[Page] BEfore we begin to handle or intreate of the wordes of this text, it shall not be amisse to note to whom & when this Epistle was written. Concerning the first of these, it appeareth by the third chap. and 1. ver. that it was written vnto the same that the former Epistle was. For thus he speaketh. This second Epistle I write vnto you, beloued, in which I stirre vp your sincere minde, by putting you in remembrance: now these were the Iewes which were scattered abroade in the dispersiō through diuers countries, as it is expressed in the first chap. of the former Epistle: for the Iewes were spe­cially his charge, as the care of the Gen­tiles was committed vnto Paul. Gala­thians the 2. chapter, 7. and 8. verses. The wordes are these: when they sawe that the Gospell of the vncircumcision was committed to mee, as the Gospell ouer the circumcision was vnto Peter: for he was mightie by Peter in the Apostlship, ouer the circumcision, was also mightie by me towards the Gentiles. For the 2. this Epistle was written by Peter in his extreme age, when he had euen finished [Page] his course, and was readie to lay downe his tabernacle, as he speaketh here in the 14. vers. As for the occasions which mo­ued him to write, they shall appeare in the particular handling of the matters.

1 Now let vs come to the wordes of the text, the 1. verse hath two members: In the former he setteth foorth his own dignitie, that he is not only a seruant of God, but a principall seruant, and one which commeth vnto them as the Am­bassadour of god, to the end they might knowe that they had to doe with God, and not with men, and so submit them­selues to the doctrine & message which he brought: for whatsoeuer God spake by the Apostles, he so guided their tong & pen by his spirite, that nothing which they spake or wrote, was their own, but altogether his. In the second member, he setteth forth the dignity which those to whom he writ had with himselfe: in these wordes, To those which haue obtai­ned the like precious faith with vs: as if he should say, although I be aboue you in the Apostolik dignitie and function, yet you are equal with me & with the rest of [Page] the Apostles in the chiefe and principall dignitie, & in that wherein all happines doth cōsist, euē our precious faith. Here it may bee demaunded, howe Saint Pe­ter can ascribe vnto them a faith equall or like precious with his owne, seeing he did so farre excell them in giftes and graces, as in knowledge, & strength of faith. The answer is easie inough, name­ly, that this comparison is not made in the measure & quātity of faith, for ther­in some haue excelled others farre, be­cause God doth not giue his gifts to all alike: but in the effect, which is the ap­prehending of Christ with al his merits, which the weak faith doth as wel as the strong, and therefore in this respect is equally precious. This I speake, not to make any slouthfull, when as the Scrip­tures do pricke vs forwarde so much to seeke increase of faith, but for the com­fort and hartening of the weake, which feeling their infirmitie and weaknes of faith, if it were not for this which the A­postle speaketh, might doubt whether they were partakers of the same happi­nesse with them; now hearing this, they [Page] may be wel assured, al though their faith should be but as a grain of mustard seed, yet if it bee true faith, it coupleth them to Christe, and maketh them partakers of redemption, to haue their sinnes wa­shed away in his blood of righteousnes, to be couered with his obediēce of life, to be heires of the kingdome of glorie, as wel as the faith of Peter, or any other. Vnto this is also ioyned that wherin the stablenes of this their faith doth stande, as vpon a sure foundation, euē the righ­teousnesse of God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christe. And indeede the building of faith is so waightie, and the frame so heauie, that it can stande vpon no other foundation but this, that is to say, the righteousnesse, faithfulnesse, or truth of God which cannot lie. For if we would perswade a man to beleeue by this rea­son, that the thing which wee speake, is that which hath been taught by diuers men of great learning & singular god­lines: yet because we know that al men are lyers, except wee bee sure that the things which they speak, be those which God hath spoken, wee shall still wauer, [Page] and our faith shalbe no faith, which a­lone can rest in the authoritie of God, and not of men.

2 The seconde verse conteineth his salutation, euen that which is common to him with Paul & the other Apostles: wishing grace and peace, to those vnto whom they write. And this they do, be­cause it is the chiefe scope and principal ende of their ministerie, to bring men a­gaine into Gods fauour, & to be recon­ciled vnto him. Of this thing speaketh S. Paul, 2. Cor. 5. chap. ver. 18. saying. All things are of God which hath recōciled vs to himself by Iesus Christ. And hath giuen vnto vs the ministerie of reconci­liation, for God was in Christe and re­conciled the worlde to himselfe, not im­puting their sinnes vnto them: and hath committed to vs the word of reconcili­ation. Now thé are we Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseeche you through vs, wee pray you in Christe his steede, that you bee reconciled to God. This beeing the chiefe end of their tra­uell, causeth them so earnestly to wish it for the people: and to bee so serious, [Page] not only in teaching them this general­ly, but also pointing out as it were with the finger, the way to the same: and that not onelie in their doctrine, but also in their liues. Whosoeuer digresseth or casteth his eyes aside from this marke & ende of his ministerie, ceaseth to bee the Minister of Christe. As for example, If hee preach the Gospell to purchase re­nowme, estimation, wealth of case, to himselfe, and not to seeke this reconcili­ation betweene God and men, and to haue grace and peace multiplied vppon them, he may wel sometimes preach the truth, but not truly.

Likewise, those parentes whiche set foorth their children to learning, with this minde: My sonne shall liue an easie and merie life, hee shal get some liuings, promotions, & dignities in the Church: do lay a corrupt and rotten foundation, & haue not learned this doctrine of the Apostle, and therefore the building fo­lowes agreeably for the most, whē they come to haue learning, not forgetting this lesson which they learned of their fathers, doe become greedie cathers of [Page] benefices and promotions, rather then carefull feeders of the flocke of Christ. But here it may be obiected, how the A­postle can wish that grace which is the free fauour of God, should be multipli­ed vpon them, seeing that Gods loue & fauor doth not increase nor diminishe, but hee loueth and fauoureth alwayes alike, being subiect to no alteration or change. This may wel be answered, that Sainte Peter doeth not speake heere of grace, as it is in it selfe in God towardes mē: but of their feeling the same, which groweth by degrees from lesse to grea­ter, and because it is a thing so precious, the Apostle wisheth that it may be mul­tiplied vpon them. Hee expresseth the meane to be the knowledge & acknow­ledging of God, and of Iesus Christ our Lord.

3 According as his diuine power hath giuen vnto vs al things that perteine vnto life & godlines, through the acknowledging of him that hath called vs vnto glory and vertue.

This is fitly ioyned to the former [Page] verse, to shewe that the aboundance of grace and peace is not without cause re­quired at our handes, as if the Apostle shoulde say, You are not to content nor to satisfie your selues with a scant mea­sure of Gods giftes and graces, seeing that there is offred vnto you, & set forth in Christ, vnto whom you may resort as to a storehouse fully furnished with all treasures, all things which partain to life and godlinesse.

Secondly, we haue to obserue in this verse, when hee saith that all thinges are giuen vnto vs by his diuine power, that here is nothing left in the worke of our saluation vnto our selues: so that it must needes follow, that these which defend free will, doe not speake with the same spirite which the Apostle doth here. For setting forth a contrary doctrine to this it must needes proceed from a contrary spirite. The Apostle doth not say heere, that all those thinges which wee want, through the weakenesse of our nature, shalbe supplied, but to shewe that there is nothing in vs at all, but that wee are quite stript of all things which pertaine [Page] to life and godlinesse, Hee speaketh not of repairing or helping in some parte, but of a whole and free gifte in euerie part: when he saith whithout exception that all thinges are giuen vnto vs by the diuine power, which pertaine vnto life, and godlines: and so this doctrine doth chalenge all the praise and glory of our saluation to God alone.

Thirdly, it may be demanded why the Apostle shoulde say that all thinges are giuen vnto vs by the diuine power or Godhead of our Sauiour Christe, when it is manifest that wee ferche all thinges from his manhood: and therefore hee saith in the 6. chap. of S. Iohn, verse 46. I am the bread of life: and againe in the 54. verse of that same chapter, Hee that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood I will raise him vp in the last day: For my fleshe is meate indeede, and my blood is drink indeed: by this it is ma­nifest, that life is giuen vnto the worlde, by the manhood of Christe. The an­swere is easie, that Christe in his man­hoode is a creature, and therefore hath nothing of his owne, but whatsoe­uer [Page] is in him, as to bee the life of the worlde, and the light of men, and to haue in him al the treasures of wisdom: This commeth from the diuine nature, which dwelleth in him bodily, as Saint Paule speaketh. Nowe the cause why all these are put into the manhoode of Christe, is that from thence wee maye bee partakers of them: for solong as they haue residence onely in God, wee are so farre remoued from him that by no meanes wee can approche or come neere vnto him to drawe out of him a­ny drop of the same. Therefore though all things bee giuen vs by this meanes, that GOD hath put them into the fleshe of Christ, and so is come downe neere vnto vs, that wee may lay fast hold of him: yet neuerthelesse because the proprietie of them remaineth still in the diuine nature, the gifte of them is heere ascribed vnto the power there­of.

Fourthly, we are to note in this verse, that the Apostle doeth briefly set downe the ende and summe of religi­on, and of all these giftes, when he [Page] saith, which pertaine to life and godli­nesse: for in these two wordes, vnto which the other two do answere, which are set downe in the latter ende of the verse, glorie and vertue, all those giftes are contained. For that which hee expressed first by life, heere by glorie, that which before he called godlinesse, here he calleth vertue: they are as much as to say, eternall felicitie, and life with glorie, and the way which we must passe through to the same, which is godlines and vertue. Here we are to take great heede, that wee doe not seuer or sunder those thinges which the Lorde himselfe hath so neerely coupled and linked to­gether. And this admonition is so much the more necessarie, because there are very many carnall professors and beastly abusers of christianity, which doe seeme very willingly and gladly to imbrace the promises of the Gospell, concerning redemption and eternall life purchased in Christe Iesus: and they make great boast that they looke for their parte in the same as well as any other, & yet they looke nothing at al to this godlines and [Page] vertue, through which we must passe vn to it, for God hath not called vs, but as hee saith heere, to glorie and vertue, so that whom soeuer the Lorde hath called to know him aright, and so to be made heires of eternall glorie, he hath also garnished them with vertues and graces of the spirite of sanctification. Vntill such time therefore, as there shall rise vp a new Peter, which with contrary pen shal write a newe and contrary gospell, these men shall neuer assure them selues, nor yet perswade others that they shall euer come to the kingdome of God, seeing they goe a quite contrarie way.

