Again, Put on the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge and image of Him that made him. John iii. Eph. iv. Col. iii. What is to deny ourselves? Plainly to profess that all our labours and works profit nothing unto salvation; to slay the old Adam, with all his lusts and affections. What is it to forsake all that we have for Christ's sake? To esteem all that we have not to be ours, for his sake, and willingly, if need so require, for the profession of his name, to depart from wife, children, parents, friends, country, house, lands, and all things else that we do or may enjoy; yea, and to put ourselves in danger of all peril for the name of Christ, and profession of the gospel. He that loveth father or mother more than me, saith Christ, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross and followeth me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. Again, If a man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple, Matt. x. Luke xiv. What is the cross that we must take upon us? Any sorrow or pain that belongeth to any vocation or manner of life, for the trial and proof of our faith and patience. Also it is the correction, chastening, rod, and staff, of the Lord; wherewith he punishes those whom he loveth, not to their damnation or utter casting away from his favour, but to salvation; and to teach us to flee unto him in our trouble and adversity, as children to our most dear and loving Father. What is the temple of the Holy Ghost? An honest, godly, and faithful Christian heart, in which God is rightly worshipped in spirit and truth; wherein are offered spiritual sacrifices of praise, innocency, thanksgiving, of a humble and contrite heart, whose chief corner-stone is Christ. Know ye not, saith St. Paul, that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. Peter also saith, Ye, as living stones are made a spiritual house, and holy priesthood, for to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. John iv. 1 Cor. iii. 1 Peter ii. St. What is the kingdom of heaven? The kingdom of heaven is diversely taken in the Scriptures. First, for the holy gospel and word of God, because that is the sceptre and iron rod whereby God ruleth, reigneth, and dwelleth in the hearts of the faithful. Of this kingdom Christ speaks in the gospel on this wise, I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; that is to say, I will commit unto thee the office to preach the gospel of salvation, which openeth and unlocketh unto men the way and door by the which they may be saved, and enter into the kingdom of heaven. Also, the kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of meal till it was all leavened. Matt. xiii. xvi. Secondly; the kingdom of heaven is taken for faith itself; as St. Paul saith, The kingdom of heaven is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Romans xiv. Thirdly; the kingdom of heaven is expounded to be the whole congregation of the faithful abiding in this life, in whom the Lord, by his word and Spirit, doth invisibly dwell and reign. Of this kingdom speaketh Christ in the gospel, in this manner, The kingdom of heaven is like to ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were wise and five were foolish. Matthew xxv. Fourthly; the kingdom of heaven is taken for the joy, felicity, and pleasure, which the souls of the believers enjoy, when they are departed out of this world; and their bodies also joined with their souls at the day of judgment, shall enjoy, even in that place which Christ hath prepared for them to possess; where they shall be comforted with the sight of his Majesty and Godhead, and with the fruition of his perpetual felicity with him. Of this kingdom Christ speaks in the gospel, When ye shall see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you to be driven out of the doors. Luke xiii. Fifthly; the kingdom of heaven is wheresoever God's word is preached; from which kingdom they only are excluded, who believe not the word, according to the saying of Christ, He that is of God, heareth the words of God; but ye hear not, because ye are not of God. Again, My sheep hear my voice. Also, Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. John viii. x. xviii. What meanest thou by a land that floweth with milk and honey? Pleasant abundance of all things, both sweet and profitable. By the honey is understood sweetness, joy, gladness, and pleasure; by the milk, pure nourishment, whereby we still continue, grow, and increase in faith and godliness unto the measure of Christ. When shall we enter upon and enjoy this kingdom, this promised land that floweth with milk and honey? The church militant in this world, governed by the spirit of its most mighty, valiant, victorious, and triumphant Captain, Christ, already enjoys after a certain manner, in spirit, through faith, this kingdom and blessed land; as it is written, He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life; he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth upon him. But when they are joined together both body and soul with the rest of