SERMONS OF JOHN CAL­VIN, VPON THE SONGE that Ezechias made af­ter he had bene sicke, and afflicted by the hand of God, conteyned in the 38. Chapi­ter of Esay.

¶Translated out of Frenche into Englishe. 1560.

☞Newly set fourth and allowed, accordyng to the order appointed in the Quenes Ma­iesties Iniunctions.

¶Imprinted at London, ouer Aldersgate, by Iohn Day.

And are there to be solde at his shoppe vnder the Gate.

¶Cum Gratia & priuilegio Regiae maiestatis.

❧TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE, AND Christian Princesse, the Lady Katharine, Duchesse of Suffolke.

IT often falleth out in expe­rience (my gracious & sin­gular good Lady) that some men beynge oppressed with pouertie, tossed with world­lye aduersitye, tourmented with payne, sorenes, & sick­nes of body, and other suche cōmon matters of griefe, as the world counteth miseries & euils: Yet hauing theyr myndes armed & fournished with prepared patience, and defence of inward vnderstandyng, all these calamities can not so farre preuaile, as to make them fall, nor yet once stoupe into the state of men to be accomp­ted miserable: but they beare them with suche constaunce, as if suche afflictions were not of such nature as other commonly do fele them, or as if those men were suche vpon whome those troubles coulde not worke theyr naturall pro­pertie. On th'other side we se some that flow­yng in earthly wealth & suffisance, free from [Page] fortunes crueltie, healthy in bodye, and euery waye to the worldes seming blessed: yet with mynde not well instructed, or with conscience not well quieted, euen vpon such small chaun­ces as other can lightly beare, are vexed aboue measure with reasonlesse extremitie. Wherby appeareth that the greues of body and calami­ties of fortune do so farre onely extende, to af­flict, or make a man miserable, as they approch to touch the mind, & assaile the soule. Which proueth that the peines and diseases of minde & soule are not only the most greuous, & most daungerous, but also they onely are peinfull & perillous, and those of the body & fortune are such as the mynde vseth, and maketh them. So as to a sicke stomacke of mynde, all bodylie matters of delite and worldely pleasures are lothesome and displeasant, as on th'other side the power of a healthy soule easely digesteth and gathereth good nouriture of the hard pei­nes, and bitter tormentes of the body and for­tune. He then, that cureth the sicke minde, or preserueth it from disease, cureth or preserueth not onely minde, but bodye also: and deserueth so much more praise and thanke, than the bo­dies Physiciō, as the soule excelleth the bodie, [Page] and as the curing, or preseruation of them both is to be preferred before the cure of the bodye alone. But we se dayly, when skilfull men by arte, or honest neyghbours hauyng gathered vnderstandyng of some specyall dysease & the healing therof by theyr owne experiment, do applie their knowledge to the restoring of health of any mans body in any corporall sick­nesse, howe thankfully it is taken, howe muche the releued patient accompteth him selfe boūd to him by meane of whose aide and ministra­tion he findeth him self holpen or eased. What then deserueth he, that teacheth such a receipt, wherby health both of body and mynde is pre­serued, & wherby if health be appaired, it may be restored, yea whereby sicknes and common miseries continuyng shall not haue so muche power to trouble a man as to make him sicke, or miserable? This receipte God the heauenly Physitian hath taught, his most excellēt Apo­thecarie master Iohn Caluine hath compoun­ded, & I your graces most bounden & humble haue put into an Englishe box, & do present vnto you. My thākes are takē away & drow­ned by the greate excesse of duetie that I owe you: Master Caluine thinketh his paynes re­compensed [Page] if your grace or any Christian take profit of it: bicause how much soeuer is spent, his store is neuerthelesse. And for God, recom­pensed he can not be: but how he is continual­ly to be thanked, your graces profession of his worde, your abidyng in the same, the godly cō ­uersation that I haue sene in you, do proue that your selfe do better vnderstand & prac­tise than I can admonishe you.

And that you maye be assured, that this kinde of medicine is not hurtfull: two moste excellent kinges, Ezechias and Dauid, beside an infinite numbre haue tasted the lyke be­fore you, and haue founde health therin, such healthe as hathe cured them for euer, and not as common or naturall reasons of Phi­losophie doe cure a sicke or soore mynde, which with easie and weake not well draw­ynge or cleansinge plasters, so ouerheale the wounde that it festreth and breaketh oute a­freshe wyth renewed and doublye encreased danger.

Suche remedye as here is conteined can no Philosopher, no Infidele, no Papist mini­ster. For what perfite helpe can they geue to a dyseased mynde, that vnderstande not, or be­leue [Page] not the onely thyng that muste of nede­full necessitie be put into all medicines that maye serue for a tourmented soule, that is to say, the determined prouidence of almyghtie God, whiche ordreth and disposeth all thynges to the best to them that truste in him?

This Physicke resteth onely amonge trewe beleuyng Christians, who are perswaded that whatsoeuer betideth vnto vs, his hie wisdom that sent it, and that seeth all thynges, sent it of hys good pleasure and decreed purpose, and that for oure benefite if we loue and beleue hym, thoughe oure weake vnderstandynge knoweth not howe it shoulde be profitable, but naturally iudgeth it hurtefull and vn­pleasaunt. And necessarye it was that he whiche by vnderstandynge of Godes hatred of synne and felynge of hys iustice, is subiect to fall into the moste perillous peine and tour­ment of conflicte with sinne and desperati­on, shoulde by conceyuynge of Godes mercy, and beleuyng of his prouidence, haue helpe of the moste and onely perfect and effectuallye working medicine.

But in heauye case is he, that beynge [Page] afflicted with that daūgerous disease of the felyng of Gods wrath kindled against him, hath not the cōserue of belefe of Gods prouidēce re­mainyng with him, or beyng ministred to him either for feblenesse of stomack can not receiue and brooke it, or his oppressed appetite beyng ouerwhelmed with grosse faithlesse and papi­sticall humors can not abide the tast of it. Wo is (I say) to them: for theyr disease is daunge­rous and hard to be cured. For when the wret­ched man findyng all helpe of man not able to vphold him from perishing, being striken with the mightie hande of God, feleth him selfe vn­able to stande, no soundnes in his bodye, no strēgth in his limmes, no helpe of nature to re­sist the violence of that disease that Gods dis­pleasure hath laide vpon him, seeth no signe of Gods grace in his soule, but the depe woundes that Gods anger hath left in his cōscience, per­ceiueth no token to argue him th'elect of God and partaker of the death of his Sauiour, hea­ryng pronounced that the soule which sinneth shall die, knowyng him selfe to haue sinned, & felyng him selfe dying: alas what helpe remai­neth in this extremitie? If we thinke the helpe of papistes, to begge and borrowe others Vir­gins [Page] oyle that haue none to spare, to bye the superfluous workes of those men that say they haue done more than suffiseth to satisfie Gods lawe and to deserue theyr owne saluation, to appease God with suche extraordinarie deui­sed seruice as he neuer commaunded, and such like vnholsome stuffe as papisticall souleslea­ers haue ministred to Christian patientes: If (I say) we thinke these good & sufficient me­dicines: alas, we do nothinge therby, but plant vntrew securitie, promise health, & performe death: the pāges wherof whē the deceiued sick man feleth, he to late espieth the falshod of the murtherous Physiciā. The pore damned soule in Hell tourmented with the lamentable pei­nes that turmoile him, from whome God the onely author of ioy and comfort is absent, per­ceiueth to late howe wandring the wrong way from heauen, he is fallen into Hell. That selly wretche flamyng in the infernall fire feleth, a­las, to late that thei which gaue him mans me­dicines to drincke, haue slayne his soule: they which taught him to trust of saluation by mās deuises haue set his burnyng hert in that place of flames, where th'euerlasting Chaos suffreth no droppe of Godes mercye to descende: they [Page] which taught him to seeke health any other where thā in the determined purpose of God, that hath sent his own sonne for our redēptiō, haue spoiled him of all benefit of redemption. He feleth at length all to late howe by faulte of ill diet and throughe poisonous potions which his ignoraunt corrupted and traiterous Physicion suffered him to vse, and bad him to take, he lieth dead eternally.

But on th'other side, when the beleuynge Christian falleth (as God hathe made none to stande wherby they should not nede his mer­cye to raise them when they are fallen) he knoweth whither to reache his hande to be raised vp againe: beyng stong with the stinge of the scorpion he knoweth howe with oyle of the same scorpion to be healed agayne: beyng wounded with the iustice of God that hateth sinne, he knoweth howe with the mercy of the same God that pardoneth sinne to haue hys peine asswaged and hurt amended. He know­eth that whome God hath from eternitie ap­pointed to liue, shal neuer die, howsoeuer sick­nesse threaten: no misery, no tentation, no pe­rill shall auaile to his euerlasting ouerthrowe. He knoweth that his safetie is much more su­rely [Page] reposed in Gods moste stedfast and vn­changeable purpose, and in the most strong & almightye hande of the alknowynge and al­working God, than in the wauering will and feble weaknes of man. This healeth the Chri­stians sicknes, this preserueth him from death, this maketh him to liue for euer. This medi­cine is in this litle boke brought frō the plen­tifull shop & storehouse of Gods holye testa­mēt, where Gods euer abiding purpose frō be­yond beginning is set fourth, to the euerlasting saluatiō of some, & eternall cōfusion of other. Beside that, this boke hath not only the medi­cine, but also an example of the nature of the disease, & the meane how to vse & apply the medicine to thē that be so diseased. For when a man languishing in corporall sicknes, heareth his neighboure reporte vnto him, or himselfe hathe before time sene in an other the same cause of sicknes, the same maner of fits, passiōs, alteratiōs, & in euery point the same qualities of sicknes, & the same dispositiō of body that he knoweth & feleth in him self: it geueth him assurāce, & maketh him to know that he is sick of the same disease that th'other was: wherby knowing howe th'other was healed, what diet [Page] he kept, what Physicke he toke, he doeth with the greater boldnes, confidence of mynde, and desire, call for, taste, and gredely receyue that healthfull & lifefull medicine wherby he saw and knew his neighbour healed, and with the greater care kepeth the same diet wherewith he saw & knew th'other preserued. So here this good soules Physiciā hath brought you where you maye se lyinge before youre face the good king Ezechias, somtime chillinge and chatte­ring with colde, somtime languishing & mel­tyng away with heate, nowe fresing, now fry­eng, nowe spechelesse, nowe crying out, with o­ther suche piteous panges & passions wrought in his tender afflicted spirit, by giltie consciēce of his owne fault, by terrible consideration of Gods iustice, hy cruell assaultes of the tyran­nous enemie of mans saluation, vexynge hym in muche more lamentable wise than any bo­dely feuer can worke, or bodyly fleshe can suf­fer. On th'other side for his helpe, you se him sometyme throwe vp his gastly eyen, starynge wyth horrour, and scant discernynge for peine and for want of the lyuely moisture to fede the brightnes of theyr sight. You se him sometyme yeldyngly stretch oute, sometyme struglinglye [Page] throwe his weakned legges not able to sustein his feble body: sometime he casteth abrode, or holdeth vp his white & blodles hand toward the place whether his soule longeth: sometyme with fallyng chappes, he breatheth out vnper­fect soūdes, gasping rather thā calling for mer­cy & helpe. These thinges being here laid open to sight and remainyng in remembraunce, (as the horrour and piteous spectacle can not suf­fre it to fall out of a Christian tender minde) if we feele oure selues in like anguishe, we finde that the disease is the same that Ezechias had, and so by conuenience of reason muste by the same meane be healed. Thē behoueth vs to remember or to be infourmed by oure diligent Physitian or charitable neighbour, howe we sawe Ezechias healed, whome we imagine in this Boke to see, both dying, reuiued, and wal­king after health recouered. There we se the heauēly Physician anoynt him with the mer­ciful Samaritās oyle, purge the oppressing hu­mors with true repentaūce, strengthen his sto­mack with the holsome conserue of Gods eter­nall decree, and expell his disease, and set hym on foote with assured faith of Gods mercy, and staieng his yet vnstedy pace & foltring legges [Page] with the swete promyses of Gods almyghtye goodnes. So learne we what Physicians helpe we shall vse: and this medicine beyng offered vs, we are bolde to take it, bycause we knowe it wyll heale vs. And beyng healed, knowyng and hearyng it confessed, that sinne was the cause and nourishement of Ezechias disease, we learne a newe diet, and to fede as Ezechias his Physician and oures apointeth, absteinyng from thinges hurtfull taking things healthfull as he prescribeth. So doth the Christiā atteine his health, so beynge attemed he preserueth it for euer. And as it is true that seconde & re­turned sicknesses by surfit or misdemenour are most cruell and daungerous, so holdeth he yet this also for trueth, that to this Physiciā with this medicine, no disease neuer so long rooted, neuer so oft retourned, is vncurable. Beyng then thus muche beholden to this Physician we must nedes confesse that we owe vnto him our life and health, & all that we be or haue. And for his faithful minister master Caluine, I beseche your grace wyth me, to wishe hym Gods benefit of eternall happie life for his re­warde, euen as I wishe your grace continuall health of life and soule for your preseruation, [Page] not onely for this newe yeare, but also for the tyme that shall excede all extent of yeares, be­sechinge you to accepte bothe my worke and prayer.

Concernyng my translation of this boke, it may please you to vnderstand that I haue rē ­dred it so nere as I possibly might, to the very wordes of his text, and that in so plaine Eng­lishe as I could expresse: Suche as it is, I beseche your grace to take it good parte.

Your graces humble A. L.
‘☞The writinge of Ezechia kinge of Iuda, when he had bene sicke, and was recouered of his sicknes. I said in the cuttyng shorte of my daies, I shall go downe to the gates of the graue. I haue sought the residue of my yeares, I sayd I shall not see the Lorde, the Lorde in the land of the liuing. I shall not beholde man any more, nor those that dwell in the world. My life is withdra­wen, and is chaunged like a shepeherdes lodge.’

AS the name of God is immor­tall, and we oughte to trauaill that they which come after vs, do cal vpon it, and that it be ho­nored and glorified in all times: So is it not enoughe, that du­ring oure lyfe, we endeuor oure selues to honor God: but as I haue said before, our care should extende it selfe to the time to come, to the end we may haue in store some continuyng seede of religion, in suche sort as the trueth of God may neuer be abolished. But speacilly they whom God hath ordeined in anye estate to guide other, ought therfore so much the more to applie themselues vnto it. As also we se that S. Peter declaryng his ende to be nere, 2. Pet. 5. and that he should depart out of this worlde: addeth [Page 2] that somuch as he possibly may, he woulde make the doctrine whiche he preached, to remayne al­wayes in force and memory, that mē might take profit after his death. Behold now wherfore E­zechias was not cōtented to make this protesta­tion whiche we reade here, with his mouth, but wold also wryte it, that to the ende of the worlde men might knowe how he had ben vexed in hys affliction, and that the same myght serue for doc­trine to all the worlde: so as at this day we may take profyt thereof.

He saythe expressely that this wrytinge was made after he was recouered. For oftentimes when we ar touched eyther with sicknes or anye other [...]od of God, we make protestations enow, but we do nothing els but shake our cares (as the prouerbe is) when we ar escaped, & we by and by forget al those thinges which we made a shew as if we knewe. But here it is shewed vs that the kinge Ezechias beinge recouered, forgat not the correction whiche he had receiued at the hand of god, nether the anguishes which he felt, but min­ded to make a memoriall of the whole, that those which come after might be enstructed therby.

But it appereth at the first shew that this wri­ting serueth not for any instruction of them that shold rede it, but shold rather be an offēse. For we see the outragious passions of a man as it were rauished in minde which so abhorreth death, that he thought all to be lost when god shold take him out of the worlde, and in this we see nothing but the sinne of infidelitie. He tormenteth and rageth with himself (as it semeth) with a rebelling, vn­comely [Page 3] for a seruāt of god: to be short it appeareth that we can gather nothing of this song, but y t al the faithe whiche Ezechias had was only in hys prosperitie and quiet, & also that he gaue the bri­dle to much vnto him selfe in his heauinesse, in so muche that he complayned of god, as we see that he compared him to a Lyon. But whē all shal be wel cōsidered, we shal see that there is no instruc­tion better or more profitable for vs than this. For when we shal haue well examined al that is in vs, then we shall knowe that the same is also propre vnto our selues.

But first let vs note how the good king Eze­chias did not here set fourthe his owne vertues to be praised of the world, for he might haue kept in silēce that which he hath declared of his owne waywardnesse, & in place therof he mought haue spoken of hys request made to God, and the con­stance of his faythe: So then he sayth not that he was of valiant courage, that he ouercame al ten­tations without any stoppe or strife, he sayth not that he had a faith so stedfaste that it nothing tro­bled him to be corrected of y e hand of god: nothing of al thys▪ what then? we see a poore man tormē ­ted euen to the extremitye, and so striken downe, that he wiste not what myghte become of hym. We se a mā astonished with reare of the wrath of God, lokyng on nothyng but his own affliction. Then seyng Ezechias doeth discouer him selfe, and sticketh not to confesse his owne faultes, in this we perceiue that he was not led of ambitiō, nether of any vaine glory to be praised of mē, or to get reputatiō, but he rather was willing him self to be cōfoūded w t shame, y e god might be glorified. [Page 4] What is then his purpose? It is in one parte to make vs know howe he had bene afflicted then, when he thought that God was against him: and moreouer that therin men might know somuche the more howe great the goodnes of God was, when he receiued him to mercy, and woulde not forsake him in necessitie.

We haue then to beholde here, as in a loking glasse, our owne wekenes, to the ende that euery man may prepare himselfe against the time when his faith shalbe proued as the fayth of Ezechias was, and when God shall shew vs some tokens of his wrath, so as if then we seme in maner de­stroyed, yet we cease not therfore to truste that God will geue to vs an end of our troubles, as he did to this good king. Next to this, that we may learne to geue al praise of our safetie to the mercy of God, knowledging that so sone as he forsaketh vs, we are vtterly vndone, and that then we be­come more then miserable.

