The Poor Mans Tears Opened, Book 2 – Title page 3
A harmony from heauen ſommoning all men to the hearing of the truth.
The text. All Nations.
THe Apoſtle Paul writing to Timotheus telleth him,1. Tim. 2. 4. that GOD would hauehave all men come to the knovveledge of the truth, & bee ſaued: in which words the Apoſtle giueth him to vnderſtande, that there is none other waye, either for Prieſt or people to come vntounto God, but by that ordinarie meanes, vvhichwhich is the hearing of his word the which the Apoſtle calleth his truth: becauſe it is not onelyonly true of it ſelfe, but alſo doth witnes of his truth, who is truth it ſelfe: by the verie ſame name doth our Sauiour Chriſt call gods worde, when making his praier to his heauenlie father (for the elect) he ſaith:Iohn. 17. 17. father, ſanctifie them in thy truth; and immediatlie addeth, thy word is the truth. The next thing that the apoſtle aduertiſeth Timothy of, that this truth being rightlie knowen, bringeth ſaluation to them that ſo know it, & this the Apoſtle confirmeth by an argument taken from his owne faith,Rom. 1. 16. whē he ſaith; I am not aſhamed of the goſpell of Chriſt, for it is the power of God, able to ſaue euerie beleeuer. And laſt of all, the Apoſtle hath ſette downe the generalitie of this trueth, both in ſaying to Timothie, that god would hauehave al men to be acquainted with it, & to the ſaints at Rome, that it is able to ſaue eueryevery beleuer. Herof it cometh, that he writing to the Colloſſiās, exhorteth thē not ſo much to the hearing of this trueth taught thē; as to an inward intertainment of the ſame, when he ſaith: let the worde of Chriſt dwell in you plentifullie in all wiſdome,Coloſ. 3. 16. teaching and admoniſhing your own ſelues, teaching thēſelues, becauſe many of the Coloſsians ſeemed to be ignorāt of that which they ſhuld know, and admoniſhing themſelues, becauſe a number of them did know much, but practiſed litle. So that, ſuch is the entertainment that gods word ought to finde amongſt vsus, as Dauid promiſed thereunto, when hee ſaid: O Lord, teach me the way of thy ſtatutes, and I ſhall keepe it euen vntounto the ende. And wee are taught to entertaine gods worde, by the example of Iohn, who receiuing the litle book at the hand of the Angell, was commanded to eate that booke, partlie to teach vsus,Pſal. 119. 33. that gods worde muſt abide within vsus,Apoc. 10. 10▪ and partlie to ſignifie,Mat. 4. that our bodelie breade ſerueth not our ſoules neceſſitie. Eſay ſaid, that he had carefully carried gods meſſage: for I was founde (ſaith hee) of thoſe that ſought me not, and hauehave bene made manifeſt to them that asked not after me,Eſay 65. 1. howbeit hee was not ſo carefull in ſpeaking, but the people were as careleſſe in hearing: for the whiche cauſe, hee vttereth this complaint: Lord who hath beleeued our report, or to whome is the arme of the Lord reuealed? When Ieremie had faithful▪ lie deliuered the meſſage of the Lord his GOD, in rebuking thoſe Ievves which burned incenſe to the Idols of Aegypt:Eſay 53. 1. hee ſaith, that all the men that knewe that their wiues had burned incenſe to ſtraunge Gods, and a great manie women which ſtoode by,Ier. 44, 14. 15 gaue him this anſwere: the word which thou ſpeakeſt vntounto vsus in the name of the Lord, we will not heare it of thee, but what we thinke good, that will we doo. Such was the wickednes of the people ſo manie yeares paſt, as appeareth in manie places of gods worde: among the which, that of the Babylonians was not the lea… which moued Ieremie to ſend Sheraiah vntounto them with the booke,Iere. 51. 63. & with a ſtrait charge, that when he had read it vntounto them, hee ſhould bind a ſtone vntounto it, and caſt it into the riuer Euphrates, to teach the Babylonians & all men, that as the hard ſtone cauſed that good booke to ſincke in the water, ſo the hardnes of our ſtonie hearts, is not onelie the depriuing of vsus, of many good bleſſings, but alſo a violent ſincking of our ſoules in ſinne.
