Touchstone to Determine the True Catholic Faith, Part 5
Text.And by Iesus Christ, kept, and preserued] Iesus Christ is not onlie our blessed Sauiour, but our carefull kéeper, and preseruer: as we reade in the Prophet Esay, where speaking of the kingdome of Christ hee saieth. In that day the Lorde shall visit, with his rough, and great and mightie sword, Esay. 27.1.2.vponupon that Leuiathan, that (Barak, as it is in the Hebrw) ye mighty apostata, or reuolting seruant, that Leuiathan, that crooked serpente, he shall slay that dragon, that is in the sea. In that day, as concerning the vineyearde of red wine: sing vntounto it. I the Lorde keepe it: I will water it eueryevery momente, yea I will visit it day and night, I will keepe it. Here is first the ouerthrowe of Sathans kingdome,Gen. 3.15. according to that great prophesie in Genesis: the womans seed shal breake the serpents head. Here is the force of Gods worde, liuelie expressed: out of which place, it may séeme, S. Paul calleth it, the sworde of the spirite. It is a sharpe, a rough, a great and mightie sworde,Ephe. 6.17. able to kill and pearse that great, mighty and crooked serpent. And here is Gods church, pictured out by a vineyearde of red wine: whose wine and ioy in this worlde, shall bee red, she shall be vnderunder the Crosse, she shall be vnderunder persecution, she shall be as a woman labouring of child, according to that prophesie of the same Prophet.Esay. 9.3. Thou hast encreased the nation, but not encreased their ioy: they reioyce before thy face, according to the ioy in haruest, as they reioyced in diuidinge the spoyles. The labourers in reaping the haruest, reioyce; but sweating, faint and wearie: the souldiers after the victorie, reioice in deuiding the spoiles; but bloudie and wounded: Euen such is the ioie of all christians, in this worlde: such is the ioie of the church. They reioice:Gal. 6.14. but with S. Paul, in the Crosse of Iesus Christ. The vineyearde of the Lorde hath her wine, but red. But yet sing vntounto her, she is a victorious conquerer, she is a famous vineyearde, her prayse spreadeth ouer the whole worlde. And why? because I, saieth the Lorde, do keepe her, euerie momente I water her, least anie shoulde come to visit her, day and nighte I keepe her: here is the safety, victory, and glorie of Gods church, that God keepeth it, that he watereth it eueryevery momente, that hee daylie powreth his blessings vponupon it, that hee keepeth it daie and nighte, least anie strangers shoulde spoyle it. And least anie man shoulde doubte, of this the Lordes kéeping, and garding, it is not onelie sayde, hee keepeth his vineyearde, his church: but daie and night he keepeth it. So that not onlie in the daie, but also in the night, that prince of darknesse Sathan, can hauehave no aduantage against it. O fruitfull vineyearde! which the Lorde waters: O safe vineyeard! which the Lord kéepes: O happie vineyearde! which the Lorde looketh too: Oh vineyeard twise happie, which hee kéepeth night and daie!1 Pet. 5.8. The diuell like a roaring Lion, rageth euerie where, seeking whome he maie deuour: but the Lorde keepeth his. Iesus Christ, hath not onlie redéemed his: but daylie preserueth them from his rage; or else wee shoulde all vtterly perish: As Augustine noteth excellentlie, to those which say,In Psal. 96. they will worship the deuill: least hee bee angry with them. And this is that which Dauid saieth, when hee was deliuered out of all his troubles, and out of the handes of Saul: Psal. 18.1.I will louelove thee dearelie O Lorde, my strength, the Lorde is my rocke, and my fortresse, and my deliuerer, my God, and my strength, in him will I trust, my shield, the horne also of my saluation, and my refuge. Here is a cause of louelove: this deliuerance from so many troubles, from such a mighty enimie. Here is such a safetie and securitie, as Dauid is not able, as it shoulde séeme, with anie wordes to expresse. And therefore he vseth all these metaphors: his rocke, his castle, his fortresse, his buckler, his shielde. And the same God, is the same castle, and shielde, and fortresse, and bulwarke, and deliuerer from all their enimies, euen from the deuill and all troubles, to all them that put their trust in him, for euer. And therefore in another Psalme he saieth.Psal. 123.1 I will lyft myne eyes to the hilles, from whence commeth my helpe; my helpe commeth euen from the Lord, which hath made heauen and earth; hee will not suffer thy foote to slippe: for hee that keepeth thee, shall neither slumber nor sleepe. And here, comming from himselfe (he sayth) that God is not onelyonly his helper,Therefore his elect and chosen cannot perish. but euerie faythfull mans also; yea and such a helper, as will not suffer our féete to slippe: much lesse, that wee shall fall into the pitte of destruction: nay such a keeper, as sléepeth not. And least any man shoulde doubte thereof, with a beholde, or admiration: he repeateth it againe. Beholde, sayeth hee, hee that keepeth Israell will neyther slumber nor sleepe. And againe, the Lorde is thy keeper, hee is thy defence on thy right hande. And in the 12. Psal. Dauid certainlie protesteth this protection of the Lord. Thou wilt keepe them O Lorde (speaking of the poore and needie) Thou wilt preserue them from this generation for euer. And in the 17. Psal. he praieth for this defence and garde. Keepe me, O Lorde, as the apple of an eye, hyde me vnderunder the shadowe of thy winges. Who will not warely kéepe the apple of his eye? It is the tenderest thing, and that parte of the bodie of all the other, that men are most carefull of: And euen so, as the apple of an eye, the Lord Iesus kéepeth his. Who dare doubt nowe, who will not beléeue this, being so often, and constantlie affirmed, & that not by the mouth of one, but of thrée most sufficient witnesses? And if Iesus Christ be our kéeper, whom néed we feare, what néede we care for, what can make vsus afraide? Oh that this one lesson were grauen in euerie christian mans hearte: that Iesus Christ were his kéeper. It woulde make him louelove him, leane to him, bee of good courage in the waues of the sea of this world, and feare nothing.