And nowe we see howe, and wherfore the good king Ezechias was thus tourmented, that is, because he sawe death so nere at hande. It se­meth at the first face, that suche passion besemeth not a faithful mā. Trew it is that of nature death is dreadfull to vs al. For there is no man but (as they saye) desireth to be, and in death we thinke that we perishe, y t we be broughte to nought, and cease to be. Thus of nature we flie frō & abhorre death▪ 2. Cor. 5 and therfore also S. Paule saith in the v. chapter of the seconde epistle to the Corinthians. that we do not desire to be vnclothed of this body for it is impossible for man to desire to change his [Page 5] estate, I meane as concernynge thys lyfe. And those that do kyll them selues haue no natural af­fection, but the Deuil so carrieth them away that they are altogether blinded. And suche are to be rekened as vnnaturall monsters, in whom al the order of nature is changed. To be short it is most assured that death shalbe alwaye to vs terrible, and not onely because we are enclined to desire to to lyue, but also for so muche as God hath lefte a certeine marke, in suche sorte that the Heathen thē selues & the vnfaithfull are constrained to fele that death is a curse of God, which was pronūced vpon Adam, and al his linage. For asmuch then, as death is come vpon the world by sinne, & that it is a witnes of the wrath of God, that by it we are as it were cast of from him, banished from his kingdome (which is the kingdome of life) it must nedes be, although we haue no light of faith ney­ther euer had any one word of doctrine, that this be imprinted in our mindes, that it is naturallye vnpleasant vnto vs. Behold then by what mea­nes we are brought to flie death, & to withdrawe our selues from it so muche as we possibly maye. Fyrst bicause we are desirous to be: secondly for that we conceyue death to be a certeine signe of Gods wrath: yea althoughe we harde thereof no certaine instruction, yet God hath printed a cer­taine naturall instinction and feling thereof with­in oure hertes. Yet notwithstandynge it is also trew that the faithfull do ouercome those feares, and do prepare them selues to die when it pleaseth God, but not (as the place speaketh whiche we haue alledged out of S. Paule) in suche sort that [Page 6] thei simply & without other cōsideratiō desire to die, for y t wer y e doing of mē in desperatiō, but thei prepare thē selues, for asmuch as thei know, y t af­ter they haue bene vnclothed they shalbe clothed againe, y t this body which is but a ruinous lodg­yng, is nothing but rottēnes, & y t they shalbe re­stored to y e kingdō of god. For asmuch as thē we behold this hope y t is geuē vs, thus we ouercome the feares of deth. Besid this on y e other side, we know y t our lord Iesus Chrst hath repared this desolatiō & ruine y t fel vpō vs by y e sinne of our fa­ther Adā. So because we take hold of life in the middest of deth, y t maketh vs y t we are not afraid to w tdraw our selues hēce whē god calleth vs to him, for we know y t death is but a passage to life. moreouer we know what is our true being: It is not to dwel in this world, for this is but a thorow fare, & we must alwai haue in remēbrāce, y t which is spokē y t god placeth men here onely to mānage thē, & to make thē to fetch their cōpasses (as thei say) & sodenly to turne againe. Thē whē we are taught y t our life is nothing els but a course, & the the world is but a shadow, which passeth & vani­sheth awai: we know y t our true beyng, & our permanēt estate is in heuē, & not here by low. Thus se we how we ought not to flie deth: but (y t more is) we haue occasiō to desire it, bicause on the one side we ar fraile, & being holden vnder the bon­dage of sin, we se so mani corruptiōs in our selues y t it is wofull, & when we desire to serue God we draw vp our legs, & whē we lift vp one fote thin­king to set forward one step, we slip backward, & oft it cōmeth to passe y t we stūble or fall. Se now how iust a cause we haue to lamēt our life, not in way of despeir, but bicause we ought to hate & abhorre [Page 7] sin, We ought also to desire god to draw vs out of this so miserable captiuitie wherin we ar, as s. Paul sheweth vs exāple. Rom. 7. He cōfesseth him self to be vnhappy, bicause he dwelleth in his bodi as a prison. He asketh howe he shalbe deliuered. On the other side, we know y t we ought to desire death y e more y t we might come nere to our God. 2. Cor. 5. For (as it is saide in this place y t we haue alled­ged) while we liue by faith we are as it were ab­sent frō God. Thē, where is our felicitie & per­fect ioye? but in this y t we cleaue to oure God in perfectiō. Far asmuch thē, as by death we come nere to him, it is a thing to vs happy, and whiche ought to make vs ioyfull. And therfore he saieth in the first chap. to the Philip. Philip. 1. that as touchinge him self, it should be more auaūtage to him to die then to liue, & although his life was profitable to the church, yet in hauing no other regard, but to his own person, he was desirous to be drawē a­way frō this place by low: mark thē what ought to be y e affectiō of y e faithful. Now let vs come to king Ezechias. It semeth y t he had lost al maner tast of y e goodnes of God, y t he knew nothing of y e resurrectiō, y t he was ignorāt y t he shold be resto­red by meane of y e redemer, he conceiued nothing but the wrath & curse of God: wher is his faith? where is his obeidiēce: wher is this cōsolatiō of the holy Gost, & this ioy inestimable, whiche we ought to receiue whē God certifieth vs of y e loue which he beareth vs? In dede if he had had this perswasiō deply roted in hī, y t he was one of y e childrē of god: doth not y e adoptiō brīg y e īheritāce? to what end hath god chosē vs for his childrē, but y t we shold be partakers of y e heuēly life wherunto he guideth vs▪ but we se none of al this in Ezec. [Page 8] It semeth thē that he was altogether distraught from sense and reason, that he hath forgottē God: that all the good doctrine that euer he heard be­fore is vtterly blotted oute, and that he thinketh no more of it. These thinges at the firste shew, seme very straunge. Trew it is that at that time he had no suche reuelation of the heauenly life, as we haue at this day by the gospel. But yet Eze­chias and all the other holy kinges and Prophe­tes, and all the rest of the faithfull dyd well con­ceiue that God had not chosen them in vaine. For though this sētēce of our lord Iesus Christ was not pronoūced, Math. 22 yet was it engraued in the herts of all the faithfull that God is not the God of the dead. All they then that are cōprised in the num­ber of his people haue bene assured to haue an abi­dyng life, and that shall endure for euer. And on the other side it is said that God calleth him selfe the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Iacob long after their death. It must nedes be thē that they then lyued. So therefore the faithfull haue this assuraūce that God did not nourishe them in this world as brute beastes, but he gaue them a cer­teine taste of hys goodnes, vntyll suche time as they myghte haue full enioyinge thereof after their death. Num. 23 Euen Balaam himselfe whiche ne­uer knew any thing of the lawe, yet he failed not to say: I wishe my soule to dye the death of the righteous, and my end to be such as theirs shalbe. He desireth to ioyne him selfe with the race of A­braham, and yet he was a wicked & refused man And who maketh him to speake thus: euē this, that he is there as vpon the racke, & God wrin­geth [Page 9] out of him this confession. Now if Balaam which was possessed of the Deuill, and gaue oute his tonge to hyre, to curse the people of God, hath bene constreined to say thus, what shall we think of them that had trewlye profyted in the lawe of God? But howsoeuer it be, trew it is that thold fathers had not so cleare and manifest knowledge of the heauenlye life as we haue at this daye in the Gospell, and in dede the same was reserued vntill the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ. And with good reason: for we haue a good gage of our life in our sauiour Iesus Christ, in that he is risen againe, and that it was not for him selfe alone but for all his body. This is the full assu­raunce that God hath geuen in the parson of our Lorde Iesus Christ, that we passe through this world to come to the life that lasteth euer. The auncient fathers came not to suche degree, they were not so auaunsed. But howesoeuer it were it is so that the tast which they had of the heauē ­lye life so suffised them, that they rendred them selues peaseably to God. And we reade not that they were greatly tourmented in theyr death, as whan Abraham departed, he made not lamenta­tions, wayling and complaintes, as the king E­zechias did: but he was fylled and satisfyed wyth lyfe, saieth the scripture. Gene. 25.35.49. In like maner was it of Isaac and Iacob, who rendring the laste groane saith: I wyll put my truste in thy saluation, my God. Thoughe Iesus Christ had not yet appe­red vnto the world, yet Iacob had in him selfe a stedfast and vndoubted hope, and made him selfe as sure of his saluation, as if he held it in his hād. [Page 10] So then we see that the holy fathers were not in doubt or suche mistrust, that they did not alwaye aspire vnto the heauēly life, but that it was their chiefe desire to atteine thereunto.

Now let vs retourne to the king Ezechias. We must conclude that he had some speciall rea­son in him selfe, why he so complayned of death, which we shall better see in the person of Dauid. Dauid is sometimes in suche anguyshes that he crieth, Psalm. 6. Psalm. 30. alas my God, who is he that shal acknow­ledge thee in death: And when I shalbe a poore rotten carion, what profite shalt thou haue? whē thou shalt haue brought me into ashes, what is it that thou shalt haue gained? 1. Reg. 2 1. Par. 29. He made there hys cōplaints, neuertheles in the end he dyed peasea­bly. For no man saw that he was so passioned in his departyng, but that he rendred him self mild­ly into the handes of God. Howe came it then to passe that he wrote thus? It is bicause he cōcei­ued the wrath of God, whether it were in sicke­nes, or in any other affliction, and that is asmuch as if the very hels were presently set before him. The affliction then that he conceyued, was not of symple death, but y t God gaue him some signe that he punished him bicause of his sinnes. Now seyng y t we se, this same disputatiō in the parson of Dauid, it shalbe easy for vs to cōclud touching the king Ezechias y t he was also greuously vex­ed in his death, but that was not for that he was loth to depart out of this worlde, neither that he was tourmented as the poore Infidels whiche aspire not to a better life, which are also as it wer drowned in theyr delites, and bringe them selues on slepe in such sort that they set nothynge by the [Page 11] heauenly life. We see that Ezechias was not so striken downe, and yet he thought that God was against him, as we shall se yet more largely. And in dede it was not without cause that the Pro­phet Esay was sente vnto him, for he was as a Heralde of armes, to make him defiaunce, and to declare vnto him: Beholde God is thine enemy: thou muste susteine his extreme rigour, for thou haste offended him. When Ezechias heard that, he had no regard to y e simple death, by the which he muste of necessitie passe, but he hathe an other ende of consideration, y t he should be cut of from the worlde as an accursed creature, as one vn­worthy, whō the earth should beare. And when God stroke him, that gaue a tokē to him that the land should be made desolate, for he knewe what should be the estate of the people: he sawe that all should be destroyed after his death, yf God dyd not remedi it by miracles. And he thought thus: My death shall not be onely to sende me into the throte of hell, but it shall be to brynge a generall ouerflowyng ouer all, so that in all the land there shalbe nothing but desolation. Shall the seruice of God then be throwen dowen, and shall al this be cast vpon my neck bicause I haue offended my God? Alas, and what shall this be? Let vs not nowe thinke it straunge if Ezechias speake thus as we heare, but let vs hold this alway that it is not the simple death whiche dyd affraye him so. What then? the wrath of God, when he behelde his sinnes, and that God toke away from him all sauor of his goodnes, & turned his back vnto him as if he had sene him armed against him, & lifted vp his arme, as if he would bring him to nought.

[Page 12]When Ezechias sawe that, he was so con­foūded that his mouth was stopped, & not with­out cause.

Nowe this is right worthy to be noted, for there are many blockish persons (and the mooste part) which feare death, but it is not because they fele the curse of God appeare to them. It is true as we haue saide before, that God leaueth alway this point in the conscience of man, but they haue not all alike consideration therof. Wherfore is it then that death is dreadfull vnto them? bycause euery one will say, I desire to be. Truely when they speake in this maner it is as much as if they said I would be a calfe, or an asse, or a dogge, for the beyng of brute beastes is in this world, & the beynge of men where is it, but in this that they are ioyned to theyr God? But now we are as it were in prison, for in steade that this world shold haue bene vnto vs as an earthlye paradise (if we had continued in the obeidience of God) now we are as in a straunge countrey, wherein we be as lockt vp and banished. It is trew that yet we se many times some, yea many trackes of the good­nes of God, but how so euer it be, yet we do but languish here. But there are but few that know this. So much y t more thē ought we to note wel this doctrine, which I haue here before touched, that is to wit, that both in death, and in all other afflictions we are more accombred and troubled with the wrath of God than with the euyll that we can fele. If one be afflicted with pouertie, so that he hath hunger and thirst, an other be stric­ken with sicknes and suffer great tourmentes, [Page 13] another be persecuted of men so as he hathe no time of rest, and more if in the end death come be­fore oure eyes, we oughte to knowe that there is nothing so muche to be feared as the wrathe and vengeaunce of God. But men do cleane contra­ry. And this marke, why I haue sayde that we must note this doctrine the better: because a man may se that the pore sicke persones, and they that are afflicted, in what sort soeuer it be, wyll crye Alas, one wyll cry the armes, another wyll crye the legges, the one here, the other there: but yet they come neuer to the grounde of the euill. And that procedeth of the leprosie that is in vs. For we are so dull witted that we can not atteine to know the iudgemēt of God. So much the more ought we to lerne whē we shalbe beatē with such roddes as I haue sayd to make vs loke vpon the cause whence this euill procedeth: which is, that God will haue vs to fele our sinnes, and that he sommoneth vs to the ende that we shoulde there come as it were before our iudge, and that we should not come there with sleyghtes and mea­nes of excuse, but with franke and free confession, and that the same be not only made wyth mouth, or assent by writyng, but that we be woūded euē to the bottome of the herte, felynge what it is to haue done agaynst the will of oure God, to haue styrred him vp against vs, & to haue made warre against his iustice. This is it that we haue to holde in minde when we see that the kyng Eze­chias was in such extremitie of anguish, bycause God dyd punishe him for his sinnes.

Yea and this we ought to marke well, that [Page 14] though before he haue protested that he had wal­ked in puritie and vprightnesse of lyfe, and that he had studied all hys lyfe long to obey and please God, neuerthelesse he resteth not his mind vpon his vertues, nor hys owne merites, he entreth not into plea wyth God, for he seeth well that all that coulde nothynge profite him nor brynge hym and relefe. Therfore he setteth not fourthe what his lyfe hathe ben, but he knowlegeth that rightfullye he is afflicted.

So then we learne, when it shall please God to correcte with his roddes, not to grudge at it, as if he did vs wronge, as if he had no re­garde to oure merites, or as yf he vsed greater sharpnes wyth vs than we had deserued. Let al such blasphemies be beaten down, and let vs confesse that he hath iust cause to punishe vs, yea not only to expulse vs out of the worlde, but also to throwe vs downe into the gulfe of hell. See then howe we deserue to bee ordred yf wee looke vpon all our owne lyfe.

Moreouer let vs not thynke it straunge that god sendeth vs afflictions whiche seme greuous and sharpe vnto vs, seing wee see that Ezechias hathe walked before vs to shewe vs the waye. Men when they haue had any good affectiō and desyre to serue god, do muche maruell yf god pu­nishe them more then the wicked, and they sup­pose that they haue lost theyr labour. This ten­tacion is to cōmō, as we see, that euē Dauid was also tormented with it when he saith: what mea­neth this? for I see the despisers of God prosper and be in iolitie, Psalm. 73. and make theyr triumphes, and in the meane time I do nothinge but sup vp the [Page 15] drynke of sorrow, frō the euening to the morrow I haue no reste. It semeth then that it is tyme lost to serue God: Behold how at the extremitie he is beatē down, yf God by his wonderfull ver­tue had not vpholden him. And because the lyke maye come vnto vs, let vs make vs a buckler of the example that is here set before vs of the kinge Ezechias: for wee haue seen here before howe he had framed all hys lyfe to the law of God: he had a zele which is not to be founde in manye people, to purge al hys land of all superstitions and ydo­latries: many alarumes were stirred vp agaynst hym, to make him somwhat to reuolte: but that nothyng stayed hym but that he set vp the trewe and pure religyon, & in his priuate lyfe he sought nothing but that god might be gloryfyed in, and through all: and yet loke how God cōmeth to as­sayle him: yea, and that of a straunge fashion, for he is as a lyon that breaketh his bones: So whē we see that Ezechias, is thus handled, ought not we to learne to beare pacientlye the corrections that God shall sende vs. Loe this is it that wee haue to conceiue of this place.

Now to the rest of the passions that Ezechias endureth, and although he slipt here of the henges yet stil in the middest therof he declareth the loue that he had to God, and that he desyred not thys present life after the maner of them that ar there­in become brutish, and whiche seke for nothynge but to eate and drynke, and know not for what ende they are created, but onlye to pastime here for a whyle. But Ezechias sheweth well that hee was guyded by an other spirite. He sayethe [Page 16] I haue sayd in the cutting short of my dayes. I shall go down to the gates of the graue, I shall not se anye more the Lorde: euen the Lorde. He speaketh here of his lyfe, that it shalbe cut of in the middes of his course: But yet he sheweth that he desireth not here to liue to be at his ease. He was a kinge, and might haue fared well, he moughte haue had greate store of delicates, and pleasures in this world, shortly he myghte haue made him selfe dronk with al sortes of thinges of delite. He mourneth not for want of all these: but he saieth, that he shall no more see the Lorde, and he is not contented to haue pronounced this word once, but he repeteth it againe to expresse a greater vehemencie: The Lord, euen the Lord, saith he: By this he sheweth that he desireth not so much his life, as to exercise him selfe here be­neth to knowe that God was his father, and to confirme him selfe more and more in that faith.

Let vs then marke well wherunto oure lyfe is to be directed, that is, that we should perceiue that God already in part sheweth him selfe a fa­ther toward vs. I graunt it trewe (as I haue already said) that we ar absent from him, for our saluation lieth in faithe and hope, it is hydden and we see it not with naturall sense. Yet in the meane while God faileth not to sēd down certein beames hither by lowe to lighten vs so, as we be guided to the hope of the life euerlasting and per­ceiue that God is not so farre estraunged frō vs, but that yet he stretcheth fourth his hand hether by lowe to haue care of vs, and to shewe vs by [Page 17] experience that he hath vs in his safekeping. For when the sunne riseth in the mornynge, se we not what a fatherly care God hath for vs? After whē it goeth downe at euenyng, see we not that God hath an eye to our wekenes, that we maye haue rest, and be somewhat releued? Doth not God then in so hydyng the sunne in the nyghte tyme, shew him selfe our father? Further, when we se the earth bring forth her frutes for our nourishe­ment: when we se the raynes and all the chaun­ges, and alterations that are in nature: in all this perceiue we not that God hath his hād stretched out to draw vs alway vnto him, and howe he al­ready sheweth him self a liberall father vnto vs, and that we enioy the temporall benefites which he doth for vs, to the ende that by this meane we may be drawen vp hyer, that is to say, to knowe that he hath adopted and made vs his chyldren, that we may come to the fulnes of ioye and of all felicitie, when we shalbe fully ioyned with hym? Beholde nowe wherunto we ought to applie all our life, if we wyll not that the same be accursed, and that as many yeares, monthes, dayes, hou­res, and minutes as we haue lyued here by low, all the same be put together in accompte, for euer to encrese, and enflame the vengeance of God vp­on vs. And therfore let vs know that we ought here to study vpon the workes of God. For euen therfore also are we set in this worlde, and there­fore in the v. chapter, Esay. 5. when the Prophete myn­ded to rebuke the Iewes of a certeine vile bru­tishnes. They haue not (saieth he) beholden the workes of God. He speaketh of theyr dronken­nesse, of theyr gluttony, and of theyr dissolute li­ues, [Page 18] but the lump that maketh vp the heape of e­uell is this, that they haue not beholden the wor­kes of God. So nowe the good kyng Ezechias sheweth vs, that it were better for vs all to haue died before we had bene borne, and that the earth should haue gaped whan we came out of our mo­thers wombe, to swallow vs, thā to liue here by lowe, if it were not for thys, that we do here al­readie see oure God: not that we haue a perfecte sighte. But first he sheweth himselfe vnto vs by his worde, which is the trew lokyng glasse. And next, we haue aboue and beneath so manye signes of his presence, and of the fatherly care whiche he hath for vs, that if we be not to much dulwitted, and altogether vnfornisshed of vnderstandynge and reason, we must nedes see hym. For all the world is as a liuely image, wherein God setteth fourth vnto vs his vertue and highnes.

Moreouer, this that we are gouerned vnder his hand, is a more familiar witnes of his iustice, of his grace and of his mercy. Let vs then learne to lyue to this ende, to practise our selues to wor­ship God as him that hath created and fashioned vs. Next, that we beare to him honor and reue­rence as to our father, and that in the tastinge of good things (which he nowe dealeth among vs) We maye be confyrmed in the fayth of the Hea­uenly lyfe. And further, for asmuch as he vouch­safeth to extende his prouidence euen hyther by low, for this entent to gouerne vs in this transi­tory and fraile life, that we doubt not, when we shal come vnto him, that then we shal beholde face to face that, whiche we nowe see darkely and in [Page 19] a small portion.

And so the kynge Ezechias remitteth all to God, as if he shold say: Alas it is true that I am here, as to beholde clearly the graces of God. But nowe I see that all this is as it were pluc­ked from me: For it semeth that God is mynded to spoile me of all that he hath geuen me before: and now there resteth no more for me but to de­spayre, for as muche as he hathe geuen ouer and forsaken me. He hath sent his prophete with this message, that I am vndone. Alas, and when I perceiue no more signe of the goodnes of my god, neyther that he extendeth this strength to com­fort me in my afflictions: no not when I am in the anguishes of death: Lo is not this a wofull thing that our Lorde hath forsaken me there, and that I am cut of from him? Nowe of this we haue to gather, that be it in life, be it in death, this grace onely shoulde alwaye suffice vs: that is to say, that God geueth vs the felynge of his good­nes. And whē he sheweth vs that he is fauoura­ble vnto vs, let vs go on boldely, and if we lāguish in this life, let vs leaue it patiently. Trewe it is that we may well grone & sigh that we are capti­ues, in this prison of sin: & besid we y t may also be­waile seing these afflictions y t God doth send thē vpon vs. And yet oughte we not to cease al­wayes [...]s blesse the name of God, and to reioyse in the myddest of all our sorowes. When we shal fele that he wyll be oure father, and that he wyll knowe vs for his children, in death we shall be­holde euerlastyng lyfe, whiche shall make vs for­get all lamentations, so as we shall no more say: Alas what shall I do?

