Psal. cxx.

Psal. xii.

Psal. lii. Iviii.

Isai. xli.

of you, or taken bribe; and I will restore it ;" and they were not able to charge him, and yet were weary of him: so I doubt not, but they be not able justly to burden the preachers with such lies as they devise against them: and if any be, for my part I wish them not to be hid. This kind of persecution is as grievous to an honest heart as the other is: but a justified mind in this case will turn himself to the Lord, bear his cross thankfully, and knowledge that the scholar is not above his master. If Christ our Lord escaped not these tongues, but they called him Samaritane, and said he had a devil, let no Christian look to be free. David felt these pangs when he prayed, "Lord, deliver. my soul from wicked lips and from a deceitful tongue." If they remembered God's threatenings to all such, they would not be so talkative. "What shall be given thee, thou crafty tongue?" says David: "Even sharp arrows and burning coals," answers the Holy Ghost. And again, "The Lord will destroy all crafty lips and proud tongues." Would God that these wicked men understood these threatenings to be true, and that God would faithfully fulfil them to their confusion! If they did believe them, they would tremble and quake for fear of them, and not be so ready to speak what please them. Many think their tongues to be their own, and that they may speak what they lust, and words to be no grief nor kind of persecution: but blessed David is of contrary opinion, when he compares such tongues to swords, poisonful stinging of serpents, sharp razors, &c.

Thus be we fallen in such miserable days, where under popery we be tormented and persecuted with all extremity, and under the gospel we be slandered and reviled, that we may justly say with the apostle, "We are counted as sheep appointed to the slaughter daily."

If these fearful examples and grievous overthrows of the wicked, and so many from the beginning, cannot persuade these cruel haters of God and his word, murderers of his saints and their brethren, to abate their pride and swage their malice; if this particular prophecy written for that purpose (to teach all bloody butchers and proud Caiphas, that a like destruction will fall on them, as it did on Edon) can not help; then let them mark the manifold threatenings of the Lord, where he thunders against such wicked doers. Be not

afraid," says the prophet, "thou Israel my servant, for I am with thee; and fear not, for I am thy God that strengthens thee and helps thee. Behold, they shall be ashamed and confounded all that fight against thee, and all that gainsay thee shall perish and be brought to nought, &c." Again: “Thou Jer. xvii. art the hope of Israel: all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that go from thee shall be written in the earth," and not in heaven. But this seed of Esau in our days is worse than old Edon, as their deeds will declare. When Jacob was banished twenty years, Esau was content to meet his brother Jacob returning homeward, to forget all old grudges, to take and use him as his friend and brother: but our Edomites would not receive their banished brother returning home, forget no old malice, nor use any friendship toward them; but with word and deed shew all cruelty they could devise against them, and yet so continue.

To this some of the wiser sort peradventure will say, There is just cause why they should do so: they be not used as Jacob did his brother Esau: Jacob sent great gifts to his brother Esau, took nothing from him, but let him live where he lusted. Indeed this may be a great cause: for they are so well pleased with gifts and wealth, that in the midst of their rage a little bribe would have loosed heavy chains of iron, and quenched hot flaming fagots. But now, though many things may be suffered in temporal matters, yet the discipline of the gospel will not suffer persecutors to occupy the place of feeders, nor wolves the room of shepherds. If true discipline might take place, not only murderers and apostates, forsaking that religion which afore they professed and taught, should be deposed from their office; but all turntippets, that turn with the world and keep their livings still, should have no office in Christ's church, until they made satisfaction by open repentance afore the congregation. But alas for pity for lack of sharp discipline they lie lurking and looking for that day when they may turn to their old vomit again, enking' their hands in blood, and laugh in their sleeves to see such coldness in religion to serve the living Lord, where they were so earnest, bold, and diligent to set up their own devices.

Yet, all things considered, it is no marvel why the good [Enking: inking. So used by Wickliffe, 3 John, 13. ED.]

men, succeeding in the place of such evil persons, be so evil spoken of at these days. For as he that rips in a dunghill is infect with the smell thereof a long time after, though he were never so clean afore; and he that comes to a house infected with the pestilence is soon taken therewith, though he be never so sound afore, (yea, the better complexion, the sooner smitten ;) so good men now, searching the festered cankers and ripping the stinking duddles1 of popery, for a time smell evil in the noses of the wicked, and seem to be infected with a worse plague than the other. Their places may be well termed with the scriptures Cathedra Pestilentiæ, "the seats of pestilence," because they either infect the good, or else sore assaults them. This misery good men must be content patiently to bear: for this is our nature more than any other people, always to repine and be grieved with the present state. In the late days of persecution those which now be eyesores to look on, were much desired and wished for; and those that now be lamented, were then commonly cursed of the greater and better sort. Then all cried, "Lord God, deliver us this once, and we will be most ware ever hereafter, how we offend thy divine majesty;" but now being delivered, we are worse, more unthankful and disobedient than ever afore which wickedness surely the righteous God will not let escape without heavy plagues.

