TWO SERMONS preached, the one at Paul's Cross the eight of januarie 1580. The other, at Christ's Church in London the same day in the after noon: By james Bisse master of Art, and fellow of Magdalen ●●lledge in Oxenford.  
¶ Imprinted at London, by Thomas Woodcock. 1581.   

To the right worshipful Sir john Horner, and Sir George Roger's knights; james Bisse wisheth grace, mercy, and peace from GOD our father, and from our Lord jesus Christ.  
WHen I had preached these two sermons (right worshipful) divers of my friends requested a Copy of them: the which they craved earnestly, & at the last I granted hardly. I had small leisure to pen my Sermons for them, and thought it less honesty, and as little courtesy to deny them. But when through importunity they had gotten the upper hand, and received my Sermons at my hands, they went presently after a view taken of them, unto the Printer to have them published. They used many reasons to persuade me to yield thereunto, but but when they could by no reason move me to agree to their attempt, they protested that my Sermons should be printed, though I were never so unwilling, they having the copies in their hands: in the end, when I could nothing prevail with them, but perforce was constrained to yield to the publishing of these my Sermons. I Purposed, as duty moved me, to commend and commit them unto your worships, to whom I do acknowledge myself divers ways much bounden: and the rather was I moved to hide them under the wings of your worship's protection, because your favour in maintaining the Gospel, your zeal to God's word, the regard that you have of God's Ministers, is known, not to me only, who have often times perceived it, but to all them, which although they know not you, yet both know & do acknowledge your good deeds. The Lord power down his spirit plentifully upon you, kindle more & more in you the true zeal that already burneth, increase the love and good affection which you have toward the gospel, that you being pillars in the Church of Christ militant, may also be pillars in his Church triumphant. And thus, desiring your worships to accept this my simple and rude work, with my humble commendations to you, and to the virtuous Ladies your wives, I bid you heartily far well, from London this nineteen. of januarie. 1580.  
Your worships to comma●nd● in the Lord, james Bisse.   
john. 6. 27. Labour not for the meat▪ which perisheth, but for the meat that endureth unto everlasting life. Which the Son●● of man shall give unto you, for him hath God the Father sealed. 
David a King and a Prophet: 
Rom. 1.  a man after Gods own heart, the first lively branch of the root of jesse, of whose seed Christ was made according to the flesh, & upon whose throne, he doth and shall sit for ever: although he were a worm and no man, the outcast of the people, a Pelican in the wilderness, an owl in the desert, a sparrow without her mate, alone upon the house top: yet as the heart desireth the water brooks, 
Psal. 102.  so longed his soul after the meat which endureth unto everlasting life, being more precious unto him than thousands of gold and silver, sweeter than honey unto his mouth, and the honycombe unto his throat. 
Psal. 119.  For though the plowers had so ploughed upon his back, and made long furrows: though the Lord so had trodden down his soul upon the earth, and laid his honour in the dust: though his God had so exalted the horn of his enemies, making them to ride over his back, that he, as it were entering into the kingdom of desperation, did cry: then have I cleansed my heart in vain, in vain have I washed my hands in innocency: and again will the Lord absent himself for ever, 
Psa. 73.  & will he be no more entreated? is his mercy clean gone for ever, 
Psal. 77.  and is his promise come utterly to an end for evermore? What, will he now forget to be gracious, and shut up his loving kindness in displeasure. Yet notwithstanding, when he had been in the sanctuary of the Lord, and so knew the end of his enemies, and the causes of those things, he was filled with marrow and fatness, his head was anointed with fresh oil, his cup was full, because he had drunken plentifully of the water of life, and eaten abundantly of the bread of heaven. 
Revel. 10.  For as john did eat, not a leaf only, 
Ezech. 3.  but the whole book & as Ezechiel did eat, not a piece, but the whole role, the which book and role were sweet as honey in their mouths. But the book made john's belly bitter, and the role brought heaviness to ezechiel's spirit, that is, the word brought unto them both, peace to the conscience from the Lord, but war to the body from the world. So David's whole delight was in the law of the Lord his God, to muse and meditate thereon, too exercise, and practise himself therein, both day and night, all days & nights of his life. Whose good and godly example we must follow in labouring for meat, if we will have the crown of life, if we will eat of the tree of life, if we will eat of manna, that is hid, 
Revel. 2. &. 3.  if we will have that whitestone, & in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, but he that receiveth it, if we will stand in the midst of the paradise of GOD, if we will be clothed in white array, if we will have our names in the book of life, if we will be a pillar in the temple of God, and never go out, if we will have written upon us the name of God, 
Heb. 12.  and the name of jerusalem, if we will come to mount Zion, to the city of the living God, to the celestial jerusalem, to the company of innumerable angels, to the assembly and congregation of the first borne, which are written in heaven, to God the judge of all, to the spirits of just and perfect men, to jesus the mediator of the new testament, & to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel. For all other meats perish, they with us, and we with them, O then labour not for them: only this meat, the food of the soul doth endure unto everlasting life, it with us, and we with it: O then, let us all labour for it. The children of Israel did eat Manna in the wilderness, 
Exod. 16.  but they are all dead: 
josu. 5.  Manna was not to be found on the sabbath days, Manna was full of worms, and stank: Manna ceased, when they had eaten of the corn in Canaan: Manna was kept in a pot, for the posterity. 
2. Chro. 5.  But is was no where to be found in the days of Solomon. But they that are fed with this bread, shall never die: it is to be found at all times, it never putrefieth, it never ceaseth, for it doth endure, not to death, but to life, and that to everlasting life, He that drinketh of the water of jacobs' well, shall thirst again: 
john. 4.  but he that drinketh of the water, which the son of man shall give unto him, (whom God the father to this purpose hath sealed) shall never thirst again, but the water in him shallbe a well of water, springing up unto everlasting life: 
john. 7.  yea, out of his belly shall flow rivers of water of life. Wherefore: 
1. Chro. 11.  as Eleasar and his two companions did break thorough the mighty host of the Philistines, and brought water out of Bethlehem for David, even thorough the host back again, David longing after that water: right so, let us boldly and courageously, break thorough the mids of all our enemies, both temporal and spiritual to get this water, 
Mat. 11.  and this bread of the soul, of heaven, and of life, that it may be said of us, as our Saviour spoke of the jews in the beginning of the gospel: the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. So zealous were they (O I would to God) so zealous were we) too receive God's mercy so freely offered, so greedy were they, (O I would to God so greedy were we) to embrace, to love, to obey, to follow God's word so purely preached. For as the pewter pot, which the fire melteth is not so soon consumed, being full of liquor: as the glass, which every knock breaketh, is not so lightly dashed in pieces being full of water: so we, (though we consume as the fat of lambs before the presence of the Lord, and be as dry stubble, the Lord a consuming fire: though we be more brickle then glass, for glass being safely locked up, endureth long, but we, keep we ourselves never so daintily, never so warily, never so safely, come to an end as a tale that is told. So we I say, being full fed with this food, shallbe able to abide all blows, all knocks, & shall quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, & shall stand fast in the evil day, & so stand, that all the gates of hell, shall not once be able to prevail against us. What better reason can I give then this? for it endureth unto everlasting life.  
But alas, as Eve was content to adventure the loss of Paradise, for an apple: as Esau was content to lose his birthright, & his father's blessing for a mess of pottage: as the children of Israel did loath Manna, (Angels food) & in their hearts turned back to the flesh pots of Egypt: as the jews at this time did seek Christ, not for his doctrine, not for his miracles, but chief for meat, because he had fed them, and so fed them, that they had more store left, when they had done, then when they began to eat: So because the days of Noah are come, because the days of Lot are come, because the days of the Son of man are at hand, we are weary of the meat that endureth unto everlasting life, and do labour for the meat which perisheth to serve the belly, 
Luke. 17.  the flesh, sin, the world, and all is to serve the Devil.  
For as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the son of man, they ate, they drank, they married, and gave in marriage, unto the day that Noah went into the Ark, and the flood came and drowned them all: like as it was in the days of Lot, they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built, they married, but in the day that Lot went out of Sodom, the lord rained fire & brimstone from heaven & consumed them all. There was never more eating and drinking, I mean never more surfeiting and drunkenness: never more buying and selling. I say, never more deceit in buying and selling: never more planting, I might truly say, never more supplanting one of another: never more marrying, I would to God I might not justly say, never more whoring, to conclude never more building, I mean not building of Colleges, of alms houses, of schools. there was never less: I pray you mistake me not, I say, never more building of private houses, which we think shall continue for ever, and call our houses and our lands after our own names. So that we may justly bewail the madness and misery of this age, as chrysostom did the folly and fondness of his tyme. 
Homil. 42. in johan.  Si secularibus abstinere iubemur, quae miseria, quae amentia est, ea a domino postulare quae habita, abiicienda: desiderare, in quibus nullam omnino curam adhibendam praecipit? That is: if we are commanded to abstain from worldly things, what a misery, what a madness is it, to beg those things at the lords hands, which when we have, we must cast away: and to desire those things, wherein the Lord commandeth us to put no care at all. 
Tit. 2.  Wherefore seeing it may well be said of us Englishmen, as Paul said of the Cretians, evil beasts, slow bellies: and seeing I may now truly speak with Paul: many walk, of whom I have told you often, 
Phillip. 3.  and now tell you weeping, that they are enemies to the cross of Christ, whose end is damnation, whose God is their belly, whose glory is to their shame, which mind earthly things: and seeing upon good occasion, 
Rom. 16.  I may exhort you with Paul: now I beseech you (brethren) mark them diligently, which make division, & offences contrary to the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them: for they that are such, serve not the Lord jesus, but their own bellies, & with fair speech, & flattering, deceive the hearts of the people: this doctrine is as needful & necessary, now as it was in the time of our Saviour Christ, when he thus taught the people, Labour not &c. Not only to dissuade you from labouring for the meat which perisheth, but to persuade you to labour for that meat which doth endure unto everlasting life, The which words contain in them, 
The division.  first a dissuasion, a dehortation, a proposition negative: Secondly, a persuasion, an exhortation, or conclusion positive. Whereunto is annexed, first, a reason taken from the person that giveth, & the certainty of the thing given: which the Son of man shall give unto you: Secondly, a confirmation, drawn from the office and function of our Messiah and Saviour. For him hath the Father sealed, that is, appointed and consecrated him to give life unto all them that labour for this meat.  
IT had been sufficient for our Saviour: only to have used the exhortation, labour for etc., had he not perceived them, as we now see the world, to hunt & labour for belly cheer, as dogs do for carrion, swine for draff, horses for provender: too be wrapped and tied in these earthly things, (as the men of this age are) like the fish in the hook, the bird in the net, the conie in the hay: therefore he beginneth with the dehortation. Labour not, etc. And because a little before mention was made of meat, he speaketh figuratively, using the Metaphor of meat, whereas he might plainly have said, care not for the body to fulfil the lusts of it, but care for your souls, to possess the kingdom of heaven. And if he had only used the affirmative, exhorting them to labour for meat, they might have been as gross in understanding him, as his Disciples were, who, when he spoke of the leaven of the Pharisees, 
Mat. 16.  thought he had spoken of the leaven of bread: as carnal as Nicodemus, who when Christ told him a man must be borne again, thought a man should go into his mother's womb again: 
john. 3.  as rude as the woman of Samaria, who, 
john. 4.  when Christ spoke of the water of life, thought he had spoken of the water of jacobs' well. Therefore, as he useth a metaphor being plain, so to make it more plain, so to show whereunto their nature was bend, so to declare what they should labour for, he useth both the affirmative & the negative: but he beginneth with the negative, labour not, etc. As if he should have said: Wilt thou come up into my holy hill? put of thy shoes. Wilt thou come into my congregation? cut of the foreskin of thy flesh, or rather of thy heart. Wilt thou have my durable coat made of skins? O son of Adam, cast of thy breeches made of fig leaves. Wilt thou be clad with my garment? cast of thy ragged cloak with blind Bartimeus. Wilt thou have a salve for thy wound? cut of thy rotten flesh. Wilt thou have a medicine for thy diseases, purge thy body. Wilt thou build? pluck down thy ruinous walls. Wilt thou sow? pluck out the weeds of thine heart. Wilt thou put on a clean shirt? put of the foul. I will not put my new Wine into old bottelles: I will not put a piece of my new cloth, upon the moth eaten garments: my coat is without seam from the top to the skirts, I give all, or none. Wilt thou entertain me Zacheus? come down from the wild fig tree. Wilt thou do good? decline from evil. Wilt thou put on the armour of light? cast of the works of darkness. You cannot serve God and Mammon, Christ and riches, you cannot labour for the meat which perisheth, and for the meat that endureth unto everlasting life. Were not a garment of linen and woollen: eat not with sweet bread, and sour leaven: sow not two sorts of grain in one field: go not too plough with an ox and an ass in one yoke: for they that do so, look back from the plough, & are not fit for the kingdom of God. For what fellowship hath righteousness, and unrighteousness, what communion hath light with darkness, 
1. Cor. 6.  what concord hath Christ with Belial? what part hath the believer with the infidel? what agreement hath the temple of God with devils? GOd and Mammon, meat which perisheth, and meat which endureth unto everlasting life, cannot stand together. But let us labour a little I pray you, for this meat, a little is to be borne with. What, know you not, that leaven, and a little leaven, doth leaven the whole lump? that a breach, and a little breach doth mar the sale of a whole cloth? that a scar and a little scar, doth disfigure the whole face? that poison, and a little poison, doth poison the whole body? that Coloquintida, and a little Coloquintida, doth infect the whole pot of pottage? that a hole, and a little hole in a vessel, will let out all the liquor? that fire, and a little fire, is able to burn a whole City? Kiss the Son, 
Psal. 2.  (saith the Prophet) lest he be angry, and so perish from the right way, if his wrath be kinndled, yea but a little, Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. Make no pax of the world, and have no pax with the world, but kiss the son, make a pax of him, and have peace with him▪ Fear his wrath, if it be kindled, yea but a little, O blessed are all they that put their trust in him. But alas, 
Math. 13.  we are so far from labouring for this meat, that whereas like good husbandmen we should labour & dig in the field, and sell all that we have, to buy that field. Whereas like wise Merchant men, we should labour and seek for good pearls, 
Math 7.  and sell all that we have, to buy that pearl of great price: We, like dogs refuse holy things offered, we turn about and tear them that do offer them: we like swine, tread pearls under our feet, and do account this pearl, this holy thing, the word of life, to be unto us as a ring of gold in a swine's snout. For doth the people delight to hear God's word? Behold yet they are like the deaf adder, which stoppeth her ears, at the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely. Or if they with delight do hear it, do they understand it? behold yet, they are like horse and mule, which have no understanding, or if they hear it, & understand it, do they obey it? behold yet, they are untamed colts, & unweaned heifers. Or if they do all these three, hear, understand, obey, can they abide to be rebuked to their faces of their sins? Behold yet they are like Herode, who performed the 3 first, 
Mark. 6.  but could not abide the fourth. Do they love the bringers of this word? behold yet there is in England an Adder's brood, a generation of Vipers. Do they abide and stand fast to their profession? Behold yet they are starting aside like a broken bow, they are yet like the children of Ephraim, who being harnessed, and carrying bows, did turn themselves back in the day of battle. Nay do the bishops and ministers so go in, and so go out, before the people of God, that the people seeing them go before, do follow after them, whereby our father in heaven is glorified? Behold yet many of them are like the eye, which seethe all things and cannot see itself: like the whetstone which maketh the iron sharp, but dull itself: like the iron and flint, which make fire in the tinder but are cold themselves. I pray GOD they be not like those foolish Carpenters in the days of Noah, who builded the Ark for Noah▪ but they themselves were drowned. Or if the Ministers and people do seem to live as they teach and are taught, do they live so sincerely, purely, and truly? I pray God we be not found to be stage players, to be painted sepulchres, Wells without water, and clouds without rain. For so ripe is the hypocrisy of men in these days, that they which bear the fairest show of godliness, do most deny the power thereof. For even they, these holy men, or rather hollow trees (I would they were holy trees, which are always green,) are like the fair red morning, which bringeth rain at noon: Like the calm water, which is most deep: like the green grass, where the venomous snake lieth, and the filthy cur maketh his urine. For they serve their bellies, their flesh, the world, and in heart do labour for that meat only, which perisheth. We care not for our lives, our souls, ourselves, we are inferior to bruit beasts. Hear o heavens, & hearken o earth: (saith the Lord) the ox knoweth his owner, 
isaiah▪ 1.  & the Ass his Miasters' crib, 
jerom. 8.  but my people doth not know me, & again, the stork in the air doth know her appointed times, the tutele, the crane, the swallow, observe the time of their coming, but my people knoweth not the judgement of the Lord. But why doth the ox know his owner, & the Ass his masters cribb? why do the stork, the turtle, the crane, the swallow, observe the time of their coming? is it not for meat, for their bodies, and for their lives? should they labour for their lives, & not we for ours? For well said Tully to Caesar: Non est haec tua vita dicenda, 
Orati. per M. Marc.  quae corpore & spiritu continetur: illa, inquam, illa, est vita tua Caesar, quae vigebit memoria saeculornm omnium. etc. This is not to be called thy life, which doth consist of body and soul: that, I say that, O Caesar is thy life, which shall endure thorough out all ages. etc. And well said Africanus to Scipio: Now tu is es, 
In somnio Scipionis.  quem fama ista declarat: sed mens cuiusque is est quisque, non ea figura quae digito demonstrari potest. Thou art not he, Scipio, whom this form and proportion of body doth show thee to be: and each man's mind is the man, not that figure and shape of body, which may be demonstrated, and pointed at with the finger. We then in labouring for this corruptible meat, do neither labour to maintain our lives, nor yet too sustain ourselves. For this is not our life: & we are not they, whom these shapes and forms of our do show us to be. Our souls are ourselves, & ourselves, are our souls: let us then labour for ourselves, that is, for our souls.  
