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TRemble, tremble, ô my soule, while that I hauing my eares opened, am compelled, alas, against my heart to heare men, euen set in authoritie ouer others, some hauing the very charges of soules, others ruling ouer the bodies and goods
of people, yet both crying to my hearing, albeit to my great griefe: We came in the world to liue in the world, and not to a∣mend the world. Oh, ô my soule, that euer a man, especially called a Christian, and set ouer Christians, should haue lodged an heart within him, finding a tongue to vtter a speech so grosly sauouring of vn∣couth Atheisme. Tell me, tell me, ô god∣lesse professour, thinking and speaking thus: Wherefore were the foules of the aire, the fishes of the seas, with many o∣ther good creatures of God, wherewith this earth is plenished, created? I know thou wilt answer me without any delay, To feed and serue man. Alwayes did that wise God create them for man, onely to the end that man might liue here, and not to the end that man liuing here, might seeke and serue that God who made them for man, and man for himselfe? O Iohn the Baptist, tell me wherefore thou camest in∣to the world? was it not to turne the hearts of the fathers towards the children, and the disobedient vnto the wisedome of the iust man, to make readie a people prepared for the Lord,* 1.1 To giue knowledge of saluation to Gods people, by remission of their
sinnes, to giue light to them that sit in darke∣nesse, and in the shadow of death, and to guide our hearts in the way of peace. O blessed Ie∣sus, wherefore camest thou in the world? came not thy Maiestie as a Physitian fur∣nished with perfect medicines, to quicken and cure euerie dead and diseased soule, and to be life to dead men,* 1.2 to be light to blind men, yea by calling sinners to repen∣tance, by seeking the wandring sheepe, the lost groat, and the prodigall child, not onely to amend the world which was hurt,* 1.3 but to saue the world which was condemned? O holy Apostles, wherefore were ye called, and sent forth through the world by your Lord and Maister, was it not that ye being witnesses to him, both in Ierusalem, and in Iudaea, and in Sama∣ria, and vnto the vttermost parts of the world, might by preaching of the Gospell not onely amend, but saue the condemned I••w, the condemned Gentile, which should beleeue in Iesus? Tell me, ô Dauid, wherefore was it that thy God did chuse thee, and take thee from behind the Ewes with yong: was it not that thou mightest feed his sheepe in Iacob,* 1.4 and his inheri∣tance in Israel? Yea, tell me, ô Paul, where∣fore
be these powers which be of God or∣dained by God, is not this done for the wealth of those who do well,* 1.5 and to take vengeance vpon them who do euill? Canst thou forget, ô my soule, that wholsome counsell giuen by the Spirit to the Ephe∣sians, and in their name to all those who would declare themselues to be such, whom God hath mercifully called from damnable darknesse of ignorance, of infi∣delitie, and of debaucherie, vnto the sa∣uing light of knowledge, of faith, and of holinesse.* 1.6 Haue no fellowship with the vn∣fruitfull workes of darknesse; but euen reproue them rather. Yea, heare I not Paul thus speaking, and directing the very meanest Christian:* 1.7 We desire you brethren, admonish them that are vnruly, comfort the feeble min∣ded, beare with the weake, be patient towards all men. Yea what shall I say, is not the Iew long before the incarnation of blessed Ie∣sus thus charged:* 1.8 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart, but thou shalt plainly re∣buke thy neighbour, and suffer him not to sinne. Shall euerie one, ô my soule, who cals him father (who without respect of persons, iudgeth according to euery mans worke) be found so farre as lies in him, to
correct and amend those amongst whom, and with whom they liue, and shall not the rulers be much more bound to do this, who be set ouer them by God, and for whom they must some day giue an ac∣count to God? I wonder if these blind ru∣lers of the Church, who maintaine the alledged vile opinion, hold that for the o∣racle of God, or for the inuention of some braine-sicke man. When I shall say vnto the wicked, ô wicked man, thou shalt dye the death, if thou do not speake and ad∣monish the wicked of his way. That wic∣ked man shall dye for his iniquitie, but his bloud will I require at thine hand;* 1.9 Ne∣uerthelesse if thou warne the wicked of his way to turne from it, if he turne not from his way, he shall dye for his iniquitie, but thou hast deliuered thy soule. Paul saw with a clearer eye, & spake with a cleaner mouth, who hauing sent from Miletum to Ephe∣sus, and called the Elders, he could not onely remember vnto them his owne paines and fidelitie, trauelling alwayes by all meanes to gather in many soules to his blessed Maister, but grauely charging them: Take heed to your selues, and to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghost haue made you
