i. 19,

Cross of Christ, enemies whom he saw, and his eyes gusht out with tears to behold them. But we are taught in this place, how the Apostle spake also of enemies, whom as yet they had not seen, described a family of men as yet unheard of, a generation reserved for the end of the world, and for the last time; they had not only declared what they heard and saw in the days wherein they lived, but they have prophesied also of men in time to come. And " you do well [2 Pet. (saith St. Peter) in that ye take heed to the words of pro- 20.3 phecy, so that ye first know this, that no prophecy in the Scripture cometh of any man's own resolution." No prophecy in Scripture cometh of any man's own resolution; for all prophecy which is in Scripture, came by the secret inspiration of God. But there are prophecies which are no Scripture; yea, there are prophecies against the Scripture: my brethen, beware of such prophecies, and take heed you heed them not. Remember the things that were spoken of before; but spoken of before by the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Take heed to prophecies, but to prophecies which are in Scripture; for both the manner and matter of those prophecies do shew plainly that they are of God.

Spirit of

cy re

from

himself.

3. Touching the manner how men, by the Spirit of Pro- of the phecy in Holy Scripture, have spoken and written of things Propheto come, we must understand, that as the knowledge of that ceived they spake, so likewise the utterance of that they knew, came God not by these usual and ordinary means whereby we are brought to understand the mysteries of our salvation, and are wont to instruct others in the same. For whatsoever we know, we have it by the hands and ministry of men, which lead us along like children from a letter to a syllable, from a syllable to a word, from a word to a line, from a line to a sentence, from a sentence to a side, and so turn over. But God himself was their instructor, he himself taught them, partly by dreams and visions in the night, partly by revelations in the day, taking them aside from amongst their brethren, and talking with them as a man would talk with his neighbour in the way. Thus they became acquainted even with the secret and hidden counsels of God; they saw things which themselves were not able to utter; they beheld that whereat men and angels are astonished; they understood in the beginning, what should come to pass in the last days.

Of the

Prophets'

of

Job

xv. 2, 3.

4. God, which lightened thus the eyes of their understanding, giving them knowledge by unusual and extraormanner dinary means, did also miraculously himself frame and speech. fashion their words and writings, insomuch that a greater difference there seemeth not to be between the manner of their knowledge, than there is between the manner of their speech and ours. When we have conceived a thing in our hearts, and throughly understand it, as we think within ourselves, ere we can utter in such sort, that our brethren may receive instruction or comfort at our mouths, how great, how long, how earnest meditation are we forced to use? And after much travail and much pains, when we open our lips to speak of the wonderful works of God, our tongues do faulter within our mouths, yea, many times we disgrace the dreadful mysteries of our Faith, and grieve the spirit of our hearers by words unsavoury, and unseemly speeches: "Shall a wise man fill his belly with the eastern wind (saith Eliphaz)? Shall a wise man dispute with words not comely? or with talk that is not profitable?" Yet behold, even they that are wisest amongst us living, compared with the Prophets, seem no otherwise to talk of God, than as if the children which are carried in arms, should speak of the greatest matters of state. They whose words do most shew forth their wise understanding, and whose lips do utter the purest knowledge, so long as they understand and speak as men, are they not fain sundry ways to excuse themselves? Sometimes acknowledging with the Wise Man, "Hardly can we discern the things that are on earth, and with great labour find we out the things that are before us: who can then seek out the things that are in heaven?" Sometimes confessing with Job the righteous, xlii. 3. in treating of things too wonderful for us, we have spoken we wist not what sometimes ending their talk, as does the [2 Mace. history of the Maccabees, "If we have done well, and as xv. 38.] the cause required, it is that we desire; if we have spoken slenderly and barely, we have done what we could." But "God hath made my mouth like a sword," saith Isaiah : xlix. 2. and "we have received (saith the Apostle), not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things which are given to us of God; which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost doth teach." This is that which

Wisd. ix. 16.

[Job

Isa.

[1 Cor.

ii. 12,

13.]

the Prophets mean by those books written full within and without; which books were so often delivered them to eat, not because God fed them with ink and paper, but to teach us, that so oft as he employed them in this heavenly work, they neither spake nor wrote any word of their own, but uttered syllable by syllable, as the Spirit put it into their mouths, no otherwise than the harp or the lute doth give a sound, according to the discretion of his hands that holdeth and striketh it with skill. The difference is only this: an instrument, whether it be a pipe or harp, maketh a distinction in the times and sounds, which distinction is well perceived of the hearer, the instrument itself understandeth not what is piped or harped. The Prophets and holy men of God, not so: "I opened my mouth (saith Ezekiel), and Ezek. God reached me a scroll, saying, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this I give thee; I ate it, and it was sweet in my mouth as honey," saith the Prophet; yea, sweeter, I am persuaded, than either honey or the honey-comb. For herein they were not like harps or lutes, but they felt, they felt the power and strength of their own words. When they spake of our peace, every corner of their heart was filled with joy. When they prophesied of mournings, lamentations, and woes to fall upon us, they wept in the bitterness and indignation of spirit, the arm of the Lord being mighty and strong upon them.

iii. 2, 3.

