Peters Fall, Sermon 2
The second Sermon.
Luke. 22, 56.
And a certaine maide beheld him as he sat by the fire, and hauing well looked on him, saide: This man was also with him, &c.
ANd a certaine maid, &c. We hauehave séene the causes of his fall, and howe by degrées he commeth to the fall it selfe. For when once he had reiected Gods word, & was puffed vp in the perswasion of his owne power, set amongst the wycked, and swadled in the warmth of prosperitye, what remayneth now for Peter, but euen at al assaies, and by euerye light occasion to denye his profession and forsweare hys maister. And in trueth, the first assaulte was not strong: for it was but a woman, a party very weak. But indéed if she be bent to trouble Gods children, very ready to compasse hir matters. As we may sée in Iesabell, Herodias, Irene the Empresse and such like, marke this well: The highe Prieste persecuteth Christ, his seruauntes apprehende him and bring him to their Maister, yea and his maide also helpeth the matter forwarde. Here we may sée the patron of a familie rightly disposed in his kind, as is the maister, so be his seruantes. All agrée in this to persecute Christ: and indéede it hath béene, is, and euer will bée, that the wicked housholders, yea the wicked Kinges hauehave had generally all their seruants and subiects of their own disposition. Ahab being a wicked Kyng, they did so generally follow him, that Eliah thought onelyonly himselfe to serue God,1 King. 19, 10. and all the rest of the land to hauehave followed Baall. So it was likewise in all the time of the wicked Kinges, and so it is in all wicked housholders. For if he be a Papist, hys Seruantes be so, or else they abide not wyth him long. If he be a Neuter and care for no religion, his seruantes are not kept in order, and so they likewise become of the like condition: so that the saying of Salomon is verified in this case,Pro, 29, 12. if the Prince be giuen to lyes, all his seruants are wycked. And what hauehave we to learne by thys? Surely a profitable doctrine for al them that hauehave gouernement of families, that they fearing God and professing his Gospell, beware that the chyldren of this world be not wiser in their generation than they:Luke. 16, 8. that is, that the wicked bée not founde more carefull to dispose their families to their owne humour, than the Godly bée. And I knowe not howe they can looke vntounto thys better, but by following the example of Dauid in choosing Seruauntes, and of Abraham in teaching them. For the prophet Dauid knowing that he should bée King, casteth in his mynde a forehande, what kynde of persons he wil retaine into his seruice. Myne eyes (saythe he) shall bée vntounto the faythful of the Land,Psal. 101, 6.7. that they may dwell with me. He that walketh in a perfecte waye, he shall serue me. There shall no deceitfull man dwell in my house, he that telleth lies shall not remaine in my sight. Thus we see what kinde of persons Dauid will hauehave. This ought duely to be looked vntounto of all them that doe professe the same God that he did: but we shall sée it farre otherwise in the moste, for so that he may serue his turne for that purpose, wherevnto he will allot him, It is not regarded whither he bée Papist or Atheist, godlye or faythlesse, whither his Religion be toward GOD or the diuell. But Dauid had this consideration in hys mynde, that none could do him faithfull seruice sauing they onelyonly whose heartes were true to the Lord, which is a thing most sure. For well he may doo his duty for a time in hys calling, but surely he will at length play the slipperye marchaunt wyth thée in one thyng or other. Now to Abraham whome we must follow in instructing of our Seruauntes,Gen. 17, 13. who at the commaundement of God, did circumcise all the men children in hys familie, they were (no doubt of it) wel instructed in the Religion of the Lorde, that obeyed therevnto so willynglye without any resistaunce. And therefore it is, that the Lorde maketh this especiall reason, why he should shewe the punishment intended agaynste Sodome and Gomorrah to Abraham, Gen., 8, 19.because he knew that Abraham would commande his sonnes and his housholde after him, that they kéepe the waye of the Lorde. So that the thing whych we are to followe in Abraham is this: that euerye householder be diligent to teach his seruants their duties out of Gods worde, and trayne them vp in the feare of the Lord. It is a thing worthy to be marked, that we finde diuers families in the scriptures conuerted vntounto the Lord with their maisters, as namely the captaine and the Jailer,Act. 16, 32, 10.2 to shewe vntounto vsus, that all the Seruauntes ought to bée taught the way of the Lord, as well as their Maisters. Well notwithstanding, it was but a simple Gyrle: yet Peter flatly saith, I knewe not the man. Peter had not such a politicke heade as the denyers nowe a dayes hauehave: Those I meane, that in harte and déede deny Christ, but in worde deny him not. For if you come to hym that is greatlye suspected of Poperye, and knowne to hauehave béene of that stampe, if he bée a formal fellow, suche a one as will not stande to the daunger of professing the same, and tell hym that he is verily a Papist, for he hathe beene séene at Masse, and his déedes and other dealings bewray him: he will not say I knowe not the Pope, I neuer came in company wyth massemongers, but his answere will rather be thus: Sure I must confesse I hauehave in my tyme leaned that waye, but I am not nowe of that mynde: I hauehave reneued my copie (onelyonly because of his newe Landlord) and my opinion is altered: And so he being an Academicke, rather than a sure beléeuer, maketh Religion to bée but an opinion. O Peter thou lackest thys subteltie: for thou mightest with this hauehave stopped the Damosels mouthe at the first, thou myghtest hauehave sayde: Surely I confesse I did followe thys fellowe, because I had some pleasure in hys