[Page 20]Howe shall I behaue my selfe? Whither shal I go? We shal cut of all these thinges, and we shall saye no more: Shall I drinke no more? shall I eate no more? For such is the maner of brut bea­stes. But now I se that my God draweth neare vnto me, I go nowe to throwe my selfe downe before him, I go to yeld my self into his handes, and to ioyne my self with him, as with mine own father. When (I say) we shall shalbe thus dispo­ied, Psalm. 31. Luke. 23. we may say with Dauid. Lord I commende my spirite vnto thee. Dauid sayd this during his life, but our Lord Iesus Christ sheweth vs that we must so say when God draweth vs out of this world. And last of all, when we thinke vpon all the benefites of god, let vs learne to glorifie him, as these be thynges inseparable. Accordynge then as God maketh vs partakers of his graces & that already in part he sheweth vs y t al our feli­citie is to be of the cōpany of his children, so ought euery one of vs to endeuor to honor him as oure father. Ionas. 2. This was the cause why Ionas beynge drawen out of the whales throte, saieth: I shall blesse my God. He saith not, I shall lyue to eate and drinke: But I shall come to the temple the sanctuarie of my God, & there I wyll geue him prayse for thys redemption, that is to wytte, for that he hath plucked me back from the deth. Beholde now what it is that we haue to do.

Nowe concernynge that whiche Ezechias speaketh of the cuttynge shorte of his dayes, Psalm. 90. he speaketh as hauing respect to the naturall course of mans life wherof is made mention in the song of Moyses, for he began to reigne at the age of xxv. yeares▪ In the xiiii. yere of his raigne, Hie­rusalem [Page 21] was beseged, and then he fell into thys sicknes, as we se. Thus was he xxxix. yeres old. Nowe he saieth that his life is cut short, bicause he is not come to old age. Trew it is y t Moyses speaketh of the frailtie of men, and saith: What are men? After that God hathe let them walcke here their dayes, then they are gone againe. And in dede when man commeth to lx. yeares, he is al decaied, and if ye adde x. yeares more, there is no­thing but lothsomnes and werines, he is nothing but a burden vnprofitable, and life it selfe is com­bersom vnto him. He sheweth thē that this lif beynge short and fraile, ought not to holde vs. But howsoeuer it were, this kyng Ezechias was as in the flowre of hys age, he was not yet come to the age of xl. yeares. And in this respect he saith that God hath cut shorte his dayes, not that we haue any tyme determined. For do not children die sometimes before they come into this world, and so sone as they be come, doth not death alrea­dy besege thē? But he was not yet come to that old age, which is according to the ordinary course of mans life. Ezechias than beholdeth this: and aboue all thinges hath his eies fastened vpō this message of the Prophet Esay, that is, that God hath punished him bicause of his sinnes. And it is asmuch as if he should say talking to him selfe. I see well that God wyll not leaue thee in thys world, for the assault is very violēt. And wher­of commeth that, but of thy offences and sinnes: as we shall see that he addeth afterwarde. It is true that he attributeth al vnto God as vnto his iudge, but he toke the faulte vpon his owne par­son, confessyng him selfe onely to be culpable. Loe [Page 22] howe he vnderstandeth that his dayes were cut short.

When he saith that he shall come to the gates of the graue, that he shall se no more the lyuing:

That was bicause he shoulde be conuer­sant no more amonge men, to exercise him selfe in the seruice of God. But nowe this is not with­out cause that in it also he conceyued the wrathe of God. Althoughe he were subiecte to dwell as it were confusely myngled amonge manye rascalles, as in dede there were many Hypocrits in Iuda, and many wicked and dissolute persons mockers of God, and of his law. And among the Heathen there was nothing els but vngodlines, and rebellion. Now when Ezechias saw that, I knowe nowe (sayeth he) that I am vnworthye to dwell vpon the earth, because these tarry styll in the world, and God hath cut me of, yea with a strong hand, as if he would come armed to make open warre against me as my enemye.

Then when Ezechias had suche imaginati­ons, it is not to be marueyled thoughe he made suche complaintes. But howsoeuer it were, all commeth to this end that God did persecute him. This same was to him a burden so heauy that he as it were foltred vnder it. So muche the better oughte we to note thys doctrine, that if God at any tyme shall afflict vs, more hardelye than we woulde that he should, we shoulde not cease for all that heare to acknowledge that he loueth vs, and that this perswasion which we shall haue of [Page 23] his goodnes should make vs to ouercome al tem­tations which otherwyse myght ouerthrow vs.

Furthermore, if he reproue vs, and cause vs to feele our synnes: that we runne vnto hym, and take the condemnation vpon vs: For we shall gayne nothynge by all oure startynge hoales: yf we wyll pleade, of necessitie the case muste passe wyth hym. Then when we see that God is iuste in punisshynge vs for oure synnes, let vs come wyth head bowed downe, that we maye be rele­ued by hys mercye: and let vs haue no other con­fidence, nor truste of saluation, but in thys that it pleaseth him in the name of oure sauioure Iesus Christ, to receaue vs to mercye, for as muche as in vs there is nothyng but cursednes.

Nowe let vs throwe oure selues downe be­fore the maiestie of our good God, in the acknow­ledgynge of oure synnes, besechynge hym, that more and more, he wyll make vs to feele them, and that he wyll in suche sorte cleanse vs from all oure fylthynesse, that we beynge perfectly awa­ked from oure dull drowsinesse, maye grone and sobbe: not onelye for the miseryes that we see in the world throughe our synnes: but also bycause we cease not so muche as in vs lyeth, more and more to augement the same.

And yet alwaye lette vs runne to oure God, and although it semeth that he persecuteth vs, and that hys hande be verye roughe and dread­full vnto vs, yet let vs not cease to approche vn­to hym, and magnifie hys goodnesse: beynge as­sured that it shall very well surmount farre, and exccade all oure faultes and offences.

[Page 24]And though we fele no rigour in him, yet neuer­theles let vs acknowledge that it is much better for vs to draw home to his house, and vnder his safegarde, than to runne away from hym as wretched despering persons, & let vs beseche him to geue, not on­ly vnto vs this grace, but also to all peoples. &c.

THE SECONDE sermon.

‘☞My lyfe is withdrawen, it is chaunged as a shepeherds lodge. I haue cut of my dayes as a weauer, he hathe oppressed me with sicknes. From mornyng vntill night thou shalt consume me. I made rekenyng to go vntill morning, but he hath brused my bo­nes as a Lion. Thou shalt destroy me from morning to night, and shalt make an ende of me. I chattered like a Crane, and swa­low, & mourned like a Doue, my eyes wer lift vp on high, and they failed me. Trou­ble oppresseth me, Lord refresch me. What shall I say, it is he that hath spoken it, and it is he also who hath done it.’

EZechias continuynge the matter whiche yesterdaye was entreated of, sayeth here that hys lyfe was chāged as a shepherdes lodge. By this similitude he sheweth that there is no reste in the life of man, which he had proued in him selfe, for as much as he was as it were at rest, & in one moment God toke him oute of this worlde. When we make a comparison of our bodies with our houses where we are lodged, it is likely that the bodye of man which is more than the house, shoulde haue some rest: For what is y e house, but a place for the bo­dye [Page 26] to resort vnto? For they are builded for the vse of men. Math. 6. He then whiche dwelleth in any buil­dynge, ought to be preferred to the house, as the bodye to the gowne, and other garmentes. But Ezechias saith here, that he dwelt in thys world as a shepeherd: who hath his litle cottage which he draweth and carieth hyther, and thether. He speaketh after the custome of that countrey, by­cause men there kepe theyr foldes, and a shepe­harde wyll cary hys lodgyng as easely as a man would cary any lyght thyng: he sheweth them in summe, that his life was none other thing then a wanderyng, and that God chaunged him by and by. He speaketh after the opinion whiche he had conceaued: for he was as it wer vpon the brinke of the pit. And in dede it was necessarye, that he should dispose him selfe to die seyng God had sent him suche a message as is saide. To be shorte he speaketh as if the thing wer already come. Now afterwarde he commeth to the cause of his sick­nes, and confesseth that he is culpable. He saieth that he him selfe had cut of his daies: euen as a weauer hauyng a pece of clothe vpon his Loome should cut it all of. I may not then (sayeth Eze­chias) accuse any parson: for this euyll oughte to be imputed to me onely: for I haue prouoked the wrath of God, and haue depriued my selfe of hys blessyng, therfore muste I nowe blame my selfe of all this.

Nowe thoughe he do speake here but of one man alone, yet we haue thereby a good admoni­tion of the shortnesse of oure owne lyfe also. Trueth it is, that it is a thynge well ynoughe [Page 27] knowen vnto vs, and yet we do verye seldome thyncke of it. For althoughe we do confesse thys present lyfe to be nothyng els but a shadowe: yet are we so wrapped therein that no man thinketh vpon any other thinge, but to make prouision for a hundreth yeres. And to be short, it semeth that we should neuer depart from this world, we are so occupied on things of the world. So much the more then ought we to call that to mynde which the scripture sheweth vs of the frailtie of our life, as s. Paule also saith that now we are lodged in a cabine: 2. Corin. 5. the body of a mā is not a house worthy to be called a goodly dwellyng, or buyldyng: for in it is nothing but trāsitory, wherfore let vs mourne wayting tyll we may be fully restored, and let vs not be tyed so to this world but that alwaies we may be goyng forward. For the vnfaithful how so euer it be, they shall come to theyr ende: but by no meanes come they neare vnto God, but ra­ther they are settled in this worlde, and in the steade of goynge forewarde, they do drowne them selues more depelye in it. Let vs then learne to goe forwarde, that is to saye, let vs learne to be so dysposed to folowe God when he calleth vs, that death maye neuer come to vs be­fore his time.

Touchyng this that Ezechias saieth, that he was cause of his owne euil, let vs also practise well this doctrine. So ofte, and when soeuer it shall please God to afflicte vs, we se that we are gyuen to murmurynges: and although it be so that wee bee founde gyltye of oure [Page 28] faultes, yet cease we not to vexe our selues, as yf God passed measure. So then, that we may con­fesse with a true humilitie that God doth punish vs iustly in all thafflictions which he sendeth vs, let vs saye after the maner of Ezechias: it is I that am cause of this euill.

It is true that by and by he attributeth that to God: but they both agre very wel, to wyt, that man be authour of al the miseries y t he endureth, and that God neuertheles worketh as a Iudge. For when an euil doer shalbe punished, he ought not to complaine of his Iudge: but rather for as muche as he seeth him selfe to haue offended the lawes he should condempne him selfe, and also he should know that God by thauctoritie of iustice brought him to that iust punishment, euē so must we do: that is to say, that fyrste we acknowledge that if God do afflicte vs, it is not bycause he ta­keth pleasure in tourmēting vs: but that he must rewarde vs as we haue deserued, thoughe yet he hath not altogether regarde to our offences: For what a thinge shoulde that be? we shoulde be an hūdred thousand times ouerwhelmed if he wold vse rigour towardes vs: but accordynge to that, which he knoweth to be good for vs, he chaste­neth vs, although we haue our mouth alwayes closed, and that no murmuryng escape thereout.

And nowe to the rest, whan we shall knowe that we haue prouoked his angre, let vs vnder­stande that we may not go fourther than our sel­ues, to say who is y e cause of this? but let vs sim­plie accuse our selues. Lo now in sūme what we haue to learne of this matter. Now it foloweth, From the morninge to the nyghte, thou shalte [Page 29] bringe me to naught.

In which wordes Ezechias sheweth howe horrible the displeasure of God is, for he meaneth that god nede not deuise this policie, or that, whē he would be reuenged on mē: but if he speake the worde, the thinge shall forthwith be done. To be short he sheweth here what the power of God is, on the one side, and what the frailtie of man is on the other side. And that is to pull out of vs al the folish imaginations that we conceiue, in making our selues beleue that we may escape his handes. And wese howe men drawe backe alwaies: and although God handle them streighly, they think they may finde some way howe to flee from hym. To be shorte, we thrust out time with oure shol­ders (as the prouerbe is) and promise our selues, leysure enoughe, and thoughe the corde be straite, yet we conceiue still some vaine hope. And what is y e cause therof? that we haue not respect to our frailtie: for there is no minut of tyme, when deth threateneth vs not: And if we are now standing vpright, at the turning of a hande, behold we are fallen. On the other side we are ignoraunt of the infinite power of God: For if he do but once laye his hande vpon vs, he nede not do it the seconde time, it shall suffice that he onely blow on vs, and loe, we shall be broughte to nothinge. It is not without a cause that Ezechias sayeth here, that from morning tyll night, he shalbe brought to naught.

For we heare also that we are not sustained, but in this that God geueth vs strength: Psal. 104. but if he withdraw his spirite, it must nedes come to passe that we beyng troubled, must immediatly fayle. [Page 30] But if he shewe him selfe to be againste vs, and that he persecuteth vs, then must we be yet more striken downe.

Folowynge then the admonition of Ezechi­as, let vs after consider howe feble we are, and let vs acknowledge what we be of oure selues: To witte, that euery minute God sustaineth vs: but that death neuertheles besegeth vs, and that it neede not make any great assaute to ouerthrow vs: for one blast onely were ynoughe. And loe streight waies we shold be withered like grasse: Esay. 40. as we shall se in the fourtie Chapter of Esay.

Moreouer let vs acknowledge what the wrathe of God is when it is armed agaynst vs. For God is not lyke vnto creatures, so that he shoulde nede to arme him selfe, and to make great preparatiō, for so sone as he speketh the word, we shall fourthwyth be destroied by his only word. Seynge it is so then, let vs learne to walcke in carefulnesse, commyttynge oure lyues into hys handes, and let vs knowe that we are nothynge at all, but in so muche as we haue oure beynge in in him: And so muche rest as it pleased hym to geue vs, let vs attribute it whollye to his grace, and so when he prolongeth our life: for we should be as men without strength, yf he would shewe but one onely droppe of his power agaynste vs.

Note then what we haue to marke vpon thys place, where he sayeth:

From mornynge vntyll nyght.

Now he addeth that he chattered as a Crane or as a swallowe, and that he mourned like a Doue.

[Page 31]Wherin he meaneth that anguishe helde him in locked in suche sorte, that he had not so muche as a word fre to expresse hys passyons. If a man crye and lament, and make hys complaintes, and declare hys euyll, it is then to be sayde that he is sore troubled: but when a man is so striken down that he can not declare what he ayleth, when he stammereth so in him selfe, that he can not draw forth one onely worde to declare howe vehement hys passyon is: when he nowe sygheth, nowe bryngeth forth halfe a worde, and the rest kepte in, as if one had his throte locked vp: thys is a greate extremitie. Ezechias then sayeth that he was so. Now there is no doubt, but that he had hys respecte vnto God cheifely: As if he shoulde saye, that menne perceaued well ynoughe the heauynesse that he was in: But whan that he woulde frame anye request vnto God, he was as it were dombe, & that on the one syde the sick­nesse troubled hym, and yet he coulde not plaine­lye expresse what he ayled: so that he was in two extremities. Thone, y t he was in such sort locked vp within, y t with great payne could he fetch out any cōplaint. The other y t he was oppressed w t so vehement passyons, that he wyste no wheare to begynne to make his Prayer. But thys maye be thoughte very straunge, that Ezechias who before had in him selfe so greate strength, shoulde now be so faint harted yea, as it were brought to naught: but that was because he had a spirituall conflict, felynge his sinnes, and knowynge that God was his iudge: for (as we touched yester­day) this trouble surmounteth all the other. [Page 32] It is very likely that Ezechias had an extreme paine, wherwith he was throughly strikē down: And also it may be coniectured that it was some burnyng pestilence. Beholde then that his paine was great in it selfe: but that was nothing in cō ­parison of the conceiuing of Gods wrath, whē he behelde his sinnes, and knewe God to be armed against him as his aduersary, and that it was he that persecuted him. This was it that in suche sorte affraied him: And in dede, whan a man is brought to that point, all his courage and iolytie must of necessitie faile: for what is the constancie of a man to stande against the wrath of God? It must nedes be more then a frensie and mad rage, when a man wyll thinke to do so. It is true that a man may be constant to indure afflictions when God shall sende them: but how? so farre forth as he shall be strengthened of God. Agayne if men trouble or molest one, he will cōsider that he hath to do w t creatures: if he suffer any trouble, well, he biteth on the bridle: but whē God summoneth vs to appeare, and maketh vs to fele that we are giltie before him, and that presently we must ren­der an accompt, that our sinnes threaten vs, and that in the meane time we perceiue eternal death to abide vs: there (as I haue saide) can we not thinke that we haue any strength to make oure partye good, except we were more then in a mad rage. Let vs not then think straunge if Ezechias be so stricken downe, for he hathe not to do wyth resistyng sorowe, neyther with withstandyng in­iuries done vnto him on mens behalfe: neyther b [...]yng down his sholders to endure any afflictiō, but he hath to fight agaynst God. [Page 33] and howe could he perfourme that? than must he nedes be as a water that is powred out and spilt. See nowe what is the cause that he could frame no maner of complaint to expresse his griefe, and yet could he neuer kepe silence. Se also why Dauid sayde that sumtymes he helde his peace, and by and by after he set on crying and roring out, Psal. 23. & yet felt no release. We se that the passiōs of Da­uid were like to these of the good king Ezechias: as in deede he also addeth that his synnes trou­bled hym, and that he was affrayed of the wrath of God, he kept not then any certain rule or mea­sure, but sumtyme he caste out sighes, he lyfte vp him selfe, and anone after he was so caste downe that he could not recouer his breath, and yet styll the payne continewed. Psal. 39. And in an other place he saith y t he held his peace as if he had bene bridled, & had concluded in hym self to vtter not one word more: no (saith he) I wyll be as a dome creature. I wyll not speake, I wyll not brynge forthe one sillable: yet notwithstanding (saith he) I felt the griefe increase, and kindle more and more, euen as a fyre that is long kept very close, if it be ope­ned then the strength encreaseth & sheweth grea­ter force, and breaketh out in a flame, so Dauid protesteth that in his anguishe, when he had de­termined to kepe silence and to say neuer a word, euen then was he deceaued, and shewed all that was hyden in his harte, although it were not by wordes well ordred and placed. And to be short, they that knowe in deede what the wrathe of God is, wyll speake and crye, and yet they know not on whiche side to begin: and again when they holde their peace they wote not why they doe it: [Page 34] but they ar alway in anguish. And we se a notable exāple of al these things in y e good king Ezechias.