ouerseers,* 1.10 feede the Church of God, which he hath purchased by his owne bloud. Sensible was Moses of that care rulers should haue to haue Gods people reformed, when be∣fore his death he could say with courage and authoritie: Behold I haue set before thee this day, life and good, death and euill, in that I command thee this day to loue the Lord thy God, to walke in his wayes, to keepe his com∣mandements, his ordinances, and his lawes, that thou mayest liue, and be multiplied, and that the Lord thy God may blesse thee in the land whither thou goest to possesse it. But if thy heart turne away, so that thou wilt not o∣bey, but shalt be seduced, and worship other gods and serue them: I pronounce vnto thee this day, that ye shall surely perish, ye shall not prolong your dayes in the land, whither thou passest ouer Iordan to possesse it.* 1.11 I call heauen and earth to record this day against you, that I haue set before you, life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore chuse life that both you and your seed may liue by louing the Lord thy God, by obeying his voice, and by cleauing vn∣to him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy dayes, that thou mayst dwell in the land which the Lord sware vnto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Iacob to giue them. Religious Io∣suah
was sensible of this, when sending backe Reuben, God, and the halfe tribe of Manasseh, to the land of their possession, he could aduise them thus: Take diligent heed to the commandements and law which Moses the seruant of the Lord commanded you:* 1.12 that is, that ye loue the Lord your God, and walke in his wayes, and keepe his com∣mandements, and cleaue vnto him, and serue him with all your heart, and with all your soule. The sense hereof moued Iosuah be∣fore his death (hauing assembled the whole tribes of Israel to Sechem) thus to command them: Feare the Lord, and serue him in vprightnesse, and in truth, and put a∣way the gods which your fathers serued be∣yond the floud, and in Egypt, and serue the Lord. Yea, this moued him to make a co∣uenant with the people that day, to write all the words of that couenant in the Booke of the Law of God,* 1.13 and to set vp a great stone which he pitched vnder an oake, that was in the sanctuarie of the Lord, and to say vnto all the people: Be∣hold this stone shall be a witnesse vnto vs, for it hath heard all the words of the Lord, which he spake with vs. It shall be therefore a wit∣nesse against you, lest ye leaue your God. Let
these rulers then, ô my soule, be accursed, who dare maintaine that they came in this world to liue in this world, but not to amend this world: for if this world had not need of amendment, it could not pos∣sible haue need of any ruler at all; for the whole haue no need of the Physitian,* 1.14 but the sicke.
17. Prepare thy mouth for bitter gall, after that God the Father hath brought his sweetest honey to thee; and yet see thou offend not with the tast of it.
HAth thy God, ô my soule, sweetly this day sounded in thine eares the soft voice of consolation, promising vnto thee comfort, deliuerie & his best things: be not offended if to morrow thine eares be made to heare the sharpest sound of the bitter wind of confusion, threatning thee with greater troubles and griefes, then e∣uer thou heardest or felt before. O Iacob, hath not thy God propined thee liberally with the birthright, inriched thee glori∣ously with his blessing: but must thou not heare afterward that Esau thy brother hath auowed to kill thee?* 1.15 wherupon thou
must be contented, not onely to turne thy backe vpon thy tender parents, but with paine and griefe to serue a churlish Laban for twentie and one yeares? O Ioseph, seest thou not to day thy brethrens sheaues standing vp and doing reuerence to thy sheaue, but must thou not be contented euen after that to see thy brethren strip∣ping thee naked of thy parti-coloured coate,* 1.16 and after, first putting thee in the ditch, and then selling thee to the Mi∣diani••es, to be carried downe to Aegypt. O distressed Israel, hearest thou not Moses & Aaron, the commissioners of thy God, to day sweetly telling thee, that they were sent of God to bring thee out of Aegypt, that thou mightest celebrate a feast to the Lord thy God in the wildernesse?* 1.17 Al∣wayes must thou not be contented, the next day to heare Pharoahs taske maisters speaking thus to thee bitterly? Thus saith Pharaoh, I will giue you no more straw, go your selues, get you straw where ye may finde it, notwithstanding the number of brickes which you made in time past, shall not be diminished.* 1.18 O Dauid, telleth not Samuel thee that thou shalt be king of Iudah, yea, annointed he thee not with oyle in the
name of the Lord, to certifie thee hereof? Alwayes after this, must thou not be con∣tented, not onely not to find a nights lod∣ging in thine own house, but not so much as a caue or hole to hide thy selfe in, in all Iudaea and Israel? Thus he who to day heareth blessed Iesus, who is loue it selfe, promising vnto him a crowne, must be contented to morrow to haue wise Iesus lodening him with a crosse. But ô where∣fore dealeth our wise God with his owne thus? for speciall graue reasons, ô my soule, is this done, I assure thee: for hereby he trieth the faith, the hope, the patience of his owne; hereby he stirreth them vp ear∣nestly to deale with him by earnest praier: for he will haue his owne to aske that from him, which he is to giue vnto them: yea, this he doth to moue his owne, being set at libertie, to be the more thankfull, and to vse Gods good things bestowed on them the better: to make the wicked, his and their vniust enemies, the more in∣excusable; and to conquise the greater glorie vnto his owne name, when hauing in spite of all oppositions performed that liberalitie which he promised graciously to his owne, he aduanceth them, and ouer∣throweth
his and their enemies.
Luk. 1. 77. 79.
Mar. 2. 17.
Luk. 1. 5. 4. 8. 20. 21. 22.
Psal. 78. 70. 71.
Rom. 13. 3. 4.
Ephes. 5. 11
1. The. 4. 14
Leuit. 19. 17
Ezech. 33. 8. 9.
Act. 20. 18. 28.
Deut 50. 17 16. 17. 18. 19.
Ios. 22. 5.
Ios. 24. 24. 25. 26. 27.
Mar. 2. 5.
Gen. 17. 29.
Gen. 37. 39.
Exod. 4. 29 30. 31.
1. Sam. 16. 17.