4 Whereby most great and precious promises are giuen vnto vs, &c. Now hee sheweth by what meanes or by what in­struments the diuine power doeth be­stow those giftes vpon vs, and the same are as hee calleth them, most great and precious promises which are giuē vnto vs, whereby we are called to glorie and vertue, as hee speaketh in the former verse: these are called most great & pre­cious, because the things which are of­fered vnto vs in the gospel of Christ, for [Page] greatnes & dignity are incōparable. For what cā we seeke out to match with this that here is offered vnto vs: namely the remission of our sins in the blood of his sonne, deliuerance & freedom from the thraldom of Satan & power of darknes, that of damned creatutes & children of his wrath, he hath giuē vs this high dig­nity to be his sonnes & daughters: & as S. Iohn saith, Reue. I. Christ hath washed vs in his blood, and made vs kinges and priests to god his father: what a change is this, from the lowest misery, euē in the gulf of hel, to be lifted vp, to the highest dignitie, to be glorified with God in the kingdō of heuen? Because therfore these things are the greatest & most honora­ble, S. Peter calleth the promises of the gospel, most great & precious. But wher­fore doeth the apostle ascribe all to the doctrine of the gospel? for whē he saith, that by these we are made partakers of the diuine nature, hee includeth all, be­cause it is by the gospel that we are cal­led home to the Lord: for although hee vtter his will vnto vs in his law, yet ther­in hee sheweth himselfe none otherwise [Page] vnto vs, but as a seuere iudge, we can see nothing there, but the dreadful curse, & vengeance of eternall fire: his brightnes appeareth therein, but we be not able to beholde the same, but are daseled with the sight therof, amazed & confounded so that we cannot but runne from him, bicause there is nothing but that which is terrible. Cōtrariwise, in the Gospel, he hath reuealed himselfe in the face of his sonne, where hee sheweth an exceeding glory, but with such fatherly loue, & pi­tie, such abūdance of mercie, and sweete allurements, by which he calleth vs and draweth vs to himself: that here wee are able to looke vpon him with open face, and heere his countenance is so cheere­ful, that the soule which hath once, with the eye of faith seene but a glimse there­of, is so inflamed and rauished with de­sire of a neerer and fuller sight▪ that it can neuer bee satisfied. For this cause Saint Paule making comparison betweene the ministerie of the Lawe and the ministerie of the Gospell. 2. Corinthians, 3. Termeth that the ministration of death, and the letter [Page] which killeth: and this the ministration of the spirit which giueth life. Which by the way also is to bee obserued, because there be among vs at this day many frā ­tike braines: namely those of the Family of loue, which call the true & sound in­terpreting of the word, the literal sense, or the letter which killeth, & their owne grosse and foolish allegories the spirite: not knowing that S. Peter speaketh of the difference betweene the Lawe, and the Gospel. Here also appeareth of what price and dignitie the gospel is: for who can set foorth the worthinesse of this, whē he saith, that by these promises we are made partakers of the diuine nature we were indeed at the first created after the Image of God, and so partakers of his nature: but we lost all this with our first parents, & in steede thereof we were made partakers of the diuelish nature, bearing his Image and fulfilling: his lustes. Nowe by faith in the Gospel, this image is restored and built vp in vs againe, whilest we receiue the spirite of sanctification ioyned with the same. If men did know this first, that all happi­nesse [Page] in men is to be made partakers of the nature of God, & to communicate with him: and then that this is wrought only by the Gospel: men woulde not so lothsomely despise it, and preferre euery light commoditie, and trifling pleasure before it: men woulde not seeke to dis­grace & slander it: men would not be so soone wearie in hearing of it, nor thinke euery houre ten while they bee at it. Fi­nally men, vnlesse they were mad men, would not as they do now almost euery where, thinke them selues best at ease when it is furthest from them: for who would willingly throwe himselfe head­long to destruction; who would so play the mad beastes, as to thrust God from them, & refuse to bee made partakers of his heauenly nature? which al they doe, that haue as yet felt no sweetnesse in the Gospell, or at least haue so little tasted it that it can scarse obtaine colde lone at their hands. But there needeth somwhat to be said vpō the phrase of spech which S. Peter vseth, for it is somewhat hard to some, & as it was in old time fouly abu­sed by heretikes, so is it wickedly at this [Page] day peruerted by the louely Familie, which holding this doctrine that men are deified, and God is hominified, as their language is, meaning that the very essence and substance of God, is transsu­sed into men, and his substance & theirs mingled together, take great holde of this, that the Apostle saith, wee are made partakers of the diuine nature. But you shal see that euery simple man may easily confute thē: if we aske what the nature of an horse is, wil a man answere that he is made of the earth: then a horse and a man are both of one nature, for man is also made of the earth: it is manifest thē, that none is so foolish but hee will con­fesse, that when we speake of the nature of any thing, we meane not the substāce, but the qualities & properties: euen so in this place we must needs graunt, that by the diuine nature in this place is no­thing els ment, but that there should be such a nature and such qualities in men, as may carrye a resemblance of the di­uine nature: as for example, god is holy, wee must bee holy, he is pure, good, iust, gracious, bountiful, louing, & merciful, [Page] all these and such like must be also in vs: we shal also come to be partakers of life, of glory, of ioye, of happinesse, and e­ternitie, and so in a neerer sorte to bee partakers of the diuine nature. What are all those now the better, which haue so receiued the precious promises, that their qualities are euen as agreeable to the nature of GOD, as light is with darkenesse, or Heauen with Hell, or Christe with Beliall: Sith so manie shamefull and beastly sinnes, flowe and raigne in them, which are so many partakinges of the Diuelishe nature, let them for shame denye that they haue ought wherein they communicate with GOD, in anye thing sauing a bare profession. Then what is it which ma­keth a good man; The promises of the Gospell. What is it which bringeth life and saluation? The Gospel. Who are they which haue imbraced the pro­mises, & haue the true and liuely faith: The holy. Who are they whom God hath called to life eternall, to bee those whome hee loueth as children, bearing his Image; The pure and vndefiled. [Page] in the last clause of this verse he sheweth his meaning very plainly, In that, saieth hee yee flie the corruptions which are in the world through lust, this is the way to bee made partakers of the diuine na­ture, for as corruptions and filthie defi­linges the more they cleaue vnto vs, the more they separate vs from the Lord, so contrariwise the more a man doeth flie and eschewe them, so much the neerer hee doeth approch vnto God, who is the fountaine of all puritie. We are here to note that S. Peter maketh al corrupti­on and naughtinesse in the worlde to spring out of concupiscence, or as it is vsually translated, lust: where wee must learne first, what this concupiscence or lust is, which is heere saide to bee as it were the seate of sinne, and indeede it is the roote and fountaine, out of which groweth & floweth al euill that is com­mitted in the world, either in thought, worde, or deede: to be short, this is that which is forbiddē in the tenth cōmāde­mēt, whē he saith, Thou shalt not couer: at least so much of it is forbidden there, as pertaineth to the second table, that is [Page] the roote & fountaine of all euil against men, for there is nothing recited in the same last commandement, but towarde men: & when our Sauiour Christ setteth foorth the summe of the first table, hee saith it is to loue the Lorde with all the heart, with al the soule, &c. Now where the whole hart is required, there concu­piscence must needs be forbiddē: but ye wil say, what is it; wherin doth it consist? It is not in deeds, words, nor thoughts, but a more close & inward sicknes, bred as they say, in the bones, the natural blot & spot of originall sinne, which we haue by inheritance, from our first parents, & bring with vs out of our mothers wōb, out of which al euil thoughts & desires do arise in vs. S. Iames in the first chap. of his Epistle maketh it the wombe & mo­ther which conceiueth & bringeth forth sinne: Let no man (saith hee) when he is tempted, say, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with euill, nei­ther tēpteth he any mā, but euery one is tempted when he is drawne away by his own concupiscence, & is entised: thē lust when it hath conceiued, bringeth forth [Page] sinne, & sinne whē it is finished bringeth forth death. The first thing we haue here to note in this doctrine is this: that all corruptiō is of our selues, not comming from any outward cause: it is true that Satan is an instrument, & as it were the bellowes to stirre and kindle in vs the lustes of sinne, and beareth a very great stroke in the matter: but if it were not for this concupiscence that is in vs, hee coulde not bring his matters to passe, the prouocations and alurementes of wicked men, are so many meanes to driue vs and draw vs into sinne, but yet the cause is in our selues. A chiefe point to bee obserued that wee may learne to condemne our selues when wee haue done amisse, and not after the maner of men, which looke when they haue faul­ted howe they may disburthen them­selues, and be discharged of the blame, and therefore they will either crie out of the Diuell, as though hee, as they say, ought them a shame, or els they will say, woe worth such or suche that euer I knew them, if it had not been for them, I should not haue done thus. The Pro­phete [Page] Dauid when hee had committed murther and adultery, being reprooued by Nathan, although hee knewe right­wel that the Diuel was a great furtherer in the matter: likewise hee might haue thought vpon the fonde dealing of the woman, which so indiscretly washed her selfe in such a place as others might see her: yet hee letteth these goe, and to the ende hee may wholy and fully con­demne himself, he looketh home to the welspring of all this foule and beastly sinne, and saith, Beholde I was borne in wickednesse, and in sinne hath my mother conceiued mee: as if he shoulde say, O Lorde, I cannot seeke any way to be excused, for all this rebellion against thee, is conceiued and bred in mine owne corrupt brest, I brought the roote of it from my mothers wombe. This is a good lession for vs to learne: for so long as wee doe not knowe it, but like partial and corrupt Iudges go about to excuse our selues, & to rid our hands of that we haue committed, we shal neuer come to any sincere repētāce. Further, weare here to obserue in this place that al corruptiō [Page] comming from this lust, if wee will re­pent indeede, wee must begin heere. For if they bee changed onely in their out­warde deedes and wordes, and this in­ward sicknes not healed, they haue gai­ned nothing, no more thē a man which would destroy a tree, and doth no more then loppe & shred of certaine boughes and twigges, leauing the stumpe and roote behynde: for so long as this doth liue in them, they may well seeme in the eyes of men, to bee very great conuerts, if they bee ignorant idiots, are become suche as haue gotten some skill and knowledge: from drunkardes, ruffians, adulterers, and suche like, they become sober and modest, and of good behaui­our: as this may bee done before men, and yet the hart nothing altered before God: for there bee many causes which may mooue men to seeme outwardlye to bee godly, when the hearte within is fraught with loathsome lustes, and full of rotten corruptions, whiche make men still altogether abhominable be­fore God. To bee short therefore a man shall neuet rightly iudge of him selfe [Page] whether hee haue repented, vnlesse hee looke to the bottome of this sore, that it may be healed. The greatest multitude of men, being as blind as beetles in this point, imagine that repentance, is a very light & easie thing, which they can haue when they list: when a man of wisdome saith this, that here lieth so deep a mat­ter, that heere be rootes which are hard to be pulled vp, hee is moued to bee the more carefull, least he deceiue himselfe. Looke therefore euery man to his thoughts, for by them is the trial made: if the thoughts be chāged, & the inward desires altered, so that of prophane and worldly, they are become holy and hea­uenly: then hee may boldly say, I haue a newe hearte, and there is a right spirite renued in mee, I haue repented, I haue not plaide the hypocrite, I feele an vp­right heart toward God, I feele the cor­rupt fountaine stopped, so that the filthy matter, and stinking mudde doeth not boyle foorth as it did. It may also bee demaunded heere, whether this iuste bee not a sinne or a corrupti­on [Page] of it selfe, because S. Peter saith, that corruption resteth in it. The place which I alleadged out of the 51. Psalme, doeth prooue it to bee a sinne: also it may bee proued out of the fifth to the Romans, Where Saint Paule proueth that infants haue sinne, because they are subiect to death, which is the reward of sinne, al­though as hee saith, they sinne not after the similitude of the transgression of A­dam. Therefore if wee had none other but this, it were enough to condemne vs, and vtterly to cast vs away. Let vs neuer cease therefore, vntill wee feele a change in our selues, euen in this secrete infection, for otherwise wee shall neuer bee able to flie the corruptions whiche are in the world, or as Saint Iames spea­keth in the first Chapter of his Epistle, to keepe our selues vnspotted of the worlde, so long as wee carie the corrupt world in our own brest: neither shal our religion be pure, for thus it is saide, if any man among you seemeth religious and refraineth not his tongue, but de­ceiueth his owne hearte, this mans re­ligion is vaine. Pure religion and vnde­filed [Page] before God, euen the father is this, to visite the fatherlesse and widowes in their distresse, and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the worlde.

