that froÌ„ henceforth I shall not eate and drynke wyth you after the accustomed maner I shall with my bloud being shed confirme that testament which somtyme I established with AbrahaÌ„ but after a new sorte not by the bloud of beastes as it was in the olde tyme but by myne owne bloud Neither shal my couenaunt staÌ„d with the Iewes only but with al mankind This worde braunche or fruite of the vine is a paraphrases of wyne and doth signifye not onely that to be wyne which Christ dranke in the cuppe and gaue vnto his disciples but it also declareth that it was bloud but such as came out of the vine and not powred out of his body as if a man would say this is of the fruite of wheat he shoulde by circumloqution signifie bread and therwithall declareth that it is not onely bread but also it is bread made of wheat and of no other graine For there is also bread made of Rye and of Otes c. And this emphasis haue all parephrases and specially the Hebrew parephrases So wheÌ„ Christ calleth himselfe the sonne of man Therfore he saith henceforth I wil no more eat nor drink wherfore it is likely Christ him self also dyd eate and drinke namely after this sort but after an other sort and newe that is to say after my resurrectioÌ„ I wil theÌ„ eat with you wheÌ„ as you shall eate with me at my table in the kingdom of my father but not after that sort as bodies are wonte to be fed but in the state of immortalitie Therfore the kingdom of god is either the time after the resurrection or els a more full knowledge of Christ The kingdom of God or els the eternal life after this life in the which the faith full shall eate and drinke vppon the table of Christ wiih Christ that most swete drinke of immortalitie as appeareth in the .xxii. chapi Luke As concerning the sence of these wordes of Christ this is my body and of the foode of the soule we haue spoken inoughe of in an other place Let vs not dispute how the bread is made the bodye of Christe but lette vs rather remember the benefitte performed vnto vs by the bodye of Christe that being inwardly satiated in our minds we may lift our hartes to him which sitteth at the right hand of the father that is in a certain limited place in heauen that we may loue one another that we may liue innoceÌ„tly that we may geue thaÌ„kes vnto the Lord and walk worthely in our vocatioÌ„ To eate of the body of Christ is none other thing but to beeleue that his body was geuen to the death to make satisfactioÌ„ for our sinnes To drinke the bloud of Christe is nothing els but to beleue that Christ his bloud was shed for the washing away of our sins neither is there any other eating of the bodye of Christ then that which is done by faith of the which Christ speaketh in the 6. chap of Iohn neither can it be done of any but of the godly But the eating of the simbolical and mistical bread is common both to the godly and also to the vngodly althoughe after a diuers sorte For there be some which do eate the bread of the supper vnworthely and drinke the wine vnworthely and by that meanes do get vnto themselues death and iudgement that is punishmeÌ„t And those although they eat drink with their mouth the sacrameÌ„ts of the body bloud of the Lord yet neuerthelesse they eate not the body of Christ neither do they drinke his bloud vnlesse they will make Christ a lyar which farre be it from the euerlasting and infallible truth wheÌ„ as he saith They which eate my fleshe and drinke my bloud abyde in me and I in them There is none I thinke that will affirme if he haue his right wittes that this agreeth with the vngodlye but as for the godly they do not onely eat with their teath the signes neither haue they â—are signs but besides the eating of the signes whiche is done with the mouth of the body they are inwardly fed in their mindes with the body and bloud of Christ by the eating of faith which faith the spirit of Christ kindleth within theÌ„ at such tyme as much to whoÌ„ it pleaseth him For the operatioÌ„ of his spirit is not bouÌ„d to the signes neither is grace so put in them that it shuld be brought vnto them as it were in a wagon but Christ that chief and eternall bishop doth feede the faithfull with his body and bloud the minister only administring the sacraments outwardly vnto whome he setteth before their eyes putteth in remeÌ„brauÌ„ce and declareth the grace of god he bringeth it not to them he geueth it not neither doth he distribute it to theÌ„ Therfore a faithful mind doth receaue the body and bloud and hauing receaued it the spirite of God doth with heat disgest it poureth it into the inwarde bowels of the