If tyrants of the earth, and such as delight in the shedding of blood, should be persuaded that this sentence is true, they would not so furiously come to their own destruction; for what man can be so enraged, that he would willingly do even before the eyes of G.o.d that which might provoke his Majesty to anger, yea, provoke him to become his enemy for ever, if he understood how fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of the living G.o.d?
The cause then of this blind fury of the world is the ignorance of G.o.d, and that men think that G.o.d is but an idol; and that there is no knowledge above, that beholds their tyranny; nor yet justice that will, nor power that can, repress their impiety. But the Spirit of truth witnesses the contrary, affirming, that as the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and as his ears are ready to receive their sobbing and prayers, so is his visage angry against such as work iniquity; he hateth and holdeth in abomination every deceitful and blood-thirsty man, whereof he has given sufficient doc.u.ment from age to age, in preserving the one, or at least in avenging their cause, and in punishing the other.
Where it is said, "That the Lord will come from his place, and that he will visit the iniquity of the inhabitants of the earth upon them, and that the earth shall disclose her blood;" we have to consider, what most commonly has been, and what shall be, the condition of the church of G.o.d, namely, that it is not only hated, mocked, and despised, but that it is exposed as a prey unto the fury of the wicked; so that the blood of the children of G.o.d is spilt like unto water upon the face of the earth.
The understanding whereof, albeit it is unpleasant to the flesh, yet to us it is most profitable, lest that we, seeing the cruel treatment of G.o.d"s servants, begin to forsake the spouse of Jesus Christ, because she is not so dealt with in this unthankful world, as the just and upright dealings of G.o.d"s children do deserve. But contrariwise, for mercy they receive cruelty, for doing good to many, of all the reprobate they receive evil; and this is decreed in G.o.d"s eternal council, that the members may follow the trace of the Head; to the end that G.o.d in his just judgment should finally condemn the wicked. For how should he punish the inhabitants of the earth, if their iniquity deserve it not? How should the earth disclose our blood, if it should not be unjustly spilt? We must then commit ourselves into the hands of our G.o.d, and lay down our necks; yea, and patiently suffer our blood to be shed, that the righteous Judge may require account, as most a.s.suredly he will, of all the blood that hath been shed, from the blood of Abel the just, till the day that the earth shall disclose the same. I say, every one that sheds, or consents to shed the blood of G.o.d"s children, shall be guilty of the whole; so that all the blood of G.o.d"s children shall cry vengeance, not only in general, but also in particular, upon every one that has shed the blood of any that unjustly suffered.
And if any think it strange, that such as live this day can be guilty of the blood that was shed in the days of the apostles, let them consider, that the Verity itself p.r.o.nounced, That all the blood that was shed from the days of Abel, unto the days of Zacharias, should come upon the unthankful generation that heard his doctrine and refused it. (Matt.
xxiii.)
The reason is evident; for as there are two heads and captains that rule over the whole world, namely, Jesus Christ, the Prince of justice and peace, and satan, called the prince of the world; so there are but two armies that have continued battle from the beginning, and shall fight unto the end. The quarrel which the army of Jesus Christ sustains, and which the reprobate persecute, is the same, namely, The eternal truth of the eternal G.o.d, and the image of Jesus Christ printed in his elect-so that whosoever in any age persecutes any one member of Jesus Christ for his truth"s sake, subscribes, as it were with his hand, to the persecution of all that have pa.s.sed before him.
And this ought the tyrants of this age deeply to consider; for they shall be guilty, not only of the blood shed by themselves, but of all, as is said, that has been shed for the cause of Jesus Christ from the beginning of the world.
Let the faithful not be discouraged, although they be appointed as sheep to the slaughter-house; for He, for whose sake they suffer, shall not forget to avenge their cause. I am not ignorant that flesh and blood will think that kind of support too late; for we had rather be preserved still alive, than have our blood avenged after our death. And truly, if our felicity stood in this life, or if temporal death should bring unto us any damage, our desire in that behalf were not to be disallowed or condemned: but seeing that death is common to all, and that this temporal life is nothing but misery, and that death fully joins us with our G.o.d, and gives unto us the possession of our inheritance, why should we think it strange to leave this world and go to our Head and sovereign Captain, Jesus Christ?
