man, to his euerlasting con­demnation. No creature could euer beare such a perct image of a man of sorow. But the height and depth of all miseries, it was yet behinde: the synne that he hated, hee must take it vpon his owne body, and beare the wrath of his Father that was pou­red out agaynst it. This is the ful­nes of all payne that compassed him round about, whych no toūg is able to vtter, and no hart can conceaue. This anger of hys father it burned in him, euen vnto the botome of hel, of the which anger y ^e Prophet spea­keth: Nahū. Who can stande before hys wrath, or who can abide the fearce­nes of his wrath? His wrath is poured out lyke fyre, and the rockes are broken before him. When the Pro­phet [Page] was not able to conceaue the waight of his anger, and his voyce cleaued vnto hys mouth when hee went about to vtter it, the hardest of all creatures hee tooke for example, that the hard rocke did cleaue asun­der at the sound of his words: And as is sayd in an other place, suche a voyce as maketh the forlorne wildernes to tremble: [...]. 29.8. A voyce so ful of terrour in the eares and hartes of the wicked, that the sunne shal be dark­ned at the sound of it, & the Moone shall not geue her lyght, the Stars of the heauen shal fal away, and the powers of heauen shall bee shaken. No creature at all shal yeld his ser­uice vnto them, the elementes of the world shall seeme to melt away.

This state of misery Christ entred into, and soonke down deepe in this confusion, and who can expresse his sorow? Beyng full of goodnes, he had the reward of euyl: Full of obe­dience, [Page] he was punished as wycked: Ful of faith, yet had the reward of a synner: Inheritour of al thinges, & Lord of all: yet nothing at all to do him duty: The King of Kings, and Lord of Lordes, yet made an out­cast and abiect of y ^e people: The ru­ler of all, and God of glory, yet com­passed wyth shame and great confu­sion: The author of lyfe, yet wrap­ped in the chaines of eternall death: The onel [...] begotten of his Father, & hys best beloued, yet cast off as a straunger, and chasticed as an ene­my: The brightnes of glorye, & the beutye of the h [...]ghest heauens, yet crucified in dishonour, and throwne downe into hel. O picture of perfect wretchednes, and image of miserie: how iust cause found he to cry out a­lowde: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Hys whole body and nature like vnto vs, altogether broken with the reward of syn: his [Page] soule poured out into all calamitie: the wrath of his father and condem­nation resting vpon him. How truly may we here say and confesse the ar­ticle of our faith: He descended into hell? How liuely do we see it perfor­med that the Prophet speaketh of: The snares of death compassed me, and the paynes of hel tooke hold vp­on me: [...] 9.3 I found trouble and sorow. This was the compassion that hee had toward vs, by which he suffred with our infirmities more then Aa­ron, or all the Priestes of the lawe could possibly haue done for vs. If we could possibly cōsider dearly beloued as we shuld, we wold gladly embrace him as y ^e hie Priest for euer of y ^e new testament: & when we shal be made of one fashion with hym tho­row some measure of his afflictions to feele the waight of our own syns, then we shall confesse what cause he had of complayning, & how dearely [Page] he hath bought the honour of the hye Priest & Mediatour. The Lord lighten the eyes of our mynde, that with open countenance we may be­hold hym, who for our sakes endu­red suche a death of the crosse: We should not then neede many exhor­tations, the remembraunce of the latter end would keepe vs safe from syn. But let vs now see what the A­postle further teacheth vs, & whyle our sauiour Christ is in these great extremities, what fruit of well do­ing he hath learned by it.

It followeth: And although he were the Sonne, yet learned he obedience by the thinges he suffered. Loe, dearely belo­ued, this was no litle profit of al his troubles. He learned therby how, & what it was to obey his father, that when these thinges rested all vpon hym, and yet he could say in meeke­nes of spirit: Not my wyl my father but thy wyl be done▪ he might haue [Page] great boldnes y ^t his obedience was perfect. The shame of the worlde, the a [...]flictions of the flesh, the vexa­tions of the mynde, the paynes of hell, when these could make him vt­ter no other wordes, but Father as thou wylt, so le [...] it bee done: what hope, what faith did he surely build on, that his obedience was precious in the sight of his father? This ex­ample is our instruction. We know then best howe we loue the Lorde, when wee feele by experience what we wyl suffer for his sake. It is an easy thing to be valiant before the combate, or to dreame of a good courage before the hart be tried: but indeede to bee vnshaken in the mydst of the tempest, and to stand vpryght when the ground vnder thee doth tremble, this is to know assuredlye thou art strong in deede, and to say with boldnes, thou shalt neuer bee moued. This our Sauiour Christ [Page] might throughly glory of. The hea­uen, earth and elementes they were all his enemies: his Father in whō hee trusted, shewed hym an angrye countenaunce. He that fainteth not, but crieth styl: Thy wyll be done O Father, he may be bold of his obedi­ence: there is no creature can make him falsifie his faith. If this be the fruite of our afflictions, the Apostle speaketh not without great occasiō: Accompt it for an exceding ioy, whē ye fall into sundrye troubles. For what can bee more ioyfull vnto the soule that is oppressed, then to haue this in experience, y ^e neither heigth nor deapth shall remoue hym from the Lord.

