Davids Harp, Part 6
¶ The syxte verse.
O Lord I am thy seruāt / yea thy seruaunt ī dede / & the son of thy handmayde thou hast broken my bon / des.
¶ The nynte strynge.
BEcause no man, be he neuer so holy, good and perfecte, should thyncke that thorowe his owne holynes, goodnes & perfeccion, he had deserued that his deathe shoulde be dere, precious, and of great valour in the Lordes syght, or els because that he had suffred many great tor mentes for the glorye of God, yea & perchaunse very death, & so by that meanes recounte hymselfe worthy by hys owne desertes of the lyfe eternall: oure Mynstrell Dauid in this verse of his songe, not vntounto the derogacion of the sayntes honour, whiche are not to be defrauded of theyr prayse, but vntounto the promocion & settynge forth of Gods glory, syngeth here, howe it commethe to passe, that the death of Saynctes, that is, of the faythfull, is so precious i the sight of ye Lord. The cause is this, sayth he, because God hath broken theyr bondes. For what is man, that he maye appeare righteous Iob. ix.in ye sight of God, before whom a chyld of one day olde is not pure, nor the starres in the Eliment, nor nor yet the Aungelles in heauen. Math. xix. Esa. ixiiii. Pro. xx. i. Ioan. i. Psal. cxiiii.There is no man good, but God alone. All our righteousnesses are as a clothe polluted wythe menstrue. Who is able to say, my hart is pure & I am cleane without synne? The moost ryghteous man in the world maye pray on this manner wythe Dauid, Lorde enter not into iudge ment with thy seruaunte, for none y• lyueth, shallbe foūd ryghteous in ii. Cor. iii. Ioan. iii. Rom. viii.thy sight. Is it ony maruayle, whē of our selues we are not able to thike a good thoughte, moche lesse to worke ony good dede by our owne power, before we be regēerate, bor ne a newe, and made other men by Christes Spirite.
And as towchyng the affliccion and trouble, that we suffer in this worlde, seme it to the flesh neuer so greate, paynefull and intollerable, yet can it not be compared to ye glo ry, that shalbe shewed to vsus, as S. Paule sayth. Notwitstandynge yf Rom. viii. i. Cor. xii. ii. Tim. ii. Heb. iiii. Tit. i. Psal. cxiiiiiwe suffer with Christ, we shall also reygne with Christ, yea & be glorifi ed with hym, not that we of our selues hauehave deserued so great glorye, but because God hath so promised which can not lye, but is faythfull in al his wordes, & leaueth no good dede vnrewarded, that is done in Christ, yea and that for his promise sake thorow his vnmesurable mercy Math. x. i. Pet. i.poured forthe plenteously in the moost precioꝰ bloud of Christ Iesu. Now seyng ye not we onlye but also Ioan. iii. Rom. xiiii.al ye euer we do of oure selues is vn pure & vnclene in the syght of god, vntyl both we & al our dedes be pu rified by the diuine spirite, therfore before we canne brynge forthe ony thinge that maye be approued and accepted before God, we must be de lyuered from that moost miserable Gen. iii. Rom. v. vi. vii. viii.captiuite, wherunto we ware caste of Satan thorowe the synne of Adam. Our bondes must be broken, we muste be set at liberte from the power of Satan, syn, death, hel. &c. This thynge once done, thā what Mark well.so euer we do in Christ and in oure newe regeneracion, muste nedes be allowed before God, & receaued as an acceptable Sacrifice. Yea whyther we lyue or dye, both our lyfe & oure death is right dere and precious in y• syghte of the Lorde. But let vsus returne vntounto our songe.
