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wicked mammon so much, that we could not find in our hearts to bestow any part thereof upon the relief of our poor brethren and sisters, are now brought in fear suddenly to lose it altogether, and ourselves also with it, by sudden and dreadful death of our bodies, and, for the abusing of it, in danger and dread to lose our souls also everlastingly. We, that set all our delight in gathering together and heaping of worldly muck, in building of fair houses, and purchasing of lands, as though we should live for ever, are now justly put in fear of loss of life, and all with it, at the short warning of .2. or .3. days, and often not many mo hours. All those doctrines of the vanity of this transitory life and world, set out in the Scriptures in so many places, preached unto us in so many sermons, which we yet could never hitherto by hearing believe, are now put in practice in deed, and set before our eyes, and all our senses, to see and perceive most certainly. Wherefore, unless we now at the last repent, I see not what time is left for repentance. It had been the best in deed, as we have been oft forewarned, to have turned to our heavenly Father in time of quietness, for love of our Father, rather than fear of the rod; for that had been in deed the part of loving and good children: but not to be mended with stripes is now the part not of servants that be 2 Par. 28. a. corrigible, but of indurate and desperate slaves. Let us not (O dearly beloved) fall into the uttermost of all mischiefs, that we should be incorrigible with punishment also, and worse under the scourge, as were those stiff-necked Jews; who when, first after threatenings, and then after plagues of war, famine, and pestilence, they remained indurate and incorrigible; lastly, as he by his holy Prophets had threatened them, he overthrew them as a high wall down to the ground, and dashed them all to pieces as an earthen vessel, that their ruin might be without help, and their destruction remediless. Which most horrible mischief that we may avoid, let us avoid the cause thereof: contempt, obstinacy, and hardness of heart, in God's most just wrath and scourge now used for our correction. There is yet no cause, for all this, why we should despair or distrust: but rather that we should turn from our sins, and return to our merciful Father, craving pardon and deliverance at his hand.

Jere. 2. f.

and 5. a.

Ezech. 24. Agge. 2. Sopho. 3.

Prov. 1. d. and 29. a.

Esa. 30. c.

Levit. 26, f. 401. g.

For the declaration whereof, it shall be shewed out of the Scriptures: First, that God doth not punish us in this world, and send us these miseries Judith 8. d. and sickness, of hatred, to destroy us, but of love, mercifully to correct us.

Deut. 8. b.
Psal. 118.

Job 5. c.

And out of infinite places, it shall suffice to rehearse a few notable, serving for this purpose. And here the testimony of Job, a man both sore punished and most favoured of God, hath a worthy place, who, well understanding God's goodness and mercy, even in his grievous punishments, Blessed or happy (saith he) is the man whom God punisheth. Therefore refuse not thou the chastening of the Almighty. For though he make a wound, he giveth a plaster; though he smite, his hand maketh whole again. He shall deliver thee in six troubles, and in the seventh there shall no evil come unto thee. In hunger, he shall feed thee from death, and

[The reference is wrong. The York Form has 30, which is equally wrong.]

in the wars, he shall deliver thee from the power of the sword; and so forth, how God in dearth and destruction will help and save, and how that such correction keepeth us from sinning. And again, in the .36. Chapter, God by punishing and nourtering of men, roundeth3 them (as Job 36. a. it were) in the ears, warneth them to leave off their wickedness, and to amend. If they now take heed and serve him, they shall wear out their days in prosperity, and their years in prosperity and joy. And Toby, a man likewise exercised in afflictions, saith: Blessed is thy name, Tob. [1]3. c. O God of our fathers, who, when thou art angry, shewest mercy, and in time of trouble forgivest the sins of them that call upon thee. And by and by after: This may every one that worshippeth thee look for of a certainty, that if his life be put to trial, he shall be crowned; if he be in trouble, he shall be delivered; if he be under correction, he shall come to thy mercy. For thou delightest not in our destruction; for after tempest thou sendest calm, and after mourning and weeping thou bringest joy and rejoicing: thy name, O God of Israel, be blessed for ever.

Esay 26.