ANd hereunto giue al diligence, &c. He hath declared in the former ver­ses, among other chief matters: this one especiallv, to howe great holinesse and purenesse through sanctification, we be called: which was chiefly expressed in these wordes, that by them yee may bee made partakers of the diuine nature, in that yee flie the corruption which is in the worlde through lust: vnto this now he ioyneth an exhortation, requiring at their handes not only to put to their di­ligence, but also, as hee saith, euen all di­ligence, [Page] For as it is the greatest and chie­fest thing which we are to looke after, so there is required at our handes, to giue our principal care and studie thereunto: this equitie must easily be graunted, that if we cannot obteine or get the thinges of this life, which are small in compari­son, vnlesse wee put to our diligence, for God will haue it to bee so, that then of good right▪ looke howe much heauenly things exceede in dignitie, the earthly, so much must the care and diligence besto­wed vpon them exceed. How far almost are all men from this doctrine both in practise and iudgement: first, when we see the exceeding trauel & paines which they sticke not willingly to bestowe, in getting the beggerly trash of this world, either riches or honours: they wil ryde and run, early and late by night and by day, by sea and by land, winter and som­men, wearing out their bodies, almost pine and sterue themselues with hunger and bearing their braines with as great diligence as can be possible: but when it commeth to these things which S. Peter speaketh, as things of no price, they pass [Page] by them, in such wise, that they are here euen as slouthfull and carelesse, as they are diligent in the other. For iudgement in this behalfe, if a man talke with these worldly men, they wil shew their minde and opinion, aske them why they bee so careful for these worldly things, their an swere is readie, wee shal otherwise come short of them, and go without them: & why do ye not seeke as fast for heauenly thinges, they be the greatest: they be in deede the greatest, but we commit that to God, wee wil not meddle with that. Thus they shift off the care of godlines, as though god did not require it at their hands: neuer hearing of this which S. Peter requireth: wee must take heede of this, giuing eare to god, who teacheth vs this lesson by the holy Apostle: for if we let this passe, we are most miserable: here also when wee are warned to giue al di­ligence, appeareth plainely howe harde a thing it is to flie from corrupt lustes: for if it were an easie thing to be done lesse diligence might serue: but sinne cleaueth neere and sticketh fast in vs, & is not easily shaken of: it is deepely roo­ted, [Page] so that vnlesse we digge very deepe, wee are sure to leaue the rootes stil be­hinde, which wil growe & spring againe as fast as before, yea oftentimes seeming to bee dead, they sodeinly reuiue: so that wee are set a worke while we liue heere without any intermission, to be still toy­ling to pul vp these weedes, the ground is so ranke, that in a very short time it will bee wholy ouergrowne. Therefore such as despise the meanes which God hath appointed, or vse them ouer negli­gently, must needes haue their heart o­uer growne with these stinking weeds of lust and concupiscence: and so if euer there be any good seed in them, as good motions or inclinations to feare God, they are by and by choked, so that they can bring foorth no fruite, or at least no ripe and timely fruite.

But heere may be obiected, that this agreeth not with the former saying, that the diuine power hath giuen vs al thinges which pertaine to life and godlinesse, there hee ascribeth all to God, and taketh all from vs, heere he seemeth to giue somewhat vnto our [Page] diligence, and so to establishe freewill in vs. We must answere here that God worketh al in al, & alone striketh the stroke, yet he doeth not worke in vs, as the car­penter or Mason worketh vpon the log and the stone, which haue no feeling of that which is done vpon them, and ther­fore nothing of them is required: but we haue a wil in vs & reason, which of them selues beeing corrupt, doe nothing but hinder this worke, vntill suche time as god hath fashioned them anew; we haue appetites & affections in vs, but of them selues meere rebels: these he [...]eth and subdueth. So that this worke of God in vs, is not without a feeling of it, for hee moueth vs to wil, to desire, to sorow, to reioyce, & such like, so that our diligence is required, because he worketh in none but he doth make them diligent; heere is stil then that which God doth bestow vpon vs▪ and not that which we haue of ourselues. By this place al those are an­swered, which cloke and defende them­selues in then naughtinesse and slouth in the seruice of God, after this manner: we haue that which God hath giuen vs, [Page] all men are not alike godlye, euerie man cannot doe as you doe: when their own heart and conscience doeth tell euery of them the contrary, saying, thou art care­lesse, and negligent, thou hast as much as thou desirest: for God doth increase all gifts and graces in those which vse al di­ligence in seeking after him. Let vs learne therefore, brethren, to put in practise al those thinges which are heere taught, to giue greater diligence, and so beate our braine more earnestly about heauenly thinges, then about these earthly, to la­bour & trauell more for godlines, then for treasures and riches. Which if we do, we shall feele increase of strength to cast out corrupt lusts, although not so much as faine we would, yet God being true wee shall haue so much that wee cannot faile nor misse of our desire. It foloweth, ioyne moreouer vertue with your faith, &c. Saint Peter knoweth what babes we be, how vnable to guide our steppes in the pathes of godlines, and that ma­keth him not onlie to mooue and per­suade to godlines, but euen as it were taking vs by the hande, and teaching vs [Page] howe to treade euery steppe, hee rehear­seth particulerlye the thinges wherein wee are to trauell, when he saith, Ioyne moreouer with your faith, vertue, with vertue knowledge, with knowledge, tē ­peraunce, with temperaunce, patience, with patience, godlines, and with god­linesse, brotherly kindenesse, and with brotherly kindnesse loue.

Faith heere is set in the first place, vn­to which all the other must beeioyned, because without it wee cannot by any meanes please God, it doth iustifie vs be fore god alone, but yet it doth not go a­lone, neither is it dead and fruitlesse, for these things do accompany the same. In the next place therefore, he coupleth vn­to this, vertue, which is generally put for all the fruites of faith, and all the duties of a godly life. These cannot bee wan­ting, but by and by it must needs folow, that the faith is a dead faith, not able to iustifie vs before God, nor to giue life: it cannot indeede bee rightly termed any other then a shadowe or dumbe picture of faith, whiche may carie some shewe [Page] and colour of that which it resembleth. Euen as wee see some painter so skilful, that he can cast such colours in painting fire, that at the first blush it might make a man iudge it to be fire in deede: but if a man holde his hand to it, to feele for some heate, and to make triall by the ef­fectes, a childe will be able to iudge easi­ly, that it is but a dead image, because the effectes are wanting. Euen so there be very many men, as cunning as any painter, to make a shew of faith, through great bragges and vaunts, that God is their God, & that they al put their whole trust in him, that they looke to be saued as well as the best, yea though but a few, yet they hope to bee of the number of those. Let vs looke therefore that we be not deceiued here, let not the outwarde appearaunce beguile vs, but let vs come to the true triall, if there be as much ver­tue in their life, as there was heate in the foresaide fire, then knowe that it is euen as good a faith, as that is a fire. For yee maye as well separate fire from the heate thereof, as faith from good and [Page] godly vertues, which are the fruits ther­of-What shal then bee saide of all those from whom do flow so many filthie sins, that scarce at any time doeth appeare in them, so much as a shadowe of vertue? they cannot deceiue any wise man, much lesse shall they bee able to deceiue God, Let euery one therefore take heede that hee deceiue not himselfe, to thinke that he is richly indued with faith, when hee is so poore in vertue, for if the latter a­bound, wee are sure the former doth al­so abounde. For wee must trie our faith by our vertues. Next he willeth to ioyne knowledge vnto vertue. These three are general, faith, vertue, & knowledge, and are so lincked together, that they cannot be sundered. For faith is not a blind fan­tasie whiche man doeth imagine of his owne braine, but it is begun in the right knowledge of Gods will, and increaseth and groweth by the same: it is also the rule and square to measure and guide al vertue by: for we must not thinke, that that is good which seemeth so vnto our reason, but that which God in his reuealed will hath called good: vnlesse there­fore [Page] vertue did growe in vs, wee cannot haue it, before wee become skilfull, and haue learned it out of the woorde of God. For this cause the Apostle mo­uing these excellent men to increase in godlinesse, sheweth them the way, when hee willeth them to increase in knowe­ledge.

Nowe if wee marke well, what man­ner of men they were to whome hee wrote, namelye, no babes nor younge­linges in the Gospel, for hee saide they had obteined like precious faith with him, and after warde in this Chapter hee saieth, they did knowe and were stabli­shed in the present truth: wee shall easily perceiue howe this may stop the mouthes of many, which holde blinde errors. First of al of those, which affirme that ignorance is the mother of deuo­tion, if godlinesse and vertue be the true deuotion, then it must needes folowe, that their doctrine is false and diuelishe, seeing we are charged to ioine vnto our vertue knowledge: it is true if they mean Popishe deuotion, for they coulde ne­uer [Page] haue kept men in awe, to be zealous of their religion, and to seeke for that at the handes of men, which God alone doeth giue, vnlesse they had kept them in blindnesse and ignorance: and there­fore they tooke a wise way, to keepe the people from knowing the worde, which so soone as it brake foorth againe, dis­closed all their falshood and treacherye, in so muche that neither good nor bad almost, haue any deuotion vnto them. Secondly of those, which although they bee not rancke Papistes, yet haue in them still a smacke and sauour of Po­pish principles: and therfore like fooles, are also enemies vnto knowledge. For thus they speake, it were no matter if there were lesse preaching, I thinke the people bee the woorse for it, there is knowledge euen enough, what should laye men bee troubled to learne, or to seeke for the knoweledge of the Scrip­tures let them tende their woorke, and looke to their occupations, and learne to bee quiet, and to deale honestlye: against these poore blinde beastes, (for [Page] I may vse no gentle speeche) wee are to reason out of this place: first that all men, knowe they neuer so muche, are heere commaunded to increase in knowledge, to the ende they may in­crease in faith and godlinesse. Second­ly, let them consider to what manner of menne Saint Peter wrote, namelye, to poore and riche men, women and children, to al sortes, and to bee short, to as manie as woulde haue Faith and vertue, and so come to life and glo­rye, and therefore as well the poore ploughman, as the greate Clarke is commanded to increase his knowledge out of Gods booke: Thirdlye, they muche ouershoote them selues, when they woulde beare them in hande, that knowledge, whiche is the guider of vertue, shoulde bee the cause of vice: Naye, if wee wipe our eyes, and looke better to the matter, wee shall see, that there is a sloodde of ignoraunce, whiche hath almost ouer whelmed all, and in many whiche seeme to know ve­ry muche, if they were sounded to the [Page] bottome, there should be found in them grosse ignorance, and palpable darknes: and so in deede the true cause of al foule sinnes, which abound at this day among vs, and flowe euen as a swelling Sea, is the want of true knowledge. This igno­raunce hath taken such roote, that all they which haue made proofe, will con­fesse with mee, that our time is like the time of the prophete Esaie, 28. who ha­uing laboured himselfe as it were out of breathe in teaching, and seeing so smal profiting, beeing commaunded of the Lorde stil to go to his businesse, bur­steth foorth into these speeches: whom shall I teache knowledge? whome shall I make for to vnderstande? them that are wained from the milke, and drawne from the brestes? for precept must bee vppon precept, precept vppon precept, line vnto line, line vnto line, a litle here, and a litle there. And in an other place, hee saith, the woorde of the Lorde was like a sealed booke, if hee come to o [...]e, saying, Reade this I pray you, he make [...]h answere, I cannot reade, to another that [Page] can reade, hee answereth, I cannot, for it is sealed.