It is trew that God doth not examine al mē a lyke with suche extremitie: for if he exercise vs it shalbe according to our weaknes: he seeth that we shall not be able to endure suche tormoiles and as­sualtes. He spareth vs thē: but whē it shall please him to proue vs in such sorte as we reade here in the example of kyng Ezechias: We muste then be armed with this doctrine. This it is then that we haue to beare away. Now to the rest: let vs lerne what is al the constantie of men. They may well shewe some token of valiantnes when God doth not shew forth his force against them, but so sone as he shall call vs to accompt, thē nedes must all that lustines whiche we thynke that we haue within vs, droupe and vanishe awaye. This is it that we must practise for our instruction to learne true humilitie, for we know that men do cōmonly rest in theyr owne presumption and trust in them selues. And what is the cause of that? but for that euery man hath an eye to his felow, and therefore think we our selues to be strōgly fournished. But we ought to lift vp our wit to God, for there shold we finde, that so sone as he setteth vpon vs we be­come as nothynge. Let vs then learne to knowe what it is to plonge our selues downe to the bot­tome in one minute, so sone as God maketh vs to fele his wrath: Let vs also learne that vntil we be spoiled of all cōfidence in our selues, we can not be set in y e array of right humilitie. For so long as mē haue any opiniō of thēselues, & think y t they cā do this or y t, it is certaine y t they robbe god of y t which belōgeth vnto him, & so whē they lift vp thēselues without stay to rest vpō, it is to breake theyr own neckes. This it is thē y t we haue to hold in memo­ry, [Page 35] that all the imagination of mē when they trust in their own strengthes is nothing but a dreame, bicause they loke not vpō God, & do not there stay themselues, y t they mighte be spoiled of all vayne ouerwening of thē selues. Nowe when we heare speake of such a chattering, & that Ezechia cōfes­seth y t he could not bring forth one word, but y t he stāmered, not wottyng what to say: let vs knowe that whē our Lord shal presse vs in such sort that we ar not able to frame one request, or to haue one formall prayer, the gate yet shall not be locked a­gainst vs, but y t we maye haue accesse vnto him: Which I speak bicause this tentation is very dā ­gerous. It is true that if we perceiue not in oure selues a zele to pray vnto God, & also a disposition to way depely the promises whiche he geueth vs, to take boldnes to approche vnto him, y t ought to displease vs, & we oughte to thinke y t we are farre frō him on our behalfe: but yet we must ouercome this tentatiō. Thē when a man shall fele himself in suche troble y t he can not bring forth one worde to pray to God, that he shalbe there throwē down & that he shal not know at what end to begin, yet must he pray how so euer it be, & in what sort: at y e least, let vs chatter, y t is to say, let vs cast forth grones▪ & sighes▪ which may shew̄ some excessiue pas­siō, as if we wer euē there vpō y e rack, & God hea­reth euē those groninges: as also we se y t s. Paule saith, y t the holy gost moueth vs to vnspekable grones, such as can not be expressed. Roma. 8. Therefore if one would make an arte of Rethorick of y e praiers of y e faithful, it is a great abuse: for our lord hūbleth vs to this end, y t we shold not imagine to obteine any thing at his hāds by any fair tale: he had rather y t we were so confused, y t we had not only one word [Page 36] a right in oure praiers, but that nowe we shoulde cast out puffynges, and blowinges, and anon that we should abide styll with silence: alas my God, alas what shal I do? and when we shall mourne so, that we should be so wrapped in, and tangled, that there should neither be begynnynge nor en­ding. Thē when we shalbe brought to that point, our lord knoweth this kind of lāguage, although we vnderstande it not, and although our perplexi­ties hinder vs, that we can not bringe forthe one perfect sentence, so that men also vnderstande not what we would say: yet God (as we haue said be­fore) wyll heare vs well ynoughe. Se then what we haue to learne at this time: that if troubles op­presse vs, so that Sathan by meanes therof go a­bout to exclud vs that we shold not pray to God, but y t we should be as it were afraied of hym, yet let vs not cease to presēt vnto god these gronings, although they be cōfuse. Now Ezech. after saith: That he made rekening vntill euening, & that God brake all his bones, as yf he were in the throte, and betwene the clawes of a Lyon. In saying that he made reckening vntil night, he meaneth that he cast his accōpt, well then I will se what will happen betwene this and nyght: but (saith he) the euill encreased: for I knew not yet sufficiently the terrible & dredfull mighte of God, when he setteth him selfe agaynst a pore creature. Now then we haue yet to lerne, that by the word of God, we haue bene taughte what is his force, and that we haue also fealte it by experience, al­thoughe we conceaue thereof but a portion onely. For God shall exalt him selfe in suche sorte, as we shall perceiue that all that we thoughte of hym [Page 37] before was but a smal shadow. So thē let vs lerne to cōsider what is y e power of God, & therunto to applie al our wit & studies, & to be desirously min­ded to walke in his feare, & to dread his maiestye, knowing y t he doth let vs fele but a smal tast of his strength. For if he would lay hard to our charge, we should finde y t whiche we before thought was as a farre of, & as it were in a dreame. This was it that the good kyng Ezechias ment to expresse, that we should learne by his exāple not to recken without our hoste, but y t we should know y e mar­ueilous are the iudgementes of God, & the correc­tions which he sendeth to punish the sins of men, and y t then we should thinke that we haue not yet cōprehēded all, for our capacitie is to sclēder. But that we are guided vnto it a farre of, y t is to saye, that if so be, y t when God doth chastise and correct vs, we be forthwith taken with feare, & thoughe we be dull witted, yet he maketh vs to fele what and how mighty is his maiestie, we may imagine that it is a hundred thousand times more thā our spirites can conceaue, and that therby we may be alway so muche the more styrred vp to feare him.

Now as to the similitud of the Lyon, it semeth that Ezechias doth here a wrong to God, for this is not to speake of him with suche reuerence as he deserueth to compare hym to a cruell beast, y t de­uoureth, bruseth, destroieth, teareth & breaketh al. Esay. 103. And we know y t the scripture preacheth vnto vs of God, cleane cōtrary thereunto, y t is to say, that he is kind, pitiful, pacient, ful of mercy, ful of equi­tie & mildnes: briefly that he beareth such loue to men, y t he desireth nothing but to handle thē dein­tely as his owne children. Seyng thē it is so that [Page 38] God declareth himself to be suche a one, it semeth that Ezechias speaketh blasphemy in comparing him to a lion: But the good kinge meant not here to protest against God: but onely he hath de­clared his passions, & he did it not to preache hys own praises, as we haue already sene, but he had rather to receaue this shame, euē to y e ende of the world, y t men might know what his frailtie was, & that we should haue such instruction thereby as might profit vs. And thus Ezechias hath not spared himself, but hath set him self out vnto vs for an exāple y t we might se how he was takē with feare & therby learne our selues to feare God, & also to arme vs w t his promises whē we shal come in such troubles, to thend y t we may cōtinew to cal vpon him: & though we faile in al this, & become altoge­ther cōfused, yet let vs still hold this point to offer our selues to god, to sēd forth vnto him our sighes & groninges. And this is it y t we haue hereby to learne. Now is it not w tout cause y t Ezechias cō ­pareth God to a liō, for (as we haue sene before) al the peines y t we shal fele in our bodies, & al y e gre­ues y t we may cōceiue are nothing in cōparison of this cōceuing of the wrath of god, & this is y e cause y t we say y t the spirituall battailes are much more hard thā al other tētations y t we can haue. We cal spiritual battails, whē god cōpelleth vs to cast an eye vnto our sinnes, & on the other sid so awaketh vs y t he maketh vs haue in mynd what his wrath is, & to cōceue y t he is our iudg, & y t we be sūmoned to appere before him, to render accōpte. This is a battel which we cal spiritual, which is much more heauy, & much more terrible thē all the sorrowes, anguishes, feares, tormēts, doubts & perplexities y t we may haue as in the world. Nowe when we shalbe come thus farre, we may not maruel if god [Page 39] be vnto vs as a liō, as to y t we fele of him, for thys word is not here spoken as touchinge the nature of God. And when he hath thus turmented the king Ezechias, it is not for y t he hath forgottē his goodnes & mercy, which on thothersid he sheweth vnto him. But it was nedefull y t Ezechias should first know himself to be in the hāds of God, as be­twene the pawes, & in the throte of a liō, & so must it be that we come to the same point as I haue al­ready saide, for otherwise God can not winne vs. There is suche an arrogancye in vs y t we alwaye think our selues to be strong & mightie, & that we can neuer be beaten down but with a great thon­der and lightening. And forasmuch as we can not magnifie the power of God as it ought to be, we talk of it, & we think somwhat of it, but we do not geue vnto it an infinite greatnes so as we be raui­shed when we think of it, & so as it occupie all our senses in such sort as it ought. It behoueth ther­fore y t our lord do (as a man wold say) trāsfigure him self, y t is to say, make himself terrible more thā all y e lions in the world, & that he declare himselfe vnto vs w t such a power y t we be vtterly afraid w t all, euē as if we espied a hūdred deathes. For the wrath of god is not only to make vs die: but we se the gulfes of hell opē whē god sheweth himself as our iudge. It is therfore no maruel if we be thē so astonished, as if a liō shoulde teare vs in peces be­twene his pawes, & break our bones w t histeth, & if we cōceiue such horror whē god is against vs: frō hēce thē procede al these cōplaints y t we see in the Psalmes. They y t ar not exercised in these batails & perplexities, think y t Dauid meant to make his trouble greater thā it was, or they thinke it likely that he was very delycate? but when we come to the profe, we fele y t there is not one word to much [Page 40] for the stormes that the faythfull fele when God searcheth them earnestly and to the quicke, sur­mount al that may be expressed with mouth. Let vs not thinke then that this similitude that is here put forth by the kyng Ezechias is superflu­ous, for we shall finde the maiestie of God a great deale more dreadefull then all the woordes here conteined can expresse, when it shall please hym to call vs to accompt, and make vs fele that he is a iudge: for if the mountayns tremble before him and melt away, howe may we that are nothynge stande before hym? So then let vs note wel whē somtime god taketh frū vs y e tast of his goodnes, & we shall thynk our selues to be cut of from his kyngdome, and perceyue nothing but our sinnes whiche are as great heapes of wood to kindle the fire of his wrath, and when we cōsider only that forasmuche as he is aimyghty, it must nedes bee that he stryke vs with lyghtning & ouerwhelme vs. When we fele these thynges we must nedes be altogether oppressed vntyll he releue vs. And in dede in one minute of tyme we shall be plun­ged euen to the depth of hell, were it not that he helde vs fast by the hand, and that we were after a secrete maner stayed by hym, although we see not howe. Loe this is a doctrine whiche ought to serue vs on the one side to humble vs that we may forget all the strengthe whiche men thynke to haue in them selues, and reste our selues vpon the maiestie of God, and that we bee altogether throwen downe vnder that maiestie, and yet ne­uerthelesse that we may knowe the ende and ne­cessitie that we haue of hym to vpholde vs, euen after an incomprehensible maner. And when we [Page 41] shall thinke that he hath altogether forsaken and forgotten vs, let vs be assured that yet he wyll holde vs by the hande, we shall not perceiue it, but yet he wyll doe it, and we can neuer get out of suche a maze vnlesse by his infinite mercye he drawe vs out: as it is certaine that Ezechias had neuer bene releued, if God by his holy spirit had not susteined hym within, and enlyghtened hym whyle he was in these great troubles. Now af­ter he hath so sayde, he added. Lorde, the payne vexeth me sore, comfort thou me. But what shall I say? It is he that hath done it euē as he hath sayde it. Here Ezechias confesseth in summe that (as touching him self) he is vanquished, and that there is no remedy without God helpe, and set hym selfe as pledge. The word that he vseth sig­nifieth some time to answer for, which mē terme to be suretie, it may then be thus expressed. Lord be thou my suretie in this extremitie, for I can no more. Thou seest that there is no more power in me, then must thou aunswere as suertie for me in my place. And this worde also is often among the complaintes of Iob. But it signifieth also to refreshe, and all come to one point, to wit, as we haue touched before, that Ezechias knew that he had no strength and that he muste nedes perishe as touching him selfe: as if a man should declare that he hath nothing to satisfie his creditour that which he oweth, he commeth then to God for re­fuge. Nowe haue we here yet an other good admonition whiche is that we can not call vpon god as we ought except we be led to this reasō to make our selues as nothing. For while mē kepe I wote not what remnant, it is sure that they [Page 42] shal neuer cal vpon God but by halfes. We must then be so brought in subiection that being alto­gether stripped naked of our selues, our folly may constrayne vs to seke in God that whiche wan­teth in our selues. Loe this is one thing to be no­ted: Yet in the meane time we are aduertised not to be discouraged when God shal so haue spoyled vs that we shalbe voide of all strength. For we may yet moue our matter vnto hym folowynge the steppes of Ezechias. Lord I can no more, so I beseche thee that thou wylt ease me. Loe this it is that we haue to learne of this place. But it is true that we are not alway pressed as Ezechi­as was, but howe soeuer it be, though the con­straint be not so violent, yet ought we to be spoy­led and voide of all false perswasion of our owne strength that God may be glorified as he is wor­thy. And in the meane tyme as I haue sayde, let vs followe with our prayers and requestes vnto God, though we be so vanquyshed that we haue not one whit of strengthe in vs, let vs neuerthe­les haue our recourse to our God, & he shall geue vs that whiche we want, for asmuche as in hym lieth all the fulnesse of good thynges.

Nowe he further addeth, and what shall I saye? for he that hath spoken hath also done it. Here some thynke that Ezechias woulde nowe reioyse felyng the delyueraunce whiche God had sent hym that he breaketh all his complayntes whiche he vsed, and that now he hath his mouth open to confesse the goodnesse of God. But the naturall meanyng of the text beareth it not. Ra­ther Ezechias breaketh his matter to shewe the anguishe whiche suffered hym not to continue as [Page 43] he would gladly haue done. And we see manye suche examples in all the Psalmes where there is some declaration of the chastisementes whiche God sent eyther to Dauid or to his other ser­uauntes. Then when God hath so sharply afflicted his people, ther haue bene such like requestes as nowe and then the faythefull enterlace al­wayes, I wote not howe, as if they were vtterly cast awaye. So doth Ezechias now. Psal. 39. And there is an example verye lyke in the nyne and thirtye Psalme, whiche we haue already alledged. For there Dauid also acknowlegeth that he had to do with God. It was then muche to knowe that men persecuted hym, but when he sawe the hand of God to be against hym, I maye not (sayd he) come to plede here, nor to pursue actions, there is nothyng better for me than vtterly to kepe silēce and take the condemnaciō vpon me. And in Iob we see many suche lyke complayntes. Nowe let vs come to the meaning of Ezechias. What shal I say? it is he whiche hath sayd and he also hath done it. He lamented not as they whiche founde no hope, for suche people wyll crye alas, but all their sighes vanishe awaye on the ayre. Contrariwyse Ezechias sheweth vs here that if we wyll haue God to heare vs, we must open all our passions and sorowes before hym, that we may be vnburthened, as it is said in the Psalme. Ezechias hetherto hath folowed this order, y t is that he hath opened al his perplexities and cares whiche he endured as if he layde them abrode rounde about God. But now he reproueth hym selfe. Alas sayeth he: what shold I doe? for it is God hymselfe whiche hath sayde it and done it. [Page 44] He hath sent me this message by his Prophet, that there was no hope of life, it is then in vaine that I pray vnto hym. What shall I auayle thē in all my prayers?, what shal I do? And I wote not whether he wil haue pitie on me. We se now howe Ezechias outraged against him selfe. It is true that suche disputacion proceded of infide­litie, but it is necessary that there should be in fi­delitie in vs to the ende that our fayth might the better be proued. Yet this is not ment to speake properly that we shoulde be infideles, when we are so tossed with vnquietnes, but that we haue a feble faith & that our Lorde exercise vs in suche maner that we in the meane tyme maye knowe what we are, and that without him we should be a hūdred thousand times vāquished euery houre. Lo in effect what Ezechias ment to declare here. What shall I say? For I fele not that the pray­er and entreating whiche I can make, doth pro­fit me, and why? God afflicteth me and I fele no maner of ease. I am afrayd to present my selfe be­fore him. Yet neuertheles I truste that my re­quest shall not be reiected of hym, although that I knowe for a truthe that when he speaketh by the mouthe of his Prophet, he hathe forthwith stretched out his hande, and I fele by profe that thys message is not as a threateninge of lyttle chyldren, but that God hath published and pro­claymed warre against me, whiche he hath done as it were with fyre and bloud, and it appeareth that there is no more remedy.

Nowe haue we here a good place to shewe vs that we ought to despise Sathan and al vnfaith­fulnes, when we haue to doe with prayinge to [Page 45] God, so that when we shall haue a hūdreth thou­sand disputacions, yet we shall not let to cōclude, so it is that I shall ouercome all maner of lettes in the strengthe of my God, and I will seke him although he repulse me, & though it appeare that he hath an hundred armies to thruste me far frō hym, yet wyll I come vnto hym. Thus haue I tolde you howe we ought to be armed when we are to praye vnto God. For as we haue nede in all extremities to runne vnto our God, so must we knowe that Sathan applieth all his power to stoppe vs that we haue no accesse vnto God. And there is none of the faythfull whiche doeth not fele this more than he would desire. But in the meane tyme let vs lerne to know the sicknes, that in nede we may take such remedy as is here geuen vs of God. When then the deuill shall set before vs: What shouldest thou doe to praye to God? And what thinkest thou that in so greate wretchednesse as thou felest in thy selfe, he wyll ayde thee? And what thinkest thou myserable creature? to whome preparest thou to go? Is it not God himselfe that doth persecute thee? But let vs passe forwarde, this notwithstanding, and force our selues to breake through al stayes trea­dyng vnder foote suche wandryng discourses.

Moreouer it chaunceth that being yet in some rest if we lift vp our wit to God, by and by this commeth in our fantasie. Alas what are we? shal we dare to approche vnto God? Howe ofte haue we offended him? And hereupon we sometyme conclude to holde vs there still. But yet such dis­putacions are very ill, and they are euen so many blasphemies, if God would lay thē to our charge, [Page 46] as when we make questiō or doubte whether we be hearde or no, certayne it is that this is a de­adly offence, and if God dyd not vpholde vs in our feblenesse, we coulde not but bee drowned. But howesoeuer it be, after we haue bene con­dempned, after we haue felte that our spirite is wrapped in many dispayres, and that we are in a maze: Yet for all that let vs take good courage, and after we haue sayde, alas what shall I doe? let vs breake that stroke and saye: I muste yet pray and seke for my God. And why? for he hath sayde that he wyll heare them that seeke vnto hym, euen from the depest bottomes. Now then loe, this is the fit tyme when I must goe to him. This it is that we haue to learne of this doctrine of Ezechias, when we see these broken vnprofit tales, and that he hath chattred, and we see hys passions so excessiue that they torment hym. Let vs knowe that it was Gods pleasure to shewe here a mirrour wherein we myght beholde our owne feblenesse and the temtations whereunto we are subiect, that we shold fight against them, and styll to followe on tyll we fele the relefe that he doth promyse vs, euen as we shall fele in dede, so that we haue a true continuaunce and faile not by our owne slacknesse and slouthfulnesse in the mydwaye.

Nowe let vs throwe oure selues downe before the maiestie of our good God, acknowe­ledging our faultes, praying hym, that more and more he wyll make vs to fele them, vntyll suche tyme as we be vtterly spoyled. And though he haue alway muche to reproue in vs: Yet let vs neuer cesse to hope in his mercy, and that he wyll [Page 47] make vs so to taste the same in the name of oure Lorde Iesus Christe, that it may geue vs a true patience in all our afflictions, and that we maye be so holden in his obedience that we desire no­thyng but to offre our selues vnto hym and by hym to bee throughly sanctified. And that not only he graunt this grace vnto vs, but also to all peoples and nations.

‘☞What shall I saye? he who hath sayde it hath also done it. I wyll walke leasurly all the dayes of my lyfe in the bitternes of my soule. Lorde, to all those that shall lyue hereafter, the life of my spirite shall he no­table among them, in that thou hast cast me in a slepe, and hast reuiued me. Behold in my prosperitie the bitternes was bytter vnto me: And thou hast loued my soule, to drawe it out of the graue, because thou hast cast my sinnes behynd thy back.’

WE haue already herebefore decla­red that the good kyng Ezechias complayning that it is God that persecuteth him, is more confused for that, than if he had all the men in the worlde his ennemies, and if they all had conspired to tormente him, as of truthe it is a case muche harder & that ought to amase vs more without comparison if God lyft vp him selfe against vs, than if all crea­tures did make warre vpō vs. Behold then the cause why Ezechias standeth cōfused and in trouble, because he well feleth that the thinge whiche God declared vnto him by his Prophet Esaye, is nowe fulfilled in hym, and this it is that moste toucheth vs to the quicke when we make com­parison, betwene the worde of God and that [Page 49] which we fele of his iudgements. If God did simply but strike vs, we might wel be throwen down wythall: but when he addeth also his word to re­proue vs, to make vs know that it is he that doth chastise vs, yea and that for our sinnes, lo this is a cause of muche greater confusion. Expresly then Ezechias saieth: Accordyng as he hath spoken he hath also done it, and therfore he doeth thereupon conclude that he hath nothing to replie agaynst it. For if we had to do w t men, we might well make our complaintes againste them, but when we are to accuse God, the case must passe on his side. We may pleade for a tyme, but he shall alway be iusti­fied, when we shalbe condemned. Therfore it is lost tyme to thinke to amend our harme when we shall not escape condēnation before God, but when we desire to stande in oure owne defence, and vse murmuryng and complaint, all this doth nothing but enforce our euyl, euen so farre as to drown vs altogether. And therfore let vs kepe oure mouthe close as it is sayd in Iob: for that is it whiche the good kyng Ezechias meant in this place.

