this place is inferred that we are all synners but especially they whose life hath a goodly outward shew onely This is the former part of this text namely the preaching of the law Now followeth the other part which is the preaching of the Gospell which declareth how we may fulfill the lawe and from whence that fulfilling is to be taken which we shall learne of that Samaritane What doth the Lawyer moreouer after that the Lord had thus delt with him He saith the Euangelist willing to iustifie himselfe spake vnto the Lord asked him as followeth Who is then my neighbour He asketh not Who is my God As if he sayd I owe nothing vnto God neither do I want any thing before God yea it seemeth vnto me that I do neither owe any thing to any man neuertheles I would willingly know who is my neighbour The Lord aunswering him bringeth forth a most goodly similitude whereby he declareth that we are all neighbours one to an other as well he that giueth a benefit as he that receiueth and needeth one although by the text it seemeth to appeare that he onely is a neighbour which bestoweth a benefit vpon an other But the Scripture maketh here no difference sometime calling him our neighbour which bestoweth a benefit sometime him that receiueth a benefite By this similitude the Lord inferreth in these wordes Go and do thou likewise so that that Lawyer had offended not onely against God but also against man and wanted not onely loue towardes God but also loue towardes his neighbour vnto whom he had not done that good which he ought This wretched felow is brought into such a case that he is found wholy euell euē from the head to the feete How came it to passe that he being most skillfull of the Scripture could not beware of this So fell it out he led a pharisaicall hypocriticall and counterfaite life which had not regarde vnto his neigbour and to succour and helpe others but sought thereby onely glorie and honour before men and so looked by negligent dissolute liuing to come to heauen But ye haue heard verie often that a Christian life consisteth in this A Christian life that we deale with faith and the heart in thinges that pertaine vnto God but vse our life and workes towards our neighbour and that I must not looke while my neighbour seeketh a benefite and requireth some thing of me but according to my duty must preuent his asking of myne owne accord offer my liberalitie vnto him Now we will see what the parable containeth in it The Samaritane in this place is without all doute our Lord Iesus Christ who hath declared his loue toward God and men The loue of Christ toward God men Toward God in that he descended from heauen and was incarnate and so fulfilled the will of his father Toward men for that by and by after baptisme he beganne to preach to worke miracles to heale the sicke neither was there any worke that he did which did concerne himselfe onely but all his workes were directed to his neighbour being made our minister when as notwithstanding he is aboue all and equall to God but he did all these thinges for that he knew that they did please God and that it was the will of his father When he had ascended to the heighth of the commaundement that he loued God with all his heart he left and committed the life of his body and whatsoeuer he had to the pleasure and will of his father saying Father behold all thinges that I haue my life and soule are readie at thy will I leaue for thy sake the glorie and honour which I haue had among men yea and all thinges how good soeuer they be that the world may vnderstand how greatly I loue thee My father let for thy sake my wisedome be contemned that the worlde may count me for the foolishest of all Now make I my selfe most cōtemptible of all other who was before praised of the whole world Now am I as a most wicked theefe who before was liberall profitable and beneficial to the whole world My father I make no account of all these thinges that I may be found obedient to thy will This is that Samaritane who being desired by no prayers came fulfilled the law with his whole heart he alone hath fulfilled it which praise none can take from him he alone hath deserued it and to him onely it appertaineth But whereas he is touched with care of the woūded man hath compassion on him byndeth vp his woundes bringeth him with him into an Inne The wounded man the theeues that spoiled him prouideth for him that pertaineth vnto vs. The man which lieth half dead wounded beaten spoiled is Adam yea and all we The theeues which spoiled vs wounded vs and left vs halfe dead as yet a litle pāting are the Deuels The horse and his sitter do here fall downe we are not able to helpe our selues and if we should be left lying so we should