The iuſt conſideration whereof, mooued the Apoſtle Paule, Rom. 2. 4. 5.to expoſtulate the matter with euerie harde harted ſinner in this ſort: doeſt thou not know that the bountefulneſſe of God, leadeth thee to repentance, but thou after thine harde heart that can not repent, doeſt heape vp to thy ſelf wrath againſt the daye of wrath, and of the declaration of the iuſt iudgement of God, and yet to ſee vvhat ſmal preparation there is vntounto repentance, euerie godly man wiſheth like zealous Ieremie: Oh that mine head were a fountaine: and that mine eies were riuers of teares, that I might weepe day and night for the ſlain of my people: ſo greeuous is the way of the vngodlie vntounto the child of God, that he cannot account it any better thing, then a race wherin they runne ſtriuing, who ſhall come firſt to the deuill, when they lead a life as voyde of repentance, as if ſinne were ſeene and allowed, and hel fire but an olde wiues fable. What made Ieremie ſo wearie of his people, but that he ſavv them wearie of well doing, for ſighing and ſorrowing thus he ſaith. Oh that I had a cottage in the wildernes of wayfaring men, that I might leaue my people & go from them, for they are all adulterers, and an aſſemblie of rebels.
So long as Steuen the Martyr talked to the Ievves of their petigree, they harkened vntounto him diligentlie, but when he rebuked their ſinnes, ſaying that they were a ſtiffenecked people, and of a hard heart, reſiſting the holy ghoſt, in perſecuting the prophets, and putting to death the Lord of life. Then they ſtopped their eares, and gnaſhing their teeth, ran vppon him and ſtoned him to death.Acts 7. &c. So fareth it at this day amongſt men, that many are aſwell contented to heare pleaſant things, as the Iewes were to harken to Steuen, repeating their parentage▪ But if a man ſhall hit all ſorts of ill manners, aſwel as ſpeake to al ſorts of men: they holde it as a principle, that hee forgetteth his Text, who remembreth their ſinnes, notwithſtanding they knowe, that it is the Miniſters duetie to tell the houſe of Iacob their ſinnes,Eſay 58. and to let Iſraell heare of their tranſgreſſions, and the peoples part, not onelie to be content, but alſo deſirous to know their duties, and to ſhewe their deſire in the forwardeneſſe of their comming before him that ought to teach: Otherwiſe we might imagine, that God ſpake but in ſport,Malac. 2. 7. when hee ſaide by his Prophetes, the Prieſts lippes ſhall preſerue knovvledge and the people ſhall ſeeke it at his mouth: For ſo thought the euill diſpoſed people in Ezechiels time, vvho vſed to hear him preach with the like affections that manie bring novve a daies. Concerning vvhoſe fruitleſſe hearing, God infourmeth Ezechiell, by ſaying vntounto him: Sonne of man, the children of my people talke of thee by the walks and in the dores of houſes, & ſpeake one to another, eueryevery one to his brother, ſaying: come I pray you and heare what is the word that cōmeth from the lord. They come vntounto thee, as the people vſed to come, and my people ſit before thee, and heare the wordes; but they will not do them; for with their mouthes they make ieſts, and their heart goeth after their couetouſneſſe, and loe 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 they do them not.
Theſe people & the people, which were in the time of Hoſea the Prophet, may meetly be matched with the men of our age, who were as ready to raile on the prieſt, as hee was preſt to reproue their ſinne.Hoſeah. 4. For ſaith Hoſea, theſe people are as thoſe that rebuke the prieſt. It is moſt true that the want of ſaluation proceedeth eyther of the lack of teaching, or of the want of faith to beleeue rightly that which is taught.