And in the .6. Chapter of Osee, God saith: In their adversity Osee. 6. a. they shall seek me and say: Come, let us turn again unto the Lord, for he hath smitten, and he shall heal us, he hath wounded us, and he shall bind us up again. After two days shall he quicken us, and the third day shall he raise us up, so that we shall live in his sight. Then shall we have understanding, and endeavour ourselves to know God. And in the third Chapter of the Proverbs: My son (saith Salomon) Pro. 3. b. despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither faint when thou art rebuked of him; for whom the Lord loveth, him he chasteneth, yea, and delighteth in him, even as a father in his own son. The apostle to the Hebrues hath the like most comfortable doctrine, which he yet amplifieth more, saying: Ye have forgotten the exhortation, which Hebr. 12. b. speaketh unto you as unto children: My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, neither faint when thou art rebuked of him; for whom the Lord loveth, him he chasteneth, yea, and scourgeth every son that he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God offereth himself unto you as unto sons. What son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? If ye be not under correction, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons. Therefore, seeing we have had fathers* of our flesh, which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? And they verily for a few days nourtered us after their own pleasure: but he nourtereth us for our profit, to the intent that he may minister of his holiness unto us. No manner chastening for the present time seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: Nevertheless afterward, it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised

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[Nourtering or nurturing: chastening. Psalm xciv. 10. Prayer Book version.]

[Round or rown: whisper.]

[* our corporall fathers correcting vs, and we gaue.] [Yet afterward.]

Rom. 8. g.

Apoca. 3. d. thereby. And1 in the .3. of the Revelation Christ saith: As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent. And S. Paul declareth, that neither trouble nor peril, neither life nor death, nor any other thing, can separate us from the love of God, if we through 1 Cor. 11. g. Christ trust in his mercy. And the first to the Corinthians, he teacheth, that God doth punish and correct us in this wretched world, that we should not be condempned with the wicked world.

Deut. 4. c.

Deut. 30. a.

Secondly, it is most comfortable to call to remembrance such places of the Scriptures, as contain God's merciful promises made to all such as in their trouble unfeignedly call unto him for help; whereof certain be hereunder noted, for the more readiness to have them before our eyes. In the .4. of Deuter. as God threateneth to bring the Jews into all miseries, if they do disobey him: So, saith he, if thou then in thy greatest distress do turn unto the Lord thy God, and hear his voice, and seek him, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and soul. For the Lord thy God is a merciful God; he will not forsake thee, nor destroy thee. And in the .30. Chapter of the same book: If (saith the Lord) for thy sins the curses written in this book do light upon thee, and thou, moved with repentance of thy heart, turn unto the Lord, and obey his commandments, with all thy heart and with all thy soul, the Lord thy God shall bring thee again out of captivity, and will

[And Christe sayth, As many as I loue, I rebuke and chasten: be zelous therefore and repent. And Saint Paul declareth, that neither trouble nor perill, neither lyfe nor death, nor any other thing, can separate vs from the loue of God. And he teacheth, that God doth punishe and correct vs in this wretched worlde, that we should not be condempned with the wicked in the worlde to come, but rather by our repentaunce and obedience be the children of God, and so made partakers of the kyngdome of heauen, through our Lorde and sauiour Jesus Christe, to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glory for euer. Amen.

The seconde part of the Homelie.

We haue (good people) in the former part of this exhortation (concernyng our turnyng to God) opened to you of the seueritie and iustice of God, and also declared howe God by his great goodnesse yet so tempereth his rod and punishment of iustice, that though the wicked by their obstinacie begin their hell here in such punishment, yet the godly by taking the rod of his iustice in repentaunce have much commoditie thereof, that it beginneth not onlye chyldelie and reuerent feare to his maiestie, but also strongly moueth vs to an earnest and stable purpose of lyuing more agreeablie to his honour and our duetie. Nowe the more to recount this our duetie to our Lorde God, I wyll secondly in a fewe wordes set before you some part of gods mercifull promises towarde such (as with all their heart turne to him.) In the 4. of Deuteronomium where God threatneth (for our example) to bring the Jewes into all miseries, yf they do disobey him: so sayth he agayne, If thou in thy great distresse.]

have compassion upon thee, and will turn and fet3 thee again from all the nations, among which the Lord thy God shall have scattered thee. Though thou were cast unto the extreme parts of heaven, even from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fet thee. And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land, which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt enjoy it. And he will shew thee kindness, and multiply thee above thy fathers. And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, that thou mayst love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayst live. And the Lord thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, and that persecute thee. But thou shalt turn and hearken unto the voice of the Lord, and do all his commandments, which I command thee this day. And the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in all the works of thy hands, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for thy wealth. For the Lord will turn again and rejoice over thee, to do thee all good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers. The book of Psalms is very plentiful of such comfortable promises. Psalm .50. Call Psal. 50. a. upon me in the time of thy trouble, and I will deliver thee (saith the Lord) and thou shalt honour me. Psalm .86. Thou, Lord, art good Psal. 86. a. and gracious, and of great mercy unto all them that call upon thee. And by and by: In the time of my trouble I will call upon thee, for thou hearest me. In the .91. Psalm be large promises of God's help Psal. 91. a. and deliverance, yea, and that expressly from the plague and pestilence, and all other evils. Psalm .145. The Lord is nigh to all them that call Psal. 145, d. upon him, yea, all such as call upon him faithfully*. And Salomon, in 3 Reg. 8. d. dedicating of his Temple, testifieth, that if either in war, or famine, or pestilence, or any other plague for our sins, we do convert unto God,

e.