As the Lord did carry the jews, so doth he offer too carry us upon eagle's wings, 
Exod. 19  what whereas the dead carcase is, we like young Eagles may resort, but we will not be carried. As Christ did clock for the jews, so he doth for us to come under his wings, 
Mat. 23.  but we will not come. 
Psalm. 19  We are like Esop's cock, who esteemed more of one barley corn, than of all the precious stones in the world. The heavens do declare the glory of God, the firmament showeth his handy work, the Elements observe their order, the sun doth rejoice to run his course: only the foundations of man's heart, are out of course, 
Ios. 10.  only man doth disobey gods wil The sun once abode in the mids of heaven for the space of a whole day, 
2. Reg. 20.  but it was at the prayer of joshua the sun once went back ten degrees, but it was at the request of Ezechias: but flesh and blood doth still stand in the way of sinners, still walk in the counsel of the ungodly, sit still in the chair of pestilence, and still go back from the straight way, & straight path of the Lord. if this food were clean taken from us, and were not to be found, as it hath been, we might then seem to have some reason to labour for the other meat. For as Hanum king of Ammon, 
Chro. 19  took David's servants, shaved their beards half of, & cut of their garments by the half: so those shavers and shavelings, those barbers and Barbarians of Rome, took away half the Lords Supper from the people, they might have no drink. And took the word of God from them, they had not their meat. But now as Mary sat in her own house quietly, & heard jesus preach: as in the days of Solomon, every man under his fig tree, & under his vine tree, heard the law peaceably, even from Dan to Beersheba: so now every man in his own house may read with quietness, and every one under his fig tree and vine tree with cheerfulness and joyfulness may hear the glorious gospel of jesus Christ, even from the mount to Berwick, from Dover to S. Davies, the Lord be thanked for it, the Lord continue it, the Lord grant we be not unthankful, & that we may labour for this meat which endureth unto everlasting life. But that my speech may more edify, that it may be mighty in operation, that it may pierce and enter thorough, even to the dividing asunder of the souls and spirits, of your joints & marrow: that you may be pricked at the heart, in hearing this my sermon, 
Act. 2.  as the jews were at Peter's sermon, 
2. Chron. 34.  when they cried: Alas men and brethren, what shall we do? as josiah was hearing the law read by Shaphan, 
john. 3.  when ye tore his clothes. As the King of Niniveh was, 
jud. 3.  when he heard the word by jonas, & as Eglon king of Moab, when he heard the word by Ehud: who rose up from their thrones & cast of their Kingly robes: that my talk may so be powdered with salt, that it may give savour unto all: to conclude, that my sermon may be like that precious ointment, which was on Aaron's head, ran down on his beard, & to the very lower skirts of his clothing: That it may touch head & foot, king & subject, high & low, rich & poor, young & old, bond, and free, man and woman: Let us first see what this meat is: secondly, why we should not labour for it: thirdly let us examine ourselves, and this our age, whether we labour for this meat or no.  
By meat is meant: not only food for the belly, 
What meat is here meant.  which the earth bringeth forth, as green herb for the service of men, wine to make glad the heart of man, oil to make him a cheerful countenance, & bread to strengthen man's heart: not only cloth for the back, & furniture for bedding, which by God's appointment we receive of dumb creatures, as wool of sheep, leather of oxen, feathers of fowls, silk of worms: but also honour, promotion, favour, dignity, worship, countenance, jollity, pride, ambition, avarice, riches, surfeiting, drunkenness, and whatsoever else is carnal, whatsoever is fleshly, whatsoever is worldly, whatsoever is temporal, whatsoever is not eternal, is called meat which perisheth. The which Epithetan is added both as a reason to with draw us from labouring for this meat, because it doth perish, and also to declare a difference between the body & the soul, & the meats of them both. Lyra maketh this difference: 
Lyra in joh.  Cibus corporalis perit, non spiritualis: Si enim cibus corporalis maneat in propria forma, non nutrit, sed nocet cerpori: sedsi nutriat, oportet quod a propria natura pereat, & convertatur in membra: econuerso cibus spiritualis manet & convertit in seipsum sumentem. That is: the meat of the body doth perish, but not the meat of the soul: for if the meat of the body should abide in it proper form, it could not nourish, but hurt the body: but if it nourisheth, it must lose it proper nature, and be turned into the parts and members of him that taketh it: whereas contrariwise the meat of the soul doth abide in it own nature, and turneth him that taketh it into itself according to that saying of Augustine speaking as it were, 
August.  in the person of this meat: Non me mutabis in te, sed tu mutaheris in me. Thou shalt not change me into thee, but thou shalt be changed into me, and another difference the same Lyra maketh in this sort: Panis vitae non solum vitam conseruat, 
Lira in johan.  sed etiam dat ipsam de no▪ uo panis corporalis, vitam corporalem preexistentem tantummodo conseruat. The bread of life, doth not only preserve life, but giveth life anew: but the meat of the body only preserveth the life, which is in the body: and let these serve for two reasons, to prove my second part. That we ought not to labour for meat which doth perish, whereunto, now I come. In the beginning the Lord God took the man, & put him into the garden of Eden, that he might keep it and dress it: 
We ought not to labour for this meat.  whereupon as Peter Lombard noteth, that man was made out of Paradise, and afterward put into it, both to signify that he should not long continue there, 
Gen. 2.  and also that Paradise was assigned unto him by grace, and not by nature: so have we to learn, that God doth so detest and abhor idleness, that though then there was no need of labour, 
Lib. 2. dist. 17.  yet he would have Adam there, not only a keeper, but a dresser of the garden.  
For although at the first God made every plant of the field, 
Gen. 2.  before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field, it grew: (for the Lord had not caused it to rain upon the earth, neither was there a man found to till the ground) yet afterward God would have the man to keep, labour, dress and trim the garden, not in the sweat of his face, not in pain, not in sorrow, but in mirth, joy, pleasure, and peace. Where idle livers, loitering vagabonds, wild rogues, begging Friars, lose libertines, carnal Anabaptistes, snatchers from other men's trenchers, they that live in no vocation, no art, no trade, no science, cannot make this a shroud for their sin, or a cloak for their knavery: saying, we are hear forbidden to labour: for this sentence of God pronounced against man, 
Gen. 3.  in the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat thy bread, was not only a curse, but a commandment. That every man should labour in some vocation: that, as Paul saith: he that would not work might not eat. 
2. Thessa. 3.  For we hear, saith he, that there are some which walk among you inordinately, and work not at all, but are busy bodies: therefore them that are such, we warn and exhort by our Lord jesus Christ, that they work with quietness, and eat their own bread. For this commandment, given to the jews from God by Moses: there shall be no beggar among you, was a commandment, not only to move them to pity, to mercy to liberality: but also to take away, & root out all loiterers, all shifters, all vagabonds, all busy bodies, all that live in no vocation, from the common wealth of Israel. The slothful will not blow, 
Pro. 20.  because of winter, 
Luk. 16.  (saith Solomon) therefore shall he beg in summer, but have nothing. But you will say, I will neither blow nor beg, I will shift with the unjust steward (whom Christ commended) and say: dig I cannot, 
Pro. 20.  and to beg I am ashamed: The bread of deceit (saith Solomon) is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth shallbe filled with gravel. Wherefore we are not here simply forbidden to labour, but this is forbidden both to labour too carefully as the heathen do, or to labour for the meat of the body, and care not for the meat of the soul as the Athistes do, which say in their hearts, there is no God. The Lord God knowing the nature of man, above all other vices, would be prone to gluttony and belly cheer, did first before all other commandment, consecrate & proclaim an injunction of temperancy, & fasting thou shalt not eat of the tree of knowledge of good & evil. The breach of the which commandment did justly and differently not only thrust Adam and Eva out of Paradise, 
Gen. 3.  but caused the Cherubins to be heat, and the blade of a sword shaken, 
Revel. 3.  to keep the way of the tree of life, 
Revel. 20.  for ever to keep us from it, had not he which hath the keys of the bottomless who openeth, & no man shutteth, shutteth & no man openeth: he who divided the red sea, that we might escape from the Egyptians: he who divided the rock that might have water in the wilderness, he who duided jordan, that we might pass in to the land of promise:: he who divided the earth that we might rise again, he who divided the clouds and the heavens with his body that we might might follow after him: he who only giveth to eat of the tree of life: had not he I say, taken away the Cherubins, and removed the blade of a sword, too make us a plain, direct, open, and safe way to enter again into Paradise, and to taste of the fruit of the tree of life. But what caused Eva to eat of it? that which doth cause us all too labour for that meat which perisheth. Nitimur in vetitum. We must desire that, which we are forbidden to do: it was a fruit too get knowledge, a proud mind: a fruit pleasant to look on, a wanton eye: a fruit good for meat, a lickerishe tooth of the woman. But that we may the better understand, how God is grieved, when men labour for this belie meat, let us call to remembrance the times of old, and think upon the days of late, how the Lord hath executed his terrible judgements and horrible vengeence, how he hath abundantly poured out of the viol of his wrath, when men have been in the midst of their mirth, of their feasting and banqueting. The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up again to play: 
Exod. 32  let me alone saith the Lord to Moses, that my wrath may wax hot against them, 
Num. 11.  for I will consume them. And although God heard the prayer of Moses, yet Moses slew of those belly Gods. 3000. men: again the people lusted for meat, saying: who shall give us flesh to eat, we remember the fish that we had in Egypt for nought, the cucumbers, the pepons, the leeks, the onions and garlic. But now our soul is dried away, we can see nothing but this Manna: as now saith the Papists where is our plenty of victual? our feasting, our singing, our ringing, our piping, our dancing? we see nothing, but the bare Testament, nothing but this manna said the jews, nothing but this Gospel say the Papists, behold while the flesh was between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled, there was an exceeding plague among them, that the place was called Kibroth Hattanah, the graves of lust. When fell down the house upon the Lords of the Philistines? at a banquet. When fell down the house upon jobs children? at a feast. Yea at the time of our & banqueting, the devil is more busy with us, & hath eftsoons more power over us: at a dinner did the devil move Herode to behed john Baptist▪ & at a supper did Satan persuade judas to betray his master, But what saith Paul to us of these things? 
1. Cor. 10.  these things are our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they lusted: & all these things came unto them for examples, & are written to admonish us, upon whom the ends of the world are fallen. But have we had no examples of late? whom did the Lord smite down in that terrible plague in Oxford, not mockers of God's servants, as were the Philistines, not Idolaters, and murmurers, as were the jews, but the most religious, zealous, the godliest, the strongest, the best learned, amongst us, judges, sheriff, knight, esquire, justice, gentleman, scholar, & for zeal, for godliness & learning, I may truly say, for the most of them, as David said of Israel, the Lord smote down the chosen men that were in Oxford. But when was this done? even when the meat was in our mouths at our act and proceeding a time of mirth, of feasting & banqueting. I mean not that scholars made the feasts but their friends then assembled, I come a little nearer to your remembrance, was there not a great feast and a great assembly in this City, not of Herode and his courtiers, but of many right noble personages, when the Lord of late shook not London, not England only, but the most part of Europe with a terrible earthquake? the earth at that time did shake, and we for a time did quake, the Lord shake the hearts of all englishmen: What shall I say of these: they are (no doubt) examples for us, that in the midst of our feasting, we set not our minds on our bellies, but remember our God & think on that meat, which endureth unto everlasting life. If we so do them shall we come to the marriage of the great kings son: the Lord grant we may leave our farms, forsake our oxen, and not suffer our wives to make us say I can not come. Then shall we be partakers of that feast with the prodigal son: the Lord turn us home from feeding of swine and in heart to cry for our sins father I have sinned against heaven, and against thee, & I am no more worthy to be called thy son. Then shall we enter with the .5. wise virgins into the bridegrooms chamber, the Lord grant that we have lamps, that our lamps may have oil, and that our oil may burn. Man before his fall, 
De jeiunio.  might only eat of the fruit of trees, (as Tertullian noteth) afterward the use of corn was lawful for him, conditionem consciencie, ipso situ corporis approbant, the body allowing the state and condition of the conscience. For man's conscience being right and upright he looked up toward heaven, and pluck the fruit of trees: but when the conscience of man was by sin cast down, man turned his eyes toward, the ground and made the grain of corn to be his meat, and so after the flood, not only fruit, not only corn, but flesh was also lawful. The Lord did always provide according to the times and seasons and ages of mankind, sufficient and convenient food, Nay behold the Lord feedeth the young ravens that call on him: the fowls of the heaven sow not, reap not, nor gather into their barns, yet they are fed, 
Psal. 147.  and by our heavenly father they are fed. 