soule of the which springeth a maruelous and inwarde refreshing vnto a godly mynde when we celebrate therfore the Supper of the Lord or thankes geuing let vs remember that only sacrifice which was offred vppon the crosse with thankes geuyng For we are admonished that by the flesh and bloud of the onely begotten sonne of God offred vppon the crosse for vs we are redemed from euerlasting death and that the same are made to vs spirituall foode to norish and kepe vs in euerlasting life for as much as Christ hath offred vp himselfe a most acceptable sacrifice for vs vnto the father in geuing his body to the deth powred forth his bloud to wash vs wtall it is wholy our partes to meditate and to preache abroad so great a loue and so woÌ„derfull great a benefit and to geue thanks for so liuely a death and by that meanes our faythe will more encrease towardes God the father also his loue and good will towards vs will be more and more kindled Moreouer we are admonished by this most holy Supper to offer and vowe our selues wholy bodye soule vnto Christ for a sacrifice considering that he hath suffred death to restore vs vnto life and desire not to lyue nowe to our selues but to Christ Finally the remembrauÌ„ce of the body geueÌ„ and of the bloudshed is therfore set before the church of Christ in the holy signes of the supper that by the same it might more certainly receaue as it were a certain priuy tokeÌ„ of her redemption and might cal into memory that we are so compacte by faithe into one bodye that we are made the members of one head Christ It is therfore mete that we bee bound together with a singuler charitie amoÌ„gest our selues and with doyng good one to an other Let the death of Christ therfore neuer slip out of our heartes let vs alwayes remember that Christe is wholly made oures that we should also be his by faith and charitie and our neighbors by charitie
he loued them I Told you before that Iohn toke the Passe ouer for the day folowing the eatyng of the Lambe the Euangelist dothe Rhetorically amplify the excelleÌ„cy of Christ that his lowlines might the more depely be knoweÌ„ He saieth Iohn which knew al thinges he whiche knew the houre of his death he to whom the father had geuen all thinges into his hands which came from god c He I say washetâ— the feete of his disciples Let all prophets byshops gouernors of common weales and leaders of the people learne of this teacher faytâ— loue care towards those whiche are coÌ„mitted vnto them Christ loued his euen to thâ— death he neuer forsaketh them he neuer ceaseth after he had once begun to loue them hâ— was obedieÌ„t vnto the father euen to the death that he might set before vs an example of humilitie and weldoyng c. ¶ Now on the first day of the feaste of vnleuened bread the disciples came vnto Iesus saying vnto him where wilte thou that we prepare for thee the Passeouer he said go into the city prepare for vs to eat the Passeouer there but they said where shal we prepare Iesus aunswered goe into the city vnto a certain man behold there shall meete you entryng into the city a maÌ„ bearing a pitcher of water follow this man into the house wherin he entereth and saye you to the good man of the house The maister sendeth vnto thee my time is at hand that I should eatin thy house the Passeouer wyth my disciples wher is the lodging wher I shall eate the Passeouer with my disciples And he will shew you an vpper chaÌ„ber which is large trimmed and prepared there make it redy for vs. So his disciples wente forthe and came to the city found as he had saide vnto them and they made ready the Passeouer NOthing is done here by chance nothing is done rashly all things are foresene and ordained by the prouidence of God without beginning All thinges are gouerned by his counsell and will These thinges are therfore writteÌ„ by the Euangelist that we might vnderstand that Christ was not compelled to die by violence or of necessitie but of his own free will and by the wyll of the father and bicause that all the shadowes of the old Testament vanished away in Christ it is declared also that Christ is that Lambe which is prefigured in the old Testament as Paule teacheth in the 1. Cor. 5. ca. But this word Passe ouer is taken diuers waies sometymes properly for that passing or slippyng ouer of the Angel in Egipt wheÌ„ as he slew the firste begotten of the Egiptians but spared the Israelits vpon whose dores the bloud of the lamb was sprinckeled sometimes it is takeÌ„ for the festiuall day it selfe and sometimes for the laÌ„b which is killed and that by denominacion as here when he saieth