Although it be true, & nothynge more true, yt God of his owne mere The good nes of God toward vsus.mercy & fre goodnes & vndeserued benignite saued vsus whan we ware so vtterly loste, that by no meanes we could seke ony parte of our own saluacion, nor recouer by our owne strength & power ony thynge at all that we before had lost in Adam, so that both oure creācion, eleccion, re demcion, saluacion, iustificacion, & glorificacion commeth only of hym Rom. viii.thorow his moost entierly beloued sonne, our Lord & Sauiour Iesus Christe. Yet do these his benefites only belonge vntounto thē, that are his faythfull seruauntes, & the sonnes of his handemayd, as Dauid sayth here: O Lord because I am thy ser uaunte, yea thy seruaunt in dede, & the sonne of thy handmayde, thou hast broken my bondes. We se here that Dauid confessethe, that God Note to whome the benefytes of God in Christbelōgbrake his bondes, but he addeth also, that he therfore is his seruaunt, yea his vnfayned seruaūte & y• sōne of his handmayd. Wherby we maye easly learne that the merciful bene fites of God the father, which lyghe poured out in Christes bloude, pertayne not vntounto all persons vniuersallye, but only vntounto those, that are his seruauntes, yea & that not fayned, but true, hartye, louynge and faythful, & the sonnes of his hande mayd. God hath performed ye othe, sayth y• good preste Zachary father to S. Iohn̄ baptist, which he sware Luke. i. Gene. xxii.vntounto Abraham our father, to gyue vsus, that we beyng without feare & delyuered frō the power of our enemies, shoulde serue hym wt holynes & ryghteousnesse before hym all the dayes of our lyfe. We are delyuered sayth this good preste, from the power of our enemiesnot y• we should lyue wickedly & vngodly, but that we shoulde serue oure LORDE God, not in our owne fleshly ymaginacions & blynde good ententes, but in holynes & righteousnes, yea & that not a daye or two, but al the dayes of our lyfe. God hath not called vsus, saythe S. Paule, vntounto vnclennes, 1. Thes. i. Act. iii.but vntounto sanctificacion. God hathe blyssed you, saythe the scripture, by his sonne Iesus, that eueryevery one of you shoulde turne from his wicked nes. God hath broken our bondes, that we shoulde be his faythfull ser uauntes & the sonnes of his hande mayd, as Dauid sayth. Now what What it is to be the ser uaunte of God.is it to be the seruaunt of God? Ue rely to do those thynges that we be commaunded of God. In considera cion wherof S. Paule & the other Apostles ī al theyr Epistles call thē selues the seruauntes of God, bycause vntounto the vttermoost of theyr power they euer fulfylled those thī ges that were enioyned thē of god. For it becommeth a seruaūt to fulfyll his masters cōmaundemente, & not to worke after his owne fansy, so maye he be bolde to appere in his masters syghte, whan so euer he be called, & to aske that which his master hath promised him. In lyke mā ner yf we wyll be counted & so proued the seruauntes of God vnfaynedlye, we muste earnestelye consider eueryevery mā accordynge to his cal lynge, what God hathe commaunded vsus in his holy law, and that we must laboure vntounto the vttermoost of our power for to fulfyl, or els we are no true seruaūtes of God. For by no meanes may we leaue ye wyll of God vnfylled, & practise thynges of oure owne imaginacion. If ony Io. viii. xiiii. xv.man loueth me, sayth Christ, he wyl kepe my word & my father shal louelove hym, & we wyl come vntounto hym and dwell with him. He that hath my cō maundemētes & kepeth them, he it is that louethe me. For not eueryevery Math. vi…one that sayth vntounto me, Lord Lord shall enter into the kyngdome of he uē, but he that doth the wyll of my father, which is in heauen.
But it is to be noted, that Dauid doth not only name hymselfe y• seruaunt of god, but he doubleth it & sayth, yea the seruaunt of God in dede. As though he should saye, god hath done moch for me, he hath bro ken my bondes, he hathe delyuered me oute of captiuite, & set me agen at liberte, therfore wyll I be his ser uaūt, yea & that not fayn…dly, but his seruauut in dede, doynge what so euer he commaundethe me, yea though it shoulde coste me my lyfe. So it becometh vsus not only to pro Math. vii. Rom. viii. Iacob. i.fesse our selues to be the seruaūtes of God and christen men by mouth, but also to expresse it in verye dede, seyng that not the hearers but the doers of the law shall be iustified be fore God.
