Acts xv.

Luke xvi.

The Text.

monies, and hath placed the clear light of his gospel in his church to continue to the end.

But the pope hath thrust the church full of more blind and wicked ceremonies, than ever Moses did: and where Peter said (when the apostles were consulting how many ceremonies should continue for a time) that it was not meet to lay on the gentiles' necks the yoke of Moses' law, which neither they nor their fathers could bear; yet the pope, with cracks to be St Peter's vicar, contrary to St Peter's saying will lay on all people such a heap of his own ceremonies, and that under pain of cursing, as the Jews had never the like in foolish blindness, nor more in number. St Augustine saith, that Christ in the New Testament was content with few sacraments in number, but which were in signification most worthy, as baptism and the Lord's supper': but the pope hath made so many as pleased him, and that such as no scripture can allow. Thus we are taught here, not to esteem the goodness of things by an outward and glorious shew, but to be content with the homely simpleness that Christ taught us in his church, and used himself: for that is more pleasant than all the gorgeous device of man's brain. The wit of man is never content to submit itself to the wisdom of God, but pleases itself more in his own inventions, than in that which God commands: but the gospel saith plainly, that that which is so excellent in the sight of man is abominable in the sight of God.

v. 4. But now be strong, Zerubabel, saith the Lord, and be of good courage, Josua, the son of Josedec, the chief priest, and pluck up your courage, all people of the earth, saith the Lord, and work; for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts.

5. I will perform the promise which I made with you, when ye came out of Egypt; and my Spirit shall dwell in the midst of you: be not afraid.

[Sacramentis numero paucissimis, observatione facillimis, significatione præstantissimis, societatem novi populi colligavit; sicuti est baptismus Trinitatis nomine consecratus, communicatio corporis et sanguinis ipsius. Epist. II. 54. Tom. 11. p. 186. Paris. 1836. ED.]

have fallen

most to be

Lest we faint in the midst of our work, where dangers be great and lets many, there is need of great comfort. The king's officers asked them oftentimes, who gave them leave to renew this building, and what commission they had: the work was great and costly, and their own rulers and brethren by bribing and usury had polled them so sore, that they might well think they were not able to finish it accordingly their sins and negligence were great, that they had deserved such plagues. Therefore to comfort them withal, God sends his prophet to encourage them all gene- They that rally. and particularly those by name which were chief in the most are commonwealth and religion, as Zerubabel and Josua, which comforted. had offended most, because they, being rulers, did neither their duty themselves, nor yet caused others to do theirs, which both they should have done; first, in giving good example themselves, and after in seeing others to have done their duties in this building. But as our Saviour Christ, after that he arose from death, sent Mary Magdalene and the other women to the disciples generally, and to Peter chiefly by name, both to comfort them all together (because they all had forsaken him), and to encourage namely Peter, because he cracked most that he would never betray him, but afterward fell the foulest of them all, and therefore had need to be comforted more than all; so now Zerubabel and Josua by name are comforted of the prophet, because they had been more negligent than the rest, and should have been better than the rest. "Tell my disciples," saith our Saviour Christ Mark xvi. to the women, "and tell Peter, that they go into Galilee, and there they shall see me, as I told them before." Such a loving God is our Lord and Master, that lest weak consciences should despair, except they have comfort of forgiveness, he sends unto them by name, he speaketh to some by name. The rest of the people are bidden be of good courage, for the Lord God would be with them, pardon and forgive them, aid them and further their doings; but not by name, as these other were, because their offences were not so great as the rest were.

So God hath yet in his church both general absolution, Absolution. and forgiveness of sins offered unto all by preaching his word, and promise made in Christ to the believers; and also par

It is one faith by

ticular, to comfort the weak conscience withal, when as he applies to himself the promise declared unto him, and believes the same. Work on still, saith the Lord, and be not dismayed of any trouble which ye see towards: for although ye think that many hosts of men be against you, yet fear ye not; for I the Lord of hosts, which have all my creatures ready harnessed to fight against them that strive against you my people, I say, I am with you. Who can prevail against you, when I am on your side? How can any creature, that is but vile worms and ashes in comparison of me the everlasting God, prevail against me their God and Creator? Mark before, and ye shall better perceive here, why he doth so often call himself the Lord of hosts; which is chiefly, because in such dangerous enterprises they had need of some strong man to take their part; and where he had so many hosts ready to defend them as all his creatures from the highest to the lowest, they should not fear, for they had one stronger on their side to fight for them than all others could be that should fight against them.