To make an end: if any natural pity or mercy of man were in them, or if like men they would be ruled by reason, these threatenings and examples of the wicked might move stony hearts but seeing many of them be so blinded in their wickedness, that it needs not or boots not to speak unto them; to the rest, whose hearts God has something touched, and are not altogether cast of God, I say thus much: Consider for God's love, and health of your own souls, who they be that ye hate and persecute: they be God's creatures and his handy work, made like to his own image and similitude: they whom ye murder so innocently, be those that Christ loved so dearly, that he would die with most bitter pains for them, rather than they should perish: they be many of them your kinsfolk, the most part your neighbours; but every one is your countryman, speaking the same language that ye do, [Duddles: bundles of filthy rags. ED.]

true subjects to the same prince that ye should faithfully obey, and members of the same commonwealth: they saved your lives and goods, not seeking your undoing, when it lay in their hands. Consider how unnatural a thing it is thus to fight against nature: remember how dangerous in God's sight it is thus unthankfully to provoke his anger. Think on how in your late raging madness God suddenly cut you off, and yet patiently tarries to see if ye would have new hearts. When that day came which ye so long looked for, ye had not every thing after your own will, but many heavy plagues God laid on you; and surely, whensoever God sends the like again for our unthankfulness, and not for your goodness, all can not fall as ye would wish. Surely, if God like a father sharply correct his children, what can his enemies look for? Give place to nature, fear God, love your brother in Christ, live quietly like friends and subjects to one prince: wash your bloody hands and hearts with bitter weeping tears: take to you pitiful minds: love them that wish you good: leave your raging madness, lest ye perish in your obstinate blindness: so shall God the Lord bless both you and us, contrary to our deserts, for his own mercies, and not for any our goodness, through his dearly beloved Son Christ, who offered himself a sweet sacrifice for us all, that we should sacrifice ourselves to him, mortifying all carnal lusts, that we may live and die to him, and afterward be glorified with him; to whom with his Father and Holy Spirit, three Persons and one God, be glory and praise in all congregations, now and ever. Amen.

PSALM CXXxvii.

Remember, O Lord, the behaviour of the children of Edon, in the day of Jerusalem, when they said, Down with it, down with it, to the ground!

THE VISION OF ABDY.

Why pro phecies are called sights, and prophets

seers.

Psal. 1.

Luke vi.

v. 1. Thus saith the Lord God to Edom: We heard a voice from the Lord, and a message was sent to the heathen, saying, Rise, and let us go fight against her in war.

THIS prophet is not long in words, but he is pithy in sentence: he entreats not many nor divers matters; but this one is weighty and deeply to be considered. For even as apothecaries use to put their costliest medicines, and rich men their greatest jewels, in some little box or chest; so God, our heavenly schoolmaster, uses many times to teach in short writings so much of his heavenly wisdom, as many other, times ye shall not find in long books. Likewise of learned men in one witty sentence and figure will declare as much wit and eloquence, as the common sort will do in long volumes. And as a little gold is worth a great deal of brass, and a small diamond is better than a number of right stones; so in this short prophet is more learning, comfort, and godly wisdom, than ye shall find in searching long and sundry sorts of the learnedest philosophers or eloquentest' orators.

The prophets use to call their writings visions or sights, for divers causes: first, because none should take in hand to be God's messenger to teach his people, but he that is lightened of the Lord, and has his eyes and sight opened to see the mysteries of God. For unto the blind sinner says God, "Why dost thou declare my righteousness, and take my testament in thy mouth?" and again, "If the blind lead the blind, both fall into the pit." Secondly, because they open the eyes and give sight to the blind; as David says, Psal. cxix. "The declaring of thy words lightens and gives understanding to the simple ones:" and also, "Thy word is a lantern to my feet, and a light to my paths." Thirdly and last of all, because of the certainty of the things which they writ: that is to wete, they were not tales which he had heard of [The old edition, eloquence. ED.]