wonders that he dyd: But nowe I holde wyth the Scribes and Pharisies, and doe beléeue the Lawe of Moyses. But subteltie had not entered so farre into the Church of GOD as nowe it hathe: the vaile of Hipocrisie was not so close as in these dayes it is. And truely that kynde of people is nowe the rifest, and yet the woorste of all other. For Dauid had manye greate iniuries done vntounto hym: but that whych his pretended friend did, was the greatest grief of all, in so muche that he saithe: if it had béen his enimie, he could hauehave born it. But it was euen he with whome he had singular consultations in the word of GOD.Psal. 56, 12, And therfore if Dauid were so troubled with suche, then we hauehave greately to looke vntounto our selues, and to auoide them as néere as we may. For most certayne it is, that the Churche of God hathe not at this day a greater enimie than they that bee nourished, kepte, fostered and promoted in hyr owne lappe, that through pretence of Religion, become euen betraiers of Christ, and hinderers of the procedings of his gospel. And sure it is to be wished that all men woulde boldelye professe that which in hart they embrace: that the one partie might be vtterly cōfounded. For he that with a Papist is a Papist, with a professour is a professor, lyke the weathercocke turning wyth the wynde: an vnconstant Camelion, eueryevery where and no where, is the sorest enimie to Religion, and therefore guilty of no small punishment. And therefore God sayth thus of suche, I knowe thy workes, thou arte neyther hoat nor nor colde:Reuel. 3, 15. I woulde thou were colde or hot. Therefore because thou art luke warme, and neyther colde nor hot. It will come to passe that I shall spewe thée out of my mouth.1. Kings. 28.21. Let euerye one (to conclude) set the saying of Elias the Prophet before hys eyes. If the Lorde be God, follow him, if Baall be he, go to him and follow him, & halt not betwéen two opinions, but stande faste to the one.
He denied before them al, &c. Now the holy Ghoste setteth downe the parties, before whom he denied: namely, before them all: which circumstance aggrauateth greatly the sinne of Peter. For he had heard his Mayster teache thys lesson. That whosoeuer shoulde deny him before men,Mat. 10.33, him would he denye before hys heauenly father. But he not regarding thys, dyd boldely deny him before them all. Thys ought to mooue vsus to labour in the worde, and prayer most earnestlye. that our confession and certaintie of Fayth may bée constant and surely grounded, that we neuer deny our Sauiour before anye man: For denying hym before weake beléeuers, (besides that we procure Christ to deny vsus before God) we doe as muche as in vsus lyeth, to ouerthrowe so many soules into Hell. And if it bée before the wicked whiche be the enimies of God, and his trueth, we doo set open the window to their blasphemye, and so we bée the meanes whereby the worde of God is euill spoken off. Contrariwyse, if our confession be stedfaste, it vpholdeth our owne Fayth,Rom. 2, 24. confirmeth our Brethren, and maketh the enimye ashamed.
And after a while, &c. Nowe come we to the second deniall, for when that he affirmed that he knew him not, thinking thereby to escape: They were not contented wyth that, for presently an other came vntounto hym: Mathew reporteth it was another Damosell, and so doth Marke, but all is to one effect. For the firste voyce béeyng vttered by one, and receiued by a common applause, no doubte many did speake the same at once, as Iohn recordeth. But whither it were one or more, sure it is that he was not long quiet tyll they had tryed hym further:Iohn. 28, 25. where we may beholde the malice of persecutoures, that be neuer contented with anye answere, vntill they hauehave vtterly ouerthrowne the partyes persecuted. So Paule before his conuersion being a persecutour, was not contented to make hauock of the seruantes of the Lorde in Ierusalem. But because some had escaped his hands,Act. 3, 3. he procured Letters of commission to followe them to Damascus, vtterly to extinguishe them.Act. 9.2. Likewtse the Scribes and Pharises being often put to silence by our sauiour Christ and conuicted,Mat 22.46.26.4. yet their rage neuer ceassed vntill they had put him to death. The Papistes also in time of persecution here in Englande, could neither be satisfied with stocking, imprisoning, racking nor scourging, vntil they had burned the bodies of ye poore saints.
Denyed with an oath, &c. Peter had thought that he had bin quiet, and therefore it was that he firste denied: but séeing that that woulde not serue, for his credite sake he wil not cal back his former deniall (which is a right propertye of a worldelye man, who thinketh it a discredit to call back that which first he hath set downe) but tieth it with an oth, that he knewe not the man.This is the let to reformation at this day. Where we sée that they which once crack the bonds of conscience in hope of any benefite in this world, are very like to go further, rather than they will misse of their purpose. The end that Peter looked vntounto in his first denial, was his owne safegard: but séeing that woulde not serue, he procéedeth further, and ceasseth not vntill he hauehave satisfied the aduersaries (a practise indéede common to those that bée backe-sliders, who beyng vrged to yéelde in small matters, for theyr quietnesse bée contente so to doo. If they be put vntounto a great trial, and pricked at to slyde from theyr whole profession (I pray God they followe not Peter, and content them selues to doe any thyng) so that they may be quiet, and the other partyes not displeased. And therefore it shall bée very good for vsus to kéepe the profession of Fayth most sincere, and to stande as stoutelye, and defende as constantly the small matters as the great: knowing thys, that we may not séeme to yéeld vntounto any thyng, wherevnto the spirite of God hathe commaunded vsus to stand fast.