The selfsame words of comfort that were given them at the beginning to enterprise the building withal, are now repeated again, that they should more manfully continue in the same. Even so is it the selfsame doctrine, faith and belief, by the which we are received into the number of God's peointo God's ple first by baptism; by the which we increase and go forwards in the same faith; and by the which also we shall the fear of enjoy heaven at the last for even as in a child, when he

which we

are received

people, by

which we also grow in

God, and by

saved; and that in all

sorts of

men.

which we be grows to be a man, remains the same substance that was in the child before, but now is made stronger by age, and casts away all childish toys; so in the same faith, which we profess in our baptism, must we grow and learn the full understanding of it, that it may be felt sweeter unto us daily more and more while we live, even to our last end. And as the words are all one here, to comfort the rulers and people withal; so that faith is one also, by the which we shall all be saved. God hath not appointed one way nor gospel for the rich, and another for the poor; but all have one, as is said before and so is he with all alike, as well with the people as with the rulers. He is not a partial God, but he [When wanting in the second edition. En.]

is with all and defends all alike, providing for all indifferently; and will defend the simplest as well as the highest, the people and subjects even as well as the prince. For as a natural father provides for and loves every child, and a good prince will not so look to one piece of his realm that he neglects the rest; so God, our heavenly King and Father, will not so love some of his people that he will hate the rest, nor so provide for a few that the other shall want; but most lovingly provide for all, and saith he will be with them all that work his work. With whomsoever God dwells, he can want nothing, no more than he that stands in the sun can want light for in God is the well of all goodness, and he gives part thereof to all them that be his, and that he takes into his tuition.

What comfort is in these words, and what it hath caused all faithful men to take in hand when God so promised them, enough was said before. Almost all the notable things in the scripture were taken in hand by the comfort that was taken in these few words, "I am with thee," and by the sure faith that was given to God by them. And as God requires nothing here of them but to work, and other things he himself would care for; so in all other our doings he reserves to himself the success and going forward of things, and nothing shall be ours but the work. He will give in- Let us work, crease to all good things that are taken in hand in his name, fit commit as he thinks best. Let not us therefore be so careful for that only let us work as he biddeth us, and he will bless it to his pleasure. "Neither he that plants nor he that 1 Cor. iii. xv. waters is anything, but God that gives the increase,” saith St Paul. And again: "Your labour was not in vain in

and the pro

to God.

the Lord." He gives increase to some thirty, sixty, or an Matt. xiii. hundred, as his heavenly wisdom thinks good: yet all must work most earnestly in his vineyard, referring the end of their labour and profit to him whose work it is, who will see no necessary thing fail them which be not loiterers in his building. Little things, that are taken in hand in the Lord's name, shall grow to great things to them which work diligently, as the scripture saith, "That which is weak before God, is 1 Cor. i. stronger than men; and that which is most glorious before Luke xvi, men is abominable before God." Jonathan and his page

1 Sam. xiv. discomfited all the host of the Philistians, and then Saul 2 Kings vi. following the chase destroyed them. Eliseus and his boy being in the city, when his boy was afraid, he desired God to open his boy's eyes, that he might perceive how many more were with them than against them; and then the boy saw the hill full of angels harnessed to defend them both, and God so blinded his enemies that they followed the prophet, whom they sought to kill, into the midst of his country, where he might have destroyed them if he had lust.

Matt. iii. [xvii.]

mised was

our fathers

was born.

Isai. ix.

God made diverse promises to them, after they came out of Egypt: but because he beginneth to entreat of Christ in these sentences following, I think he means that promise Deut. xviii. chiefly, where Moses said, "The Lord would raise up unto you a prophet like unto me; him shall you hear." This prophet was Christ Jesus, like to Moses in many points, being born amongst them, and of their brethren of the stock of Judah and David, of whom afterwards the Father said with a voice heard from heaven, "This is my well-beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him." Or else it may well be taken for the promise which is written in the Christ pro- twenty-third' of Exodus, where it is said, "Behold I will present with send my angel (or messenger) before thee, and he shall lead before he thee in the way, and shall drive all thy enemies out before thee, whose land thou shalt possess." This angel was Christ Jesus, who is called the Angel of the great counsel, because he brought from the bosom of his Father the secret counsel of God, and preached his great love to the world. An angel is no more but a messenger or embassador from God, to declare and preach his will and pleasure to the world. And that Christ was present with the Israelites, and guided them in the wilderness, St Paul telleth plain, that they tempted Christ, and murmured against him; and Christ was the rock. The meaning and effect of this promise is no more, but that as God was present with their fathers, when he brought them out of Egypt, and delivered them out of all dangers, were they never so many nor so great, and brought them into the land that he promised them; so he would now be present with them, deliver them, and finish their work, if they would work earnestly, neither mistrusting his mercy [Both editions, 22. ED.]

1 Cor. x.