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diff --git a/28104-0.txt b/28104-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1d140e4 --- /dev/null +++ b/28104-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3313 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Pulpit Of The Reformation, Nos. 1, 2 +and 3. by John Welch, and Bishop Latimer and John Knox + + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no +restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under +the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or +online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license + + + +Title: The Pulpit Of The Reformation, Nos. 1, 2 and 3. + +Author: John Welch, Bishop Latimer and John Knox + +Release Date: February 16, 2009 [Ebook #28104] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PULPIT OF THE REFORMATION, NOS. 1, 2 AND 3.*** + + + + + + The Pulpit of the Reformation; + + No. 1, October 30, 1834. + + Containing + + The Last Judgment, + + By John Welch. + + The Day Of Judgment, + + By Bishop Latimer. + + No. 2, December 1, 1834. + + Containing + + The Parable Of The Householders, + + And The + + Parable Of The Tares, + + By Bishop Latimer. + + No. 3, January 1, 1835, and No. 4, February 1, 1835. + + Containing + + A Sermon Preached Before Queen Mary + + By John Knox + + To Which Is Subjoined An Extract From Knox’s Admonition To The People Of + England. + + Aberdeen: + + Published By + + George King, 28, St. Nicholas Street, + + And + + Robert King, Broad Street, Peterhead + + + + + +CONTENTS + + +The Last Judgment. +By The Rev. John Welch, A. D. 1570-1622. +The Day Of Judgment. +Extracted From A Sermon By Hugh Latimer, Bishop Of Worcester, And Martyr, +1555. +The Parable Of The Householder. +A Sermon, By Bishop Latimer. +The Parable Of The Tares, +By Bishop Latimer, Preached On The 7th Of February, 1553. +A Sermon On Isaiah XXVI. +By John Knox. +“It Is I, Be Not Afraid.” +Extracted From Knox’s Admonition To England. +Footnotes + + + + + + +THE LAST JUDGMENT. +BY THE REV. JOHN WELCH, A. D. 1570-1622. + + + REV. xx. 11.—_And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on + it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away._ + + +The security of all flesh is wonderous great, for there is a fearful sleep +fallen both upon the good and the evil. The foolish virgins are sound +asleep, and the wise are asleep also. And suppose the Lord be at the door, +and the hour of judgment at hand, and the seventh angel ready to blow the +last trumpet, when time shall be no more; yet it is scarcely one of a +thousand, yea, one of ten thousand, is to be found that is prepared, and +busying themselves to meet the Lord, who is making speed to come in the +clouds: and how soon that fire shall break forth, which shall kindle the +heavens above your head, and the earth under your feet, and shall set all +on fire; how soon the trumpet shall blow, and the shout shall cry, “Rise, +Dead, and come to judgment,” is only known to God, and to no mortal man. +Will ye not then be wakened till this trumpet waken you? And will none of +you take pains to look over the leaves of your conscience, and read what +sins are written there, since ye came into the world, before that day of +doom come upon you? O that ye knew that eternity, and that terror of the +day of the Lord, when the heavens above you, and the earth beneath you, +shall not be able to stand before the face of him that sits on the throne! +Therefore I hope the Lord has made choice to me of this text, at this +time, to give you warning before the judgment come. Ye know the watchman +that the Lord takes from among the people, that he sets over the city or +house to credit to them, “If ye see the sword and pestilence coming, and +warn them not, the blood of them that perish under the judgment for lack +of warning, will be required at his hand,” that is, the watchman’s; +therefore it is time for me to be making warning to you, and, in the +measure of strength that God will give me, I am to make warning not of a +temporal judgment, but of an everlasting judgment that is coming on, (God +waken you and warn you in time!) that when ye shall see the Judge sit on +his throne, your hearts may not tremble at his awful countenance, having +gotten your souls washed in his blood. But, to come to the purpose, there +are many visions in this book, and there are many things done here, that +the Son shews to his servant John. He shews him first the present state of +the Church at that time in the world, under the name of seven stars, and +he tells, “they are suffering, and had patience; and they laboured for his +name’s sake, and fainted not; but yet he had somewhat against them, +because they had forsaken their first love.” Some were in tribulation and +poverty, but yet rich in God; some kept the name of Jesus, and denied not +the faith, suppose they should had given their blood for it, as the +faithful martyr Antipas did; but yet he had a few things against them, +because they maintained the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing he +hated. Some had love, service, faith, and patience, and their work was +more at the last than at the first; but yet they suffered the false +prophetess Jezebel to be among them, to whom he threatens he will cast her +into a bed of affliction, and them that commit fornication with her, +except they repent them of their works. There were some whose works were +not found perfect before God; therefore he exhorts them to remember how +they had heard, and received; he bids them hold fast and repent, +otherwise, he tells, that he will come shortly against them. Some had a +little strength, and kept his word, and denied not his name; therefore he +promises to deliver them in the hour of temptation that shall come upon +all the world to try the whole earth. Some were neither cold nor hot; and +therefore, because they were lukewarm, he tells them that it would come to +pass, that he would spew them out of his mouth; they thought they were +rich and increased in goods, and had need of nothing, but they know not +that they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; and then he +counsels them to buy of him gold tried in the fire, that they might be +rich, and white raiment, that they might be clothed, and eye-salve that +they might see. So what is your case this day? Have ye not forsaken your +first love? But as for tribulation, it is not yet come; for our days have +been days of peace, of light, liberty, and glory; but as for tribulation +it is not yet come; but as the Lord lives, the days of tribulation are not +far off. As for false doctrine, God be praised, it is not among us yet, +or, at least, if it be, it dare not be avowed yet; but I fear, that, who +lives to see it, they shall see heresy and corruption in doctrine and +religion creep in piece and piece, in this Church; and if our works be +found perfect before God, or not, the Lord knows the contrary, and your +own consciences bear witness to it; and if your life be answerable to your +name, I leave it to your consciences to judge, if we have not a name that +we are living, and yet are dead; and whether this be not the doleful state +of the generation that is neither cold nor hot. It is clear, the zeal of +the glory of God, being so worn out of the hearts of all, plainly declares +the same. But I leave this. After he had shewed him the present state of +the Church, at that time, then he tells him what shall be the state of the +Church unto the end of the world. + +And _first_, in the vision of a sealed book, containing these acts +concerning the Church, which none could open but the Lion of the tribe of +Judah, for it was sealed with seven seals. Now, what was contained in +these seven seals? This will take a larger time to declare than now is +meet to ware upon it. + +Mark always of these things spoken, there are three consolations to the +Church of God; howsoever it be that she be in tribulation, or poverty, and +affliction; and albeit it come to pass, that the devil cast some of them +in prison, that they may be tried, and some have tribulation ten days, +which is but a short time; and howsoever it be that our adversary goes +about continually like “a roaring lion, seeking whom to devour;” but yet, +“he that rides on the white horse,” with the badge at his belt, and the +arrows at his side, he shall get the victory at the end of the world; and +to them that are faithful to the death, he shall give them a crown of +life. + +Mark _next_, suppose the sword, the famine, the pestilence, these temporal +judgments, be common to the godly as well as to the wicked, yet there is +consolation to the “souls of them that are slain for the testimony of +Jesus, they are lying under the altar, and they cry with a loud voice, +Lord, how long, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood +upon them that dwell on the earth?” Then it was said unto them, “that they +should rest for a little season, until their fellow-servants and brethren, +that should be killed, as they were, should be fulfilled.” + +Mark, _thirdly_, the sixth seal is opened, “and there was a great +earthquake, and the sun was as black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon +was like blood, and the stars of heaven fell to the earth, and heaven +departed away as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain +and island were moved out of their places; and then the kings of the +earth, and the great men, and rich men, and the captains, and the mighty +men, and every bond man, and every free man, hid themselves in dens and +rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, +and hide us from the presence of him that sits on the throne, and from the +face of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be +able to stand?” Then shall the Church of God be avenged on her enemies; +then she shall have power over the nations, and shall rule them with a rod +of iron, and as the vessels of a potter they shall be broken; then shall +the saints of God be brought out of great tribulation, and have their long +robes washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb; they shall be in the +presence of the throne of God, and serve him both day and night in his +temple; and he that sits on the throne shall live among them, and he that +is in the midst of the throne shall govern them, and shall lead them to +the lively fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears from +their eyes. Now, I go forward. After this, he tells him, before this day +the Gospel shall be wonderfully restrained; “And the bottomless pit shall +be opened, and the smoke of that pit shall arise as the smoke of a great +furnace; and the sun and the air shall be made dark with that smoke: and +out of that smoke shall come locusts upon the earth, and they shall have +power as the scorpions of the earth have, and the pain of them shall be as +the pain of a scorpion, when he have stung a man. And in these days men +shall seek death, and shall not find it, and shall desire to die, and +death shall fly from them.” Then he tells two woes that shall come upon +the earth, the one of the Antichrist, the other of the Turk, “who shall +run through the world and slay the third part of men, and shall lead their +great army of twenty times ten thousand horsemen of war, and there should +be two witnesses raised up, and power should be given them to prophesy so +many days clothed in sackcloth; and if any man should hurt them, fire +should proceed out of their mouth and devour their enemies; and when they +have fulfilled their testimonies, they should be slain by the beast that +came out of the bottomless pit, but they should rise again; and the spirit +of life coming up from God, should enter into them, and they should stand +upon their feet, and great fear fell upon them that seized them, and then +shall they ascend up to heaven in a cloud in the sight of their enemies.” + +And at last, “The seventh angel shall blow his trumpet, and the dead shall +rise, and every man shall receive according to his works.” This he does +till he comes to the twelfth chapter, then he tells him, “The fights of +the dragon with the woman, and her seed that kept the commands of her God, +and kept the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Then he tells him, “the two +empires of the two beasts, Antichrist and the Turk, and the manner of +every one of them.” Then he tells, “The noble company of the Lamb that +stands in mount Zion, even the hundred and forty and four thousand, having +their Father’s name written on their fore-heads; and how he heard a voice +from heaven, like the sound of many waters, and as the sound of a great +thunder; and he heard the noise of harpers harping with their harps; they +sung, as it were, a new song before the throne, and no man could learn +that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were brought +from the earth.” He tells what they were, saying, “These are they which +were not defiled with women, for they are virgins; these follow the Lamb +wherever he goes, and these were redeemed from among men, being the first +fruits to God, and to the Lamb: and in their mouth was found no guile; for +they are without spot before the throne of God.” Then he tells, “That +another angel flew in the midst of heaven, with the everlasting Gospel to +preach unto them which dwell on the earth;” and that is the same Gospel +which I preach unto you, even this, “Fear God, and give glory to him, for +the hour of judgment is come; and worship him that made the heavens and +the earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Then he tells, “that +another angel cried, It is fallen, it is fallen, Babylon that great city, +she made all the nations to drink of the wine of her fornication. Ay, +Rome, thou shalt be taken and burnt in a furnice of fire, and a mill-stone +shall be bound about thy neck, and thou shalt be cast into the midst of +the sea, and shalt be drowned; there thou shalt fall, and thy fall shall +make heaven and earth, and all the angels and saints to rejoice at thy +fall. Ay, God shall put it into the hearts of the kings to do it; we know +not what kings they are; and then the bride shall prepare her for the +bridegroom’s coming in the clouds.” + +Next again, of _seven vials_ he sets down again almost the same things +that he prophesied before; and now here, last of all, he lets him see the +last judgment. Would you know then what is here? See ye yon great throne? +Ye shall see the Judge standing on the throne; ye shall all see both +heaven and earth flee away from his face, ye shall all see the dead, great +and small, and yourselves among the rest, standing before God; and ye +shall all see the books opened, and the dead judged according to their +works, and death and hell cast into the lake of fire, even those that had +their hands in his heart’s blood, and those that pierced his side with a +spear, and those that rivetted him with nails, both hands and feet, they +shall see it also. The elect shall see it, as Job says, “For I know that +my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the last day upon the +earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet I shall see +God in my flesh: whom myself shall see, and my eyes shall behold, and not +another, though my reins were consumed in me.” And this was his +consolation; even so those very eyes of yours, and no other, shall see +with terror or with joy, either to your endless comfort, or to your +endless condemnation. Now, what sees he? First, he sees a throne; ye know +a throne is set for a judge to sit on; so he sees a throne whereon the +Judge of the whole earth is to sit on; therefore he shall come to be a +Judge. He came before, at his first coming, not to sit on a throne, nor to +be a Judge, but to be judged before thrones and tribunals of men; for John +says, “That he sent not his Son that he should condemn the world, but that +the world through him might be saved.” Christ himself says, “Man, who made +me a judge, or a divider over you?” And in another place, “The Son of man +came not to judge, but be judged himself.” In his first coming, he comes +from high majesty to baseness and humility; he came from his Father’s +glory to shame and ignominy; he came from a palace to a crib; from the +seat of his majesty to a tree; he came like a Lamb to be slain, and as a +Saviour to save sinners: as the Apostle says, it was a true saying, “That +Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief;” +Christ himself says, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to +repentance;” and therefore that is the name that the angel gives him, when +he appears to Joseph in a dream, saying, and “thou shalt call his name +Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins; and they shall call +his name Emmanuel, that is, God with us,” our God made flesh, our God +manifested in the flesh. So I say, in his first testimony, he comes as a +Saviour and Mediator between God and man; but in his last coming, he shall +not come as a Lamb, but as a Judge, convoyed with all his angels and +saints in heaven; he shall come in flaming fire, kindling the heavens +before him, in melting the elements and earth beneath him; he shall come +with a blast of the trumpet, with the archangel, to gather all people from +the four corners of the earth; and he shall come with a peremptory +sentence, from the which there shall be no appellation, and of which there +shall be no revocation, ever again or again calling; and he shall come +with his reward in his hand, to every man according to his works which he +has done in this world, be they evil, be they good. Now, ye see he has a +throne, he has a throne of grace; as the Apostle to the Hebrews says, “Let +us go boldly to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and find +grace in time of need.” Now he is sitting on a throne of grace, that we +may receive mercy, and find grace in time of need; and now he holds the +door of mercy open, and lets in every penitent sinner that comes; +therefore I testify unto you, if ye will flee from your sins, if ye will +cast away the works of darkness, if ye will hate and detest all sort of +iniquity, and if thou wilt run to the throne of grace now, I will assure +thee thou shalt find mercy, and grace in the time of need; so now is the +throne of grace and mercy, but afterwards thou shalt see the throne of +glory and justice. Now is the good Shepherd seeking his lost sheep, and +finding them, to drink of the wells of the water of life, and to eat of +the fat things of his own house; but afterwards, such as would not be +gathered of him, he shall bind them hand and foot, and cast them into +outer darkness. Now he pities them that will not come home, as he said to +Jerusalem, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft would I have gathered thee, as +a hen doth her birds under her wings, but thou wouldst not: behold, your +habitation shall be made desolate.” So wo to the souls that repine and +refuse to be fetched within the sweet and loving arms of the Son of God, +even those bloody arms which were stretched out upon a tree. Now, discern, +I pray you, betwixt his first coming and his last coming; for now is the +time of grace, and now is the spirit of grace offered, and now is the +throne of grace set up, and now is the rainbow, which is the sign of the +covenant of life, round about the throne, and now the twelve ports of that +new Jerusalem are standing open, that all may come in; therefore, wo to +the soul that shall sit till this time of grace pass over, and will not +come in in time. + +But I will go forward. Now, ye see two things in that throne, the one is a +_great_ throne, the other is a _white_ throne. Let kings keep silence of +their thrones, and speak of this throne. O ye kings, will ye look to the +heavens above you, and see that white cloud, and upon the cloud one +standing like the Son of man, having upon his head a golden crown, and in +his hand a sharp sickle, who thrusts his sharp sickle in the earth, and +cuts down the vine of the vineyards of the earth, and casts them into the +great wine-press of the wrath of God; so he calls it a _great_ throne. +Solomon’s throne was great which he made of ivory, and had six steps, and +twelve lions, two on every step, and the queen of the South was astonished +when she saw it; and it is said in the Canticles, “Come forth, O daughters +of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother +crowned him in the day of his marriage, and in the day of the gladness of +his heart.” But will ye come out, ye daughters of Zion, and see here +another throne nor Solomon’s, another crown nor his crown? It is a _great_ +throne, so that all the monarchs’ thrones under heaven, what are they in +comparison with this throne? Nothing. Therefore no wonder that the +twenty-four elders take their own crowns, and cast them down before his +throne; and it is no wonder that they fall down before him that sits on +the throne, and worship him that lives for evermore, saying, “Thou art +worthy to receive glory, honour, and power, for thou hast created all +things, and for thy will’s sake they are created.” O that the men of the +world saw this throne! And, O that ye did see the greatness of the majesty +of his throne! + +Now he calls it _great_, because of him that sits on it; _great_, because +of them that stand about it; _great_, because of them that shall be judged +there; and last of all, _great_, because of the judgment itself. Now, who +sits on it? O! the Judge of the whole world, God himself, that infinite +Essence that men and angels have borrowed their being from, even he whose +glorious face the seraphims and cherubims cannot behold for the brightness +thereof; and therefore they have wings to cover their faces, because they +cannot bear to see him, much less so then can any mortal man see his face +and live; he that rides on his white horse, and tramples under foot all +his enemies, and treads them in the wine-press of his wrath without the +city; therefore rejoice, all ye whose garments are made white in the blood +of the Lamb, for his