News Out of Heaven, Part 2
¶A brefe rehersall of all those thynges that go before.
THus hauehave I declared vntounto you the moost swete, moost confortable, moost plesaūt, & moost meri newes out of heaue at the cōmaundement of the hyghest & puissaūt God.Roma. v Ye se ī how miserable a case ye are redacted and fallen by the synne of Adā,Ephe. ii▪ & howe that by hym ye are all damned and made y• sonnes of wrath. Ye se that of your selues because of youre imperfecciō, ye are not able to do any good thyng, that maye satisfy y• deuyne wyll & apease Gods wrathe. Ye se that y• workes of the lawe can not make you fre in y• syght of god,ii. Cor. iii. neyther are ye able of youre owne strenth & free wyll so pure…y, so spiritually to do thē as the law requireth,Rom. ii…. that you may obtayne remissyon of youre synnes by doynge of them.Heb. x▪ Ye se also that the sacrifyces of the olde lawe can neuer putte away synne,Dent. iii… ▪ xii. xiii. & as for workes of your owne inuenciō are mooste of all imꝑfecte, & mooste vnapte to purchase grace & fauoure. Thus se you that of youre owne selues, of your owne polecy, of your owne righteousnes ye are not able to escape the daūger of dānacion, yea rather dānaciō it selfe, Therfore dyd I declare vntounto you the cōfortable newes out of heuē, shewyng you that God, not for the workes of righteousnes that ye hauehave done,Tit. iii. which in dede are none, but of his owne free & great mercy hath vouchedsaufe to preserue and kepe you from the daūger of Satā sinne, death & hel,…uk. ii. yea and yt by this his welbeloued sonne Iesus Christ which this daye is borne in the cytie of Dauid to be the sauioure of y• world.mat. iii. So that for Iesus Christes sake God is well pleased with you.
Ye hauehave heard that y• lawe hath condēned you,Den. xxvi… in asmuch as ye are trāsgressours of it,Gel. iii. and hath made you accursed. Frō this cursse of the lawe shal christ delyuer you, not frō the lawe it selfe, that you shoulde lyue vngodly,Ephe. v. & after a remisse and dissolute maner (for such hauehave no in heritaūce in y• kyngdome of Christe & of God) but from the curse, seruitude, bondage, damnaciō of ye lawe. For he shall fulfyll y• whole law euē to the vttermoste.math. i. And hys fulfyllynge shall be accepted before God the father for the fulfyllynge of so many as beleue in him.Rom. …. And he settyng you at libertye from the curse of the lawe,Eze. xxxvi. shall gyue you a newe herte, & put in you a newe spirite, & he shal take away your stony herte & gyue you a fleshly,Iere. xxxi. that is, a softe & gentle herte, redy to enclyne to y• accōplyshment of Goddes wyll.Heb. viii. He shal gyue his lawes into your myndes, & wryte them in your hertes, y• you maye euer after franckely and with a free spirite fulfyl them.
Ye hauehave hearde how this Christ shall brynge you oute of the darkenes into the lyght of trueth by the syncere declarynge of hys fathers wyll.Ioan. viii. For he is the lyght of y• world, & God hath gyuen hym to be a witnes vntounto the people,Esay. ix. a captayne & a mayster amonge the heythen.Mat. iiii. And this his doctryne shall he confyrme with such miracles,Esay. iv. as shall euydētly shew & proue that he is that true Messias, whiche was promysed to come.Dan. ix.
Agayne ye hauehave hearde y• all his good dedes are youres.Rom. viii. For with hī hath God the father also gyuē you all thynges,i. Cor. i. so that he is your wysdome, your righteousnes, your sāctificacion and redempcion.
Ye hauehave herde also that he shall offer himsele for you to God the father an oblacion & swete swellynge sacrifice vpō the Altare of the crosse & that by this one oblacion & sacrifyce of his mooste blessed body done once for all,Ephe. v. all your synnes shall be put away, ye shal be made perfecte, and wasshed from all deformitie so cleane by christes bloud,Ephe. v. as though ye had neuer offended heretofore.
Ye hauehave hearde agayne that as christ shal dye for your sīnes,Rom. iiii. so shal he ryse agayne for your iustificacion,Hebre. ii. i. obtaynynge for you the victory of synne,Cor. xv. death and hell,Ozee. xiii. y• that his moost glorious resurreccion.
Ye hauehave heard y• after he is once rysen agayne, he shal here remayne certayne dayes, & than ascende corporally into heauen,Mat. xvi. & sytte downe on the ryght hande of God ye fatherActum. i. sendynge downe the holye Ghoste,Hebre. i. which shall lede you into all trueth.Ioan. xvi.