to kill to eate or prepare the Passeouer So this worde Passeouer is put for the Lambe agayn the Lambe is called the Passeouer Gen. xvii when as it was only but a memoriall of the passing ouer So the breade is called afterwards the body of Christ wheÌ„ as it is but the token of the body circumcision is called the couenauÌ„t Gen. xvii of the which couenaunt it was but the signe We learne here the pouerty of Christ who not hauing where to put vnder his head is coÌ„pelled to prepare his supper with hys disciples in other folkes houses after the manner of the poore ¶ And when euen was come Iesus came with the xii and when it was time he sate doune and the xii with hym and he said vnto them I haue earnestly desyred to eat this Passeouer with you before I suffer For I say vnto you henceforthe I wyll not eate of it any more vntill it bee fulfilled in the kingdome of God and as they wer eating Iesus toke the bread geuing thankes brake it and gaue it to his disciples sayeng Take and eate this is my body which shal be geuen for you do this in remembrauÌ„ce of me and taking the cup he gaue thankes and sayd Take this and deuide it amoÌ„g you this cup is the new testament thorowe my bloud whiche is shed for you for I saye vnto you that after this I wil not drinke of this fruite of the vyne vntill that day when I shall drinke it new with you in my fathers kyngdom they al dranke of it JT is exactely described of all the Euangelistes how Christ did institute the sacrameÌ„t of his body bloud after the figuratiue supper that he might declare that the figures of the old testament were accomplished and finished in him and that all thinges were renewed that they mighte haue in memory his wonderfull great benefit geuen them in the crosse no lesse theÌ„ the old fathers had in eating of the Passeouer that the newe might be agreable to the olde and that light might succede darkenesse He sheweth first with how great a desyre he did eate this supper with them namely wyth a vehement and a most feruent desire for this figuratiue speache in Hebrew is I haue desired or in desiring that is I haue desired with a wonderful great desire to eate this Passeouer that is this memoriall Lambe and I haue no lesse desired to eat with you this new supper in the which I commeÌ„d vnto you the memory of my deth to be celebrated of you for euer For as often as Paule expoundeth as ye shall eate of this breade and also drinke of this wyne you shal be myndfull of my death Let the memory of this benefitte neuer slippe from you let it neuer be forgotten lette it alwais remain in your hearts Let your mouth alwais declare and shew forth this preache you this euery where celebrate thys without ceasing and geue wonderfull great thankes for this For it is not meete that you shoulde at any time put in obliuion my deathe seyng that I haue with so great a desire suffred deth for you which am so desirous of your saluatioÌ„ that I do euen geue awaye my life for you I wâ—ll suffer my body to be nayled to the crosse as a sacrifice for your sinnes and I will shed my bloud to wash you withall I do so muche esteme you that I am redy to redeme you by my death from euerlasting death I do set before you signes of this benefite and of this redemption whiche being eaten of you shall renew the memory of me vnto the which signs I gaue the names of my body and bloud that they might the more strongly moue your senses My deathe is your lyfe if so be that you beleue that by my death I haue appeased god for you and that my bloud hath washed away your sinnes this shall norishe and fatten you inwardly This beyng weighed with a true faith shall make mery and pacify your myndes Take therfore and eate do this in remeÌ„braunce of me I go now from you so
them to fight with the sword which before so diligently had forbidden them that they should not resist euell and to turne the other cheke to him which would geue theÌ„ a blowe yea and afterward he biddeth Peter striking Malchus to put vp his sword neither caÌ„ the Papists proue by this an ecclesiastical sword and a prophane sword Christ simply foretelleth the daunger which drewe nere to him his disciples teachyng by the way that they should ouercom and driue away al these thinges by the sword of bothe the testameÌ„ts that is to say by the sword of the spirite The men which followe the Apostels haue no neede of swordes but if they shall diligently continue in preachyng of the truth thei shal stir vp the swordes of al the wicked ones agaynst them whom they shall agayne resist with the sword of the spirite and they shall ouercome in this battail the