Nowe further he saieth: That all the tyme of his lyfe he wyll walke in feare, & go on ea­sily or softly as a man whose pride is abated, & draweth his legges after him. Yea in the bitternes of his soule.

Here Ezechias declareth that God hathe so engraued in hym the felyng of this correction, and hath so printed it in his hert, that the remembrāce therof shall neuer be blotted out. It maye manye tymes come to passe (and we finde it in profe ofter [Page 50] than we nede) that when God presseth vs, we be altogether astonished, & then we grone, & if we be to cōfesse our faultes w t humilitie, it is maruell to here vs. Brifly we be not niggardly in wordes, ether to shew y e greatnes of our grief, or to declare our faults, or to blesse the name of god. But we do nothing but shake our eares by & by after▪ & by the next morow after god hath geuē vs release or rest, we think no more of it. Lo in what sort men be, & howe they seke God (as it is sayd vnto the Pro­phet) while he doth draw them vnto him by force, then they cal vpon him, and confesse the det as we haue said, but so soone as God spareth them, they are as they were before, they lift vp theyr heades like stagges, they do nothinge but reioyse, where before they were so striken down as nothing cold be more, their face was all amazed with feare, shortlye, there was euen nowe nothinge but sor­row, and fourthwith they make great chere, they retourne to theyr delites, and (that more is) they fare as if they meant to despise God openlye. We se then this inconstancie, this chaunge, this light­nes in maner in all men. On the contrary side E­zechias saith here that it is not only for the tyme present that he knoweth that God hath chastised him, but for so long as he shal liue in this world he shall alwaye haue minde of the correction that he hathe receaued, and he shall goe as wyth a trem­blynge pace, for the worde whiche he vseth, doeth some tyme signifie to go softely, and sometyme to remoue. Nowe in effecte, he meaneth to saye that he shall neuer haue stedfast pace, but he shall be so muche enfebled, that he shall be as a man drawen out of the ditch, or as he that hath a long time ben sicke▪ he doeth with great paine drawe his legges [Page 51] after him, and though he shewe him selfe abroade in the stretes yet men see well that, that is all he can do, & when he standeth vp he semeth styll rea­die to rele and stagger. Nowe see we in a summe what Ezechias meant to say. Hereby we are put in remembraunce not to thinke straunge if God somtime afflict vs more rigorously than we wold. For we haue not sufficiently profited by his rod­des vntyll we be truely humbled for all oure lyfe after. Who is he that shall find thys in hym self▪ Let euery one nowe looke, if a moneth after that God hath shewed him mercy he hathe reknowle­ged his faultes and tremble therat. But contrari­wise (as I haue already saide) we seeke nothinge but to blot out all remembraunce of them, for we thinke it to be matter that moueth melancholie. Sithe then we so easily forget the roddes of God, let vs not maruell if after we haue bene once cha­stised he returne againe the seconde time and shew him selfe so sharpe that we shall not knowe where to become. Wherfore behold what we haue to do [...] that is, that during the corrections, and when we be in trouble we beare patiently the rigour of god, knowynge that it is not without cause that he v­seth so excedyng great sharpenes against vs, and that it is bicause he knoweth we haue nede of it: take this for one note. And also for another note, that we endeuour to awake, bycause of the great slouthfulnesse that is in vs, for we are so sluggishe and so coolde, that it is a pitie to see. Let vs then durynge the tyme of oure affliction thyncke vpon all oure offences, that we may haue a felynge and conceauynge thereof engraued euen in the bot­tome of our herts, & when God hath deliuered vs, [Page 52] Let vs styll thinke vpon it, and let not the feling of our euill be only for one day or for a small space, but as we praye God to supporte vs, and to geue vs leisure to blesse his name and to reioyse in him, let vs so do it that he be not compelled cōtinually to stryke vs lyke asses, seing our carelesnesse and the slownesse that is in vs. Let vs preuente the roddes of God vnlesse we wyl haue them always tyed at our backes. And nowe lette vs note that Ezechias trembled in suche sorte, that he cessed not to be holden vp by the hande of God, and to seke for comforte in God, knowyng well that he was mercifull vnto hym. But these two thinges agree well, that on the one side the faithful are al­wayes in care fearing to stomble the seconde and thirde tyme when they haue once paste a deadlye fall. And yet neuerthelesse they take courage and trust in God to walke frely, for as muche as they knowe that he wyll neuer fayle them. Loe this it is y t we haue to practise, on the one side to thinke vpon our sinnes and offences, and to be moued with horrour, seing that we haue deserued y t God should set him selfe against vs, and that this do so cut vs that it make vs to walke tremblyngly, & as scant able to goe. Loe howe we oughte to bee throwen downe and humbled vnder the hande of God. For there is no question hereof beynge to wylde, but rather we must knowe that the chiefe vertue of the faithfull when God doth affliet and punish them is to be as brought to naught, & yet alwaye drawynge our legges after vs to goe on our pace sithe it pleaseth God to shewe vs mercy. And that we know, that though we haue offēded him, yet he will alway continue his goodnes to­warde [Page 53] vs, he wil geue vs courage, and that ther­fore on the other side we become fresh agayne. Lo this is the summe that we haue here to learne of Ezechias.

After he addeth that the bitternes became to him bitter in his prosperitie. Here he enforceth y e euill that he hath [...]elt, because he was sodenly ta­ken with it, whē he thought he was at rest & free from affliction. As on the other side we see that y e thing whiche is forseen farre of, may be more pa­tiently suffred. For what is the cause that discou­rageth vs when we are in afflictiō, but that euery one during his prosperitie maketh him selfe bele­ue that all shal go wel. If a man did thinke of the death of his father, or of his wife, or of his childrē, if he did think that his own life were subiect to ca­lamities, it is certain that he woulde be prepared with defense against all temtations, so as he wold not be found so amased when thei come vpon him. But because euery mā deceiueth him self in vaine hope, that is it that troubleth vs out of measure, when our Lorde sendeth any aduersitie. Nowe Ezechias confesseth that it is so chaunced vnto him, and for this cause he sayeth that hys griefe hath bene so much the more bitter for that it hap­pened vnto him in his prosperitie. For we haue seene here before, howe God afflicted hym euen to the extremitie, that is to wete, when he was spoyled of his Realme, and that al his lande was wasted by his ennemies. He was beseged in the town of hierusalem, there he was brought vnder, there they mocked hym, there they spake of hym all shame and reproche that was possible, yea, euen the name of God was vilanouslye blasphe­med. [Page 54] Lo thus was Ezechias all confused. Here­vpon God deliuered him miraculously, euen as if he had come downe from heauen to succour hym. He seing that disconfiture so great whiche was done by the hande of the aungel, reioysed, and not without good reason, for God gaue him cause ha­uing declared suche a signe of fauour toward him, as if he had reformed all the worlde at his desyre. But there was a fault, whersoeuer it was, that is that he thinketh no more of his affliction passed, & resteth him to muche, that is to say, he becometh careles and negligēt. Lo herfore now he saith that his sorowe is come vpon him in his peace and in his prosperitie. Nowe here we haue a very profi­table warning, that is to say, when we know the graces of God, we must so reioyse that yet we for get not the tyme passed, and that for the tyme to come we alwaye haue our estate before our eyes, that is to say, that with the turning of a hand our lyfe shalbe turned into death, our light into dar­kenesse, as we see the dyuerse chaunges in thys frayle life. Briefly let vs so magnifie the goodnes of God, when he assureth vs that he wil maintein vs in peace and at rest, that in the meane tyme we still consider what our frailtie is, and let vs not be daseled when God shall blesse vs and sende vs all after our desire, let not that (I saye) make vs fal to muche on slepe, but let euery man make him selfe ready when it shal please him to sende vs any chaunge to receiue alwayes in feare, in humilitie, and in all pacience that whiche he wyll sende vs. If we doe so, we shall not finde the hand of God so greuous nor so heauy vpon vs as we are wont to do. But whē we ar to sound on slepe, although [Page 55] we knowe the grace of God, wherof we presently reioyse, he must awake vs, yea and pluck vs hard by the eare, yea and laye great strypes vpon vs. Psalm. 30. And here we haue one example in the kyng Eze­chias, as we haue also an other in Dauid. For in the .xxx. Psalme he confesseth that he was so dronke that felicitie had made hym to forget hys estate. I haue sayde in myne abundance, I shall no more be shaken. And how so? Dauid had had so many prickes to pricke hym forwarde, he had bene exercised so many wayes to haue alwaies in mynde what the life of man was, and he did pro­fit right well therin, for he had bene a long tyme as in the shadow of death. He had bene persecu­ted of the people, being prysoner among his enne­mies, and hauing no minute of rest. Then when God had set hym on the roiall seate, he concluded that he shoulde neuer stomble, and that he should therein remaine peasable. If Dauid hauinge the spirit of God in suche excellence as we know, ha­uing had so many profes that he was altogether rauished vnto God, yet neuerthelesse hath so for­got him self: what shal become of vs? After he ad­deth. It was of thy free goodnesse that I was vpholden O Lorde, thou hast establyshed me as on a mountaine, but thou turnedst thy face, and lo I was troubled. Thus sheweth he his vnthāk­fulnes in that. For although he had not altoge­ther forgot the blessing which he had receiued of y e hād of God, yet is it so that he did not thinke vpō this, god hath deliuered me once y t I shold alway haue my recourse vnto him: knowing y t my life hā geth as by a thred except y • stay of it be on his goodnesse, & that frō minute to minute he worketh▪ cō ­fessing [Page 56] that by and by I should peryshe if he con­tinued not still to ayde me. Dauid thought not vpon this▪ and he knewe also that he had fayled, and so he addeth after. Lorde thou hast hyd thy face and behold I was troubled. So is it of Eze­chias, he was in peace, and loe sodeinly God woū ­ded hym so that the stripe was deadly, & he coulde not cōceiue any thing but such an astonishment as if God had striken him with lightning from hea­uen. Therfore of necessitie must it be that he re­ceiued a terrible bitternesse.

Nowe let vs applie this doctrine to our profit, and let vs not stay till God make vs with force of strypes to know our infirmitie. But whyle he doth yet spare vs and whyle he hathe pitie of our feblenesse, let vs not cesse to thynke of hym, and let vs feare hym, keping our selues hid as it were vnder his wynges, knowynge that we can not stand one minute without his ayde. To the rest, if sometime we be ouertaken, let vs know it was because we were to fast a slepe.

He addeth a lytle after that God hath deliuered his soule, but he vseth a maner of spech which em­porteth more. He sayth thou hast loued my soule, or thou hast had thy good pleasure in it to plucke it back from the graue. By this circumstance he magnifieth the goodnesse of God so much y e more for that he is come to seke hym euen to the graue. For if God doe holde vs styll in our estate, I graunt we therby knowe that we are beholding to him, but therm we knowlege it but very cold­ly. But if he deliuer vs from death, then we bet­ter perceiue howe good he is, for that in suche ex­tremitie he as it were cometh downe vnto vs. [Page 57] For it semeth vnto vs that we are not much boūd vnto God, if he preserue vs in this life, bicause we take that to be but as an order of nature. True it is that the more he spareth vs so muche the more we ought to fele his fatherlye goodnes, but we do it not, and so by reason of our dulnes it is become nedefull that God work of another fashion. Now then as I haue already sayde, if that God plucke vs out of the graue, and that we haue bene as for­saken for a time, that it semed we were cut of from al hope, that euen men disdaigned to loke vpon vs as if we were pore rotten carrions, if in this case God haue pitie vpon vs, in this he sheweth vs so much greater brightnesse to se his mercye, and so much more we haue occasiō to acknowledge what and howe infinite his bountye is, in this that god hath so plucked vs backe from the death. Lo, this it is that Ezechias meant to say.

Lord (saith he) thou hast loued my soule: And how so? was there any thing in it that might mo­ue God to loue it. Alas, no: for it was nothinge but shadow, a dead thing. I was (saith he) at the graue, and then thou declaredst thy loue towarde me. when then we shalbe altogether disfigured, & that God neuertheles wyll vouchsafe to caste eye vpon vs, and to haue care of vs, in this we ought much more to be enflamed to blesse his name, and to geue him such praise as doth here the good king Ezechias. Behold thē in a summe what we haue to learne of this place: that is, for asmuch as God seeth that we are not touched enoughe with the good thinges that he hathe done for vs, nor wyth his graces, and that it is nedefull that we be so striken downe, and in suche extremitie that there [Page 58] be in vs no more hope of life, that when we shalbe as forsaken of him and of men, he maye then take vs to mercy. Thus are we earnestly touched and made to geue him thankes, knowyng that he saw nothing in vs but miseries when he shewed hys mercy vpon vs.

Now he saieth also on the other side: Lorde, they that shall lyue after, shall know that the lyfe of my spirite hath bene prolonged. This place bi­cause of the shortnes therof is darke, for it is not a sentence layd out at length, but they are as it wer broken wordes. He saieth in summe: Lorde they shall liue amonges them, and in them all the lyfe of my spirite, thou hast cast me on slepe, and thou hast reuiued me. Bicause he speaketh not here of the yeres in the beginning of the verse, that is the cause of the shortnes. But when we loke nearer, we shall finde that Ezechias meant to say that the miracle whiche had bene done vpon his persone shuld be knowē not only for a dai, but also after his decease. Some men do expound it, y t God shall al­so prolonge the life of other: but that exposition is not to purpose. For Ezechias meant to saye, that this was not a cōmon or ordinary benefit, but rather he hath felt that God hath wrought wyth him after an extraordinary fashiō. Hereunto ten­deth his porpose, y t this miracle of God shal neuer be put vnder fote, but thoughe he be dead, yet we shall still talk of it. Before he said I shal remem­ber all the time of my lyfe howe I haue bene cha­stised, & I shall fele the strokes: for I yet go stag­gering with all. Now he stretcheth forther & lar­gelier y t which he saide before, that is to saye, that not onely he him self shalbe humbled before God, [Page 59] but also all the world shall haue occasion to saye: Behold here an act worthy of perpetuall memory that god hath done for a mā. For we ought to de­sire y t all the good thinges y t God bestoweth vpon vs, be also knowen of other, that they maye take ensample therof, & that they maye serue for theyr edification. And we se whē Dauid wold be heard in his requestes, he addeth commonly this reason▪ that euery man shall thinke of it, y t the good shalbe edified, & the wicked confounded. Lord (saith he) whē men shal se that thou so assistest thine, al they that call vpon thee shall reioyce, & shalbe so muche more cōfirmed in waitynge for the like: & also the wicked shalbe cōfoūded & though they now mock at the trust y t I haue in thee, seyng y t thou hast af­flicted me, if they knowe y t I haue not bene disa­pointed when I haue had my recourse vnto thee, they shalbe abashed. Thus much then saith Eze­chias, now y t this miracle of God shall profit not onely him but also other, as a thing knowen & no­torious to all. And after he amplifieth it, saying y t it shall not be for a smal time, but also after his de­cease. For asmuch as his lif hath ben so prolōged, it shall be talked of for euer. For (saieth he) thou hast cast me on slepe. This worde to caste on slepe emporteth y t he was as it were in the graue, & af­ter was reuiued. As in dede this miracle is euen yet at this day celebrate in y e church of god, & shal be to thend of y e world. So thē we se y t it hath not only profited one person alone, but hath bene a cō ­firmation generally to all y e faithful, in this y t they waite for God, to haue pitie vpon them in theyr necessitie to succor them, and though he do not prolong theyr life in such sort yet y t he shall kepe them [Page 60] to the ende, and that if he se them striken downe, he shall lift them vp againe, he shall geue thē some token of his pitie, so that in life and deth they shall fele him alway theyr sauiour, and shall know that they haue not bene forsaken nor geuē ouer of him. Loe wherunto this song is profitable, & to what intent it was made.

Nowe ought we to haue suche like affection, as Ezechias had, to endeuour so much as shall lye in vs that the graces of God may be knowen of al the world, although they specially perteine to vs. For when God doeth good to euery one of vs, we ought not onely in secrete to thank him, feling our selues bound vnto him, but to endeuour to publish the same, that other may be confirmed and hope in God, seyng such a profe of his goodnes to thē that call vpon him: and that praise may be geuen hym in common as S. Paule saith, when the faithful shall all together praise God, that he hath bene de­liuered, and that this geuynge of thanckes shall geue suche a sounde, that this shalbe a cause why God shall alwaye deliuer him so muche the more that praises may be giuē to him by many. I graūt we oft do publish such graces of God as we haue felt, but many do it by ambition and hipocrisie, for makynge a shewe to magnifie the name of God, they draw a part of the praise to them selues. Let vs beware of that, and let vs haue an vpright and pure affection, so as euery one may learne to loke vnto God, and to haue his hope wholy staied vp­on him, and let vs haue this zele and this feruent desire that all creatures beare vs company when we are to blesse the name of God.

Moreouer when God shall as it were haue [Page 61] striken vs dead, and reuiued vs by his grace, let this so much y e more moue vs to praise him. Ther is not so smale a benefit that deserueth not than­kes, and when we shall applie all oure wittes to thanke God onely for this that he nourisheth vs, yet can we not aquite our selues of the hundreth part of our det. But if God vse a more excellent maner to declare his fauour toward vs, and that the good thinges which he doeth for vs, are as it were wonderfull and incomprehensible of men, our bond encreseth so much the more, and we haue so much the lesse excuse if we be not then enflamed to praise him with full mouth, and to preache eue­rye where the goodnes that he hathe made vs to feele.

After this Ezechias addeth that God hathe cast his sinnes behynd his backe. Here he leadeth vs back to that we saw before, that is, that al y t he endured was but the payment that was due vnto him for his faultes. And that nowe this that god hath bene mercifull vnto him, is for that he hathe hidden and buried his offences which brought all the euyll vpon him. This sentence is worthye to be well noted. For (as we haue before declared) although we knowe well that aduersities happen not vnto vs by chaunce, but that it is the hande of God that stryketh vs, yet so it is that we can not come to the true cause as we ought. And that is partly bicause euery one doeth flatter him selfe in his owne faultes, and partly also bicause we entre not in iudgement or examination of our owne life to knowe whether it hathe bene well ordred: for wyllingly we are very lothe to be disquieted. And yet must we come vnto it, for that is y e true signe [Page 62] of repentance when men of them selues search the depth of their sinnes, and tarry not till God force them vnto it, but they present thē selues vnto him they sommon them selues so as they nede neyther sargeant nor officer, but they examine themselues and say: Alas, how haue I lyued? how stande I with God? When men of their own mynde enter into this triall, in this thei declare that God hath touched thē by his holy spirite. But this is a rare thing as I haue sayde, on the one syde hipocrisie stoppeth vs that we examine not our owne faul­tes, and that we discouer them not, seking always to flee from the shame and to hide our owne euyl: yea and we say that the euill is wel, and we make our selues beleue that we haue not offended God, or at least we make our faultes lesse as if thei wer nothynge, and as if we neded but only wype our mouthes. Loe howe we are caried away by pride and ambition that is roted in our nature whē we come not rightly to God in knowledging what we are. On the other part we are desirous to flee from sorowe, as naturally it is a thyng that gre­ueth vs. Now there is no sorow so great as whē we thinke that God is our iudge, and that we ar euill doers before hym, for there we fele y t whiche before hath bene sayde, that he breaketh our bo­nes as a Lyon: the wrathe of God is so terrible a thyng that it is no maruell though we flee from it. And yet is this a faulte, for we oughte not to make our selues lyke to them that are so blockish that they wyll in no case thynke vpon that which they haue deserued of God, that is the punishmēt wherof they ar worthy. For this cause we ought so muche the more to note thys doctrine where [Page 63] Ezechias leadeth vs by his example to knowe our synnes, so ofte as the Lorde doth rygorouslye handle vs, that we may not only knowe that it is his hand which afflicted vs, but also that then he serueth his processe vpon vs, and accuseth vs of the synnes that we haue committed, and bicause we would not of our owne mynde come to haue our cause tryed before hym, and to aske hym par­don that he is dryuen to drawe vs thereunto by force. This is the firste thynge that we haue to learne of this place.