5. On this manner were all the prophecies of Holy Scripture. Which prophecies, although they contain nothing which is not profitable for our instruction; yet as one star differeth from another in glory, so every word of prophecy hath a treasure of matter in it; but all matters are not of like importance, as all treasures are not of equal price: the chief and principal matter of prophecy is the promise of righteousness, peace, holiness, glory, victory, immortality, soul which believeth that Jesus is Christ, of [Rom. every the Jew first, and of the Gentile." Now because the doctrine of salvation to be looked for by Faith in Him, who was in outward appearance, as it had been, a man forsaken of God; in him, who was numbered, judged, and condemned with the wicked; in him, whom men did see buffeted on the face, scofft at by the soldiers, scourged by tormentors, hanged on the cross, pierced to the heart; in him, whom

unto

66

i. 16.]

xxvii.

46.]

the eyes of many witnesses did behold, when the anguish of his soul enforced him to roar, as if his heart had rent in [Matt. sunder, "O my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" I say, because the doctrine of salvation by him is a thing improbable to a natural man, that whether we preach it to the Gentile, or to the Jew, the one condemneth our Faith as madness, the other as blasphemy; therefore, to establish and confirm the certainty of this saving truth in the hearts of men, the Lord, together with their preachings whom he sent immediately from himself to reveal these things unto the world, mingled prophecies of things, both Civil and Ecclesiastical, which were to come in every age, from time to time, till the very last of the latter days, that by those things, wherein we see daily their words fulfilled and done, we might have strong consolation in the hope of things vi. 18.] which are not seen, because they have revealed as well the one as the other. For when many things are spoken of before in Scripture, whereof we see first one thing accomplished, and then another, and so a third, perceive we not plainly, that God doth nothing else but lead us along by the hand, till he have settled us upon the rock of an assured hope, that no one jot or tittle of his Word shall pass, till all be fulfilled? It is not therefore said in vain, that these godless wicked ones were spoken of before."

[Heb.

A natural man

eth not

things.

66

6. But by whom? By them whose words, if men or Angels perceiv from Heaven, gainsay, they are accursed; by them, whom heavenly whosoever despiseth, "despiseth not them but me," saith [Luke Christ. If any man therefore doth love the Lord Jesus, x. 16.] (and woe worth him that loveth not the Lord Jesus!), hereby we may know that he loveth him indeed, If he despise not the things that are spoken of by his Apostles, whom many have despised even for the baseness and simpleness of their persons. For it is the property of fleshly and carnal men to honour and dishonour, credit and discredit, the words and deeds of every man, according to that he wanteth or hath without. "If a man with gorgeous apparel come amongst us," although he be a thief or a murderer (for there are thieves and murderers in gorgeous apparel), be his heart whatsoever, if his coat be of purple or velvet, or tissue, every one riseth up, and all the reverent solemnities we can use are too little. But the man that serveth God is contemned

James

ii. 2.

xii. 22.

xvii. 18.

James

and despised amongst us for his poverty. Herod speaketh in judgment, and the people cry out, "The voice of God, Acts and not of man.' Paul preacheth Christ, they term him a "trifler." 66 “ Hearken, beloved, hath not God chosen the poor of this world, that they should be rich in Faith?" ii. 5. Hath he not chosen the refuse of the world to be heirs of his Kingdom, which he hath promised to them that love him? Hath he not chosen the off-scourings of men to be the Lights of the world, and the Apostles of Jesus Christ? Men unlearned, yet how fully replenished with understanding? Few in number, yet how great in power ? Contemptible in shew, yet in spirit how strong? how wonderful ? "I would fain learn the mystery of the eternal generation of the Son of God," saith Hilary.* Whom shall I seek? Shall I get me to the schools of the Grecians? Why, I have read, "Ubi Sapiens? ubi Scriba? ubi Conquisitor (1 Cor. hujus seculi?" These wise men in the world must needs be dumb in this, because they have rejected the wisdom of God. Shall I beseech the Scribes and Interpreters of the Law to become my Teachers? How can they know this, sith they are offended at the Cross of Christ? It is death for me to be ignorant of the unsearchable mystery of the Son of God; of which mystery, notwithstanding, I should have been ignorant, but that a poor fisherman, unknown, unlearned, new come from his boat, with his clothes wringing wet, hath opened his mouth, and taught me, "In the be- [John ginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." These poor silly creatures have made us rich in the knowledge of the mysteries of Christ.

i. 20.]

i. 1.]

not halt

two opi

7. Remember therefore that which is spoken of by the Wemust Apostles; whose words if the children of this world do not between regard, is it any marvel? They are the Apostles of our nions. Lord Jesus; not of their Lord, but of ours. It is true which one hath said in a certain place, "Apostolicam fidem seculi homo non capit, A man sworn to the world is not capable of that faith which the Apostles do teach." What mean the children of this world then to tread in the courts of our God? What should your bodies do at Bethel, whose hearts are at Bethaven? The god of this world, whom serve, hath provided Apostles and Teachers for you, Chaldeans, Wizards, Soothsayers, Astrologers, and such like ;

* [See Vol. II. p. 183, Note ft.]

ye