throne shall not terrify you, because of the Judge +that sits thereon: for he is thy brother, thy Advocate, and thy Saviour. O +blessed for evermore is the soul of the righteous, and of such as are +reconciled with the great God, before he come to sit on this throne. + +Now, I said, it was _great_ in respect of him that sits thereon; _next_, +in respect of them that stand about it. Ye see a judge has his assizers +that sit in judgment with him, and consent to his sentence; so this great +Judge has his assizers, for there is not one of his angels shall be left +in heaven, but all shall stand about this throne, and all the saints on +earth shall be caught up in the air, and they shall all have thrones set +about his throne. O the fairest parliament that ever was in the world! O! +behold the King crowned with many crowns, standing in the midst, and all +the King’s servants with their crowns on their heads, and also the saints +with palms in their hands, sitting on thrones about that throne. + +_Thirdly_, Great is this throne, because great is the number of persons +that shall be there. All men and women in the world must be judged here; +there is never a reprobate that ever took life, but he shall be judged +here, and all the elect and saints of God shall be judged here also, (so +fair is this parliament,) six thousand years’ generations shall all stand +there, waiting to receive an eternal and final judgment. + +_Last_ of all, _Great_ is this throne, because great shall be the judgment +that shall come forth from this throne. Lords of the Session think their +judgments great; but come out here, and see to whom the new city Jerusalem +in heaven shall be given, and who shall be cast into the lake of fire. +Now, compare all these together, and see if this throne be not great; +great is he that sits on the throne, even the Prince of life, and God of +glory, and the Judge of all the world; great is his synod, even all the +elect angels and saints, from the beginning of the world to the end of the +world; for ye that are in Christ shall be glorified in the clouds, and the +sight of your glory shall aggravate the torment of the reprobates, because +they might have had it, and would not take it; and then you shall rule +them with a rod of iron, and as a potter’s vessel they shall be broken; +and great is the number of them that shall be judged; for let all flesh +prepare them for it, even kings and emperors, those that wore many crowns +on the earth, must appear naked before the throne. Alexander, thou worest +many crowns, conquered many nations, but yet thou must stand up naked as +thou was born, and thou must render a reckoning of thy conquests. + +But I leave this. Again, you see this throne is _white_. What means this +whiteness? It is innocency or righteousness, and full of shining +brightness, of an unspeakable joy. Innocent and righteous; how so? Because +the Judge is white, innocent, and righteous; all his assizers that shall +sit round about him, they are white, innocent, white and righteous; all +his citations, summonses and convictions, sentences and executions, are +innocent and righteous; so all is white, the Judge, the unspotted innocent +and undefiled Lamb of God, sitting on his throne of justice, and ordained +deputy of his Father, to judge both the quick and the dead, he in whose +heart was never found guile; therefore Abraham said, “Shall not the Judge +of the world judge righteously?” So this Judge is white, innocent, and he +is bright and glorious. Peter, James, and John, saw him white on the mount +Tabor, when he was transfigured, “and his face shined as the sun, and his +raiment white as the light; and when Peter said, Master, it is good for us +to be here: if thou wilt, let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, and +one for Moses, and one for Elias.” Matth. xvii. 1, 2, 3. Ay, Peter, but +this shall be a whiter appearing, and thou shalt think it better to be +with him here. Ay, Lord, it is true, _white_ wast thou upon mount Tabor, +but whiter shalt thou be in the clouds. + +He is _white_ again, in respect of his citations. O that our hearts were +ravished with the consideration of thy righteous and just citing and +summoning of all men, when thou shalt cause the earth, grave, hell, and +the sea, and all places, thrust out of them all their dead; just shalt +thou be in glorifying the souls and bodies of them that glorify thee on +earth; and just shalt thou be in glorifying thyself, by tormenting the +souls and bodies of them that dishonoured thee on earth. + +He is _white_ in respect of his accusations, for there shall be nothing +read in thy ditty, but that which shall be found written either in one +leaf of thy conscience or other; there the sins of thy conception, there +the sins of thy youth, there the sins of thy ignorance, there the sins +against the light of thy conscience, and there the sins against the law, +and there the sins against the gospel, and all shall be presented to thy +conscience. O! well is the soul and conscience that dare lift up the head +with rejoicing, and can say, “Thou Lamb of God, thou takest away the sins +of the world,” thou tookest away my sins when thou wast on the tree. And +can any body tell how ye will compear before this throne that were never +cleansed with the blood of Jesus? O! that blackness and darkness, which is +abiding that soul which never yet ran to the blood of the Lamb, to make +itself white in it; so the raising of all, the compearing of all, the +accusation of all, the conviction of all, shall be just, and God shall be +glorified in all. + +There is also the absolution of the righteous, and the condemnation of the +wicked; and therefore the throne is called white, because of the innocency +and righteousness of the Judge. Now, brethren, I will go no further at +this time than this that follows or remains to be spoken of, the majesty +and terror of the Judge sitting on his throne, “and him that sat on it.” +Many shall sit on thrones in that day, but one shall sit above all the +rest, for the saints shall be caught up in the air, and shall all sit on +thrones, and give out sentence both of absolution and condemnation, and +they shall say, “Hallelujah, salvation, and glory, and power, be to the +Lord our God, for true and righteous are his judgments.” I could never yet +rightly consider the majesty of this Judge. O heavens! what aileth thee to +flee from the face of this Judge. O earth! what aileth thee to flee, and +why art thou chased away, and never seen again? What ails thee, O heavens, +that never sinned, and, O earth, that never sinned neither, for they had +never understanding to be capable of a law, nor to be subject to keep a +law. What means this? O but I must leave this! for who can but wonder at +this! Yet I will tell you the cause. You and I, and the generations before +that this firmament has seen, and this earth seen or born, since the first +day that God made the earth, and established this heaven and earth, and +since that day that Adam eat of the forbidden tree, since that day heaven +and earth have been eye-witnesses of our sins, and subject to vanity, and +since that day they have been defiled with our iniquities, and since that +time they have been subject to bondage and corruption, and therefore they +groan with us also, and travail with pain together until this present; and +therefore, in that great day, they cannot abide the face of the Judge. + +Now, what is the fruit ye should make of this? I thank my God that I +preach unto you so sure a gospel, even the oracles of the eternal God; the +earth and the heavens shall pass away, but this word and oracles shall +never pass away; therefore it is not a doubtsome message that I carry unto +you, for it is surer than the heavens, and surer than the earth; and these +eyes of yours, that have seen both the truth of this spoken here. O that +the Lord would fill my heart, with this verity, that I might eat it and +drink it, and feed upon it continually, and that he would fill me with the +spirit of exhortation, that I might exhort you to meditate on this truth, +both day and night, that the remembrance of that day might never go out of +your hearts. O that you would do it, even for his sake that left you his +heart’s blood to slocken that fire which will burn both the heavens and +the earth: therefore hear, hear! What should you hear? things of the last +importance. Is hell, is heaven, is the terror of that day of any +importance? And this is not the blessing of mount Gerizim, but that +everlasting blessing which the Judge of all the world shall pronounce out +of his mouth, saying, “Ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom +prepared for you before the foundation of the world.” And it is nothing to +the curse of the mount Ebal, but it is that everlasting curse and +malediction which the Son of God shall pronounce, saying, “Depart from me, +ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” +(And what shall I say to you?) This day is coming, and the Lord is +preparing himself to come down through the clouds, to sit on a great white +throne, and the archangel is putting the trumpet to his mouth, and he is +near to the blowing of it, and the rest of the angels are but waiting when +they shall give the last shout, “Rise, dead, and come to judgment,” the +Bridegroom is coming, and the heaven and the earth are waiting when the +Lord shall come in his glory, in flaming fire, to burn them up. + +Now, brethren, what should ye do then? It is but this one thing that I +will charge you with, hear what I am to say to you, I bear the message of +God, and I preach the Gospel that shall judge you; and I am here sent of +God to tell you what is his will towards you; therefore I charge you all +before God, and his Son Christ Jesus, every man and woman, let this be +your occupation this day, turn over the leaves of your conscience, and see +there what is the ditty that thou hast pinned up against thyself, since +the day that thou wast born, and look on thy sins before the Lord, and +come and spread them before the Judge, and crave pardon of them, now in +the day of grace; for he is ready to forgive thee and thy sins, were they +never so great; for aye the redder that thy soul has been, the virtue of +his blood shall appear the greater in cleansing thee from thy sins; +therefore let none of you scare at the greatness of your sins; for here I +testify unto you, that if any of you be condemned, it shall not be for +your sins, but it shall be for contempt of that blood which shall condemn +you. O God! full of mercy and goodness, and of fatherly care and +providence, and never a greater providence found I in my lifetime, than I +found this last time in my journey, I thank my God for it; and here I +avow, if this blood of mine should go for it, it was acceptable service to +God we did that day; I know there were many that sent up their prayers to +God for the maintenance of his liberty, I am sure the Lord heard you; for +I say to you, the room was never that I came to, but I found the Lord +meeting me there, and confirming me that all was well and acceptable to +him; so that I never found sweeter providence since I was born; I see the +Lord’s hand is not shortened. O Scotland! O that thou wouldst repent, and +mourn for the contempt of this so great a light that has shined in thee; +then thou shouldst see as glorious a day on God’s poor Church within this +land, as ever was seen in any church before from the beginning; then the +Lord should be strong, and glorious, and wonderful in all the hearts of +his own. What is it to him to run sixteen or eighteen score of miles to +London, and then run to the hearts of kings, princes, and nobles of the +land, and humble them, and subject them to the crown and kingdom of Jesus +Christ; but, let them think of it what they will, I know who has approven +of us, for it is the running of the Gospel through the whole land, and it +is that the net of Christ may be spread over all, that if it were possible +we may gather in a world in it, that they might not perish; it is that +which we seek, and when I look to the eternity of wrath that is abiding +the wicked of this world, then I may say, who would not pity a world of +sinners? But I leave this, and I will give God the praise of his own +glory, that he can begin and he can perfect his own work in you: therefore +this is my petition to God, that ye may all be presented blameless before +him in that great day. Therefore I beseech you all, for Christ’s sake, +that every one of you would come in time, by speedy repentance, and that +you would take up Christ in the arms of your souls, and that ye would take +a fill of his flesh and blood, that ye may never hunger and thirst any +more; and, in like manner, he may know you in that great day to be his own +sheep, marked with his own blood. Will ye have any pleasure at his coming, +when ye have eaten and drunken, and taken your pleasure here, and then +shall be flung into hell hereafter? So I would beseech you, in all lenity +and meekness of mind, for Christ’s cause, ye would not delay at least to +mint at repentance; and if ye cannot get your hearts melted as ye would, +yet run to God, and say, “Father have mercy upon me; Father, forgive me,” +and cause me to repent; Father, send down thy Spirit to soften my heart. +Now, if ye would do this, ye should be welcome to him; for I assure you he +delights to shew mercy on poor penitent sinners, that would “repent, and +hunger, and thirst for righteousness.” Now, I say no more now, but I +commend you all to him that is able to give you repentance and remission +of sins in the blood of his Son Jesus Christ: to Father and with the Holy +Ghost, be all honour, Amen. + + + + + +THE DAY OF JUDGMENT. +EXTRACTED FROM A SERMON BY HUGH LATIMER, BISHOP OF WORCESTER, AND MARTYR, +1555.(1) + + +LUKE XXI.(2) + +As we die so we shall rise again. If we die in the state of damnation, we +shall rise in that same state. Again, if we die in the state of salvation, +we shall rise again in that state, and come to everlasting felicity, both +of soul and body. For if we die now in the state of salvation, then at the +last general day of judgment we shall hear this joyful sentence, +proceeding out of the mouth of our Saviour Christ, when he will say, +“Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess that kingdom which is prepared for +you from the beginning of the world.” (Matt. xxv.) And though we have much +misery here in this world, though it goeth hard with us, though we must +bite on the bridle, yet for all that, we must be content, for we shall be +sure of our deliverance, we shall be sure that our salvation is not far +off. And no doubt they that will wrestle with sin, and strive and fight +with it, shall have the assistance of God; he will help them, he will not +forsake them, he will strengthen them, so that they shall be able to live +uprightly; and though they shall not be able to fulfil the law of God to +the uttermost, yet for all that, God will take their doings in good part, +for Christ his Son’s sake, in whose name all faithful people do their good +works, and so for his sake they are acceptable unto God, and in the end +they shall be delivered out of all miseries and troubles, and come to the +bliss of everlasting joy and felicity. + +I pray God, that we may be of the number of those who shall hear this +joyful and most comfortable voice of Christ our Saviour, when he will say, +“Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess the kingdom which is prepared for +you before the foundation of the world was laid.” There are a great number +amongst the Christian people, who in the Lord’s prayer, when they pray, +“Thy kingdom come,” pray that this day may come; but yet, for all that, +they are drowned in the world, they say the words with their lips, but +they cannot tell what is the meaning of it; they speak it only with their +tongue: which saying indeed is to no purpose. But the man or woman that +saith these words, “Thy kingdom come,” with a faithful heart, no doubt he +or she desires in very deed that God will come to judgment, and amend all +things in this world, to pull down satan that old serpent under our feet. + +But there are a great number of us who are not ready. Some have lived in +this world fifty years, some sixty, but yet for all that they are not +prepared for his coming; they ever think he will not come yet. But I tell +you, that though his general coming be not yet, yet for all that he will +come one day, and take us out of this world: and, no doubt, as he finds +us, so we shall have; if he find us ready, and in the state of salvation, +no doubt we shall be saved for ever, world without end. But, if he find us +in the state of damnation, we shall be damned, world without end, there is +no remedy after we are once past this world; no penance will help then, +nor anything that man is able to do for us. + +“And then shall they see the Son of man come in a cloud with power and +great glory.” St. Paul to the Thessalonians setteth out the coming of +Christ and our resurrection; but he speaks in the same place only of the +rising of the good and faithful that shall be saved. But the Holy +Scripture in other places witnesses, that the wicked shall rise too, and +shall receive their sentence from Christ, and so go to hell, where they +shall be punished world without end. Now, St. Paul’s words are these, +“This say we unto you in the word of the Lord: that we which shall live +and shall remain to the coming of the Lord, shall not come before them +which sleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, +and the voice of the archangel and the trump of God, and the dead in +Christ shall arise first: then we which shall live, even we which shall +remain, shall be caught up with them also in the clouds to meet the Lord +in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord; wherefore comfort one +another with these words.” 1 Thess. iv. + +By these words of St. Paul it appears, that they which died in the +beginning of the world shall be by Christ as soon saved, as they who shall +be alive here at the time of his coming. I would have you to note well the +manner of speaking which St. Paul uses; he speaks as if the last day +should have come in his time. Now, when St. Paul thought that this day +should have come in his time, how much more shall we think that it shall +be in our time? For no doubt it will come, and it is not long thereunto; +as it appears by all the scriptures which make mention of this day; it +will come, but it shall come suddenly, unawares, as a thief in the night. +For a thief when he intends a robbery, to rob a man’s house, to break up +his chests, and take away his goods, gives him not warning, he lets not +the good man of the house know at what time he intends to come, but rather +he intends to spy such a time, that no man shall be aware of him. So, no +doubt, this last day will come one day suddenly upon our heads, before we +are aware of it; like as the fire fell down from heaven upon the people of +Sodom when unlooked for; they thought that all things were well, therefore +they took their pleasures, till the time when fire fell down from heaven +and burned them up all, with all their substance and goods. + +“And he showed them a similitude, Behold the fig-tree and all the trees, +when they shoot forth their buds, ye see and know of your ownselves that +summer is then near at hand.” So when you see the tokens which shall go +before this fearful day, it is time to make ready. But here a man might +ask a question, saying, I pray you wherein standeth this preparation? How +shall I make ready? About this there has been great strife, for there have +been an infinite number, and there are some yet at this time, who think +that this readiness standeth in masses, in setting up candles, in going of +pilgrimage; and in such things, they thought to be made ready for that +day, and so to be made worthy to stand before the Son of man, that is, +before our Saviour Christ. But I tell you, this was not the right way to +make ready. Christ our Saviour showeth us how we shall make ourselves +ready, saying, “Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be +overcome with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this world, and so +this day come upon you unawares; for as a snare shall it come upon all +them that dwell upon the face of the whole world.” + +“Watch and pray:” as if he had said, Be ye ever in readiness, lest you be +taken unawares. But those sluggards who spend their time vainly in eating +and drinking, and sleeping, please not God, for he commands us to watch, +to be mindful, to take heed to ourselves, lest the devil, or the world, or +our own flesh, get the victory over us. We are allowed to take our natural +sleep, for it is as necessary for us as meat and drink, and we please God +as well in that, as we please him when we take our food. But we must take +heed, that we do it according as he has appointed us; for like as he has +not ordained meat and drink that we should play the glutton with it, so +likewise sleep is not ordained that we should give ourselves to +sluggishness, or over-much sleeping; for no doubt when we do so, we shall +displease God most highly. For Christ saith not in vain, “Watch and pray.” +He would have us to be watchers, to have at all times in remembrance his +coming, and to give ourselves to prayer, that we may be able to stand +before him at this great and fearful day. Meaning, that we should not +trust in ourselves but call unto God, saying, “Lord God Almighty, thou +hast promised to come and judge the quick and the dead; we beseech thee +give us thy grace and Holy Ghost, that we may live according unto thy holy +commandments, that when thou comest, thou have not cause to bestow thy +fearful anger, but rather thy lovingkindness and mercy upon us.” + +So likewise when we go to bed, we should desire God that we sleep not the +sleep of sin and wickedness, but rather that we may leave them, and follow +his will and pleasure; that we be not led with the desires of this wicked +world. Such an earnest mind we should have towards him, so watchful we +should be. For I tell you it is not a trifling matter, it is not a money +matter: for our eternal salvation and our damnation hang upon it. Our +nature is to do all that is possible for us to get silver and gold; how +much more then should we endeavour to make ourselves ready towards this +day, when it shall not be a money matter, but a soul matter, for at that +day it will appear most manifestly who they are that shall enjoy +everlasting life, and who shall be thrust into hell. Now as long as we are +in this world, we have all one baptism, we go all to the Lord’s Supper, we +all bear the name of Christians, but then it will appear who are the right +Christians; and again, who are the hypocrites or dissemblers. + +Well, I pray God grant us such hearts, that we may look diligently about +us, and make ready against his fearful and joyful coming—fearful to them +that delight in sin and wickedness, and will not leave them; and joyful +unto those who repent, forsake their sins, and believe in him; who, no +doubt, will come in great honour and glory, and will make all his faithful +like unto him, and will say unto them that are chosen to everlasting life, +“Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess that kingdom which is prepared for +you from the beginning of the world.” But, to the wicked who will not live +according unto his will and pleasure, but follow their own appetites, he +will say, “Go, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.” O what a horrible thing +will this be, to depart from him who is the fountain of all goodness and +mercy, without whom is no consolation, comfort, nor rest, but eternal +sorrow and everlasting death! For God’s sake I require you let us consider +this, that we may be amongst those who shall hear, “Come to me;” that we +may be amongst those who shall enjoy eternal life. + + + + + +THE PARABLE OF THE HOUSEHOLDER. +A SERMON, BY BISHOP LATIMER. + + + MATTHEW XX.