O LORDE GOD be mercyfull to vsus, howe many be ther nowe a dayes, that caull themselues ye ser Agenst the grosse Gospellers and vayne talkers of the scripture.uauntes of God & gospellers, & yet are nothynge lesse in theyr dedes? They crake moch of fayth, but they brynge not forth y• fruytes of fayth They talke moch of the gospel, but they lyue no part of ye gospel. They reade the holy scriptures, but they fashon theyr lyues nothyng theraf ter. They call Christ theyr sauiour, yet walke they nothynge worthye his kyndenes. They thynke thē selues the sonnes of lyghte, but they exercise the workes of darknes. Oh that they were Goddes seruaūtes in dede, feruent gospellers, earneste practisers of fayth, true followers of the holy Scriptures, to cōclude, both louers and lyuers of Christes gospell, than wel were it with Chri stes chyrch. But alas theyr lyuing is so dissolute, & theyr manners so wycked and vngodly, that we may well saye, as S. Paule wrytethe: They professe that they know god, Tit. i.but they deny hi wyth theyr actes, seynge they are abhominable, disobedient and vnapte to al good wor kes.
Moreouer Dauid callethe hym selfe here not only the true & fayth full seruaunte of God, but also the sonne of Gods handmayd. Who is this handmayd of God? Uerely the vniuersall congregacion of Christ, Who is the handmayde of God.whiche from the begynnyng of the worlde hathe serued God & beleued in hym, whose sonne eueryevery one is, yt beleueth in God. For he is begottē of God, the sonne of god by fayth to that congregacion, whose member he is made, & that congregacion by preachynge begetteth hym to God, that beleueth the word of god. So that as the congregacion is a mother by begettynge and wynnyng other to the fayth, so is he that beleueth, & is begottē vntounto the fayth, the sonne of the congregacion, as s. Paule wryteth to the Galathians, Gala. iiiiMy lytle chyldren, of whome I tra uayle in byrth agayne, or wt whom I am agayne wythe chylde, vntyll Christe be fasshyoned in you.
Also to the Corinthians, althoghe …. Cor. iiii.ye hauehave many masters ī Christ, yet hauehave ye not many fathers. For I begat you in Christ Iesu by the gos pell. He also writyng to Timothe, …. Tim. i.calleth hym his natural sonne in … fayth. Agayne Syon signifyeng y• Church of Christ, sayth by the Pro phet, who hath begottē me these? Al so ī another place: the desolate hath Esa. xlix. and. iiiii.mo chyldren, than y• maryed wyfe.
Thus se we, that we must both be the true seruauntes of God, and also the sonnes of the handmayd of god, Christes chyrche, yf we wyl en ioye the benefites, that ly bent out in Christ. And verely it is not with out a cause required of vsus, not only that we shoulde be the faythful seruauntes of god, but also the sonnes of his handemayd For many in tymes past, nether want ther at this daye, hauehave bosted valeauntly that they were the seruauntes of God, yea & woulde seme of a feruent zele to dye for the glory of god, yet in as muche as they were not the sonnes also of gods handmayde, they were not the seruauntes of god in dede, but dissemblers & Hypocrites. Of this sorte were all the olde Heretikes, Scismatikes, & false Christiās in tymes past, which sowed dissensi on in Christes chyrche, and deuided them selues from the holy catholike chyrche, whiche is the fellowshyp of sayntes, by teachyng straunge doctrine, & mayntenynge erroneous opinions cōtrary to the doctrine of the holy scripture, & the teachynge of the true godly fathers. Of this sorte also at this tyme are the An… baptistes, Sacramētaries & other Phanaticall & frentyke Spirites which hauehave vayne visions inuēted Math. xiii Mar. iiii. Tit. iii. Heb. xiii.of theyr owne braynes, sowe