the faithful congregation, which are departed out of this world in the faith of Christ, to make one whole triumphant congregation; when they have by the power of Christ conquered the malignant church of the devil, which shall be at the last day of judgment, which we do daily look for now in these latter times; then shall they truly and perfectly enjoy and possess all the joys and pleasures of that most joyful and pleasant land, whereof David speaks in this manner, I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. Now we see in a glass, saith the apostle, even in a dark speaking; but then shall we see face to face. And as St. John saith, It doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. The eye hath not seen, and the ear hath not heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. And all these things shall the elect congregation of God enjoy and possess, immediately after these latter times wherein we now live. John iii. Psalm xxvii. 1 Cor. xiii. 1 John iii. 1 Cor. ii. BETWEEN GOD'S WORD AND MAN'S INVENTION, WHEREIN THOU SHALT SEE LIVELY DESCRIBED AND PLAIN- US; AND CONTRARIWISE, WHAT HORRIBLE UNTO SUCH AS RECEIVE AND BELIEVE THEM; NEWLY BY THOMAS BECON. A. D. 1563. What have chaff and wheat to do together, saith the Lord? Is not my word like a fire, saith the Lord, and like a hammer that breaketh the hard stone ?-Jeremiah xxii. Ye shall put nothing to the word which I command you, neither do ought therefrom, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.-Deut. iv. Whatsoever I command you, that take heed ye do only unto the Lord; put thou nought thereto, nor take ought therefrom.-Deut. xii. Take heed and do all that is written in the book of the law of the Lord, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left, but stick fast unto the Lord your God.-Joshua xxiii. All the words of God are pure and clean, for he is a shield unto all them that put their trust in him. Put thou nothing unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.-Prov. xxx. I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book; if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall minish of the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, &c.-Rev. xxii. With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of the Saviour: and then shall ye say, Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, declare his counsels among the people, keep them in remembrance, for his name is excellent.-Isaiah xii. Be astonished, O ye heavens, be afraid and abashed at such a thing, saith the Lord. For my people have done two evils; they have forsaken me, the well of the water of life, and have digged them pits, yea, vile and broken pits, that can hold no water.-Jeremiah ii. To his loving friend, Master Paul Johnson, Thomas Becon wisheth health in Christ. CHRIST and all his apostles, many years since, prophesied that in the latter age of this old, crooked, brokenbacked and sinful world, there should arise false Christs and false prophets. That is to say, false anointed and false preachers, which earnestly with all diligence, through the wisdom of the flesh, should teach new Christs and new Saviours; work great signs and wonderful miracles; so greatly that if it were possible, the very elect and chosen people of God should be brought into error; like grievous wolves not spare the flock; speak perverse things; lead away the disciples after them; bring in privily, pernicious and damnable sects, denying the Lord that bought them; blaspheme the way of truth, and in all points resist the verity of God's word as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses. And verily, though this ungodliness and wicked abomination began in Christ's time, and in the days of the apostles, yea, and long before, (for in what age hath falsehood ceased to resist the verity and to obscure it,) as we may evidently perceive in the books of Holy Scripture; yet when the bishop of Rome began to leave the office of a shepherd, and became a wolf, rather ready to devour than to feed; to kill and slay, than to help and relieve; to be a lord rather than a minister, and a persecutor than a preacher, it was most chiefly exercised and put in practice. For although before the time of Christ and of his apostles, and in their days also, the verity was resisted of the adversaries thereof, yet were there at that time true prophets, faithful apostles, and godly preachers, who always defended the truth, and preserved it without harm from the ravening teeth of those most cruel wolves. But when the fierce tyranny of that Romish bishop began to spring, to flourish, and to have the overhand, and had driven Christ out of his temple, that is, out of the hearts of the faithful who only are the temple of God; as St. Paul saith, The temple of God is holy, which ye are; and the pope became Christ's vicar, reigning in his stead, banishing God's holy word, and bringing in his own devilish laws, decrees, and traditions; then began the mouths of the preachers to be stopped, then was the light of the gospel obscured, then was all |