—_The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that was an + householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers + into his vineyard._ + + +This parable is written by the evangelist Matthew in the twentieth +chapter, and is very dark and hard to be understood; yea, there is no +harder piece of scripture written by any evangelist. Therefore it may well +be called hard meat; not meat for mowers nor ignorant people, who are not +exercised in the word of God. And yet there is no other diversity between +this scripture and any other. For though many scriptures have diverse +expositions, (as is well to be allowed of, so long as they keep in the +tenour of the catholic faith,(3)) yet they pertain all to one end and +effect, and they are all alike. Therefore although this parable is harder +to understand than the others at the first hearing or reading, yet when we +well advise and consider the same, we shall find it agreeable unto all the +others. + +Now to the principal cause, and to which our Saviour had respect in this +parable, and that is, he teaches us hereby that all Christian people are +equal in all things appertaining to the kingdom of Christ. So that we have +one Christ, one Redeemer, one baptism, and one gospel, one Supper of the +Lord, and one kingdom of heaven. So that the poorest man and most +miserable that is in the world, may call God his Father, and Christ his +Redeemer, as well as the greatest king or emperor in the world. And this +is the scope of this parable, wherein Christ teacheth us this equality. +And if this is considered, the whole parable will be easily and soon +understood.(4) + +Here is declared unto us that some laboured the whole day, which are hired +for a penny, that is of our money ten pence: for like as we have a piece +of money which we call a shilling, and is in value twelve pence, so the +Jews had a piece that they called _denarium_, and that was in value ten of +our pence. The first company wrought twelve hours, and the others wrought, +some nine hours, some six hours, some three hours, and some but one hour. +Now when evening was come, and the time of payment drew on, the +householder said to his stewart, Go, and give to every man alike, and +begin at those that came last. And when the others that came early in the +morning perceived that they should have no more than those that had +wrought but one hour, they murmured against the householder, saying, +“Shall they which have laboured but one hour, have as much as we that have +wrought the whole day?” The householder, perceiving their discontented +mind, said to one of them, “Friend, wherefore grudgest thou? Is it not +lawful for me to do with mine own what pleaseth me? Have I not given thee +what I promised thee? Content thyself therefore, and go thy way, for it +hath pleased me to give unto this man which hath wrought but one hour as +much as unto thee.” This is the sum of this parable, which Christ +concludes with this sentence, “The first shall be the last, and the last +first.” + +First consider who are these murmurers? The merit-mongers, who esteem +their own works so much, that they think heaven scarcely sufficient to +recompense their good deeds; namely, for putting themselves to pain with +saying of our lady’s psalter, and gadding on pilgrimage, and such like +trifles. These are the murmurers; for they think themselves holier than +all the world, and therefore worthy to receive a greater reward than all +other men. But such men are much deceived and are in a false opinion, and +if they abide and continue therein, it shall bring them to the fire of +hell. For man’s salvation cannot be gotten by any work: because the +Scripture saith, “Life everlasting is the gift of God.” (Rom. vi.) True it +is, that God requires good works of us, and commands us to avoid all +wickedness. But for all that, we may not do our good works that we should +get heaven withal; but rather to show ourselves thankful for what Christ +hath done for us, who with his sufferings hath opened heaven to all +believers, that is, to all those that put their hope and trust, not in +their deeds, but in his death and suffering, and study to live well and +godly; and yet not to make merits of their own works, as though they +should have everlasting life for them; as our monks and friars, and all +our religious persons were wont to do, and therefore may rightly be called +murmurers; for they thought they had so great a store of merits, that they +sold some of them unto other men. And many men spend a great part of their +substance to buy their merits, and to be a brother of their houses, or to +obtain one of their coats or cowls to be buried in. + +But there is a great difference between the judgment of God, and the +judgment of this world. In this world they were accounted most holy above +all men, and so most worthy to be first; but before God they shall be +last, when their hypocrisy and wickedness shall be opened. And thus much I +thought to say of murmurers. + +Now I will not apply all the parts of this parable; for, as I said before, +it is enough for us if we know the chief point and scope of the parable, +which is, that there shall be an equality in all the things that appertain +to Christ: insomuch, that the ruler of this realm hath no better a God, no +better sacraments, and no better a gospel, than the poorest in the world; +yea, the poorest man hath as good right to Christ and his benefits, as the +greatest man in this world. + +This is comfortable to every one, and especially to such as are in misery, +poverty, or other calamities; which, if it were well considered, would not +make us so desirous to come aloft, and to get riches, honour, and +dignities in this world, as we now are, nor yet so malicious one against +another as we are. For then we should ever make this reckoning with +ourselves, each man in his vocation; the servant would think thus with +himself, I am a poor servant, and must live after the pleasure of my +master, I may not have my free will; but what then? I am sure that I have +as good a God as my master hath; and I am sure that my service and +business pleases God as much, when I do it with a good faith, as the +preachers and curates, in preaching or saying of service. For we must +understand that God esteems not the diversity of the works, but he hath +respect unto the faith; for a poor man who does his duty in faith, is as +acceptable unto God, and hath as good right to the death and merits of +Christ, as the greatest man in the world. + +So go through all states of men, whosoever applieth to his business with +faith, considering that God willeth him so to do, surely the same is most +beloved of God. If this were well considered and printed in our hearts, +all ambition and desire of promotion, all covetousness and other vices, +would depart out of our hearts. For it is the greatest comfort that may be +unto poor people, especially such as are nothing regarded in this world—if +they consider that God loves them as well as the richest in the world—it +must needs be a great comfort unto them. + +But there are some that say, that this sentence, “The first shall be +last,” is the very substance of the parable. And here you shall +understand, that our Saviour Christ took occasion to put forth this +parable, when there came a young man demanding of him, “What shall I do to +come to everlasting life?” Our Saviour, after he had taught him the +commandments of God, bade him, “Go, and sell all that he had, and give to +the poor; and come and follow him.” He hearing this, went away heavily, +for his heart was cold. And then our Saviour spake very terribly against +rich men, saying, “It is more easy for a camel to go through the eye of a +needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven:”—a camel, +or as some think, a great cable of a ship, which is more likely than the +beast that is called a camel. The disciples hearing this, said, “Who then +can be saved?” He made them answer, saying, “God is almighty, and that +which is impossible to men, is possible with God;” signifying, that he +condemns not all rich men, but only those who set their heart upon riches, +who care not how they get them, and when they have them, who abuse them to +the satisfying of their own carnal appetites and fleshly delights and +pleasures, and use them not to the honour of God. + +And again, such riches as are justly, rightly, and godly gotten, those are +the good creatures of God, when rightly used to the glory of God, and +comfort of their neighbours; not hoarding nor heaping them up, to make +treasures of them. For riches are not evil of themselves; but they are +made evil, when our hearts is set upon them, and we put hope in them; for +that is an abominable thing before the face of God. Now after these words +spoken by our Saviour Christ, Peter came forth, saying, “Lo, we have +forsaken all that we had, what shall be our reward?” Peter had forsaken +all that he had, which was but little in substance, but yet it was a great +matter to him, for he had no more than that little: like the widow who +cast into the treasury two mites, yet our Saviour praised the gift above +all that gave before her. Here thou learnest, that when thou hast but +little, yet give of the same little; for it is as acceptable unto God, as +though it were a greater thing. + +So Peter, in forsaking his old boat and net, was approved as much before +God, as if he had forsaken all the riches in the world; therefore he shall +have a great reward for his old boat; for Christ saith, that he shall be +one of them that shall sit and judge the twelve tribes of Israel; and to +signify them to be more than others, he giveth them the name of judges; +meaning, that they shall condemn the world: like as God speaketh of the +queen of Sheba, that in the last day she shall arise and condemn the Jews +who would not hear Christ, and she came so great a journey to hear the +wisdom of Solomon. Then he answered and said, “Whosoever leaveth father, +or mother, or brethren, for my sake, shall receive an hundred-fold, and +shall inherit everlasting life.” Now what is this, to leave father and +mother? When my father or mother would hinder me in any goodness, or would +persuade me from the honouring of God and faith in Christ, then I must +forsake and rather lose the favour and good-will of my father and mother, +than forsake God and his holy word. + +And now Christ saith, “The first shall be last, and the last shall be +first,” alluding to St. Peter’s saying, which sounded as though Peter +looked for a reward for his deeds; and that is it, which is the let of +altogether,(5) if a man come to the Gospel and hears the same, and +afterwards looks for a reward, such a man shall be “the last.” If these +sayings were well considered by us, surely we should not have such a +number of vain gospellers as we now have, who seek nothing but their own +advantage under the name and colour of the Gospel. Moreover, he teaches us +to be meek and lowly, and not to think much of ourselves; for those that +are greatly esteemed in their own eyes, are the least before God: “For he +that humbleth himself shall be exalted;” according to the scripture, which +saith, “God resisteth the proud, and advanceth the humble and meek.” And +this is what he saith, “The first shall be the last,” teaching us to be +careful and not to stand in our own conceit, but ever to mistrust +ourselves; as St. Paul teacheth, saying, “Whosoever standeth let him take +heed he fall not; and therefore we may not put trust in ourselves, but +rather in God.” + +Further, in this saying of our Saviour is comprehended a great comfort; +for those that are accounted by the world to be the vilest slaves and most +abject, may by this saying have a hope to be made the first and the +principal; for although they are ever so low, yet they may rise again, and +become the highest. And so this is to us a comfortable sentence, which +strengthens our faith, and keeps us from desperation and falling from God. +And at the end he saith, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” These +words of our Saviour are very hard to understand, and therefore it is not +good to be too curious in them, as some vain fellows, who seeking carnal +liberty, pervert, toss and turn the word of God, after their own mind and +purpose. Such, I say, when they read these words, make their reckoning +thus; saying, “What need I to mortify my body with abstaining from all sin +and wickedness? I perceive God hath chosen some, and some are rejected. +Now if I be in the number of the chosen, I cannot be damned; but if I be +accounted among the condemned number, then I cannot be saved: for God’s +judgments are immutable.” Such foolish and wicked reasons some have; which +bring them either to desperation, or else to carnal liberty. Therefore, it +is as needful to beware of such reasons, or expositions of the scripture, +as it is to beware of the devil himself. + +But if thou art desirous to know whether thou art chosen to everlasting +life, thou mayest not begin with God: for God is too high, thou canst not +comprehend him; the judgments of God are unknown to man; therefore thou +mayest not begin there: but begin with Christ, and learn to know Christ, +and wherefore he came; namely, that he came to save sinners, and made +himself subject to the law, and a fulfiller of the same, to deliver us +from the wrath and danger thereof, and therefore was crucified for our +sins, and rose again to show and teach us the way to heaven, and by his +resurrection to teach us to arise from sin: so also his resurrection +teaches and admonishes us of the general resurrection. He sitteth at the +right hand of God and maketh intercession for us, and gives us the Holy +Ghost, that comforts and strengthens our faith, and daily assures us of +our salvation. + +Consider, I say, Christ and his coming; and then begin to try thyself +whether thou art in the book of life or not. If thou findest thyself in +Christ, then thou art sure of everlasting life. If thou be without him, +then thou art in an evil case. For it is written, “No man cometh unto the +Father but through me.” Therefore if thou knowest Christ, then thou mayest +know further of thy election. But when we are about this matter, and are +troubled within ourselves, whether we are elected or no; we must ever have +this maxim, or principal rule before our eyes; namely, that God beareth a +good-will towards us; God loveth us; God beareth a fatherly heart towards +us. + +But you will say, “How shall I know that? Or how shall I believe that?” We +may know God’s will towards us through Christ: God hath opened himself +unto us by his Son Christ; for so saith John the Evangelist, “The Son +which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath revealed.” (John i.) + +Therefore we may perceive his good-will and love towards us; he hath sent +his Son into this world, who suffered a most painful death for us. Shall I +now think that God hates me? Or shall I doubt of his love towards me? Here +you see how you shall avoid the scrupulous and most dangerous question of +the predestination of God. For if thou wilt inquire his counsels, and +enter into his consistory, thy wit will deceive thee; for thou shalt not +be able to search the counsels of God. But if thou begin with Christ, and +consider his coming into the world, and dost believe that God hath sent +him for thy sake, to suffer for thee, and deliver thee from sin, death, +the devil, and hell; then when thou art so armed with the knowledge of +Christ, then, I say, this simple question cannot hurt thee; for thou art +in the book of life, which is Christ himself. + +Also we learn by this sentence, “Many are called,” that the preaching of +the gospel is universal; that it pertains to all mankind; that it is +written, “Through the whole earth their sound is heard.” Now seeing that +the gospel is universal, it appears that he would have all mankind saved, +and that the fault is not in him if we are damned. For it is written thus, +“God would have all men to be saved:” his salvation is sufficient to save +all mankind, but we are so wicked of ourselves that we refuse the same, +for we will not take it when it is offered unto us; and therefore he +saith, “Few are chosen;” that is, few have pleasure and delight in it; for +the most part are weary of it, they cannot abide it. And there are some +that hear it, but they will not abide any danger for it, they love their +riches and possessions more than the word of God. And therefore few are +elected, there are but a few that stick heartily unto it, and can find in +their hearts to forgo this world for God’s sake and his holy word. + +There are some now-a-days that will not be reprehended by the gospel; they +think themselves better than it. Some again are so stubborn, that they +will rather forswear themselves, than confess their sins and wickedness. +Such men are the cause of their own damnation; for God would have them +saved, but they refuse it; like as did Judas the traitor, whom Christ +would have had to be saved, but he refused his salvation; he refused to +follow the doctrine of his master Christ. And so, whosoever heareth the +word of God, and follows it, the same is elect by him. And again, +whosoever refuses to hear the word of God, and to follow the same, is +damned. So that our election is sure if we follow the word of God. + +Here is now taught you how to try out your election, namely, in Christ, +for Christ is the accounting book and register of God; even in the same +book, that is, Christ, are written all the names of the elect. Therefore +we cannot find our election in ourselves, neither yet in the high counsel +of God; for “Secret things belong to the most High.” (Deut. xxix.) Where +then shall I find my election? In the counting book of God, which is +Christ; for thus it is written, “God hath so entirely loved the world, +that he gave his only begotten Son, to that end, that all that believe in +him should not perish, but have life everlasting.” Whereby appears most +plainly that Christ is the book of life, and that all that believe in him +are in the same book, and so are chosen to everlasting life; for only +those are ordained which believe. + +Therefore when thou hast faith in Christ, then thou art in the book of +life, and so art thou sure of thine election. And again, if thou art +without Christ, and have no faith in him, neither art sorry for thy +wickedness, nor have a mind and purpose to leave and forsake sin, but +rather exercise and use the same, then thou art not in the book of life as +long as thou art in such a case; and therefore shalt thou go into +everlasting fire, namely, if thou die in thy wickedness and sin, without +repentance. + +But there are none so wicked but he may have a remedy. What is that? Enter +into thine own heart, and search the secrets of the same. Consider thine +own life, and how thou hast spent thy days. And if thou find in thyself +all manner of uncleanness and abominable sins, and so seest thy damnation +before thine eyes, what shalt thou then do? Confess the same unto the Lord +thy God. Be sorry that thou hast offended so loving a Father, and ask +mercy of him in the name of Christ, and believe steadfastly that he will +be merciful unto thee in respect of his only Son, who suffered death for +thee; and then have a good purpose to leave all sin and wickedness, and to +withstand and resist the affections of thine own flesh, which ever fight +against the Spirit; and to live uprightly and godly, after the will and +commandment of thy heavenly Father. If thou go thus to work, surely thou +shalt be heard. Thy sins shall be forgiven thee; God will show himself +true in his promise, for to that end he sent his only Son into this world, +that he might save sinners. Consider therefore, I say, wherefore Christ +came into this world; consider also the great hatred and wrath that God +beareth against sin; and again consider his great love, showed unto thee, +in that he sent his only Son to suffer most cruel death, rather than that +thou shouldst be damned everlastingly. + +Consider therefore this great love of God the Father, amend thy life, fly +all occasions of sin and wickedness, and be loath to displease him. And in +doing this thou mayest be assured that though thou hadst done all the sins +of the world, they shall neither hurt nor condemn thee; for the mercy of +God is greater than all the sins of the world. But we sometimes are in +such a case that we think we have no faith at all, or if we have any, it +is very feeble and weak. And therefore these are two things; to have faith +and to have the feeling of faith. For some men would fain have the feeling +of faith, but they cannot attain unto it; and yet they may not despair, +but go forward in calling upon God, and it will come at length: God will +open their hearts, and let them feel his goodness. + +And thus may you see who are in the book of life, and who are not. For all +those that are obstinate sinners, are without Christ, and so not elect to +everlasting life, if they remain in their wickedness. There are none of us +all but we may be saved by Christ, and therefore let us stick hard unto +it, and be content to forego all the pleasures and riches of this world +for his sake, who for our sake forsook all the heavenly pleasures, and +came down into this miserable and wretched world, and here suffered all +manner of afflictions for our sake. And therefore it is right that we +should do somewhat for his sake, to show ourselves thankful unto him; and +so we may assuredly be found among the first, and not among the last; that +is to say, among the elect and chosen of God, that are written in the +counting book of God, who are those that believe in Christ Jesus; to whom, +with God the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world +without end.