The firſt of theſe is approued by the wordes which the holy Ghoſt ſpake by the mouth of this prophet laſt named (thus) my people are deſtroyed with lacke of knowledge.Hoſeah. 4. 6 &c. The other by the teſtimonie of our ſauiour Chriſt himſelfe, who ſending hys Eleuen to preach and baptiſe;Mark 16. 16 ſayth he that beleueth, and is baptiſed ſhall be ſaued; he that beleeueth not ſhall be damned; why went the rich man to hell? but either for one of theſe cauſes afore named; or for thē both (that is to ſay) becauſe he neuer frequented the word of God; whereby faith is begotten in the heartes of the hearers; or if hee heard the ſame worde, yet it was heard ſo careleſly that it tooke no roote at all: and indeede that anſwere which Abraham made to his requeſt, ſeemeth to auer the trueth of that whiche I ſay; for when requeſt was made by that helhound, that a meſſenger might go from the dead to his fiue brethren, which were yet at his fathers houſe. &c. Abraham replied (thus) they hauehave Moſes, and the Prophetes. Let them heare them; for as Abraham ſayth, if that whiche Moſes hath ſet downe in Gods iuſtice, cannot better our braſen faces: and heartes of Adament, nor they vnualuable, and moſte aſſured promiſes made by Chriſt to his elect, and recorded by his prophetes, cannot driue vsus from ſinne, and draw vsus to himſelfe. Then there is no more hope of vsus, in hearing the worde of God, then was of Symon and Iudas. Acts 8. 13.Though they heard the worde,Acts 1. 18. and receiued the Sacramentes, for our life is no other waie reformed by a careleſſe kinde of hearing,1. Kings. 12. then Ieroboam redreſſed the religion in Iſrael, when hee ſet vp two golden Calues, the one in Dann, and the other in Bethel, Iudith. 3. 8.that the Iſraelites might worſhip them them, or Nabuchadneezer in his kingdome, when he deſtroyed Idols, that he might be worſhipped as God. It is a matter ſo true that no man can ſo muche as imagine, much leſſe ſpeake the contrarie,Eſay 5. 4. without great offence that God hath done ſo much for his vine, as by anie meanes might be, in ſomuch that Dauid the king of Iſrael neuer hadde greater cauſe then the prince and people of England hauehave, to ſay of the goodneſſe of God,Pſal. 147. 20 hee hath not dealt ſo louingly with anie nation as with vsus, in giuing to vsus ſo long vſe of his lawes, and yet, he that compareth the paſtors painfull preaching with the peoples little profiting, in moſt places of this land, ſhall finde iuſt occaſion to thinke that the ſonne of God hath pronounced that ſame curſe vppon this Engliſhe vine: which hee vttered againſt that fruitleſſe figtree mentioned by Marke in theſe wordes,Mark. 11. 14. Neuer fruite growe on thee henceforth: God grant that there be not ſome men: who meaſure the meate by the man, like thoſe proud Citizens,Luke 19. 14. whiche ſaide wee will not hauehave this man to reigne ouer vsus, and loathe the meſſage becauſe they like not the meſſenger, like thoſe skornfull Iewes, that tolde Ieremie to his face: the worde which thou ſpeakeſt to vsus in the name of the Lord, vve will not heare it of thee,Iere. 44. 14. 15. but whatſoeuer we thinke good, that will wee do, but that they may knowe thoſe men which labour among them; and hauehave the ouerſight of them in the land,1. Theſ. 5. 12 and not barely knowe them; but alſo louelove them for their good workes ſake. Thus hauing finiſhed the former circumſtances as compendiouſly as I promiſed: I proceed to the next wordes, the whiche containe in them, the ſecond part of a chriſtian miniſters dutie, which is to miniſter the ſacramentes rightly, whereof one is ſet downe in his due order by the inſtitutor Chriſt hymſelfe, when he ſaith, baptiſing them in the name of the father, and the ſonne, and the holy ghoſt. Nowe becauſe the worde Baptiſme hathe diuers ſignifications in the ſcripture: I will heere ſet downe, as manie of them as my memorie can recorde. Firſt the worde Baptiſme according to the true meaning of the Greeke text: Baptiſma doth not ſignifie onelyonly addicting, but ſuche a dipping in the water as doth cleanſe the partie dipped, and for that the Primitiue Churche did vſe to put the partie baptiſed quite vnderunder the water. Therfore Paule writing both to the Romaines and Colloſsians, Rom. 6. 4.vſeth theſe wordes:Coloſ. 2. 12. wee are buried then with him in baptiſme into hys death: that like as Chriſt was raiſed vp from the dead, by the glorie of the father: So we alſo ſhould walke in newneſſe of life: in the whiche wordes the Apoſtle ſheweth what reſemblance their baptiſme hath with Chriſt hys death and reſurrection. Secondlie, baptiſme is vſed for a bare waſhing, in whiche ſenſe our Sauiour ſpake, when hee ſaide to the Phariſies, Marke 7. 8.you lay apart the commaundementes of God and obſerue the traditions of men, as the waſhing of pottes and cuppes and manie ſuche thinges yee doe, and in the ſame ſenſe wee read in the Epiſtle to the Hebrewes, Heb. 9. 10.when the authour ſaith that the olde Tabernacle, conſiſted of manie waſhinges and ceremoniall rightes, vntill the daie of reformation came. Thirdly, by baptiſme wee may vnderſtand affliction, as our Sauiour Chriſt did, in ſaying to Iames and Iohn the ſonnes of Sebedeus, Marke 9. 38.can you be baptiſed with that baptiſme wherwith I muſt bee baptiſed, and to hys Diſciples, I muſt bee baptiſed with a baptiſme: but howe am I payned vntill I bee ended.Luke 12, 50 Fourthly baptiſme is a liberall diſtribution of the graces of GOD as appeareth in theſe wordes. Iohn baptiſed with water,Actes 1. 5. but you ſhall be baptiſed with the holy Ghoſt within theſe fewe dayes.