Then came they vntounto him, &c. The first assaulte is noted to bée but by one, and that a Mayde. It is nowe augmented, that they came in greater numbers, whiche thyng we sée practized continually, that if any one godlesse man hauehave, or pretende to hauehave any quarrel against such as feare the Lorde, all the birds of that Uiperous Feather, doe violentlye flocke togither agaynste that poore seruant of God: yea if they heretofore hauehave beene foes, they agrée togither to persecute the Godly:Luke. 23, 12. for Herode and Pilate will be made friendes, that theyr power may bée the more agaynste Christe, that their pollicies may bée conioyned to determine hys Death. Beholde here againe, the wicked wiser in theyr generation than the Godlye: for if a godly thyng bée motioned in an assemblye or conference, the rest shoulde be very forwarde to helpe it, but (alas) the remnauntes of olde Adam doe sticke so fast on, and priuate considerations doe so violentlye carry men away, that they wyll rather be hinderers than furtherers, casting doubtes and inconueniences in the way, thoughe the motion bée drawne out of the Fowelles of Gods owne worde: against which, no mouth shoulde once dare to speake: whervpon it commeth, that Religion is receyued, according as man is dyrected by hys owne naturall reason, and Gods word is obeyed, so farre as we thinke it conuenient for the maintenaunce of our owne honor, dignitye and estate: yea thoughe our honor dishonor the Lorde, and our dignitie bring discredite to our profession, and our wealthe procure want to the church of GOD: but they whome the Lorde hath truelye conuerted vntounto him selfe, whose heartes the holye Ghost hathe seazed vppon for the Lorde to dwell in, and whose myndes he hath inlightned to attende vntounto the trueth,Acts. 16.14. are carefull that the will of god be performed, that reason be restrained and all their affections ruled by the line of his most blessed worde, whereby eueryevery one of vsus may hauehave good occasion to examine our selues, how farre we hauehave profited, or whither or no we hauehave entered into the way of true religion.
For thy speech bewraieth thee, &c. whē they sée that he denieth it, they goe about by circumstaunces to prooue it againste hym: to wyt, that hys spéeche be wrayed hym, for you must note that as in our Nation, the property of the spéeche in the North doeth differ from that of the Southe, whereby a man is knowne, what countrie man he is, euen so the spéech vsed in Galile, differed something from that which was in vse about Ierusalem: by whiche they gathered, that he was a Galilean: note the marke whereby Peter is knowen, euen his spéech: he was a Minister of the word, he had learned the doctrine of the Gospell, and gouernement of the Church, from the mouth of Christ: and yet he is not discerned by his apparell, from another man: whereby we learne, that in the primitiue time of the Gospell, the Ministers of the word were knowen by their doctrine, and other notes belonging vntounto them, and not by any outward forme: but as religion decaied, so the true notes of Gods Ministers vanished away, and because the people were become blinde, in discerning the spirites, they must hauehave notes applied to theyr sight: to wit, to knowe him by his garment, which (they thinking to be the shéepes clothing) did deceiue the people, by the effects of rauening wolues: and this fond, or rather obstinate blindnesse (the more is the pitie) remaineth yet among vsus, that carnall men, whose knowledge is fleshly, must hauehave a sensible and pompous shew in the world, to perswade them that such and such be ministers: but (my brethren) as this argueth in them, that they be altogether carnall, so contrariwise, let vsus labour to find out, by the marks that God hath set vponupon them, and not the badges of men (that may deceiue vsus) who be the true shepheards of Christes shéepe, and vponupon whome we may be bolde to receiue the foode of our soules, least in stead thereof we receiue ranke poyson: for the most infecting venime, that euer polluted the soule of man, hath béene couered with the vaile of those marks, which now the world woulde hauehave the ministers of Gods word discerned by.