die through great anguish and distres our woundes would become festred and our affliction miserable and exceeding great This excellent parable is set before our eyes liuely painting forth vnto vs what we are what is the strength of our reason and free will If that wretched man had gone about to helpe himselfe his case would haue bene made worse he would haue hurt himselfe he would haue opened his woundes with rubbing so would haue fallen into greater calamitie Againe if he had bin left lying it had bin all one So it commeth to passe when we are left to our selues our studies and endeuour surely are nothing howsoeuer we set vpon the matter Hitherto sundrie waies diuers meanes haue bin inuented whereby we might come vnto heauen and amend our life this man found out this an other that whereupon haue increased innumerable sortes of Orders letters of indulgences pilgrimages to saincts which did alwayes make that state of Christianitie worse This is the world which is painted forth in this wounded man he being wholy laden with synnes fainteth vnder so heauie a burden and is not able to helpe him selfe But the Samaritane who hath fulfilled the Lawe and is perfectly sound and whole commeth and doth more then either the Priest or Leuite he byndeth vp his woundes poureth in oyle and wine setteth him vpon his owne beast bringeth him with him vnto an Inne maketh prouision for him and when he should depart diligently commendeth him to the host and leaueth with him sufficient for expenses none of which either the Priest or Leuite did By the Priest the holy Fathers are signified The Priest Leuite which passed by the woūded mā which flourished before Moses The Leuite is a representation of the Priesthood of the old Testament Now all these could do nothing by their workes but passed by like vnto this Priest and Leuite Wherefore although I had all the good workes of
neighbour and so witnes the faintnes and weakenes of faith which is the fountaine of all duties and benefites As contrariwise the stronger faith that one is endued with so much more dutifully and with readier minde he endeuoureth to deserue well of his neighbours All both doctrine and life worthy of Christ that all thinges may be declared most briefly manifestly and sufficiently consist of these two By faith and loue man is made as it were a meane betwene God his neighbours faith and loue Whereby man is made as it were a meane betwene God and his neighbours that he may receiue of God from aboue and may giue to his neighbours beneath be as it were a conduit pipe through which the fountaine of the diuine goodnes doth continually flow to his neighbours And such men are like vnto God which in Christ receiue of God whatsoeuer he hath and doe againe by their good deedes declare them selues as it were the gods of other and fullfill the prophecie of the Prophet Psalme 82 I haue sayde ye are gods and ye all are children of the most high We are children of the most high by faith whereby of nothinge we are made the heires of God And we are gods by loue which maketh vs beneficiall to our neighbour forasmuch as the nature of God is nothinge but bountifulnes and Paul here sayth the bountifulnes and loue of God toward men The meanes to be partaker of the bountifulnes and loue of God is to beleeue which he doth with incomparable plentie daily poure forth vpon euery one as we see We must onely endeuour that euery one doe nothing doubt that these thinges are spoken to him that the bountifulnes and loue of God to manward is reuealed and offered to euery one that by these wordes he may establish exercise and strengthen his faith being certain that they are most true and that God both vndoutedly is and alwayes will be bountifull and louing toward him If thou canst beleeue this it will assuredly so come vnto thee thou maist then with a full confidence pray and desire of him whatsoeuer thou wilt and complayne vnto him of whatsoeuer doth grieue thee or other But if thou want this faith it had bene better for thee neuer to haue heard any thing hereof for that by thy infidelity thou reprouest of falshood these wordes so precious and full of consolation and grace making so light account of them as not beleeuing that they be true Which surely is a great contempt and dishonour of God that scarce a more grieuous sinne can be committed of thee Contrariwise if thou be endued with this faith it can not be but that thy hart being thereby cheered should euen as it were laughe and leape for holy ioy in God being void of all care and trouble and be made aboue measure confident For how can any discouragement any whit of sorrowe remayne in that hart which douteth not that God is gracious and bountifull vnto it