Ye hauehave hearde also that Christe syttynge on the ryght hand of God the father shall not be ydle,i. Timo. ii. but styll prouyde & seke youre helth.i. Ioan. ii. He shall be your mediatoure & aduocate.Roma▪ vii▪ He shall make contynuall intercessyon for you.Hebre. vii. He shall pleate youre cause before God his father. He shall auaunce your matter before the deuyne presence.i. Iohn. ii. Yf ye at any tyme excite or styre vp gods wrath against you thorowe your iniquitie, he shall streyght wayes apease it, and make God the father, styll youre louynge father, which elles would be to you an extreme reuenger.
Ye hauehave herde agayne y• Christe at y• laste daye shal come gloriously frō y• right hād of his father to iuge the quicke & the deade,Math. xxv & howe that after the iudgemente is once done,Esai. lxiiii. ye shall enter into glory with hym,i. Cor. ii. lyuynge for euer after in such ioye, pleasure & gladnesse, as can not by any meanes eyther be expressed by tong, or cōceyued in herte. All these cōmodities,Math. …. pleasures & profyttes shal ye hauehave by this your new kīge & sauiour Iesus Christ,…uke. ii. which this day is borne in Bethleem a citie of Dauid. What more pleasaunt and thanckeworthye newes coulde be brought to you then theise? What coulde hauehave set suche a ioye in your hertes, as the hearynge of these newes? Cā any thyng lyke vntounto these chaunse vntounto you, so great, so welcome, so acceptable, so ioyful? Uerely yf ye seriously cōsyder the misery wherwith ye were obruted & ouerwhelmed before, ye shall easlye perceyue that ye hauehave an earnest cause to reioyce. No prisoner, no captiue, no bond slaue was euer in so great captiuite & thraldome, as ye were, before these news were brought to you. I… a prisoner reioysethe for his delyuerance oute of pryson, whiche once muste nedes hauehave an ende, yf none otherwyse, yet at the leest by death, howe great a cause thē hauehave you to reioyse for your deliueraūce which were captiues & prisoners to that horrible monsture and pestiserous serpent euen Satā hymselfe, yea and that not for certayne yeares, but for euer worldes wythout ende. Neyther was it youre body alone, that was in captiuite and bō dage but your soule also, both your body & soule were captyue to hym, so that yf this your newe kynge, redemer & sauioure shoulde not helpe you, it could none oth…rwyse be but that you must nedes hauehave ben damned, cast into hel fyre, ther to burne to wepe, to lamente▪ for euer & euer remediles. But frō this moost greuous destruccion shal this chyld Iesus Christ delyuer you, & make you heyres of euerlastynge glory. What a cause hauehave ye nowe to reioyse? Your ioy can not be expressed, your gladnes is vnmeasurable.
Therfore seynge ye shall receyue of this youre newe kynge so many, so greate, so inestimable benefytes, loke that ye be not vnthanckefull. Receyue this your sauioure wt enbrasyng armes.Psal. ii. Runne vntounto hym, yf not wt the feete of your body, yet wt the feete of your mynde. Knowledge hym to be your alone & omnisufficient sauioure,Act. iiii. & that there is none other name gyuen vntounto men vnderunder heauen,Mat. xvi. wherin they must be saued,Esa. vii. but only this name of Iesus Christ.Ephe. ii. Confesse hym to be the true sonne of the lyuynge God,Ioan. xiiii. whiche hath nowe taken flesshe of y• mooste pure and cleane virgin Marye for your sake.i. Cor. i. Confesse him alone to be your peace,Eze. xxxiiii. lyfe,Colos. i. helth,i. Tim. ii. defence, goodnes, wisdom, righteousnes, sanctyficacion, redēpcion, pastoure, shepehearde, Bisshoppe and heade. In al youre trouble resorte to hym as vntounto a strong Bulwarke, y• you maye ease you of your miserable burdens Poure out your hertes before this LORD. i. Ioan. i.Knowe him to be your alone mediatour & aduocate.Ioan. xvi. Aske al thinges in his name.Esay. xlix. Dout nothyng of his greate goodnes & exceadynge mercy towarde you. Can a woman forget the chyld of her wombe, and y• sonne whom she hath borne? And thoughe she doth forgette hym, yet wyll not he forget you. For beholde he hath wrytten you vp vpō his hā des,math. xi. so y• euer ye are in his syght. He wyll vndoubtedly ease you of your burdens,Esa. xliiii. be they neuer so great.Apo. xii. If ye thurst,Ioan. vi. he wyll gyue you of y• wel of y• water of lyfe frely. If ye hūger he is that bread of lyfe, which came downe from heauē. If any mā eate of that bread, he shall lyue for euer. If ye be sycke,mat. ix. he is a Phisicion, redy to cure & heale all your diseases. If ye be bonde and in seruitude,Ioan. viii. he wyll make you free, & set you at lyberite. If ye be dead in sinne,Ioan. xi. he is the resurrecciō & lyfe.Ioan. viii. If ye walke in darkenesse, he is the lyghte of the worlde. He that foloweth him, walketh not in darkenes, but shal hauehave the light of life.Rom. x. If ye be poore, he is rytch vntounto all thē y• cal vponupon hym. If ye be wicked, prophhane & folysh he is righteous,i. Cor. i. holye & wyse. If ye be oppressed wyth syn…e,Ose…. xiii, deathe of hell,i. Cor. xv. he hath subdued them al. If ye feare the wrath of God the father,i. Tim. ii. he is youre mediatour, aduocate & attonement maker.i. Ioan. ii. If ye hauehave condemned youre selfe thorowe synne,Mat. i. he is a sauiour,Rom. x. & wyll saue his people from theyr synnes. What wyl ye hauehave more? Ye wante nothynge, but he wyll supplye it for you aboū dantlye, & to the vttermoste. Feare not therfore to come to thys youre newe kynge Iesus Christe.Luke. …. For the very cause of his cōminge is not to destroye, but to saue the soules of men.