Furthermore, let these seely creatures learne of this place to bee ashamed of that, wherein they seeme after a sorte to glorie, when they vse to saye, as they thinke in defence of themselues, wee be without skil, wee haue no knowledge, wee bee poore honest men, wee haue no learning: it is as much as to say, we haue no faith, we haue no vertue, wee haue no godlinesse: for wee bee plainely taught heere that faith, vertue, and knowledge, must increase and growe vpp together. Let vs al print this lesson deepely in our mindes, that it may driue vs to make haste to come out of our ignorance, and to seeke apace after knowledge. Let vs take heede of flattering our selues as some other doe, whiche hauing gotten some skil, or at leaste thinke that they haue sette very light by the publike tea­ching of the word, they do excuse them sel [...]es after this sort, I thanke God, I am not of the ignorant sorte, nor of the meanest iudgement, I know somewhat, [Page] let them hunte after preaching that neede, it is very good for them, as for mee, I am sufficiently acquainted with the matter alreadie: this kinde of men are harde too deale withall, because they bee wise in their owne conceite, and not in the Lorde, for if they had once but euen a litle tasted of true knowledge, of the sweetnesse and power ther­of, they woulde neuer haue enough of the first sponeful, if they had an healthful stomacke, they could neuer be brought so soone to loath, & as it were to vomit vp againe, so wholesome sustenaunce. But let vs learne heere, that when our knowledge is growne to bee neuer so great, because we knowe but in part, and we know nothing as we ought to know, as Saynte Paule saith, euen then wee are to giue all diligence, to ioyne to our vertue, knowledge, vnlesse when wee haue begunne and proceeded so farre, wee minde to fal backe againe. This place doth plainly set foorth the woeful and miserable state of those whiche b [...]e without teaching, or haue it in so scanty [Page] a measure, that they come almost to no vnderstanding: they are meerie and thinke all is wel, and thinke themselues best, when they are least dealt withall, but iudge righteous iudgement, whiche the Lorde by his Apostle teacheth vs to iudge, and wee shall see, that their myrth is nothing els, but a madde laughter, euen in the middest of feareful and horrible destruction. Vnto know­ledge ioyne temperaunce, &c. Or continence, for so the worde whiche Saint Peter vseth, may be translated. But what doth he meane, hauing bidden vs to ioyne vertue, to faith; Againe as though he had forgotten himself, to ex­presse certaine seueral kindes of vertues, which he wil haue vs to ioyne to the former, when as indeed, the worde Vertue conteineth them al. We may not thinke but that hee is very wel aduised, and that he knoweth with whom he hath to doe, what babes and children wee are which must not haue meat set before vs in grosse to bee our owne Caruers, but it must bee mynced too our handes, [Page] wee must also bee fedde as it were by spoonfuls. For this cause he did not con­tent himselfe to exhort in general vnto vertue, but also to name and pointe vs out certaine chiefe branches, which wee must especially labour about, for vnlesse God shoulde deale with vs in this wise, so vaine are wee, that we should wander and roue, as it were in a wide fielde, and neuer come nigh the mark or at least in looking after some one vertue or other, forget and let goe, the chiefe and princi­pal. For wee see many that can rowle in their mouth the name of vertue and godlinesse, and nothing almost but ver­tue, vertue, as though they woulde per­suade men, that their garden did growe ful of such hearbes, but when wee come to this particuler examination, to looke for this vertue and that, in steed of these sweete hearbes, wee shall finde nothinge but stinking weedes. Heere is a great parte of our diligence and wisedome, therefore, that when wee studie for ver­tue and godlinesse, and when we cal vp­on the Lord for gifts, we search out eue­ry part, and branche, least wee be ouer­seene [Page] in some special pointe, and leaste while wee seeke to increase one vertue, another decay in vs, for that shal come to passe, if we cast not our eies diligently on euery side, and so oftentimes wee rather loose then gaine, rather go back­warde then forwarde. Out of the negli­gence in this point of doctrine, or for want of knowledge in it, men grow into securitie, & a very litle contenteth them, yea though it be but euen some shew of vertue, and slouthfully they shuffle of the matter: a thing greatly to be taken heed vnto. Because, out of al question, it is that which hath caused diuers forwarde men, in continuance of time as it were gathering rust, to become slacke: if wee haue desire therefore to continue, let vs learne to put this lesson in practise. But why doth he wil vs to ioyne temperance or continence with knowledge, it should seeme that he had no regarde of anie affinitie in matching these thinges together, for temperance is conuersant about pleasures and delightes: Yes verily, wee shal plainely see, that there is great cause for which he ioyneth eue, [Page] ry one of these vertues together. And first to beginne with this, ye are to note that cōtinencie is not conuersant alone, about the delights of the bodie, but al­so of the mind: so that in seeking know­ledge, which we must doe very eagerly, we are to take heede of these extreemes which are contrary to a continēt mind, eyther to bee so wauering, that euery puffe do driue vs frō the manifest truth, or els on the other side to be so stiffe, & so wilfully wedded to our owne iudge­ment, that wee wil stande in defence of that which we haue once liked, and not admit any reason to the contrarie: both these are contrary to a continent mind: and both of them enemies to true knowledge. Therefore we are warned heere in our diligent searche for knowledge, to take heede that when wee haue lear­ned the truth, wee continue stedfast and vnmoueable in it, not to bee tossed to and fro, as some vnstable mindes are, who when they haue beene taught the truthe, the least doubt that is raised a­gainst it, causeth them by & by to shake, [Page] & to feare whether they be in the righte way or no, also wee must take heede of that stiffenesse, which causeth some to speake when it were better for them too heare: & to be heard aloft, when a lower voyce might serue them better: far from the counsel of S. Iames who willeth vs to be swift to heare, and slow to speake. Let vs be sure our knowledge be wel groun­ded, before we setle our selues to conti­newe in it: least in steede of heaping vp golde, wee fil our chests with nothing but drosse. Also wee must beware, that wee bend our studie for the knowledge of these pointes which serue to increase godlines, and true edifying. For many seeke for knowledge, but their vayne braine, doth carie them to seeke after curious questions, and too let passe those thinges, which shoulde doe them most good: and this is a sore and grie­uous sicknesse in men, as the questions they commonly moue, doe shewe. Hee addeth, To temperance ioyne patience. This also may seeme to bee somewhat strange, but if wee looke well vnto it, [Page] we then shal perceiue the meaning more plainely: patience is not only requisite in those which haue receiued the profes­sion of the Gospel, to beare and indure al persecutions & afflictions, which of­tentimes are so raging, that (except wee haue our hartes wel staied, and seasoned with patience) wee shal be driuen to for­sake, and to forswere our knoweledge: but also it is very requisite to be wel ar­med and fenced with it, when we shal haue to do with those which are absurd and grosse, and therefore it is as a dag­ger to a mans hearte, to heare al their blockish reasons against the worde, to see howe senselesse they are, when the plaine truth is laide before them: Like­wise their spiteful raylinges, and fleeting mockes, which they will vse: their bolde abusing of Gods worde, their arrogant presumption, which causeth them to prattle very fast, euen they knowe not what: or eles wee shall be hurled hither and thither vpon rockes, and make ship­wracke of our mildenesse: and so marre and disgrace the good cause, which wee haue in hande. For wicked men will [Page] iudge al to proceed of rancour & anger, and ascribe all to choller, and so by this meanes there is procured some disho­nor to God: who should greatly be ho­nored if we could meekely (as the Apo­stle willeth) instruct those which are con­trarie minded, proouing if God at any time wil giue them repentance, to come out of the snare of the Diuel of whome they be holden captiue, to do his wil: & so to stop their mouthes, that they can­not be able to answere. The want of this vertue oftentimes bringeth greate in­conuenience, to the conference of bre­thren, which should bring togither (as it were into one heape) whatsoeuer euery one hath gleaned by himself, that so the one might supply the want of the other: but the impatience of some is such, that great inconuenience doth growe there­by. To conclude this matter, seing trou­bles are alotted vnto vs, & sufferings for the truth, & that we are subiect to so ma­ny reproches, railings, taunts, & mocks, at the hands of absurd & euil men: who soeuer looketh to walke in the way of knowledge, he must seeke to possesse his [Page] soule in patience. It folowith, with pati­ence godlines, &c. A man may demand what maner of order is here vsed, in wil­ling vs to ioyne godlines to patience, & then to godlines, brotherly kindnesse: is not godlines the whole or the general, & these brāches, are members of it? True it is that this worde is often vsed, gene­rally to comprehende al goodnesse, but in this place, it comprehendeth but the first table of the lawe, wherein wee are willed to bee deuout or zealous: a very necessarie caueat to beware that we doe not become so patient, that we forget to be zealous in the Lords quarrel: it is as if Saint Peter should haue said: I woulde not haue you so meeke, as to beare and put vp al, I woulde haue you withal to bee hotte in Gods quarrell, forget not that. For many vnder a colour of a meeke patience, doe couer the want of religion, for if God bee dishonored, his trueth defaced, his seruants slaundered, they can heare and see, and yet bee as meeke as a Lambe: but if themselues bee touched yee shal see them playe the Lions, and of luke warme to become [Page] fire hot, this therefore is no patience which wanteth godlinesse. Wee must learne then, both with patience, and meeknes, to deale in the Lords matters, & also with feruent zeale: least in steed of this excellent vertue of patience, which was commended vnto vs, there be no­thing but a prophane vngodlines & an irreligious mildnesse, in which at this day moe do offend, then through impa­tience: for these Athiests haue this as an excuse very readily. Are we not cōman­ded to be gentle and soft? Is it not our duetie to maintaine loue, and charitie with our neighbours? Indeede they bee great swearers, and somtime they vse to speake against gods worde, if they be a­wry, I think they shal answere for them­selues, if we should gainesay, or seeme to reprooue them, they woulde not take it wel, therefore I thinke good not to dis­quiet them. Heere is nowe wonderfull patience, these are verye godlye and charitable persons, yea euen a treache­rie towardes GOD and men. For is there any of them, which being slaun­dered with some foule crime, whereby [Page] they should receiue great iniurie, or bee spitefully rayled vppon, if some of their neere friendes sitte by and holde their tongues, when they know they be iniu­ried, that cannot by and by feele & say, this was cold friendship, that they could not haue dealt so vnlouingly towardes their friendes, by whome soeuer they should haue heard them so abused, they could not haue held their tongues? Thē belike God nor his truth are none of their deare friends, that they can put vp such iniurie done towards him. There is plentie of this patience in all places, but godlinesse cannot bee suffered to come neere, for he is a breake peace and a very vnpleasant felow, hee is ouer rough and precise, and ouer captious, there was good neighbourhood and friendshippe before he came, they could be merie to­gether, and bee in vnitie, without anye iarre: had it not bene better to vse gen­tlenesse and patience, then to haue this broyle? for there is nothing better then loue, and where that is not, there is no­thing good. O miserable daies! this is the good loue now amōg mē, that they [Page] cannot loue one another, but they must hate God, to haue peace and concorde with men to bee at ods with God, for mens sake, to put vp the dishonoring of his name, not to continue in patience, vnlesse godlinesse bee wanting. The vn­godly world, and lewde nature that is in men, taketh occasion to accuse godly zeale, vnder this pretence: and to finde fault with the preaching of the worde, because, say they, it setteth men at strife. But we must learne in this place to ioine godlinesse with our patience, for other­wise we shalbe found to be nothing els but irreligious and prophane dogges: although wee pretende loue neuer so­much. The time wil not suffer to handle the rest, which remaineth in this text. Let vs remember that which hath beene said, & giue all diligence to pursue these excellent vertues, that so wee may ap­proue our selues to be right Christians, and looke for the blessed hope promi­sed in Iesu Christ.