lord aiding them ¶ I speake not of you all I knowe whom I haue chosen but that the scripture might be fulfilled he that eateth bread with me hath lifted vp his hele against me I tell you now before it be done that when it shal bee done ye myghte beeleue that I am he VVHen he had spoken of the washyng of the fete Anagogiâ— Analepsis Epanodoâ— he ascendeth in the meane time by a figuratiue speach vnto the puritie of the mynde and by the same very aptely enclineth his talke to the vnpurenesse of Iudas the betraier and it is a repeticion or a retourning Election maketh the sonnes of God but faith is the sign of electioÌ„ for none haue faith but the elect By these words he teacheth the hart of Iudas for there be many alwayes in the church which dissemblyng a faithe being otherwise most wicked Let these men thinke that they cannot hide themselues from God although sometimes they deceaue men for maÌ„ seeth but the outward thinges onely To lift vp the hele God beholdeth alloweth the heart To lifte vp the foote or hele dothe signifye after a figuratiue kinde of speache to lye in waite for any man to offend oppresse despise or to hurte any maÌ„ and with the feete to make hast to accomplish the same The Germains vse the same kinde of speache So likewise in the Psalme Their feete make hast to shed bloud To eat bâ—rad c. To eat bread with any man is to be partaker of his table also simbolically to be familier and to be receiued into a more frendeship So Iudas was taken into the number of the Apostels dyd eate the supper with the Lorde and yet thys vnfaithfull and ingrate man was not ashamed to betraye his lorde whiche had done so great a benefite for him By these wordes he doth make the fault of the betrayer more greuous but to that entent that by making mention of his gentlenesse towards him he might plucke him backe from his purpose ¶ When Iesus had sayde these things he was troubled in spirit and sayd Verely verely I say vnto you that one of you shall betraye me for the hand of hym which betrayeth me is with me vpon the table All ye shal be offended by me this nighte for it is written zach xii I will smyte the shepeheard and the shepe of the flock shal be scattered but after I am risen I will go before you into Galile but Peter answered saide vnto him Though al men should be offended by thee yet wil I neuer be offeÌ„ded Iesus sayd vnto him Verely I say vnto thee that this nighte beefore the cocke crow thou shalt deny me thrice Peter said vnto him though I shoulde dye with thee yet will I not deny thee Likewise also said al the disciples and the lord sayd Simon Simon behold Sathan hathe desyred you to sift you as wheate but I haue praied for thee that thy faithe faile not therfore when thou arte conuerted strengthen thy brethren And he said vnto him Lorde I am redy to go with the into prisoÌ„ and to death And he said I tel thee Peter the cocke shal not crow this day before thou haste denied thryce that thou knewest me Verely I say vnto you that one of you shall betray me and they wer exceding sorowfull and beganne euery one of them to say vnto him is it I lorde the disciples behold one another doubtyng of whome he spake and he aunswered and sayd he that dippeth his hand with me in the dish he shall betraye me Surely the son of man goeth his way as it is writen of hym but wo bee vnto that man by whome the sonne of maÌ„ is betrayed it had bene good for that man if he hadde neuer bene borne Then Iudas which betrayed hym sayde Is it I maister he sayd vnto hym Thou hast said it Now there was one of the disciples of Iesus which leaned on his bosom namely he whom Iesus loued To hym therefore beckened Simon Peter that he shoulde aske who it was of whome he spake he then as he leaned on Iesus breast sayd vnto him Lord who is it Iesus aunswered it is he to whome I shal geue a sop when I haue dipped it and when he had dipped the breade he gaue it Iudas Iscariot SimoÌ„s sonne and after the soppe Sathan entred into him Then sayde Iesus vnto hym that thou doest doe quicklye but none of them that satte at the table knew for what cause he spake it vnto him for som thought bicause Iudas had the bagge that Iesus had sayde vnto him bye those thynges that we haue neede of againste the feast or that he shoulde geue some thyng vnto the poore as sone then as he had receiued the sop he went immediatly out and it was night CHrist the kyng of the heauenly kingdome which came to preache and offer the kyngdome of heauen to the men in the worlde but yet to such as he had chosen oute of the worlde which also hadde geuen in charge to his apostels to call all men to this kingdome doth first plucke out of their hartes all suche diseases which ought to be farre absent from the kingdome of heauen namely the lustes of the flesh and of the world to the entente that they which should teach others that kingdom might first expresse the same in themselues For God hathe translated vs saieth Paule froÌ„ the kingdom of darkenesse Colo. â— into the kingdom of his welbeloued son into his woÌ„derful light that we mighte nowe be the sonnes of God who renouncing the old Adam i. Pet. 