Receaue hym therfore with ioyfull hertes.An exortacion to the diligente doyng of good workes. Forsake all ydolatrye & vayne supersticiō. Beleue in hym alone. Put your affiaunce & truste in none other but in him only. And let not this your fayth be dead, but agile, quicke, lyuysshe, & myghty in operaciō. Let it be such a fayth, as worketh by louelove. Fyrst lette youre fayth brynge forth an earnest louelove toward God,Gala. v. and oute of this louelove toward god, let such a louelove procede toward your neyghbour, that out of that louelove ther maye sprynge plē tie of good workes.Psal. i. Be lyke vntounto a good tree,Mat. xxi. which bringeth forth her fruyte in due tyme.Gala. vi. Be no baren & vnfruytful fygge tree vnles y• malediccion & curse of God fal on you. While ye hauehave tyme, worke good to al mē. For God hath not delyuered you from the power of your enemies, & of all suche as hate you, yt you should styll cōtinue euel, or returne to your old wickednes, but that ye set at libertie and voyd of all feare, should serue him in holynes &Luke. i. righteousnesse before hym all the dayes of our lyfe.Rom. viii. The lawe of the spiryte of lyfe throwe Christ Iesus hathe made you free from the lawe of syn & death.Gala. v. Notwithstandyng though ye be cal…ed into libertie, yet let not youre libertie be an occasion to the flesshe, but by louelove serue ye one another.i. Pet ii. Be as free not hauyng y• liberte for a cloke of wickednes, but euē as the seruaūtes of god. For Christ hath not of his owne mere bountie delyuered you from the myserable seruitude of Satan, that ye should runne agayne to that your enemy, but that ye should serue him, which hath shewed you such great kyndenes. Ye are nowe Christes all togyther,Make…well. therfore must ye loke what he wyll hauehave you do. For yf he be punished, whiche disdaynethe to fulfyll the cōmaundement of a terrestiall & earthly Prynce, in what case thā are ye, yf ye do eyther cast awaye or despyse the cōmaūdement of an heuenly gouernour? Certes ye ought so to institute & order youre lyfe, yt it should serue Christ your captain on such maner, that Satan should hauehave nothinge to do with you, nor ye wt hym. For he that doth synne, is the seruaunt of synne.Iohan. viii. Therfore ought you to caste awaye all synne from you, & gyue your mynd to purite & holynes of lyfe, & euer studye to mayntayne mutuall louelove.Math. vii. For not eueryevery one that sayeth, LORDE, LORDE, shall enter into the kyngedome of heauen, but he that doth y• wyll of God whiche is in heauen. He that pertayneth to Christe,ii. Cor. v. is a newe creature.Gala. v. And they that belonge vntounto hym, hauehave crucified the flesshe with the lustes therof. Therfore yf ye be souldiers of Christe, declare it in outwarde workes, For it is a poynte of notable vnshamefastnes to bost your selues that ye pertayne to Christes army, & yet do nothynge at all that he commaūdeth. He that sayeth that he dwelleth in him,i. Ioh. ii. ought to walke as he hath walked.i. Ioh. i… ▪ If ye saye, that ye hauehave fel…owshyp with Christ, and yet walke in darkenes, ye ly & do not the trueth. But yf ye walke in lyghte, as he is lyghte, than hauehave ye fellowshyp togyther, & the bloud of this your sauiour Iesus Christe Goddes owne sonne makethe you cleane from all synne.
Wherfore yf ye wyll enioy these moost confortable & pleasaunte newes, whiche I hauehave broughte from heauen and hauehave now declared vntounto you, forsake all wickednesse, and enhaulse al godlynes, reiecte al ydolatrye, and practyse the true worshyppynge of God,Gala. v. caste awaye the workes of the flesshe and put on the fruytes of the spirite, mortifye olde Adam. and become newe men, to be shorte,Math. v. let your lyght so shyne before men that they maye se youre good workes & glorify your father which is in heauen, to whome wyth thys your newe kynge and omnisufficient sauyour Iesus Christ Goddes owne sonne, and the holy ghost that mooste swete confortoure, be all honour and glorye worldes withoute ende. AMEN.
¶Gyue the glorye to God alone.
End of the text · Thomas Becon, News Out of Heaven (1541)