and beareth a singular affection of loue toward it that it is a delight and pleasure vnto him to doe it good and enioy it as a friende Surely the hart is necessarily delighted with this spirituall ioy and pleasure or vndoutedly it wanteth faith Paule in the Epistle to the Gal. calleth this to receiue the holy Ghost by the Gospell For the Gospell is so pleasant a preaching of the grace and goodnes of God that while it is preached and heard it bringeth the holy Ghost with it no otherwise then the beames of the sunne doe naturally bring heat with them How could the Apostle vse more pleasaunt and sweete words I dare say that I haue in the whole Scripture redde none more pleasaunt and so sweete words of the grace of God as these two Chrestotes Philanthropia that is bountifulnes and loue toward men How louing God is toward vs. in which the grace of God is so described as wherby he doth not onely forgiue our sinnes but doth also desire to be conuersaunt with vs and is ready to doe the part of a very friend toward vs voluntarily offering him selfe to helpe vs in al thinges also to bestowe more benefits vpon vs then we can desire or aske that we may presume of him no otherwise then of a most neare familiar friend of whom we may obtayne all thinges in whose eyes we are most deare and euen delightfull Thinke in thy minde of a most perfect friend which hath fulfilled all the partes of friendship toward thee thou shalt haue after a sort a forme although yet farre vnlike of the diuine goodnes and kindenes which is here attributed to our God by the name of bountifulnes and loue toward men But when thou hast a sounde faith in this bountifulnes and loue to manward and thereby doost liue in thy God so bountifull gracious and gentle to thee reioycest and art full of all good thinges being certayne of his continuall grace what shouldest thou doe any longer in earth what in this life He that is partaker of the bountifulnes and loue of God can not be idle Thou canst not in this case be idle as surely that loue of God and pleasure which thou enioyest in him will not suffer thee to be idle Thou shalt be enflamed with a marueilous study and desire to doe what things soeuer thou canst know will be an honour vnto thy God so louing and bountifull vnto thee and will turne to praise glory and thankes giuing vnto him Thou shalt haue no choise of works thou shalt passe for no precept thou shalt feele no compulsion of the law hauing a most ready will and pleasure to doe whatsoeuer thinges thou shalt know to be acceptable vnto God whether they be contemptible or noble small or great thou shalt count them alike But first of all it shall be thy desire that this blessed knowledge of God may be common also to the rest whereupon by and by thy loue will here shew it selfe and will assay all meanes to make this truth of saluation manifest vnto all it will publish and repete it wheresoeuer it shall be able reiecting and condemning whatsoeuer other either teach or say that agreeth not with this truth Satan the world can not abide falshood to be reproued the truth to be preached therfore they persecute them which preach the truth Whereby it will come to passe that Satan the worlde which heare nothing so vnwillingly as this truth can not abide that their things should be condemned wil rise against thee with all their might wil by by trouble thee all the great learned rich mightie of the world wil condemne thee of heresie and madnes and will leaue no meane vnattempted vntill if they be able they haue dispatcht thee of thy life Thus with Christ thy Lord thou shalt be persecuted suffer extreme ignominie thy body life goods name friendes and all things being brought into perill vntill they haue thrust
he hath before most exactly satisfied the commaundemēts of God Though we coulde and should fulfill the commaūdementes of God yet should we merit nothīg of him Now it hath bin spoken at large that our workes are nothing before God whereby we can not fulfill so much as the least commaundement of God how much lesse shall we be able so to satisfie the iustice of God that we may become worthie of his grace Moreouer if we were able to fulfill all the commaundements of God and in all thinges to satisfie his iustice notwithstanding we had not as yet deserued grace and saluation neither should he therefore owe it vnto vs for that he may by the right of creation require as due seruice all those things of vs his creatures created to liue vnto him Wherefore it should yet come of grace and mercie what soeuer should come from him to vs. This Christ declared verie well Luke 17. speaking in a parable VVhich of you hauing a seruaunt plowing or feeding cattell would saye vnto him by and by