Then began he to cursse, &c. They are not yet contented, although he hathe sworne vntounto them (as faithles persons make no reckoning of an oath.) For now they come together, and affirme that he was verily with them. Now Peter séeing their importunate suite, is determined to féede their humor, though it cost him the losse of his owne soule, for he cursseth himselfe, if he knew the man: héere we may see the iust iudgement of God, that they that thinke best of themselues, and boast most of theyr owne habilitie, doo most euidentlie declare the contrarie by the effect. For Peter who before woulde neuer forsake Christ, is now gone so farre from him, as any man can: for hée is now throwne into the verie deapth of sinne, into the gates of hell, and into Sathans clawes, nothing remaineth of his owne part vnfinished, that can encrease his eternall destruction, a case most lamentable, and yet it is the state of all mankinde, not vpholden with Gods spirite.A question for a Papist to answere. I woulde verie gladly be resolued of this doubt by any Pelagian Papist, or anie other that maintaineth fréewill in man, howe muche Peter had left within him, when he did fall. For this I am sure, he had all his natural power remaining within him, so that if he had any, how then came it to passe, that he had no benefit by it, if he had none, then sure it is that by nature we hauehave no inclination to doo well: for if any hauehave power of himselfe, to stand in that grace that he is placed in, then Peter might (for he had profited well in godlinesse.) But if none can stand when he is set vponupon the féete of Gods mercy, without the speciall vpholding of the Lorde, then much lesse can any being throwne downe in the mire of their naturall corruption, doo anie thing of himselfe that is good toward his owne saluation: away then with all such fréewill, and let vsus by the example of Peters downefall, begin to learne another lesson: namely, that man of himselfe can not thinke a good thought,2. Cor. 3, 5. and therefore, in so much that eueryevery good thing commeth from the Lorde,Iam. 1, 17. that we in all humilitie submit our selues, confessing our nakednesse, that by his mercifull goodnesse we may be preserued. And againe, where we sée that Peter a very vpright man, and zealous in the seruice of God, hauing once begun to depart from the Lord, hath no staie of himselfe, but runneth headlong into the bottome of iniquitie, we are especially to take héede that we vse those meanes which God hath appointed in his word, to stay the beginnings of sin, for if it enter once with the head, it is that Serpent that will easily winde in the whole bodie: if Satan had plainely said to Peter at the first, curse thy selfe, if euer thou didst knowe Christ, I am perswaded, that he would hauehave loathed it extremely, and not hauehave hearkened vntounto him, but he was subtiler then so, for he brought him vntounto that at the last without anie staie, which at the first, he greatlie detested: so likewise when he goeth about to perswade any man to adultery, he will not at the first throw him into the harlots bed, but bring him to behold her, then to hauehave a liking of her, then to hauehave familiarity with her, then lastly to commit the hainous fact of whoredome: if he go about to bring one man to murther another, he doth not bring him vntounto it at the firste, but beginneth by sowing of discord, then of hatred, last of all to actuall murther, his practise is the like in all other sinnes, especially if he deale with those that séeme to make some conscience of sinne, and hauehave in their heart anie detestation of iniquitie. Such was his dealing in erecting vp the kingdome of Antichrist, for it was a thousand yeares at the least in patching, before it came to his height, and top of iniquitie. Therefore let all them that desire to auoide the actuall sinne, endeuour also to cut off all occasions of his beginning. If thou wilt not commit adultery, cut off thy wanton lookes: If thou be loth to murther any man, pull downe thy haughtie heart, and roote out the affections of disdaine from thy mind, and learne out of Gods worde, how to apply thy selfe to singlenes and humilitie: let the example of yong Daniel neuer go out of thy remembrance, who refused euen the portion of meate that was allotted vntounto him by Nabuchadnezar, Dan. 1, 8.(which of it selfe was lawfull to be receiued with giuing of thanks,) because the King shoulde not entice him thereby to forsake the true God, and leane to his religion: so it is our duty, not only to kéepe our selues vndefiled from eueryevery sinne, but also frō eueryevery thing that may be a meanes to bring vsus vntounto it. Thus we sée the causes that moued Peter to fall, and indéede they be the same that moue all mē to sinne, whether it be the godly that fal through infirmitie, or the wicked that procéede on in sinning daily, and neuer returne vntounto the Lord. And we sée also by what steps and degrées Peter came to the height of his offence, whose trace we doo all treade so oft as we fall, although euerie one go not so farre as he did, because Gods grace preuenteth him sooner: beholde then in him thine owne frailtie. But now we come to make a separation betwéene them that fall and neuer rise againe, and them that be renued by repentance.
And immediately, while he was a speaking, &c. Nowe we come to the beholding of the excéeding merciemercy of oure good and gratious God, who though he suffer vsus for a time to goe after our owne fantasies, yet at the last his outstretched arme will helpe those that be his, he suffered Peter to fall into sinne: yet he is readie to help him vp againe: yea, euen when Peter was a curssing, God entended towards him a blessing: and surely it is not without the speciall prouidence of the spirit of God, set downe héere by Luke, that while Peter yet spake, or was a speaking, the Cocke did crowe: because the enemies of Gods grace and their owne saluation, the Papistes (who will play at small game rather then they will sit out) when they can not wring it from vsus, that man hath frée will to do well, or merit his own saluation: yet they must hauehave it graunted, that we be copartners with GOD in that worke: I hope they will graunt vntounto vsus, that Peter, who was called, and nowe is fallen, had as muche power, and did as muche further his restoring againe, as they that hauehave neuer tasted of the swéetenesse of Gods worde and grace. Now Christ did begin Peters conuersion when the Cocke did crowe, and what was Peter then doing, helping: yea, helping himselfe to hell-warde, for he was then curssing himselfe. So that if Peter coulde not helpe himselfe into Gods fauour againe, sure it is that none can: away then with that fonde imagination, that any thing is in man to further his owne saluation, for God must first conuert vsus, and then we shall be conuerted, God must be mercifull vntounto vsus,Iere. 31, 18. and then we shall be saued.