〈◊〉 Tit. ii and casting away all vngodlinesse and worldly desires might lyue godly iustly and soberlye in this world lookyng for that blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christe Heb. xiiiâ— For we haue here no abiding citie but we looke for one to come namely that heaueÌ„ly Ierusalem in the which we are appointed citizens fellow citizens with the sainctes and of the houshold of God Ephe. â—â— i.
the first sight we vnderstaÌ„d not as we may easily see in the prophets by whoÌ„ he declareth certain thigs by exaÌ„ples which afterward he openeth expoundeth So in the supper he geâ—eth bread wine that by these things tokeÌ„s he might set forth vnto them the remembrauÌ„ce of his death he washeth the fete not to â—hat enteÌ„t that he wuld wash away the filthinesse of the fete but that he might signify that he only is he which should purify vs settyng â—orth som higher matter which may be manifestly perceiued by his answer vnto Peter by other wordes For many haue and receyue parte with Christ whose fete Christ hath not washed To be washed is to beleue truly but no maÌ„ shal be partaker of the glory of Christ and of the life euerlasting but he which shal be washed with the bloud of Christ whose affections shal be purged by his grace Moreouer he commendeth vnto his disciples charitie that one might helpe an other by mutual loue not only in washing of fete if necessitie so require but in helping our neighbour in al things but this is to be marked diligeÌ„tly that they which be faithful haue yet neede to wash their fete that is to wash away their daily fallings to purge away the affections stil springing in the flesh which thing certaine not considering haue come to that madnesse and pride that they dare affirm themselues to be wtout sin for al that Iohn saith If any maÌ„ saith he hath no sin i. Iohn i. Rom. vii he is a liar deceiueth him self Paul coÌ„plained that he fouÌ„d in his meÌ„bers another law repugning the law of the mind spirit Or how can those men pray this praieâ— euery daye forgeue vs our trespasses when as they acknowledge none Christe therfore teacheth that the beleuers ar purified by faith that is to say by the sprinckling of his bloud Moreouer that they whiche are purified and cleansed yet neuerthelesse haue nede to wash their feete and that they are stil vnpure lastly he pronounceth manifestly ynough that al they be not cleane which are conuersaunte in the outwarde fellowshippe of the disciples of Christ For he saith ye be cleane but not all meaning Iudas which was present amongst the Apostels in body but his minde and hart was all one with the Pharises wherfore to be washed or to be cleane whiche are all one is to beleue verely and without any dout that thou art washed and purified by the bloud of Christ To wash the fete To washe the feete is to acknowlege and confesse before God with sighing and detesting our dayly synnes and then after oure fall to runne to God by repentaunce For we can not passe thorowe this waye whilest we lyue here amongst so many enemies without fallyng it is so dirtye and vnplayne and the weakenesse and slippernesse of the fleshe is so great But howsoeuer the feete doe stagger yet yf the head of fayth be safe the matter is well inough For the faithful can not be beaten downe by such fallinges if the Lorde vp hold them with his hand ¶ After therfore he had washed theyr fete and put on hys garmentes he sate downe and sayd vnto them agayne doe you know what I haue done vnto you you cal me maister and lord and you say well for I am so if I therfore which am your lord and maister haue washed your fete ye ought also one to wash an others feete for I haue geueÌ„ you an example that eueÌ„ as I haue don so might you also do Verely verely I saye vnto you the seruaunte is not greater than his lord neither the Messenger greater than he which sente him yf you haue knowen these thinges blessed are ye if ye do them THe lorde by this exaumple of humilitie and wel doyng dothe put vs to shame for our hautenes of minde and coldnesse to do good which as we gape for