ANd with godlinesse brotherly kindnes, &c. Wee haue heard already, that with our faith must be ioyned vertue or godly deedes, which it cannot be with­out, if it be a true faith: with vertue wee are commaunded to ioyne knowledge, which may bee a guide thereunto, our knowledge must goe with temperance, with this must come patience, & there­vnto must be ioined godlines. There re­maine yet two branches of these special vertues, about which wee are to trauell: the first of these is brotherly loue or [Page] kindenesse, which must be yoked with godlines: as I said, that this godlines he speaketh of, is referred to the first table of the law, respecting God and his reli­gion, that wee bee sound and zelous in the same, and not as those which are for al times, and al religions, and therefore care not what bee saide against religion, beeing very belliegods and Atheists: so this is referred to the seconde table, she­wing what wee owe vnto men. This is very fitly, and necessarily added, for as there bee many, which regarding men onely, howe to please, and not to grieue or offende them, altogether forgetting their dutie towards the Lord God, and wholy shutting him out, as thogh their chief care should be of men, let pas god­lines: so there bee some that offend on the other side, which looking alwaies so high, as to haue respect to the Lord, and his trueth, to bee earnest and firie in that, ouerlooke men, forgetting the dueties which they owe vnto them: the holye Apostle meeteth with this mis­chief, and telleth vs that we must so loue God, that we also loue men: ioyne, saith [Page] hee, to your godlinesse, brotherly kind­nesse: for vnlesse this be ioyned, and goe with our zeale of Gods worde, it is no true godlinesse, although wee bee neuer so sounde in iudgement and seeme to be as hotte as Moyses or Elias, yea euen to be swallowed vp with burning zeale: for it doeth not proceede from Gods spirite, who doeth also worke the loue towardes men wheresoeuer hee goeth: but it doeth proceede of some corrupt cause, as of vaineglorie, or selfe loue, and such like, and deserueth not indeede tobee called godly deuotion, no more then the true faith can be without ver­tue, or deserueth to be called ought, saue a shadowe, or Image of faith, if it bee without good workes: but it is a bitter­nesse, which resembleth the true zeale, which doth euermore carrie with it, a loue, and care towardes men. True it is that to be zealous in spirite, is a singular and speciall gift of God, and they which be without it are but brutish, & senslesse creatures, not knowing God, nor howe precious his glory is: yet this must be lo­ [...]ed vnto in euerie one of vs, whether we [Page] beare a lo [...]ing affection toward our bre­thren or no: for if we loue God, we must needs loue men, which beare his Image. If we delight in the worde of God, this is one chiefe point of doctrine which is taught in it, that we be louing and kind vnto men. Therefore as Saint Paule 1. Cor. 13. sheweth, that very excellent giftes doe not profite without loue, so likewise in this place wee be taught, that if wee woulde seeme to bee godly, and haue not loue, it is nothing worth. Let euery man therefore lay this doctrine to his hearte: that hee must be earnest in the causes of the Lorde, zealous in re­ligion, preferring God and his truth, before all men, whosoeuer, and whatso­euer they be: but yet withal that he must looke downe vnto men, rendring vnto them their due also, this doing hee may beholde hee is in the right way. Vnto this brotherly loue wee bee charged to ioyne loue. It may bee heere deman­ded againe, what manner of speeche this is, which the Apostle doeth vse, for is not brotherly kindnesse or brotherly [Page] loue, as the word doth signifie, and loue al one; We must bee farre from thin­king Saint Peter to deale with so little heede, as to wil vs to ioyne the very same thing to the same: wee must therefore seeke a difference betweene these two. We may take this difference, either that the first of these doth expresse what wee owe towards the Godly, who be chiefly called the brethren, and the latter what we owe vnto all, both good and bad: or els the former, doth signifie the inwarde affection of loue, and the latter, the out­ward practise of the same: for the doc­trine in both these, is needful to be ope­ned. If we take then the former sense, we be willed to ioine with our loue towards the godly and faithful brethren (whom we ought chiefly, and more dearely to fauour,) a loue also which may reache euen ouer al, good and bad, friend and foe, This Saint Paule teacheth when he willeth vs to do good to all men, but e­specially to thē which are of the house­holde of faith. So that we must acknow­ledge our selues bounde, in some sort, euen to the wicked: according as our [Page] Sauiour doth teach, Math. 5. Blesse them which curse you, pray for them whiche hate and persecute you: and Saint Paul saith, Rom. 12. If thine enemie hunger, feede him: if he thirst, giue him drinke. Well then, although this bee very harde to mans nature, yet the Lorde doeth streightly require it at our hands: and so that if this bee wanting, wee doe but deceiue our selues. If we take it in the latter sense, the first worde to signifie the inward affection of loue, the other, the outward practise: then we haue heere a notable point to be obserued, not to o­uershoote our selues in our loue, in iud­ging it to be right, & sincere, when it is halting, and lame: for many when they heare, that we are so straightly charged, for to loue our neighbours, & that with out the same, there is nothing good in vs, or which God accepteth: looke no further but thus, whether they bear any grudge or euil wil in their mindes, & if they cā say I hurt no mā, nor I meane no hurt to any, they persuade thēselues that this is an excellent loue. And so a stone [Page] meaning no hurt may bee saide to loue: other somwhat wiser, do not only looke to that one thing, whether they beare euil will, but also whether they haue any kind of affection in them, and here they stay, when they shoulde goeyet this step further, to see that this kindnes in them, breaketh foorth into good and charita­ble deeds: for there may be some louing affection in a man, and yet bring foorth but slēder fruits, bicause there is a great slouth in nature, which hindreth men from putting their loue in vre, for loue is laboursome and paineful as Saint Paule setteth it forth 1. Thes. 1. when he saith, Your laboring loue. If then we wil loue the brethren, heere is the touchstone, by which we may proue our loue, that wee spare not for any labour or cost, nor yet waxe weery: because loue is not like one that is lazie & luskish, loytring at home within a mans brest, but steppeth abrod and is verie diligent: neither doeth it preferre euery light commodity & vaine pleasure, before the benefite of the bre­thren. Then by this it is manifest, how [Page] that al those which would seeme to bee godly, and yet haue cast away the care o­uer their brethren, at the least thus farre, that they wil neither trauel, nor be at a­ny charge, for other mens sake: whose wealth they shold procure, especially of the soule, for therein lieth the chiefe tri­al of loue: because it is a preposterous thing, to be very tender ouer the bodie, a rotten carkasse, and to pitie the miserie thereof so much, & in the meane while, not to care for that, that is more preci­ous, namely the soule, the relieuing and healing of which, shal be the happinesse of the whole man for euer. This I speake because wee see many, that wil bestowe somewhat vpon the reliefe of the bodi­ly miserie, which haue no pitie vpon mé, which wander in blindnes & ignorance, whose soules are famished & pined, for want of foode, full of deadly woundes and sores, which are not salued, bounde in the bands, and chaines of sinne, hol­den vnder captiuitie by Satan, euen rea­die to be swallowed vp, of the bottom­lesse gulfe of hell: the cause in deede is, [Page] that they haue not yet learned to pitie their owne soules, and therefore cannot pitie the soules of their brethren: for if they did know the spiritual miserie, they woulde neither spare night nor day in trauelling to haue it eased: wheras now contrariwise they can pull backe men, from godlinesse, and discourage them from seeking after saluation: they can laugh & sport themselues in their owne sinnes, and in the sinnes of their neigh­bours, as though there were no miserie therein, finally, being cruel murtherers of soules, would neuertheles, gladly be deemed charitable: But their bountifull almes, doth want seasoning. Let vs learn therefore to pitie, & to shewe kindnes to the bodily necessitie of men, and not to forget especially, & aboue al, to procure with al diligence, as much as lyeth in vs, the saluation of their soules: otherwise we can neuer be saide to ioyne loue, and godlinesse together.

In that which followeth in the foure nexte verses, there is shewed partly the great, and singular commodities, which [Page] wee shal reape, if wee bee garnished with these foresaide vertues: and partly the discommodities, which we shal finde, in the want of the same. And this S. Peter setteth forth, not staying in the bare de­claratiō of the vertues, which indeed of themselues, beeing so precious & excel­lent shoulde moue vs, but dealeth with vs, as with those which are lumpish, and dul, needing many spurres, to bee pric­ked forwarde withall, and all litle e­nough: let vs bee careful therefore to take heede to that hee saieth. If these things be with you, & abound, they will make, &c. In this 8. verse, hee beginneth to shew the commodities which shal re­dounde vnto vs, if wee so giue our dili­gence, that wee may bee richly decked with these graces: they wil make you, saith the Apostle, that yee shal not bee idle, nor vnfruiteful, in the acknowled­ging of our Lorde Iesus Christe. It is a shameful thing, when GOD hath shewed himselfe vnto vs in his Sonne, hath called vs into his seruice, out of miserable bondage, for vs to bee ydle, and vnfruiteful: If the Lorde haue [Page] planted vs, if he haue dressed vs, then, as it is also said by our sauiour Christ, Iohn 15. Herein is my father glorified, that ye goe and bring foorth much fruite. Then it is by this place very apparant, that a man may draw out a sure & an infal­lible argument, against all those whiche are idle, and slouthful in the profession of religion, and as they say key colde, or slack in the worship, & seruice of god, or vnfruitful in good workes: namely, that they are graceles, voide of faith & those vertues which doe euer accompany the same: for when Saint Peter saith, if these things bee with you, they wil make that ye shal not be idle, nor vnfruitful, it fo­loweth necessarily, that such as bee idle, which ariseth for want of zeale, or bee vnfruitful, continuing in their sinnes, it is, because they did neuer yet come to the true knowledge of Ch [...]ist; they may wel bost thēselues, of their strong faith, make a braue shewe of their skil, & sine wit, so that men might think there were some deepe thing in them, & that they shold be able euē to iudge, & giue aright verdit, in al matters: but a man reading [Page] but euen this place, finding them ydle, and vnfruitful, (yea euen a simple man) shal easily sounde them to the bottome, and say of them, that they haue not as yet knowne or learned Christe: because they want those former thinges. Wee must note this also, when hee saith, If these thinges abounde in you: this is, that wee should not content our selues, with a scant and bare measure of faith, of vertue, of knowledge, and of the rest, as he setteth them downe: but we must labour to haue a dayly increase, for that must bee gathered by this, that he pric­keth forwarde these ripe, and grounded men. A doctrine most necessary to be vrged, because if men haue gone two, or three steppes, or haue once a litle be­gunne, to labour about these thinges, so that they can looke backe, and see some come behinde them, or can say I thanke God, I knowe somewhat. I hope that I am not without faith, somewhat there is which I haue done, that I would be loth to doe againe: they by and by persuade themselues, that they are sufficiently furnished; so that they wil not sticke to say, [Page] I trust I haue that which shall serue the turne. Naye, the Apostle telleth vs an other thing heere from the Lord, & that is, that we must ouerflow in these, and a­bounde: and truth it is, that these men which thinke they bee well fraught, and so seeke for no further increase of store, haue as yet nothing, for if they had once founde the sweete of these thinges, and seene withall that they are farre behind, and in beggerly need, they would neuer content themselues with so little: for who is hee, which feeleth increase in worldlye treasure, that wil crie hoe, and say, I haue enough? Is there lesse in the heauenly treasures to drawe men to like them, than in the earthy? Or is it because men doe not knowe them? Wee must learne to take heede of such there­fore, as woulde beare men in hande, that it is sufficient, yea, that it is the best of al, for men to content thēselues with some ciuil honestie, and not to seeke and wee­rie their mindes to gaine knowledge. But these were neuer as yet the men, which might bee right called the schol­lers of Christe, much lesse wee are to [Page] deeme them worthie masters, or tea­chers of others, when they goe flat con­trary to the holy Apostle of Christe, who willeth to seek for so great abundance: when as they would contēt themselues and persuade others to bee contented, with scant a shadowe of these thinges, which shoulde bee so plentifully founde in them: Notwithstanding some are so blinde, that hauing no shadow or shewe at al of goodnesse, yet thinke they bee gone farre enough. In the next verse where hee saith, Hee that hath not these thinges, is blinde, and seeth not a farre of, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his olde sinnes: hee setteth forth the discommodities which follow the want of these vertues. And this hee doth, because some man wil be litle mooued to heare that commoditie which hee spake of, and wil say, what care I though I bee idle? What care I though I bee vnfruitful? I will not goe about to be better thē other men, what should I labour to excel those which are wiser then I; If then they wil not regard this, that these vertues wil make them [Page] excellent seruants of God, yet let them consider what the Apostle maketh them without the same, where hee affirmeth them first to bee blinde, (a very misera­ble thing in the bodily sight, muche more in the spirituall, which hee here meaneth:) when God hath so cleerely reuealed himself in the face of his sonne, in the knowledge which bringeth sal­uation, that the God of this worlde, as Saint Paule speaketh. 2. Cor. 4. should so blinde their minds, that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christe, which is the image of God, shoulde not shine vnto them. Secondly he saith, they cannot see a farre of, or that they be poreblinde, for such as haue the beames of sight scatte­ring or spreading a sunder, so soone as they be out of the eye, cā see wel enough iust by them, but not a farre of, to these S. Peter doth compare those men. But it may be asked what he meaneth: first to say they be starke blinde, & afterward to attribute some sight vnto them. It may seeme by this worde, that hee ma­keth their cause not so euil, as before he had saide it was: yes euen as euill, for he [Page] saith as much in this worde, as he did in the other: for when he saith, They can­not see a farre of, hee taketh from them al sight of heauenly thinges, which are remoued from vs, & seene only by faith: hee doeth not denie them the sight of those things which are at hand, because they haue a good and a sharpe sight in the thinges of this worlde, for the most part, better then they which can see a far of. But what are these quicke wits the better, whē they are but for this world, and their condition no better then that of the poore beast, (yea muche worse) when we respect the misery in the world to come? Let not this therfore cause thē to set vp their bristles, that they can see so wel and pearcingly at hande, (that is, in earthly thinges) when as they are as blinde as beetles in things a far of, that is to say, in heauenly things. Heere wee must seeke to haue eyes giuen vs of god, with which wee may bee able to see be­yonde this worlde: for before such time as the Lorde hath giuen vs some glim­mering of heauenly things, wee shal ne­uer couet to obteine them. And this is [Page] the cause that these poreblinde men ne­uer passe greatly to know the Gospel of Christe. Thirdly he saith, they haue for­gottē that they were purged from their olde sinnes: as hee said they were blind, so nowe he saith, they are forgetful: and this forgetfulnesse is so much the more shameful, as it is in a chiefe & principal point of true religion. But where shall wee find the man, which if he be exami­ned will confesse that he hath forgotten this point? It seemeth none doe forget it, because the very wicked will seeme to set al vpon this score, that their sins are purged, and that maketh them sinne so franckly. But if we vnderstande the Apo­stle wel, we shall finde very many whiche haue forgotten this point. Now here we must first note that our sinnes are said to bee purged, when there is satisfaction made for them by redemption in the blood of Christe.

Secondly that they are said to be pur­ged by grace of sanctification, when by the power of Gods spirite, sinne, or all sinfull affections are suppressed and kil­led in vs: so then there is a purging in re­demption, [Page] and there is also a purging by sanctification: Nowe if they haue not forgotten so much, but that they can prattle of the purging of their sins, by redemption, yet they haue forgotten this, that they were redeemed to the ende they shoulde no longer serue sinne but purge away the olde leauen: But beeing without those former graces, he sayeth they haue forgotten this, not meaning thereby that they had euer learned it, for if they had, yet at the least they had not wel learned it: wee may see by this howe many there bee, which are starke blinde, and haue forgotten that Christians are called to liue in righ­teousnesse and holinesse of life. If we looke vpon the small number of those which haue a care to seeke after the Lord, and howe small a parte of them doe come (I will not saye to abounde,) but to haue a competent measure of those forenamed vertues. Let vs come al­wayes to this true measure, and not bee deceiued neither in our selues, nor in o­ther. Let vs bee ashamed if we be carnal, to take vppon vs the name of the true [Page] professours: let vs denie vnto them the honorable name of Christiās, which are but filthie swine, and prophane dogges, as our Sauiour Christe calleth them: to conclude this matter, none are allowed to bee true receiuers of the Gospel, but such as ioyne vertue with their faith, & with vertue knowledge, and so tempe­rance, patience, godlinesse, brotherly kindenes, and loue, and such as also doe seeke to abound in them: the rest which care not for these, or contēt themselues with the bare shewe of them, although they would seeme to be worshippers of God, and deuout persons, yet they are by this doctrine of the Lord wholy shut foorth, vntill they haue learned a newe lesson. Remember that this is the doc­trine of God, and not of man. Remem­ber that we must stand and dwell vppon it, not for a day, or two, while wee haue hearde it, but all our life long to bring it to the practise, it is plaine and cleere, none can be excused if they know it not and so through simplicitie stand vppon the common faith, thinking to shroude themselues wel vnder the shadow of the [Page] multitude: but when God hath warned them, who wil pitie them, when they wil not be warned; if this were not told vs, and that by God him selfe, wee might thinke, as men doe commonly, that a ve­ry little doth content the Lord, that no great things are required at the handes of Christians, and other such foolish, and vaine opinions, as to say, they must hope wel when God telleth them, there is no hope, vnlesse they walke this way, also that it is not good to bee ouer precise, when as in goodnes a man cannot pro­ceede too far, nor offer too muche obe­dience to the Lorde. To make an ende, let none of al these thinges blinde vs, because they blinde some, which stande in reputation of their owne wisdome.