cockel among the good wheat, in the Lordes felde, brynge in straunge sectes inuente newe opinions, make dissē cion in Christes churche, allure mē from the olde & true christen fayth, corrupte the scriptures, teache doctrine contrary to the vayne of god des word, trouble the cōmon weale of Christendome. &c. All these in as much as they hauehave deuided & cutte of them selues from the chyrche of Christ, which is the hand mayde of god, pertayne not vntounto god, nether hauehave they any parte of gods mercy though they boste & crake neuer so much, that they be the seruauntes of god, yea though they gyue theyr bodies to be plucked asunder wyth Mark.wild horses for ye glory of god For wt out the chyrche of Christ, ther is no health nor saluaciō, but altogyther death & damnacion. But I woulde An ad…oni cion for the true & fals chyrch.hauehave men wyse in knowynge thys chyrche of Christe, vnlesse they erre & mayntayne an whore in steade of a spouse, an vnchast harlotte for a true wyfe, a fylthy strompette for a faythfull yokefellow, a disobedient Synagoge for a christen congregacion. We hauehave in tymes past taken the Bysshop of Rome, & hys paynted carnall Idolles, I would hauehave Errours about the Chyrche.sayd, his sayncted Cardinalles, Pa triarches, Legates, Archbysshops, Bysshops, Prestes, Monckes, Fryars, Chanons, Heremites, Anacho rites, & other of the spiritualte, as they call thē, only to be the chyrche & hauehave thought that by no meanes we myght departe from them and theyr doctrine, excepte they would be dāned, in what so euer case they O abhominacion.stode, were they on Goddes syde, or contrary, taught they accordynge to gods worde or otherwyse. For once to hyske agenst them, was co… Ioan. ix.ted to cut the cote of Christe y• had neuer a seme, to subuert and tople downe the chayre of Peter & Paul the chefe Apostles, to defyle, to tear & to tread vnderunder fote the authorite of the chyrche Christes spouse, yea Apoc. xxi.& to make shorte tale, to caull oute of hel the heresies that were buried and layd to slepe.
By this meanes hauehave they theise many hundred yeares not only seduced the simple and vnlerned peo ple, butte also falselye vsurpedde the name of the Chyrche, callynge them selues the mother holye chur che, beynge so rather in name thā in very dede. If they were faith full, & dyd continewe in ye doctrine of the holy Scripture so were they
members of this chyrche of Christ, yf contrarywyse, than pertayned they not vntounto this holy catholyke chyrche, but were corrupt & rotten members, h…ynge nothyng lesse thē pertakers of this helth and saluacion, that is in this moost pure & vndefyled chyrche.
This chyrche of Christ, whome Dauid calleth here, the handmayd of the LORDE, is the vniuersall What the Chyrch is Ioan. iii. vi. Collos. i. Matth. xvi. i. Ioan. iiii. Ioan. x.congregacion of the faythfull, whiche wt a sure & vndoubted fayth beleue in Christe, acknoweledge hym to be theyr heade, confesse hym to be the sonne of the lyuynge God, graunt vnfaynedly that he came in ye flesh, heare the voyce of theyr Sheppard cleaue only to his worde, flye ye voyces of straungers, stycke vntounto him us to theyr alone treasure, & looke for all good thynges at hys hande only.
Unto this churche pertayne so many as from the begynnyng of the world vntyl this tyme hauehave vn …at. …vi. xxi Esa. xxviii. Dan. ii. i. Cor. x. Matxx. viiifaynedly beleued in Christe, or shall beleue vntounto ye very ende of ye world. Agaynste this chyrche the gates of hell shall not preuayle, seynge it is bylte on the rocks Christ For Chri… hymselfe hathe promised, yt he wyll be with it by his holy spirite euen vntounto the very cōsummaciō and end of the world.