when he were come from the field Go and sit downe at the table and would not rather say to him dresse wherewith I may suppe and girde thy selfe and serue me till I haue eaten and dronken and afterward eat thou and drinke thou Doeth he thanke that seruaunt because he did that which was commaunded vnto him I trowe not So likewise ye when ye haue done all those things which are commaunded you say VVe are vnprofitable seruaunts we haue done that which was our dutie to do Seing then that heauen is giuen of grace and for no merit euē vnto those if there were any such which haue done all things that were commaunded them according to that promise If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commaundements what shall we boast of our good workes which although they were most absolute yet should they be vnworthie of heauen but inasmuch as it is giuen vs by the free and mercifull promise We had need of one who should satisfie the diuine iustice for vs. Hereupon for that we must so satisfie the diuine iustice and yet notwithstanding our workes are not able to attaine thereunto whereunto if they should attaine yet should they deserue no grace or saluatiō for that they are before due God first gaue vnto vs a man which should satisfie the diuine iustice for vs in all thinges Againe he hath by the same man bestowed this grace and bountifulnes vpon vs that albeit we without our owne merit and worthines Not by our owen merit but by the merit of Christ are we saued yea hauing euel deserued and being vnworthie do receiue grace yet it commeth not vnto vs altogither freely and without all merit for we haue it through the merit and satisfaction of Christ Whereupon Paul sayth Rom. 5 As by the offence of one sinne came on all men to condemnation so by the iustifying of one that is of Iesus Christ the benefite aboūded toward all men to the iustification of life That is As without all our merit and owne worke we fell into synne being borne synners so againe without all our merit and meanes we are redeemed from sinnes by the washing of the spirit borne againe the sonnes of God partakers of grace and saluation And this is the cause why the Apostle where he speaketh of faith and grace is wont to adde by Iesus Christ whereby surely he would giue vs to vnderstand that none should count it sufficient if he say I beleeue in God Christ being neglected He that truly beleeueth must acknowledge that his faith can not be acceptable to God yea that it can be no faith at all if all the commaundements of God be not before fulfilled which seeing it is aboue thy abilitie and if it were not yet notwithstanding thou hadst perfourmed nothing but that thou oughtest and hadst as yet merited nothing hauing fulfilled euen all the commaundements of God thou hast neede of an other which in all thinges may satisfie the diuine iustice for thee and may also merit heauen for thee Now this other is our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ who hath for thee fulfilled the whole Lawe and merited for thee that God now according to his iustice can not but giue heauen vnto thee and in all thinges acknowledge thee for his sonne and heire And this is a true and sound faith which trusteth in God by Christ and is certaine that by his merit it hath already receiued of God saluation which shortly after shal be reuealed with blessed aboundance of felicitie Christian faith Neither can any other be called Christian faith but that whereby it is beleeued that by Christ do come vnto vs both satisfaction which we owe to the iustice of God and the gift of saluation which we our selues by no meanes if the Lawe could euen be fulfilled of vs can merit Whereupon Paul Rom. 4. sayth We haue all things necessary to saluation not by any merit of our owen but by the merit and meanes of Iesus Christ Christ was deliuered to death for our synnes and rose againe for our iustification That is by Christ we haue receiued not onely remission of synnes but moreouer also that before God we are accounted righteous the sonnes of his grace To the same effect also tendeth that which he sayth Rom. 3 Whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood Where againe we learne that it is true faith which trusteth in the blood of Christ and beleeueth that thereby it shall obtaine grace Whereas thou beleeuest that he hath shed his blood for thee thou receiuest satisfaction in that thou acknowledgest him the reconciliation thou confessest that by his merit the diuine grace and saluation do come vnto thee We haue all things without our owne merit and meanes but not without the merit and meanes of Christ who hath for this cause shed his blood Wherefore that we may allude vnto the parable of Christ we must containe our selues vnder his winges and not vpon trust in our selues flie out and contend to come vnto God otherwise we shal be a praye to the hellish kite For as it hath bin oftē sayd our righteousnes our merits yea and our faith shall preuaile nothing without this our mediatour Christ And therefore he sayth Ioh. 14 No man cōmeth vnto the Father but by me And in the whole Gospell what other thing doth he but endeuour to take vs out of our selues and to transferre vs to himselfe vnder his winges that we may trust onely in his satisfaction and merit The same the Apostle also teacheth in the wordes following That we being iustified by his grace should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life We are iustified by the grace of Christ Iesus He sayth that we are iustified not by our owne workes but by the grace of the same Iesus Christ That is we are therefore iustified for that Christ hath the grace of
S. Paule hath gathered very briefly and as it were into one short summe when he sayth Rom. 4 Christ was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification Whereof thus much at this time shall suffize A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER OF THE GOOD SHEPEHEARD Iohn 10. Verse 11. IEsus sayde vnto the Iewes I am that good shepeheard that good shepeheard giueth his life for his sheepe 12. But an hyreling he which is not the shepeheard neither the sheepe are his owne seeth the woulfe comming and leaueth the sheepe and fleeth and the woulfe catcheth them and scattereth the sheepe 13. So the hyerling fleeth because he is an hyerling and careth not for the sheepe 14. I am that good shepeheard and know myne and am knowne of myne 15. As the Father knoweth me so know I the Father and I lay downe my life for my sheepe 16. Other sheepe I haue also which are not of this folde them also must I bring and they shall heare my voice and there shall be one sheepefold and one shepeheard THis text is full of consolation which in a goodly parable setteth forth Christ our Lord teacheth what maner of person he is what be his workes and of what affection he is toward men Neuertheles it can not be vnderstood but by comparing togither light and darkenes day and night that is a good and an euill shepeheard as the Lord also doth in this place Ye haue nowe oftentimes heard that God hath instituted and ordeined in the worlde two maner of preachings The preaching of the law One is when the word of God is preached which sayth Exod. 20 Thou shalt haue none other gods before me Also Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit adulterie Thou shalt not steale doth also threaten that he which doth not keepe those precepts shall dye But that preaching doth iustifie no man For although a man be thereby compelled to shew him selfe godly outwardly before men notwithstanding inwardly his hart is offended at the law The preaching of the Gospell and had leuer there were no lawe The other ministerie of the word is the Gospell which sheweth where that is to be receiued which the lawe requireth it neither vrgeth nor threatneth but allureth men gentlely it sayth not doe this or that but it sayth thus Goe too I will shew where thou mayst receiue and take whereby thou mayst become righteous Behold here is Iesus Christ he will giue it thee Wherfore these two disagree one with an other as much as to receiue and giue to exact and reward And this difference is to be well vnderstood and marked To hardened and vntractable men To whom the law must be preached which feele not the Gospell the lawe is to be preached and they are so long to be vrged till they begin to be mollified and humbled and doe acknowledge their disease which when it is done there is then place to begin to preach the Gospell These two sortes of preachinges were instituted and ordayned of God besides these there are other which were not ordayned of God but are traditions inuented by men ordained of the Pope and his Prelats wherewith they haue peruerted the Gospell These are not worthy to be called either shepeherds or hirelings but they are those which Christ calleth theeues robbers and wolues For if we will rule and guide men rightly and well that must needes be done by the worde of God whereby if it be not done we surely labour in vaine Furthermore Christ entreateth here of that second ministerie of the word and describeth of what sorte it is he maketh him selfe the chiefe yea the onely shepeheard for that which he doth not feede doth surely remayne vnfed Ye haue heard that our Lorde Iesus Christ after his passion and death was raysed from the dead is entred into and placed in immortalitie not that he might sit idle in heauen and reioyce with him selfe