Math. 6.  The Lilies of the field labour not, spin not, yet Solomon in all his royalty was not clothed like one of them. Thus then will I reason: hath God care for beasts too feed them, and for flowers too clothe them, and will he not much more feed and clothe us? are they fed and clothed without sowing, without reaping, without carrying, without spinning and labouring, and shall not we be clothed and fed, if we sow, reap, carry, spin, and labour? Will God care for my raiment? then much more for my body, will he care for my body? then much more for my life. For the life is more worth than meat, and the body more worth than raiment. I will then care neither for cloth, nor food, nor body, nor life, but I will first seek the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof, and then I am fully assured, that all these things shallbe ministered unto me, thou shalt not (saith the law) mussel the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the corn. And again: if thou wilt find a birds nest & the dam sitting thereon, thou shalt not take the dam with the young. 
Deut. 22.  Doth God take care for oxen? is God so merciful to birds? & will he not take more care for us? will he not be more merciful unto us. In the Cedars of Libanus (saith the Prophet) the birds make their nests, and the Fir trees are a dwelling for the Storcke: the high hills are a refuge for the wild Goats, 
1. Cor. 10.  and so are the stony rocks for the coneys: 
Psal. 104.  the lions roaring after their prey, do seek their meat at God. In the Sea are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts, there go the ships, and there is that Leviathan, whom thou hast made to take his pastime therein. These wait all upon thee, that thou mayst give them meat in due season. Let not us therefore labour for this meat, let us with prayer seek our meat at God, 
Psa. 104.  let us wait upon him, and he will give us meat in due season. For our God, which layeth the beams of his chamber in the waters, which maketh the clouds his chariot, and walketh upon the wings of the wind, is so merciful, that he suffereth his rain to fall upon bad and good, his sun to shine upon just and unjust. For it is he, that appointeth the Moon for certain seasons, and by him the sun knoweth his going down. He covereth the heaven with clouds, he prepareth rain for the earth, he maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains, and green herb for the service of men. He doth command the clouds above, and open the doors of heaven. He doth send the first and latter rain, his clouds drop fatness, he only maketh the valleys so full of corn, that they laugh and sing. If we ask bread of our earthly father, will he give us a stone? if we ask fish, will he give us a serpent? if we ask an egg, will he give us a Scorpion? 
Luk. 11.  Much more will our heavenvly father give good things unto us, if we labour for the meat that endureth unto everlasting life. 
Homil. 42. in johan.  Chrisostom woondreth, that men will presume so much, to beg corruptible meat at God's hands, seeing that among seven petitions in the lords prayer, six are for the spirit and soul, and but one (and not that altogether) for the body. For the first three: hallowed be thy name: thy kingdom come, thy will be done: are for the spirit and soul, the three last, forgive us our trespasses, lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil: are also for the spirit and soul. Only this give us this day our daily bread, is for the body, and not for food of body only, but for meat of the soul. Ceres' the goddess of corn and bread: is placed in the lowest room of the heathen Gods and Goddesses, and her daughter Proserpina, was married to Pluto king of hell. Let Ceres, bread, belly, and belly cheer be last and least accounted of us. As for her daughters, they are not virgins to be married to the great kings son, but harlots to be married to Belzebub king of hell. Tertullian saith, that although God after the flood did permit the use of flesh, yet to his people he inhibited the use of certain meats: 
Li. 20. adversus Marcinnen.  consilium exercendae continentiae, a counsel & practise to exercise their continency. seven. sons with their mother, were by that horselech & bludsucker Antiochus most cruelly put to death, 
2. Mach. 7.  because they would not eat swine's flesh against the commandment of the Lord. Moses refused to be called the son of pharao's daughter, 
Heb. 11.  and chose rather to suffer adversity with the people of God, then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season: esteeming the rebuke of Christ, 
Daniel. 10.  greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. Daniel would not defile himself with the portion of the kings meat, nor with the wine that he drank: he would have nothing but pulse to eat, and water too drink. O ye adulterers and adulteresses (saith james) know ye not that the friendship of this world is enmity with God, 
jam. 4.  & john saith: if any man love this world, 
1. john. 2.  the love of the father is not in him. Lay not up your treasures therefore on earth, where the moth fretteth, the rust kankereth, the thief breaketh thorough and steal: but lay up your treasures in heaven. where there is no moth to fret, no rust to canker, no thief too break thorough and steal. For is it not a great folly to lay thy treasure in an Inn doubtfully, when thou mayst lay it in thine own house safely? folly to lay it in an house, which together with thy treasure thou shalt leave behind thee certainly, & not in that house whither thou shalt go, find thy treasure assuredly, and abide therein perpetually? the fashion of this world passeth away, the heavens and the earth wax old, as doth a garment: O let us then get that which endureth unto everlasting life. The heavens shall pass away with a noise, 
2. Pet. 3.  the elements shall melt with heat, the earth and 〈◊〉 works therein shallbe burnt up, o let us then labour for that which the fire cannot consume, & which will save oursoules from everlasting fire, If we would think upon our name that we are christians, we would, unless we should prove ourselves to be reprobates, not so much labour for this belly meat. First let us remember, that in our baptism, we forsake the world, the flesh, & the ●iuel, for baptism signifieth not only the death and resurrection of Christ, 
Rom. 6.  b●● that we must die to sin, and live in newness of life. How shall we (saith Paul) that are dead to sin, live yet therein, Knowye not that all we which have been baptised into jesus Christ, have been baptised into his death? we are buried then with him by baptism into his death, that like as Christ was raised from the dead, to the glory of the father, so we should walk in newness of life. Secondly, as thou art a christian, remember the estate of thy lord & master here on earth. Dost thou brag of thy blood, thy progenitors, thy house & stock? thy master came as of a pure, so of a poor virgin espoused to a poor carpenter, who for lack of money could have no room in the Inn, who did offer to the Lord a pair of Pigeons, because he was not able to buy a lamb. Jerome noteth, that only poor & sinful women are named by S. Math. in the genealogy of Christ, as Ruth a poor Moabitis, 
jerom.  & poor Mary the carpenters wife, to signify how Christ did vouchsafe to come of poor women, & came into the world to redemee poor sinful persons, dost thou brag of the country Adam was made out of Paradise, and Eva in Paradise, yet the Devil had more power over her then over him: they had both one name Adam, 
Gen. 5.  reed earth: for this name, Adam was not given by God only to the man, but also to the woman. Thy master was not borne in jerusalem, whither the wise men came, but in little Bethlehem, as it was prophesied. Dost thou glory in thy houses, buildings, courts, palaces? Thy master was borne in a manger, the foxes have holes, and the birds have nests, but the son of man thy Lord had no where to rest his head on. Dost thou boast of thy bags, thy coffers, thy wealth? When thy master would have paid tribute, judas bag was empty, Peter must run and fetch a piece of money in the mouth of a fish. Dost thou desire to be well spoken of, to have the good will of the world? There were generally three diverse opinions of Christ: one, which flesh and blood could not reveal that he was Christ the son of God, an other of ignorance, that he was Elias, jeremy, john Baptist, or one of the prophets: the third was of malice, that he was a glutton, a drunkard, a bon companion, a friend to Publicans and sinners a conjuror, a worker by Devils. But what saith he? Woe be unto you when all men speak well of you, 
Luke 6.  Why? For so did their fathers to the false Prophets. But rejoice when they speak evil of you for so did they to the true Prophets, rejoice, and great shallbe your reward in heaven. Finally, if you be a christian remember the resurrection of thy master jesus Christ: 
Colloss. 3.  and what of that? if you be risen with Christ (saith Peter) seek those things that are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God, I would to God we were as provident and careful to provide food for our souls, as brute beasts are vigilant and painful, to lay up food for their bodies. The Emmot doth lay up in summer, food for winter. 
Adelp.  Istuc est sapere (saith Syrus in Terence) non quod ante pedes modo est, videre: sed etiam illa quae futura sunt. This is wisdom, not to see those things only which lie before our feet, but to foresee things that are to come. 
Arist. hist. animal. 40.  But as the fish called Vrlica feedeth always on a stone, and being taken from the stone, dieth presently: so we do so cleave unto to stones unto earthly things that we account life lost, if they be taken from us, or we from them. Nay I would to GOD we did not think these corruptible things, to be meet meat, 
Luk. 12.  and sufficient food for our souls: and say with the rich man's soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, live at ease, eat, drink, and take thy pastime. But hearken, O fool this night perhaps thy soul shallbe taken from thee. O fool, thou heapest up riches, and canst not tell who shallbe thine heir. O fool, 
2. Chro. 12.  Solomon made shields of gold, but Rehoboam his son, 
job. 10.  made them of brass O fool, in one day the Arabians took away jobs oxen and his Asses, the fire of God burnt up his sheep & his servants: the Chaldeans took away his cammelles and slew his men. O fool it is more easy for a camel to go thorough the eye of a needle, then for one that trusteth in his riches to come to heaven: O fool what shall it profit thee to win the whole world, & lose thine own soul? O fool what recompense canst thou make to redress thy soul? o fool, thou art not assured whether thou shall live one hour O fool, where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also. 
james. 5.  Go to now ye rich men (saith S. james) weep and howl for the miseries, that shall come upon, you, your riches are corrupt, your garments are moth-eaten, your gold and silver is cankered, and the rust of them shallbe a witness against you, & shall eat your flesh as it were fire, you have heaped up treasures for the last days. Take heed O ye rich and mighty, you see your calling, how that not many wise men after the flesh, 
1. Cor. 1  not many mighty, not many noble are called, but God hath chosen the foolish of this world to overthrow the wise, the weak too confound the stronger. Why? that no flesh should rejoice in his presence. What then? that he that rejoiceth, should rejoice in the Lord. Whom did the Lord choose for a captain? No expert soldier. but Gedeon a thresher: whom made he ruler over pharao's house? none of the nobles, but joseph a bond servant, whom made he the first king of juda? not any of a great house, but Saul of the little tribe of Gemini, and of the least family in the tribe. Whom made he to rule his people after Saul? no Prince, but David a shepherd: whom had he to be his Prophet? None of their Doctors, but Amos an herdman. Whom had Christ to his disciples? No scribes, but simple fishers. Many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, to none of them was he sent, but to a poor widow in Sarepta. To whom was the news of Christ his birth first brought? not to Herode, not to Pilate, not Annas or Caiphas but to shepherds, yea, and very poor shepherds, for they kept their sheep in the field all night. God would not have his Altar made in a kings court, but in poor Oruan his threshing flower: the Lord would not have his temple in Euphrata, a plentiful soil but in the wood, a barren wilderness. This was done that God might have all the glory. Of Sara being barren came Isaac: of Annah, whose womb was dead, came Samuel: of Elizabeth, with whom it had ceased to be after the manner of women, came john Baptist. And this was done, that GOD might have all the glory. The Lord gate victories for his people, with an Ox goad, with pitchers, with Rams horns, with a jaw bone of an ass, with one sword, with a stone out of a sling, and this was done that GOD might have all the glory. Diseases were healed by spittle, by touching the hem of a garment, by a napkin, by a shadow, and this was done that GOD might have all the glory.  
For there was no virtue in Shamgars' ox goad, nor in jonathans' sword, nor in Sampsons' jaw bone, nor in David's stone, wherewith they overcame the Philistines: no virtue in gedeon's pitchers, wherewith he overcame Oreb and Zeb: no power in the Trumpets of Rams horns, wherewith the walls of jericho fell down: there was no virtue either in the hem of Christ's garment, or in his spittle or in Paul's napkin, or in Peter's shadow, wherewith diseases were cured: no virtue in Aaron's rod, wherewith the dust of Egypt was turned into louse: no power in Moses hand, wherewith the red sea was divided: no virtue in the Priest's feet or Elias his mantle, wherewith jordane was divided: yet all these things were done by such bare, base, weak, & simple means, that no man should trust in the arm of flesh, that no man should seek for any meat, that perisheth, and that God in all things might only have the glory. Let us now call to mind those excellent names and titles, wherewith the holy Ghost in the holy bible doth name us: the remembrance and consideration whereof will somewhat withdraw us from labouring for that meat, which perisheth. We are called Angels and Saints, Priests, and a kingly priesthood. Kings, and a royal nation: servants of GOD, friends of God, sons of God, heirs of GOD, and fellow heirs with jesus Christ: are we Angels and Saints? let us then seek the things that are above. Are we Priests, and a kingly Priesthood? let us then offer up our bodies, a lively sacrifice, and not labour for the meat thereof. Are we kings, and a royal nation? let us then lift up our eyes to heaven, and not cast our faces down to the earth: like abjects and bondslaves. Are we servants of God? we cannot serve God and riches. Are we friends of God? the friendship of this world, is enmity with God. Are we sons of God, heirs of God, and fellow heirs with jesus Christ? let us then with our brother the prodigal son come home from feeding of swine, that we may have the best rob on our back, a ring on our finger, shoes on our feet, the fat calf killed for us, to eat and drink, to sing, dance, and be merry with our elder brother jesus Christ, who sitteth in that house, which hath many mansions, preparing room for us. We were chaff, but now we are wheat: we were dross, but now we are gold: we were ravens, but now we are doves: we were goats, but now we are sheep: we were thorns, now we are grapes: we were thistles, now we are lilies: we were strangers, now are we citizens: we were harlots, now are we virgins? hell was our inheritance, now heaven is our possession: we were the children of wrath, we are the sons of mercy: Finally we were bondslaves to Satan, but now we are heirs of God, and coheirs with jesus Christ.  