Fifthly, the worde baptiſme is taken for doctrine onelyonly, as in that place wherein the holie Ghoſt hauing occaſion to ſpeake of Apollo a Iewe of Alexandria, ſayth that hee was mightie in the Scriptures,Actes 18. 42 and did knowe but the baptiſme of Iohn only. And laſt of al Baptiſme is taken for a reuerent order of miniſtring that Sacrament in the Churche, and the whole ſanctification of the parties baptiſed as in the wordes of this preſent part of Scripture, baptiſing them. &c.
But to ſpeake of the Sacrament it ſelfe. It hath beene vſuall with almightie God from time to time to confirme hys couenauntes with ſeales ſet to the ſame: for example wee ſee, that there is a Rainbowe in the cloudes; the reaſon whereof is, that GOD hauing in his iuſtice deſtroyed the olde worlde for ſinne: (onelyonly Noah and his famelie being excepted) the ſame GOD in hys merciemercy made a couenant with Noah, that hee would neuer deſtroy it ſo againe for confirmation thereof: hee ſet the Raynbow in the Clowdes as a ſeale to that couenant betwixt himſelfe and Noah; Geneſ. 9. 13. 14.So was circumciſion giuen to Abraham, as a ſeale of confirmation in that promiſe, that in his ſeede,Gen. 17. 10. 11. all the nations of the earth ſhould be bleſſed: So that as manie as were circumciſed, were within the compaſſe of that couenaunt, in ſtead whereof, wee hauehave baptiſme, the whiche whoſoeuer ſhall refuſe: wee accompt him, as cut off from Gods Church.Marke 10. Chriſt Ieſus gaue inuiſicle grace, by viſible laying hys handes vppon children and other ſicke people:Iohn 20. 22. So hee gaue the gift of his holy ſpirite vntounto his Diſciples: when hauing breathed vppon them, he ſayd: receiue you the holy ghoſt. The Sscramentes were ordayned in the church of God for 3. vſes: firſt that we ſhould acknowledge al thoſe to be our fellows ſeruants, whom we ſee to hauehave put on the ſame liuerie with our ſelues, and in this ſenſe ſaid the Apoſtle Paule: all thoſe that are baptized into Chriſte,Galat. 27. 3. hauehave put on Chriſt. Secondly, the Sacramentes do put a manifeſt difference betwixt the true church and the falſe,Actes 2. 39. as Peter hath taught vsus, in ſaying repent, and be baptized euerie one of you in the name of Ieſus Chriſt, for to vſe the promiſe made vntounto your children, & all that are yet farre off, euen ſo many as God ſhall call: and our Sauiour ſaith, to ſuch belongeth the kingdomof God: that is, to ſuch as lead an innocent life.Mark 10. 14.
The third vſe of the Sacraments, is to ſeale vp in the hearts of the elect all thoſe promiſes which GOD hath made vntounto them in Ieſus Chriſt his Son, and their Sauiour: in the which ſenſe Paule ſpake, when hee ſaid, that Abraham receiued the ſign of circumciſion,Rom, 4. 11. as a ſeale of that righteouſnes which he had by faith, and in the verie ſame ſenſe our Sauiour ſaith, hee that beleeueth and is baptized ſhall be ſaued.Marke 16. 16. But it is to bee conſidered, that the Inſtitutor ſetteth downe the form of adminiſtring the ſacraments, when he ſaith, baptizing them in the name of the father, of the ſonne, and of the holie Ghoſt. Hee commaundeth to baptize in the name of the father and of the ſon, becauſe the holie Ghoſt proceedeth from the father & the ſonne, and in the name of the holie Ghoſt: for except a man be borne of water and the ſpirite,Iohn 3. 