honour and riches and do bragge of those thinges which we haue not So also we dispise neglect our fellow seruaunts neither do we onely neglect them but besides that we hurte them and do them iniury Let vs therfore follow the exaÌ„ple of our Lord Iesus Christ Let vs put awaye our hautenesse of mynde lette vs caste downe our courages let vs embrace our brethren with feruent loue let vs beare and suffer the infirmitie and burthens of other men being redy to submit our selues to all men for hym which did so much cast downe hym selfe for our sakes Let vs alwayes remember the Lordes commaundement of brotherly loue liberalitie towardes the poore for he wil haue mercy and not sacrifice Christ in deede dothe prescribe vnto vs a most perfect forme of life Ose ii yea in maner impossible for vs to do wheÌ„ as he saith so loue one an other as I haue loued you How be it if we shall endeuour to follow the same and if we shall attempt to folow af-his prescripte as muche as he shall geue vs grace to do although we attain not vnto it as we shall neuer do yet he will gentlye forgeue vs our trespasses It is not inough to knowe these things and to heare them or to preache them but we must do them that is we must study and apply our selues to these thynges we must exercise our selues in these thynges and as it were contend with our neighbour in well deseruyng So at the lengthe we shall proue learned and exercised in them ¶ And there was a greate contention amongest theÌ„ which of them should seme to be the greatest but he sayde vnto them The kings of the gentiles reign ouer them they which haue power ouer theÌ„ are called gracious but ye shal not be so but let the greatest amoÌ„gest you be as the lest and the chiefest as he that serueth For who is greater he that sytteth at the table or he which serueth Is not he whiche sytteth at the table And I am in the middest of you as he that serueth and ye are they that haue continued with me in my teÌ„ptations Therfore I appoint vnto you a kingdome as my father hath appointed to me that ye may eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome and syt on xii seates iudging the xii tribes of Israell when I seÌ„t you without bagge and scrippe and shoes lacked ye anye thinge And they sayde nothing he said therfore to them but now he that hath a bag let him take also a scrip and he that hath none let him sel his coat bye a sworde For I saye vnto you that yet the same which is written must be perfourmed in me Euen wyth the wycked was he numbred for doubtlesse those things whiche are written of me haue an end and thei said behold there are two swordes and he said vnto them it is inough VVHen as Christ teachest most humility the flesh seeketh to be exalted and to be great So corruptis our nature that it seketh nothing els
nature in Christ and reuoke from hel Marcyons opinion Christs body was not in the sepulchre after his resurrection when as it appeared vnto Marye Magdalene neyther was it wyth the eleuen at Ierusalē when as it was with the two which went toward Emaus No more can it be in the breade when as according to the scriptures it was taken vp to heauē and setteth at the right hand of God the father For Christ went from the father and came into the worlde againe he left the world and went to the father But he left not the worlde in respecte that he is God when as he is with vs to the end of the world therfore left he the worlde as concerninge his manhed that is he caried into heauen the body which he toke of the virgin Mary into the glorye of the father This is the foundation of the Catholike and Christian faythe and the hope of all the elect which whilest they denye or stirre let them take heede what they make of Chryste or howe they are to be counted for Christians Let them take heede I saye what foundation they stick vnto The flesh of Christ also is glorified after his resurrection and yet for all that is it flesh in deede and putteth not of the nature of flesh and although it be spirituall yet is it not conuerted into a spirite and much lesse into God A spyrite sayth Christe hath neyther flesh nor bone as ye see me haue The body therfore of Christ is in heauen and not in the bread of the supper which coulde be neyther necessarye nor profitable yea it was caried vp is heauen after the resurrection in the sight of the Apostles which was so expedient for theyr fayth which fayth they could neuer establysh by the suppenor by the presence of his body glorified but that thei alwaies wauered and doubted til suche time as they were confyrmed by the holy ghost We must therefore transferre