The cock crew, &c. This is ye first cause that God setteth forward towarde the conuersion of Peter. For the Lord beholding in what desperate case he was went about to deliuer him out of it, and that in all haste: for God knewe verie well, that if he should continue any space in the swéetenesse, wherein sinne had swadled him (for it is swéete to all them whose hartes God hath not called from it by the grace of his holy spirite) he had béene hardened in the same, as the wicked sorte of the world be, who tasting thereof, and finding their corrupte and sicke senses delighted with it, committe the same with gréedinesse, and doo so greatly please themselues with it, that they conceiue an earnest lothing of all godlinesse and vertue: and that is the cause that many (of whome we may reade) who hauing once tasted of the swéete word of God, and after reuerted from the same,Heb. 6, 5. Saule, Iulian the apostata, and all heretikes. hauehave become the greatest enemies that euer the Churche of God hath had at any time: and (if it were Gods will) I would we felt it not in present experience: and therefore the Lord God (as he is most carefull for his children) maketh haste to deliuer Peter quickly. This crowing of the Cocke was the same vntounto Peter, that the preaching of Gods Ministers is vntounto vsus. (For God doth not alwaies vse his ordinarie meanes) so that when soeuer we hauehave the word of God preached, at what time soeuer we heare our sinnes laid open before vsus, and rebuked, we must thinke with our selues that God doth with vsus, as he did to Peter, namely, vseth meanes to call vsus frō sinne, & bring vsus to repentance & amendmēt of life. This meanes the Lord vseth generally vntounto all (for his Gospell must be preached, throughout the whole world, for a witnesse vntounto all nations) and yet we knowe,Matth. 24, 14. though many be called, yet few are chosen. Therefore it behoueth vsus to know whether ye Cocke doo crowe vntounto vsus to our saluation or no:20, 16. and the first triall consisteth in this, that the Cocke of Gods word croweth vntounto all men, and yet onelyonly they imbrace his sound aright that shall be saued: if then thou féelest thy selfe to heare the same with all due reuerence, if thou beléeuest the promises therof to belong vntounto thée with all stedfastnes, and endeuourest to frame thy life according to the same,Matth. 7, 24. with al diligence, thou maist assure thy selfe, that thou art the child of God: for they be of God that doo thus heare his word: contrariwise, if thou hearest the word preached, and perceiuest thy secrete sinnes thereby laid open, and thy owne conscience in thy selfe is witnes,1. Iohn. 4, 6. Iohn. 8, 47. Wisd 2, 14. that thou art conuinced, and yet art so farre from beléeuing it, or framing thy life according to it, that thou doest both mocke it (as manie nowe a daies delight to doo) and also séeke to pull the cocke downe from the pearch, that he crowe no more: thou maist assure thy selfe (for sure it is) thou art in the way of destruction: a necessarie meditation for all men.
The Lord looked backe, &c. The seconde cause followeth: the cocke had crowen, and yet Peter had not remembred himselfe, neither was he awaked out of his sinfull sléepe, vntill the Lorde turned backe his countenaunce vponupon him: but when once he looked vponupon his face, whose knowledge he had denied, then began he to remember himselfe, and consider that things were amisse. But was it the turning backe of his face that wrought this in Peter? No, for then it might hauehave conuerted Iudas, whome he looked vponupon, when he betraied him.Luke. 22, 47. But it was his grace, and holie spirite, which did mercifully fall downe into his heart, when the cocke did crowe. Whereby we sée plainely, that it is not the outwarde ministerie of the word of God onelyonly that bringeth saluation vntounto mankinde: for Paule planteth,1. Cor. 3, 6. Apollo watereth, but God giueth the increase: and this is the reason, that so many heare the word, and so few profit therein, because it belongeth to the Lorde to shew merciemercy to whome he will shewe merciemercy.Exod. 33, 19. Rom. 9, 15. And therefore when the Gospell was preached to them of Antioch, by S. Paule, Acts. 13, 48.it is said, that so many as were ordained to saluation, beléeued: so that if thou hearing, or reading Gods word,With what minde wee should heare or reade the word. doest desire that it may worke to thy saluation, pray earnestly vntounto the Lord, that it would please him of hys infinite merciemercy to looke backe vponupon thée with the eies of his grace, and so framing thy selfe in a true faith and a single heart, to applie it vntounto that ende wherefore it is giuen thée, thou shalt surely féele in thy soule an especiall operation of the spirite of God, to thy greate comforte. Thus much briefly concerning the first two causes of Peters conuersion, where note by ye way, that the two first causes of his fall were within himself, but the first that worke to his rising againe, are without himselfe, to teach vsus that all our sinnes procéede of our selues, and come from our selues: but all goodnesse, not of vsus but from the Lord, that his name only may be praised for all good things, and we our selues blamed for all euill.
Peter remembred, &c. Now followe the causes within himselfe, but marke this first, the Cocke did crow, no doubt of it, more did heare him then Peter: but because he was ordeyned as a meanes to call Peter home, therefore he only being guilty, was pricked in heart, and none else moued. So God hath ordeyned the Preaching of hys worde to be an instrument to put all men in minde of their faults, and that they mighte amend. And such is the force thereof, that the worde preached generally, doth mooue eueryevery mans conscience which is guiltie of that crime, whiche is reprooued. And therefore there be manie wicked men of the worlde, that doo imagine the Preacher to harpe onelyonly vppon them, because they be guiltie: as if he speake against Papistrie, euerie massemonger thinketh he pointeth at hym: if he inneigh againste Swearers, Usurers, whoremaisters, or théeues, eueryevery swearer, Usurer, Whoremaister and théefe, thinketh his owne doinges to bee touched. And in déede (though they turne it to a fault in the Preacher) this sheweth vntounto vsus the wonderfull vertue of Gods word, that can speake so to eueryevery mans heart and thought. Therefore when thou hearest thy owne faults rebuked, & euen that which thou thoughtest all the world had not knowen, openly reuealed: doo not thinke that he speaketh it of choller, or hath learned it of thy trustie familiars, but thinke rather that Gods spirite whiche searcheth all mens thoughtes, doth speake vntounto thée, that thou shouldest amende it. For as Peter béeing guiltie alone, was onelyonly pricked in conscience and did repent, so it is thy duetie to consider thy owne estate, and repent thée of thy fault, that God may be mercifull vntounto thée.
