Sermon 24 August 1578, Part 3
The thirde parte.
NOw aword or two of the third part, and ſo I will ende. In this part generallie is ſhewed the willingneſſe and obedience of Cornelius, with ſpéede to performe that whych the Angell charged hym withall. For (ſaith the texte) When the Angel was departed, he called two of his ſeruauntes, and a ſouldiour that feared God, one of them that wayted on hym, and tolde them all things, and ſent them to Ioppa. Where firſte commeth to be noted, a commendation of the faith of Cornelius, that all delayes, reaſons,A commendation of the fayth of Cornelius. and excuſes, ſet a part, withall ſpéede prepareth himſelfe to do that, whych the Angell had tolde him to be the will and pleſure of the Lorde. He ſtandeth not to debate what trouble his newe religion might worke him, whether that it were likelye, that the houſe of a poore Tanner ſhoulde receyue ſo ſingular a teacher as Peter was, or rather, whether Peter were not ſome obſcure and bad fellowe, that lay lurking and hyding himſelfe in ſuch a baſe place, whereas if he were of ſuch excellencie, he ſhoulde ſéeme to be taken forth amongſt the great men of thoſe times and places. Theſe and ſuche like, woulde the wiſdome and pollicie of man hauehave layde vntounto hym, to hauehave withholden him from yéelding obedience vntounto the commaundemente of God. But ouer all theſe fayth eaſily got the victory, and cauſeth him with diligence for to ſubmitte himſelfe, to the fulfilling of the Lordes pleaſure. Let vsus therfore learne, in the Lords matters, not to plead policy, but when the Lord commaundeth with all ſpéede to ſhewe obedience. You know howe Saule ſpedde beyng commaunded without any mercye ſhewed, to roote out the Amalekites with all theirs, from man, vntounto beaſte, who ſetting his owne wiſedome, before the wiſedome of the Lorde, is called foole for his laboure, and certifyed, that his kingdome ſhall be taken from him, and giuen to ſuche a one as ſhoulde be readie for to do the wyll of the Lorde. The children of Iſraell, when God had ſtreightlye charged them to deſtroy all the nations, into whoſe lande he woulde bring them, and ſhewed the inconuenience that would come vntounto them by ſauing them: they for ſauing them, founde them thornes and prickes vntounto theyr fleſh, in ſo much that manye yeares they liued in theyr ſlauerye and ſubiection, as the booke of Iudges doeth plentifully witneſſe. The Prophete that contrarie to God his commaundement did eate bread, and drinke water in the houſe of the olde Prophete, as he roade homewarde was deuoured of a Lion. And he that commaunded by the worde of God to ſtryke the Prophet, refuſed it, a Lion alſo did ſlaye him. Al theſe preferred their owne wiſedome, pollicie, and carnal reaſons, before the wiſdome, and expreſſe preceptes of the Lorde, and the fruites that thereof they reaped, were their own deſtruction. God graunt that their examples may make vsus wiſe, that with Cornelius, in al things that we ſhall learne of the worde of the Lord to concerne vsus, we maye ſpéedily prepare our ſelues to perfourme it without commoning about the doyng of it, with fleſhe and bloude. For before our GOD, obedience is far better, and of greater accountes than ſacrifice.
The ſecond leſſon of this thirde parte is,What fruite Cornelius reaped by ye vertuous bringing vp of his houſeholde. the fruit that Cornelius reaped by his godly inſtructing of his familie, namelye therby he hath gained thus much, that he hath nowe faithful and truſtie ſeruaunts whome he maye ſende on his errande in this graue & weyghtie matter, concerning the ſaluation of him and his. All you that be maſters, learne out of this, to be careful to plant in your ſeruaunts the feare of the Lord, and then ſhal you finde them faythfull vntounto you, as Abraham had his ſeruaunt, as we reade in the 24. of Geneſis. And thoſe, that forſlewe this duetie, it is no marueyle, if bycauſe they will not yéeld vntounto God their duetie, they finde their owne ſeruauntes faithleſſe and truſteleſſe, lyars, filchers, ſtealers, ſtubborne, diſobedient, blaſphemers, ſwearers, and altogither giuen ouer to al ſin & vngodlyneſſe. Yea, magiſtrats alſo, muſt be careful to hauehave their ſubictes taughte their duetyes vntounto God, or elſe they ſhal finde them negligente in theyr obedience vntounto them, yea tumultuous, ſeditious and rebellious.