We were once fet home, from going astray, let us not again return to the wilderness: the candle was once lighted for us, let us not again fall into dark holes: wine & oil were once powered into our wounds, let us not by wandering, fall again into hands of thieves. We were once found: let us not again lose ourselves. We were once made alive, let us not again kill ourselves. Christ was once crucified for us, 
Heb. 13.  that we should only rejoice in the cross of jesus Christ, whereby the world is crucified to us, and we to the world, let us not crucify to ourselves again the son of God, & make a mock of him. The bodies of those beasts, whose blood was brought into the holy place by the high priest for sin, were burnt without the camp: therefore even jesus, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. What is this to us? let us therefore (saith the Apostle) go forth to him out of the camp, for here have we no continuing city, but we look for one to come. Wilt thou (O man) go forth out of the camp? Labour not so much to provide meat for the camp. The works of the flesh are manifest: 
Gal. 5.  as gluttony, drunkenness, etc. They that do such things, shall never inherit the kingdom of God. The fruit of the spirit is temperancy, and such like, against such there is no law: For they that are Christ's, have crucified the flesh, with the affections, and the lusts: if we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit. Woe be to you, (saith Esay) that rise, to follow after drunkenness, and are strong to drink wine. 
isaiah. 5.  Wilt thou resist the devil? be sober, 
1 Pet. 5.  and watch, saith Peter: beware, take heed (saith our Saviour) lest your hearts be overloaden with surfaiting and droukennesse, and that aid come on you unawares. Let us then remember the time that we are in, and the consideration hereof shall call us from labouring for this meat. 
1. Thes. 5.  We are not children of the night, nor of the darkness, that that day should come on us, as a thief: we are children of the day, and of the light: therefore let us not sleep, as other do: but let us watch, and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night, and they that be drunken, are drunken in the night: but let us, which are of the day be sober, considering the season, it is now time that we should arise from sleep: for now is our salvation nearer, than when we believed it: the night is past, and the day is come, 
Rom. 13.  let us therefore cast away the works of darkness, & put on us the armour of light: so that we walk honestly, as in the day, not in gluttony and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying, but put on the Lord jesus Christ, and take no thought for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts of it. Consider the time, for the devil knoweth his time to be short, the years of his lease are now almost expired, therefore now he will make havoc. Consider the time: for the day of the Lord is at hand, let us wait for his coming. Consider the time, we have had the Gospel these xxii. full years: by reason now we should be able to be taken for tutors, to teach and govern ourselves. The sun stood still in the midst of heaven for a whole day, in the days of josua: never such a day of light, as was in the days of josua. The son of God hath holden his sun over this Realm a long time, never such a time of light, as hath been in the days of Elizabeth. Many have desired to see that we see, and could not see them: & to hear those things that we hear, but could not hear them. But yet behold, the Ninivites, shall rise, and shallbe able to condemn us: for they repented at three days preaching. If such preaching had been in Tyrus and Sydon, in Sodoma, & Gomorrha, in the new found lands, as hath been in England, they would have brought forth more fruit of repentance, than we have done. Let us therefore (for it is time) with weeping and fasting turn to the Lord our God. The jews in token of contrition and true repentance, did sometimes were sackcloth, sometime tumbled in ashes, sometime did lie on the ground, rend their clothes, shaved their heads, & powered out water before the Lord, signifying that they were like unto water, which being powered out, is trodden under foot, runneth away, and is dried up.  
Let us rent our hearts, 
1. Sam. 7.  and not our garments, put on sobriety, and not sackcloth, tumble in heaviness, and not in ashes, lie in mourning, and not on the ground: cut of the foreskin of our hearts, and not shave the hair of our heads: power tears out of our eyes, and not water out of buckets: let us weep, as Ezechias wept, who turned his face to the wall, and wept heavily: as Mary, who fell down behind jesus, and wept pitifully: as Peter, who remembering the words of Christ, went out and wept bitterly. We are not commanded to fast, either forty days, as Moses before the law, as Elyas under the law, as Christ after the law, or superstitiously, or hypocritically, as the Papists do: but that every man may truly say with Paul: 
1. Cor. 9  I chastise my body, & bring it under subjection lest when I have preached to others, I myself become a castaway. The Lord will provide for them that seek him. 
Marc. 8.  The multitude was with Christ three days, and had nothing to eat, yet they were not hungry: be strong then, O Samson, a dry jaw bone shall give thee water, before thou perish: Faint not O Israel, the Lord shall turn the hard rock into a standing water, and the flint into a springing well, before thou perish: despair not, Elyas, the Angels of heaven, the Ravens of the air shall feed thee, before thou perish. Die not, O Daniel, if none in Babylon will pity thee. Abacuk shallbe brought out of jewrie to bring thee meat, before thou perish: You cannot add one cubit to your stature, after this meat the Gentles labour▪ a sparrow doth not fall down to the ground, without God's providence, all the hairs of your head are numbered. I have been young, and now I am old, (sayeth David) yet I never saw the righteous forsaken, nor his seed to beg their bread. O care not then for to morrow, the morrow shall care for itself: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The day hath enough with his own grief Let us now examine ourselves, 
Whether we labour for this meat, or no.  whether we labour for this meat, or no. And so I come to my third part.  
If we consider the great and gracious benefits, wherewith God hath blessed England: as peace, wealth, health, liberty, plenty, victory, the Gospel, Preachers, Governors, so noble and wise counsellors, so godly and so zealous a Princes: England hath received much: therefore of England much shallbe required. England is not able to render (I appeal to every man's conscience) one for a thousand, therefore is England very much indebtted. O London, daughter of England, thy silver is become dross, thy wheat, chaff, thy gold, iron, thy wine water, thy grapes, thorns, thy figs, thistles: yet thou art taught the will of thy father more than other thy sisters of England: therefore, O London, with many stripes (unless the Lord turn to thee, & thou to him) and that shortly, thou must needs be punished. For we all do so draw iniquity, with cords of vanity, and sin, as with cart ropes, we so stain ourselves with our own works and go a whoring with our own inventions: as job in body, so we in soul are so sick from the soul of the foot, to the crown of the head, that (had not the Lord reserved a remnant amongst us, had not oftentimes Aaron & Moses, Phinehes and Hester stood in the gap) England should have been, not like a cottage in a vineyard, not like a lodge in a garden of coucumbers, but should have been as Sodom, and like unto Gomorrha. The Lord may now justly say to England, as he sometimes spoke unto Babylon. 
isaiah. 47.  Come down, and sit in the dust, O daughter England, thou shalt no more be called tender, and delicate, take the millstones, & grind meal, lose thy locks, make bare thy feet, uncover thy legs and thighs, pass through the floods, thy filthiness shallbe discovered, thy shame shallbe seen, I will take vengeance, and will not meet thee as a man: for God hath not dealt so with any nation, neither hath Asia, Africa, America, and the most part of Europa such knowledge and preaching of his laws. England hath not drunken at the hand of the Lord, the cup of his wrath, the dregs of trembling, as France, Flanders, and other her sisters have done: Yet behold Engelande doth still heap up vengeance against the day of vengeance▪ and doth not consider, that the long suffering of the Lord doth lead hereunto repentance. If England would repent, the Lord would continue to bless her, to give her victories over her enemies, that neither open enemies abroad, nor privy conspirators at home, shallbe able to do her violence. Sisera by Deborah, a woman, shall have a nail knocked into his skull. Holofernes by judith, a woman, shall have his head cut off. Abimelech by a woman, shall have a piece of a millstone break his brainpan. By Elizabeth, a woman, the Goats of Italy. The wolves of Spain, the cormorantes of Rome. The Irish colts, and the Foxes of England, that are now in Ireland, and all other her enemies shall so be brought to shame, that as Abimilech cried: O kill me my page, that it be not said, 
judg. 9  a woman hath slain Abimelech: so shall they cry, O kill us, earth devour us, hills cover us, Sea swallow us up, that it be not said, a woman hath thus triumphed over us. Let praise & givings thanks, as a sweet odorifferous savour ascend into the nostrils of the Lord of hosts, for the victory that lately he hath given to us in Ireland. Go tell them, (if they have any friend here) that those Goats, Wolves, cormorantes, Colts, Foxes, shallbe so hunted and baited by an English Grace, that not one of them shall be left to piss against a wall. And we say, that Christ spoke of Herod, go tell that Fox, that lieth hidden, we preach to day, yesterday, to morrow, and will preach, until the house of the Lord be made perfect. God grant we may so do. This is our hope, that though the Kings of the earth stand up together against the Lord, and his anointed servant Elizabeth, though they roar like Lions, and stamp like fat bulls of Bashan: yet the Lord shall bruise them with a rod of iron, and break them in pieces, like a potter's vessel. They shall be like water that runneth a pace, like a snail, like the untimely fruit of a woman, like a tottering wall, like a broken hedge: the lord shall awake out of sleep, as a giant refreshed with wine, & shall put them to a perpetual shame. jeroboam shall not be able to pull in his hand: jezabel shallbe hurled out at a window: Ahab shallbe a portion for dogs: The Lord shall so fight for England, (if we repent) that his sword shall surfeit with flesh, & his arrows shallbe drunken with blood. Wherefore (O England) I would to God all England heard my voice (& I would my voice might sink into your hearts, as it doth found in your ears) It is time to leave of labouring for worldly pelf, and to take the bread and water of affliction with Michaiah: 
2. Reg. 22.  to mingle thy bread with ashes, and thy drink with weeping, with David: & to eat the bread of Barley and beans with Ezechiel. 
Ezech. 4.  As our Saviour spoke to the jews of the Scribes and pharisees, so say I to you of the Papists. Unless your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and pharisees, I mean Papists and romanists. You shall never enter into the kingdom of God. But alas for pity, alas for shame, are not many that bear the name of Protestants, and Gospelers, inferior to them? We use our liberty as a cloak of looseness, we turn the grace of God into wantonness, and the glorious gospel of jesus Christ into lewdness. Are not we come from the excess, to the defect? from blind zeal, to wilful ungodliness? from ignorance in darkness, to wickedness in knowledge? from many Gods, to no God? from papism, to Atheism? from superstition, to irreligion? they did fast often, we seldom: they came to the Church in the night, we scarce in the day: they gave alms, we live to ourselves. I condemn not all, I speak of many. Did the Papstes these things for merit, for desert, for satisfaction, & should not we do them of duty, of pity, of piety and charity? They did bona, but not been: good things, but to an ill end. We now know what is been, let us do bona. Did they these things in darkness? should not we do them in light? they in the night, & not we in the day? they in blindness, not we in knowledge? they in superstition, & not we in religion? they to an ill end, & not we to a good end? they at the commandment of man, of the Pope: not we at the commandment of God, of Christ? Nay, this is the saying of the world: Doth he frequent the Church? he is an hypocrite: doth he fast? he willbe saved by his works. Doth he give alms? he is a Papist. O miserable world, wherein prayer is counted hypocrisy: zeal is counted folly: fasting and alms deeds are counted popery. But what is the cause of this? because we all labour for that meat which perisheth. Do not the Papists call us lose libertines, carnal Gospelers, wanton Epicures? do not they in their motions make this an argument, to prove that they have the true Church? because they fast, pray, give alms more than we: because by Papists, colleges have been founded, churches erected, schools builded, and alms houses set up, and maintained: O happy were we (for great should our reward be in heaven) if for the name of Christ only we were evil spoken of: but if we contemn prayer, despise fasting, abhor alms deeds, pull from churches, defraud the ministers, throw down alms houses, gape after college lands, pluck at their forms (as it is too true in many Englishmen at this day) than I must say, O miserable wretches. Propter nos male audit nomen Dei inter Gentes, inter Papistas. By reason of us the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles, among the Papists. Let our Saviour jesus counsel us: make you bags, which wax not old, a treasure that can never fail in heaven: let Paul give you reasons. First, godliness is great gain, if a man be content with that he hath. Secondly, we brought nothing into this world, neither shall we carry any thing out. 
Luk. 12  Thirdly, they that willbe rich, fall into temptation, 
1. Tim. 6.  & snares, & into many foolish & noisome lusts, which drown men in perdition & destruction. 4. the desire of money is the root of all evil, which while some lusted after, they erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But I hear you say, we labour for the meat of the soul: we hear the word, we love the Gospel, we embrace the preachers thereof, we have forsaken the Pope's yoke, and cast of the whores mark. I would to God many did not so: even for the meat that perisheth, to keep their lands, houses, livings, liberty, countenance? the Gospel hath peace, quietness, fruition of goods▪ and lands, I will therefore be a gospeler. Satan was deceived in job. I fear, that if I should say, as he said, I should not altogether err, I would, I might▪ lord, doth this people fear thee for nought? hast not thou made an hedge about them, made their house, made their substance to increase in the land? but stretch forth thine hand and trouble that they have, & they will curse thee to thy face. A man, & so God may have many friends in time of peace & prosperity: but in time of adversity & persecution, them is a friend tried. Wheat & chaff will go together, until they come to the flail: gold and dross will go together, until they come to the fire: rust and iron will go together, until they come to the succourer: but then farewell wheat, and farewell chaff: farewell gold, and farewell dross: farewell rust, and farewell iron. 
Acts. 19  Are not now many zealous for the Gospel, as Demetrius the silver smith was hot in maintaining Diana? was he so zealous, because he loved Diana, or her religion? No, no: but because (as he confessed) he had his living by making of shrines for the goddess. The young man will follow Christ, until he come to this, fell thy goods: then farewell Christ: take up your crosses (saith Christ) lay down your purses, and follow me. Why were the Priests of Babylon (mark whether this be not true in the priests of Rome) so furious against Daniel, speaking against Bell? was it for love and zeal they bore to Bell? no, no: there was spent upon Bell every night 108. gallons of fine flower, 40. sheep, and 60. gallons of wine. The Priests should have lost this, if Bell had gone down. This was the cause of their fury zeal. They served God Bell in the day, but God belly in the night: we serve God belly day and night: they said: great art thou, O Bell, and with thee there is no deceit: We cry, great art thou O belly, and with thee there is no deceit, thou eatest up all. Philopenus is now every where, who desired he might have a neck as long as a Crane's neck. But where is Peter, Andrew, james, john, Matthew, who forsook all, and followed Christ? Yea, but Zacheus gave but half his goods to the poor: 
De Zacheo.  why did he not give all? Because (as chrysostom noteth) the other half he reserved, to render four fold, if he had defrauded any man, as he himself promised. Nay Christ shallbe welcome among the Gergesens, 
Math. 8.  but if they lose an hog, I pray you sir depart, your room is better than your company. Great was the love and zeal of Ornam, who gave bullocks to David, and made fire with his threshing instruments. 
●. Chro. 21.  Great was the love and zeal of Elizeus, who, when Elias called him, 
●. Reg. 19  slew oxen, & did seethe them, with the instruments of the oxen. But we must do more than this, if our right hand, or eye offend us, we must cut them off, and pull them out.  