and ask mercy, that we shall obtain it. And God, appearing to him, 2 Para.6 [7]. doth promise and assure the same. Which promise of God the good king Jehosaphat doth repeat in the .2. of Paralipomenon and the .20. 2 Par. 20. b. Chapter, and, according to the same, in his distress obtaineth God's mercy

and help. And the Lord by his prophet Jeremy saith: If that people, Jere. 18. a. against whom I have thus devised, convert from their wickedness, I will repent of the plague that I devised to bring upon them. Again, When I take in hand to build or to plant a people or a kingdom, if the same people do evil before me, and hear not my voice, I will repent of the

good that I devised to do for them. And in another place: Ye shall Jere. 29. c.

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cry unto me, ye shall go and call upon me, and I shall hear you; ye shall seek me and find me, yea, if so be that you seek me with your whole heart, I will be found of you (saith the Lord) and will deliver you. And again, in another place: I heard Ephraim that was led away Jere. 31. d. captive complain on this manner: O Lord, thou hast corrected me,

and

[compassion vpon thee: and the Lorde thy God wyll bring thee.]

[ Fet: fetch. See Nares's Glossary.]

[ faythfully. And the Lorde by his prophete Jeremie.]

[3 crye vnto me, and I shall heare.]

[LITURG. QU. ELIZ.]

32

Convert thou me,

thy chastening have I received as an untamed calf. and I shall be converted, for thou art my Lord God. Yea, as soon as thou turnest me, I shall reform myself, and when I understand, I shall Ezech. 18. e. smite upon my thigh. And by his Prophet Ezechiel he saith: If the ungodly will turn away from all his sins that he hath done, and keep all my commandments, and do the thing that is equal and right; doubtless he shall live and not die. As for all his sins that he did before, they shall not be thought upon, but in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. For have I any pleasure in the death of a sinner, (saith the Lord God,) but rather that he convert and live? And shortly after again: When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath done, and doth the thing which is equal and right, he shall save his soul alive. For insomuch as he remembereth himself, and turneth him from all the ungodliness that he hath used, he shall live and not die. And again: Wherefore be converted, and turn you clean from all your wickedness; so shall there no sin do thee harm. Cast away from you all your ungodliness that ye have done, make you new hearts, and a new spirit. Wherefore will ye die, O ye house of Israel? seeing I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, (saith the Lord God:) turn you then, and ye shall live. And likewise by his Prophet Joel: Although an horrible destruction be threatened to be at hand; yet (saith the Lord) turn unto me with all your hearts, with fasting, weeping, and mourning, rent your hearts and not your clothes, turn you unto the Lord your God; for he is gracious and merciful, and of great compassion, and ready to pardon wickedness. And anon: Every one that calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And the Lord himself testifieth, that he hath performed these his promises accordingly, saying: Thou calledst upon me in troubles, and I delivered thee, and heard thee, what time as the storm fell upon thee. Yea, and it is so accustomed unto God to help those that in their troubles flee unto him for succour, that he is, as it were, by a special name called in the Scriptures the helper and refuge in the day of trouble, the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort; that thereby we might in our distress be the more encouraged to sue to the throne of his heavenly grace, Math. 11. d. whereunto our Saviour most lovingly calleth all such as feel the burthen of adversity, and their sins withal.

Joel 2. c.

Psal. 81. b.

Jere. 14. a. and 16. d.

2 Cor. 1. a.

Psal. 4. a.

31. c. 34. a. b.

118. a. 138. b.

Now it remaineth, for the third part, rehearsal be made of certain examples of such as being in trouble, and trusting to God's merciful promises, called upon him, and were delivered. And first, of David, a man d. 77. a. 86.b. Wonderfully exercised in worldly troubles, to his eternal health and sal142. a. 143. c. vation; who confesseth, that God was ever his helper and deliverer, when he called upon him, in trouble, sickness, or any other adversity, and that in very many places of the Psalter, a number whereof are noted Psal. [1]8. a. in the margents. Yea, when he was in desperate state concerning all worldly help, crying out, that the snares and sorrows of death had com

116. a.

2 Reg. 20

[22]. a.

[receaued. Conuert.]

[This part of the quotation is not in the York form.]

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