5. he cannot ſee the kingdom of God. When our ſauior offered to waſh Peters feet, he imagined it to be a nedles work,Iohn 13. &c. for thou ſhalt neuer waſh my feet ſaid he: but when Chriſt aunſwered, that ſuch as are not waſhed by him, hauehave no part with him: that is, neither part of his ſpirite, nor of his kingdom. Peter bethinking himſelfe better, would not hauehave his feet onlie, but alſo his hands aud head waſhed: howbeit it is not neceſſarie to waſhe any more then is vncleane: as Peters feet defiled vvith dirt and mire, ſo our ſoules ſpotted with ſins, muſt be cleanſed by Chriſt his bloud onelyonly. And after this manner it is neceſſarie, that euerie one of vsus ſhould be waſhed: wherof the outward putting of water vponupon the partie baptized, is a liuelie figure. Iohn Baptiſt was ſanctified in his mothers wombe, as the Angell had foreſhewed.Luke 1. 15. But when our Sauiour Chriſt came to him to be baptized,Math. 3. 13 Iohn put him backe, and ſaid: I hauehave neede to bee baptized of thee, and commeſt thou to me?Pſalme 51. 5 That kingly prophet Dauid, was a man after gods own heart, yet he ſaith of himſelfe: I was borne in iniquitie, and in ſin hath my mother conceiued mee. Iob was called by God himſelfe a iuſt and vpright man,Iob 1. 8. &c. fearing God, and eſchewing euill: whoſe peere was not found vppon the face of the earth: notwithſtanding all this, he ſaith of himſelfe: who can bring a cleane thing out of filthines?Iob. 14 4. the which queſtion is all one with Paules affirmation, who ſaieth: ſuch as the roote is, ſuch are the braunches,Rom. 11. 16. as if hee had ſaid with Adam, the father of vsus all was vndefiled then are wee his ſons cleane alſo. But if he were once dead in ſinne, beeing our roote, then howe could wee his imps hauehave life of our ſelues. All this was ſpoken of originall ſinne; as for actuall ſins, namely, thoſe ſins which we continuallie commit, they are as palpable as the darknes of Aegipt, the which as Moſes ſaith, was ſo groſſe, that it might be felt:Exo. 10. 21 22. in ſo much, that Dauid ſaith, when God looked down from heauen vppon the children of men,Pſal. 14. 2. 3. (that is) when hee conſidered mans conuerſation: they were all ſo farre gone out of the way, that there was none that did good, in ſo much that the prophet repeateth it with an Emphaſis, and ſaith, no not one. And the man of God Moſes, ſaith: when God beheld the boldnes of the olde world in ſinning,Gen. 6. 5. 6. it repēted him that he had made man: that is, he was ſorie, that man whome he had made to liue well, ſhould liue ſo ill. The continuall ſinne of Sodome brought fire and brimſtone from heauen to conſume them in the ſame.Gen. 19. 24. Dauid feeling the burthen of his ſinnes, began to ſincke vnderunder them:Pſalm 38. 4. for (ſaith he) my ſins are gone ouer my head, and are like a ſore burthen, too heauy for me to beare. Paule hauing by the vertue of the law,Rom. 7. 7. learned his ſinnes, (for he had not knowen ſin, except the lawe had ſaid, thou ſhalt not ſinne) fell to lamenting of them thus. O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliuer me from this bodie of death: where it is to be noted, that he calleth his bodie a bodie of death, in reſpect of ſinne, which giueth power to death ouer our bodies.1. Cor. 15. 56. And to conclude, of ſuch force is ſinne in vsus, that if the goodnes of God had not ſo praeordained, that the vnbeleeuing husband is ſanctified by the beleeuing wife, and the vnbeleeuing wife, by the beleeuing husband,1. Cor. 7. 14. our children ſhould be verie vncleane.
