Sermon 24 August 1578, To the reader
¶ An Admonition to the godly and gentle Reader.
THE earneſt ſute, and often calling vponupon of certain godly brethren (moſt gentle and friendlye Reader) hathe at the length won at my hāds, the publiſhing of this Sermon in print, concerning the which, I am thus much briefly to admoniſh thee, namely, that albeit there be more here ſet down, than in deede was vttered at the Croſſe, yet was the whole ment there to hauehave bin ſpokē, had not time cut off ſo much of it as was hādled at another place in the afternoon. Hauing therfore the teſtimonie of a good conſcienc,e that herein is nothing auouched, which may not well by the word be warranted, I hauehave thoughte good to ſet downe the whole, and the rather, for that bothe the ſeconde and thirde partes, as well as the firſte (whiche onelyonly was entreated at the Croſſe) containe profitable admonitiō for theſe our times: at the whiche, although the euill diſpoſed may quarrell: and the wicked being galled, winche and kicke (for I hauehave not learned to ſowe ſoft pillows vnderunder their elbows, to lull them aſleepe in their ſinne) yet thoſe, that are wel giuen, and godly minded, may (I doubt not) learne many leſſons, whiche being putte in practiſe, will tourne to their profite and amendment of liuing. As for thoſe that are offended (if there be anye ſuche) the cauſe is not in mee, but in themſelues, whiche, if they can ſee (as I praye GOD hartily they maye:) I hope they wil be careful, to reforme ſuch things in themſelues, as they are here blamed for, and their own conſciences crieth out vntounto them to bee amiſſe: Nay there is no eſtate or condition of men, no not of the verye beſte and moſte godly, but that Cornelius may be a glaſſe vntounto them, in which they maye ſee moſte clearely repreſented, ſuch vertues as oughte to bee in a true Christian, the wante whereof, as it is in a greate manye, yea, earneſte profeſſoures, to bee founde, ſo I praye GOD, that after the diligent viewe of them in thys glaſſe howe comelye they are in a true Christian, and howe well they doe beſeeme a righte godlye man, they maye with ſpeede be carefull to expreſſe them in a godly life, and holy conuerſation. Farewel, and make thine earneſt and harty prayers vntounto GOD, to bleſſe his Churche wyth a riche ſtore of faithful teachers, and a moſte plentifull encreaſe of godly, learned, and diligent Ministers, that may open vntounto his people, the true meaning and vnderstanding of hys holy and heauenly worde, and that the people may liue there vntounto accordingly, for his Chriſtes ſake.
Thy poore brother in Chriſt IOHN STOCKVVOOD.
¶ A Sermon preached at Paules Croſſe the .24. of Auguſt .1578.
ACTES. 10.
verse 1 FVrthermore, there was a certayne man in Ceſarea, called Cornelius, a captaine of the bande called the Italian Bande.
verse 2 A deuoute man, and one that feared God with all his houſholde, which gaue much almes to the people, and prayed God continually.
verse 3 He ſaw in a viſion euidently (about the ninth houre of the day) an Angell of God comming into him, and ſaying vntounto him: Cornelius.
verse 4 But when he looked on him, he was afraide, and ſaide: What is it Lorde? and he ſaide vntounto him: Thy prayers, and thine almes are come vppe into remembraunce before God.
verse 5 Nowe therefore ſend men to Ioppa, & cal for Simon, whoſe ſurname is Peter.
verse 6 He lodgeth with one Simon, a Tanner, whoſe houſe is by the ſea ſide: He ſhall tell thee what thou oughteſt to do.
…e ſhall ſpeake …rdes, whereby …ou ſhalt be ſa…d, and al thine …i…e.verse 7 And when the Angell which ſpake vntounto Cornelius, was departed, hee called two of his ſeruāts & a ſouldiour, that feared God, one of thē that waited on him.
verse 8 And tolde them all things, and ſent them to Ioppa.
THis Scripture (righte honorable, worſhipfull, & dearely beloued in the Lord) offereth vntounto your conſideration, generally theſe thrée pointes: firſte a deſcriptiō of one Cornelius, a captain, caled frō Paganiſme, or Heatheniſhnes, to the true knowledge of Chriſte: ſecōdly, the Angel his appearaunce, and embaſſage vntounto him: & thirdely, his willing and ſpéedy obediēce in performing that, whiche the Angell from the Lorde charged him withall.
Euerye one of theſe generalles hauehave ſpringing and growing out of thē, their ſeuerall and particular braunches. The firſt generall hath theſe ſpeciall pointes to be noted: the firſte, God his wonderful and mercifull kindneſſe, in calling the Heathen from error to the truth, and his moſt fearefull, but yet righteous iudgemente, in caſting off for their greate vnthankefulneſſe, his owne peculiar and choſen people of the Iewes. The ſeconde, Cornelius his trade,Cornelius. and kinde of of life. The thirde, his vertue & godlineſſe. The fourth, his chriſtian training vp of his familye and houſeholde. The fyfth, his Almes déedes & Prayers.
The ſeconde generall hath theſe ſpeecially. Firſt, God his calling of Cornelius by the Angell. The ſeconde, containeth the feare of Cornelius at ye calling of the Angell. The third, the ſpéech of the Angel vntounto Cornelius which ſtā deth of two partes, the one is a comfort vntounto his longing and carefull mynde, where he aſſureth him, that his almes & prayers are come vppe into remembrance before God: The other is an inſtruction what he ought to do.
In the thirde generall point are to be conſidered. Firſte, an euident token of Cornelius his faith:
Secondlye, what profitte he reaped by godly inſtructing of his houſholde:
Thirdly, the religionneſſe of the ſouldiour, which he ſent with his ſeruauntes on this meſſage.
I wil vſe no fore-ſpéech or entraunce, garniſhed and ſet out with ſome Rhetoricall floriſhe, to winne at youre handes, héedfull harkening vntounto that, which vponupon theſe places in the fear of God I am to deliuer vntounto you, or to purchaſe youre fauourable bearing with my plaine and ſimple handling of this Texte, withoute curious and picked out words & termes. For the cauſe being, not Mās, but Gods worthelye …ba…engeth the greateſte attention: and as for painted, labored, and of purpoſe ſought for eloquence, I leaue it vntounto them, that ſéeke rather the praiſe of men, than the glorie of God, knowing that the worde of the Lorde ſimply and plainly handled, is able without the help of the perſuading ſpéeche of mans wiſedome, to pierce euen to the hart, & to diuide betwéene the thoughtes and the reines, whyche effecte, I praye hym for his Chriſtes ſake, to graunte vntounto that, whyche in hys name I am to ſpeake.