our minde from all corporal and visible thing into heauen where Christ sitteth at the right hand of god beleue that Christe hath geuen his body to the death for vs. After this sorte is the body of Christ eaten not with the teeth of the body but by the contemplacion of fayth For fayth in dede which cleaueth only to God may vse corporall things but not as though saluation were bounde to those things and be deliuered to vs thorough them but to put in practise fayth and charitie Euen so we cary about the bread and wine in the Supper we distribute it amongest vs and we eate not to merite any thing of God by the same as it were by a certayn worshipping but bycause by these outward signes our senses are stirred vp to weigh consider more diligentlye the grace of God geuen vs by the death of Christ and to lift vp our mindes to Christe the bread of lyfe which for our sakes descended frō heauen For our weakenesse therefore are the sacramentes instituted of Christ as it were certayne signes of the grace and beneuolence of God towardes vs which do stirre vs vp to consider the promises of God wherein our fayth is exercised For they whiche vse these signes doe testifye that they haue fayth in the promises of God and that they bee of the number of those which acknowledge God for theyr God whom they worship in spirite in whom they trust to whō they geue thanks c. And whē doth god more declare shewe him selfe to be our God most louing Father thē when he promiseth to geue vs hys sonne and also performeth it Roma viii For how can he not geue vs all thinges with hys sonne Or what can he denye whiche hath geuen vs his only begotten Sonne Iohn iii. And he hath geuen him vnto vs not to punishe and condemne vs as we iustly haue deserued but that by him we might be saued and haue euerlasting lyfe For he gaue him to be ours al whole to be our righteousnesse wisedome hollynesse redemption saluation and life What a great loue is thys what a great grace the eternal Sonne of God descendeth and taketh vpon hym selfe our nature that we being made newe by his grace might ascend taking after a sort the diuine nature He descended that we creping on the groūd might be thoroughe him transferred and lift vp to his glory The Lord of al things taketh vpon him the shape of a seruaūt to make vs which are by nature seruaunts oppressed with most greuous bondage the sonnes of God He taketh vpō him selfe our weakenes to strengthē vs with his spirite He is made man to transforme vs by his grace in a manner into Gods He hath communicated with vs in fleshe and bloude being made partaker of the same that also the children namely we might haue euerlasting fellowship with him In fine he would be made like to hys brethren in al thyngs Hebr. 3. that we myghte see that we haue a mercifull and faythfull high prieste to doe all those thinges which we haue to do with God which maketh satisfaction by his bloude for all our sinnes He hath taken vpon hym selfe all that is ours to participate vnto vs what so euer he him selfe is and hath And thys is it which he sayeth to Magdalene I ascende to my Father and your father my God and your God See what a loue the father hath geuē vs both to be named and to be the Sonnes of God i. Iohn iii For the which cause he is not ashamed to cal vs brethren saying God to my brethren c. For his spirite beareth witnes to our spirit that we are the sōnes of God For we haue not receaued a spirite of bondage to be affeard Roma viii but the spirite of Adoption by the which we crye Abba Father God therefore is our Father and our God and we are hys children with whom he hath made a new couenaunte and confyrmed it by the bloud of hys Sonne that we might nowe haue fellowship mutuall perticipacion with the father hys sōne Iesus Christ These benefites so great and most ample are geuen vnto vs of God ii Cor. iii. i. Cor. xiii but they are receaued of vs only by faith which selfe fayth is also the gifte of God and are felt inwardly in spirite For as yet we doe not beholde the glorye of the Lorde with open face for partlye we knowe and perceaue by a glasse in a riddell and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be which is done to our profit that the father should not make vs fully perfecte whilest we liue in this fleshe but doth geue vs the knowledge and fruition of him selfe by certain degrees that we might learne to think humblye of oure selues to walke before oure heauenly father in the feare of God and to depend al wholly vpō him we are therfore made safe but yet in hope whiche hope is not nowe sene fullye otherwise it shoulde be no hope