Seven godly and learned sermons preachedSeuen godly and learned sermons preached

Let us consider if there were a whole Christian nation brought in captivity under the Turk, in thraldom and subjection unto him, in such sort that they should never hear the Scriptures, never receive the Sacraments, never come to the church to pray, but always be where God should be despised, and his name dishonoured: consider I say with your selves, in what misery, in what wretchedness, in what great thraldom should they be. With what conscience should they be able to abide this? But if it would then please God to deliver them standing in this state, if it would please God to restore unto them his Scriptures, if it would please God that they might receive again his holy Sacraments, and might come and pray together: if God would thus much do for them, O what joy, ⟨image 28⟩what triumph, what mirth would they make! Let us therefore here consider the estate of Gods Church before the time of the Prophet David, & as it was in his time. Before the Reign of David, the Tabernacle of God was broken,¹ the Ark lost, the Scriptures taken from them, the Priests slain: God made them no answer by Prophet, Angel, nor by dream: every man ran whither himself best liked, without any fear of God, or dread of his Law: so had Saul that wicked King, miserably tossed and turmoiled the same. But it pleased God, by the hands of King David his Prophet, to restore again his Church so overthrown, to her former estate and condition: it pleased God by him to make up the Tabernacle again,² to find out the Ark that before was lost, to set up all other things in good stay and order: and this was as much, as if he had called them from death unto life, from bondage to freedom, from Hell to Heaven. Therefore when all these things were thus restored again by the might and power of God, this ⟨image 29⟩prophet David comforted his heart,³ and said; Haec est dies quā fecit Dominus, laetemur & exultemus in ea: This is a joyful day which the Lord hath made, let us rejoice & be glad therein. And so likewise in another place;⁴