Religiouſnes in ſouldiers.The laſte note of thys thyrde point, and of this whole ſcripture, is, that with two of his ſeruantes, Cornelius ſent alſo a ſouldiour that waited vponupon him, who feared GOD. Where we learne, that no trade nor profeſſion of life is to bée preuiledged from the ſeruice of GOD, ſith that ſouldiours, who the further they are from it, the more hardie of the greater number they are accounted, hauehave in the ſcripture their commendatiō for this duetie. Nay,Deut. 23.9. the Lord in Deuteronomie deſcribing the qualities of ſouldiers, wyl hauehave them not only to be frée frō al wickedneſſe, but alſo from al manner of outward pollutions. And therfore I do many times maruel, how the practiſe of our times, in ſēding forth into ye wars théeues and murtherers, can be warranted by ye word. For ſure I am, that the Iſraelites could not proſper at the ſiege of Ai, vntill Achan the théefe was found out & executed. And the lord in Numbers, ſaith, that no recompence is to be taken for the life of the murtherer, nay yt the land can not be clenſed of bloud, but with ye bloude of him that ſhed it. Let murtherers therfore, if they be proper & hādſome felows, be properly and handſomely hanged, and honeſt mē, be ſent to war in their ſteads.
And al you that be noble men and gentlemē for Gods ſake I pray you,A good leſſon for noble men and gentlemen. learn this one point of Cornelius: let not any waite nor attende vponupon you, but ſuche as feare the Lord, and then ſhal you not néed in the countrey, ſuch a train to followe you with long poles in their neckes, nor in ye Citie to wait vpō you, with lōg blades by their ſides, with flaſhing and cutting, & ruffiāly quarelling, & for neuer ſo little a worde ſpeaking, imitating ye ſpéeche of ye Diuell vntounto our ſauiour Chriſt: If thou be a mā of thy hāds, come mete me in Smithfield.
Here I brokenly make an end, without any repetition, hauing as I coulde, & not as I would, run ouer eueryevery part of thys text, vſing only for proues ye warrant of ye Scripture, bycauſe the teſtimonie of mā may be refuſed, but it neuer goeth forth but vntounto ſaluation or condemnatiō. If I hauehave bin ſomewhat long, I pray forgiue me this faulte, and pardon me this iniurie: I hauehave done it onelyonly for your further edifying, and for my farewell, doe in Chriſt Ieſus hūbly pray you al thorowly to conſider of that whiche I hauehave ſpoken, being all togither within the compaſſe of ye world, that you put it in ſpéedy practiſe and execution, eſpecially the diligent trauayle to inſtruct your children & families in the word of the Lord. For the Diuell that now will goe about in withholding you from this duetie, to tell you that it is not yours, but the miniſters office, wil at your liues end, to condemne you for forſlewing your duetie, lay vntounto your charge, that God hath cōmaunded you to teach diligently his word to your children & families: The Diuel that now to excuſe you, wil alleage that it wil hynder your ſeruants worke, wil at your dying day, to accuſe you, plead that Martha in being buſye aboute the affaires of the houſe, was not ſo wel occupyed as Marie in hearing of Chriſt. The diuel that now ſayeth vntounto you, that for thus doing you ſhall be mocked and ſcorned, will at your laſt breath and gaſpes, for not doing it, rehearſe vntounto you, it is better to pleaſe God than men: and they that pleaſe mē are not the ſeruantes of God. Wherefore my brethren, concerning this, that either I or anye other of Gods miniſters ſhal in his word ſpeake vntounto you, out of this place, let not the ſaying of the lord by the prophet Ezechiel be verified in you, wher he writeth thus: Alſo thou ſonne of mā, the children of thy people that talke of thee by the walles, and in the dores of houſes, and ſpeake one to another, eueryevery one to his brother ſaying, come, I praye you, and heare what is the worde that commeth from the Lord. For they come vntounto thee, as the people vſeth to come: and my people ſit before thee, and heare thy wordes, but they will not doe them. For with their mouthes they make ieſts, and their heart goeth after their couetouſneſſe? And lo, thou art vntounto them as a ieſting ſong of one that hath a pleaſant voyce, and can ſing well. For they heare thy wordes but do them not. And when this cōmeth to paſſe, (for lo, it will come) then ſhal they know that a prophet hath bene among them. The Lorde therefore make vsus to be wiſe harted, that wyth Cornelius, we may be readie with all diligence to doe what ſoeuer the Lorde out of his holye worde ſhall commaunde vsus for Chriſte his ſake, to whiche Chryſte with the father and the holy Ghoſt, be all prayſe, honour, glorie, and Dominion, both nowe and for euer. Amen.
End of the text · John Stockwood, Sermon 24 August 1578 (1578)