The glory of Abraham was exce­ding great whē he had sealed it with practise, Gene. [...] that hee would forsake hys country and his kinred, and his fa­thers house, at the commaūdement of God, to go whether he wold shew [Page] him. Then he knew by good proofe he was made worthy of Christ, whē hee could forsake Father, Mother, house, land, and all thinges, to come vnto him. The patience of Iob was not throughlye knowen, tyll all hys goodes were spoyled, and he left ex­ceeding [...]are, in that case when hee spake so boldly: Naked came I out of my mothers wombe, [...] 2. and naked shal I return againe, the Lord hath geuen, the Lord hath taken away, as the Lord wyll so is it done, the name of the Lord bee praysed for e­uer. Now might Iob be sure of the strong patience which should bryng forth hope that neuer should be con­founded.

Our brethren before vs, which so constantly haue holden the professiō of their faith that the flames of fire could not make it wauer, they had a good witnes that their election was sure, when they might speake by ex­perience, [Page] that neither life nor death could remoue them from the loue of God. Thus the good grounde is knowen what it is, when the heate cannot scortch it, nor brears and thornes turne the good corne into weedes, but through all stormes it wyl geue nourishment to the seede, tyl it geue greater encrease to Gods honour and glory. The best of vs all let vs thank God for this profitable experience, for before it come vnto vs, we know not how great the re­bellion of the flesh wyl be.

The Apostels of Christ they brag­ged not a little, that they would ne­uer forsake their Maister Christ, he alone had the words of eternal life, and they would not chaūge hym for an other: They beleued hym, they knewe hym to bee Christ the sonne of the lyuing God, and ther was no other Sauiour. But when they saw the swordes and staues, the rulers [Page] offēded, the people in an vprore, the crosse at hand: their courage fell downe, they forsooke hym all, & fled away. Peter was not a litle stoute, as hym selfe was perswaded: hee would neuer forsake Christ, though he should dye for hys name, and for proofe of his courage he drewe hys sword, and stroke so vēterously, that he had almost slayne one. He seemed to be at a point, & fully resolued, that he would not leaue his Maister, tyl the sword should deuide them: but alas, thys boldnes was but a blast of wordes. When there was no re­medy but Christ must be had to Cai­phas, Peter began to faynt, and to draw behinde. When the peril was more encreased, and they began to cry Crucifige, Peter was more afraid and began to sweare he knewe hym not. So great infirmitie is in mor­tall flesh: experience is the greatest warrant to know what it can beare. [Page] It is our bounden dutye, and the Lord requireth it, that we shoulde determine wyth our selues in all thinges, to approue our selues the witnesses of his Gospel in pacience, in afflictiōs, in necessities, in stripes, in tumultes, in labours, in watch­inges, in fastings, in honour, in dis­honour, in good report, in shame, in lyfe, in death: and our comfort is great, when we bee perswaded of these thynges, that we would con­temne them. But how violently the flesh wyll fight agaynst vs, we can not well declare, tyll we haue made the triall.

We therefore dearelye beloued, whom it hath pleased God so keepe in heauines through many tempta­tions, we haue here a salue agaynst the woundes of sorow. Our afflicti­ons do teach vs how farre we can o­bey the Lord. If in al griefe of body I can say with patiēce: I haue held [Page] my peace O Lord because thou hast done it: then I know that in all so­rowes of flesh. I haue glorified God and my hart rejoyceth. If my mynd be full of anguish and sorow, so that al hope be faint within me: if I can say yet vnto my soule, I wyll wayte patientlye for the Lordes leasure: then I knowe assuredlye God hath made me obedient, and he wil heare my praier: So that this experience hath bred in me the hope that shall neuer be confounded. I may speake the wordes which the heauens shal seale vnto wyth everlastyng truth: Neither fire nor swoord, nor princi­palities nor powers shal remoue me from the loue where with God hath loued me. A sure token of this salua­tion I haue found in myne afflicti­ons. When I traueiled in sorrowe both of bodye and mynde, I founde the grace to say: O Lord do thy wil. This is no smal cause why we shuld [Page] reioyce, when God doth make vs worthy to feele the trial of our faith. So dearelye beloued, faynt not in your mourninges, but endure paci­ently: you know not the happynes of that which seemeth your miserye. Let thys be the first cause why wee should be glad of temptations. And to thend we may help our cōmon in­firmities, let vs learne yet more why it is good for vs to be brought low.