—Amen. + + + + + +THE PARABLE OF THE TARES, +BY BISHOP LATIMER, PREACHED ON THE 7TH OF FEBRUARY, 1553. + + + MATTHEW XIII.—_The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which + sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came + and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way, &c._ + + +This is a parable or similitude wherein our Saviour compared the kingdom +of God, that is, the preaching of his word, wherein consisteth the +salvation of mankind, unto a husbandman who sowed good seed in his field. + +But before we come unto the matter, you shall first learn to understand +what this word parable, which is a Greek word, and used in the Latin and +English tongue, means; that is to say, “A parable is a comparison of two +things that are unlike outwardly;” while in effect they signify but one +thing, for they appertain to one end; as in this place, Christ compared +the word of God unto seed: which two things are unlike, but yet they teach +one thing; for like as the seed is sown in the earth, so is the word of +God sown in our hearts: and thus much of this word parable. + +The sum of this gospel is, first he speaks of a husbandman that sowed good +seed; after that he mentions an enemy that sowed evil seed. And these two +manner of seeds, that is, the husbandman’s seed that was good, and the +enemy’s seed which was naught, came up both together: so that the enemy +was as busy as the other in sowing his evil seed. And while he was busy in +sowing it, it was unknown. And at the first springing up, it all seemed to +be good seed, but at length the servant of the husbandman perceived the +evil seed sown amongst the good; therefore he came and told his master, +showing him all the matter, and required leave to gather the evil seed +from amongst the other. The husbandman himself said, “Our enemy hath done +this. But for all that, let it alone until the harvest, and then will I +separate the good from the evil.” This is the sum of this gospel. + +First, note that he saith, “When everybody was asleep, then he came and +sowed his seed.” Who are these sleepers? The bishops and prelates, the +slothful and careless curates and ministers; they with their negligence +give the devil leave to sow his seed, for they sow not their seed. That +is, they preach not the word of God, they instruct not the people with +wholesome doctrine, and so they give place to the devil to sow his seed. +For when the devil cometh, and findeth the heart of man not weaponed nor +garnished with the word of God, he forthwith possesses the same, and so +getteth victory through the slothfulness of the spirituality, which they +shall one day grievously repent. For the whole scripture, that is to say, +both the Old and New Testament, is full of threatenings against such +negligent and slothful pastors; and they shall make a heavy and grievous +account one day, when no excuse shall serve, but extreme punishment shall +follow, for a reward of their slothfulness. + +This gospel gives occasion to speak of many things: for our Saviour +himself expounded this parable unto his disciples after the people were +gone from him, and he was come into the house. For the disciples were not +so bold as to ask him of the meaning of this parable in the presence of +the people; whereby we may learn good manners, to use in everything a good +and convenient time. Also we may here learn to search and inquire +earnestly, and with great diligence, for the true understanding of God’s +word. And when you hear a sermon and are in doubt of something, inquire +about it, and be desirous to learn; for it is written, “Whosoever hath, +unto him shall be given; and he shall have abundance.” (Matt. xiii.) What +means this saying?—When we hear the word of God, and have tasted somewhat +thereof, and are afterwards desirous to go forward more and more, then +shall we have further knowledge; for God will give us his grace to come to +further understanding. And so the saying of our Saviour shall be fulfilled +in us. + +Now when our Saviour heard the request of his disciples, he performs their +desire, and begins to expound unto them the parable, saying, “I am he that +soweth good seed: the adversary, the devil, is he who soweth evil seed.” +Here our Saviour, good people, makes known that he goeth about to do us +good; but the devil doth quite the contrary, and he seeks to spoil and +destroy us with his filthy and naughty seeds of false doctrine. The field +here is the whole world. The harvest is the end of the world. The reapers +are the angels of God, who are his servants: for as every lord or master +has his servants to wait upon him, and to do his commandments, so the +angels of God wait upon Him to do his commandments. The angels at the time +of the harvest shall gather first all such as have been evil and have +given occasion of wickedness, and go forward in the same without +repentance or amendment of their lives. All such, I say, shall be gathered +together and cast into the furnace of fire, “where shall be weeping and +gnashing of teeth.” For in the end of this wicked world, all such as have +lived in the delights and pleasures of the same, and have not fought with +the lusts and pleasures of their flesh, but are proud and stubborn, or +bear hatred and malice unto their neighbours, or are covetous persons; +also all naughty servants that do not their duties, and all those that use +falsehood in buying and selling, and care not for their neighbours, but +sell unto them false wares, or otherwise deceive them; all these are +called “the offenders of this world,” and all such shall be cast into the +furnace where shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth. + +In like manner, all idle persons that will not work for their living, but +go about loitering and are chargeable unto others; and also drunken +persons that abuse the benefits of God in dishonouring themselves, so that +they lose the use of reason, and their natural wits wherewith God has +endued them, and make themselves like swine and beasts; also those who +break wedlock, and despise matrimony, which is instituted of God himself. +Hereunto add all swearers, all usurers, all liars, and deceivers; all +these are called the seed of the devil; and so they are the devil’s +creatures through their own wickedness. + +But yet it is true that wicked men have their souls and bodies of God, for +he is their Creator and Maker: but they themselves, in forsaking God and +his laws, and following the devil and his instructions, make themselves +members of the devil, and become his seed; therefore in the last day they +shall be cast out into everlasting fire, when the trumpet shall blow, and +the angels shall come and gather all those that offend from among the +elect of God. + +The form of judgment shall be in this manner: Christ our Saviour at the +day of judgment, being appointed of God, shall come down with great +triumph and honour, accompanied with all his angels and saints that +departed in faith out of this world before time: they shall come with him +then, and all the elect shall be gathered to him, and there they shall see +the judgment; but they themselves shall not be judged, but shall be like +as judges with him. After the elect are separated from the wicked, he +shall give a most horrible and dreadful sentence unto the wicked, +commanding his angels to cast them into everlasting fire, where they shall +have such torments as no tongue can express. + +Therefore our Saviour, desirous to set out the pains of hell unto us, and +to make us afraid thereof, calls it fire, yea, a burning and unquenchable +fire. For as there is no pain so grievous to a man as fire is, so the +pains of hell pass all the pains that may be imagined by any man. There +shall be sobbing and sighing, weeping and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, +which are the tokens of unspeakable pains and griefs that shall come upon +those that die in the state of damnation. For you must understand that +there are but two places appointed by Almighty God, for all mankind, that +is, heaven and hell. And in what state soever a man dieth, in the same he +shall rise again, for there shall be no alteration or change. Those who +die repentant and are sorry for their sins—who cry to God for mercy, are +ashamed of their wickedness, and believe with all their hearts that God +will be merciful unto them through the passion of our Saviour Christ; +those who die in such a faith, shall come into everlasting life and +felicity, and shall rise in the last day in a state of salvation. For +look—as you die, so shall you arise. Whosoever departeth out of this world +without a repentant heart, and has been a malicious and envious man, and a +hater of the word of God, and so continues, and will not repent and be +sorry, and call upon God with a good faith, or has no faith at all; that +man shall come to everlasting damnation; and so he shall arise again at +the last day. For there is nothing that can help a soul when departed out +of its damnation, or hinder it of its salvation. + +For when a man dies without faith in Christ, all the masses in the whole +world are not able to relieve him; and so to conclude, all the travails +that we have had in time past by seeking of remedy by purgatory, and all +the great costs and expenses that may be bestowed upon any soul lying in +the state of damnation, can avail nothing, neither can it do any good. For +as I said before, the judgments of God are immutable, that is—as you die, +so shall you rise. If you die in the state of salvation, you shall rise so +again, and receive your body, and remain in salvation. Again, if you die +in damnation, you shall rise in the same state, and receive your body, and +return again to the same state, and be punished world without end, with +unspeakable pains and torments. For our natural fire, in comparison to +hell-fire, is like a fire painted on a wall; but that shall be so extreme, +that no man is able to express the terrible horror and grief thereof. + +O what a pitiful thing is it, that man will not consider this, and leave +the sin and pleasure of this world, and live godly; but is so blind and +mad, that he will rather have a momentary, and a very short and small +pleasure, than hearken to the will and pleasure of Almighty God; who can +take away everlasting pain and woe, and give unto him everlasting +felicity! That a great many of us are damned, the fault is not in God, for +“God would have all men be saved.” But the fault is in ourselves, and in +our own madness, who had rather have damnation than salvation. Therefore, +good people, consider these terrible pains in your minds, which are +prepared for the wicked and ungodly, avoid all wickedness and sin: set +before your eyes the wonderful joy and felicity, and the innumerable +treasures which God hath laid up for you that fear and love him, and live +after his will and commandments; for no tongue can express, no eye hath +seen, no heart can comprehend, nor conceive the great felicity that God +hath prepared for his elect and chosen, as St. Paul witnesses. Consider, +therefore, I say, these most excellent treasures, and exert yourselves to +obtain the fruition of the same. Continue not, neither abide nor wallow +too long in your sins, like as swine lieth in the mire. Make no delay to +repent of your sin, and to amend your life, for you are not so sure to +have repentance in the end. It is a common saying, “Late repentance is +seldom sincere.” Therefore consider this thing with yourself betimes, and +study to amend your life: for what avails it to have all the pleasures of +the world for a while, and after that to have everlasting pain and +infelicity? + +Therefore let every one examine his own conscience when he finds himself +unready. For all such as through the goodness of God have received faith, +and then wrestling with sin, consent not unto it, but are sorry for it +when they fall, and do not abide nor dwell in the same, but rise up again +forthwith, and call for forgiveness thereof, through the merits of our +Saviour Jesus Christ—all such are called just: that is to say, all that +die with a repentant heart, and are sorry that they have sinned, and are +minded if God give them longer time to live, to amend all faults, and lead +a new life; then are they just; but not through their own merits or good +works. For if God should enter into judgment with us, none are able to +stand before his face; neither may any of his saints be found just; +neither St. John Baptist, St. Peter, nor St. Paul; no nor is the mother of +our Saviour Christ herself just, if she should be judged after the rigour +of the law. For all are and must be justified by the justification of our +Saviour Christ, and so we must be justified, and not by our own +well-doing, but our justice standeth in this, that our righteousness is +forgiven us through the righteousness of Christ, for if we believe in him, +then are we made righteous. For he fulfilled the law, and afterwards +granted the same to be ours, if we believe that his fulfilling is our +fulfilling; for the apostle Saint Paul saith, “He hath not spared his own +Son, but hath given him up for us; and how then may it be, but that we +should have all things with him?” + +Therefore it must needs follow, that when he gave us his only Son, he gave +us also his righteousness, and his fulfilling of the law. So that we are +justified by God’s free gift, and not of ourselves, nor by our merits: but +the righteousness of Christ is accounted to be our righteousness, and +through the same we obtain everlasting life, and not through our own +doings; for, as I said before, if God should enter into judgment with us, +we should be damned. + +Therefore take heed and be not proud, and be humble and low, and trust not +too much in yourselves; but put your only trust in Christ our Saviour. And +yet you may not utterly set aside the doing of good works; but especially +look that you have always oil in readiness for your lamps, or else you may +not come to the wedding, but shall be shut out, and thrust into +everlasting darkness. This oil is faith in Christ, which if you lack, then +all things are unsavory before the face of God: but a great many people +are much deceived, for they think themselves to have faith when indeed +they have it not. Some peradventure will say, How shall I know whether I +have faith or not? Truly you shall find this in you, if you have no mind +to leave sin; then sin grieves you not, but you are content to go forward +in the same, and you delight in it, and hate it not, neither do you feel +what sin is: when you are in such a case, then you have no faith, and +therefore are like to perish everlastingly. For that man who is sore sick, +and yet feels not his sickness, he is in great danger, for he has lost all +his senses; so that man who has gone so far in sin, that he feels his sin +no more, is like to be damned, for he is without faith. + +Again, that man is in good case, who can be content to fight and strive +with sin, and to withstand the devil, and his temptations, and calls for +the help of God, and believes that God will help him, and make him strong +to fight. That man shall not be overcome by the devil. And whosoever feels +this in his heart, and so wrestles with sin, may be sure that he has +faith, and is in the favour of God. + +But if you will have a trial of your faith, then do this—Examine yourself +concerning your enemy; he does you harm, he slanders you, or takes away +your living from you. How shall you conduct yourself towards such a man? +If you can find in your heart to pray for him, to love him with all your +heart, and forgive him with a good-will all that he has sinned against +you—if you can find this readiness in your heart, then you are one of +those who have faith, if you would have him to be saved as well as +yourself. And if you can do this you may argue that your sin is forgiven, +and that you are none of those that shall be cast out, but shall be +received and placed among the number of the godly, and shall enjoy with +them everlasting life. For St. Paul saith, “Those that are just,” that is, +those that are justified by faith, and exercise faith in their living and +conversation, “they shall shine like unto the sun in the kingdom of God;” +that is to say, they shall be in exceeding great honour and glory. For +like as the sun exceeds in brightness all other works of God, and is +beautiful in the eyes of every man; so shall all the faithful be beautiful +and endued with honour and glory: although in this world they are but +outcasts, and accounted as “The dross and filth of the world;” but in the +other world, when the angels shall gather together the wicked, and cast +them into the fire, then shall the elect shine as the sun in the kingdom +of God. For no man can express the honour and glory that they shall have, +who will be content to suffer all things for God’s sake, and reform +themselves after his will; or are content to be told of their faults, and +glad to amend the same, and humble themselves under the mighty hand of +God. + +Also the householder said unto his servants, “Let them alone until +harvest.” Here you may learn that the preachers and ministers of the word +of God, have not authority to compel the people with violence to goodness, +although they are wicked. But they should admonish them only with the word +of God, not pull the wicked out by the throat; for that is not their duty. +All things must be done according as God has appointed. God has appointed +the magistrates to punish the wicked; for so he saith, “Thou shalt take +away the evil from amongst the people, thou shalt have no pity of him.” If +he be a thief, an adulterer, or a whore-monger, away with him. But when +our Saviour saith, “Let them grow;” he speaks not of the civil +magistrates, for it is their duty to pull them out; but he signifies that +there will be such wickedness in spite of the magistrates, and teaches +that the ecclesiastical power is ordained, not to pull out the wicked with +the sword, but only to admonish them with the word of God, which is called +“The sword of the Spirit.” So did John Baptist, saying, “Who hath taught +you to flee from the wrath of God that is at hand?” + +So did Peter in the Acts of the Apostles; “Whom you have crucified,” he +said unto the Jews. What follows? “They were pricked in their hearts;” +contrition and repentance followed as soon as the word was preached unto +them. Therefore they said, “Brethren, what shall we do? How shall we be +made clean from our sins, that we may be saved?” Then he sends them to +Christ. So that it appears in this gospel, and by these examples, that the +preacher has no other sword, but the sword of the word of God: with that +sword he may strike them. He may rebuke their wicked living, and further +he ought not to go. But kings and magistrates have power to punish with +the sword the obstinate and vicious livers, and to put them to due +punishment. + +Now to make an end, with this one lesson, which is, If you dwell in a town +where are some wicked men that will not be reformed, nor in anywise amend +their lives, as there are commonly some in every town; run not therefore +out of the town, but tarry there still, and exercise patience amongst +them, exhort them, whensoever occasion serves, to amendment. And do not as +the fondness of the monkery first did, for they at the first made so great +account of the holiness of their good life, that they could not be content +to live and abide in cities and towns where sinners and wicked doers were, +but thought to amend the matter; and therefore ran out into the +wilderness, where they fell into great inconveniences. For some despised +the communion of the body and blood of our Saviour Christ, and so fell +into other errors, so God punished them for their foolishness and +uncharitableness. We are born into this world, not for our own sakes only, +but for every Christian’s sake. They forgetting this commandment of love +and charity, ran away from their neighbours, like beasts and wild horses, +that cannot abide the company of men. So there have been some in our time +who follow their example, separating themselves from the company of other +men, and therefore God gave them a perverted judgment. Therefore when you +dwell in any evil town or parish, follow not these examples; but remember +that Lot, dwelling in the midst of Sodom, was nevertheless preserved from +the wrath of God, and such will be preserved in the midst of the wicked. +But for all that, you must not flatter them in their evil doings and +naughty livings, but rebuke their sins and wickedness, and in nowise +consent unto them. Then it will be well with you here in this world, and +in the world to come you shall have life everlasting: which grant both to +you and me, God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.