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FRUITFUL EXHORTATION

TO THE

Reading and Knowledge of holy Scripture.

UNTO

NTO a Chriftian man there can be nothing either The praife more neceffary or profitable, than the knowledge of holy of holy Scripture, forafmuch as in it is contained God's Scripture. true word, fetting forth his glory, and alfo man's duty. And there is no truth nor doctrine neceffary for our jufti-The perfecfication and everlafting falvation, but that is, or may be,tion of holy drawn out of that fountain and well of truth. Therefore The knowScripture. as many as be defirous to enter into the right and perfect ledge of howay unto God, muft apply their minds to know holyly Scripture Scripture; without the which, they can neither fufficient-is neccfiary. ly know God and his will, neither their office and duty. And as drink is pleasant to them that be dry, and meat To whom to them that be hungry; fo is the reading, hearing, the knowledge of hofearching, and ftudying of holy Scripture, to them that ly Scripture be defirous to know God, or themfelves, and to do his is fweet and will. And their ftomachs only do loathe and abhor thepleafant. heavenly knowledge and food of God's word, that be fo enemies to drowned in worldly vanities, that they neither favour holy ScripGod, nor any godlinefs: for that is the caufe why they ture. defire fuch vanities, rather than the true knowledge of God. As they that are fick of an ague, whatsoever they An apt fieat and drink, though it be never fo pleasant, yet it is militude, bitter to them as wormwood; not for the bitterness of whom the declaring of the meat, but for the corrupt and bitter humour that is Scripture is in their own tongue and mouth: even fo is the sweetness abhorred. of God's word bitter, not of itself, but only unto them that have their minds corrupted with long cuftom of fin and love of this world. Therefore forfaking the corrupt judgment of fleshly men, which care not but for their

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An exhor- carcafe; let us reverently hear and read holy Scripture, tation unto which is the food of the foul. Let us diligently fearch for the well of life in the books of the New and Old Teffearching of tament, and not run to the ftinking puddles of men's trathe holy ditions, devifed by men's imagination, for our juftification Scripture and falvation. For in holy Scripture is fully contained The holy what we ought to do, and what to efchew, what to beScripture is lieve, what to love, and what to look for at God's hands doctrine for at length. In thefe books we fhall find the Father from our falva- whom, the Son by whom, and the Holy Ghoft in tion. whom, all things have their being and keeping up; and thefe three perfons to be but one God, and one fubftance. In thefe books we may learn to know ourselves, how vile things we and miferable we be, and alfo to know God, how good he may learn is of himself, and how he maketh us and all creatures parin the holy takers of his goodnefs. We may learn alfo in thefe books to know God's will and pleafure, as much as, for this prefent time, is convenient for us to know. And, as the great clerk and godly preacher, St. John Chryfoftom, faith, whatfoever is required to the falvation of man, is fully contained in the Scripture of God. He that is ignorant may there learn and have knowledge. He that is hard-hearted, and an obftinate finner, fhall there find everlafting torments, prepared of God's juftice, to make him afraid, and to mollify or foften him. He that is oppreffed with mifery in this world fhall there find relief in the promifes of everlafting life, to his great confolation and comfort. He that is wounded by the Devil unto death fhall find there medicine whereby he may be reftored again unto health; if it fhall require to teach any truth, or reprove any falfe doctrine, to rebuke any vice, to coinmend any virtue, to give good counfel, to comfort or exhort, or to do any other thing requifite for our falvation, all thofe things, faith St. Chryfoftom, we may learn plentifully of the Scripture. There is, faith Fulgentius, abundantly enough, both for men to eat, and children to fuck. There is whatsoever is meet for all ages, Holy Scrip and for all degrees and forts of men. Thefe books thereftereth fuffi- fore ought to be much in our hands, in our eyes, in our cient doc- ears, in our mouths, but most of all in our hearts. For trine for all the Scripture of God is the heavenly meat of our fouls; the hearing and keeping of it maketh us bleffed, fanctifieth us, and maketh us holy; it turneth our fouls, it is a light lantern to our feet; it is a fure, ftedfaft, and everPalin xix. lafting inftrument of falvation; it giveth wifdom to the humble and lowly hearts; it comforteth, maketh glad,

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ages. Matt. iv. Luke iii.

John xvii.

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cheereth, and cherisheth our confcience: it is a more ex- What comcellent jewel or treasure than any gold or precious stone; and profits it is more sweet than honey or honey-comb; it is called the knowthe best part, which Mary did choofe, for it hath in it ledge of everlating comfort. The words of holy Scripture be holy Scripcalled words of everlasting life: for they be God's inftru- re bringment, ordained for the fame purpose. They have power Luke x. to turn through God's promife, and they be effectual through God's affiftance, and (being received in a faithful heart) they have ever an heavenly fpiritual working in John vi. them: they are lively, quick, and mighty in operation, and harper than any two-edged fword, and enter through, Heb. iv. even to the dividing afunder of the foul and the Spirit, of the joints and the marrow. Chrift calleth him a wife builder, Matt. vii. that buildeth upon his word, upon his fure and fubftantial foundation. By this word of God we fhall be judged for the word that I fpeak, faith Chrift, is it, that John xii. fall judge in the laft day. He that keepeth the word of Chrift, is promifed the love and favour of God, and that he fhall be the dwelling-place or temple of the blessed John xiv, Trinity. This word whofoever is diligent to read, and in his heart to print that he readeth, the great affection to the tranfitory things of this world thall be minished in him, and the great defire of heavenly things (that be therein promifed of God) fhall increafe in him. And there is nothing that fo much ftrengtheneth our faith and truft in God, that fo much keepeth up innocency and purenefs of the heart, and also of outward godly life and converfation, as continual reading and recording of God's word. For that thing, which (by continual ufe of reading of holy Scripture, and diligent fearching of the fame) is deeply printed and graven in the heart, at length turneth almoft into nature. And moreover, the effect and virtue of God's word is to illuminate the ignorant, and to give more light unto them that faithfully and diligently read it, to comfort their hearts, and to encourage them to perform that, which of God is commanded. It teach- 1 Kings xiv. eth patience in all adverfity, in profperity humbleness; what honour is due unto God, what mercy and charity Cor. xv. to our neighbour. It giveth good counfel in all doubtful i John v. things. It fheweth of whom we fhall look for aid and help in all perils, and that God is the only giver of victory in all battles and temptations of our enemies, bodily and ghoftly. And in reading of God's word, he not al- Who profit ways moft profiteth that is moft ready in turning of the moft in book, or in faying of it without the book; but he that reading