A most notable commoditie the A­postle rehearseth, where he writeth to the Romanes: Those whō God hath foré knowen, hee hath also pre­destinate, to be made lyke vnto the image of his sonne. Loe my deare brethren, theese are the healthfull coūsels of the Lord toward vs, that we should bee made lyke vnto hys sonne Christ in manye afflictions, that at the last we might be also like him in eternal glory. These are the ritches of Gods vnsearchable wise­dome. [Page] Death once raigned through s [...]n, and he hath found a way to rise from it againe into greater glory.

This victorye, because it was to great for Saint or Angel to obtain, he hath apointed it to be the worke of his onely begotten. Sonne, who hath made it perfect in a most excel­lent conquest. He hath taken vpon hym our nature to make it strong, & in his owne person hee hath filled it with the fulnes of miseries, wyth al sorowes of flesh, with all anguish of minde, with persecutiō, with death, with synne, with hel, with condem­nation, & from al these, by the migh­tye power of his Godhead, he is ry­sen againe in our fleshe, ascended vp into glory, and sytteth on the ryght hand of Maiestie and of power, be­ing a mighty. Sauiour vnto euerye one that shal follow hym. So that this is our glory in al afflictiōs: we are fashioned by them into the simi­litude [Page] of Christ, & we are made lyke vnto him. So it pleased God, when he would bring many children into glorye, to consecrate the Prince of their saluation through afflictions, and to make both him that sanctifi­eth, and those that are sanctified all of one, that they y ^t suffer wyth hym, should also raygne with him, & they that dye with hym, should also lyue with him. So we, whē we feele ma­ny troubles to rest vpon vs, we may say now we are lyke vnto Christ: e­specially whē we feele that greatest trouble, fullest of bitter sorow, that is, y ^e mynde oppressed, it maketh vs especiallye lyke vnto hym, that wee may say with Paule: Now we sup­ply in our flesh the remnant of the afflictions of Christ.

Let me looke into y ^e whole course of my life, and what soeuer pleaseth me best, health, honour, ritches, fa­uour, authority, frendship, wife, chil­dren, [Page] in all these thynges I cannot yet behold y ^e liuely image of Christ. Affliction and trouble, a minde bro­ken with remembraunce of synne, a troubled spirite, these are the begin­ninges of great reioycinges: wyth the horrours of death, and a consti­ence burdened wyth the wrath of God. Here light shineth out of dark­nes, and hope out of dispaire. As I thincke my selfe furthest of from the Lord, so in deede I am nearest vn­to him: And when I thinke my selfe fullest of confusion, then the image of Christ is most lyuelye within me. The Lord maye hyde his face for a whyle, for a moment in hys anger, as he dyd from Christ, but he must needes returne vnto me wyth euer­lasting mercies, for the image of his sonne is cleare within me. A blessed sorow and woe ful of happines, that fashioneth theese dayes of my vani­tie into the similitude of the age of [Page] Christ, that wyth hym at the last I myght raygne for euer. A precious countenaunce it is in the syght of God, that seemeth without beuty in the eyes of man: and an vnspeake­able treasure of ioy and gladnes en­grauen in these vessels that are but earth and ashes. When Christ is the paterne whose similitude wee doo beare, who can be discouraged vn­der the crosse? We are afflicted on euery syde, but not in such a strayte that we are shut from hope. We are in pouertie, but not ouercome of po­uertie. We are persecuted, but not forsaken. We are cast down, but we perishe not. We are troubled in all things, fightings without, and ter­rors wythin, but God that comfor­teth the abiects, he wil comfort vs. Vnto thys he hath predestinate vs, that we shuld be like vnto his sonne in al afflictions, and so bee glorified with him in the day of honor. Thus [Page] f [...]rre we haue heard two special causes why wee ought to reioyce in all temptations: the one, that so wee leayne true obedience: the other, y ^t by thē we be made lyke vnto Christ. Adde yet vnto these, one sh [...]ed cause out of the scripture, which when you shal haue learned, be bold dearly be­loued in al the fires of the enemies. For beholde, in the truth of Iesus I dare be yo [...]t warrāt, the greater are your afflictions, the lyket you are vnto Christ: yea, if it should happen you to fal downe into hel, Christ hath descended also: you shuld then be most like him in his agonies and bloudy sweates.