Peter remembred, &c. The worde preached, and Gods grace working inwardly, doo bring Peter to remēbrance. First that Christ had sayde, Before the Cocke crowe, thou shalt deny me thrise, &c. And secōdly, that he had so doon in déed, (for they must be handled together:) let vsus then note this diligently: before the crowing of the cocke, and the looking back of Iesus, there was no such thing in his minde: but they two comming together, doo bring him into consideration of his estate. Adam and Heuah, when they had transgressed the lawe of the Lord, made no care of it at the first. But when the word of the Lorde and his spirite said,Gen. 3, 8, 9. VVhere art thou, he remembred what God had said, that he should not eate of the trée of knowledge of good and euill, and that he had eaten of it. King Dauid when he had committed those hainous sins of murther and adultery, slept quietly therein, vntil the Prophet Nathan came to rebuke him,2 Sam. 11, 4.12, 9. and the spirite of the Lorde withall wrought in his heart, then he remembred his grieuous sinne, and the law of the Lord God to the contrarie. Manasses the son of godly Ezechiah, 2 Chro. 33.3 2. King. 21, 16.thought Idolatrie no Sinne, and to make the stréets of Ierusalem swymme with the bloud of innocentes no offence. But when the troubles that he sustained in the time of his captiuitie (which were in stead of the preaching of gods word) did pintch him,1. Chro. 33.12, and the Lorde stretched forth the hands of his mercy to receyue him, then he saw the horriblenes of his sinne.Act. 9, 3.4. The like is euident in S Paule, who before his conuersion thought he did god good seruice in séeking the vtter extinguishing of the saincts of god. But when the light did shew him the blindnes of his mind, and the voice of Christ did aske him why he did so persecute him, he was stroken downe in consideration of his offence. To leaue off to recken anye more examples out of Gods word. The same is most true in all mā kinde, & euen in our selues, For before we be called vntounto the trueth in Iesus Christ, we walke in the waies of our owne imaginations, we liue without god,Ephe. 2, 12. & be strangers from the couenant of the promise of GOD. But when it pleaseth him of hys goodnesse to call vsus vntounto the knowledg of his grace by preaching his word vntounto vsus, and that he look backe vponupon vsus with the eies of his mercye.Ephes. 1.13. Then we see plainelye what is the rule of righteousnes that God hath inioyned vntounto al the sonnes of Adam, and comparing the same with our déeds, we sée how great is our debt that we hauehave vnpayed, howe many be our Sinnes that we hauehave committed, and how vain our former conuersation hath béene: whereas before this be reuealed vntounto vsus, we procéede securely in our owne iniquity, and as all worldlings doo, think our owne wayes to be right and honest. Wherefore if this be the way and firste entrance into the schoole of Christe (to wit the word of God preached to shewe vsus our sins). What a great care ought we to hauehave, so lōg as we liue in this body of clay, where we sin continually, to vse al waies & meanes that we can lawfully deuise, that we may hauehave ye same continually sounding in our eares, to awake our drowsy affections, & put vsus in mind of our daily misdéeds, that we being mooued therewithall, may begin to loth our owne euill liues, and turne vntounto the Lord. And what an earnest care ought we to hauehave also when we hauehave the same, that we make the fruit and benefite of it to settle into our owne hartes and consciences, to the amendement of our wicked waies. But this being the first gate to enter in at, towards ye school of Christ: the wicked (because they will not enter) doo here part cōpany with the godly, who knowing the necessity of ye word of God preached, doo labour earnestly to hauehave it established amōgst thē. But the vngodly who hauehave neither care to learn the wil of god, nor cōscience to frame their liues according to the same, be either negligēt in this behalfe, or slat hinderers of it: for they doo know before hand, that it will reueale their sin, and make their doinges knowne to all the world. The papist which is an Idolater doth knowe, that if the Arke of God bée brought into the Temple, Dagon will fall downe:1. Sam. 5.4 Deut. 23.19. Nehem. 