JT hath beene tolde vnto you already, vppon the verses which goe next be­fore, howe that Saint Peter regarding how dull wee are and backward in god­linesse, contented not himselfe with his exhortation which he maketh, but setteth downe what we shall gaine if we follow his aduise, and also what hurt we shall sustaine by the contrary: and this hath partly been handeled in the two o­ther verses, & partly in these two which wee haue now in hand: where indeed he doth propounde so great a commodity which we shal gaine, if wee giue all dili­gence [Page] to pursue the former things, as is almost incomparable: euen this, that we shal come to the assurance, that wee are called & chosen of God: a thing so ne­cessary for vs to knowe, that without it, there is no right faith, no frank and wil­ling obedience, no sounde ioy. For al­though without this, men seeme to be­leeue, yet is it but a wauering fantasie, to do many good things, yet they proceed but from a seruile minde, to laugh & re­ioyce, yet is it but in a desperate madnes which in very deed is greatly to be won­dered at, howe men shoulde bee able to sport themselues, & yet to speak in their cōsciences after this maner, there is hel, and eternal flames of vengeance prepa­red for sinners, and I am not sure whe­ther I shal escape or not: this desperate and brutish securitie shalbe apparant to bee the more mad, if wee compare it, and set it foorth by an outward compa­rison. Let it bee thus, a man is taken in a robberie or murther, imprisoned, brought before the Iudge, and com­demned, by sute of friendes repriued vntil suche time as they maye sue for [Page] to get him a pardon: in the meane time some of his acquaintance come to this murtherer, and will him to be of good cheere, & merie, he wil answere, vnlesse he be some mad and desperate ruffian, I am condemned to the Gallowes, the Iudge hath pronounced the sentence of death vpon mee, I know not how harde a thing it wil bee to obteine a pardon, I stand in great doubt, and for this cause I cannot bee merie, vnlesse I myghte know for certaintie that I should escape, if I did once know that, I coulde bee as mery as any man that liueth, before that tyme I may seeme to laughe, but my hearte is full of feare and sorrowe. And is it not thus with vs all, are wee not all of vs giltie, and alreadie condemned by the sentence of the highest Iudge; not to some torment of one day, or shorte continuance, but to the fire that shal ne­uer be quenched? When men can be merie therefore and laugh euen in those things which cause this destruction, and yet doe feele that they are not sure to escape this dreadfull vengeance, is it not a mad mirth and a desperate laughter, [Page] in which if they were not become verye sensles blockes, they shoulde feele many gripings at the hart, which would marre al their myrth, yea a worme that gnaw­eth in suche wise, that they can haue no quiet rest, nor as I said before no sound ioy. If we were not therfore more then desperate and mad fooles, the thought of hel would dampe al our mirth vntyl such time as we be sure that we haue escaped it. This then which the Apostle saith heere is a princely commoditie, that walking the way which he hath prescri­bed, we shall come to the assurance, that wee are the called and chosen of the Lord. But it may be demanded how this can agree with other sayings in the holy scriptures, which doe plainly teach that God choseth whom he will of his owne free grace, for which S. Paule alleadgeth out of Moses, that God will haue mercy on whomsoeuer he wil haue mercy, and whom he wil he hardeneth: adding ther upō that it is neither of him that willeth nor yet of him that runneth, but of god which sheweth mercy: againe the doc­trine of Popery is, that God doth make [Page] choise, cōditionally respecting the good deeds which he did foresee in thē: & so the election shold depend vpon the wor­thines of the mē: we are to answere that this place hath nothing in it whiche is contrary to that free choise which God maketh without respect of any thinge that is in vs, for he could finde nothing in vs that might any way moue him, nei­ther doth it serue at al for to proue that election is conditional: because S. Peter doth not handle in this place, wherevp­on election is founded, or what moued god to make choise, nor to shew wherin the certaintie & stablenesse of election doth stand: but his meaning is, to teach vs how we shal attaine to this incompa­rable treasure, to bee out of doubt, and surely resolued in our selues, not by fan­tasied opinions, but by sure & substātial proofe, that we be chosen of God, and therfore cannot perish. If we respect the vnchangeable counsel of God, therein doth rest alone the sure foundation of e­lection, because God which cannot bee deceiued, nor cannot repent, or change, hath made the choise, therefore those [Page] whom he hath chosen, can neuer perisht but if we regard the way and meanes, by which we may come to know this fauor of God to be toward vs, the Lord by his apostle telleth vs, that this is the way, euen to giue al diligence & study, to be richly decked with his graces, or those forena­med vertues, for by these wee shall vn­doubtedly know, because if we haue thē, if they abound in vs, if we walk in them, we shal, as he saith, neuer fal. Let vs learn therefore first this, that election in it self resteth vpon the vnchangeable purpose & counsel of God. Then secōdly that we are not to fetch the certentie of it in our selues, from som reuelation, neither are we to clime vp into heauen, to search in the counsels of god, whether our names be in the book of life. But we are to fetch our warrant from within our selues, and that from the fruits of the spirite, which indeed although it be out of our selues, yet because it is not of our selues, is cer­tain & infallible. If ye wil vnderstād this more plainely, first I say, it is out of our selues, or from within our selues because wee must take the triall, whether those [Page] thinges bee in vs, which are giuen to al those whome God doeth choose, then I say it is not of our selues, for if it were, it should be altogether vncertaine. But of the seale of God wherwith he hath sea­led vs, which is the spirite of sanctificati­on: now mark wel I pray you, If you do, (saith S. Peter) these thinges, you shal ne­uer fal: and why, is it because our doings are so perfect and sure, or that we are so constant of our selues; no not so, but by these vertues we know that we are sealed with Gods spirite, whose woorke wee feele in vs: wee know also that as many as are led by the spirite of God are the sonnes of God. Rom. 8. From hence it commeth, that looke howe muche more a man feeleth in him selfe the in­crease of knowledge, the increase of ver­tues and heauenly desires, so muche more sure hee is, that hee is the childe of God, and as the one increaseth, so increaseth also the other. Contrariwise when a man feeleth within him selfe an euil conscience, feeleth that he is darke­ned in his vnderstanding, ledde by the lustes of sinne: hee shall in spite of his [Page] teeth within himselfe, sing this dolefull song, I knowe not whether I shal bee sa­ued or not: and looke howe the other may say I knowe I shal be saued, because God hath sealed me with his spirite: so may this say, I am sure to bee damned continuing in this case, because I haue not faith, but onely a wauering and doubtfull opinion. We may see by this how beneficial they are, and merciful to their owne soules, which with al their power day & night giue vp themselues to seek after the knowledge and obedi­ence of the Lords wil: for not giuing o­uer, nor waxing wearie, they shal in con­tinuance of time, if they ply it hard, find such a blessing from the Lord, in the in­crease of faith and vertue, that wil cause them to say, we haue not lost our labor. On the other side wee may see howe vn­kinde and cruel they are to themselues, which through idlenes, & slouth, in see­king after God, with their daily and con­tinual sinnes, doe euen as it were cut the throte of their faith, seeing they cannot haue truste in him, whome they doe so much disobey. This place is as a mightie [Page] engine to ouerthrow the vanitie of sun­drie opinions which doe reigne in men. As first of al in those whiche crie out a­gainst this doctrine, as a thing which wil make men carelesse and idle in the ser­uice of God, and stoppe the course of good woorkes, I beseech you marke how wel these great wise men haue pro­fited in Gods schoole, see howe they a­gree with the holy Apostle, he saith wee are to giue al our studie and diligence in good woorkes to come to the sure and vndoubted knowledge, that we be cho­sen vnto life: they say quite contrary, if ye wil haue men careful of wel doing, away with the doctrine of election, for it will marre al: thus the wisedome of fleshe doth proudly lift vp it selfe euen against God (but howe foolishly, a very child may see:) Doeth that thing which wee cannot come to the knowledge of, with­out exceeding care of godlinesse, abun­dance of vertue, and plentie of all good woorkes, destroy in men the studie and care of good workes? But proud fleshe is worthily blind. Some other, although not thus bruitishly blinded, yet greatly [Page] ouerseene, when they thinke on this do­ctrine, which is set vp vnto vs as the mark for vs to aime at in al our doings, and the trial whether we haue done wel or not: I meane the trial in this respecte, and when a man hath done many good deedes, hee shal know he hath not done them wel, if hee yet doubt, whether hee bee one of Gods chosen, for howsoeuer hee passeth it ouer, yet his conscience (which doth in some sort know, that he hath not dealt but for vaine glory, or some other sinister respect) wil not suffer him to haue this faith: For God doth not woorke so darkely by his spirite in men, but that they may learne to knowe whether it bee of him, if they woulde make a due triall: because wee must not rest in the outwarde doeing of good thinges, but in the right doing. Let him therefore whiche giueth him selfe to doe good woorkes, (and yet fee­leth not this, which Saint Peter saith, we shal) suspect that his doinges are misha­pen, and be careful to fashion them after the rules of the worde. A thirde sort [Page] of men there be, which with might and maine wil defende this doctrine, that men ought to be sure of saluation, that wee cannot more honour God, then to giue ful credite to his promises, and be­cause the plaine testimonie of the scrip­ture compelleth them, they affirme it constantly, and condemne the contrary as a foule errour, that God hath chosen men, and men come to feele & to know this: And therefore because it is a true doctrine, they say also that they them­selues are sure, that God hath chosen them, but when they take not the way to become sure, which S. Peter here hath set downe, but goe in a contrary path, & are spotted with filthie crimes, wee may boldly say, they be lyers: for although they bragge with their tongues of that that they should bee, yet there is a byrde in their brest, which doth sing in a cōtra­ry note, and telleth them plainely what they bee. Another kinde of men there bee, which in no case can be persuaded, that any man may bee sure of his salua­tion, and therfore with scoffs they aske [Page] of them which professe the word, when God tolde them so? If it were a thing whiche were not to bee, or coulde not be knowne, then the Apostle hath great­ly ouershot himselfe, in telling vs howe wee shal come to bee sure. But aske a question of them, whether they do not beleeue in God, euery one wil answere, I put al my whole trust in him: reason then a little further and tel thē, that the Scripture which cannot lye, saith, That al which trust in God shalbe saued: how then wil they ioyne these together, that they truste in GOD, and yet doubt whether they shal bee saued; Can God deceiue; or say they, they know not what; Vndoubtedly if they did know that they haue trust, they shoulde also knowe they cannot perish. But let vs learne by this the miserie of our time: in which men doe stil thinke this doctrine to be straunge. Nowe let vs come to the particuler application of this doc­trine, in which euery one must come home to himselfe, remembring first, that suche as God hath called home to him­selfe, [Page] and chosen to be his children, hee doth also giue vnto them true faith and feeling that they bee his elect: and such as perceiue no suche thinge in them­selues: are in a very miserable case, and as yet we may say forlorne creatures: ther­fore euerye man in him selfe must aske this question, of his owne soule, howe goeth the matter with thee? Art thou sure GOD hath chosen thee; Doest thou feele any assurance of eternal life? The conscience wil answere vprightlie if wee be not negligent to make inquirie: then if wee finde this within. I am not sure, for I doubt and stagger: wee must inquire without selues thus, what is the cause, God is faithfull which hath promised eternal life vnto all which be­leeue: our heart wil make answere, thou regardest not the feare of God, thou art ful of foule sinnes, euill lustes doe reigne in thee, thou doest not studie for the knowledge of Gods word, thou art vnfruiful and barren in good woorkes, therfore thon canst not say, I am led by the spirite of God, and therefore sure I [Page] shalbe saued: if hee bee wise hee will not stay heere, as the maner of fooles is, saying I am not sure indeede, neither do I thinke any man can bee, I commit it to God, let him doe with mee what he will: these speeches may seeme to haue some wit and godlinesse in them, but they are in deede diuelish and mad, because God hath taught vs a contrary lesson in this place: but goe this steppe further, may I come to this assurance? & which is the way? The Lorde doth an­swere by his Apostle, thou maiest come to this assurance, and pointeth him out the way: euen that which you haue hard, wherein hee must painefully trauel and goe forwarde, not for a gird or a braide, and waxe idle againe, but still labour, for these men had gone a great way and yet they are willed to proceede still, if the Lorde giue not this assurance, wee are to labour so much the more, and to bee so much the more importunate, to sus­pect our iudgement, and to seeke for knowledge, to call our selues to a more straite account, to set a watch ouer our affections too see with what mynde [Page] wee doe things, to foster no sin willing­ly in vs, nor to bee slacke to any good worke which God hath appointed, to cal and cry vnto God for faith, and his spirite to guide vs, to vse the meanes di­ligently which God hath appointed, as the hearing, searching, & meditating in the word: thus in time (for it is wrought in men by degrees, & they neuer come to the ful) God will let them see that he is their God. That neither life nor death, height or depth, thinges present or things to come, Angels, Principali­ties, nor powers, nor any creature shall separate vs from his loue in Christe. It followeth in the next verse, For by this meanes an entring shalbe ministred vn­to you abundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lorde Iesus Christe. This is a confirmation of the last clause of the former sentence, where he saith, If you doe these thinges, you shal neuer fall: and why? because you shal haue a great entrance into the eternal kingdome of Christ: as that is a confirmation of the other, where he saith, Make your calling and election sure, as the reason foloweth [Page] there, Ye shall come to bee sure: howe? because he which proceedeth so far that he knoweth he shal neuer fal away from God to destruction, hee is, (as it must needes bee,) sure also that hee is chosen: for hee speaketh not here of euery parti­culer fal into sinne, which is the moste godly: but saith Saint Peter, I tell you if you doe these things, yee shal neuer fall, not because there is any such stablenes in our selues, or in our own workes, but wee know they bee the fruites of Gods spirite in vs, which is his seale, set vppon none but those whom he doth mark vp to life eternal, & he is vnchangeable: so it foloweth here, ye shal not fal, for they that haue a rich entrance into the king­dome of Christe, which is euerlasting, so that Christe doth reigne in them, as hee doth in all the faithful by his spirite, can not fal, vntil the power of Christe faile, and his kingdome come to an end. For we must note, that the force of the rea­son, resteth in the difference which is be­tweene the kingdome of Christ and the kingdomes of this worlde: in which though they bee neuer so mightie, & ful [Page] of policie and wisedome, yet they should come to and ende: and therefore a man cannot rightly say vnto the subiects, you haue a mightie Prince, who is bounti­full and gracious, your peace therefore and happie estate shall endure for euer: naye, the mightie may bee ouercome, if not by men, at leastwise by death, and so they may be to day in peace and good estate, to morowe al in an vprore, to day vnder a louing and gracious Prince, to morowe vnder a fierce tyrant: so vncer­taine is the state of the kingdom of this worlde: but in the kingdome of Christe, whose power is aboue al, and can neuer come to an ende, but is as he saith here, eternal, it is farre otherwise, because his state is vnchangeable, so is theirs that be once entred thereinto, and therefore are sure they can neuer fal. Whosoeuer doth but euē streightly looke ouer these words of the apostle, if he haue any sight at al, he must needes confesse al this, the matter is so cleere, that we can but mar­uel how it should come to passe that this doctrine of the Lord, set foorth by his a­postle, should finde so few friendes, and [Page] so many extreeme enemies: but indeed men which are lyers, doe in this thing confes the truth, that they feele not any such matter, & therfore cannot abide to heare that al true godly men, & faithfull Christiās haue this knowledge in them­selues: but let vs giue eare to the Apostle, who telleth vs how we shal com to haue Christe to be our king, & to reigne ouer vs, namely if we yeld vp our selues to the gouernance of his spirit, which worketh al goodnes in our hearts, subduing and vāquishing al the rebels which we beare about in vs. Cōtrariwise it must needs be graunted, the such as are beastly Epicures, folowing their own fleshly mind, letting lose the raines, & giuing the swing vnto the raging lustes of the fleshe, despising the knowledge of Gods wil, & therefore regard not his worde: though with full mouth they cal Christ their king & their lord: yet when god saith here by his apo­stle, that the entrance into his kingdom is by this means, that mē folow after vertue, knowledge and godlines: they shew that they be none of his subiects, being altogether void of his spirit, but the bōd [Page] slaues of sin and Satan, whose kingdome they vphold, with tooth & naile: & that maketh them, euen as those which are of another Corporatiō to fight against the truth, & those which professe it: deuising al the colours & shifts they can to main­taine sin, inuenting al the slanders that may be to discredite the godly conuer­sation of such as folow the way here pre­scribed: condemning them as ouer pre­cise & curious, if they do but looke this way which God willeth al his seruantes to walk: if God doe open their eyes, to see but euē in a glimmering, that whiche he doth teach in this place, they woulde be ashamed of their master and blush at that, which now they boaste & brag of: they would also confesse that like blinde buzzards and madde beasts, they haue fought against God, & not men: finally it would make them change their waies, and seeke diligently to haue the witnes within themselues, that they bee the ser­uants of God. We must marke wel one other thing which is here spoken, to wit that he saith an entrāce shalbe ministred vnto you, abundantly or richly: as if hee [Page] should say, when ye haue labored & tra­uelled, to bee as it were wel soked & sea­soned in godlines, & plentifully decked with al graces & gifts of the spirit, ye shal by degrees proceede so far, and gaine so much, that your entrance into the king­dom of Christ shalbe very great: where­vpon it doth folow, that they shalbe past danger, & may wel warrant themselues, of sure stāding in asmuch as Christ hath not onely begun to reigne in them, and to bee their king, but also in great mea­sure and mightily. But doth he not adde this one worde more then needeth; Is it not enough to haue an entrance, vnlesse wee haue a riche entrance into his king­dome; doth Christ once begin to reigne in a man, and to driue out the power of Satan, and afterward cast him of againe to destruction; I answere that this word is not added in vaine, for wee be taught thereby to take heede that wee content not our selues with some litle taste and smal entrance: for his purpose is to make a difference betweene suche on the one part as make some beginning, and haue some good desires & motions in them, [Page] and do taste of the good word of God, and are in some sort lightned, but ouer­come with sinful lustes, & vaine delights of the flesh, they slide back againe soden­ly, they were but for a brunt, it bringeth foorth no ripe fruite in them, neither to speake properly, did Christe euer reigne in them: and such on the other part as proceede vnto the deepe rooting out of sinne, & sure and fast planting the truth in their heartes, going forwarde dayly from grace to grace, and from strength to strength, vntil Christe haue set vp his throne in them, and beare sway, to the ouerthrow of the power of darknes, and bereuing the Diuel of the interest hee had, and thrusting him from the posses­sion which hee helde: a doctrine which must needes doe vs much good if wee bleeue it: and very needefull to be vr­ged instantly, considering the nature & disposition of men at this day: they are afraide of going too farre in vertue and knowledge, they count it a needlesse thing to bee admonished or taught di­ligentlie, they take great scorne to bee counted such as may bee amended, yea [Page] and that which is more, when as they haue not learned the first pointe of a Christian scholler, they will seeme per­fect: so farre are they from hauing this abundant entring into the kingome of Christe.