Moreouer Christ loued this chirch so well, that he gaue hymselfe for it Ephe. v. Gala. i. Cit. iii. i. Pet. iii. Apoc. xxi. i. Tim. iii.to sanctify it, & clensed it in the fo… tayne of water, by ye word, to make it vntounto hym selfe a glorious congre ciō hauynge no spot or wryncle, nor ony suche thyng, but that it should be holy & without blame. This chir che is the spouse of Christ, and matrone of heauen, the house of God, whiche is the congregacion of the li uynge God, the pyller & ground of trueth. This chyrche is the mount Syō, the Cytye of the lyuyng god, the celestiall Hierusalē, the company Heb. xii.of innumerable aungelles, & the congregacion of the fyrst begotten, which are written in heauen. This chyrche is the holy cytie, that newe Apo. xxi.Ierusalem, which came downe frō God oute of heauen, prepared as a bryde garnysshed for her husbonde. This chyrch is that louelove, that dere Cant. i. ii. iii. iiii.dearlynge, that doue, that fayreste amonge all women without spotte or deformite, of whome we rede in y• Balades of Salomō. This chyrch cā neuer erre, seinge that it is euer Ioan. xiiii. xv. xvi. Mat. xxviii Ioan. x.gouerned with the spirite of Christ seynge also that it cleaueth only to the worde of God, neyther dothe it heare ye voyce of ony straunger, but only heare and followe the voyce of her Sheppard, which is Christ. To know therfore this chyrch of Christ from the Synagoge of Antichriste it is very easye, For the Chyrche of Christ leaneth with a sure fayth to A comparison betwene y• Chyrch of Christ, & the Synagoge of antechristChrist alone the sonne of the liuing God, as an omnisufficient sauiour. The Synagoge of Antechriste although it confessethe Christ after a certayne manner, yet it sekethe saluacion also at the handes of other. The chyrch of Christ followeth only the word of God, & accordyng to that worketh in all thynges. The Synagoge of Antechrist followeth the voyces of straungers, deuyseth newe decrees, constitucions, lawes ordinaunces &c. & vntounto them it stic keth maynly. The chyrch of Christ practysethe those workes, that ar… commaunded in the holye Scripture. The Synagoge of Antechrist worketh thynges of her owne yma ginacion, not prescribed in the law of God. The chyrch of Christ seketh aboue all thynges the glory of god, & the health of her neyghbour. The Synagoge of Antechrist seketh her owne pōpe, honour, glory & prayse. The chyrche of Christ is redy at all tymes to suffer persecuciō for Goddes truethes sake. The Synagoge of Antechrist hateth y• crosse, seketh to lyue all in pleasure, to persecute so many as louelove god and his word. The chyrche of Christ seaketh euer after heauenly thynges. The Synagoge of Antechrist hūtethe after temporall promocions, worldly honours, fleshly dignities, easy lyuin ges, carnall pleasures, galant pasti mes, sumptuous fare, gorgious apparell. &c. The chyrche of Christ spē deth her goodes vponupon the poore mē bers of Christe. The Synagoge of Antechrist bestoweth her goodes af ter her owne fansye, & not after the commaundement of God. To conclude, The chyrche of Christ is alto gyther godly & celestiall. The syna goge of antechrist is altogither wic ked & earthly. Hereby do we learne which is the true chyrch, & which is ye false, which is ye chyrche of Christ & which is ye sinagoge of Antechrist
But it is not to be gone ouer wt Why the chyrch is cal an hande mayde.a lyght fote, as they vse to say, that Dauid calleth this chyrch of Christ the handemayde of God, neither is it withoute a cause. For as a true, faythfull and diligent handmayde hauehave her eyes alwayes fyxed vponupon her mastres for to wayte & se, what Psal. cxxii. Mark well.shall be her pleasure to commaund her to do, that she maye do it wyth all redines & spede, euē so becometh it them of Christes chyrche diligent lyto wayte vponupon theyr Lord God, & to marke what his moost godlye Esa. viii. Psal. cxviii. Luc. xvi.wyll, pleasure and commaundemēt is that they shoulde do. And thys shall they assuredly knowe by searchynge the holye Scriptures. And as it becometh not an honest hand mayde to leaue the cōmaundement of her mastres vndone, and to busy herselfe about suche thinges, as she ☞her selfe thynketh best to be done of her owne brayne, euē so doth it not become them that professe them selues members of Christes chyrch to leaue the cōmaundementes of God vndone, & to fall in hande withe doynge thynges of theyr owne fansy & ymaginacion. For they that do so shewe them selues no handmaydes, but mastresses, nether are they obedient subiectes vntounto God, but rather take vponupon them to be arrogāt superiours, & presumteous checkemates. Let them therfore that wyl ☜be of Christes chyrche learne to be handmaydes & no mastresses, to be obedient subiectes, & not arrogant superiours & presumpteous checke mates, vnlesse, whyle they followe theyr owne fantasyes and dreames they fall from the chyrche of Christ vntounto Antichristes Synagoge, as we may se in the Papistes, Anabap tistes, Sacramentaries. &c.