5.8. that is, if Gods worde bée preached, his superstition will bée knowen. The vsurer feareth that it wyll discrie his crueltye, for he selleth hys brother for money. The couetous man doubteth that his corrupt dealings wil be espied: through it the worldling thinketh that it wil detect his carelesnes toward the seruice of god. Briefly whosoeuer is addicted to any notorious sin, & determineth to continue in it, he cannot away with the word preached, and therfore you shall heare thē vtter these spéeches: hauehave we not our 10. cōmandemēts hauehave we not the Articles of our beliefe, and our Pater noster: hauehave we not homilies appointed to be read: Let vsus learne thē. First we know that we must louelove god aboue al things, & our neighbour as our self, & can the preacher teach vsus any more. Nay they wil go yet further and say, where is more preaching thā in Lō don? and yet where is more pride, whordome, and all kinde of villany commitmitted, as though Gods word were the cause thereof. As if I should say in such a place is moste store of meate and drynke, and there is moste drunkennesse, I wyll therefore neither eate nor drinke at all, leaste I bée so too: but then I shall starue for lacke of foode. And worthily: so thou (O wicked man) because some of thy liuery (sathans seruants) vnderunder the visar of Gods word do cōmit naughtines. Therefore thou wilt not hauehave Gods worde preached at all. They wil tel you and sweare it too, that they beléeue as well in Christe, as the proudest pratling Gospeller of them al: (for these be their termes) what a sturre then kéepe you with your preaching, thus they think they prooue themselues sound Catholiques:Reuel. 12, 11. but if they will bée filthy, let them be filthy still, and let vsus leaue them to gods iudgemēt. Sure we are, that there is none ye hath any spark of gods grace, or séed of faith in his hart, that speaketh or thinketh so: but rather thus, god hath giuen vsus his word, to the ende that we might learne it, and we must dayly learne it, that we may continually practise it God saith, they that be blessed hauehave their meditatiō in it day and nyght.Psal. 1, 2.…9.10 It is swéeter in the children of God, than hony, they desire it aboue al treasure of the Worlde, they are taught thereby to be wary and circumspect in all their doings, and I am very desirous to be one of Gods childrē: therfore I must put my chiefe delight in it, I am forgetfull, slow and dull, and therfore néede it is that I be rowzed with it continually, and though many abuse it to a liberty for the flesh, and to liue carelesly, yet I must not follow them, nor be dismaide from the foode of my soule, because many surfet with it. But I muste so exercise my selfe in it, so lay it vp in my mind, & so séeke to know it, that eueryevery thing that I do, may hauehave his warrāt out of it, that al my doings may be directed by the same so long as I liue in this miserable world, least the deceits of sathan, or the enticements of this wicked world, or the desires of the flesh doe pull me from my God.
Peter went out, &c. Now followeth the maner how he was conuerted in his going out, and his wéeping. For the firste, Peter is now brought to ye consideration of his sin: for he seeth both the way of the Lord which he shoulde hauehave followed, & also how horrible his offence is: now he beginneth to amend, and that is, firste in his going out. He began to deny in ye wicked company, and therefore that he may the better repent and amende, he breaketh company and biddeth thē farewell, minding to hauehave no more dealing with them. So did S. Paule, who knowing by the grace of Christ, that the high Priests, Scribes & Pharises, were wicked men men and persecutours of gods seruants,Act. 9.19.26. continued at Damascus: afterward returning to Ierusalem, sought rather to win him selfe to the brethren, & forsooke his former companions so quite that they were gone quickly out of his knowledge and remembrance. And truly this is a thing very méete, that al the children of god doo not only forsake thē,Act. 25.5. with whom in time of their infidelitye they walked familiarly: but also all thē whose cōpany hauehave béene vntounto them occasion of falling, and doo yet abide in enmity to ye truth. For if an infant hauing béene heretofore burned with fire, will beware that he come no more néere it: If a horse will refuse that ditch, whereinto he hathe béene plunged: and if a Dog wyl not come néere that man who hath vsed to beat him: then much more it behooueth the Children of God to auoide the company of those persons, by whose occasion they hauehave béene allured to sin. If then thou hast béene familiar with mockers & deriders of gods worde and his ministers, and desirest to frame thy self from that vice, and determinest with thy self to leaue it, sée yt thou shake off the society of deriders. If thou haste béene a blasphemer of gods holy name, and nowe séeing the hainousnes of that offence, wilt amend: vse no maner of familiar countenance to suche persons as hauehave béene thy fellowes in such wickednes: If thou hast béene a drunkard, and now wilt be so no more, part from the company of tospots: If thou wilt leaue thy former whordome, shake off the familiarity of that kind of people, and so of all other sins: if thou detestest ye fault kéepe thy selfe from them that delight therein.Pro. 6.27. For can a man (saith Salomon) take fire in his bosome,Eccle. 13.1. and not burne his clothes, or go vponupon coles & his féete not scorched? & whosoeuer toucheth pitch must néeds be defiled therewithal: euen so, they that vse the society of the wicked must néedes smel of their wickednes as is prooued before.