but that he might receiue a kingdom might execute the function of a gouernour and king of whom all the Prophets yea the whole Scripture doe speake very much Wherfore he is to be acknowledged to be vnto vs continually a present gouernour and ruler neither must we thinke that he is idle in heauen but that he doth from aboue both fill and gouerne all thinges as Paule sayth Ephes 4. who hath an especiall care of his kingdome which is the Christian faith hereupon it must needes be that his kingdom doe florish amonge vs here in earth Of this kingdom we haue elsewhere sayd that it is so ordeyned The kingdō of Christ increaseth not by force and power but by preaching of the Gospell that we all encrease euery day and become purer and that it is not gouerned at all by any force or power but by outward preaching alone that is by the Gospell And this Gospell commeth not from man but Iesus Christ him selfe brought it and afterward put it into the hartes of the Apostles and their successors that they might comprehend it and into their mouthes that they might speake and publish it Hereby is his kingdom gouerned wherein he so reigneth that all the power thereof consisteth in the word of God Now whosoeuer shall heare beleeue this The force efficacie of the word of God doe pertaine to this kingdome Moreouer this worde is afterward made so effectuall that it giueth all thinges which are necessary to man bringeth a certain abundance of all good things which may be had For it is the power of God which is able to saue euery one that beleeueth as Paul witnesseth Rom. 1 When thou beleuest that Christ died for thee to deliuer thee from all euill so cleauest vnto the worde it is sure and certaine that no creature is able to ouerthrow thee For as none is able to ouerthrow the word so none is able to hurt thee when thou stickest vnto it By the word therefore thou doost ouercome sinne death Satan hell and thither thou must resort and flie where the word is that is to eternall peace ioy and life and briefly thou shalt be made partaker of all such good things as are promised in the word Wherfore the gouernment of this kingdom is maruelous the word is published preached through the whole world but the power thereof is very secret neither doth any man marke that it is so effectual that it so much profiteth them that beleue howbeit it must be felt and tasted in the hart We therfore of the ministerie are able to performe no more then that we are the mouth of our Lorde Christ and the instrument whereby he openly preacheth the word For he suffereth the word to be published abroad that euery one may heare it But faith maketh that it is felt inwardly in the hart yea and it is the secret worke of Christ whensoeuer any knoweth that it is his duety and is also willing to doe according to his diuine will
and good pleasure But that this may be the better perceiued we wil now intreat of our text wherein Christ first sayth I am the good shepeherd And what is a good shepeheard A good shepeherd sayth Christ giueth his life for his sheepe And I leaue my life for my sheepe Here the Lord declareth what his kingdom is bringing a goodly parable of the sheepe Ye knowe that it is a beast of all liuing creatures most foolish and most simple so that thereupon it is commonly spoken as a prouerb if we haue to speake of a simple one He is a sheepe Neuertheles it is of that nature more then other liuing creatures that it quickly knoweth the voyce of his shepeheard neither followeth it any beside his owne shepeheard being alwaies of that qualitie that it cleaueth to him and seeketh for helpe of him alone being not able to helpe it selfe neither to feede it selfe neither to heale it selfe nor keepe it selfe from the wolues but doth wholy consist in the helpe of an other Christ therefore bringeth the qualitie and nature of the sheepe in maner of a parable and transformeth him selfe into a sheepeheard whereby he doth very well shewe what his kingdome is and wherein it consisteth and his meaning is this My kingdom is nothing els but that I may feede sheepe that is miserable needy and wretched men in the earth which doe well perceiue and feele that they haue no helpe or counsell any other where but in me alone But that we may declare this more plainely we will adde hereunto a place out of Ezechiel chap. 34. which speaketh of euill shepeheards that doe contrary vnto Christ sayth Ought not the flockes suffer them selues to be fed of the shepeheards VVhy therefore doe you feede yourselues Euill shepeheards how they behaue them selues and gouerne their flocke Ye haue eaten the milke of the sheepe ye haue clothed your selues with the woll the best fed ye haue slaine but my flocke haue ye