The seconde point is that when God withdra­weth his hande which he had heuyly layde vpon vs, that is a token that he is mercifull vnto vs, & that he wyll no more laye our synnes vnto our charge. True it is that somtime God after that he hath afflicted the wicked and reproued, lea­ueth them there and they waxe lustier than they were before as I haue already sayd. But here Ezechias sheweth how we ought to fele the goodnesse of God when he sendeth vs any release, whē he releueth vs of any sicknesse, whē he deliuereth vs from any daunger, when he comforteth vs in pouertie, when we haue bene in trouble and sor­rowe and he draweth vs out. If then we be sad and sorrowefull, it is not enough for vs to fele the euyll, but we oughte to looke vnto the principall cause & to come to the originall spring therof. So when a litle babe crieth, so sone as the teate is ge­uen him he is appeased. And why? he sucketh & is content, for he hath no vnderstāding to go further than to his own hūger, he knoweth not whence y e meat cometh, he hath no skil to thanke her y t gaue him his substāce, for he hath neither wit nor reson [Page 64] But whan a man of the age of discretion shall see his father angry with him, and shall here him say to hym: away villein, get the out of my house: it is certaine that this sorrowe more perceth hym to the quicke to be thus cast of by his father than to endure hunger or thirste, & all the pouerties that it is possible to thinke on. But if the father after­warde doe pardon hym at the request of his fren­des, or for that he seeth his sonne to be sory that he hath offended hym, & sayth vnto hym, come home againe and dyne with me, if that childe haue any reason he wyll not so muche esteme his dyner as that he is returned into the fauour and loue of his father, so as he had rather to fast and to abide hū ­ger and thirst than euer to geue occasion to his fa­ther so to caste hym of agayne, & is a greate deale more glad that his father hath forgeuen hym than of eating and drinking his fill.

Nowe let vs applie this to our vse. The moste part are as litle chyldren: if God be quickely ap­peased with them and plucke backe his hande, so as they haue no more outwarde occasion to be so­rowefull, by and by they waxe ioyfull, and praysed be God (say they) which hath holpē me out of this sicknes: but in saying praysed be God they thinke not vpon hym, they enter not into examination of their sinnes, thei loke not vpō the cause why God afflicted them, and so sone as they be cōforted they doe not acknowledge that it is because God lo­ueth them and is fauourable to them. And yet thereunto ought all their ioy to be applied and not to say behold my myrth is returned. He that hath bene in any daunger, if he see himself deliuered, he reioyseth that he is no more in tormēt as he was, [Page 50] but in the meane time doth he loke vpon the prin­cipall benefit and soueraigne felicitie of men, to be reconciled vnto God? No, that cometh not in his mynde. So muche the more ought we to take holde of this doctrine, where Ezechias sayth not only, I am nowe vp on foote agayne, and it hathe pleased God to releue me, my life is prolonged, as he hath sayde before: but he resteth all vpon thys: God hath pardoned me my faultes, he hath taken me to mercie, he layeth not to my charge the offē ­ces that I haue committed, he hath so forgeuen me that nowe he is well pleased with me, he will no more call me to accōpt as my iudge, for he hath forgotten all my sinnes and hath cast them behind his back. Loe this it is wherunto Ezechias lea­deth vs by his example.

So, as oft as we shalbe afflicted by the hand of God, let vs learne to entre into examinatiō of our owne sinnes: and when we praye God to delyuer vs, let vs not set the cart before the horse, but let vs pray him to take vs to his mercy. And though we haue deserued a thousande moe afflictiōs thā he maketh vs to endure, let vs praye that yet he cesse not to be mercifull vnto vs: and whē he hath set vs vp againe, let vs geue hym prayses not on­ly for the good that he hath done vs touching our bodies, but for that whiche is muche more to bee estemed, that he hath forgotten all our offences & so is agreed agayne w t vs that he accepteth vs as his owne chyldren, because he tourneth his face from our sinnes, for whyle God loketh vpon our sinnes he can not loke vpon vs but with indigna­tion, and he doth but abhorre vs.

Then that God may loke vpon vs with a mer­cifull [Page 51] and fauourable face, it must firste be that he forget our sinnes, and thinke no more on them. True it is that when we so speake, it is after the maner of men, for we know that all is present be­fore God. But when we say that he muste forget our sinnes and loke no more on them, that is to expresse that he cal vs not to accompt, but loue vs as well as if we neuer had offended him.

Moreouer by this fashion of spech that Eze­chias vseth, we se what is the remission of our sin­nes, that is, that God cast them behind his back, and cast them there in suche sorte that he punishe them no more, nor aske vengeaunce on them. And this is worthy to be noted: For the deuill alwaye trauaileth to darken this doctrine bicause it is the principall point of oure saluation, and as it is she­wed vs in holy scripture, there is no other righte­ousnes nor holynes, but this fre forgeuenes of sin­nes. Happie is the man (saith Dauid) whose sin­nes are pardoned. Saint Paule saieth that here­by we see what is our righteousnes, and that Da­uid hath made a briefe summe therof.

For this cause the deuill hath alwaye trauai­led by suttle meanes to tourne men from this that they may not knowe what nede they haue of thys forgeuenes of sinnes, as in the Popes church we partly see they say it is not but with penance and confession, and beside that, that we muste bringe some recompence, and if God pardon vs the fault yet that he reserueth the punishment as a iudge. And that this should be a derogation to his maie­stie, if we should say that he wholly and fully par­doneth, and they saye that he muste nedes shewe alwaye some rigor with his mercy, & that other­wyse [Page 52] it were to spoyle hym of his nature: Loe howe the Papistes haue treated of the remission of sinnes, so that if a man should say vnto thē that God pardoneth oure sinnes of his mere goodnes, this shold be to them as a blasphemi, for (say they) we must make satisfactiō. And what is y t? works aboue measure, which we do more thā god cōmā ­deth vs in his law. It is certain y t these are dete­stable sayings. But howsoeuer it be y e pore world hath ben so made drōk w t such sorceries. So much y e more thē must we note this place wher it is said that God in receiuyng vs to mercy, will entre no more into accōpt with vs, as Ezechias saith here. Thou haste caste my sinnes behinde thy backe.

It is true that God hath neither backe nor sto­mack. For we know that his offence is infinite & spirituall: but he vseth thys similitude to signifie that he pardoneth our sinnes like as whē it is said that he casteth thē to the bottom of the sea, y t is as much as if he would haue no more remembrance of them nor would haue them more spokē or made mention of. We see then in summe when God re­ceiueth vs in such sort y t he is at one with vs, that it is not onely to pardon vs the fault as the Pa­pistes haue imagined and iugle w tout reason, but it is to thende that we maye fele his fauor euerye way, and that he wyll persecute vs no more. And in stede that we were afflicted of his hande, and in stede of y t he gaue vs by it a testimony of his wrath that contrariwise he maketh vs to know y t he ta­keth vs for his childrē, & that he wil vse vs gētlye shewing the loue y t he beareth vs. Lo here in sumwhat Ezechias meant to say, vsing this maner of spech y t god had cast al his sinnes behind his back.

[Page 53]Now true it is that many tymes though God doth pardon vs our faultes yet he wyl not cesse to chastise vs, as it happened to Dauid: but that shal not be but for our commoditie and profit, to thend that we may walke so muche the more warely in tyme to come. I sayde euen nowe that God sen­deth his punishement in suche sorte that there re­maineth alway some marke to put vs in mynde. Then God wyll surely punyshe vs although he be mercifull vnto vs. But these two thynges are not contrariant, that is, to cast our sinnes behynd his back, and to receyue vs by and by to mercye & make vs prosper by his blessynge, and yet in the meane tyme not to nourishe vs in our idlenesse, but to awake vs & make vs fele some signe of his wrath to preuēt vs. Yet neuertheles if he meane to declare vnto vs fully the remission of our syn­nes, he will geue vs oftentymes outwarde sig­nes, that is to saye he wyll geue vs suche a tast of his goodnesse that we may perceiue assuredly that he hathe shewed mercy vnto vs, and that it is im­possible that he shoulde vse vs with suche gentle­nesse and fauour, except he wold examine our sin­nes no more, and that he fully and perfectly ac­quiteth vs, and that he requireth nothing but that we should walke with him as being made at one and truly reconciled vnto his maiestie. Loe thus God declareth vnto vs the remissiō of our sinnes not only by his worde or inwardlye by his holy spirit, but also by the frutes, that is to say, when by his blessing he maketh vs to prosper, and whē he handleth vs so fauourably that we are compel­led to confesse in our own conscience that he vseth a fatherly bountie toward vs.

[Page 54]Then when we shall haue these signes, let vs conclude boldly that God hath pardoned our sin­nes and that he hath cast them behinde his back, neuer to examine or thinke of them any more. So then so ofte as we shalbe afflicted of the hande of God, let vs remembre that he hath shewed hym selfe good not only to those whome he hath taken out of this world wher they somtime haue endu­red strong & greuous afflictions, but that he hath also pardoned their sinnes, and let vs knowe that he wyll vse the same goodnesse toward vs. And in doing this let vs learne to humble our selues hereafter. Moreouer the grace of God shall so muche the more brightlye shyne, as he shall not onlye handle vs with all sauour touching our bo­dies, but also in this that he woulde not haue re­spect vnto oure sinnes, and wyll shewe vs that although we did prouoke his wrath and gaue him occasion alwaye to forsake vs in our myseries, yet he wyl not handle vs with rigour but that he wil drawe vs vnto hym by his infinite mercye and goodnesse.

Now let vs throwe our selues downe before the maiestie▪ of our good God, acknowledging our faultes, beseching him that more and more he will make vs to fele them, and that it may be to hum­ble vs in suche sorte that comming vnto hym we may bryng only a pure and simple cōfession of our sinnes, and that in the meane tyme he geue vs suche tast of his goodnesse that we maye not cesse to runne vnto hym although our consciences doe reproue and cōdempne vs, that we may embrace his grace whiche he hath promysed in the name of our Lord Iesus Christe, and as oft as he ma­keth [Page 56] vs to fele it by experience that we may learn to turne it to our profite, and that we may be so ar­med againste all tentations, that we maye neuer sinke downe vnder the burden, how heauy or troublesome soe­ner it be. And that he wyll not only graunt vnto vs that grace, but also to all peoples. &c.

THE FOVRTH SER­mon.

‘☞For the graue shall not singe of the, and the dead shall not prayse the, nether shall they that are brought down into the pitte waite for thy truthe. The lyuing, the ly­uing shall sing of the, as I do this day: the father shall make thy truthe knowen to his children. The Lorde it is that saueth me: we wyll sing a song in the temple of the Lorde all the dayes of our lyfe. And Esai, commaunded, that one shold take a cluster of figges, and make a plaister of them to lay vpon the sore, and he shoulde be whole. Then sayd Ezechias, what signe shall I haue that I shall goe vp into the house of the Lorde?’

IT is certaine that if our lyfe were or­dered as it ought to be, we shoulde al­way shoote at this principall marke, to honour God so longe as we be in this worlde. And good reason it is y t we applie all our studie therunto seing that with­out ende and cessing we proue the gracious good dedes that he doth vs. For this cause nowe Eze­chias after that he hath knowledged that god pro­longed his life, and hath geuen him a profe to wit­nesse his singular loue toward him, sayth y t with so muche more courage he wil magnifie the name of [Page 57] God to cōfesse the receit of so great a benefit. And expresly he sayth that this shall not only be whyle he is in the worlde that he will trauayle to haue the name of God blessed, but he wil endeuour also for his successours that it may for euer be knowē howe God hath wrought for him. Finally for cō ­clusion he saith that there is no sauiour but God: and if men rest them selues vpon hym their salua­tion shalbe certain and infallible.

But it may seme straunge that he sayeth that y e death nor yet the graue shall not be to prayse god, for it semeth that he accompted vpō and knoweth no other goodnesse of God but whē he preserueth men in this frayle life. In dede if we loke not but here belowe, our faith shalbe but weake. And we knowe that we lyue to no other purpose but to tast in part the goodnesse of God, to the ende we may be drawen by hier and altogether rauished to the heauenly lyfe. It semeth then that Eze­chias is to muche geuen to the worlde, and that he hath no conceiuing of the spirituall kyngdome of God. For in saying that the graue can not prai­se God, nor they y t be dead, it semeth that he hathe no other regarde but to this present lyfe. And we knowe that it is sayde in the first place, that God wil be glorified as wel in our death as in our life. And S. Paul for the same cause sayeth, that he careth not whether he lyue or die, so the glorye of God might be alway auaunced. There appeareth to be great diuersitie betwene S. Paul and Eze­chias, for the one fleeth and abhorreth death, al­leging that those whiche are departed shall not prayse God, the other saith it is to me al one whe­ther I lyue or dye, for God shall alwaye be glori­fied [Page 58] in me. If we beholde the estate of those that are departed in that, that they are drawen oute of this world, and that God hath taken them nerer to him, it is likely that they shold be better dispo­sed, & more chearfull to blesse his name. Fourth­ly we be here heauely loden in this prison of oure body, we can not half (as a man may say) opē our mouth to praise God, we goe not with a free cou­rage nor with so vehement feruor of zele, as were requisite: now the dead are not so encombred, 2. Cor. 5. they are not absent from God as we are (as S. Paule speaketh in the seconde to the Corinthians) they may then so muche the better agree with the an­geles of paradise in this melodie. And we knowe what is said of the angels (as it is to be sene in the vi. Cha. of Esay) that without ceasing they cry, blessed be the Lorde of hostes, the holy, the holy, the holy. Then as farre as we may iudge, those whom God hathe drawen out of this transitorye life, ought to be more readye to prayse hys name. But let vs firste marke that Ezechias here had respect to the cause why God placed vs in thys world, and wherfore he kepeth vs therin. He as­keth not any reward of vs. He is not lyke vnto a man that setteth seruauntes in his house: for that wer to emprow his lands, & make profite therof, nether is he like vnto a great prince which requi­reth to haue manye subiectes, for that he is to be maintened and succoured by them when he hathe nede. But God seketh no auauntage by vs, as he hathe no nede: Onely he will that we do ho­mage to hym for all the benefites y t he geueth vs. For all our life ought to be applied to this marke, (as euen now we haue touched) y t we blesse god, [Page 60] and render witnes that his benefits were not cast away vpon vs as they should be if we were lyke dōme men. Lo this it is that we haue to obserue, that Ezechias (in sayinge that the lyuynge shall praise God) meant to note, that men peruert the order of nature whē they awly not themselues to praise God, and that theyr vnthankfulnes is by no meanes excusable, when they bury the graces of God and put them in obliuion. Seyng it is so thē that our Lord requireth of vs nothyng but y t hys name be glorified in the world, it is not to be mer­ueyled that Ezechias saieth: the liuing, the lyuing shall praise God.

We must also note what difference is betwene the state of the liuing and of the dead. Though the dead praise god, yet we can not iudge nor imagine that they assemble after our maner to shewe an a­grement of theyr fayth. Eche one of them cā right well praise God by him selfe, & yet it meaneth not that they ar gathered together in one body, as we are nowe, for the scripture saieth nothing thereof. And we maye not forge fantasies of oure owne braine as we thinke good. For we know that god reserueth this perfection to the latter day that we should be all vnited and in suche sort ioyned vnto our God that his glory should fullye shine in vs. For as muche then as they whiche are departed haue not suche a manner of exercysinge them sel­ues in the praysynge of God as we, therefore it is said that, that is a thynge properly perteynyng to vs that be lyuyng.

But there is yet more. For Ezechias spea­keth not here simply of death as we haue touched alreadye, but he setteth oute hys death to be suche [Page 61] as if he had bene cut of from the Churche of God, and from all hope of saluation, when this iudge­ment was come to be executed, or as if he had bene before hys Iudge: Then Ezechias prepared not him selfe to dye, as by nature we can not flee thys necessitie: but he had thys testymonye of Godes wrath, wherewith he was so feared as if all were lost to hym. Nowe we knowe that no man can synge the prayses of God excepte he haue occasion and matter. For whan oure Lorde sheweth vs a terrible countenaunce, oure mouthes are stopped, we are fylled wyth suche anguisshe, that it is im­possible for vs to blesse hym. Rather contrariwise there shall be nothynge but gnashynge of teethe, when the wrath of God shall so astonishe vs. Loe thus stoode Ezechias. On the other syde, when God sheweth hym selfe mercyfull towarde vs, Psal. 51. Psal. 40. and vttereth some signe of hys fauor toward vs, he openeth oure mouthes, as it is sayde in the li. Psalme. Lorde thou haste opened my mouth: therefore wyll I synge thy songes. And in other places. Lorde thou haste put a newe songe in my mouthe, by thys the Prophete signyfieth when God maketh them ioyfull for theyr delyueraunce frome some euyll, that by thys meane, he styreth them vp to synge hys songes, and to blesse hys name, and to be myndefull of hys benefytes. So then, when we conceaue nothynge but alto­gether terrour in God, we are in aswounde, and then the gate is shutte so that we can not prayse God. So Ezechias in this place, sayinge that the dead shall not praise god, meaneth not generallye all those that departe oute of this transitorye lyfe, [Page 61] but those whiche are as it were cut of from God, and are confounded with his wrath, who also tast not his goodnes any maner of way, & are made naked and estranged from all hope of healthe. It is then impossible that such should praise God.

There is yet another point to note. For when the faithfull are holden downe & oppressed wyth any distresse, they se nothing but theyr own grief, and euery man hath experience of this in him selfe to much. When any euyll hath cast vs downe al­together, we can not applie oure selues to anye o­ther thing, for we are there holdē fast as in a strei­ght prison. So was Ezechias, as also it is said in the lxxxviii. Psalme. That the state of those that are dead, is a land of forgetfulnes: men knowe not there what God is. This semeth to be a blasphe­mie. But these maners of spech procede of the vn­skilfulnes and weakenes of men, that is bicause they can not withdraw them selues to iudge with a setled sence, & to haue a well framed and ordered knowledge. But the trouble so vexeth & carieth them awaye that they speake as at randon & con­fusely. Behold, Iob saieth that men beyng taken out of this world haue no more carefulnesse, but e­uery one is at rest, Iob. 3. as if there were a confuse mix­ture, that the master & the verlet were all one, and that the tyrant shoulde cause no more terror. He speaketh of the state of those that are departed, as if death should destroy all thinges. Yet he had not such opinion, but it was bicause that his sorow suffred him not to speak as a mā at rest. For he was tossed with such vnquietnes that his words wā ­dred. So may we think of Ezechias. He speaketh not of the estate & condition of those that are de­parted [Page 62] as the scripture teacheth vs, and why? his heauines, & the horrour whiche he had conceiued bare rule ouer him in suche sorte that he wiste not where he was: it is true y t this is not for excuse.

And thus therfore oure Lorde geueth vs mi­rours of our frailenes when we see that the moste holy, & most perfect speak so. Yet in y e meane time God supported Ezechias, because the principall thing remained with him styll, as we haue alrea­dy sene, that he tended to this mark to glorifie the name of God, for he had rather die a hundred ty­mes than to be one minute in this world propha­ninge by vnthankfulnes the benefites that God hath done for him. Lo than Ezechias kepeth this rule that men ought not to desire to liue one daye but to that end that God might be glorified in it. But in the meane time this y t he was tossed with so great troubles that he could not orderly speake as he ought, proceded of his weakenes, whiche God holdeth for excused and supporteth. For it is not a disobediēce, though we haue many ranging wordes in our prayer. It is true that we oughte alway to frame our selfes to his rule, which is ge­uen vs, to thend that euery man pray to God, not at aduenture, and after his own fansie. But how soeuer it be, we shall haue measurable sorowes, & complaintes in vs, and it behoueth that god haue pitie of vs in this behalfe. Loe in a summe what we haue to learne, that aboue all, while we lyue, we alway tend to this ende that God be honored. For therfore it is he y t hath set vs in this worlde, to that end it is that he hath chosen vs to be of his flok, to wete, that we might be assembled to singe his prayses with one accorde.