Wept bitterly, &c. Now Peter béeyng conuicted of his sinnne, and consideryng through the grace of Gods holye spirite, that the guilt therof deserueth great and endles punishment, beginneth to repent and turne vntounto the Lord. This conuersion and turning, is contained in thys word wept, the outwarde token of hys sorrow, expressing the inward griefe of his mind: for we muste not thinke that his wéeping was the repentance it self, least we make Iudas and Esau to be cō uerted vntounto the Lord by repentāce. But that the excéeding sorrowe of his minde did wring out his wéeping. This repentaunce (to pretermit all our aduersaries fond deuises concerning the same) may be rightly thus defined.The definition of repentance. It is a true turning of our life vntounto god, procéeding frō a pure and earnest feare of God, which consisteth in the mortification of ye flesh and quickning of the spirite. This was in Peter when he wept for his fault, it is in all them that be truly called vntounto the faith in Iesus Christ, and ought to be in vsus all cōtinually, because we cease not to transgresse the lawes of the Lord continually. Now to explane the parts of this definition, it is called a turning vntounto God,Gen. 6, 5. because so often as we sin, we depart from God, walking after the desires of our own flesh: this turning must begin at the hart: for the thoughtes of mans hart are altogither wicked naturally, therfore ye turning vntounto god must begin at the renuing of the same: so commandeth the Lorde by the Prophet saying:Ezek. 18, 31. Iere. 4, 4. Make you a new hart, & in another place, breake vp your fallow grounds, sow not your séeds among thornes: that is, plucke out of your hartes your wickednes and impietie, & doo not receyue Gods mercies into your soules, delighting still in wickednes: this turning must be tried without any dissimulatiō, or hipocrisie, that if it be begun aright, it maketh the hart to lothe, detest, and abhorre his former life and to sighe, sob & lament that his vngodlye demeanour hath so hainously transgressed the laws of his gentle and mercifull GOD, and deserued such extreme paine & torments this is that terror, and feare that the prophet speaketh of. HaueHave mercy vppon me O Lord, for I am weake: O Lord heale me,Psal. 238, 2, for my bones are brused, and there is nothing sound in my fleshe because of thine anger, neither is there any rest in my bones, because of my sin: and so forward in that psalme, Dauid declareth how grieuously he was troubled in hys body and minde, because he considered Gods iudgements against sin, which indéede is in all the childrē of god (in some measure) but vtterly vnknowne, and strange to secure and carelesse persons, that sléepe in their owne iniquitie, and for lacke of this, doo neuer come to anye remorse in consciēce but doo waxe worse and worse:1. Tim. 3, 13. but it is vntounto the Godlye a great coōfort: for although they féele the heauy wrath of God against their sinne yet they knowe that is the beginning & first entrance into Gods fauour againe: for ye rigor of his wrath driueth vsus back from our selues, and maketh vsus séeke vntounto his mercy This must procéed from an earnest feare of God, that is, (as before is declared) from the consideration what God in iustice requireth of vsus, and how farre contrary we hauehave liued, and also that he will execute iudgement agaynste all Sinne and Iniquitye.
The feare of this maketh vsus to séeke what waye to hauehave Gods wrath appeased agaynste vsus, which is onelyonly done by Fayth in Iesus Christe, who came into ye world for that purpose, that he might be a mediator and reconciler of sinners vntounto God his Father: so that eueryevery one that shall come to the fauour of God again, must certainly and stedfastly with out wauering beléeue, that Christ his bloud hath béene shed for the satisfaction of Gods wrath agaynste hym for hys sins. And so being perswaded, hys conscience is at quiet with god, and the terror of Gods wrathe, whiche before dyd appéere, is nowe pacified and satisfied in Iesus Christe. But because mans harte is full of hypocrisie, and a beast in his owne knowledge, béeyng blinded through vaine confidence, may perswade himselfe, that God hath receiued him into his fauour, when in déede it is not so. Therefore it is said, that this repentance consisteth in the mortifying of the fleshe, and quickening of the spirit: that is, in crucifying and killing within himselfe the world and flesh, to wit, all sinne whatsoeuer, and the quickening of the spirite,Gal. 5, 19, 20. 22, 23. which is by continuall endeuour to frame our liues precisely, according to Gods word. And because this can not be done perfectly, no not in the best, by reason of sin and iniquitie, that cleaueth so fast vntounto them, therefore they thinke it their dutie, so long as they carrie about with them this bodie of sinne, to grone vnderunder the burthen thereof and to vse all those meanes that God hath set downe for them in his word: to continue and abide in repentance and amendment of life without ceassing, that Gods holie name may be glorified, and their consciences surely setled in the mercies of the Lorde, and sinne daily more and more abolished, the whiche the Lorde God of his infinite merciemercy graunt vntounto all them that earnestly séeke and labour for it, Amen.
Let vsus pray.
O Eternall GOD, and our most louing and mercifull father, whiche of thy great merciemercy hast reuealed vntounto vsus, by the example of thy holy Apostle S. Peter, that of our selues and in our owne imaginations, wee wander daily further and further from thee. Poure downe thy spirit (O Lord) into our hearts, to perswade and certifie vsus vnfainedly of the truth heereof, and to bring vsus by consideration of the same, vntounto a true acknowledgement of our owne misery, and thereby, to that humilitie, which may declare vntounto vsus our wretched estate without thee, that by the weying of the same aright, we may knowe the necessitie of thy holy and blessed word, which not only discouereth vntounto vsus all our naturall blemishes and corruptions, but also teacheth how to knowe thee, and to worship thee truly, and therby be moued to hauehave an especiall care to heare the same taught publikely, to reade it priuately for our comfort, and to meditate in it continually: that wee learning out of the same the absolute vprightnesse that thy law requireth, may be cast downe, and the merciemercy that thou offerest to repenting sinners, may ground our vnfained faith vponupon thy promises, and by the consideration of thy greate mercies offered vntounto vsus in thy Sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christe, may endeuour diligentlie to glorify thy holy name with that obedience that thou requirest, and to shunne all things both in our religion and conuersation, that hath no warrant out of thy blessed will, that abandoning all fancies of mans traditions, and will-worshippers (pleasant in the eyes of flesh and bloud) we may cleaue vntounto thy perfect will, reuealed vntounto vsus by thy Prophets and Apostles, and shewing forth thy prayse according therevnto, heere in this world may thorough thy merciemercy be glorified in the world to come, through Iesus Christ our Lord & only Sauiour.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Udall, Peters Fall (1584)