not fed The weake haue ye not strengthned the sicke haue ye not healed the broken haue ye not bound together the driuen away haue ye not brought againe the lost haue ye not sought but with force and crueltie haue ye ruled them And now my sheepe are scattered for that they are destitute of shepeheards yea all the beastes of the field deuour them and they are dispersed ouer all mountaines and ouer the whole earth That which he here sayth is well to be marked his very meaning in this place is that he will haue the weake sicke broken abiects and lost to be strengthned healed cured sought not spoyled and destroyed These thinges ye ought to doe sayth he to the shepeheards but ye haue doâ—â— none of them Wherefore I my selfe as he afterward sayth will deale thus with my sheepe That which is lost will I seeke againe that which is driuen away will I bringe againe and to that which is not well will I giue a remedie and heale it Here thou seest that the kingdom of Christ is such as hath to doe with those that be weake diseased and broken hath care of them to helpe them The preaching whereof in deede is very full of comfort but this is wanting in vs that we doe not throughly feele our miserie and weakenes which if we felt we would forthwith runne vnto him But how did those shepeheards behaue them selues They ruled in rigour and straightly exacted obedience of the lawe Moreouer they added their owne traditions as they doe also at this day which if they be not kept they cry out and condemne him that transgresseth them so that they doe nothing else but vrge more and more and commaund their owne inuentions But this is not to feede wel or to gouerne a soule as Christ sayth who him self is not such a shepeheard for by such maner of feeding none is holpen but the sheepe are vtterly lost as we shall vnderstand Now we will handle the place of the Prophet in order First he sayth that the weake sheepe are to be strengthned Weake consciences how they must be handled that is the consciences which are weake in faith and haue a sorrowfull spirit and are of a faint courage are not to be enforced that it should be sayd vnto them This thou must doe thou must be strong For if thou be so weake thou art ordayned to eternall punishment This is not to strengthen the weake Thus saith Paule Rom. 14 Him that is weake in the faith receiue vnto you entangle not consciences And by by after he addeth Rom. 15 VVe which are stronge ought to beare the infirmities of the weake Wherfore they are not to be seuerely compelled but to be comforted that although they be weake they may not therefore despeire for afterâ—ards they shall become stronger Esaias the Prophet did thus forespeake of Christ cap. 42 A broosed reede shall he not breake the smoking flax shall he not quenche The broosed reede signifieth miserable weake and broosed consciences which are easily so shaken that they tremble and lose hope and trust in God With these God doth not forthwith deale rigorously and after a violent maner but he dealeth gentely with them lest he breake them Moreouer the smoking flax which doth as yet burne a litle nourisheth more smoke then fire â—â—e the same consciences which ought not againe to despeire for he wil not vtterly extinguish them but alwayes kindle them and more and more strengthen them Which truely to him that knoweth it is a great comfort Wherefore he which doth not gentlely handle weake consciences after this sort doth not without dout execute the office of a true shepeheard Afterward the Prophet sayth That which was diseased ye ought to haue succoured Who are those diseased ones They which in their maner of liuing and in their outward works haue certain diseases and vices The first pertaineth to the conscience when as it is weake the other to the maners or conditions of life when as any being caried with a wilfull mind and wayward braine doth offend here and there to wit by wrath other foolish doings as euen the Apostles fel sometimes grieuously Such as are so vitious in the sight of men that they are an offence to others and are iudged obstinate and wayward God will not haue to be reiected and despeired of For his kingdom is not ordered after such a maner that the stronge and whole onely should liue therein which pertaineth to the life to come but Christ is therfore set in it that he may haue a care of such helpe them Wherfore albeit we are so weake and sicke notwithstanding we must not so despeire that we should say that we are not in the kingdom of Christ but the more we feele our disease The more we feele our selues diseased the greater cause we haue to flie vnto Christ so much the more we must come vnto him for he therefore is at hande that he may remedie and