What shall I say? the end of the world must needs be at hand, because that men do so love themselves. To hear of wars (saith our Saviour) to have pestilence, 
Math. 24.  famine, earthquakes, these are but the beginnings of sorrow, but when besides these, iniquity shall have the upper hand, and the love of men shall fail, then behold he is at the doors. In that the preachers of gods word are so neglected, and so little provided for, 
2. Reg. 18.  doth prove that the Lord is at hand, and will shortly take vengeance. I would all Magistrates, and patrons of benefices would follow the example of good king Ezechias, who in the first yeeare, yea, the first month of his reign, did command the people to give a part to the Priests & Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord. livings are not given, they are sold as common as oysters at Byllingesgate. This is the cause that Ministers are not, nor cannot be so liberal, as their predecessors have been: yea, this is the cause why dolts, ignorant Asses, idle, & idol shepherds have the livings. I call them Idols: I will prove it. They have eyes and see not, ears and hear not, hands and minister not, tongues and speak not: I was about to say, they have mouths & eat not, but then I should have slandered them: In this I confess they are not Idols. A good scholar, and an honest godly minister, will rather beg, then buy your livings, O ye rob Churches, whose portion shallbe fire and brimstone too drink: for you are the causes, why many thousands of souls have perished: of you, O the benefice mongers, shall be required, not hand, for hand, or eye for eye: but blood for blood, life for life, and soul for soul. You make the ministers your serving men, you make them journey men, they have the name, you have the profit, they the straw, but you have the corn, nay you have some straw also. I could somewhat bear this, if here by, they for whom Christ died, were not famished: therefore in bitterness of spirit, in grief of heart, in vexation of conscience, and in torment of my soul, I speak it: that even now I do see as it were, Pharaoh king of Egypt rising up to condemn you. Who when he sold all the land of Egypt, gave strait commandment, that no one foot of the priests lands should be sold. 
Gen. 47.  Read the history. Had he such care for Idolatrous Priests, and have you no more care for the Ministers of jesus Christ? Are you Protestants, you Gospelers, you Christians? You are Athistes, Epicures, that say in your hearts there is no God. But perhaps few are here of whom I speak: let me utter a few words to you merchant men, whom I see present, and so I will end. Although Mercury, (who was supposed to be the God of merchants,) had wings on his feet, and had always a cock by his side, to signify that merchants should be swift in their business, should be vigilant as the cock, or rise at the cock crowing: yet labour not to greedily, to carefully for this meat for as the good hath in one hand a sceptre to give kingdoms, wealth, & riches: so he is pictured to have in his other hand a rod wrapped in snacks, to give poison, ruin and death: beware, lest while you gape for the sceptre, you receive snakes. And although your GOD is said to have killed Argos, who had a hundred eyes: lest Argos should perceive the unjust dealying of the merchants, yet the Lord your GOD liveth, who searcheth the corners, seethe the bottom, heareth the motions, and understandeth the thoughts of your hearts. But what sayeth the Prophet? All men should praise the Lord, but above all other, merchants are bound to perform the same. For (sayeth he) they that go down to the Sea in ships, 
Psal. 107.  and occupy their business in great waters, these men see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. And when there he hath fully described the wonders and works of the Lord that they see, he thus concludeth with a vehement exhortation: O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness, and declare the wonders that he hath done for the sons of men. Two things are required of you (O ye merchants) to praise the Lord, and too declare his wonders, that you have seen. unto others. Forsake not the Lord by going too your ships: Remember the ship that jonas was in. Beware how you have fellowship with heathen men, with Infidels, Athistes, and Papists: because jehosophat king of juda, 
2. Chro. 20.  joined with Ahaziah king of Israel, to send ships too Tarshish for gold, he was reprehended by Eliezer, and his ships were broken. Take Christ into your ships: when Christ was not in the ship with his Disciples, the ship was almost drowned. If Christ be in your ship, let him not sleep there: when he slept, the ship had almost perished. Keep him waking with prayer: singing with melody in your hearts too the Lord. To conclude, labour not for the meat which perisheth: for than you shall perish, but labour for that meat which doth endure unto everlasting life: for then the son of man shall give you everlasting life: for he is a Lamb, and he is a Lion: he is a friend, and he is a foe: he is a jesus, he is a judge, he is a Redeemer, he is a confounder: he will not bruise a broken reed he will bruise with a rod of iron: he hath water, he hath fire: he hath heaven, he hath hell: he hath Angels, he hath devils: he hath a sceptre, he hath a sword: he hath Vae woe: he hath Euge, go too: he hath Benedicti, Blessed, he hath Maledicti, Cursed: he hath Venite, come, he hath ite, go: he hath a right hand, he hath a left hand: he hath joy, he hath sorrow: he hath mercy, he hath vengeance: he doth give everlasting death, and everlasting life, to him therefore with the Father and the holy Ghost be given all honour glory, etc. Amen.  
An end of the first Sermon.   

The two. Sermon.  LAbour not for the meat that perisheth. etc. 
Forasmuch as I have showed you the braod way, where you should not walk, & the wide gate, where you should not enter: it is reason that I declare the narrow way, where you should tread, and the strait gate, where we all desire to pass thorough. Behold I have opened unto you the works of darkness, which you must ca●● of, now I will give you the armour of light, which you must put on. I have dehorted you, and I hope thoroughly dissuaded you from labouring for the meat that perisheth: Now in the tender mercy of God, in the bowels, blood and wounds of jesus Christ, I exhort you, and I trust, I shall thoroughly persuade you too labour for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life. Wherefore as our Saviour reprehended Martha, 
Luke. 10.  being careful about many things, in preparing the dinner, not simply reprehending either her labour, as her hospitality, but reprehended her because she did not consider the time, where in Christ taught Mary, and offered too teach her, and because she preferred the dressing of the dinner, to the hearing of God's word, and afterward exhorted her too follow the example of her sister Mary, who had chosen the better part, which never should be taken from her. So after that I have proved that we should not labour for the meat which perisheth, and that we all are too careful for many things, not considering the t●me, wherein our Saviour doth so mercifully offer to teach us: I must exhort you to choose the better part, which never shall be taken from you, that is, to labour for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life. For although the Lord did rain flesh as thick as dust, 
Exod. 16.  feathered fowls as the sand of the sea, and Manna as the hoar frost: yet he would have every man to labour, and gather it, one house might not gather it for an other, one man might not sell it, or give it to another: even so every man must labour for this meat, gather it for himself be it never so plenty, being far better than Manna: for Manna melted when the sun did shine, but this Manna, though heaven and earth should be on fire, and burn to ashes, continueth ever, endureth unto everlasting life. 
2. Sam. 6.  Although we need not go seek the ark of GOD, 
2. Reg. 22.  as David did, nor the book of the law, as josias did: nor go up to jerusalem to worship, as the jews did, nor desire that one might come from the dead, and teach us, as the glutton did: we cannot say the law is in the mount with Moses, who shall go up, and fet it? we cannot say (as in the days of Queen Mary we might) it is beyond the seas, who shall go over and bring it unto us? yet we must not be idle, negligent and careless, we must labour for it, although the word be very near unto us, even in our mouths & our hearts for to do it, 
Deut. 30.  as Moses spoke to the jews: though the Lord hath put his laws in our minds, and in our hearts hath written them, he our God, and we his people: every man doth not (or should not need) teach his neighbour, nor every man his brother, saying: know the Lord: but all know him, from the least to the greatest, as jeremy prophesied: 
jere. 31.  yet must we labour for this meat. Though Elyas cannot now say, I am left alone, 
1. Reg. 19  Achab cannot say, there is but one Michiah besides my 400. Prophet's: 
1▪ Reg. 22.  though Elyas have not only Elizeus for his scholar: nor Elizeus only Esay: nor Esay only jeremy: nor jeremy only Daniel: nor Daniel only Aggeus, and Zacharias, nor the Lord only xii. Prophets that have written, nor Christ only eleven good Disciples, but the Lord hath given the word, and great is the company of the preachers: yet we must labour for this meat. Although the Ministers are not scattered abroad, as john in Asia, Peter in Samaria, Philip in Alexandria, Thomas in Aethiopia, Bartholomewe in India, Andrew in Scythia, Simon in Persia, judas in Mesopotamia, Marcus in Colonia, nathanael in France, 
1. Theodoret.  joseph of Aramithia in Scotland, and Paul in England: but the universities, and other places are full of them: yet must we labour for this meat. 
Exo. 2.  Although the Midwives need not fear the king of Egypt to hide Moses three months, 
Josh. 2.  and afterward to cast him out. Rahab need not to fear the king of jerico, to hide the spies under stalks of flax, and let them down at her window. 
1. Sam. 19  Michael need not fear her father Saul, to let her husband David down at a window, and to lay an Image in his bead. 
1. Reg. 18.  Obadiah need not fear Queen jezabel, to hide a hundred Prophets in a cave. 
Act. 9  The Disciples need not fear the high Priests to let down Paul thorough the wall, by a rope, in a basket. Moses need not fear Pharaoh, 
Exod, 4.  and say, I have a stutting tongue: 
jere. 1.  jeremy need not fear the jews, and say, I am a child. 
Io. 1.  jonas need not fear the King of Niniveh, and so for to run away both from him, & from the Lord: but all the Ministers of the Lord are maintained, and preserved: may utter the message of their master, boldly with out fear, and freely without danger: yet we must labour for this meat, although the Lord hath broken the bow, and knapped the spear in sunder, broken our sword into mattocks, and our spears into scythes: blessed us with the crown of peace, and crowned us with mercy and loving kindness: yet must we labour for this meat, 
Gene. 42.  if it were a time of dearth, of scarcity, of penury, them we might have some pretence to labour for belly meat, as jacob did send into Egypt for corn: 
1. Sam. 25.  as David did send to nabal for victual: then we might seem to have some colour of cause to doubt. and to be over careful, 
Num. 11.  as Moses was, when he said: shall the sheep & thebeeves be slain for them, or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered for them, and suffice them? as King Iehorams servant, who mocked the Prophet, prophesying the plenty of corn to be the next day? and said, though the Lord would make windows in the heaven, 
2. Reg. 7.  could this come to pass? As Saint Andrew, who said, there is a little boy here, which hath five barley loaves, and two fishes, but what are they amongst so many? 
Io. 6.  If I say, we were brought into such extremity, as they were, flesh and blood would be ready to doubt. But seeing God hath blessed the fruit of our cattle, the increase of our kine, the flocks of our sheep, our basket, our dough, seeing all his blessings are come upon us, and overtaken us, 
Deut. 28.  as he promised to them that fear him: why should we labour to fulfil the lusts of the flesh, and take no care to provide victual for our souls? I pray God those things be not the fall of England, which were the utter ruin of Sodom. They were iiii. sins: 
Ezech. 16.  pride, pride aboundeth in England: fullness of bread, gluttony triumpheth in England: idleness: idleness is succoured in England: contempt of the poor, & behold this sin, hath, as a Queen gotten the upper hand in England. Above all other vices. The way to heaven is a narrow way, the gate is a strait gate: then we must strive and labour to enter in. The kingdom of heaven is a treasure hid in the ground, it is a pearl of great price in a far country: then must we take our spade & dig: then must we enter into ship, and pass over the seas. We are in the Lord's vineyard, not they that sleep and are idle shall have their penny at night: but they that work and labour. Thou art promised to have, but thou must ask, and have: thou shalt find, but thou must seek and find: it shallbe opened unto thee, but thou must first knock, and then it shallbe opened. Knock like the woman of Canaan, 
Mat. 15.  who continued knocking, although she was three times repelled, and the gate of mercy was shut against her, not that she should not enter in: but that with more earnestness, desire, and vehemency she might knock, and even pry thorough the chinks of the gate: so must we labour by prayer for our meat, and though we have not our petitions at the first, second, and third knocking, yet we must knock: 
Act. 12.  as Peter continued knocking at the door, before he could come in. Labour to see Christ, 
Luk. 19  as Zacheus, who, being a man of worship, in the mids of a city, did climb upon a wild Fig tree, like a boy to see Christ, because he was a man of low statute, and could not see Christ for the press.  
Let us labour by faith, as did the sick of the palsy, to come to Christ, who seeing he could not go in at the door, for the multitude, was let down thorough the roof of the house, which they uncovered. 
Mar. 2.  Let us labour by faith to touch the very hem of Christ's garment, as did the woman, who had an issue of blood twelve years, and had spent all her money on Physicians. 
Mat. 9  If we thus labour, salvation will come into Zacheus house, the dropsy shall be cured, the issue of blood shallbe stopped. Remember what a journey the queen of Saba took to come to hear the wisdom of Solomon: 
1. Reg. 10.  Remember the travel of the Eunuch of Ethiopia, Candaces the Queen of the Ethiopians chief governor, who had the rule of all her treasure, and came to Jerusalem to worship: 
Act. 8.  Remember the long journey of the wisemen who came from the farthest part of the East to see Christ. The jews went up every year to Jerusalem, 
Mat. 2.  the Papists travail far and wide on Pilgrimage, to see relics, dead men's bones, monuments, images, monasteries, and such like trumpery, and they think their labour well bestowed.  
All these shall rise when the trumpet shall sound, and shallbe able to condemn us, if we will take no pains, suffer no labour, move scarce a foot, to hear the word of God, to receive the everlasting Nectar, and the heavenly Ambrosia, to refresh, to nourish, to cherish, yea to preserve our souls unto everlasting life. But what is meat in this place? whatsoever pertaineth to the renewing and amendment of this life, or to The chiefest part whereof, is that, which is hid from the wise and mighty of the world, that which is received of the poor and simple, that which is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth the glorious Gospel of jesus Christ: and because meat doth not nourish a dead carcase, we must labour for faith, the life of the soul: and because this meat cannot be digested in our souls, without the effectual operation of God's spirit, we must thirdly labour for the holy Ghost: who is promised to be given to all them that in a right and true prayer shall ask for him of the Father in the name of the son, although he descend not like a dove, 
Mat. 3.  as upon our Saviour, nor in the form of cloven and fiery tongues, 
Act. 2.  as upon the Apostles. He is now to be sent not to be seen of our bodily eyes: but into our hearts, where he crieth, Abba, Father, as the Apostle saith: because we are sons, 
Gala. 4.  God hath sent forth the spirit of his son, into our hearts, which crieth, Abba, father. It is a true saying, Bona magis carendo, 
Cicero.  quam fruendo sentimus. We better perceive and feel the commodity of a thing, when we lack it, then when we have it. For who doth better consider the benefit of the warm fire, than he that is frozen with cold? who doth better think on the commodity of liberty, than the prisoner? who doth better remember the use of apparel, than he which is naked? who doth more esteem of meat, than he that is almost famished? for after a long cold winter, a little sun shining is fair weather: after great sorrow, one days pleasure is a paradise: after a long bloody war, a little peace is a merry world: and after long hunger, brown bread is good cheer.  
Now if we could either think on their extreme misery, who like the woman of Canaan, like hungry dogs would gladly pick up the crumbs, that fall from our table, and can have no more of them, than the prodigal son had of the swine's husks: or at least would call to mind our own miserable famine, when like poor Lazarus, we lay begging at the rich man's gate, dogs having more mercy than men, and we no more satisfied than Tantalus with his apples. We would no doubt labour to obtain by Christ, 
Mat. 8.  not houses, or livings as that Scribe: 
Mat. 20.  not to be Lords and Dukes, as james and john: not to have belly cheer, as in this place the jews did: but for the meat of the soul, which endureth unto everlasting life. But what was our famine, how were we used, or rather abused? Sour leaven was put to our sweet bread: Coloquintida was cast into our pottage: chaff thrown among our wheat: sand mingled with our dough: amongst our gold there was dross: we had water for wine: brass for silver: the cup of the whore, for the cup of the Lord: wormwood, for honey: gall for Manna: the legend, for the Gospel: wolves, for shepherds: the inventions of man, for the commandments of God: man for God: Antichrist, for Christ: the son of perdition, for the son of God.  
