Obrazy na stronie
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1 Cor. i.

are daily spued out by such like wicked ruffians and popish imps, some in corners and their drunken feasts, some afore princes and rulers: yet God confoundeth their wicked devices, comforteth and encourageth his poor people to go forward, and the Lord blesseth their doings. God in all ages "hath chosen the abjects of the world" to set up his kingdom by, and to overthrow the pride of man's heart, be they never so worldly-wise.

3. Tobias the Ammonite. It was not sufficient for this Miles gloriosus, Sanballat, to rail at God's people and their building, as proud Golias and blasphemous Sennacherib did afore him, to their open destruction; but starteth forth another flattering lewd lubber, Tobias, an Ammonite, that slave, peasant, "servant" and bondman, as he termed him afore, ch. ii. 19. and he, not with so many words, but with as bitter scoffs, scorneth as scornfully at them as Sanballat did afore. And he standeth up and saith, If it like your worship, you need not thus to vex and chafe yourself at these vile Jews. For let them go on forward with their building as they have begun; when they have done the worst that they may, "if a fox come up, he shall break down their stony wall,” he shall scrape it down with his claws and deface it. What needeth your mastership to care for so small a matter? it can do no harm: quiet yourself, we shall be able to deal with them well enough, and overthrow them: ye are a man of wisdom and authority, and may easily put these vagabonds to flight; we need not so much the strength of a lion, as the subtlety of a fox, to vanquish them. Thus bragging Thraso never wanteth a flattering Gnatho', and one jade claweth another by the back, and all to discourage the poor workmen.

Our miserable days can give many like examples, as when the bloody butcher sat broiling God's saints; and that glorious disputation at Oxford with God's good and learned ministers, whom after many such like blasphemous mocks the Lord of his mercy took to his rest, and yet suffereth some of his enemies to live in shame, who in so long a time cannot

[1 The allusion is to two characters in the Eunuch of Terence. ED.] [ Bishop Bonner is intended by the term butcher, an appellation usually given him for his cruelty. ED.]

[ Between Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer on the one side, and certain divines appointed from both the universities on the other, in 1554. ED.]

repent, but are given up to their own lusts and hardened hearts, so far as man can judge; beside many other young whelps of their teaching, which can bark in corners, and make themselves merry with railing and scoffing at the holy scriptures of God, the ministers and professors of it. Yea, some became so shameless, that they would call their dogs by the names of the first writers and professors of it. But our God liveth, who will defend his own quarrel, and confound his foes, laugh they never so merrily, or brag and scoff they never so bitterly. Salomon saith, "God will mock them Prov. iii. that mock:" and David saith, he is "blessed that sitteth Psal. i. not in the seat of scorners." Diocletian, the emperor, as Volateran3 writeth, had a jester called Genesius, who used to make him merry at his dinner, and amongst other devices would scoff at the Christians with mad gestures; but God plagued him for example of others, that they should not do the like. And yet it is too common at this day: they cannot eat their meat nor be merry, except they have some at their elbow that will blaspheme, scorn and laugh at the religion, scriptures, and lovers of it. A shrewd kind of trial for poor souls: for some are so weak that, rather than they will be mocked, lose their estimation amongst their acquaintance, or have a strange look of many a gentleman, their neighbour, they will forsake God, his word and religion, and say whatsoever a man will have them.

What hindereth more at these days, than such like brags and mocks as these? What will these new fellows do? say they will they overthrow that faith that ourselves had so many years ago? Nay, let them alone awhile; sit down and laugh at them, they will be trapt in their own snare. Do they so turn the whole world into their own fantasies? will such a prince or such suffer it? See ye not this great man and that great man look strangely at it? Do "any of the rulers believe it," but a sort of rude and common people? Are not all countries in trouble about it, and have been many years? Live quietly, and let them alone

[ Genesius, Arelatensis patria, arte mimus et infamis, Christianos apud imperatorem Diocletianum turpissimis gestibus irridebat, passus tandem et ipse sub eodem. Raph. Volaterranus, Commentariorum: Anthropolog. Lib. xvi. p. 572. ed. 1603. Ep.]

[PILKINGTON.]

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a while, and look for a day, and apply it better when it cometh than ye did: the last was lost for want of good looking to in time.

But the good Christian will with patience go forward, and not be ashamed of God nor his word, nor afraid of such proud brags, nor amazed at their bitter scoffs. He knoweth that "all which will live godly in Christ Jesu must suffer persecution," and that all good fathers from the beginning have suffered the same; and prepareth his back and shoulders patiently to bear all sorrows for his Master's cause. Psal. Ixxix. David complaineth in all good men's names, "We are become

2 Pet. iii.

a mocking stock to our neighbours, a laughing matter and
scoffing to them that be round about us." When Peter
had preached the fearful last day to be at hand, they mocked
him, saying, "Where is the promise of his coming, that thou
hast so long talked of? Since our fathers died, do not all
things continue as in the beginning?"
But enough was

:

said of this matter afore in the second chapter, nineteenth verse. This is then the remedy that David useth in all these griefs fall to prayer, commend thy cause unto the Lord, [Psal.xxvii.] fall not from him for any storm, "tarry the Lord's leisure," and play the man; comfort thy heart, look for the Lord's Psal.cxxiii. coming, and say unto him with David, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, for we are utterly despised. Our soul is full of the slanders of these wealthy worldlings, and despising of the proud." No doubt, the Lord will comfort thee and confound them, as our days have well declared.