Lastly, We have to observe this manner of speaking, where the prophet saith, that "the earth shall disclose her blood:" in which words the prophet would accuse the cruelty of those that dare so unmercifully and violently force, from the b.r.e.a.s.t.s of the earth, the dearest children of G.o.d, and cruelly cut their throats in her bosom, who is by G.o.d appointed the common mother of mankind, so that she unwillingly is compelled to open her mouth and receive their blood.
If such tyranny were used against any woman, as violently to pull her infant from her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, cut the throat of it in her own bosom, and compel her to receive the blood of her dear child in her own mouth, all nations would hold the act so abominable, that the like had never been done in the course of nature. No less wickedness commit they that shed the blood of G.o.d"s children upon the face of their common mother, the earth, as I said before. But be of good courage, O little and despised flock of Christ Jesus! for He that seeth your grief, hath power to revenge it; he will not suffer one tear of yours to fall, but it shall be kept and reserved in his bottle, till the fulness thereof be poured down from heaven, upon those that caused you to weep and mourn. This your merciful G.o.d, I say, will not suffer your blood for ever to be covered with the earth; nay, the flaming fires that have licked up the blood of any of our brethren; the earth that has been defiled with it, I say, with the blood of G.o.d"s children; for otherwise, to shed the blood of the cruel blood-shedders, is to purge the land from blood, and as it were to sanctify it: the earth, I say, shall purge herself of it, and show it before the face of G.o.d; yea, the beasts, fowls, and other creatures whatsoever, shall be compelled to render that which they have received, be it flesh, blood, or bones, that appertained to thy children, O Lord! which altogether thou shalt glorify, according to thy promise, made to us in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, thy well-beloved Son; to whom, with thee, and the Holy Ghost, be honour, praise, and glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Let us now humble ourselves in the presence of our G.o.d, and from the bottom of our hearts let us desire him to a.s.sist us with the power of his Holy Spirit; that albeit, for our former negligence, G.o.d gives us over into the hands of others than such as rule in his fear; that yet he let us not forget his mercy, and the glorious name that hath been proclaimed amongst us; but that we may look through the dolorous storm of his present displeasure, and see as well what punishment he has appointed for the cruel tyrants, as what reward he has laid in store for such as continue in his fear to the end. That it would further please him to a.s.sist, that albeit we see his church so diminished, that it appears to be brought, as it were, to utter extermination, we may be a.s.sured, that in our G.o.d there is great power and will, to increase the number of his chosen, until they are enlarged to the uttermost parts of the earth. Give us, O Lord! hearts to visit thee in time of affliction; and albeit we see no end of our dolours, yet our faith and hope may conduct us to the a.s.sured hope of that joyful resurrection, in which we shall possess the fruit of that for which we now labour. In the mean time, grant unto us, O Lord! to repose ourselves in the sanctuary of thy promise, that in thee we may find comfort, till this thy great indignation, begun amongst us, may pa.s.s over, and thou thyself appear to the comfort of thine afflicted, and to the terror of thine and our enemies.
_Let us pray with heart and mouth,_
Almighty G.o.d, and merciful Father, &c. Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit; for the terrible roaring of guns,(12) and the noise of armour, do so pierce my heart, that my soul thirsteth to depart.
_The last day of August, 1565, at four of the clock in the afternoon, written indigestedly, but yet truly so far as memory would serve, of those things that in public I spake on Sunday, August 19; for which I was discharged_(_13_)_ to preach for a time._
Be merciful to thy flock, O Lord! and at thy good pleasure put an end to my misery.
JOHN KNOX.
"IT IS I, BE NOT AFRAID."
EXTRACTED FROM KNOX"S ADMONITION TO ENGLAND.
"Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good comfort, it is I, be not afraid." The natural man that cannot understand the power of G.o.d, would have desired some other present comfort in so great a danger; as, either to have had the heavens opened, to show unto them such light in that darkness, that Christ might have been fully known by his own face; or else, that the winds and raging waves of the seas suddenly should have ceased; or some other miracle which had been subject to all their senses, whereby they might have perfectly known that they were delivered from all danger. And truly, it had been the same to Christ Jesus to have done any of these, or any greater work, as to have said, "It is I, be not afraid:"
but willing to teach us the dignity and effectual power of his most holy word, he uses no other instrument to pacify the great and horrible fear of his disciples but his comfortable word, and lively voice. And this is not done only at one time, but whensoever his church is in such a strait and perplexity, that nothing appears but extreme calamity, desolation, and ruin; then the first comfort that ever it receives, is by the means of his word and promise; as may appear in the troubles and temptations of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and Paul.