The third cause at this time which I wil touch, is this. God sendeth vs sundrye chasticementes, and especi­ally that which is most greuous of al other, the anguish of spirit and af­fliction of the soule, for this purpose that we should bee warned in tyme [Page] how to turne vnto him, and bee free from the plague when it commeth. For the iudgementes of God that are daylye preached vnto vs, they pearce deepe into the hartes of the true beleuers, & the word that they heare, it worketh mightely in them, more sharpe in their eares then a two edged swoord: it entreth tho­row them, euen to the deuidyng a­sunder of the soule and of the spirit, and of the ioyntes, & of the marowe, and examineth all the thoughtes & the ententes of the hurt, so that it is vnpossible that anye part of them should be hyd, but they are all open vnto iudgemēt, and heare the voyce of the Lord. Then their syn is reui­ued in the middest of their bowels, their conscience hath no rest, they feele death working in their harts, and hel is before them. They see syn on their right hand, and Satan on their left, shame vnder their feete, & [Page] an angrye Iudge aboue them, the world ful of destruction without, & a worme gnawing the hart within: the poore sinner knoweth not what to do. To hide him selfe it is impos­sible, and to appere it is intolerable. Then he breaketh out into loud cry­ings: O wretched man that I am, who shal delyuer me from the body of this death? He geueth no rest vn­to his eyes, nor sleepe vnto hys eye lyds, vntyl he finde hym that is able to saue him frō this wrath. In his bed by night he seeketh him whom his soule loueth: in the streetes and open places he enquireth after him, and after manye dayes in which he can not finde hym, Christ sheweth him selfe at the last a perpetual deli­uerer, a victorious Lion of the tribe of Iuda, in whō he hath strong sal­uation. When he hath mourned, because of the plague that was before him, Christ wyll approch nere, and [Page] wipe away the teares from his eyes. This the Prophet Abacuck setteth forth in hys owne person: When I heard (saith he) the woord of God, Aba [...] my bellye trembled, my lyps shooke at the voyce, rottennes entred into my bones, and I trembled in my selfe, that I myght haue rest in the day of trouble.

Euen so dearly beloued, it is with vs all. The plagues of God, because they are pronounced against iniqui­tie, it maketh the Childe of God to feare and tremble, that so foreseing the harme, hee myght prepare hym helpe, and because of the destroyer, seeke wythout wearynes vnto the Sauiour. Though he hide him self at the first, the wounded spirite and troubled hart must needes find him out. A great cause of vnspeakeable gladnes, though we seeme swalow­ed vp of pensiue sorow. We are full of grief: but we are chasticed of the [Page] [...]ord, because we should not be con­dempned wyth the world. We dye with Christ, but because we should liue with him. We lament & weepe, but because that Christ might wipe away al teares from our eyes. We are delyuered vnto death for Iesus sake, but because the lyfe of Iesus shuld be made manifest in our flesh. We beare about in our bodyes the mortification of the Lord Iesus, but because the life of Iesus myght be manifest also in our bodies. We haue anguish of spirit and vexation of mynde, such as hath not bene frō the beginning, but for this cause, y ^• when sudaine destruction shal come vpon the careles world, we myght lyft vp our heades, and beholde our redemption at hand. Let vs then be bolde, and in patience possesse our soules. For these causes we are now afflicted, that we might receiue mer­cie, & finde grace to helpe in the time [Page] of neede: And for this cause we tre­ble and are afrayd, that after manye praiers and supplicatiōs we myght be deliuered from the things which we haue feared. It foloweth in the Apostle: And beyng consecrate, hee was made the Author of saluation to all them that obey him.