[Page 64]And we see this yet better in the 115. Psalme, where is a lyke sentence. And it is not one man that speaketh, but the whole body of the Churche of the faithfull, which say that one can not prayse God in death, but we that lyue (say they) vnto the ende shall confesse that god hathe preserued vs. There it is signified vnto vs that God wil alway kepe his church, and that he will haue some peo­ple remaining vnto the ende of the worlde. Why? bicause he wyll be knowen the father and sauiour among men. And although it be not of the greater multitud, yet wil he haue some company that shal praise him. So then let vs learn to exercise our selues in blessynge the name of God while he kepeth vs here below, and while we be nourished by his liberalytie, and while (whiche more is) he calleth vs vnto him to tend alway to the hope of the eter­nall heritage. Sithe then it is so, let vs applie all our study therunto, yea all the daies of oure lyfe. If we do otherwise, it wer better for vs that our mothers had bene deliuered of vs before our time, or that the earth had gaped to swallow vs vp, thā to be here gluttons, as brute beastes, and to con­tinue vnthankfull for so manye benefites as God hath geuen vs, and that his praise shoulde be bu­ried by vs. Take this for a note.

The residue: Let vs alwaye be ready folow­yng the example of S. Paule, to glorifie God, be it by life, be it by death. If at any tyme we be in trouble as the good kynge Ezechias was, let vs know that all our sorowes, complaintes and gro­ninges, oughte to be suspicious vnto vs, bycause we can not kepe measure by reason of the frailtie [Page 65] that is in vs.

So that this which is sayd here. The dead shall not prayse God, may not be drawen of vs [...]or a cō ­sequent profe, to pleade wyth God when it shall please him to call vs vnto him. Let vs not make this excuse vnder pretext of Ezechias, or Dauid who spake so in the vi. Psalme, or of all the people as we shall aledge. For there was excesse, bycause as well Dauid as Ezechias, and generally al the Churche then when a horrible dissipation was neare tempted as if god wold reiect them, and vt­terly disclaime in them, and woulde haue no more to do with them. As they then were pulled backe from God, so were they abasshed. And no mar­uell. Let vs not therfore make therof a rule, as if we might do the like: but let it serue to make vs knowe our own weakenes. Moreouer although God do support vs, yet let vs not please our selues in suche a vyce. Loe this it is that we haue to learne.

Nowe we are taughte for as muche as God hath made vs to fele his graces, to haue our herts set at large, and our mouthes opened to blesse hys name. And on the other side that we can not pro­nounce one worde to his prayse, whiche procedeth from a good hartie affectiō, except we be through­ly perswaded in this, that God is mercyfull vnto vs, & that we vse to our profit the benefits which we receaue of his hande.

As touchinge the firste pointe, let euerye one learne to styrre vp him selfe accordynge to that whiche he receyueth of the graces of God, for the number is infinite.

[Page 65]There is none of vs when he shall duely consider him selfe, but ought to be rauished as it is saide in the xl. Psalme, that if we wyll number the testi­monies that God hathe geuen vs of the fatherlye care which he hath for vs, and of his mercye, they are mo than the heares of our head, and we shalbe therat as it were astonyshed. But accordynge as God setteth fourth the richesse of his goodnes to­ward euery one of vs, let vs be so muche the more moued to blesse his name, & let euery one experuse and pricke him selfe forward vnto that. Lo this is in summe that whiche we haue to marke vpon this place.

Now on the other side, let vs confesse that our lyfe is cursed if we gluttonously deuoure the good thinges that God geueth vs and do not therin be­hold his goodnes. For we vnchristianly abuse all that which was apointed for our vse and saluati­on vnlesse we be brought to this point that God sheweth him selfe a very father vnto vs, and that by all meanes of gentlenesse he draweth vs vnto him, that we should not doubt that he taketh vs for his children. And in this also we see how mise­rable is the state of Papistes, for they will not as­sure them selues of the goodnes of God, but saye that alwaies we must be in doubt of it. And so all theyr prayeng and thankesgeuyng to God, is no­thing but Hipocrisie and faining. For we can not call vpon the name of God but with affiaunce, we can not praise his name except we know that he is fauourable vnto vs. Then they are altogether ex­cluded. Let vs learn then that we can neuer offer to God a sacrifice of thākesgeuing which he este­meth and setteth by, and that we can neuer attein [Page 67] to the right scope of oure life, vnlesse we be fullye perswaded of his goodnes. And so as ofte as we thinke vpon all the graces and benefites of God: let this come into our minde, that God doth con­firme and ratifie vnto vs his adopsion to the ende that we maye not doubte that he compteth vs as his children, and that we freely call vpon him as our father: Lo in a summe what we haue to learn of this place.

Nowe we must also note this which Ezechi­as saieth. The lyuing, the lyuing shal prayse the? Yea the father shall declare to his childrē thy ver­tue. He had said before that the dead shal not wait any more for the truth of God, that is to say, they shall haue no hope. And in this we see that which I haue touched, that Ezechias speaketh not in­differently of all these whom God hath taken out of this world. For it is certeine that the faithfull do waite vpon the truth of God. When Iacob yeldyng vp his spirite, saide: I wyll waite for the saluation of the Lorde. He saide not that for one minute, but he declared and protested that he had this assurance imprinted in his hert, which shold neuer be pulled out, so y t though he passed through a hundred deathes yet alway this treasure should remayne with him. Nowe then the saintes and faythful although God called thē out of the world ceased not alway to nourishe the hope of the resur­rection▪ and of this felicitie which is promised thē. But Ezechias speaketh of the departed, whiche are as it were banished and estraūged altogether from the kyngdome of God whome also he forsa­keth. Now, he was euen in the same estate in his own cōceit vntil god cōforted him by his prophet. [Page 68] For y e messag which was sēt to him, was to shew that God was his enemy, and that he came as his aduersary with armed hande against him. Than was Ezechias driuen to remayne confounded. Then it is not without a cause that he saide, that those which are departed, waite not for the truth of God, that is to say, that they ar altogether shut out frō the promisses, so as they are no more of the number of his children.

But nowe he saieth that the lyuinge whiche tast the goodnes of God, shall cause theyr children to knowledge hys truth. Nowe here we se again how God shalbe duely praised and honored amōg vs, that is, when a man shall knowe that he is faithfull to all his owne, that he neuer forsaketh them, but that his helpe is ready for them in their necessitie, and that they shall neuer be disapoin­ted which leane vnto him. Lo this is the true sub­staunce of Gods praise. So in a summe we se that it is nothing but falshede and lies when men shal pray vnto God, and shall make as thoughe they gaue thankes vnto him, & in the meane time they are not instructed of the loue y t God beareth them nor certified of theyr saluation, and shall knowe of no promise. Then when that wanteth, it is cer­taine that all theyr prayses of God, whiche maye be sounded in the mouthes of men, are but wind [...] ▪ and smoke. Wyll we then prayse God as it ap­perteyneth, in suche maner as he alloweth the sa­crifices whiche we shall offer vnto hym of praise, and thankes geuinge? Let vs profit in his word, lette vs knowe what it is, to truste in hym, which we canne not doe tyll he declared hys good wyll [Page 69] towarde vs, and haue certyfyed vs that he hathe receaued vs, y t we may frely come vnto hym, and that we shal neuer be forsakē, so we fle vnto him. If we haue not suche an instruction, we can ne­uer pronounce one worde of Goddes prayses as we oughte. Loe hereunto it is to be applyed▪ that Ezechias sayeth here, that the father shall make knowen vnto hys chyldren the treweth of God.

Moreouer, where as he sayeth, that the dead can not wayte for it, nor leane vnto it. Lette vs knowe, that for as muche as God declareth hym­selfe mercyfull and lyberall vnto vs, that is al­waye the more to confyrme oure hoope: That we shoulde take so muche the more courage to runne vnto hym, and not to doubte that he hathe hys hande alwaye readye to helpe vs at neade.

Howe then shall we vse the graces of God as we oughte? When we shall be alwaye con­fyrmed more and more in the saythe, when we canne dyspyse all temptations, when we canne resolue oure selues, that in callynge vpon God, we oughte in no wyse to feare the losse of oure la­boure, for as muche as oure hope shall neuer be confounded.

When then we shall be well satisfyed in thys [...]o as we maye fyghte agaynste Sathan, to beate backe all temptations, beholde howe we maye wyselye applye the benefytes of God to oure own vse, and howe wee maye take profyte of theym: Loe in a summe what wee haue beare to learne.

[Page 70]Moreouer, when he speaketh howe fathers ought to behaue them selues towarde theyr chyl­dren we haue to gather in generall (as hath bene said here before) y t it is not ynough y t we procure that god be glorified during our life, but we ought to desire as his name is immortall so that frō age to age it may be honored, & that those which shall come after vs, may kepe y e pure religiō, & that the seruice of God may neuer fall in decaye. That it maye be folowed and aduaunced alwaye and that the goodnes of God maye be euery where magni­fied. They that haue childrē, let them knowe that God hath committed them incharge to thē, & that they must rendre an accompt if they bestow not al trauaill to teache them to serue God. For when it is sayd that the father shall shewe to his childrē the truth of god, we must alwai come to this end. Why? to this ende that the children may trust in him, that they may call vpon him, that they maye geue to him the prayse of all good thynges, y t they may dedicate & cōsecrate thē selues wholy to him, & to his obediēce. Thē if fathers wil discharg, thē selues of theyr duties, let them knowe that this is the principall heritage that they ought to leaue to theyr children. But if they heape vp goods & yet geue them the bridle when they shall see them dis­solute, mischieuous, wicked despisers of God. Wo be to them in that they shall take peine to aduance them in this world: for they lift them vp very hye to make them break theyr neckes, & theyr fal shall be more deadly when they shal haue store of good­des: and yet in the meane tyme they shall despyse God in his doctrine, there confusion shalbe more [Page 71] horrible, bicause theyr vnthankfulnes shalbe lesse excusable. Let the fathers then thinke better of this thē they haue bene accustomed, that is to say, when God geueth them children, he bindeth them to this charge, that they endeuor so much y e more, that they may be instructed in his truth, so long as as they lyue, as also we se thexample geuen vs in Abraham, which is the father of the faithful. For when God meant to shewe that Abraham would gouerne his house, as appertened: Shall I hyde from my seruaunt Abraham (saith he) that which I haue to do? No. Lo howe God maketh hym selfe familiar with him. For (saieth he) he shal in­structe his children in my statutes, in my lawes, & in my ordinances: Lo, this is the marke whereby the faithfull are knowen frō the despisers of God. If then we will be numbred in the church, let vs folow this zele, and this affection of Abrahā, that euery one accordynge to the familie that he hath, trauaile that God be honoured in it, and that hys truth be alway knowen euen to the ende.

Nowe for conclusion Ezechias saieth: The Lorde it is that shall saue me. This worde doeth emport that he despiseth and throweth awaye all other safegarde, as if he should saye, there is none but God. He might haue said: The Lord hath sa­ued me. He might haue said: I hold my life of him and of his mere grace. But he goeth further, as if he meant here to mainteine the honor of God, and to beate down all the affiances that men conceiue in theyr fantasie. For we are wonte to make our discourses when we mynde to mainteine oure sel­ues, and when we seke to be assured, we take this meane, and that meane.

[Page 72]Nowe Ezechias forsaketh all and declareth that there is none but God, and that he it is whom we ought to go vnto.

True it is that God suffreth vs to vse all the meanes that he offreth vs, and he hathe ordeyned them for that vse, but yet he wyll not that his glo­rye be darkened, as it is no reason it shoulde be. Neuertheles men be so wicked and froward, that alway they take occasion to minishe the glorye of God vnder this coloure that he helpeth them by his creatures. If God hath not bene content only to make vs fele his owne vertue, but also applieth al his creatures to our vse we ought to be so much the more styrred to prayse him. But cleane con­trary, we robbe him of his right, we forsake him, and fasten our affiaunce here, and there, and we thinke that oure saluation procedeth from thys thing and from that. Lo how God is defrauded of his ryght. So much the more ought we to marke this that is here sayd by Ezechias. The Lorde it is that saueth vs. That is, thoughe the Lorde do stretch his hande vnto vs, and geueth vs where­with to be mainteined, yet let vs confesse that he is the fountain, and let the riuer that floweth frō him vnto vs, not hinder vs to knowe whence the riuer commeth. Let vs then tende alway to thys welspring that God be glorified, and that he kept his owne wholy: and after, when we are made naked of all other meanes, let vs say: the Lord alone shall suffise. And for this cause saith Dauid. The mercye of God is more worth than all lyues, not meanyng that the lyfe of men is not of the mercye of God, but he sheweth y e men ought not to be fast bound here beneth, & that they are become brutish [Page 73] when they thinke to preserue, mainteine, or war­rant them selfes by this, or that mercy, & that they ought aboue all thinges to preferre the only good­nes of God and to rest in the same. So then be­holde here a saying of great doctrine, if we cā haue skil to take profite therof. Let vs then folowe the example of Ezechias, and when God hath succo­red vs at our nede: let vs geue him the prayse for our life confessinge y t there is none but he alone to saue vs. Herunto he addeth againe. And we wyll singe our songes all the dayes of our life in y e house of the Lord. Here he repeteth agayne the saying that he spake before, that is, that he will employe all the residue of the life that god hath geuē him to make to God acknowledgement therof, that he might not be foūd vnthākful. For as I haue said it were better that we had neuer bene borne, than to enioy y e good things that God hath done for vs, and yet to haue oure mouth close and to thinke no more vpon him. Let vs then note well that thys repetion is not superfluous when Ezechias saieth so manye times that sith his lyfe is prolonged, he wyll be so muche the more styred to prayse God. Take this for one note.

Now, he furder sheweth that this shal not be for a sodein braide, as many can wel praise God w t a merely vehement affection, when they haue had profe of his goodnes, but that droupeth awaye by and by, and the memory is lost of it, & they thynke that it is enough y t at one time they haue testified y t thei thāk God for the good y t thei haue receiued. But Ezechias sheweth vs y t we ought to cōtinue therin w t a true perseuerāce, for we are beholdē to god no more for one day of our life thā for another [Page 74] It must therfore be fully dedicate & auowed vnto him. So seyng the slouthfulnes and coldnes that is in vs, let vs learn to styre vp our selues when we shall fele that oure zele waxeth colde for feare lest it be wholy quenched. Let vs awake. How? If I haue once or twise reknowledged the grace of God. What is that? must it be now forgotten? And if I blesse the name of God duringe one mo­neth, a yere, or two, or thre: And now I think no more of it. To what purpose shal y t serue me? but to make me so much y e more gi [...]tie of hipocrisie, & to shew y t ther was nothing but a fire of stubble, that there is no constancie nor stedfastnes. If then we beholde well the example of this good kynge, we shall euerye one be the more pricked forwarde, to fede our selues no more in this idlenes whiche is naturall vnto vs, and whereunto we be to muche enclined.

When he sayeth, In the house of the Lorde. He meaneth not that the prayses of God shoulde be enclosed within the tēple, for euery man in hys owne house maye and ought to praise God. But Ezechias sheweth that it is not ynoughe that he prayseth God in secrete, but that he wyll styre vp other, to haue more companye. He speaketh here of a solemne sacrifice of praise which he wil make to God in a great assemblie. And for this same cause our Lorde hathe wylled his to gather toge­ther. For he was able ynough to haue taught thē perticulerly if he would, & to saye: Let euery man prayse me in his chāber. But his pleasure is that there be this policie, that we be knit together in one body, that we call vpon him with one mouth, and that we make confession of our fayth with one [Page 75] accord. And why so? True it is, that firste we see that it behoueth that all oure senses be applied to glorifie him, but there is also a seconde point, that euery one styrre vp other as we haue nede, for ther is none of vs that feleth him self disposed to praise God, but he hathe yet a pricke forwarde when he shall see the company of the faithfull, and example shewed him. For asmuche therfore as this doeth styrre vs vp, God willeth that openly and in com­mon we sing his praises. And for this cause Eze­chias saieth expresly that he will go to the temple of the Lorde to prayse and blesse his name, as we se also that Ionas dyd the lyke. Ionas. 2. He speaketh of house of the Lorde, and why? not (as I said) that the praises of the Lorde are there shut vp & hiddē but for that the people there assemble together, & for that he knew that this should bring more pro­fite because there shoulde be some that shoulde be styred vp by his example. Lo in a sum the songe of Ezechias.

Now in the end it is here recited that y e Pro­phet Esay commaunded to make him a plaster of figges vpon his wounde, wherby it is likely that it was a pestilence which he had. And after he by and by addeth y t Ezechias also demaūdeth a token which is graunted him, as we se when the sonne was drawē back of his course vpon the diall of A­chas. A man mighte here moue a question, whe­ther thys playster were for medicine, or a token that the Prophet gaue him. And it semeth that if it had ben for medicine, it should haue diminished the glory of God, for it behoued that Ezechias life should be miraculous. Why did he not then heale him without any meane? But when all shalbe [Page 76] wel considered, the signe or miracle that was ge­uen to Ezechias whē the sonne stayed his course, and when the shadowe of the dyall was drawen back so many degrees, was sufficient, and toke a­waye all doubt. Moreouer although Ezechias vsed this plaister it is not therfore to be saide that his healyng was naturally wrought, for sith God had chaunged the order of the heauen, and shewed a witnesse so euident that this proceded from his hande, and that it was an extraordinary benefite, we ought to content our selues with that, and we see many times that God is serued with his crea­tures and yet he hath sufficientlye declared that it was his owne power only.

They whiche thinke that Ezechias rather had this plaister as a sacrament to confirme hym, doe thinke that the figges would more haue hurt his wounde than helped it. But a man maye make a compound of them to ripe a sore, and that is com­monly knowen. True it is that God somtime ge­ueth signes that seme cleane contrary, and that is to drawe vs the more to him, to make vs forsake our owne fantasies and hold vs content with that whiche he hath spoken. As how? God promiseth that the worlde shall neuer be destroyed with wa­ter, and what signe geueth he therof? a signe that naturally threateneth vs raine. When we see the rainbowe, what token is it? it is such a drawyng together of waters, that maketh seme we shall all be ouerwhelmed and the earth shal peryshe. And how so? This signe is geuen vs of God to make vs know that therth shal neuer be destroied with ouerflowynge of water. Yea but it is to make vs learne to stay vpon his truthe and to stoppe our [Page 77] eyes against all the rest, and against al that we cō ­ceiue in our selues, and that the truthe of God be of so sufficient credit with vs, that we receiue it without gainsaying. So thē God worketh wel in suche sorte: but as to this place, we maye rather iudge that the Prophet to asswage the griefe of Ezechias gaue hym thys remedye, lyke to a fyre that burneth a man. And so when GOD hadde prolonged the lyfe to this good kynge▪ he would yet of abundant grace adde this goodnesse also, that the paine should be mitigate. Then the prophet gaue him this as it wer an ouerplus that God had not only prolonged his life, but also wold not haue him endure so muche or suffer the tor­mentes whiche he felt before.

Thus behold howe in all and euery waye God hath declareth him selfe pitiful towarde this good king, how he would shewe him selfe pacified alto­gether after that he had vsed suche roughnes to­ward him and had stretched out his arme as if he wold haue altogether ouerwhelmed him, but this meaneth not y t God doth y e very same to euery one of his children, to the ende y t we shold not aske that in one minut of time God make vs glad after he hath drawen vs out of the graue and hath geuen vs throughlye to content vs, but that it maye be his pleasure by litle and lytle to geue vs ease of all our greues, in the meane time lette vs be content with this.

And in dede we may gather that God hetherto hath wrought by degrees in Ezechias: for this miracle was done since the shadow of the sonne was drawen back, and the message of prolonging his lyfe was geuen him by the prophet.

[Page 78]It semeth thē that Ezechias was altogether de­liuered, and yet this plaister was also requisite. So then whē our lord after he hath geuē vs anye [...]ase in oure trouble shall leaue some remnaunt of peine: let not that trouble vs, nether let vs be we­ry of bearyng his correction, vntill he haue healed vs altogether.