To Abraham was given no other defence, after he had discomfited four kings, whose posterity and lineage, no doubt, he, being a stranger, greatly feared, but only this promise of G.o.d made to him by his holy word, "Fear not, Abraham, I am thy buckler;" that is, thy protection and defence.
The same we find of Isaac, who flying from the place of his accustomed habitation, compelled thereto by hunger, got no other comfort nor conduct but this promise only, "I will be with thee."
In all the journeys and temptations of Jacob the same is to be espied; as when he fled from his father"s house for fear of his brother Esau; when he returned from Laban; and when he feared the inhabitants of the region of the Canaanites and Perizzites for the slaughter of the Shechemites committed by his sons; he received no other defence, but only G.o.d"s word and promise.
And this is most evident in Moses, and in the afflicted church under him when Moses himself was in such despair, that he was bold to chide with G.o.d, saying, "Why hast thou sent me? For since that time I have come to Pharaoh, to speak in thy name, he hath oppressed this people; neither yet hast thou delivered thy people."
This same expostulation of Moses declares how sorely he was tempted; yea, and what opinion he had conceived of G.o.d; that is, That G.o.d was either impotent, and could not deliver his people from such a tyrant"s hand; or else, That he was mutable, and unjust in his promises. And this same, and sorer temptations, a.s.saulted the people; for in anguish of heart, they both refused G.o.d and Moses. And what means did G.o.d use to comfort them in that great extremity? Did he straightway suddenly kill Pharaoh, the great tyrant?-No. Did he send them a legion of angels to defend and deliver them?-No such thing: but he only recites and beats into their ears his former promises to them, which oftentimes they had before: and yet the rehearsal of the same wrought so mightily in the heart of Moses, that not only was bitterness and despair removed away, but also he was inflamed with such boldness, that without fear he went in again to the presence of the king, after he had been threatened and repulsed by him.
This I write, beloved in the Lord, since you know the word of G.o.d not only to be that whereby heaven and earth were created, but also to be the power of G.o.d to salvation to all that believe, the bright lantern to the feet of those who by nature walk in darkness, the life to those that by sin are dead, a comfort to such as are in tribulation, the tower of defence to such as are most feeble, the wisdom and great felicity of such as delight in the same. And, to be short, you know G.o.d"s word to be of such efficacy and strength, that thereby sin is purged, death vanquished, tyrants suppressed; and, finally, the devil, the author of all mischief, overthrown and confounded. This, I say, I write, that you, knowing this of the holy word, and most blessed gospel and voice of G.o.d, which once you have heard, I trust to your comfort, may now, in this hour of darkness, and most raging tempest, thirst and pray, that you may hear yet once again this amiable voice of our Saviour Christ, "Be of good comfort, it is I, fear not." And also, that you may receive some consolation from that blessed gospel which before you have professed, a.s.suredly knowing, that G.o.d shall be no less merciful unto you, than he has been to others afflicted for his name"s sake before you; and albeit G.o.d speedily removes not this horrible darkness, neither suddenly pacifies this tempest, yet shall he not suffer his tossed ship to be drowned.
FOOTNOTES
1 The Editor may here state, what cannot be unknown to many of his readers, that there are some of the sermons of our early Divines, which, from various circ.u.mstances, are not, as entire discourses, available for a publication like the present. From such, however, as also from works which do not come under the appellation of Pulpit discourses, striking and useful pa.s.sages will be given from time to time, when they can be inserted without interfering with those complete discourses which will form the body of this work.
2 The Sermon is founded on the whole Chapter, which was the lesson for the day, in the Church of England service.
3 Universal faith.
4 It should be observed that other commentators have taken other views of the meaning of this parable.
5 Greatest or entire hinderance.
6 Opposing.
7 Combined.
8 Covered over, weighed down.
9 Manage.
10 Alluding to the political troubles of that day.
11 Cried out against it.
12 The cattle of Edinburgh was shooting against the exiled for Christ Jesus" sake.
13 Forbidden.