The Text.

v. 4. Hearken thou, O our God, for we are despised; turn their
shame upon their own head, and make them despised in
the land of their captivity.

5. Cover not their wickedness, and let not their sin be put
out of thy sight; for they have provoked the builders.
6. Then we builded the wall, and the whole was joined
together unto the half height, and the people had a mind
to work.

After that he had described the mockings and threatenings that they had for their bold enterprise in building, to discourage and drive them from it, if they could, if it had

been possible, he now declareth what remedy and comfort he found by prayer at the Lord's hand. Nehemiah, seeing their great danger, turneth him to the Lord, the people praying with him, and saith: Our God, that hast chosen us only, though most unworthy, for thy people amongst the whole world, and whom only we worship, and at whom we seek for help and deliverance in all our trouble, hearken, we beseech thee, O Lord; bow down thine ear and hear our prayers; for thou art a righteous judge and mighty revenger of all thy faithful servants: we, thy poor people, are in a miserable case: we looked for aid at our neighbours' hands, and they are our utter enemies: we hoped for comfort of them, and they utterly despise, mock and contemn us: but thou art a God that never forsakest any that come unto thee, nor castest any away that faithfully trust in thee: hear us, O gracious God, and turn their own shame, that they would lay on us for building thy city, on their own heads: that villainy that they would do to us, let it fall on themselves. If thou let this cruelty scape unpunished, thou shalt be thought negligent and careless of thy people: these Samaritans, that be so cruel against us, be strangers in the country where they dwell, as we were in Babylon; they were brought out of their own country, and placed here by Esar-haddon, king of Assyria: make them, O Lord, to be despised in this land of their captivity, as well as they despised us in our misery. O Lord, let not their wickedness be hid, but make it known to all the world and all ages to come, how despitefully they deal with us for thy sake: others will attempt the like, if this scape unpunished. Forgive not their sins, but ever keep them in thy remembrance: thou shalt not be thought a righteous judge, if thou wink at such wickedness: they hinder not our own buildings, but they provoke the builders of thy house and city. They despise us because we serve thee. They hate us, not for any of our wickedness, but for the hatred that they bear to thy house, religion, and city, which they would have lie waste, overthrown and trodden down. We grant we have deserved to be cast away from thee, if thou deal with us in justice; and yet after thy fatherly correction we obediently return and submit ourselves unto thee; whereas they contemptuously still rebel against thee, and hate us

Acts vii.

Psal. vii.

Psal. Ixix. cix.

because we love thee. If they did persecute us for our own deserts, we would bear it; but to see thy majesty defaced we cannot abide it: they would have thy city to lie unbuilt, that men might speak ill of thee, that thou were a weak God, not able to defend thy people, that call on thy name, so mightily as their idols do them that know not thee. The shame that they would lay on us shall turn unto thee, O Lord: for it is done unto us for thy sake, and hatred of thee and thy word. Avenge thy own quarrel, O God, and look not at our own deserts: for though we have grievously offended thee, yet we repent, and they obstinately stand in defence of their own wickedness. O Lord, forget not this malicious dealing of them toward us for thy sake; abate their pride, assuage their malice, and confound their devices that they intend against us: comfort and encourage thy poor workmen and builders, whom they provoke to anger, and grant us, that we may, by thy aid, with good success finish that which we have, through thy goodness, so well begun. Amen.

Out of his prayer may arise two doubts: one, whether it be godly, and good men may use the like that he prayeth for here, that is, that the same ill may fall on them that they would do unto the Jews; the other, that their sin should not be forgiven them. The scripture teacheth both to pray for our enemies, and to forgive them, and also that God would revenge their cause himself in his justice. Our Saviour Christ prayeth for them that crucified him, saying, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." St Stephen likewise. But David many times prayeth the contrary, as, "Let his sorrow be turned on his own head, and let his wickedness fall upon his own pate." Again, "Let them be confounded and ashamed that seek for my life, and let them be driven back and ashamed that seek to do me evil." These psalms and others are full of such like speeches. And where some expound such places to be a prophecy and foretelling of such mischiefs as should fall on them, rather than a wishing or praying that they should fall, it is not ill that they say; but it may be doubted whether it be most agreeing to the text. But howsoever it be, this must be most taken heed of, that in all such prayers nothing be asked of malice against the party, which is hard for our froward nature to do, but only for the glory of God, which is to be sought in

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