Seven godly and learned sermons preachedSeuen godly and learned sermons preached

Almighty God our heavenly Father, like as he is both good, & also merciful, like as he is patient, and of long sufferance: So he useth two manner of ways to allure and call us unto him, when we of our own heads follow our own devises, and lewdly run whither our lusts leadeth us: Sometimes of his great mercy he useth promises; sometimes of his justice he useth threatening. He promiseth to us for our well ⟨image 52⟩doing, his favour and grace, for keeping his commandments eternal bliss. He threateneth us for evil living, with plagues and punishments, and for breaking of his Law, eternal death. Thus he of his mercy sometimes useth promises, and threateneth again of his rigour and justice. He promiseth to comfort, aid, and succour us, if we come unto him: and he threateneth to strike the terror of death into us, if we turn from him. And so almighty God most mercifully used his promises unto Abraham. Ego sum protector tuus & merces tua, I am (said he) thy defender and thy reward: ¹Ego benedicam benedicentibus tibi, & maledicam maledicentibus tibi, I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee. So ample, so large. so great a promise made God unto him. And thus almighty God when he would deliver his elect people the children of Israel from their great bondage and captivity,² Inducam te in terram fluentem lacte & melle, I will bring you into a land that shall flow with milk and honey; this will I perform, this will I bring to ⟨image 53⟩pass for you, and this will I do for my names sake. And so likewise to these his people he made this merciful promise against their enemies,³ saying: Ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall into the sword before you, five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall chase ten thousand. Thus also God by his Prophets promised his people,⁴ and said: Turn unto me, and I will turn unto you. And even thus likewise Christ in the Gospel, maketh most clear and manifest promises of everlasting life and salvation to all such as for his name shall forsake the pleasures and delights of this word, and repose their felicity only in him: Beati pauperes spiritu, beati qui lugeant,