Moreouer we reade that thys The true Chyrch is the spouse of Christ.chyrch is not only called the hande mayde of the LORDE, but also the spowse of Christe, yea & that not vn worthy. For as a good, honeste, and faythfull wyfe is obediēt to her hus bonde in all thinges, loueth hī pure ly, cleaueth vntounto hym only, hath no pleasure to ronne after other men, delyghteth her self wt her husbōdes cōpany alone, is glad to please hym Cant. iiii. …. Cor. xi Apoc. xxi.alway, seketh the accomplyshment of his wyll, & by no meanes wyll at tempte ony thynge that shoulde be displeasaunt to hym: So lykewyse this chyrche, which is the spouse of Christ, is obedient to her husbonde Christ in all thynges, loueth him wt an ernest, pure & vnfayned louelove, cle ueth to him only, hath no plesure to Mark well.ronne after other men, wherby she may be entised from the louelove of her husbonde, delyghtethe only in hym and in his worde, sea…eth the accō plyshment of his wyl, & sheweth her selfe in all poyntes conformable to his moost diuine wyll, beynge lothe that ony thynge shoulde be commit ted on her behalf, that should be displeasaunt to hym in ony poynte.
Let them therfore nowe take hede, that recoūte thē selues to be of this chyrche, & wyll be called the spouse of Christe, that they cleaue onlye to theyr husbonde Christ & his worde, Ioan. viii. x.heare hym alone, followe hys voyce delyght only in his moost holy law, seke the accomplysshment of his diuine wyll, & by no meanes admytte nor heare the voyce of ony straūger For as ye womā is an whore, thogh she bereth ye name of an honest wife Noteneuer so moche, ye is not contented with her owne husbonde, but followeth other men, ronnethe a whore huntynge after straung louers, castyng away the sincere & true louelove, that she ought to beare toward her husbonde: So lykewyse, if suche as call thē selues the chyrche & spouse of Christe, forsake theyr husbonde Christe, be not contented wt hym & his word alone, but followe straūg doctrines, & ronne a whorehūtinge …eb. xiii.after new lawmakers, which teach thynges cōtrary to the wyll of this bridegrome, yea or els they themsel ues make lawes, decrees, actes, con stitucions. &c. that fyght withe th… voyce of this heauenlye shepparde, Brydegrome and husbonde Christ Iesu, surely, surely let them beleue me, they are not y• spouse of Christ, but fylthy whores, vnclene harlottes, stynckynge strompettes, abhominable adultresses, & stulyke Goshyppes, thoughe they weare neuer so many triple crownes, carnal hat tes, glysterynge myters, forked cap pes. &c. vponupon theyr heades, & hauehave neuer so many pilers, pollaxes, cros ses, crosser staues, & syluer roddes Ioan. x. Cant. iiii.borne before them. For ye spouse of Christ only hereth the voyce of her husbonde, followeth that, cleaueth to that, & by no meanes ronneth a whorehuntynge after straunge louers, neyther carethe she for theyr voyce, fayre wordes, & flatterynge promyses, seynge she knowethe full well, that no man can shewe thynges more necessary & profytable vn to her health & saluacion, than her husbonde hath already done. Ther fore recounteth it she a very vayne & madde thynge to forsake this her true & alone husbond Iesus christ, & to followe straungers. I am gelous ouer you, sayth S. Paule, wt a godly ielosye. For I hauehave maryed ii. Cor. xi.you to one man, to brynge a chaste virgine vntounto Christ.
This moche hauehave I spoken by the waye concernynge the chyrch, y• all men maye knowe the chyrche of Christ, whiche is the handmayde of Ephe. v.God, & the spouse of Christ, hauing nother spor nor wryncle, but altogither glorious, pure & vndefyled, from the Synagoge of Antichrist, & be no more deceaued wt outward appearaunces, glysterynge visars, and paynted clokes, vnlesse they go forthe to worship, reuerence & hauehave in honour certayne deceatfull shadowes for ye self trueth, as we hauehave done in tymes paste. God make vsus al the seruauntes of ye Lordes hand mayd, and graunt that we maye so abyde in the olde catholyke fayth & in the doctrine of Christes chyrche, y• we may be blissed, & hauehave our bondes Search the Newes out of heauen.broken, as it followeth.