—Amen. + + + + + +A SERMON ON ISAIAH XXVI. +BY JOHN KNOX. + + +[In the Prospectus of our Publication it was stated, that one discourse, +at least, would be given in each number. A strict adherence to this +arrangement, however, it is found, would exclude from our pages some of +the most talented discourses of our early Divines; and it is therefore +deemed expedient to depart from it as occasion may require. The following +Sermon will occupy two numbers, and we hope, that from its intrinsic +value, its historical interest, and the illustrious name of its author, it +will prove generally acceptable to our readers. For the information of +those who may not be acquainted with the circumstances attending its +delivery, we subjoin the following extract from a late edition of the +select works of Knox:— + +“Henry Darnley (king of Scotland by his marriage with queen Mary,) went +sometimes to mass with the queen, and sometimes attended the protestant +sermons. To silence the rumours then circulated of his having forsaken the +reformed religion, he, on the 19th of August, 1565, attended service at +St. Giles’s church, sitting on a throne which had been prepared for him. +Knox preached that day on Isaiah xxvi. 13, 14, and happened to prolong the +service beyond the usual time. In one part of the sermon, he quoted these +words of scripture, ‘I will give children to be their princes, and babes +shall rule over them: children are their oppressors, and women rule over +them.’ In another part he referred to God’s displeasure against Ahab, +because he did not correct his idolatrous wife Jezebel. No particular +application of these passages was made by Knox, but the king considered +them as reflecting upon the queen and himself, and returned to the palace +in great wrath. He refused to dine, and went out to hawking. + +That same afternoon Knox was summoned from his bed to appear before the +council. He went accompanied by several respectable inhabitants of the +city. The secretary informed him of the king’s displeasure at his sermon, +and desired that he would abstain from preaching for fifteen or twenty +days. Knox answered, that he had spoken nothing but according to his text, +and if the church would command him either to preach or abstain, he would +obey so far as the word of God would permit him. The king and queen left +Edinburgh during the week following, and it does not appear that Knox was +actually suspended from preaching.” + +The following are Knox’s reasons for the publication of this Sermon, +extracted from his preface to the first edition. + +“If any will ask, To what purpose this sermon is set forth? I answer, To +let such as satan has not altogether blinded, see upon how small occasions +great offence is now conceived. This sermon is it, for which, from my bed, +I was called before the council; and after long reasoning, I was by some +forbidden to preach in Edinburgh, so long as the king and queen were in +town. This sermon is it, that so offends such as would please the court, +and will not appear to be enemies to the truth; yet they dare affirm, that +I exceeded the bounds of God’s messenger. I have therefore faithfully +committed unto writing whatsoever I could remember might have been +offensive in that sermon; to the end, that the enemies of God’s truth, as +well as the professors of the same, may either note unto me wherein I have +offended, or at the least cease to condemn me before they have convinced +me by God’s manifest word.”] + +A SERMON ON ISAIAH XXVI. + + + ISAIAH XXXVI. 13, 14, 15, 16, &c.—_O Lord our God, other lords + besides thee have had dominion over us; but by thee only will we + make mention of thy name._ + + _They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall + not rise; therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made + all their memory to perish._ + + _Thou hast increased the nation, O Lord, thou hast increased the + nation, thou art glorified; thou hast removed it far unto the ends + of the earth._ + + _Lord, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer + when thy chastening was upon them, &c._ + + +As the skilful mariner (being master,) having his ship tossed with a +vehement tempest, and contrary winds, is compelled oft to traverse, lest +that, either by too much resisting to the violence of the waves, his +vessel might be overwhelmed; or by too much liberty granted, might be +carried whither the fury of the tempest would, so that his ship should be +driven upon the shore, and make shipwreck; even so doth our prophet Isaiah +in this text, which now you have heard read. For he, foreseeing the great +desolation that was decreed in the council of the Eternal, against +Jerusalem and Judah, namely, that the whole people, that bare the name of +God, should be dispersed; that the holy city should be destroyed; the +temple wherein was the ark of the covenant, and where God had promised to +give his own presence, should be burnt with fire; and the king taken, his +sons in his own presence murdered, his own eyes immediately after be put +out; the nobility, some cruelly murdered, some shamefully led away +captives; and finally, the whole seed of Abraham rased, as it were, from +the fate of the earth. The prophet, I say, fearing these horrible +calamities, doth, as it were, sometimes suffer himself, and the people +committed to his charge, to be carried away with the violence of the +tempest, without further resistance than by pouring forth his and their +dolorous complaints before the majesty of God, as in the 13th, 17th, and +18th verses of this present text we may read. At other times he valiantly +resists the desperate tempest, and pronounces the fearful destruction of +all such as trouble the church of God; which he pronounces that God will +multiply, even when it appears utterly to be exterminated. But because +there is no final rest to the whole body till the Head return to judgment, +he exhorts the afflicted to patience, and promises a visitation whereby +the wickedness of the wicked shall be disclosed, and finally recompensed +in their own bosoms. + +These are the chief points of which, by the grace of God, we intend more +largely at this present to speak; + +_First_, The prophet saith, “O Lord our God, other lords besides thee have +ruled us.” + +This, no doubt, is the beginning of the dolorous complaint, in which he +complains of the unjust tyranny that the poor afflicted Israelites +sustained during the time of their captivity. True it is, that the prophet +was gathered to his fathers in peace, before this came upon the people: +for a hundred years after his decease the people were not led away +captive; yet he, foreseeing the assurance of the calamity, did before-hand +indite and dictate unto them the complaint, which afterward they should +make. But at the first sight it appears, that the complaint has but small +weight; for what new thing was it, that other lords than God in his own +person ruled them, seeing that such had been their government from the +beginning? For who knows not, that Moses, Aaron, and Joshua, the judges, +Samuel, David, and other godly rulers, were men, and not God; and so other +lords than God ruled them in their greatest prosperity. + +For the better understanding of this complaint, and of the mind of the +prophet, we must, _first_, observe from whence all authority flows; and, +_secondly_, to what end powers are appointed by God: which two points +being discussed, we shall better understand, what lords and what authority +rule beside God, and who they are in whom God and his merciful presence +rules. + +The _first_ is resolved to us by the words of the apostle, saying, “There +is no power but of God.” David brings in the eternal God speaking to +judges and rulers, saying, “I have said, ye are gods, and sons of the Most +High.” (Psal. lxxxii.) And Solomon, in the person of God, affirmeth the +same, saying, “By me kings reign, and princes discern the things that are +just.” From which place it is evident, that it is neither birth, influence +of stars, election of people, force of arms, nor finally, whatsoever can +be comprehended under the power of nature, that makes the distinction +betwixt the superior power and the inferior, or that establishes the royal +throne of kings; but it is the only and perfect ordinance of God, who +willeth his terror, power, and majesty, partly to shine in the thrones of +kings, and in the faces of judges, and that for the profit and comfort of +man. So that whosoever would study to deface the order of government that +God has established, and allowed by his holy word, and bring in such a +confusion, that no difference should be betwixt the upper powers and the +subjects, does nothing but avert and turn upside down the very throne of +God, which he wills to be fixed here upon earth; as in the end and cause +of this ordinance more plainly shall appear: which is the _second_ point +we have to observe, for the better understanding of the prophet’s words +and mind. + +The end and cause then, why God imprints in the weak and feeble flesh of +man this image of his own power and majesty, is not to puff up flesh in +opinion of itself; neither yet that the heart of him, that is exalted +above others, should be lifted up by presumption and pride, and so despise +others; but that he should consider he is appointed lieutenant to One, +whose eyes continually watch upon him, to see and examine how he behaves +himself in his office. St. Paul, in few words, declares the end wherefore +the sword is committed to the powers, saying, “It is to the punishment of +the wicked doers, and unto the praise of such as do well.” Rom. xiii. + +Of which words it is evident, that the sword of God is not committed to +the hand of man, to use as it pleases him, but only to punish vice and +maintain virtue, that men may live in such society as is acceptable before +God. And this is the true and only cause why God has appointed powers in +this earth. + +For such is the furious rage of man’s corrupt nature, that, unless severe +punishment were appointed and put in execution upon malefactors, better it +were that man should live among brutes and wild beasts than among men. But +at this present I dare not enter into the description of this +common-place; for so should I not satisfy the text, which by God’s grace I +purpose to explain. This only by the way—I would that such as are placed +in authority should consider, whether they reign and rule by God, so that +God rules them; or if they rule without, besides, and against God, of whom +our prophet hero complains. + +If any desire to take trial of this point, it is not hard; for Moses, in +the election of judges, and of a king, describes not only what persons +shall be chosen to that honour, but also gives to him that is elected and +chosen, the rule by which he shall try himself, whether God reign in him +or not, saying, “When he shall sit upon the throne of his kingdom, he +shall write to himself an exemplar of this law, in a book by the priests +and Levites; it shall be with him, and he shall lead therein, all the days +of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, and to keep all +the words of his law, and these statutes, that he may do them; that his +heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not from the +commandment, to the right hand, or to the left.” Deut. xvii. + +The same is repeated to Joshua, in his inauguration to the government of +the people, by God himself, saying, “Let not the book of this law depart +from thy mouth, but meditate in it day and night, that thou mayest keep +it, and do according to all that which is written in it. For then shall +thy way be prosperous, and thou shall do prudently.” Josh. i. + +The _first_ thing then that God requires of him, who is called to the +honour of a king, is, The knowledge of his will revealed in his word. + +The _second_ is, An upright and willing mind, to put in execution such +things as God commands in his law, without declining to the right, or to +the left hand. + +Kings then have not an absolute power, to do in their government what +pleases them, but their power is limited by God’s word; so that if they +strike where God has not commanded, they are but murderers; and if they +spare where God has commanded to strike, they and their throne are +criminal and guilty of the wickedness which abounds upon the face of the +earth, for lack of punishment. + +O that kings and princes would consider what account shall be craved of +them, as well of their ignorance and misknowledge of God’s will, as for +the neglecting of their office! But now, to return to the words of the +prophet. In the person of the whole people he complains unto God, that the +Babylonians (whom he calls, “other lords besides God,” both because of +their ignorance of God, and by reason of their cruelty and inhumanity,) +had long ruled over them in great rigour, without pity or compassion upon +the ancient men, and famous matrons: for they, being mortal enemies to the +people of God, sought by all means to aggravate their yoke, yea, utterly +to exterminate the memory of them, and of their religion, from the face of +the earth. + +After the first part of this dolorous complaint, the prophet declares the +protestation of the people, saying, “Nevertheless in thee shall we +remember thy name,” (others read it, But we will remember thee only, and +thy name;) but in the Hebrew there is no conjunction copulative in that +sentence. The mind of the prophet is plain, namely, that notwithstanding +the long sustained affliction, the people of God declined not to a false +and vain religion, but remembered God, who sometime appeared to them in +his merciful presence; which although they saw not then, yet they would +still remember his name—that is, they would call to mind the doctrine and +promise, which formerly they heard, although in their prosperity they did +not sufficiently glorify God, who so mercifully ruled in the midst of +them. The temptation, no doubt, of the Israelites was great in those days; +they were carried captives from the land of Canaan, which was to them the +gage and pledge of God’s favour towards them: for it was the inheritance +that God promised to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. The league and +covenant of God’s protection appeared to have been broken—they lamentably +complain that they saw not their accustomed signs of God’s merciful +presence. The true prophets were few, and the abominations used in Babylon +were exceedingly many: and so it might have appeared to them, that in vain +it was that they were called the posterity of Abraham, or that ever they +had received the law, or form of right religion from God. That we may the +better feel it in ourselves, the temptation, I say, was even such, as if +God should utterly destroy all order and policy that this day is within +his church—that the true preaching of the word should be suppressed—the +right use of sacraments abolished—idolatry and papistical abomination +erected up again; and therewith, that our bodies should be taken prisoners +by Turks, or other manifest enemies of God, and of all godliness. Such, I +say, was their temptation; how notable then is this their confession that +in bondage they make, namely, That they will remember God only; although +he has appeared to turn his face from them, they will remember his name, +and will call to mind the deliverance promised! + +Hereof have we to consider, what is our duty, if God bring us to the like +extremity, as for our offences and unthankfulness justly he may. This +confession is not the fair flattering words of hypocrites, lying and +bathing in their pleasures; but it is the mighty operation of the Spirit +of God, who leaves not his own destitute of some comfort, in their most +desperate calamities. This then is our duty, not only to confess our God +in time of peace and quietness, but he chiefly craves, that we avow him in +the midst of his and our enemies; and this is not in us to do, but it +behoves that the Spirit of God work in us, above all power of nature; and +thus we ought earnestly to meditate before the battle rise more vehement, +which appears not to be far off. But now must we somewhat more deeply +consider these judgments of God. + +This people dealt with thus, as we have heard, were the only people upon +the face of the earth to whom God was rightly known; among them only were +his laws, statutes, ordinances, and sacrifices, used and put in practice; +they only invocated his name; and to them alone had he promised his +protection and assistance. What then should be the cause, that he should +give them over unto this great reproach; and bring them into such +extremity that his own name, in them, should be blasphemed? The prophet +Ezekiel, who saw this horrible destruction, forespoken by Isaiah, put into +just execution, gives an answer in these words, “I gave unto them laws +that were good, in the which whosoever should walk, should live in them; +but they would not walk in my ways, but rebelled against me; and +therefore, I have given unto them laws that are not good, and judgments, +in the which they shall not live.” (Ezek. xx.) The writers of the books of +Kings and Chronicles declare this in more plain words, saying, “The Lord +sent unto them his prophets, rising early, desiring of them to return unto +the Lord, and to amend their wicked ways, for he would have spared his +people, and his tabernacle; but they mocked his servants, and would not +return unto the Lord their God to walk in his ways.” (2 Kings xvii.) Yea, +Judah itself kept not the precepts of the Lord God, but walked in the +manners and ordinances of Israel; that is, of such as then had declined to +idolatry from the days of Jeroboam; and therefore, the Lord God abhorred +the whole seed of Israel, that is, the whole body of the people; he +punished them, and gave them into the hands of those that spoiled them, +and so he cast them out from his presence. + +Hereof it is evident, that their disobedience unto God, and unto the +voices of his prophets, was the cause of their destruction. Now have we to +take heed how we should use the good laws of God; that is, his will +revealed unto us in his word; and that order of justice, which by him, for +the comfort of man, is established amongst men. There is no doubt but that +obedience is the most acceptable sacrifice unto God, and that which above +all things he requires; so that when he manifests himself by his word, men +should follow according to their vocation and commandment. Now so it is, +that God, by that great Pastor our Lord Jesus, now manifestly in his word +calls us from all impiety, as well of body as of mind, to holiness of +life, and to his spiritual service; and for this purpose he has erected +the throne of his mercy among us, the true preaching of his word, together +with the right administration of his sacraments: but what our obedience +is, let every man examine his own conscience, and consider what statutes +and laws we would have to be given unto us. + +Wouldst thou, O Scotland! have a king to reign over thee in justice, +equity, and mercy? Subject thou thyself to the Lord thy God, obey his +commandments, and magnify thou the word that calleth unto thee, “This is +the way, walk in it;” (Isa. xxx.) and if thou wilt not, flatter not +thyself; the same justice remains this day in God to punish thee, +Scotland, and thee Edinburgh especially, which before punished the land of +Judah, and the city of Jerusalem. Every realm or nation, saith the prophet +Jeremiah, that likewise offendeth, shall be likewise punished. (Jer. ix.) +But if thou shalt see impiety placed in the seat of justice above thee, so +that in the throne of God (as Solomon complains, Eccles. iii.) reigns +nothing but fraud and violence, accuse thine own ingratitude and rebellion +against God; for that is the only cause why God takes away “the strong man +and the man of war, the judge and the prophet, the prudent and the aged, +the captain and the honourable, the counsellor and the cunning artificer; +and I will appoint, saith the Lord, children to be their princes, and +babes shall rule over them. Children are extortioners of my people, and +women have rule over them.” Isa. iii. + +If these calamities, I say, apprehend us, so that we see nothing but the +oppression of good men, and of all godliness, and that wicked men without +God reign above us; let us accuse and condemn ourselves, as the only cause +of our own miseries. For if we had heard the voice of the Lord our God, +and given upright obedience unto the same, God would have multiplied our +peace, and would have rewarded our obedience before the eyes of the world. +But now let us hear what the prophet saith further: “The dead shall not +live,” saith he, “neither shall the tyrants, nor the dead arise, because +thou hast visited and scattered them, and destroyed all their memory,” +verse 14. + +From this 14th verse, unto the end of the 19th, it appears, that the +prophet observes no order; yea, that he speaks things directly +repugning(6) one to another; for, _first_, he saith, “The dead shall not +live:” afterwards, he affirms, “Thy dead men shall live.” _Secondly_, he +saith, “Thou hast visited and scattered them, and destroyed all their +memory.” Immediately after, he saith, “Thou hast increased thy nation, O +Lord, thou hast increased thy nation. They have visited thee, and have +poured forth a prayer before thee.” + +Who, I say, would not think, that these are things not only spoken without +good order and purpose, but also manifestly repugning one to another? For +to live, and not to live, to be so destroyed that no memorial remains, and +to be so increased that the coasts of the earth shall be