Again, the word was delivered unto us in a strange tongue: that neither we could tell how to dance, when they blewe the pipe, nor how to behave ourselves in battle, when they did sound the trumpet: 
1. Cor. 14.  neither the understanding was bettered, nor the congregation edified, nor the unlearned, at the giving of thanks, could say Amen: but they were Barbarians to us, and we Barbarians to them.  
Furthermore, the common people might not read the word, they might not once taste of that heavenly food, unless the Priests had first chewed it in their own mouths: whose mouths were full of bitterness, whose throats were open sepulchres, whose teeth were venomous, whose tongues were full of deceit, under whose lips was the poison of asps: who did eat up the Lord's people as bread, whose feet were swift to shed the blood of Saints, but right dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints.  
But why might not the people read the word, taste this meat? they (forsooth) gathered damnable errors, and sucked out thence deadly poison. Because our Saviour said: 
Mat. 13.  it is given to you to know the secreetes of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 
Mat. 7.  Because he said again: give not that which is holy to dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine.  
First, 
1. Chron. 13.  I answer, that Vzza for putting forth his hand to hold the ark, when the oxen did shake it, 
2. Chron. 26.  died before the Lord: that Vzziah burned incense, and was therefore strooken with a leprosy, because they usurped the offices of the Priests and Levites, contrary to the express commandment of God. But if this was spoken to all, 
Io. 5.  and be the duty of all Christians, search the scriptures. I do not only say woe unto them, because they shut up the kingdom of heaven before men, they themselves will not go in, nor suffer them to go, that would enter: but I exhort them to remember the blind zeal of Christ's Disciples, in forbidding children to come unto him, rebuked: suffer little children to come to me, and forbid them not: 
Mat. 19  the blind zeal of joshua requesting Moses to forbid Elead and Medad to prophecy, 
Mat. 19  reprehended: 
Num. 11.  I would to God that all the Lords people were Prophets.  
The blind zeal of john, willing Christ to forbid one to cast out devils in his name, 
Luke. 9  misliked, suffer him, he that is not against me, is with me. The blind zeal of Nadab and Abihu, because they offered strange fire, condemned: who because they offered not that fire, which came from heaven, but strange fire, were devoured of fire. An everlasting fire is reserved for those, 
levit. 10.  which have trodden under foot the doctrine that came from heaven, & have brought in strange doctrine, which never was in heaven. As that fire, so this meat came from heaven: in this they differ, that fire endured only to the captivity of Babylon: but this meat endureth unto everlasting life. Wherefore, though Peter, or Paul: though Gabriel, 
Gala. 10.  or Michael, Cherubim, or Seraphim, teach any other thing, than that we have received of the Lord, who came down from heaven, and brought this meat from heaven, let him be accursed: as I said before, so I say again: if any of these bring any thing besides that, which we have received of the Lord, let them, and every one of them, be accursed. Secondly, I answer, that though the spider do gather poison, where the Bee doth suck honey, yet there is no poison in the sweet flower, but the corrupt humour that is in the spider, doth turn the sweet juice into poison: so there are no errors, nor heresies in the word of god, but the corrupt & venomous nature of man, doth turn the comfortable sap of God's word into deadly poison. Now, if the spider gather poison, let not therefore the Bee be driven from the flowers: though the sons of Satan, do gather errors, and suck that which unto them is poison: yet let not therefore the children of GOD, be forbidden to suck milk, which shall save their souls. Christ is put both for the fall, and also for the rising, again of many in Israel: 
Luke. 2.  he is a rock to build on, 
2. Cor. 4.  and he is a stone that will grind to powder: 
Mat. 21.  if the Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, it is unto some the savour of death, 
Rom. 9  unto death, to other some the savour of life unto life. It is not given to them to know the mysteries: 
Mat. 13.  who are they, to whom it is not given? it followeth, that people, whose heart is waxed fat, whose ears are dull of hearing, who wink with their eyes, lest with their eyes they should see, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and should return, that I might heal them. The Gospel (saith Paul) is the mystery hid since the world began, and from all ages, but now is made manifest to the Saints of God, to whom GOD would make known what is the riches of his glorious mystery among the gentiles. Dog's must not have that which is holy. There is a dog, which turneth about, and teareth them that do offer holy things. Let not this dog receive that holy thing. There is a dog, that crieth with the woman of Canaan, truth Lord, I confess, that I am a dog, yet the whelps may gather up the crumbs that fall from the children's table: Christ will have that holy thing to be given to this dog. Cast not pearls before swim. Truth, if they be foul, and tread them under their feet, or if they be washed, and return back too their wallowing in the mire. But if we which were swine, are by the blood of Christ washed, and by the water of regeneration sanctified, & of swine are made lambs, let us have that pearl, we will not tread it under our feet. One Gospel, yet diversly it worketh in divers men's hearts. Water will harden iron, and soften the earth. The Sun drieth clay, and melteth wax: the seed in good ground, bringeth forth increase: but sowed among stones or thorns, it bringeth forth no fruit. The fault is not in the seed, but in the soil: the Sun to us that have clear sight is comfortable: to the man that is purblind, it is hurtful. Blame not the Sun but the fool that will turn his eyes towards the Sun. Sugar to us that be in health is sweet: to the sick of an Ague it is bitter: the Sugar is not bitter, his taste is nought. Dainty meats to some stomachs are wholesome, to others they are fulsome, the fault is not in the meat, but in the stomach. Even so Christ crucified, is to the jew a stumbling block, 
1. Cor. 1.  to the Grecian foolishness: but to them that are called, he is the power of God, and the wisdom of God: be they jew or Grecian, bond or free, male or female. Wherefore, thirdly I answer: though drunkards and toss pots abuse wine, yet wine is profitable: though usurers and covetous men abuse money, yet money is necessary: though cutters and swinge-bucklers abuse weapons, yet weapons are needful. Right so, though the word of God by Heretics, and Athistes be abused, yet it is not to be forbidden. Because it giveth wisdom even unto the simple: 
Psal. 119.  because it hath milk for babes, and strong meat for men: because it is a lantern to our feet, and a light to our paths: because it doth lighten us that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death and doth guide our feet into the way of peace. 
Otho Cardinalis.  Let them with Otho reason thus absurdly: the title set over Christ's head by pilot was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin: therefore the word must be read in one of these tongues, we thus affirm: 
Gen. 19  that God, who did confound the tongues of all men at the building of Babel, they before having all one language: that God I say at the beginning of the building of his church did give to his Apostles and servants, not only the knowledge of Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, but of all languages in the world: that all tongues under heaven, all nations under the Sun might, read, hear, and pray, in their own language, in their own mother tongue. 
Cyprian.  We therefore say with Cyprian Non videndum est, quid aliqui ante nos fecerunt, sed quid ille, qui ante omnes est, faciendum mandarit. We must not care, what they have done which were before us: but what he doth command to be done, which was before all. Let us then remember our miserable estate, how we sat down and wept, to remember Zion: how we sought the word in strange Countries, how the Gospel was mingled with vanities: how it was in a strange language how it was hid from the common people. O let us now then be thankful unto the Lord, and that the world may know that we are thankful, let us labour for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life. 
jud. 16.  As the Philistines could not prevail against Samson, although his heifer had betrayed him, and his hair cut of, until they had plucked out his eyes: so the Papists could by no means so soon get the upper hand, as by pulling out the eyes of the people, by taking from them their light, sight, knowledge, and understanding, making them blind, 
Mark. 8.  not as whelps, which see after ix. days, not as the blind man, who saw men as trees: not as Paul whose eyes were open, yet saw nothing by reason of his scales: but as blind as Moles, 
Gen. 19  as blind as beetles, as blind as the men of Sodom, who could not find Lot's door: as blind as the king of aram's servants, 
2. Reg. 6.  who came to bring Elizeus to their master, but were by him, not seeing whither they went, brought into Samaria. But as the Lord opened the eyes of Hagar, that she saw the well of water: as he opened the eyes of Elizeus his man, that he saw the mountains full of Chariots and horses of fire: as he opened the eyes of Paul, that the scales fell from his eyes: so hath he now opened our eyes, that we see the wondrous things of his law, the light of his truth, the brightness of his word, the shining beams of his glorious Gospel. Noah rejoiced when he saw the Dove come in with a leaf in her mouth, whereby he knew the waters were abated: joshua rejoiced when he saw the Sun stand still for a whole day, whereby he knew his enemies should be discomfited: Israel rejoiced, when he saw the cloud, or the pillar of fire whereby he knew that by the Lord he was guided. Elias rejoiced when he saw the cloud no bigger than an hand, whereby he knew the earth should be watered: Ezechias rejoiced when he saw the shadow go back x. degrees, whereby he knew his days were prolonged: the wise men rejoiced when they saw the star, whereby they knew that to jesus they should be conducted. The wise men rejoiced when they saw Christ in the manger: the shepherds when they hard the news. Simeon, when he embraced him in his swaddling clouts: Thomas, when he felt his wounds: Steven, when he saw the heavens open. Even so just cause have we to lift up our hearts and rejoice. For many kings, wise men, prophets, fathers, have desired to hear those things which we hear, and could not hear them, and to see those days which we see, but could not see them. The Lord grant, that as we have eyes and see, taste and feel this meat. So we may have minds to desire it, and wills to labour for it. Again, remember, 
1. Sam. 13.  as the Philistines left never a whetstone, no spear, only two sword, no smith in all the land of Israel, lest said they, the Hebrews make them sword and spears, and so prevail against us: so the uncircumcised Romans, the Popish shavelings, the superstitious, Egyptians, christians without, & none within, jews in the flesh, & not in the heart, Israelites in the letter, and not in the spirit, who sought praise of men, but none of God, left very few whetstones, few sword, that is, very few Testaments and Bibles, left few Smiths, that is few builders in God's Church among us, lest the Protestants, said they, make them sword and spears, and so prevail against us. O let us rejoice and be thankful. For as jonathan with one sword overcame the Philistines: so God's ministers by one sword, the sword of spirit, the word of GOD, have pulled down the power & kingdom of Antichrist. God grant he never rise again in England. As wax melteth at the Sun, as the fat of lambs consumeth before the fire: as the heat drieth up the clouds: as the Lion goeth into his den, when man goeth forth to his work, as the Owl flieth to his hole, when the day star appeareth: as Dagon fell down before the ark of the Lord: as Bell & the Dragon were destroyed before the face of Daniel, so the mists of Egypt vanished, the Lions of Babylon were vanquished, the owls of Rome departed, the fat gre●e of antichrist melted, the Gods of that Sun of perdition were with us in England all destroyed, they all come to nothing, when it pleased the Lord too send his fire, his heat, his son, his day star, his ark and his Daniel, that is, his word and ministers amongst us. Let us then remember how cruelly we were handled, and rejoice in the Lord that we are so mercifully delivered: but I would to God that many were not sorry for the departure of this whore out of England: look you to yourselves, chief O ye merchants. For you may seem to have most cause to lament for the fall of that great strumpet, For thus saith the Angel: 
Apoca. 18.  The kings of the earth shall bewail her, and lament for her, which have committed fornication with her: they shall cry, Alas, alas, the great city Babylon, that mighty city: but why shall they so lament? because, saith he, they lived in pleasure with her: yea chief the merchants of the earth (saith the Angel) shall weep and wail over her: yea, every ship master, and all the people that occupy ships, and shipmen, and whosoever traffic on the Sea, shall stand a far of and cry: Alas, alas, that great city. But why shall merchants and all shipmen cry so? Because no man buyeth their ware any more: and by that whore (saith he) were made rich all that had ships on the Sea, by her costliness. Be not sorry for her: mark what the Angel saith in that place: O heaven, rejoice of her, and the holy Apostles and Prophets, and pray unto the Lord that she never return hither again. 
1. Sam. 5.  When Dagon fell down before the ark of the Lord: the first time, he was not broken: he was set up the second time, but then the head of Dagon and his hands were broken of. That whore of Babylon fell down once in the days of king Edward, and was set up again in the days of Queen Mary. But now in the glorious reign of our Sovereign Elizabeth, she is fallen down the second time, not only her head, and her hands are broken of, but we hope that all her body is ground to powder: a curse come to him that shall go about to set her up again. Cursed be that man (saith joshua) before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this City jerico: 
Josh. 6.  yet Hiell did build jerico, 
1. Reg. 16.  but a curse came to his whole stock and house for it. So cursed be that man before the Lord, that shall begin to build that tower of Babel, that seat of antichrist in England again. But as the Lord commanded jerusalem to be destroyed, and all the jews, though julian the Emperor did with all his power aid them, were not able to build it: so the Lord hath thrown down this whore: and we trust that all the kings of the earth all Popes, all Priests, all Monks, all Friars, all Nuns shall not be able to lift her up again. She was in England a glorious whore, & a gorgeous whore, therefore her desolation is more shameful: she was in England an high whore, and an heavy whore. Therefore her fall is the greater, 
3. Reg. 9  as jezabel was hurled out at a window, eaten up of dogs, only her skull, the palms of her hands, & her feet remaining, the which the servants of jehu buried: so we thank our God, who hath thrown down this great jezabel, and we pray that if any thing of her be left, it shallbe buried. O let us then love & embrace the Gospel: follow and obey the Gospel, and continue in our profession to our lives end. I say, 
1. Cor. 16.  continue, abide, endure, stand fast, be strong, quiet yourselves like men. You have put your hands to the plough look not back, lest you be judged unfit for the kingdom of God. For not every one that runneth, but he that runneth to the goal, hath the garland: not every one that entereth into a ship, but he that goeth over the Seas, bringeth home treasures: not every one that worketh in the vinyeard, but he that continueth working unto night hath the penny: not every one that fighteth, but he that overcometh shall have the crown: To conclude, not every one that beginneth well, but that endureth unto the end, shallbe saved. Now you follow the Gospel: but I fear many are like the snail, who pulleth in her horns, if any man go against her: Now you labour for the meat of the soul: but you are in your houses, like the snail, rather than you will lose your houses, I fear many will fall from their standing: I love the Gospel saith the worldly man, but as long as I am in my house, that is, as long as I have peace, and quietness: but if persecution come, as lice forsake the head when the man is dying: as rats forsake a house that is ruinous, or hath no victual, so will I leave the Gospel, if it bring a sword, or war, or take away my goods. 