In these woordes we are taught what fruit and commodity we haue through these bitter sufferynges of our sauiour Christ, and also by what meanes we are made partakers of it. The fruit is eternall saluatiō, the meanes to go vnto it is obedience. In the first we learne, that all pro­mise and hope of lyfe is in Christ a­lone. He hath alone the woordes of lyfe, he is alone the bread of life, the water of lyfe, the author of lyfe, the word of life; the tree of life, the onely life. He that beleueth in him, he hath euerlasting life, and he that dwelleth not in hym, shall see no lyfe, but the [Page] wrath of God abideth on him. Take hold of Christ, and take hold of lyfe. Reach foorth thine hand to anye o­ther thyng, and thou reachest vnto vanitie, which cannot helpe. Looke not for lyfe, but where it dwelleth: in the flesh of Christ alone there it resteth. Death hath raygned in al the world beside, & led euerye crea­ture into bondage. If thou looke vnto the heauens, there is but vexatiō and anguish: If thou looke vnto the earth, there is but darknes & sorow: If thou cal vnto Abrahā, he know­eth thee not: If thou cry vpon An­gels, they cānot helpe thee: If thou looke vnto thy workes, they are all vncleane: If thou trust in thy pray­ers, y ^e Lord hath no pleasure in thē. Cal for the help of al creatures, they are subiect to vanitie, ther is no life but in Christ alone. The Elders, the Angels, the Beastes, & the creatures, they gaue this honour vnto Christ a [Page] Saluation is of him that sitteth vp­on the throne, and of the Lambe, & altogether they cry, Amen. And if al the creatures, which yet are excel­lent good, are not of power to geue any peece of this life: thē what shal we thincke of those people, enemies to God & murderers of his Saints, which so long haue made vs beleue that they haue lyfe in them selues: that they can forgeue vs our synnes for yeares, euen as they wyll, many or fewe: that they c [...]n make sacrifi­ces propitiatorie for vs: that they can purge vs by Purgatorye fiers: that their Pilgrimages, their Par­dons, their Vowes, their holye or­ders, and such other spirituall dron­kennes of their sycke braynes, that these be auaileable to purchase lyfe. If they wyl not be reclaymed, let vs rest in the counsels of our God, & say with Iohn: He that hurteth, let him hurt styll, & he that is filthy, let him [Page] be filthy styll. It is inough for vs y ^e Christ is our life, that our lyfe is hid with Christ in God: when Christ which is our life shal appeare, then shall wee also appeare wyth him in glory.

Now while wee are in the dayes of our pilgrimage, the way that we must walke vnto this life in Christ, is to be obediēt vnto his wyl. Whatsoeuer be the way that he wil shew vs, and byd vs walke in it, let vs neither decline to the ryght hand, nor to the leaft, but go forwarde in the same. We are not to looke into the world howe our Fathers before vs haue walked. Our iniquities & the iniquities of our Fathers shall bee bound together, if we be partakers of their euyl doings. If we go after Baalims, which our Fathers haue taught vs, we shall be fed wyth the woormewood whych our Fathers haue eaten. The gouernmēt of the [Page] Church is vppon the shoulders of Christ. He geueth vs the lawes by which we lyue, he ruleth alone in y ^e house of Iacob, his voyce must bee followed. We may not now euerye one say we haue a vision, we haue a dreame: God hath spoken by hys sonne, and charged all to heare him. We may not boast our selues of saint or Angel to harkē to new doctrines which we haue not learned, for God hath not put in subiection vnto An­gels theese dayes of the Gospell in which we are, but vnto Christ who is made the head of his people, & all thinges are in subiection vnder his feete. So that this is the way wee haue to walke: Christ is our Lord, let vs receiue hys lawes: he is our Maister, let vs folow his rules: he is our Apostle, let vs heare his Gos­pel: Let vs obey in all thinges, and we shall be established.

This is the glory that God hath [Page] geuen vnto his sōne: he is our law­geuer, we haue no other. If we wyl leaue the stubbernnes of our owne hartes and obey hym, as lyfe is in him, so we shall surely lyue. For the Lord hath not as great pleasure in burnt offeringes and sacrifices, as when the voice of the Lord is obey­ed. It is an euerlasting truth, that to obey is better then sacrifice, and to harken is better then the fatte of Rams. For to disobey is the syn of witchcraft, and to chaunge the law that is set before vs, this is wicked­nes & idolatrie. Let vs not be wyse in our own conceites, to frame God a religion, such as we wyl. Thys is to draw iniquity with cordes of va­nity, and to pul syn after vs as with cartropes. A iust recompēce of such weery labours, when God shall say vnto vs: Who hath required theese things at your hands? Let vs then folow so as we be called, and bryng [Page] into captiuity euery thought of man, to the obedience of Christ. And the Lord our God for his Christes sake geue vnto vs harts ful of humilitie, that we may thinke him wisest, and rest in hys decrees: that wee be ne­uer spoiled through vaine Philoso­phy, and the traditions of men, but harken vnto him who is onely wise, that at y ^e last we may liue with him, who hath alone immortality, & shal fyll vs with his glory for euermore. Which tymes the Lord God bryng speedely vpon vs, & finish the daies of syn for his mercies sake, that we may enter into the heauēs, whether Christ is gone before vs, and raigne with him for euer, who is our onely sauiour. To whom with the father and the holye Ghost, three per­sons and one God be all ho­nor▪ and glory, world wythout ende.

AMEN.