replenished, +seems to import plain contradiction. For removing of this doubt, and for +better understanding the prophet’s mind, we must observe, that the prophet +had to do with divers sorts of men; he had to do with the conjured(7) and +manifest enemies of God’s people, the Chaldeans or Babylonians; even so, +such as profess Christ Jesus have to do with the Turks and Saracens. He +had to do with the seed of Abraham, whereof there were three sorts. The +ten tribes were all degenerated from the true worshipping of God, and +corrupted with idolatry, as this day are our pestilent papists in all +realms and nations; there rested only the tribe of Judah at Jerusalem, +where the form of true religion was observed, the law taught, and the +ordinances of God outwardly kept. But yet there were in that body, I mean, +in the body of the visible church, a great number that were hypocrites, as +this day yet are among us that profess the Lord Jesus, and have refused +papistry; also not a few that were licentious livers; some that turned +their back to God, that is, had forsaken all true religion; and some that +lived a most abominable life, as Ezekiel saith in his vision; and yet +there were some godly, as a few wheat-corns, oppressed(8) and hid among +the multitude of chaff: now, according to this diversity, the prophet +keeps divers purposes, and yet in most perfect order. + +And first, after the first part of the complaint of the afflicted as we +have heard, in vehemency of spirit he bursts forth against all the proud +enemies of God’s people, against all such as trouble them, and against all +such as mock and forsake God, and saith, “The dead shall not live, the +proud giants shall not rise; thou hast scattered them, and destroyed their +memorial.” In which words he contends against the present temptation and +dolorous state of God’s people, and against the insolent pride of such as +oppressed them; as if the prophet should say, O ye troublers of God’s +people! howsoever it appears to you in this your bloody rage, that God +regards not your cruelty, nor considers what violence you do to his poor +afflicted, yet shall you he visited, yea, your carcases shall fall and lie +as stinking carrion upon the face of the earth, you shall fall without +hope of life, or of a blessed resurrection; yea, howsoever you gather your +substance, and augment your families, you shall be so scattered, that you +shall leave no memorial of you to the posterities to come, but that which +shall be execrable and odious. + +Hereof the tyrants have their admonition, and the afflicted church +inestimable comfort: the tyrants that oppress, shall receive the same end +which they did who have passed before; that is, they shall die and fall +with shame, without hope of resurrection, as is aforesaid. Not that they +shall not arise to their own confusion and just condemnation; but that +they shall not recover power, to trouble the servants of God; neither yet +shall the wicked arise, as David saith, in the counsel of the just. Now +the wicked have their councils, their thrones, and finally handle(9) (for +the most part) all things that are upon the face of the earth; but the +poor servants of God are reputed unworthy of men’s presence, envied and +mocked; yea, they are more vile before these proud tyrants, than is the +very dirt and mire which is trodden under foot. But in that glorious +resurrection, this state shall be changed; for then shall such as now, by +their abominable living and cruelty, destroy the earth, and molest God’s +children, see Him whom they have pierced; they shall see the glory of such +as now they persecute, to their terror and everlasting confusion. The +remembrance hereof ought to make us patient in the days of affliction, and +so to comfort us, that when we see tyrants in their blind rage tread under +foot the saints of God, we despair not utterly, as if there were neither +wisdom, justice, nor power above in the heavens, to repress such tyrants, +and to redress the dolours of the unjustly afflicted. No, brethren, let us +be assured, that the right hand of the Lord will change the state of +things that are most desperate. In our God there is wisdom and power, in a +moment to change the joy and mirth of our enemies into everlasting +mourning, and our sorrows into joy and gladness that shall have no end. + +Therefore, in these apparent calamities, (and marvel not that I say +_apparent_ calamities, for he that sees not a fire is begun, that shall +burn more than we look for, unless God of his mercy quench it,(10) is more +than blind,) let us not be discouraged, but with unfeigned repentance let +us return to the Lord our God; let us accuse and condemn our former +negligence, and steadfastly depend upon his promised deliverance; so shall +our temporal sorrows be converted into everlasting joy. The doubt that +might be moved concerning the destruction of those whom God exalteth, +shall be discussed, if time will suffer, after we have passed throughout +the text. The prophet, now proceeds, and saith, “Thou hast increased the +nations, O Lord, thou hast increased the nations; thou art made glorious, +thou hast enlarged all the coasts of the earth. Lord, in trouble,” &c. +verses 15, 16. + +In these words the prophet gives consolation to the afflicted, assuring +them, that how horrible soever the desolation should be, yet should the +seed of Abraham be so multiplied, that it should replenish the coasts of +the earth; yea, that God should be more glorified in their affliction, +than he was during the time of their prosperity. This promise, no doubt, +was incredible when it was made; for who could have been persuaded, that +the destruction of Jerusalem should have been the means whereby the nation +of the Jews should have been increased? seeing that much rather it +appeared, that the overthrow of Jerusalem should have been the very +abolishing of the seed of Abraham: but we must consider, to what end it +was that God revealed himself to Abraham, and what is contained in the +promise of the multiplication of his seed, and the benediction promised +thereto. + +First, God revealed himself to Abraham, to let all flesh understand, by +the means of his word, that God first called man, and revealed himself +unto him; that flesh can do nothing but rebel against God; for Abraham, no +doubt, was an idolater, before God called him from Ur of the Chaldees. The +promise was made, that the seed of Abraham should be multiplied as the +stars of heaven, and as the sand of the sea; which is not simply to be +understood of his natural seed, although it was sometimes greatly +increased; but rather of such as should become the spiritual seed of +Abraham, as the apostle speaks. Now, if we be able to prove, that the +right knowledge of God, his wisdom, justice, mercy, and power, were more +amply declared in their captivity, than at any time before, then we cannot +deny, but that God, even when to man’s judgment he had utterly rased them +from the face of the earth, did increase the nation of the Jews, so that +he was glorified in them, and extended the coasts of the earth for their +habitation. And, for the better understanding hereof, let us shortly try +the histories from their captivity to their deliverance; and after the +same, to the coming of the Messiah. + +No doubt satan intended, by the dispersion of the Jews, so to have +profaned the whole seed of Abraham, that among them neither should have +remained the true knowledge of God, nor yet the spirit of sanctification, +but that all should have come to a like contempt of God. For, I pray you, +for what purpose was it, that Daniel and his fellows were taken into the +king’s court, were commanded to be fed at the king’s table, and were put +to the schools of their diviners, soothsayers, and astrologers? It may be +thought that it proceeded of the king’s humanity, and of a zeal which he +had, that they should be brought up in virtue and good learning; and I +doubt not but it was so understood by a great number of the Jews. But the +secret practice of the devil was understood by Daniel, when he refused to +defile himself with the king’s meat, which was forbidden to the seed of +Abraham in the law of their God. Well, God began shortly after to show +himself mindful of his promise made by his prophet, and to trouble +Nebuchadnezzar himself, by showing to him a vision in his dream; which the +more troubled him, because he could not forget the terror of it, neither +yet could he remember what the vision and the parts thereof were. +Whereupon were called all the diviners, interpreters of dreams, and +soothsayers, of whom the king demanded, if they could let him understand +what he had dreamed: but while they answered, that such a question used +not to be demanded of any soothsayer or magician, for the resolution +thereof only appertained to the gods, whose habitation was not with men, +the charge was given, that they all should be slain: and amongst the rest, +Daniel, whose innocence the devil envied, was sought to have suffered the +same judgment. He claimed, and asked time to disclose that secret; (I only +touch the history, to let you see by what means God increased his +knowledge) which being granted, the vision was revealed unto him; he +shewed the same unto the king, with the true interpretation of it; adding, +that the knowledge thereof came not from the stars, but only from the God +of Abraham, who alone was and is the true God. Which being understood, the +king burst forth in his confession, saying, “Of a truth your God is the +most excellent of all gods, and he is Lord of kings, and only he that +revealeth secrets, seeing that thou couldst open this secret.” And when +Nebuchadnezzar after that, being puffed up with pride by the counsel of +his wicked nobility, would make an image, before which he would that all +tongues and nations subject to him should make adoration; and when +Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, would not obey his unjust commandment, +and so were cast into the flaming furnace of fire; and yet by God’s angels +were so preserved, that no smell of fire remained on their persons or +garments; this same king gave a more notable confession, saying, “The Lord +God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, is to be praised, who hath sent +his angels, and delivered his worshippers that put trust in him, who have +done against the king’s commandment; who have rather given their own +bodies to torment, than that they would worship another god, except their +own God. By me therefore is there made a decree, that whosoever shall +blaspheme the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, he shall be cut in +pieces, and his house shall be made detestable.” Dan. iii. + +Thus we see how God began, even almost in the beginning of their +captivity, to notify his name, to multiply his knowledge, and set forth as +well his power as his wisdom, and true worshipping, by those that were +taken prisoners, yea, that were despised, and of all men contemned; so +that the name and fear of the God of Abraham was never before notified to +so many realms and nations. This wondrous work of God proceeded from one +empire to another; for Daniel being promoted to great honour by Darius +king of the Persians and Medes, fell into a desperate danger; for he was +committed to prison among lions, because he was found breaking the king’s +injunction; not that the king desired the destruction of God’s servants, +but because the corrupt idolaters, who in hatred of Daniel had procured +that law to be made, urged the king against his nature; but God, by his +angel, stopped the lions’ mouths, and so preserved his servant; which +being considered, with the sudden destruction of Daniel’s enemies by the +same lions, king Darius, besides his own confession, wrote to all people, +tongues, and nations, after this form; “It is decreed by me, That in all +the dominions of my kingdom, men shall fear and reverence the God of +Daniel, because he is the Living God, abiding for ever, whose kingdom +shall not be destroyed, and his dominion remaineth; who saveth and +delivereth, and sheweth signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath +delivered Daniel from the lions.” + +This knowledge was yet further increased in the days of Cyrus, who giving +freedom to the captives to return to their own native country, gave this +confession; “Thus saith Cyrus the king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the +earth hath the Lord God of heaven given unto me, and hath commanded me, +that a house be built to him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whosoever +therefore of you, that are of his people, let the Lord his God be with +him, and let him pass up to Jerusalem, and let him build the house of the +Lord God of Israel; for he only is God that is in Jerusalem.” (Ezra i.) +Time will not suffer me to treat the points of this confession, neither +yet did I for that purpose adduce the history; but only to let us see, how +constantly God kept his promise in increasing his people, and in +augmenting his true knowledge beyond men’s expectation, when both they +that were the seed of Abraham, and the religion which they professed, +appeared utterly to have been extinguished. I say, he brought freedom out +of bondage, light out of darkness, and life out of death. I am not +ignorant, that the building of the temple, and the reparation of the walls +of Jerusalem, were long stayed, so that the work had many enemies; but the +hand of God so prevailed in the end, that a decree was made by Darius, (by +him I suppose that succeeded to Cambyses,) not only that all things +necessary for the building of the temple, and for the sacrifices that were +to be burnt there, should be ministered upon the king’s charges; but also, +that “whosoever should hinder that work, or change that decree, that a +tree should be taken out of his house, and that he should be hanged +thereupon; yea, that his house should be made a dunghill,” (Ezra vi.); and +thereto he added a prayer, saying, “The God of heaven, who hath placed his +name there, root out every king and people, (O that kings and nations +would understand!) that shall put his hand, either to change or to hurt +this house of God that is in Jerusalem.” And so, in despite of satan, was +the temple built, the walls repaired, and the city inhabited; and in the +most desperate dangers it was preserved, until the promised Messiah, the +glory of the second temple, came, manifested himself to the world, +suffered and rose again, according to the scriptures; and so, by sending +forth his gospel from Jerusalem, replenished the earth with the true +knowledge of God; and so did God in perfection increase the nation, and +the spiritual seed of Abraham. + +Wherefore, dear brethren, we have no small consolation, if the state of +all things be this day rightly considered. We see in what fury and rage +the world, for the most part, is now raised, against the poor church of +Jesus Christ, unto which he has proclaimed liberty, after the fearful +bondage of that spiritual Babylon, in which we have been holden captives +longer space than Israel was prisoner in Babylon itself: for if we shall +consider, upon the one part, the multitude of those that live wholly +without Christ; and, upon the other part, the blind rage of the pestilent +papists; what shall we think of the small number of them that profess +Christ Jesus, but that they are as a poor sheep, already seized in the +claws of the lion; yea, that they, and the true religion which they +profess, shall in a moment be utterly consumed? + +But against this fearful temptation, let us be armed with the promise of +God, namely, that he will be the protector of his church; yea, that he +will multiply it, even when to man’s judgment it appears utterly to be +exterminated. This promise has our God performed, in the multiplication of +Abraham’s seed, in the preservation of it when satan laboured utterly to +have destroyed it, and in deliverance of the same, as we have heard, from +Babylon. He hath sent his Son Christ Jesus, clad in our flesh, who hath +tasted of all our infirmities, (sin excepted,) who hath promised to be +with us to the end of the world; he hath further kept promise in the +publication, yea, in the restitution of his glorious gospel. Shall we then +think that he will leave his church destitute in this most dangerous age? +Only let us cleave to his truth, and study to conform our lives to the +same, and he shall multiply his knowledge, and increase his people. But +now let us hear what the prophet saith more: + +“Lord, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when +thy chastening was upon them,” verse 16. + +The prophet means, that such as in the time of quietness did not rightly +regard God nor his judgments, were compelled, by sharp corrections, to +seek God; yea, by cries and dolorous complaints to visit him. True it is, +that such obedience deserves small praise before men; for who can praise, +or accept that in good part, which comes as it were of mere compulsion? +And yet it is rare, that any of God’s children do give unfeigned +obedience, until the hand of God turn them. For if quietness and +prosperity make them not utterly to forget their duty, both towards God +and man, as David for a season, yet it makes them careless, insolent, and +in many things unmindful of those things that God chiefly craves of them; +which imperfection being espied, and the danger that thereof might ensue, +our heavenly Father visits the sins of his children, but with the rod of +his mercy, by which they are moved to return to their God, to accuse their +former negligence, and to promise better obedience in all times hereafter; +as David confessed, saying, “Before I fell in affliction I went astray, +but now will I keep thy statutes.” + +But yet, for the better understanding of the prophet’s mind, we may +consider how God doth visit man, and how man doth visit God; and what +difference there is betwixt the visitation of God upon the reprobate, and +his visitation upon the chosen. + +God sometimes visits the reprobate in his hot displeasure, pouring upon +them his plagues for their long rebellion; as we have heard before, that +he visited the proud, and destroyed their memory. At other times God is +said to visit his people, being in affliction, to whom he sends comfort or +promise of deliverance, as he visited the seed of Abraham, when oppressed +in Egypt. And Zacharias said, that God had visited his people, and sent +unto them hope of deliverance, when John the Baptist was born. But of none +of these visitations our prophet here speaks, but of that only which we +have already touched; namely, when God layeth his correction upon his own +children, to call them from the venomous breasts of this corrupt world, +that they suck not in over great abundance the poison thereof; and he +doth, as it were, wean them from their mother’s breasts, that they may +learn to receive other nourishment. True it is, that this weaning (or +speaning, as we term it) from worldly pleasure, is a thing strange to the +flesh. And yet it is a thing so necessary to God’s children, that, unless +they are weaned from the pleasures of the world, they can never feed upon +that delectable milk of God’s eternal verity; for the corruption of the +one either hinders the other from being received, or else so troubles the +whole powers of man, that the soul can never so digest the truth of God as +he ought to do. + +Although this appears hard, yet it is most evident; for what can we +receive from the world, but that which is in the world? What that is, the +apostle John teaches; saying, “Whatsoever is in the world, is either the +lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, or the pride of life.” (1 John +ii.) Now, seeing that these are not of the Father, but of the world, how +can it be, that our souls can feed upon chastity, temperance, and +humility, so long as our stomachs are replenished with the corruption of +these vices? + +Now so it is, that flesh can never willingly refuse these fore-named, but +rather still delights itself in every one of them; yea, in them all, as +the examples are but too evident. + +It behoves therefore, that God himself shall violently pull his children +from these venomous breasts, that when they lack the liquor and poison of +the world, they may visit him, and learn to be nourished of him. Oh if the +eyes of worldly princes should be opened, that they might see with what +humour and liquor their souls are fed, while their whole delight consists +in pride, ambition, and the lusts of the corrupt flesh! We understand then +how God doth visit men, as well by his severe judgments, as by his +merciful visitation of deliverance from troubles, or by bringing trouble +upon his chosen for their humiliation; and now it remains to understand +how man visits God. Man doth visit God, when he appears in his presence, +be it for the hearing of his word, or for the participation of his +sacraments; as the people of Israel, besides the observation of their +sabbaths and daily oblations, were commanded thrice a-year to present +themselves before the presence of the tabernacle; and as we do, and us +often as we present ourselves to the hearing of the word. For there is the +footstool, yea, there is the face and throne of God himself, wheresoever +the gospel of Jesus Christ is truly preached, and his sacraments rightly +ministered. + +But men may on this sort visit God hypocritically; for they may come for +the fashion, they may hear with deaf ears; yea, they may understand, and +yet never determine with themselves to obey that which God requires: and +let such men be assured, that He who searches the secrets of hearts will +be avenged of all such; for nothing can be more odious to God, than to +mock him in his own presence. Let every man therefore examine himself, +with what mind, and what purpose, he comes to hear the word of God; yea, +with what ear he hears it, and what testimony his heart gives unto him, +when God commands virtue, and forbids impiety. + +Repinest thou when God requires obedience? Thou hearest