Againe, beeing waſhed or baptized in the name of the father, ſonne, and holie Ghoſt: wee are aduertiſed, that wee muſt giuegive godlie, chriſtian, and holy names vntounto our children in in token of their ſacred profeſſion, for holie is he that hath called vsus, and that we may be the more forward ſo to doe. It will be worth our labour to conſider of a few examples, tending to the ſame purpoſe,Luke 1. 62. 63. as of Zachary the father of Iohn the Baptiſt, who being dum when that his ſon was born, his friends made ſignes vntounto him, howe he would hauehave him called, and askeing for writing tables, writte, ſaying his name is Iohn: the which vvorde Iohn is as much as (to ſay) Grace: and thus was Zacharie commaunded by the Angell to name him.Luke 1. 13. The ſcripture accordeth plentifull examples of thoſe that hauehave giuen names to their children, affoordeth to ſuche occaſions as hauehave been offered in the time of their trauell: As when Raell went with her husband Iacob toward Bethell to builde an aultar vntounto God: She trauailed in child-birth, and in trauelling dyed: but before ſhee departed,Gen. 35. 18. ſhee called his name Benony: that is, the ſonne of her ſorrowe; but his father Iacob called him Benony; that is the ſonne of his right hand. So Leah hauing born to Iacob foure ſons ſhe ſaid, now will I prayſe God, &c. And that ſhee might the better beare in minde her promiſe, ſhe named her laſt ſon Iudah. Gen. 29. 35.When the man of Beniamin came frō the Iſraelites with his clothes rent, and duſt vponupon his head in token of heauineſſe, and certified father Ely, 1. Sam. 4. 12.that Gods Arke was taken by the Philiſtines, and that his two ſonnes were ſlaine: the old father fel backeward out of his ſeate, and broke hys necke, and his daughter in lawe. Phynies wife being flighted with feare: fell in trauell and dyed in child bed: but before her death, ſhe called her ſonne Icabod (that is) the glorie of God, meaning thereby that ſhe accōpted the glorie of God to be taken from Iſrael, when Gods Arke which was a figure of his Churche, wherein wee glorifie his name) was taken awaie by the enemie. And ſecondly to admoniſhe all parentes ſo to nuiture vp their children, that they may ſeeke to maintaine the glorie of God better then Ely did, for the wickedneſſe of whoſe children: As alſo for the fathers default in not correcting them, God had threatned before that if he once began with him;1. Sam. 3. 11. 12. 13. 14. &c. he would make an end with him: ſo that as the Prophet ſaith: children being the fruite of the wombe, as they are come from God, are a good bleſſing and an heritage that commeth of the Lord,Pſalm. 12. 7. becauſe hee it is, from whom euerie good and perfect gift doth proceede: yet in reſpect of men, ſo may the matter be handled that they ſhall finde no ſuch croſſe or curſe as graceleſſe: or vnruled children: ſuch as Eſau, Gen. 26. 35and his two wiues who were a griefe of minde, and a heart breaking to Iſaak their father, and Rebekah their mother.
It is true that the verie godlieſt men and women, hauehave rather deſiſired ſonnes then daughters at the handes of God, but they did it for good and godly purpoſes: As when Abraham deſired a ſonne to the end that Eliezer the ſteward of his houſe being a ſtranger,Geneſ. 15, 2. Namely a man of Damaſcus ſhould not be the heyre of his goods. So did Anna pray to God for a ſonne when ſhe ſaid, O Lord of hoſtes, if thou wilt looke on the trouble of thine handmaid & remember, me, &c. And giuegive vntounto thine handmayd a manchilde:1. Sam. 1, 11. &c. then will I giuegive him vntounto the Lord al the daies of his life &c. And as the verie name of a ſonne is in price and preferred at this day, ſo hath it beene heeretofore, as when Phineas wife being neere her deathe in trauell:1. Sam. 4. 20 the midwife with the reſt thinking to comfort her, ſaid; feare not for thou haſt borne a ſonne, when the angell ſayd to Abraham this time twelue monethes; Sarah thy wife ſhall beare a ſonne. Sarah laughed as partly doubting,Gen. 18, 10. 12. and partly ioying that ſo ſage a woman as ſhee ſhould conceiue a ſonne by ſo aged a man as Abraham was. That ſame Angell that certified Zachario; Luke. 1. 13. 14.that Elizabeth his wife ſhoulde beare Iohn the Baptiſt ſaid, not onelyonly that it ſhould be a ſonne: but ſuch a ſonne as ſhould bring ioy to him and many more.Luke 1. 26 verſe 30 And that Angel Gabriell, that was ſent of God Mary, the mother of our ſauiour, according to his humanitie, ſaith, that in ſtead of feare ſhee had found fauour with God: and his reaſon is this: for thou ſhalt beare a ſon, and ſhalt call his name Ieſus: As if he had ſaid, it is a great bleſſing of God to beare a childe: and a greater to beare a man childe: but to be ſo farre in Gods fauour as to beare ſuch a ſonne, as ſhalbe the ſauiour of the worlde, it is the greateſt grace which hath beene heard of: in the which, God make his Church ioyfull; and for the which in ſpeciall, and for all the reſt of his bleſſinges in generall, God make vsus thankefull, Amen.
Iohn 10. 9. I am the doore: by me if any man enter in, he ſhalbe ſaued, and ſhall go in, and go out, and ſhall find paſture.
FINIS.
A MEMENTO, FOR MAGISTRATES.
By Henrie Smith.
LONDON Printed by Iohn Wolfe, & are to be ſold by William Wright. 1592.