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is moft turned into it, that is moft infpired with the Holy Ghost, most in his heart and life altered and changed into that thing which he readeth; he that is daily lefs and lefs proud, lefs wrathful, lefs covetous, and lefs defirous of worldly and vain pleafures; he that daily (forfaking his old vicious life) increafeth in virtue more and more. And, to be fhort, there is nothing that more maintaineth godlinefs of the mind, and driveth away ungodlinefs, than doth the continual reading or hearing of God's word, if it be joined with a godly mind, and a good affection to know and follow God's will. For without a fingle eye, What dif- pure intent, and good mind, nothing is allowed for good commodi- before God. And, on the other fide, nothing more darkties the igeneth Chrift and the glory of God, nor bringeth in more God's word blindness and all kinds of vices, than doth the ignorance bringeth. of God's word.

Ifa. v.

Matt. xxii. J Cor. xiv.

norance of

The Second Part of the Sermon of the Knowledge of

IN

holy Scripture.

N the firft part of this Sermon, which exhorteth to the knowledge of holy Scripture, was declared wherefore the knowledge of the fame is neceffary and profitable to all men, and that by the true knowledge and underftanding of Scripture, the most neceffary points of our duty towards God and our neighbours are alfo known. Now as concerning the fame matter you fhall hear what followeth. If we profefs Chrift, why be we not afshamed to be ignorant in his doctrine? feeing that every man is athamed to be ignorant in that learning which he profeffeth. That man is afhamed to be called a philofopher which readeth not the books of philofophy, and to be called a lawyer, an aftronomer, or phyfician, that is ignorant in the books of law, aftronomy, and phyfic. How can any man then fay that he profefleth Chrift and his religion, if he will not apply himfelf (as far forth as he can or may conveniently) to read and hear, and fo to know God's word the books of Chrift's Gofpel and doctrine? Although excelleth other fciences be good, and to be learned, yet no man can deny but this is the chief, and paffeth all other incomparably. What excufe fhall we therefore make, at the last day before Chrift, that delight to read or hear men's fantafics and inventions, more than his moft holy Gospel and will find no time to do that which chiefly,

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word.

above all things, we fhould do, and will rather read other things than that, for the which we ought rather to leave reading of all other things. Let us therefore apply ourfelves, as far forth as we can have time and leifure, to know God's word, by diligent hearing and reading thereof, as many as profefs God, and have faith and truft in him. But they that have no good affection to God's Vain exword, (to colour this their fault) allege commonly two fuading vain and feigned excufes. Some go about to excufe them from the by their own frailnefs and fearfulnefs, faying, that they knowledge dare not read holy Scripture, left through their ignorance of God's they fhould fall into any error. Others pretend that the The first. difficulty to underftand it and the hardnefs thereof is fo The fecond, great, that it is meet to be read only of clerks and learned men. As touching the first: Ignorance of God's word is the caufe of all error, as Chrift himself affirmed to the Sadducees, faying, that they erred, because they Matt. xxii. knew not the Scripture. How fhould they then efchew error, that will be ftill ignorant? And how fhould they come out of ignorance, that will not read nor hear that thing which fhould give them knowledge? He that now hath moft knowledge, was at the firft ignorant; yet he forbare not to read, for fear he fhould fall into error: but he diligently read, left he should remain in ignorance, and through ignorance in error. And if you will not know the truth of God, (a thing moft neceflary for you) left you fall into error; by the fame reafon you may then lie ftill, and never go, left, if you go, you fall into the mire; nor eat any good meat, left you take a furfeit; nor fow your corn, nor labour in your occupation, nor use your merchandize, for fear you lofe your feed, your labour, your ftock, and fo by that reafon it fhould be beft for you to live idly, and never to take in hand to do any manner of good thing, left peradventure fome evil thing may chance thereof. And if you be afraid to fall into error by reading of holy Scripture, I fhall fhew you how you may read without danger of error. Read it humbly with a meek How moft and lowly heart, to the intent you may glorify God, and commodinot yourself, with the knowledge of it: and read it not without all without daily praying to God, that he would direct your peril the reading to good effect; and take upon you to expound it holy Scrip no further than you can plainly understand it. For, as read. St. Auguftin faith, the knowledge of holy Scripture is a great, large, and a high place; but the door is very low, fo that the high and arrogant man cannot run in; but he muft ftoop low, and humble himfelf, that fhall enter into

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