A04480:38
Seven godly and learned sermons preachedSeuen godly and learned sermons preached
Seven godly and learned sermons preached by the Reverend Father in God John Ivel, late bishop of Salisbury. Never before imprintedSeuen godly and learned sermons preached by the Reuerend Father in God Iohn Iuel, late bishop of Salisburie. Neuer before imprinted
London : Impensis G. Bishop, 1607
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
And now therefore, when David perceived that this grace of god, this mercy, this blessing of his was not given in ⟨image 23⟩vain, was not frustrate & void, he caused all the people to say, Let the people praise thee O God, let all the people praise thee. This is a short sentence, but such a sentence it is, as shall endure and continue for ever. This is our profession, this is our baptism, this is our religion. It is not sufficient to know the gospel, to know God, to know Christ, but we must confess the gospel, we must confess God, we must confess & acknowledge Christ. The gospel that Christ left us, is not a song to delight our ears, it is not an harmony to content & please our hearing, but it is a squire to direct our lives by, it is a rule to frame all our doings by. S. Paul saith,1 To this end hath the grace of God, that bringeth salvation, appeared unto us, that we should deny ungodliness & worldly lusts: and that we should live discreetly, righteously, and godly, in this world. Therefore hath God given us h•• gospel, therefore hath he given us his word, that we should according thereunto live a sober, a discreet, and modest life, saith he. And in another place: That we by the same gospel may ⟨image 24⟩serve and please him in newness of life. And so Zechariah that holy Father, being filled with the holy ghost,2 said: that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him all the days of our life, in such holiness and righteousness, as is accepted before him. For like as our profession is, so should our lives be. If we profess the name of Christ, we should live like christians: if we profess God, we should live as becometh the servants of God.3 Saint John saith, For this purpose appeared the Son of God, to loose the works of the devil: to this end, that all sin and wickedness should be left and forsaken. By this are the children of God known from the children of the devil. S. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans saith, before God they are not righteous which hear the law, but they that do the law shall be justified. God reckoneth no man just for hearing of the law, he accounteth no man righteous for knowing of his gospel, but for the keeping of his law, for the observing of his gospel; though no man indeed be able throughly