Mark. 14.  All the Apostles forsook Christ in time of danger, 
2. Tim. 4.  and Demas did forsake Paul, and embraced this present world. But remember this O man, He that loveth lands, livings, or life, more than the Gospel, (it is as true as the Gospel, for it is in the Gospel) he shall never come to heaven, 
Mark. 8.  bring he never so many keys from Rome in his hand: 
Matth. 19  but he that shall lose life, or living for the Gospel (it is as true as the Gospel, for it is in the Gospel) shall have for his living a kingdom, for his life, a blessed, immortal, everlasting life in heaven. Satan goeth about to winowe you as wheat: stand fast in the faith, a law in your members, rebelleth against the law of your minds, stand fast in the faith: the flesh fighteth against the spirit, stand fast in the faith: the world plucketh you by the sleeve to look back, stand fast in the faith. Athistes and Papists, and other heretics are tripping at your heels, stand fast in the faith, it is worth the noting: that our Saviour in the second and third of the Revelation, 
reve. 2. &. 3.  doth seven times at the least utter these words, he that overcometh etc. There is life, and all blessings promised only unto him that overcometh.  
Now the heavenly Manna is plentiful in England, let us provide for war though it be a time of peace, let us take our cloak though the sun doth shine: let us provide for a dear year, though the victual be plenty: I say stand fast, and labour for this meat, it bringeth therewith well fed thereby, fat and in good liking, you may stand fast in the evil day. 
Amos. 8.  For we have deserved that plague, whereof the Prophet speaketh. I will turn your feasts into mourning, and your songs into lamentations, I will bring sackcloth on your loins, and baldness on your heads, I will bring a famine in to your land, not a famine of bread, or thirst for water, but a famine of the word of God. 
Act, 13.  For if Paul and Barnabas were here, they might have just cause to speak against us as they spoke against the jews: seeing, you put the word of GOD from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life Lo, we turn to the Gentiles. Christ may truly denounce these words against us (if he should deal according to our deserts) the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and shall be given to a nation, 
Matth. 21.  which shall bring forth the fruits thereof. 
Matthew. 21.  Let us amend, lest Christ curse us as he cursed the figtree, when he came unto it, being hungry, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, he doth hunger and thirst after our good works, but behold how we deceive him, 
Luke. 13.  for fruit we offer him leaves, a man came to the dresser of his vinyeard, and bid him cut down his fig tree, because he had come three years and found no fruits thereon: cut it down (saith he) why keepeth it also the ground barren? The dresser answered: let it alone this year also, till I dig round about it, and dung it. The Lord hath come to his fig tree of England: not three, but almost xxiii. years, and behold, yet he findeth little fruit: and he would no doubt cut it down, had not the dresser of this fig tree, jesus Christ entreated him to let it alone, that he by his word & his labourers, might dig round about it & dung it. Behold that hath been done, and yet this fig tree bringeth forth small fruit, we are like trees that have their heads in the ground, and suck all their juice from the earth: we are like bruit beasts, who turn their faces to the ground: we are not like men, who should turn our countenances towards heaven, thence to fet our meat, and all good things, which by promise we may have for the ask. We are like the corn growing on the house top, which withereth before it be plucked up, whereof the mower filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth up the sheaves, his bosom. Our Saviour jesus, if he were here, should be moved to weep over England, as he wept over jerusalem, and say, O England, 
Luke. 19  England, if thou hadst even known at the least in this thy day those things which belong unto thy peace, but now are they hid from thine eyes. I speak of many, I mean not all. O England thou sayest, the natural branches are broken of, that I might be grafted in through unbelief they were broken of, 
Rom. 11.  and thou standest by faith: be not high minded, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, take heed lest he will not spare thee. O remember thou man, thou dost not bear the root, but the root doth bare thee By Satan thou didst fall, & by Christ thou art raised up, & engraffed into the right Olivetree. 
Lombar. li. 2  Qui incitatorem habuit ad malum, 
Distinct. 21.  reparatorem habuit ad bonum, sicut hominis peccatum, per alium habuit invitium, ita per alium habuit remedium. He that had a tempter unto evil, had a restorer unto good: as the sin of man had a beginning by an other, so it had also a remedy by an other. 
Ambrose in Rom. 11.  For very well (saith Ambrose) Non sunt judei reprobati a Deo, ut gentes entrarent, sed seipsos reprobos fecerunt, spernentes donum dei: unde occasionem dederunt gentibus ad salutem: quam extollentiam reperiri vult, ut magis saluti congaudeatur, non aegretudini insultetur. The jews were not rejected of GOD, that the Gentiles might come in, but they made themselves reprobates, contemning the gift of God: whereby they gave occasion to the Gentiles to salvation: the which haughtiness, the apostle will have to be beaten down, that they mighe the more rejoice at their own salvation, and not insult over the jews destruction. Take heed, why were they cast off: spernentes donum Dei: because they despised the gift to God. For if the word spoken by Angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, 
Heb. 2.  how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation? Propterea tantam adiecit, 
Theophil in 2. hab.  quod & mortis destructio, & demonum interitus, & caelorum imperium, cuncta haec exprolatis a deo sermonibus nobis sunt parta. Therefore (saith Theophilact, did the Apostle add so great salvation, because the destruction of death, the death of devils, the kingdom of heaven, all these things are gotten for us, by the word, which came from GOD Brag not, boast not therefore. Pride made Herod to have a fall from his pulpit, and to be eaten of worms. Nay, behold a greater fall: pride made Nabuchadnezzar to be a beast: nay yet a greater fall: pride did thrust Adam and Eve out of paradise. And yet behold, I will show one greater fall, pride did throw Lucifer, and many Angels more out of heaven.  
What shall I say then? If GOD did not spare his own people the jews, if he did not spare Adam and Eve in paradise: if he did not spare his bright Angels in heaven, will he spare us? if judgement begin at the house of GOD, 
1. Pet. 4.  what shall the end of them be, that obey not the Gospel? If the righteous scarcse be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear? did the natural branches whither, and were cast into fire, what shall be done to the unnatural? Did the green tree suffer, what shall be done of the dry? Lo, I begin to plague the City (saith the Lord) where my name is called upon, 
jerom. 25.  and should you escape? let us then be humble, and fear. Let us not despise this great gift of God. That fire only was to be used in sacrifice, which came from heaven: Moses must make all things according to the pattern he saw in the mount: 
Exod. 25.  GOD writ the laws with his own finger, that we should make nothing of ourselves, our own brains, our own heads, our own policies, our own inventions. Let us then receive this meat, which came from heaven: and put nothing into it, lest while we with the young Prophets, think to gather good herbs: we gather, and cast Coloquintida into the pot. No water ever so good, as that which came out of the rock: 
2. Reg. 4.  no meat so delicate, as Manna, which came from heaven: no wine so wholesome, as that which Christ made of water: no oil so precious, as that which the Samaritan had: no rob so coastly, as that which the father gave to the prodigal son: no bread, no food, no meat, so profitable, as this meat of the soul, which doth endure, and bring us unto everlasting life. O contemn not this meat he that despiseth Moses law, dieth without mercy, 
Heb. 10.  under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye shall he be worthy, which treadeth under foot the son of God, counteth the blood of the new testament an unholy thing, wherewith he was sanctified? and doth despite the spirit of grace, These men crucify to themselves again the son of GOD, and make a mock of him.  
This meat is water to refresh us, and wine to cheer us: it is bread to strengthen us, & Manna to nourish us: it is a treasure to enrich us, and a pearl to adorn us, it is a leaven to heat us, and salt to powder us it is a sword to defend us, and fire to purge us: it is a salve to heal us, and a lantorne to guide us: it is a trumpet to call us, and wisdom to instruct us: a way to direct us, and life to revive us. If we have this meat, this leaven, this bread, this Manna, we shall have no need of Elizeus to increase our oil, to augment our loaves, we shall have no need of his meal, to sweeten our pottage: we need not to wait at the glutton's gate, or send to churlish Nabal for food. If we have this treasure, we need not rob the Egyptians: if we have this pearl, we shall not need the gold of Ophir: if we have this water, we need not to draw water at jacobs' well. Naaman need not wash himself seven times in Iorden: the sick need not to go to the pool Bethsida for help: we need not Elizeus salt, or Moses tree to heal the venomous water: if we have this sword, Peter may put up his sword into his sheath: if we have this fire, we need not the fire of purgatory: if we have this lantern, we need not the Lanterns of Gedeon, to overcome the Midianites: to conclude, if we have this trumpet, we shall have no need of the Priests trumpets made of Rams horns, to pull down the walls of jerico. 
2. Reg. 5.  For by this meat we shall do all things, for it doth endure, and will bring us unto everlasting life. O than labour for this meat, and I speak unto you, as sometime naaman's servant spoke unto him, when he refused to wash himself seven times in Iorden, as Elizeus willed him. Naaman thus said: are not Abanah, and Pharapar rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel? May not I wash me in them, and be healed? but this man said: if the Prophet had commanded thee a great thing, wouldst thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, wash and be clean? you are bidden to come for the water of life, for the bread of heaven. Do not many say, there are other meats at Rome, other waters at Rome, better than all the meat and water, that is now in England? O but I say unto you: if the Lord should command you to do a great thing, ought ye not to do it? How much more then, when he saith, labour for the meat, which endureth unto everlasting life, which I the son of man will give unto you? this is but ask, and have: seek and find: knock, and it shall be opened. Let us ask, let us seek, let us knock, let us labour for this meat. Labour for this meat, O you people, and pray unto the Lord, that his Ministers put their candle on a candlestick with cheerfulness, and not under a bushel: labour for this money, and pray unto the Lord, that his merchants may occupy with advantage with faithfulness, and not to hide it in the ground: labour for this seed, and pray unto the Lord, that his husbandmen may sow it with painfulness, & not hoard it in their barns: Labour for this meat, and pray unto the Lord, that his Stewards may distribute it with bountifulness, and not keep it in their closerts. Labour for this, that is, 
Mat. 3.  be earnest, hot, zealous, fiery. God the Father did appear in fire, 
Act. 2.  God the Son doth baptize with fire, God the holy Ghost came down in form of cloven and fiery tongues: 
jere. 44.  but alas, are not yet the people as they were in the time of jeremy? they said to him, the word thou hast spoken to us, in the name of the Lord, we will not hear it of thee: but we will do whatsoever thing goeth out of our mouth, as to burn incense to the Queen of heaven, and to purge out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, both we, and our fathers, our kings and our princes, for than had we plenty of victual, and were well, and felt no evil. Are not these the sayings of the romanists, and Papists? first to grant, that we have the word of GOD: secondly, to say, we will not so much as hear it: thirdly, to follow their own inventions. Again, are not these their arguments? first of custom we have done so, and our fathers: secondly of a generality: not we only, but our fathers, our Princes, and all have done so? thirdly of their belly, than we had plenty of victual, and felt no evil? and to whom would they offer their sacrifice? not to God, but as the Papists do, to the Queen of heaven. Ask the Papists, how they prove their religion to be the truth, and they will draw their arguments from antiquity, from custom, from universality, and from the belly, as did the jews in the days of jeremy. Nay, hath not the devil raised up jehoiakim from the dead, to burn the words, that Baruch had out of the mouth of jeremy, 
jere. 36.  and Antiochus, to burn the books of the law, 
1. Mach. 1.  and delectation, to know the books of the Prophets and Apostles. 
Euseb. li. 8. c. ●  But behold, I show you a better way, and whom you should follow. When Moses made the ark, every man was commanded to bring something, the people brought to much, and were bidden to bring no more. And that no man should think, he were exempted from God's work, 
Exod. 3●.  he that hath no gold to bring, might bring goats hair, or badgers skins: if a woman were not able to buy a Lamb, it was accepted of the Lord, if she brought a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons. Every man cannot be a head in this mystical body of Christ, to be a King. Every man cannot be an eye, to be a bishop, every man cannot be a leg, to be a pillar in gods church: yet every one may be a hand to give somewhat to the building thereof, every one may be an ear to hear the word, a tongue to praise the Lord, and a mouth to receive this meat which endureth unto everlasting life. when the people came home from Babila, they builded the temple of the Lord, before they builded either their own houses, 
1. Esdr. 3.  or the walls of the city, they builded with one hand, having weapons in the other. All the people followed David, to seek the Ark of God, and all went with Solomon to build a temple unto the Lord. How did the jews desire and love this meat, 
2. Esdr. 8.  when they heard Esdras read the law from morning to noon, and wept bitterly. How did the people of Antioch labour, when the rulers of the synagogue (an example for officers to follow) came to Paul, 
Act. 13.  and his companions, and said: Men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation to the people, say on? When they besought Paul to preach the same sermon the next sabbath day: the next sabbath day, the whole city came together to hear the word of God.  
How did Cornelius labour? when he waited for Peter's coming, he called his friends and kindred into his house to hear him? 
Act. 12.  for we have not done our duty if we ourselves only eat of this meat, unless we cause them also to eat that belong unto us: as Cornelius brought his friends to hear Peter preach: 
Io. 1.  as Andrew brought his brother Simon: as Philip brought Nathanael, as john Baptist brought his Disciples to christ: I was glad, saith David, when they said to me, we will go into the house of the lord. If we thus labour, the lord God will raise up cunning workmen for his temple, painful labourers in his vineyard, faithful pastors of his flock, & good teachers of his people, as when Moses made the Ark, 
Exod. 31.  he called Bezaleel by name: and when Solomon built the temple, he raised up Hyram of Tyrus, whom he filled with his spirit, to work in timber, silver, brass and gold. But it is not unknown to us, how the Pope's shavelings, and that fat Priest of Rome himself, 
Nehem. 4.  do mock us while we are building, as Sauballat mocked the jews, saying: what do these weak jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they finish it in a day? will they make the stones whole again out of the heaps of dust, seeing they are burnt? sun deride us, as Tobiah the Ammonite, did mock them saying: although they build, yet if a fox go up, he will break down the stony wall. Some come to us, as the men of Samaria came to Zerubbabel: 
Ezra. 4.  we will build with you, for we seek the Lord your God, as you do. But he answered, & so do we, it is not for you, it is for us to build the house unto our God. Ye hypocrites, you speak good words to the people, but as Absalon, to steal away the hearts of the people from David his father: you will proclaim a fast: but, as jezabel, to kill Nabot: you will worship Christ, but as Herod to murder him: you will kiss Christ, but like judas, you will kill Christ. You are known to the world, O ye Gibeanits, 
Josh. 9  which fain yourselves Ambassadors to joshua: bringing old sacks upon your Asses, old bottelles for wine, old shoes and clouted on your feet, old raiment, dried and mouled bread. 
1. Reg. 14.  Do you not know, that for all their old stuf they were known at three days end. jeroboams wife disguised herself, and went to Ahiiah for her son, she carried ten loaves, and cracknels, and a bottle of honey: though Ahiiah were blind, yet he said, come in thou wife of jeroboam. So you disguise yourselves: you bring honey in your mouths, there is none so blind, but he can say, come in, or rather, come out thou son of Antichrist. 