O LORDE because I am thy seruaunte, yea thy seruaunte in dede, sayth Dauid, and the sonne of thy handemayde, thou haste broken my bondes. What bōdes are these, that The bōdesGod hath broken, & made vsus fre frō them thorowe Christe, settynge vsus agen at liberte? Uerely the bondes of Satan, synne, death, hell, desperacion, and the curse of the lawe.
Fyrst as concernyng Satā, eue Sata…. Gen. iii. Rom. v. Ephi. ii.ry man knoweth, howe we were in captiuite & bondage to hym by the sinne of our fyrst father Adā which thorowe his disobedience dyd caste vsus into the bondes of that infernal Prince, made vsus captiue & thraull, so that by our owne strēgth, power wytte, polecy, & free wyll we could neuer hauehave set oure selues agayne at liberte. But God of his tender mercy & fre goodnes, whan we had caste our selues into this bondage, promised vsus deliueraunce, when he spake these wordes vntounto y• serpent: I wyll set emnite betwene the and an woman, betwene her seed & thy seed That selfe seed shal trede down G…e. iii.thy heade. And so many as beleued them, were at that very instant de lyuered from the bondes of Satā. What it is to treade downe the heade of the SerpenteFor what other thig is it to treade downe the heade of the serpent, thā to vanquish & subdue hym, to make his power frustrate & of no strēgth yea and to set those agen at liberte, whiche before were his bonde preso ners. Nowe although this promise were not streyghtwayes fulfylled, yet stode it in effect with y• faithful, & they so sone as they beleued, were Mark well. Ioan. i. Galathi. iii mat. iii. xvii Marc. xix. Luke. iii. ix. …. Ioan. iii.deliuered out of captiuite, set at liberte agayne, & made the sonnes of God, thorowe the faythe that they had i Gods promise, which he made vntounto thē in his derely beloued sōne Christ Iesu. But whan christ was once come, & had fulfylled this promyse of hys celestiall father, than was Satans power vtterly adnihilated and made of no strength. His bōdes were broken, wherwithe so miserably he dyd detayne & hold vsus, as S. Iohn̄ testifieth, The sōne of god dyd appere for this purpose, euen to dissolue, losen & breake the workes of the dyuell. So that now Satan hathe no more power ouer vsus, excepte wyllyngly we cast oure selues agayne into hys bondes, as S. Iames sayth, resist the dyuell, & Iaco. iiii. i. Pet. vhe shal flye from you. For although he goeth about lyke a roryng lyon, seakyng whome he maye deuoure, yet can not he deuour, no nor yet so muche as once byte or towche ony faythfull man, excepte he wyll of a set purpose caste hymselfe into that Dragons rauenyng teth to be rent & torne, the sōne of God hath set vsus at such libertie, & gyuen vsus our ma numission so frely and plenteously.
Nowe seyng that Satan, which is our moost vtter enemye, is so vā quisshed & subdued, & we vtterly de liuered from his captiuite, that our bondes are brokē, wherwith he had vsus bound, it is to be thoughte that synne, death, hell, desperacion, and the curse of the lawe can worcke vsus ony euell, or that theyr power is so gret, that they are able to make vsus styll captiue and bonde presoners?