Learne heere therefore, dearely belo­ued, and learne it wel, lay sure hold ther­of that it do not slip from you, for God teacheth vs heere the onely way to life and happines: let go the vaine dreames & doltish opinions of people sotted in their ignorance, which are so far blinded by the malice of Satan, that which way soeuer they goe, still they are in hope of eternal glory, as though the way to hea­uen were so brode that a man could not goe out of it, and the entrance so easie, that he may enter when he wil: for this is the diuinitie of our time: howsoeuer a man spend his time in ignorance, not caring for, nor seeking after the true knowledge of god, howsoeuer he be de­filed with foule & beastly sinnes, that in deed there be nothing in him but pride, self loue, vaine glory, enuie, gluttony, the lustes of adulterie, and such like, yea, so [Page] farre, that the scripture doeth liken him to a swine or a dogge: yet if as they say, hee haue God in his minde, and can say, Lorde haue mercy vpon mee, they thinke this is all that can bee requi­red of men, they wil not sticke to ac­quite al suche: beeing nothing at al ac­quainted with that, which God telleth in this place by his Apostle, howe farre men must proceede in his feare before they can wel warrant themselues to bee in good case. For ye may as wel ioyne heauen and hell together, fire and water wil assoone agree, light and darkenesse, are as like one another, as the common faith is to that whiche wee are taught in this place. But I wil returne to applie this doctrine to the godly, for whom it is written: howe they may, as wee vse to say, make this thing dead sure: for there is many a godly man, which after long trauel, and muche care to please God, is yet so matched with stubborn nature so deepely infected and poysoned with sinne, that he is compelled, although he haue gained muche and doeth feele the power of Gods spirit in him, sometimes [Page] to bee in doubt, and to thinke his labor but lost, because hee cannot get so great a victorie as he would faine: let not this man be dismaied, but let him goe for­ward, remembring what is here promi­sed: the more hee wanteth, the more let him striue, and hee shal plainly perceiue, that God regardeth his care and trauel, considereth his sighes and grones, and wil perfourme all his desires: let him re­member that these men whome S. Peter wrote vnto, had obteined the precious faith, did knowe and were established in the present truth, & yet they were not so far but that they may bee moued to make their election sure, to seeke a further en­trance into the kingdom of Christ: & so to continue that which was but begun. We ought the more to be moued here­vnto, because the worlde is euer full of fearful examples, which if they were wel considered, wold make a mans haire to stand vpright, when hee shal see that for want of this doctrine, or at the least the not practising of it, ther be many which seeme not only to haue had some good liking of the truth, but also a great zeale, [Page] euen to suffer some what for the same, which are become euen as cold as yse, & scarce any point of god lines left in thē: yea though they would beare mē in hād that they haue, like good schollers pro­ceeded to the highest fourme, yet when our great master shal pose them, they shal not be alowed to sit in the lowest: so dangerous a thing it is once to relent or slacken our care, vntil wee haue gotten this ful assurance, and made this rich en­trance into the kingdom of Christ, that wee feele our selues to be led by the spi­rit of God, and feele it, not by any vaine conceit of our owne foolish braine, nor by sensles securitie, but by the working and fruits of the same spirit. If this were wel weighed, men woulde not content themselues with so litle, or nothing: they woulde not make so light account of teaching: they would leaue of their slan­derous and reprochful raylinges: they would not like filthie swine wallow thē ­selues stil in the filthie mire of their sins: they would not prattle so much of this, that al are sinners, and therefore thinke al are alike, shuffeling together one with [Page] another: nay God wil sunder them, for he hath taught here who bee godly and faithful, such as he taketh and accepteth for his children: and who bee vn godly Infidels, children of the diuel, and heires of hel. For in very deede, though al bee sinners, yet they greatly differ, for some continue in their sinnes, seducing & de­ceiuing themselues with vaine hope of Gods mercy: some do repent after the maner here prescribed thē, which stan­deth in this, that they clense themselues more and more from al filthines of the fleshe, and growe in al vertues and gra­ces, vntil they be decked in their soules, with heauenly ornaments, and haue yel­ded vp them selues too haue Christe raigne in them. As for the commō repen­tance, to crie only with words for mer­cy, in some light measure to be greeued, to feare the iudgementes of God, and yet the soule within nothing changed, nor the spirite renued, nor Christe raig­ning in the heart: it doth but deceiue all which trust to it. Most true it is, that what time soeuer a sinner doth repent, hee is forgiuen: but this is as like to that repentance, [Page] which is here by S, Peter descri­bed, as we say, an Apple is to an Oyster: forif wee looke wel vnto them both, we shal finde them to agree in very fewe thinges, and those euen the least. Let vs I say once again fasten our steppes in this way, let vs goe forward, and not so much as loke back, vntil such time as we haue by our owne experience, proued that to bee true which is taught by Saint Peter. For it is not enough to beleeue that this is true (although that be somwhat) vnles wee trie it to bee so by our selues. Hee is now a stark foole which seeth this to be the only way to happines, and for slouth wil not walke in it: as though the king­dom of heauen were not worth the tra­uelling for. We may gather also in this place, if wee bee not sensles▪ howe great enemies they be to the saluatiō of men: which would vtterly debar them of the worde, that is appointed to bee the in­strument by which god worketh al these good things in his seruants: for with­out the (as it may be easily gathered here) we cā do nothing. It doth also appeare, that those are in a miserable case, whose [Page] office and duetie is, not onlie to shewe men some part of Gods will, but to bring them thus far as S. Peter doth re­quire, if they be not wel furnished, and haue walked first this way themselues: for how shal they bring other men, to that, which themselues haue not, nor knowe not; It doeth appeare also that God hath shewed a sore iudgement a­gainst that people, whiche haue suche a guide as cannot shewe them this way: which is the onely way to heauen: for doubtlesse it is more then if he shoulde thunder vpon them from heauen, or fire their houses ouer their heads: especially when they are so blind, that they see not the plague, but thinke themselues in better case then those whome God doth o­uer rule by his word. But woe, & woe a­gaine be to those blinde guides, & shep­heards, which doe not feed: & wretched is that people which are as sheepe with, out a shepheard. For how shall they euer heare of these things; We can but pitie their misery, and desire the Lord to send redresse, in so lamentable and desperate a case: which is thought to be nothing. [Page] because indeed the most men know no­thing: for had they but knowne what god requireth in that man whom he wil saue, though they were not partakers of it themselues, yet they would consent & agree to the doctrine: and confesse that there is no way to attain eternal life, but by so sound teaching as may bring peo­ple to the things here required. But I wil here make an end.

O Lorde graunt, that this doctrine which thou hast taught vs in this thy holy word, may enter into vs, & dwel in vs for euer: that so we may be sure of thy fauour and of eternal life, through Iesus Christe thy deare sonne our Lorde and only sauiour.

Amen.