Gen. 26.  You used us (and so you hope to do again) as the Philistines used Isaac, when they stopped, and filled up with earth all the wells, which Abraham his Father's servants had digged for him. The water for a time with earth may be stopped: fire for a time with ashes may be covered: the son for a time with clouds may be shadowed: but now (the Lord be thanked) the earth is removed, and the water doth run: the ashes are consumed, and the fire doth burn: the clouds are dispersed, & the sun doth shine. Now that we may long enjoy these benefits, the Lord continue, & increase the zeal of our soureigne, that she never set her mind on that meat, which perisheth, not on any earthly thing, as did good king David, when he numbered the people, as did good king Ezechias, when he bragged of his treasure to the Ambassadors of the king of Babel: 
2. Sam. 24.  but to continue in maintaining the lords cause, 
2. Reg. 22.  not like joash, who did well all the days of jehoida the Priest, 
2. Chron. 23.  and afterward fell from the Lord: 
2. Chron. 26.  nor like Vzziah, who sought God as long as Zachariah the Prophet lived, and afterward forsook God: but that as her days may be as the days of heaven, so to her lives end, she may labour for to keep among us this meat of our souls, for this meat hath no end, but endureth unto everlasting life. That she may still have before her eyes the example of David, who before all things did seek the Ark of the Lord, & would have built an house for his God, and though he were forbidden, because he was a man of blood, yet he provided timber and stone, and commanded Solomon his son to build it. That Solomon may be in her remembrance, who built the house of God, before he built his own court. 
1. Reg. 6  The house of God was 7. years in building, but his own was thirteen years: not that he bestowed more charges on his own house, 
2. Reg. 18.  but with more haste and speed he did build a temple unto the Lord. That she never cease to follow Ezechias, who first of all broke the Images, cut down the groves, and broke in pieces the brazen serpent, that Moses had set up: that she think always on josiah, who being a child, began to seek after the God of David his father, 
2. Chron. 34.  and did purge jerusalem and judah: that she may always think on the commandment of the Lord: when the king shall sit in the throne of his kingdom, 
Deut. 17.  than he shall write him this law in a book repeated by the priests: it shallbe with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord, his god, & keep all the words of this law, and these ordinances for to do them. Now, for as much as meat doth not nourish, unless it be received, & by faith we receive it: 
faith.  it cannot cherish us, unless it be digested, and by the heat of faith it is concocted: it cannot profit us, unless it be kept in our hearts, and by faith we retain it: it doth no good, unless we have life, and the just shall live by faith. It is very necessary, that we labour for faith, whereby we may perfectly be nourished, and well fed with this meat: there is nothing that the devil desireth more, then to have faith out of our hearts: therefore he planted unbelief in the hearts of Adam and Eve: for unbelief they were thrust out of paradise: unbelief in the hearts of Moses and Aaron, for unbelief they never came into the land of promise: unbelief in the heart of Zacharie, for unbelief he was dumb, until the thing came to pass whereof he doubted. Faith is the evidence of things, 
Heb. 11.  which are not seen: unto faith did Christ call Mary: when he said to her, touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my father, 
Barnard sup.  Cum iam ascenderit (saith Barnard) tum tangi ab ea velit, 
Cant. ser. 28.  aut possit? & utique poterit, sed affectu, non manu: voto, non ocu lo: fide, non sensibus: would he, or could he be touched of her, when he was ascended? truly he could: but with the heart, not with the hand: with prayer, not with the eye: with faith, & not with senses. By faith we see him as the wise men: 
Ephe. 6.  we embrace him as Simeon: we hear him as Mary, we touch him as Thomas. Faith is the shield whereby we quench all the fiery darts of the wicked: 
john. 15.  by faith our hearts are purified: 
1. Peter. 5.  by faith we resist the devil: 
Rom. 9  by faith we are the children of Abraham: 
Io. 5.  by faith we shall not come to condemnation, but shall pass from death to life. no virtue by Christ so much commended as faith: be it unto thee according to thy faith: thy faith hath made thee whole, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel: O woman great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt: to faith nothing is unpossible. Whatsoever is without faith is sin, and without faith it is unpossible to please GOD, on the contrary part, nothing doth more grieve the Majesty of Almighty jehova) than incredulity and unbelief, all the day long I have stretched out my hand, 
Esay. 65.  to an unbelieving people: 
Mat. 14.  O thou of little faith why dost thou doubt: 
Luk. 24.  to them that went to Emaus, 
Mar. 9  he said: O fools and slow of heart to believe. 
Mat. 15.  Again, 
Heb. 2.  O generation incredulous, how long shall I be with you, how long shall I suffer you? in his own country, he could not do many miracles for their unbelief: the jews entered not into his rest: Why? for unbelief let us therefore cry with the Apostles, Lord increase our faith: 
Luk. 17.  and as the father of the sick child cried with tears: 
Mark. 9  Lord, I believe, help my unbelief, Now because faith is not revealed unto us by flesh and blood, 
The holy Ghost.  but by the holy ghost: let us labour for him also, that this meat by faith may work effectually in us: let us utter unto the Lord strong cryings, and deep sighings for his spirit, that our prayer may be in his sight as the incense, 
john. 14.  and the lifting up of our hands, 
Luk. 12.  an evening sacrifice. 
joh. 16.  For he is the spirit of truth: 
john. 15.  the Master and Teacher of the faithful: 
1. Col 17.  the shower of things to come: 
Rom. 8.  the witness of Christ the distributer of all gifts: the spirit of adoption: 
2. Cor. 1.  the pledge of our inheritance: 
1. Cor. 12.  he beareth us witness that we are the children of God: he helpeth our infirmities, and maketh petition for us. No man saith, that jesus is the Lord, but by the holy Ghost: did not the devils (saith chrysostom) name Christ. 
Chrisost. in eodem loco.  Sometime they named Christ, saith he, for fear, not for love: and sometime, that the people might give ear to them, take them for professors of the gospel, & so they might bring the people through a colour of christianity into manifold heresies, but of sincerity, & hearty good will they never named him. So then no man can name Christ lovingly, & sincerely, but by the holy Ghost, we have not received the spirit of bondage to fear again, but the spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry abba, 
Rom. 8.  father. Wherefore, this is the end of my exhortation, that you labour for all these three, meat, faith, the spirit, by hearty and earnest prayer. I mean not to cry all day long as Baal's Priests did. O Baal hear us: O Baal hear us. Nor as the Ephesians cried for the space of two hours, great is Diana of the Ephesians. But in heart fervently and strongly, as Moses, Phinehes, Manasses, jonas, our Saviour jesus. Though our prayers be short, as was the prayer of the poor publican: God be merciful to me a sinner: of the prodigal son: father I have sinned against heaven and against thee, & am no more worthy to be called thy son. Of Steeven, Lord jesus receive my soul. Of our Saviour Christ, Father, into thy hands, I commit my spirit, nay though we utter never a word, the Lord will hear us: Moses spoke never a word, when GOD said unto him, why dost thou cry unto me Moses: Anna spoke never a word when God heard her prayer, she only moved her lips, 
1. Sam. 1.  and Ely the Priest said, she was dumb. If we thus labour for the spirit. we shall obtain him and then our faith shall be fruitful, them the meat in us shallbe effectual. The word nourisheth, faith reviveth, the holy ghost quickeneth, the word saveth, faith justifieth, the holy Ghost sanctifieth: the word bringeth us to heaven, faith openeth the door, the holy Ghost placeth us among the holy Angels, to have everlasting life, which the son of man shall give unto us. 
The reason.  And this is the reason added to the exhortation, being drawn from the person that giveth, and the certainty of the thing given. 
1. john. 1.  He which is called the word of God: 
Col. 10.  the image of God, 
1. Cor. 1.  the power and wisdom of God: the Creator of all things: 
john. 1.  the searcher of the heart: 
Mat. 9  the prince of life: the Lord of glory: 
Act. 3.  the prince of salvation: the prince of faith: 
1. Cor. 2.  the brightness of the glory and the engraved form of god's person: 
Heb. 2.  the son of God, 
Heb. 12.  doth here call himself the son of man, 
Heb. 1.  he whom Peter confessed to be the son of God: 
Mat 3.  he whom the Angel named jesus: he of whom God the father witnessed: this is my beloved son, in whom I delight, hear him: he when the very devils could not choose but confess him to be the son of God: doth here call himself the son of man. He calleth himself the son of man, first, to testify that he took a very, true, and substantial nature of man, both body & soul, upon him: flesh of our flesh, bone of our bone. 
john. 1.  Verbum caro factum est. the word was made flesh: here some would prove that he was not perfect man, because the word was made flesh, that signifieth only the body: but these men know not that flesh in the scripture sometime signifieth the one part of man, as when Christ said: 
Luk. 24.  A spirit hath not flesh & bone as you see me have. Sometime carnal lusts and affections: 
john. 3.  as whatsoever is borne of flesh, is flesh, sometime it doth signify the whole man body and soul: as all flesh shall see the salvation of GOD, that is, mankind: and again, 
Esay. 40.  I will power out of my spirit upon all flesh, that is, men. And so in this place, 
joel. 2  the word was made flesh, that is, man. Damnable therefore is the heresy of the Manichees, 
Manichai.  who held that Christ's body was brought from heaven, and put into the virgin's womb: damnable also is the heresy of the Arrians, 
Arriani.  who said that his body was made of nothing, and that he had not his flesh of the virgin: Athanasius willeth Epictetus' Bishop of Corinth to join these words of the Angel in Matthewes gospel, 
Matth. 1.  that which is conceived in her is of the holy Ghost, 
Athanasius.  with these words of the Angel in Luke's Gospel, that holy thing that shallbe born of thee, 
Luk. 1.  shallbe called the son of God: Christ was conceived in her, therefore his body came not from heaven: Christ was borne of her, therefore his body was not made of nothing. Secondly, he doth call himself the son of man, signifying that he was subject to all infirmitity that hap to man, sin only excepted. For he was hungry, he was thirsty: he was weary, he sorrowed, he wept, he did sweat water & blood, he suffered the most vile and approbrious death, the death of the cross. Lastly, he calleth himself the son of man, as though he were accounted the vilest man in the world. Behold I who was borne in a stall, laid in a manger, poor, needy, contemned, whom they call the Carpenter, and the Carpenter's son: behold I the son of man, will give everlasting life unto you.  
Now if the son of man doth give everlasting life, how is it that he made this answer to james and john, 
Matth: 20.  to sit at my right hand, and at my left hand is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them, for whom it is prepared of my father. Again he shall say, Come ye blessed of my father, 
Matth. 25.  enjoy you the kingdom of my father, He saith not my blessed, nor my kingdom, but blessed of my father, and the kingdom of my father, and in the fifth of john, 
Io. 5.  he said: I can do nothing of myself. Wherefore if he cannot give to sit at his right, or left hand, if the kingdom be not his, if he can do nothing of himself, how doth he hear promise everlasting life? he saith blessed of my father, the kingdom of my Father, I can do nothing of myself, because he would, as man give to the father all the glory. My father hath appointed these things to give before the beginning of the world, I am not now to bestow them, they shallbe given to them, for whom it is prepared of my father. 
Io. 1.  But yet this is true: as many as received him, to them he gave prerogative to be the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name. We are sons by nature, so we are the sons of Adam: we are sons by discipline, so we are the sons of Christ, we are sons by adoption, and so we are brothers to Christ, and sons of God. Hear do the Papists gather, that everlasting life is due unto us by desert, because by labouring or working for the meat of the soul, we get everlasting life. I purpose not to entreat of the controversy: Christ doth take away all doubt in these words following: when he saith, 
Ephe. 2.  that he will give this life: for whatsoever we have of gift, that is not of merit. They are opposite, as Paul saith. By grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: yea, by evil works we deserve death, and by good works we deserve life: according to the Maxima of the Logicians. But if I follow Paul, I must deny the argument: for the wages of sin is death, 
Rom. 6.  but the gift of God is everlasting life, through jesus Christ our Lord. Moses did show unto the jews the land of promise, but he could not bring them into it, that was left for joshua: even so the law is a schoolmaster to bring us to christ, it cannot purchase everlasting life, that is left for jesus, whose office it is to give everlasting life: and therefore he was sealed of the Father: and this is the confirmation, taken from the office and function of jesus christ: 
Confirmation  he saith of himself. I came not into the world, to judge the world, but to save the world. He came not, 
Io. 12.  as Herod thought, to put him out of his kingdom: not to give Dukedoms and Lordships, as james and john thought, not to restore the earthly kingdom to Israel, as his Disciples thought: not to be a King, as the jews would have made him: not to call the righteous, as the lindsays thought, but sinners to repentance, as we all believe. For to this purpose hath his father given to him his seal, he hath sealed him.  
Hereby we are able to answer all objections that the devil & all the kingdom of hell is able to lay against us: and say, if God be on our side, who can be against us: it is christ that justifieth, who shall condemn us. He hath the broad seal of his father to this purpose, who can disannul it? by this seal we are sealed also, as the Apostle saith: grieve not the holy spirit of God, by whom ye are sealed unto the day of redemption, by outward exercises we may doubt of others: 
Ephe. 4.  but by this seal, the print whereof is in our hearts, we may assure ourselves of everlasting life. Dost thou sacrifice, thou dost well: so did Abel, and so did Cain: dost thou prophecy? so did Samuel, and so did Saul: art thou baptized? so was christ: and so was Simon Magus: dost thou communicate? so did Simon, and so did judas: dost thou pray in the temple? so did the Publican, and so did the pharisee▪ therefore the holy Ghost is a seal authentical in our own hearts, whereby we may examine, try, and prove ourselves, whether we be the sons of God, or reprobates. Cain had a mark to be known: Esau being rough, was known from jacob being smooth: the Lord hath a mark for his enemies, and the Lord knoweth who are his. The Gileadite by Shibboleth, was known from the Ephraimite by Shibboleth: the 500 valiant men by lapping water like dogs, were known from the cowards, who kneeled & lapped: as Rahab was know by binding a red cord about her window: as they were saved that had the letter tau on them, as the Angel passed from them, that had the blood sprinkled on their posts: 
Ezech. 9  as they were not hurt that had the seal of God in their foreheads, 
Revel. 7.  so we are known, so we are saved▪ so the Angel doth pass from us, so we are not hurt, which have the seal of the holy Ghost in our hearts, whereby we can boldly call Christ our brother, and God our Father. The foundation of God remaineth sure, and hath this seal: the Lord knoweth who are his, and let every one that calleth on the name of Christ, depart from iniquity. 
2. Tim. 2.  The Lord seal us unto the day of redemption: the Lord grant we may always labour for that meat, which endureth unto everlasting life: that we may labour for the word, for faith, and for the holy Ghost, that we may be fully assured of everlasting life, because the son of man, and the son of God to that purpose is sealed, appointed, anointed, & consecrated of his father: to whom with the holy ghost, 3. persons, and one immortal God, be all honour, glory, praise, power, dominion, authority, worship and Majesty, both now and ever. Amen.  
FINIS.