As towchynge synne, to whome is it vnknowen, that as the power Synne.of Satā is vāquisshed by Christ, so in lyke māner is synne thorow hym put to flyghte. He is that lambe of God, which taketh away the synne Ioan. i. Math. i. Esa. xiiii. …. Tim. i. …. Cor. v. i. Pet. ii. Ephe. v. Esa. iiii.of the worlde. He is that sauioure, which saueth his people from theyr synnes. He is, yea he is that Lorde in dede, whiche putteth awaye our iniquities, yea & that for his owne sake, & wyll remēber them no more. He came into y• worlde to saue synners. He beynge without all synne offered hym selfe vponupon the altare of the crosse, a swetesmellynge Sacri fice to God y• father for vsus, & made a sufficiēt satisfacciō for al our syn nes. Thorow his name all the Pro phetes beare witnes, that so many i. Ioan. ii. Act. x. Act. iiii Heb. vii. viii ix. x. i. Ioan. i.as belue in him, shall receaue remis sion of theyr synnes. For ther is no health in ony other, nether is there ony other name gyuen vntounto men, wherby they myghte be saued, but only the name of Iesus Christe. He is that Bysshop, whiche wt one oblacion yea & that once for all, hathe made them perfecte for euer more yt are sanctified. To be short, ye bloud of Iesus Christ Goddes sonne maketh vsus clene from all synne. Thus se we yt by Christ, by Christes death passion & bloud the bondes of synne are broken, and we sette agayne at liberte.Death, hell, desperacion
As for death, hel, & desperacion, what can they do? Are not they also ouercome? Let vsus heare what ye Scripture sayth, out of the power of deathe, saythe the LORDE wyll I Oze. xiii.delyuer them, & from death wyll I redeme thē. O death I wyll be thy deathe. O hell I wyll swallowe the vp. S. Paule also saythe, Death is i. Cor. xv.swallowed vp into victorye. Where is thy stynge O deathe? Where is thy victorye O hell? The stynge of deathe is synne, & the power of syn i. Ioan. v.is the lawe. But thankes be to god whiche hathe gyuen vsus the victory thorowe our LORDE Iesus Christ. Agen, By death hath Christ put hī Heb. ii.to flyght, that had lordshyppe ouer death, that is to say, the dyuel, that he myght delyuer them, which thorow the fere of death, were al theyr lyfe tyme in daunger of bondage. O swete and confortable sayenges. O thalone true and christen pleasu res.The lawe
As touchynge oure last enemy, whiche is the curse of the lawe, are not we also made free from that by Christ? What sayth the scripture? Gala. iii.Christ hath redemed vsus frō y• curse of the lawe, whyle he was made accursed for our sake. Agayne, Christe Rom. …is ye perfect fulfyllyng of ye lawe to iustificacion for eueryevery one that beleuethe Also in another place, be it knowen vntounto you, ye men & brethrē Act. xiii.that thorow this man Christ is pre ched to you the forgyuenesse of synnes, & from al the thynges, wherby ye coulde not be iustifyed by ye lawe of Moses, thorowe hym eueryevery one that beleueth is iustified.
Thus se we, that our bōdes are broken thorow Christ, & we also set at liberte frō the daunger of all our enemies, so that now there is no cō Rom. viii. Ioan. viii. Gala. iiii. Heb. vii Rom. viii.demnacion for thē that are engraffed in christ Iesu, whiche walke not after the flesh, but after the spirite. For the lawe of the Spirite of lyfe thorowe Christe Iesus hathe made them fre from the law of synne and death. Who wyl now lay ony thing to the charge of Gods chosen? It is God that iustifyeth, who can than condēne? Hereof cōmeth it to passe, Luke. i. Psal. cxv i. Ioan. iii. Math. i. Oze. xiii. i. Cor. xv. Rom. x.that after we be once delyuered frō ye power of our enemies, hauehave oure bondes broken, & set at liberte thorowe christ & christes passion, death & bloud, by whome Satan is vanquisshed, synne put to flyght, death ouercome, hel swallowed vp, desperacion driuē out of place, the curse of the lawe vtterly takē away, yea the lawe fulfylled, and heauē gates open for the faythfull, all that euer A good lesson.we do in christ, is acceptable in the sight of God, taken to good worth, & moche made of, not for the dignite of the worke it selfe, but because it is salted with ye dignite, holines, i. Cor. x. Colos. iii.ryghteousnes, purite, & innocency of Christ, in whose name what so euer is done, smelleth swetely before GOD, so that bothe the thoghtes, wordes, dedes, lyfe & death of ye Sayntes, that is, of the faythfull, yea & all ye euer we do, is precious in the syght of y• Lorde, as we herd before. For sure we are that all thin ges worke to the best for them that louelove God, whiche are called of purpose. For those whome he knewe before, Rom. v….hathe he ordened also before, yt they should be lyke fashoned vntounto y• shape of his sonne, that he might be the fyrst begottē amonge many bro thren. As for those, whome he hath ordyned before, them hath he called also, & whōe he hath called thē hath he also made ryghteous, & whōe he hath made ryghteous, them hathe he glorified also. What shall we saye than vntounto these thynges? If God be on our syde, who can be agaynste vsus? But let vsus se, what is to be ren dred, & gyuen agayne vntounto God for these his inestimable benefytes toward vsus miserable synners?