to thine own +condemnation. Mockest thou at God’s threatenings? Thou shalt feel the +weight and truth of them, albeit too late, when flesh and blood cannot +deliver thee from his hand. But the visitation, whereof our prophet +speaks, is only proper to the sons of God, who, in the time when God takes +from them the pleasures of the world, or shows his angry countenance unto +them, have recourse unto him, and, confessing their former negligence, +with troubled hearts, cry for his mercy. This visitation is not proper to +all the afflicted, but appertains only to God’s children: for the +reprobates can never have access to God’s mercy in time of their +tribulation, and that because they abuse his long patience, as well as the +manifold benefits they receive from his hands; for as the same prophet +heretofore saith, “Let the wicked obtain mercy, yet shall he never learn +wisdom, but in the land of righteousness,” that is, where the true +knowledge of God abounds, “he will do wickedly.” Which is a crime above +all others abominable; for to what end is it that God erects his throne +among us, but that we should fear him? Why does he reveal his holy will +unto us, but that we should obey it? Why does he deliver us from trouble, +but that we should be witnesses unto the world, that he is gracious and +merciful? + +Now, when men hearing their duty, and knowing what God requires of them, +do malapertly fight against all equity and justice, what I pray you, do +they else, but make manifest war against God? Yea, when they have received +from God such deliverance, that they cannot deny but that God himself hath +in his great mercy visited them, and yet they continue wicked as before; +what deserve they but effectually to be given over unto a reprobate sense, +that they may headlong run to ruin, both of body and soul? It is almost +incredible that a man should be so enraged against God, that neither his +plagues, nor yet his mercy showed, should move him to repentance; but +because the Scriptures bear witness of the one and the other, let us cease +to marvel, and let us firmly believe, that such things as have been, are +even at present before our eyes, albeit many, blinded by affection, cannot +see them. + +Ahab, as it is written in the book of the Kings, received many notable +benefits of the hand of God, who visited him in divers sorts, sometimes by +his plagues, sometimes by his word, and sometimes by his merciful +deliverance. He made him king, and, for the idolatry used by him and his +wife, he plagued the whole of Israel by famine; he revealed to him his +will, and true religion, by the prophet Elijah; he gave unto him sundry +deliverances, but one most special, when proud Benhadad came to besiege +Samaria, and was not content to receive Ahab’s gold, silver, sons, +daughters, and wives, but also required, that his servants should have at +their pleasure whatsoever was delectable in Samaria. True it is, that his +elders and people willed him not to hear the proud tyrant, but who made +unto him the promise of deliverance? And who appointed and put his army in +order? Who assured him of victory? The prophet of God only, who assured +him, that by the servants of the princes of the provinces, who in number +were only two hundred thirty-and-two, he should defeat the great army, in +which there were two-and-thirty kings, with all their forces. And as the +prophet of God promised, so it came to pass; victory was obtained, not +once only, but twice, and that by the merciful visitation of the Lord. + +But how did Ahab visit God again for his great benefit received? Did he +remove his idolatry? Did he correct his idolatrous wife Jezebel? No, we +find no such thing; but the one and the other we find to have continued +and increased in their former impiety: but what was the end thereof? The +last visitation of God was, that dogs licked the blood of the one, and did +eat the flesh of the other. In few words then we understand, what +difference there is betwixt the visitation of God upon the reprobate, and +his visitation upon his chosen. The reprobate are visited, but never truly +humbled, nor yet amended; the chosen being visited, they sob, and they cry +unto God for mercy; which being obtained, they magnify God’s name, and +afterwards manifest the fruits of repentance. Let us therefore that bear +these judgments of our God, call for the assistance of his Holy Spirit, +that howsoever it pleaseth him to visit us, we may stoop under his +merciful hands, and unfeignedly cry to him when he corrects us; and so +shall we know in experience, that our cries and complaints were not in +vain. But let us hear what the prophet saith further: + +“Like as a woman with child, that draweth near her travail, is in sorrow, +and crieth in her pains, so have we been in thy sight, O Lord; we have +conceived, we have borne in vain, as though we should have brought forth +the wind. Salvations were not made to the earth, neither did the +inhabitants of the earth fall,” verses 17, 18. + +This is the second part of the prophet’s complaint, in which he, in the +person of God’s people, complains, that of their great affliction there +appeared no end. This same similitude is used by our Master Jesus Christ; +for when he speaks of the troubles of his church, he compares them to the +pains of a woman travailing in child-birth. But it is to another end; for +there he promises exceeding and permanent joy after a sort, though it +appear trouble. But here is the trouble long and vehement, albeit the +fruit of it was not suddenly espied. He speaks no doubt of that long and +dolorous time of their captivity, in which they continually laboured for +deliverance, but obtained it not before the complete end of seventy years. +During which time, the earth, that is, the land of Judah, which sometimes +was sanctified unto God, but was then given to be profaned by wicked +people, got no help, nor perceived any deliverance: for the inhabitants of +the world fell not; that is, the tyrants and oppressors of God’s people +were not taken away, but still remained and continued blasphemers of God, +and troublers of his church. But because I perceive the hours to pass more +swiftly than they have seemed at other times, I must contract that which +remains of this text into certain points. + +The prophet first contends against the present despair; afterwards he +introduces God himself calling upon his people; and, last of all, he +assures his afflicted, that God will come, and require account of all the +blood-thirsty tyrants of the earth. + +First, Fighting against the present despair, he saith, “Thy dead shall +live, even my body (or with my body) shall they arise; awake and sing, ye +that dwell in the dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs,” verse 19. + +The prophet here pierces through all impediments that nature could object; +and, by the victory of faith, he overcomes, not only the common enemies, +but the great and last enemy of all, death itself; for this would he say, +Lord, I see nothing for thy chosen, but misery to follow misery, and one +affliction to succeed another; yea, in the end I see, that death shall +devour thy dearest children. But yet, O Lord! I see thy promise to be +true, and thy love to remain towards thy chosen, even when death appears +to have devoured them: “For thy dead shall live, yea, not only shall they +live, but my very dead carcase shall arise;” and so I see honour and glory +to succeed this temporal shame, I see permanent joy to come after trouble, +order to spring out of this terrible confusion; and, finally, I see that +life shall devour death, so that death shall be destroyed, and so thy +servants shall have life. This, I say, is the victory of faith, when to +the midst of death, through the light of God’s word, the afflicted see +life. Hypocrites, in the time of quietness and prosperity, can generally +confess, that God is true to his promises; but bring them to the +extremity, and there the hypocrite ceases further to trust to God, than he +seeth natural means, whereby God useth to work. But the true faithful, +when all hope of natural means fail, flee to God himself, and to the truth +of his promise, who is above nature; yea, whose works are not so subject +to the ordinary course of nature, that when nature fails, his power and +promise fail also therewith. + +Let us further observe, That the prophet here speaks not of all the dead +in general, but saith, “Thy dead, O Lord, shall live:” in which words he +makes a difference betwixt those that die in the Lord, and those that die +in their natural corruption, and in the old Adam. Die in the Lord can +none, except those that live in him, (I mean, of those that attain to the +years of discretion;) and none live in him, but those that, with the +apostle, can say, “I live, and yet not I, but Christ Jesus that dwelleth +in me: the life that I now live, I have by the faith of the Son of God.” +(Gal. ii.) Not that I mean, that the faithful have at all hours such a +sense of the life everlasting, that they fear not the death and the +troubles of this life; no, not so; for the faith of God’s children is +weak, yea, and in many things imperfect. But I mean, that such as in +death, and after death shall live, must communicate in this life with +Jesus Christ, and must be regenerated by the seed of life; that is, by the +word of the everlasting God, which whosoever despises, refuses life and +joy everlasting. + +The prophet transfers all the promises of God to himself, saying, “Even my +dead body shall arise;” and immediately after, gives commandment and +charge to the dwellers in the dust, that is, to the dead carcases of those +that were departed, (for the spirit and soul of man dwells not in the +dust,) “That they should awake, that they should sing and rejoice;” for +they should arise and spring up from the earth, even as the herbs do, +after they have received the dew from above. + +Time will not suffer that these particulars be so largely treated as +ought, and as I gladly would do; therefore let us consider, that the +prophet, in transferring the power and promise of God to himself, does not +claim to himself any particular prerogative above the people of God, as +that he alone should live and arise, and not they also; but he does it, to +let them understand that he taught a doctrine whereof he was certain; yea, +and whereof they should have experience after his death. As if he should +say, My words appear to you now to be incredible, but the day will come, +that I shall be taken from you, my carcase shall be inclosed in the bosom +of the earth; and you shall be led away captives to Babylon, where you +shall remain many days and years, as it were buried in your sepulchres. + +But then call to mind what I said unto you before hand, that my body shall +arise; even so shall you rise from your graves out of Babylon, and be +restored to your own country, and city of Jerusalem; this, I doubt not, is +the true meaning of the prophet. The charge that he gives to the dwellers +in the dust, is to express the power of God’s word, whereby he not only +gives life, where death apparently had prevailed; but also, by it, he +calls things that are not, even as though they were. True it is, that the +prophet Isaiah saw not the destruction of Jerusalem, much less could he +see the restitution of it with his corporeal eyes; but he leaves this, as +it were, in testament with them—that when they were in the extremity of +all bondage, they should call to mind what the prophet of God had before +spoken. + +And lest that his doctrine, and this promise of God made unto them by his +mouth, should have been forgotten, as we are ever prone and ready to +forget God’s promises when we are pressed with any sorrow, God raised up +unto them, in the midst of their calamity, his prophet Ezekiel, unto whom, +among many other visions, he gave this—The hand of the Lord first led him +in a place, which was full of dry and dispersed bones. (Ezek. xxxvii.) The +question was demanded of the prophet, If these bones, being wondrous dry, +could live? The prophet answered, The knowledge thereof appertained unto +God. Charge was given unto him, that he should speak unto the dry bones, +and say, “Thus saith the Lord God to these bones, Behold, I will give you +breath, and you shall live: I will give unto you sinews, flesh, and skin, +and you shall live.” And while the prophet spake as he was commanded, he +heard a voice, and he saw every bone join its fellow; he saw them covered +with flesh and skin, albeit there was no spirit of life in them. He was +commanded again to speak, and to say, “Thus saith the Lord God, Come, O +Spirit, from the four quarters, and blow on these that are slain, that +they may live.” And as he prophesied, the spirit of life came; they lived, +and stood upon their feet. Then the Lord interprets what this vision +meant, saying “O son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. +Behold, they say, Our bones are dried, our hope is perished, we are +plainly cut off. But behold, saith the Lord, I will open your graves, I +will bring you forth of them, ye shall live, and come unto the land of +Israel, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.” + +This vision, I say, given to the prophet, and by the prophet preached to +the people, when they thought that God had utterly forgotten them, +compelled them more diligently to advert to what the former prophets had +spoken. It is no doubt but that they carried with them both the prophecy +of Isaiah and Jeremiah, so that the prophet Ezekiel is a commentary to +these words of Isaiah, where he saith, “Thy dead, O Lord, shall live, with +my body they shall arise.” The prophet brings in this similitude of the +dew, to answer unto that part of their fidelity, who can believe no +further of God’s promises than they are able to apprehend by natural +judgment; as if he would say, Think ye this impossible, that God should +give life unto you, and bring you to an estate of a commonwealth again, +after that ye are dead, and as it were rased from the face of the earth? +But why do you not consider what God worketh from year to year in the +order of nature? Sometimes you see the face of the earth decked and +beautified with herbs, flowers, grass, and fruits; again you see the same +utterly taken away by storms, and the vehemence of the winter: what does +God to replenish the earth again, and to restore the beauty thereof? He +sends down his small and soft dew, the drops whereof, in their descending, +are neither great nor visible, and yet thereby are the pores and secret +veins of the earth, which before by vehemence of frost and cold were shut +up, opened again, and so does the earth produce again the like herbs, +flowers, and fruits. Shall you then think, that the dew of God’s heavenly +grace will not be as effectual in you to whom he hath made his promise, as +it is in the herbs and fruits which from year to year bud forth and decay? +If you do so, the prophet would say your unbelief is inexcusable; because +you neither rightly weigh the power, nor the promise of your God. + +The like similitude the apostle Paul uses against such as called the +resurrection in doubt, because by natural judgment they could not +apprehend that flesh once putrified, and dissolved as it were into other +substance, should rise again, and return again to the same substance and +nature: “O fool,” saith he, “that which thou sowest is not quickened, +except it die; and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that +shall be, but bare corn, as it falleth, of wheat, or some other, but God +giveth it a body as it pleaseth him, even to every seed his own body.” In +which words and sentence, the apostle sharply rebukes the gross ignorance +of the Corinthians, who began to call in doubt the chief article of our +faith, the resurrection of the flesh after it was once dissolved, because +that natural judgment, as he said, reclaimed thereto.(11) He reproves, I +say, their gross ignorance, because they might have seen and considered +some proof and document thereof in the very order of nature; for albeit +the wheat, or other corn, cast in the earth, appears to die or putrify, +and so to be lost, yet we see that it is not perished, but that it +fructifies according to God’s will and ordinance. + +Now, if the power of God be so manifest in raising up of the fruits of the +earth, unto which no particular promise is made by God, what shall be his +power and virtue in raising up our bodies, seeing that thereto he is bound +by the solemn promise of Jesus Christ his Eternal Wisdom, and the Verity +itself that cannot lie? Yea, seeing that the members must once communicate +with the glory of the Head, how shall our bodies, which are flesh of his +flesh, and bone of his bones, lie still for ever in corruption, seeing +that our Head, Jesus Christ, is now exalted in his glory? Neither yet is +this power and good-will of God to be restrained unto the last and general +resurrection only, but we ought to consider it in the marvellous +preservation of his church, and in the raising up of the same from the +very bottom of death, when by tyrants it has been oppressed from age to +age. + +Now, of the former words of the prophet, we have to gather this comfort; +that if at any time we see the face of the church within this realm so +defaced, as I think it shall be sooner than we look for—when we shall see, +I say, virtue to be despised, vice to be maintained, the verity of God to +be impugned, lies and men’s inventions holden in authority—and finally, +when we see the true religion of our God, and the zealous observers of the +same, trodden under the feet of such as in their heart say, that “There is +no God,” (Psal. xiv.); let us then call to mind what have been the +wondrous works of our God from the beginning—that it is his proper office +to bring light out of darkness, order out of confusion, life out of death: +and finally, that this is He that calleth things that are not, even as if +they were, as before we have heard. And if in the day of our temptation, +which in my judgment approaches fast, we are thus armed, if our +incredulity cannot utterly be removed, yet shall it so be corrected, that +damnable despair oppress us not. But now let us hear how the prophet +proceeds:— + +“Come, thou my people, enter within thy chamber, shut thy door after thee, +hide thyself a very little while, until the indignation pass over.” + +Here the prophet brings in God, lovingly, calling upon his people to come +to himself, and to rest with him, until such time as the fury and sharp +plagues should be executed upon the wicked and disobedient. It may appear +at the first sight, that all these words of the prophet, in the person of +God, calling the people unto rest, are spoken in vain; for we neither find +chambers, nor rest, more prepared for the dearest children of God, so far +as man’s judgment can discern, than for the rebellious and disobedient; +for such as fell not by the edge of the sword, or died not of pestilence, +or by hunger, were either carried captives unto Babylon, or else departed +afterwards into Egypt, so that none of Abraham’s seed had either chamber +or quiet place to remain in within the land of Canaan. For the resolution +hereof, we must understand, That albeit the chambers whereunto God called +his chosen be not visible, yet notwithstanding they are certain, and offer +unto God’s children a quiet habitation in spirit, howsoever the flesh be +travailed and tormented. + +The chambers then are God’s sure promises, unto which God’s people are +commanded to resort; yea, within which they are commanded to close +themselves in the time of greatest adversity. The manner of speaking is +borrowed from that judgment and foresight which God has printed in this +our nature; for when men espy great tempests appearing to come, they will +not willingly remain uncovered in the fields, but straightway they will +draw them to their houses or holds, that they may escape the vehemence of +the same; and if they fear any enemy pursues them, they will shut their +doors, to the end that the enemy should not suddenly have entry. + +After this manner God speaks to his people; as if he should say, The +tempest that shall come upon this whole nation shall be so terrible, that +nothing but extermination shall appear to come upon the whole body. But +thou my people, that hearest my word, believest the same, and tremblest at +the threatenings of my prophets, now, when the world does insolently +resist—let such, I say, enter within the secret chamber of my promises, +let them contain themselves quietly there; yea, let them shut the door +upon them, and suffer not infidelity, the mortal enemy of my truth, and of +my people that depend thereupon, to have free entry to trouble them, yea, +further to murder, in my promise; and so shall they perceive that my +indignation shall pass, and that such as depend upon me shall be saved. + +Thus we may perceive the meaning of the prophet; whereof we have first to +observe, that God acknowledges them for his people who are in the greatest +affliction; yea, such as are reputed unworthy of men’s presence are yet +admitted within the secret chamber of God. Let no man think that flesh and +blood can suddenly attain to that comfort; and therefore most expedient it +is, that we be frequently exercised in meditation of the same. Easy it is, +I grant, in time of prosperity, to say, and to think, that God is our God, +and that we are his people; but when he has given us over into the hands +of our enemies, and turned, as it were, his back unto us, then, I say, +still to reclaim him to be our God, and to have this assurance, that we +are his people, proceeds wholly from the Holy Spirit of God, as it is the +greatest victory of faith, which overcomes the world; for increase +whereof, we ought continually to pray. + +This doctrine we shall not think strange, if we consider how suddenly our +spirits are carried away from our God, and from believing his promise. So +soon as any great temptation apprehends us, then we begin to doubt if ever +we believed God’s promise, if God will