Nowe we haue to declare why Ezechias de­maunded a signe, for although it wer of wekenes yet God heard him in suche a request, and herein we se howe louynge God is towarde vs, when he doeth not onely graunt the requestes whiche we make of a pure and right affection: but also though there be some infirmitie mingled withall, and that we bear passions somwhat excessiue, yet God hath pitie on vs in this point. Certaine it is that Eze­chias when he had perfect faith he was content to haue heard the word from the mouth of the Pro­phet. Then when he saieth alas shall I not haue some signe: herin he sheweth that he geueth not ful and perfect faith to the word of God. But yet he confesseth his fault, and in confessyng it, he asketh remedy: & of whō? of God himself. Then whē we shalbe so encombred, fyrst let vs acknowledge our owne pouertie, and let vs not go aboute to excuse the euell, but let vs take vpon vs the sentence of condemnation willyngly. If then we aske of God to helpe it by his goodnes, he wyll succor vs, and heare our requestes.

It is true that it becōmeth not vs to require a signe or miracle when we thinke good, for as it hath bene declared in that place wher the prophet euen nowe made mention of the signe. Ezechias had a speciall motion vnto it, Iudi. 6. as Gedeon also had: [Page 79] Let vs leaue that to y e good pleasure of God, whē we know our infirmitie, & pray him to helpe, and to confirme vs to the ende we may be fullye satis­fied in his worde. Lo then how we muste go for­ward, and in this doyng we shall fele that this is not written onely for the parson of the kyng Eze­chias, but that God would geue it for a common instruction to all his church, that in oure troubles when we shalbe come to the extremitie: yea, to the bottome of hell, we may yet know that we ought to haue our refuge to him that hath called vs, and handled vs so gently, hopinge that he wyll shewe fourthe his strength towarde vs, althoughe for a time it be farre from vs, and that we se no signe of it, & so that he will geue vs mater to glorifie him, and also we are taughte to applye all oure lyfe to to blesse the name of God, and to sing his prayses accordyng as we haue experience of his goodnesse towarde vs.

Now let vs throwe downe our selues before the maiestie of our good God, in acknowledgyng of our faultes, praying him, that more and more, he wyll make vs to feale them, and that this may be to beate vs altogether downe, and humble vs before him y t we may fight with the vyces which make warre against vs, knowyng that our Lord hath ordeyned vs to this conflict, till we be fullye renewed and clothed with his iustice, & that there may be no stoppe to let vs frō the obedience of his good will, and that he graunt this grace not onely vnto vs, but to all peopes and nations. &c.

❧A MEDITA­TION OF A PENI­TENT SINNER: VVRIT­TEN IN MANER OF A Paraphrase vpon the 51. Psalme of Dauid.

¶I haue added this meditation fo­lowyng vnto the ende of this boke, not as parcell of maister Caluines worke, but for that it well agreeth with the same argument, and was de­liuered me by my frend with whom I knew I might be so bolde to vse & publishe it as pleased me.

¶The preface, expressing the passioned minde of the penitent sinner.

THe hainous gylt of my forsaken ghost
So threates, alas, vnto my febled sprite
Deserued death, and (that me greueth most)
Still stand so fixt before my daseld sight
The lothesome filthe of my disteined life,
The mighty wrath of myne offended Lorde,
My Lord whos wrath is sharper than the knife,
And deper woundes than doble edged sworde,
That▪ as the dimmed and fordulled eyen
Full fraught with teares & more & more opprest
With growing streames of the distilled bryne
Sent from the fornace of a grefefull brest,
Can not enioy the comfort of the light,
Nor finde the waye wherin to walke aright:
So I blinde wretch, whome Gods enflamed tre
with pearcing stroke hath throwne vnto y e groūd,
Amidde my sinnes still groueling in the myre,
Finde not the way that other oft haue found,
Whome cherefull glimse of gods abounding grace
Hath oft releued and oft with shyning light
Hath brought to ioy out of the vgglye place,
Where I in darke of euerlasting night
Bewayle my woefull and vnhappy case,
And fret my dyeng soule with gnawing paine.
Yet blinde, alas, I groape about for grace.
While blinde for grace I groape about in vaine,
My fainting breath I gather vp and straine,
Mercie, mercie to crye and crye againe.
But mercy while I sound with shreking crye▪
For graūt of grace and pardon while I pray,
Euen then despeir before my ruthefull eye
Spredes forth my sinne & shame, & semes to saye
In vaine thou brayest forth thy bootlesse noyse
To him for mercy, O refused wight,
That heares not the forsaken sinners voice.
Thy reprobate and foreordeined sprite,
For damned vessell of his heauie wrath,
(As selfe witnes of thy beknowyng hart.
And secrete gilt of thine owne conscience saith)
Of his swete promises can claime no part:
But thee, caytif, deserued curse doeth draw
To hell, by iustice, for offended law.
This horror whē my trēbling soule doth heare,
When markes and tokens of the reprobate,
My growing sinnes, of grace my senslesse cheare▪
Enforce the profe of euerlastyng hate,
That I conceiue the heauens king to beare
Against my sinfull and forsaken ghost:
As in the throte of hell, I quake for feare,
And then in present perill to be lost
(Although by conscience wanteth to replye,
But with remorse enforcing myne offence,
Doth argue vaine my not auailyng crye)
With woefull sighes and bitter penitence
To him from whom the endlesse mercy flowes
I cry for mercy to releue my woes.
And then not daring with presuming eye
Once to beholde the angry heauens face,
From troubled sprite. I send confused crye,
T [...] craue the crummes of all sufficing grace.
[Page]With foltring knee I fallyng to the ground,
Bendyng my yelding handes to heauens throne,
Poure forth my piteous plaint w t woefull sound,
With smoking sighes, & oft repeted grone,
Before the Lord, the Lord, whom synner I,
I cursed wretch, I haue offended so,
That dredyng, in his wrekefull wrath to dye,
And damned downe to depth of hell to go,
Thus tost with panges and passions of despeir,
Thus craue I mercy with repentant chere.

❧A Meditation of à peni­tent sinner, vpon the 51. Psalme.

Haue mer­cie vpon me (o God) after thy great merci
HAue mercy, God, for thy great mercies sake.
O God: my God, vnto my shame I say,
Beynge fled from thee, so as I dred to take
Thy name in wretched mouth, and feare to pray
Or aske the mercy that I haue abusde.
But, God of mercy, let me come to thee:
Not for iustice, that iustly am accusde:
Which selfe word Iustice so amaseth me,
That scarce I dare thy mercy sound againe.
But mercie, Lord, yet suffer me to craue.
Mercie is thine: Let me not crye in vaine,
Thy great mercie for my great fault to haue.
Haue mercie, God, pitie my penitence
With greater mercie than my great offence.
And ac­cording vnto the multitude of thy mer­cies do a­way myne offences.
My many sinnes in nomber are encreast,
With weight wherof in sea of depe despeire
My sinking soule is now so sore opprest,
That now in peril and in present fere,
I crye: susteine me, Lord, and Lord I pray▪
With endlesse nomber of thy mercies take
The endlesse nomber of my sinnes away.
So by thy mercie, for thy mercies sake,
Rue on me, Lord, releue me with thy grace.
My sinne is cause that I so nede to haue
Thy mercies ayde in my so woefull case:
My synne is cause that scarce I dare to craue
Thy mercie manyfolde, whiche onely may
Releue my soule, and take my sinnes away.
So soule is sinne and lothesome in thy sighte,
Wash me yet more from my wickednes, and clense me from my sinne.
So foule with sinne I see my selfe to be,
That till from sinne I may be washed white,
So foule I dare not, Lord, approche to thee.
Ofte hath thy mercie washed me before,
Thou madest me cleane: but I am foule againe.
Yet washe me Lord againe, and washe me more.
Washe me, O Lord, and do away the staine
Of vggly sinnes that in my soule appere.
Let flow thy plētuous streames of clensing grace.
Washe me againe, yea washe me euery where,
Bothe leprous bodie and defiled face.
Yea washe me all, for I am all vncleane.
And from my sin, Lord, cleanse me ones againe.
Haue mercie, Lord, haue mercie:
For I knowledge my wickednes, and my sinne is e­uer before me.
for I know
How muche I nede thy mercie in this case.
The horror of my gilt doth dayly growe,
And growing weares my feble hope of grace.
I fele and suffer in my thralled brest
Secret remorse and gnawing of my hart.
I fele my sinne, my sinne that hath opprest
My soule with sorrow and surmounting smart.
Drawe me to mercie: for so oft as I
[Page]Presume to mercy to direct my sight,
My Chaos and my heape of sinne doth lie,
Betwene me and thy mercies shining light.
What euer way I gaze about for grace,
My filth and fault are euer in my face.
Againste thee onelye haue I sin­ned, & don euill in thy sight.
Graunt thou me mercy, Lord: thee thee alone
I haue offended, and offendyng thee,
For mercy loe, how I do lye and grone.
Thou with allpearcing eye beheldest me,
Without regard that sinned in thy sight.
Beholde againe, how now my spirite it rues,
And wailes the tyme, when I with foule delight
Thy swete forbearing mercy did abuse.
My cruell conscience with sharpned knife
Doth splat my ripped hert, and layes abrode
The loth [...]some secretes of my filthy life,
And spredes them forth before the face of God.
Whō shame frō dede shamelesse cold not restrain,
Shame for my dede is added to my paine.
But therey Lord, O Lord some pitie take,
That thou mightest be founde iust in thy say­inges, and maiest ouer come when thou art iudged.
Withdraw my soule from the deserued hell▪
O Lord of glory, for thy glories sake:
That I may saued of thy mercy tell,
And shew how thou, which mercy hast behight
To sighyng sinners, that haue broke thy lawes,
Performest mercy: so as in the sight
Of them that iudge the iustice of thy cause
Thou onely iust be demed, and no moe,
The worldes vniustice wholy to confound:
That damning me to depth of during woe
Iust in thy iudgement shouldest thou be found:
And from deserued [...]la [...]es releuyng me
[Page]Iust in thy mercy mayst thou also be.
For lo, in sinne, Lord, I begotten was,
For loe, I was shapen in wicked­nes, and in sinne my mother cō ­ceiued me.
With sede and shape my sinne I toke also,
Sinne is my nature and my kinde alas,
In sinne my mother me conceiued: Lo
I am but sinne, and sinfull ought to dye,
Dye in his wrath that hath forbydden sinne.
Such bloome and frute loe sinne doth multiplie,
Such was my roote, such is my iuyse within.
I plead not this as to excuse my blame,
On kynde or parentes myne owne gilt to lay:
But by disclosing of my sinne, my shame,
And nede of helpe, the plainer to displaye
Thy mightie mercy, if with plenteous grace
My plenteous sinnes it please thee to deface.
Thou louest simple sooth, not hidden face
With trutheles visour of deceiuing showe.
But lo, thou haste loued trueth, the hidden and secrete thinges of thy wisedome thou haste opened vn­to me.
Lo simplie, Lord, I do confesse my case,
And simplie craue thy mercy in my woe.
This secrete wisedom hast thou graunted me,
To se my sinnes, & whence my sinnes do growe:
This hidden knowledge haue I learnd of thee,
To fele my sinnes, and howe my sinnes do flowe
With such excesse, that with vnfained hert,
Dreding to drowne, my Lorde, lo howe I flee,
Simply with teares bewailyng my desert,
Releued simply by thy hand to be.
Thou louest truth, thou taughtest me the same.
Helpe, Lord of truth, for glory of thy name.
With swete Hysope besprinkle thou my sprite:
Sprinkle me, Lorde, with hisope and I shal­be cleane: washe me and I shal­be whiter then snow.
Not such hysope, nor so besprinkle me,
[Page]As law vnperfect shade of perfect lyght
Did vse as an apointed signe to be
Foreshewing figure of thy grace behight.
With death and bloodshed of thine only sonne▪
The swete hysope, cleanse me defyled wyght.
Sprinkle my soule. And when thou so haste done,
Bedeawd with droppes of mercy and of grace▪
I shalbe cleane as cleansed of my synne.
Ah wash me, Lord: for I am foule alas:
That only canst, Lord, wash me well within,
Wash me, O Lord: when I am washed soe,
I shalbe whiter than the whitest snowe.
Thou shalt make me heare ioye and glad­nesse, at the bones which thou hast broken shal reioyse
Long haue I heard, & yet I heare the soundes
Of dredfull threates and thonders of the law,
Which Eccho of my gylty minde resoundes,
And with redoubled horror doth so draw
My listening soule from mercies gentle voice,
That louder, Lorde, I am constraynde to call:
Lorde, pearce myne eares, & make me to reioyse▪
When I shall heare, and when thy mercy shall
Sounde in my hart the gospell of thy grace.
Then shalt thou geue my hearing ioy againe,
The ioy that onely may releue my case.
And then my broosed bones, that thou with paine
Hast made to weake my febled corps to beare,
Shall leape for ioy, to shewe myne inward chere.
Turne a­way thy face from my sinnes, and do a­way all my misdedes.
Loke on me, Lord: though trēbling I beknowe,
That sight of sinne so sore offendeth thee,
That seing sinne, how it doth ouerflowe
My whelmed soule, thou canst not loke on me,
But with disdaine, with horror and despite.
Loke on me, Lord: but loke not on my sinne.
[Page]Not that I hope to hyde it from thy sight,
Which seest me all without and eke within.
But so remoue it from thy wrathfull eye,
And from the iustice of thyne angry face,
That thou impute it not. Looke not how I
Am foule by sinne: but make me by thy grace
Pure in thy mercies sight, and, Lord, I pray▪
That hatest sinne, wipe all my sinnes away.
Sinne and despeir haue so possest my hart,
Create a cleane hart within me, O God: and renew a stedfast spirit within my bowels.
And hold my captiue soule in such restraint,
As of thy mercies I can fele no part,
But still in languor do I lye and faint.
Create a new pure hart within my brest:
Myne old can hold no liquour of thy grace.
My feble faith with heauy lode opprest
Staggring doth scarcely creepe a reeling pace,
And fallen it is to faint to rise againe.
Renew, O Lord, in me a constant sprite,
That stayde with mercy may my soule susteine▪
A sprite so setled and so firmely pight
Within my bowells, that it neuer moue,
But still vphold thassurance of thy loue.
Loe prostrate, Lorde, before thy face I lye,
Cast me not away from thy face, and take not thy holy spirit from me.
With sighes depe drawne depe sorow to expresse▪
O Lord of mercie, mercie do I crye:
Dryue me not from thy face in my distresse,
Thy face of mercie and of swete relefe,
The face that fedes angels with onely sight,
The face of comfort in extremest grefe.
Take not away the succour of thy sprite,
Thy holy sprite, which is myne onely stay,
The stay that when despeir assaileth me,
[Page]In faintest hope yet moueth me to pray,
To pray for mercy, and to pray to thee.
Lord, cast me not from presence of thy face,
Nor take from me the spirite of thy grace.
Restore to me the comforte of thy sauing hel­pe, & sta­blishe me with thy free spirit.
But render me my wonted ioyes againe,
Which sinne hath rest, and planted in theyr place
Doubt of thy mercy ground of all my paine.
The tast, that thy loue whilome did embrace
My chearfull soule, the signes that dyd assure
My felyng ghost of fauor in thy sight,
Are fled from me, and wretched I endure
Senslesse of grace the absence of thy sprite.
Restore my ioyes, and make me fele againe
The swete retorne of grace that I haue lost,
That I may hope I pray not all in vayne.
With thy free sprite confirme my feble ghost.
To hold my faith from ruine and decay
With fast affiance and assured stay.
I shal teach thy waies vnto the wicked, & sinnes shall be tourned vnto thee.
Lord, of thy mercy if thou me withdraw
From gaping throte of depe deuouring hell,
Loe, I shall preach the iustice of thy law:
By mercy saued, thy mercy shall I tell.
The wicked I wyll teache thyne only way,
Thy wayes to take, and mans deuise to flee,
And suche as lewd de [...]ight hath ledde astray,
To rue theyr errour and returne to thee.
So shall the profe of myne example preache
The bitter frute of lust and foule delight:
So shall my pardon by thy mercy teache
The way to finde swete mercy in thy sight.
Hyue mercy, Lorde, in me example make
Of lawe and mercy, for thy mercies sake.
O God, God of my health, my sauing God,
Deliuer me from bloud o God, God of my helth & my tong shall ioyful lye talke of thy iustice.
Haue mercy Lord, and shew thy might to saue,
Assoile me, God, from gilt of giltlesse blod,
And cke from sinne that I ingrow [...]ng haue
By fleshe and bloud and by corrupted kinde.
Vpon my bloud and soule extende not, Lorde,
Vengeance for bloud, but mercy let me finde,
And strike me not with thy reuengyng sworde.
So, Lord, my ioying tong shall talke thy praise,
Thy name my mouth shall vtter in delight,
My voice shall sounde thy iustice, and thy waies,
Thy waies to iustifie thy sinfull wight.
God of my health, from bloud I saued so
Shall spred thy prayse for all the world to know.
Lo straining crampe of colde despeir againe
In feble brest doth pinche my pinyng hart,
Lord, open thou my lippes, and my mouth shal shewe thy praise.
So as in greatest nede to cry and plaine
My speache doth faile to vtter thee my smart.
Refreshe my yeldyng hert, with warming grace,
And loose my speche, and make me call to thee.
Lord open thou my lippes to shewe my case,
My Lord, for mercy Loe to thee I flee.
I can not pray without thy mouyng ayde,
Ne can I ryse, ne can I stande alone.
Lord, make me pray, & graūt whē I haue praide.
Lord loose my lippes, I may expresse my mone▪
And findyng grace with open mouth I may
Thy mercies praise, and holy name display.
Thy mercies praise, instede of sacrifice,
If thou haddest de­sired sacri­fice, I wold haue geuen thou dely­test not in burnt of­fringes.
With thankfull minde so shall I yeld to thee.
For if it were delitefull in thine eyes,
Or hereby mought thy wrath appeased be▪
[Page]Of cattell slayne and burnt with sacred flame
Vp to the heauen the vaprie smoke to send:
Of gyltlesse beastes, to purge my gilt and blame,
On altars broylde the sauour shold ascend,
To pease thy wrath. But thy swete sonne alone,
With one sufficing sacrifice for all
Appeaseth thee, and maketh the at one
With sinfull man, and hath repaird our fall.
That sacred hoste is euer in thine eyes.
The praise of that I yeld for sacrifice.
The sacri­fice to God is a trobled spirit: a broken and an humbled hart, o god, thou wilt not despise.
I yeld my self, I offer vp my ghoste,
My slayne delightes, my dyeng hart to thee.
To God a trobled sprite is pleasing hoste.
My trobled sprite doth drede like him to be,
In whome tastlesse languor with lingring pain [...]
Hath febled so the starued appetite,
That foode to late is offred all in vaine,
To holde in fainting corps the fleing sprite.
My pining soule for famine of thy grace
So feares alas the faintnesse of my faithe.
I offre vp my trobled sprite: alas,
My trobled sprite refuse not in thy wrathe.
Such offring likes thee, ne wilt thou despise
The broken humbled hart in angry wise.
Shew fa­uour, o lord in thy good will vnto Sion, that [...] walles▪ of Hierusalem may be bylded.
Shew mercie, Lord, not vnto me alone:
But stretch thy fauor and thy pleased will,
To sprede thy bountie and thy grace vpon
Sion, for Sion is thy holly hyll:
That thy Hierusalem with mighty wall
May be enclosed vnder thy defense.
And bylded so that it may neuer fall
By myning fraude or mighty violence.
[Page]Defend thy chirch, Lord, and aduaunce it soe,
So in despite of tyrannie to stand,
That trēbling at thy power the world may know
It is vpholden by thy mighty hand:
That Sion and Hierusalem may be
A safe abode for them that honor thee.
Then on thy hill, and in thy walled towne,
Then shalt thou accept the sacri­fice of righteousnesse, burnt of­fringes and oblations▪ then shall they offre yonge bul­lockes vpon thine al­tare.
Thou shalt receaue the pleasing sacrifice.
The brute shall of thy praised name resoune
In thankfull mouthes, and then with gentle eyes
Thou shalt behold vpon thine altar lye
Many a yelden host of humbled hart,
And round about then shall thy people crye:
We praise thee, God our God: thou onely art
The God of might, of mercie, and of grace.
That I then, Lorde, may also honor thee.
Releue my sorow, and my sinnes deface:
Be, Lord of mercie, mercifull to me:
Restore my feling of thy grace againe:
Assure my soule, I craue it not in vaine.
FINIS.

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