fulfil them to us, if we abide in +his favour, if he regards and looks upon the violence and injury that is +done unto us; and a multitude of such cogitations which before lurked +quietly in our corrupted hearts, burst violently forth when we are +oppressed with any desperate calamity. Against which this is the +remedy—once to apprehend, and still to retain God to be our God, and +firmly to believe, that we are his people whom he loves, and will defend, +not only in affliction, but even in the midst of death itself. + +Again, Let us observe, That the judgments of our God never were, nor yet +shall be so vehement upon the face of the earth, but that there has been, +and shall be, some secret habitation prepared in the sanctuary of God, for +some of his chosen, where they shall be preserved until the indignation +pass by; and that God prepares a time, that they may glorify him again, +before the face of the world, which once despised them. And this ought to +be unto us no small comfort in these appearing dangers, namely, that we +are surely persuaded, that how vehement soever the tempest shall be, it +yet shall pass over, and some of us shall be preserved to glorify the name +of our God, as is aforesaid. + +Two vices lurk in this our nature: the one is, that we cannot tremble at +God’s threatenings, before the plagues apprehend us, albeit we see cause +most just why his fierce wrath should burn as a devouring fire; the other +is, that when calamities before pronounced, fall upon us, then we begin to +sink down in despair, so that we never look for any comfortable end of the +same. + +To correct this our mortal infirmity, in time of quietness we ought to +consider what is the justice of our God, and how odious sin is; and, above +all, how odious idolatry is in His presence, who has forbidden it, and who +has so severely punished it in all ages from the beginning: and in the +time of our affliction we ought to consider, what have been the wondrous +works of our God, in the preservation of his church when it hath been in +uttermost extremity. For never shall we find the church humbled under the +hands of traitors, and cruelly tormented by them, but we shall find God’s +just vengeance fall upon the cruel persecutors, and his merciful +deliverance shewed to the afflicted. And, in taking of this trial, we +should not only call to mind the histories of ancient times, but also we +should diligently mark what notable works God hath wrought, even in this +our age, as well upon the one as upon the other. We ought not to think, +that our God bears less love to his church this day, than what he has done +from the beginning; for as our God in his own nature is immutable, so his +love towards his elect remains always unchangeable. For as in Christ Jesus +he hath chosen his church, before the beginning of all ages; so by him +will he maintain and preserve the same unto the end. Yea, he will quiet +the storms, and cause the earth to open her mouth, and receive the raging +floods of violent waters, cast out by the dragon, to drown and carry away +the woman, which is the spouse of Jesus Christ, unto whom God for his own +name’s sake will be the perpetual Protector. Rev. xii. + +This saw that notable servant of Jesus Christ, Athanasius, who being +exiled from Alexandria by that blasphemous apostate Julian the emperor, +said unto his flock, who bitterly wept for his envious banishment, “Weep +not, but be of good comfort, for this little cloud will suddenly vanish.” +He called both the emperor himself and his cruel tyranny a little cloud; +and albeit there was small appearance of any deliverance to the church of +God, or of any punishment to have apprehended the proud tyrants, when the +man of God pronounced these words, yet shortly after God did give witness, +that those words did not proceed from flesh nor blood, but from God’s very +Spirit. For not long after, being in warfare, Julian received a deadly +wound, whether by his own hand, or by one of his own soldiers, the writers +clearly conclude not; but casting his own blood against the heaven, he +said, “At last thou hast overcome, thou Galilean:” so in despite he termed +the Lord Jesus. And so perished that tyrant in his own iniquity; the storm +ceased, and the church of God received new comfort. + +Such shall be the end of all cruel persecutors, their reign shall be +short, their end miserable, and their name shall be left in execrations to +God’s people; and yet shall the church of God remain to God’s glory, after +all storms. But now shortly, let us come to the last point: + +“For behold,” saith the prophet, “the Lord will come out of his place, to +visit the iniquity of the inhabitants of the earth upon them; and the +earth shall disclose her blood, and shall no more hide her slain.” (Verse +21.) Because that the final end of the troubles of God’s chosen shall not +be, before the Lord Jesus shall return to restore all things to their full +perfection. + +The prophet brings forth the eternal God, as it were, from his own place +and habitation, and therewith shows the cause of his coming to be, that he +might take account of all such as have wrought wickedly; for that he +means, where he saith, “He will visit the iniquity of the inhabitants of +the earth upon them.” And lest any should think the wrong doers are so +many, that they cannot be called to an account, he gives unto the earth as +it were an office and charge, to bear witness against all those that have +wrought wickedly, and chiefly against those that have shed innocent blood +from the beginning; and saith, “That the earth shall disclose her blood, +and shall no more hide her slain men.” + +If tyrants of the earth, and such as delight in the shedding of blood, +should be persuaded that this sentence is true, they would not so +furiously come to their own destruction; for what man can be so enraged, +that he would willingly do even before the eyes of God that which might +provoke his Majesty to anger, yea, provoke him to become his enemy for +ever, if he understood how fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of +the living God? + +The cause then of this blind fury of the world is the ignorance of God, +and that men think that God is but an idol; and that there is no knowledge +above, that beholds their tyranny; nor yet justice that will, nor power +that can, repress their impiety. But the Spirit of truth witnesses the +contrary, affirming, that as the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and +as his ears are ready to receive their sobbing and prayers, so is his +visage angry against such as work iniquity; he hateth and holdeth in +abomination every deceitful and blood-thirsty man, whereof he has given +sufficient document from age to age, in preserving the one, or at least in +avenging their cause, and in punishing the other. + +Where it is said, “That the Lord will come from his place, and that he +will visit the iniquity of the inhabitants of the earth upon them, and +that the earth shall disclose her blood;” we have to consider, what most +commonly has been, and what shall be, the condition of the church of God, +namely, that it is not only hated, mocked, and despised, but that it is +exposed as a prey unto the fury of the wicked; so that the blood of the +children of God is spilt like unto water upon the face of the earth. + +The understanding whereof, albeit it is unpleasant to the flesh, yet to us +it is most profitable, lest that we, seeing the cruel treatment of God’s +servants, begin to forsake the spouse of Jesus Christ, because she is not +so dealt with in this unthankful world, as the just and upright dealings +of God’s children do deserve. But contrariwise, for mercy they receive +cruelty, for doing good to many, of all the reprobate they receive evil; +and this is decreed in God’s eternal council, that the members may follow +the trace of the Head; to the end that God in his just judgment should +finally condemn the wicked. For how should he punish the inhabitants of +the earth, if their iniquity deserve it not? How should the earth disclose +our blood, if it should not be unjustly spilt? We must then commit +ourselves into the hands of our God, and lay down our necks; yea, and +patiently suffer our blood to be shed, that the righteous Judge may +require account, as most assuredly he will, of all the blood that hath +been shed, from the blood of Abel the just, till the day that the earth +shall disclose the same. I say, every one that sheds, or consents to shed +the blood of God’s children, shall be guilty of the whole; so that all the +blood of God’s children shall cry vengeance, not only in general, but also +in particular, upon every one that has shed the blood of any that unjustly +suffered. + +And if any think it strange, that such as live this day can be guilty of +the blood that was shed in the days of the apostles, let them consider, +that the Verity itself pronounced, That all the blood that was shed from +the days of Abel, unto the days of Zacharias, should come upon the +unthankful generation that heard his doctrine and refused it. (Matt. +xxiii.) + +The reason is evident; for as there are two heads and captains that rule +over the whole world, namely, Jesus Christ, the Prince of justice and +peace, and satan, called the prince of the world; so there are but two +armies that have continued battle from the beginning, and shall fight unto +the end. The quarrel which the army of Jesus Christ sustains, and which +the reprobate persecute, is the same, namely, The eternal truth of the +eternal God, and the image of Jesus Christ printed in his elect—so that +whosoever in any age persecutes any one member of Jesus Christ for his +truth’s sake, subscribes, as it were with his hand, to the persecution of +all that have passed before him. + +And this ought the tyrants of this age deeply to consider; for they shall +be guilty, not only of the blood shed by themselves, but of all, as is +said, that has been shed for the cause of Jesus Christ from the beginning +of the world. + +Let the faithful not be discouraged, although they be appointed as sheep +to the slaughter-house; for He, for whose sake they suffer, shall not +forget to avenge their cause. I am not ignorant that flesh and blood will +think that kind of support too late; for we had rather be preserved still +alive, than have our blood avenged after our death. And truly, if our +felicity stood in this life, or if temporal death should bring unto us any +damage, our desire in that behalf were not to be disallowed or condemned: +but seeing that death is common to all, and that this temporal life is +nothing but misery, and that death fully joins us with our God, and gives +unto us the possession of our inheritance, why should we think it strange +to leave this world and go to our Head and sovereign Captain, Jesus +Christ? + +Lastly, We have to observe this manner of speaking, where the prophet +saith, that “the earth shall disclose her blood:” in which words the +prophet would accuse the cruelty of those that dare so unmercifully and +violently force, from the breasts of the earth, the dearest children of +God, and cruelly cut their throats in her bosom, who is by God appointed +the common mother of mankind, so that she unwillingly is compelled to open +her mouth and receive their blood. + +If such tyranny were used against any woman, as violently to pull her +infant from her breasts, cut the throat of it in her own bosom, and compel +her to receive the blood of her dear child in her own mouth, all nations +would hold the act so abominable, that the like had never been done in the +course of nature. No less wickedness commit they that shed the blood of +God’s children upon the face of their common mother, the earth, as I said +before. But be of good courage, O little and despised flock of Christ +Jesus! for He that seeth your grief, hath power to revenge it; he will not +suffer one tear of yours to fall, but it shall be kept and reserved in his +bottle, till the fulness thereof be poured down from heaven, upon those +that caused you to weep and mourn. This your merciful God, I say, will not +suffer your blood for ever to be covered with the earth; nay, the flaming +fires that have licked up the blood of any of our brethren; the earth that +has been defiled with it, I say, with the blood of God’s children; for +otherwise, to shed the blood of the cruel blood-shedders, is to purge the +land from blood, and as it were to sanctify it: the earth, I say, shall +purge herself of it, and show it before the face of God; yea, the beasts, +fowls, and other creatures whatsoever, shall be compelled to render that +which they have received, be it flesh, blood, or bones, that appertained +to thy children, O Lord! which altogether thou shalt glorify, according to +thy promise, made to us in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, thy +well-beloved Son; to whom, with thee, and the Holy Ghost, be honour, +praise, and glory, for ever and ever. Amen. + +Let us now humble ourselves in the presence of our God, and from the +bottom of our hearts let us desire him to assist us with the power of his +Holy Spirit; that albeit, for our former negligence, God gives us over +into the hands of others than such as rule in his fear; that yet he let us +not forget his mercy, and the glorious name that hath been proclaimed +amongst us; but that we may look through the dolorous storm of his present +displeasure, and see as well what punishment he has appointed for the +cruel tyrants, as what reward he has laid in store for such as continue in +his fear to the end. That it would further please him to assist, that +albeit we see his church so diminished, that it appears to be brought, as +it were, to utter extermination, we may be assured, that in our God there +is great power and will, to increase the number of his chosen, until they +are enlarged to the uttermost parts of the earth. Give us, O Lord! hearts +to visit thee in time of affliction; and albeit we see no end of our +dolours, yet our faith and hope may conduct us to the assured hope of that +joyful resurrection, in which we shall possess the fruit of that for which +we now labour. In the mean time, grant unto us, O Lord! to repose +ourselves in the sanctuary of thy promise, that in thee we may find +comfort, till this thy great indignation, begun amongst us, may pass over, +and thou thyself appear to the comfort of thine afflicted, and to the +terror of thine and our enemies. + +_Let us pray with heart and mouth,_ + +Almighty God, and merciful Father, &c. Lord, into thy hands I commend my +spirit; for the terrible roaring of guns,(12) and the noise of armour, do +so pierce my heart, that my soul thirsteth to depart. + + ------------------------------------- + + + _The last day of August, 1565, at four of the clock in the + afternoon, written indigestedly, but yet truly so far as memory + would serve, of those things that in public I spake on Sunday, + August 19; for which I was discharged_(_13_)_ to preach for a + time._ + + +Be merciful to thy flock, O Lord! and at thy good pleasure put an end to +my misery. + +JOHN KNOX. + + + + + +“IT IS I, BE NOT AFRAID.” +EXTRACTED FROM KNOX’S ADMONITION TO ENGLAND. + + +“Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good comfort, it is I, be not +afraid.” The natural man that cannot understand the power of God, would +have desired some other present comfort in so great a danger; as, either +to have had the heavens opened, to show unto them such light in that +darkness, that Christ might have been fully known by his own face; or +else, that the winds and raging waves of the seas suddenly should have +ceased; or some other miracle which had been subject to all their senses, +whereby they might have perfectly known that they were delivered from all +danger. And truly, it had been the same to Christ Jesus to have done any +of these, or any greater work, as to have said, “It is I, be not afraid:” +but willing to teach us the dignity and effectual power of his most holy +word, he uses no other instrument to pacify the great and horrible fear of +his disciples but his comfortable word, and lively voice. And this is not +done only at one time, but whensoever his church is in such a strait and +perplexity, that nothing appears but extreme calamity, desolation, and +ruin; then the first comfort that ever it receives, is by the means of his +word and promise; as may appear in the troubles and temptations of +Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and Paul. + +To Abraham was given no other defence, after he had discomfited four +kings, whose posterity and lineage, no doubt, he, being a stranger, +greatly feared, but only this promise of God made to him by his holy word, +“Fear not, Abraham, I am thy buckler;” that is, thy protection and +defence. + +The same we find of Isaac, who flying from the place of his accustomed +habitation, compelled thereto by hunger, got no other comfort nor conduct +but this promise only, “I will be with thee.” + +In all the journeys and temptations of Jacob the same is to be espied; as +when he fled from his father’s house for fear of his brother Esau; when he +returned from Laban; and when he feared the inhabitants of the region of +the Canaanites and Perizzites for the slaughter of the Shechemites +committed by his sons; he received no other defence, but only God’s word +and promise. + +And this is most evident in Moses, and in the afflicted church under him +when Moses himself was in such despair, that he was bold to chide with +God, saying, “Why hast thou sent me? For since that time I have come to +Pharaoh, to speak in thy name, he hath oppressed this people; neither yet +hast thou delivered thy people.” + +This same expostulation of Moses declares how sorely he was tempted; yea, +and what opinion he had conceived of God; that is, That God was either +impotent, and could not deliver his people from such a tyrant’s hand; or +else, That he was mutable, and unjust in his promises. And this same, and +sorer temptations, assaulted the people; for in anguish of heart, they +both refused God and Moses. And what means did God use to comfort them in +that great extremity? Did he straightway suddenly kill Pharaoh, the great +tyrant?—No. Did he send them a legion of angels to defend and deliver +them?—No such thing: but he only recites and beats into their ears his +former promises to them, which oftentimes they had before: and yet the +rehearsal of the same wrought so mightily in the heart of Moses, that not +only was bitterness and despair removed away, but also he was inflamed +with such boldness, that without fear he went in again to the presence of +the king, after he had been threatened and repulsed by him. + +This I write, beloved in the Lord, since you know the word of God not only +to be that whereby heaven and earth were created, but also to be the power +of God to salvation to all that believe, the bright lantern to the feet of +those who by nature walk in darkness, the life to those that by sin are +dead, a comfort to such as are in tribulation, the tower of defence to +such as are most feeble, the wisdom and great felicity of such as delight +in the same. And, to be short, you know God’s word to be of such efficacy +and strength, that thereby sin is purged, death vanquished, tyrants +suppressed; and, finally, the devil, the author of all mischief, +overthrown and confounded. This, I say, I write, that you, knowing this of +the holy word, and most blessed gospel and voice of God, which once you +have heard, I trust to your comfort, may now, in this hour of darkness, +and most raging tempest, thirst and pray, that you may hear yet once again +this amiable voice of our Saviour Christ, “Be of good comfort, it is I, +fear not.” And also, that you may receive some consolation from that +blessed gospel which before you have professed, assuredly knowing, that +God shall be no less merciful unto you, than he has been to others +afflicted for his name’s sake before you; and albeit God speedily removes +not this horrible darkness, neither suddenly pacifies this tempest, yet +shall he not suffer his tossed ship to be drowned. + + + + + + +FOOTNOTES + + + 1 The Editor may here state, what cannot be unknown to many of his + readers, that there are some of the sermons of our early Divines, + which, from various circumstances, are not, as entire discourses, + available for a publication like the present. From such, however, as + also from works which do not come under the appellation of Pulpit + discourses, striking and useful passages will be given from time to + time, when they can be inserted without interfering with those + complete discourses which will form the body of this work. + + 2 The Sermon is founded on the whole Chapter, which was the lesson for + the day, in the Church of England service. + + 3 Universal faith. + + 4 It should be observed that other commentators have taken other views + of the meaning of this parable. + + 5 Greatest or entire hinderance. + + 6 Opposing. + + 7 Combined. + + 8 Covered over, weighed down. + + 9 Manage. + + 10 Alluding to the political troubles of that day. + + 11 Cried out against it. + + 12 The cattle of Edinburgh was shooting against the exiled for Christ + Jesus’ sake. + + 13 Forbidden. + + + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PULPIT OF THE REFORMATION, NOS. 1, 2 AND 3.*** + + + +CREDITS + + +February 16, 2009 + + Project Gutenberg TEI edition 1 + Produced by Jordan, David King, and the Online Distributed + Proofreading Team at <http://www.pgdp.net/>. + + + +A WORD FROM PROJECT GUTENBERG + + +This file should be named 28104-0.txt or 28104-0.zip. + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + + + http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/8/1/0/28104/ + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one — the old editions will be +renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one +owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and +you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission +and without paying copyright royalties. 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