hath ouerthrowen death that we beleuing in him myght lyue for euer and not dye Ought not this to engender extreme hatred of sinne in vs to consyder that it did violently as it were plucke God out of heauen to make him feele the horrours and paynes of death O that we would sometimes consyder this in the middest of our pompes pleasures it would bridle the outragiousnesse of the fleshe it would abate and asswage our carnall affectes it woulde restraine our fleshly appetites that we shoulde not run at randon as we commonly do To commit sinne wylfully desperatly without feare of god is nothing els but to crucifie Christ a new as we are expressly taught in the 〈◊〉 to the Hebrues Which thing if it were dencâ—â— printed in all mens heartes then shoulde not sinne raigne euery where so much as it doth to the great griefe and torment of Christe nowe sittyng in heauen Let vs therefore remember and alwaies beare in minde Christe crucified that therby we may be inwardly moued both to abhorre sinne throughly and also with an earnest and zelous heart to loue god For this is another fruite which the memoriall of Christes death ought to worke in vs an earnest and vnfayned loue towardes god So God loued the worlde sayth saint John that he gaue his only begotten soÌ„ne that whosoeuer beleued in hym shoulde not perishe but haue life euerlasting If god declared so great loue towardes vs his seely creatures how can we of ryght but loue him agayne Was not this a sure pledge of his loue to geue vs his own sonne from heauen He myght haue geuen vs an angel if he would or some other creature and yet should his loue haue ben farre aboue our desartes Nowe he gaue vs not an angell but his sonne And what sonne His only sonne his naturall sonne his welbeloued sonne euen that sonne whom he had made Lorde and ruler of al thinges Was not this a singuler token of great loue But to whom did he geue him He gaue him to the whole worlde that is to say to Adam and all that should come after him O lord what had Adam or anye other man deserued at Gods handes that he should geue vs his owne sonne We are all miserable persons sinfull persons dampnable persoÌ„s iustly driuen out of paradice iustly excluded from heauen iustly condempned to hell fyre And yet see a wonderfull token of Gods loue he gaue vs his only be gotten sonne vs I say that were his extreme and deadly enemies that we by vertue of his blood shed vppon the crosse might be cleane purged from our sinnes and made righteous agayne in his sight Who can chose but maruaile to heare that god should she we such vnspeakable loue towardes vs that were his deadly enemies Indeede O mortall man thou oughtest of ryght to marueyle at it to acknowledge therein Gods great goodnesse and mercie towards mankind which is so wonderful that no fleshe be it neuer so worldly wyse may wel conceaue it or expresse it For as Saint Paul testifieth God greatly commendeth and setteth out his loue towardes vs in that he sent his sonne Christ to die for vs when we were yet sinners and open enemies of his name If we had in any maner of wyse deserued it at his handes then had it ben no marueile at all but there was no desert on our part wherefore he shoulde do it Therefore thou sinful creature when thou hearest that GOD gaue his sonne to dye for the sinnes of the worlde thinke not he dyd it for any desert or goodnes that was in thee for thou wast then the bondslaue of the deuill But fall downe vpon thy knees and crye with the prophete Dauid O Lorde what is man that thou art so mindefull of him or the sonne of man that thou so regardest him And seeing he hath so greatlye loued thee endeuour thy self to loue him againe with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength that therin thou mayst appeare not to be vnworthy of his loue I report me to thyne owne conscience whether thou wouldest not thinke thy loue ill bestowed vpon him that could not finde in his heart to loue thee agayne If this be true as it is most true then thinke howe greatly it behoueth to thy duetie to loue God whiche hath so greatly loued thee that he hath noâ— spared his owne onlye sonne from so cruell and shamefull a death for thy sake And hitherto concerning the cause of Christes death passion which as yet was on our part most horrible and greeuous sinne so on the other side it was the free gift of God proceeding of his meere and tender loue towards mankind without any merite or desert of our part The Lorde for his mercies sake graunt that we neuer forget this great benefite of our saluation in Christe Jesu but that we alwayes shewe our selues thankefull for it abhorring all kinde of wickednesse and sinne and applying our myndes wholy to the seruice of God and the diligent keeping of his commaundementes Now resteth to shewe vnto you howe to applie Christes death and passion to our comfort as a medicine to our woundes so that it maye worke the same effect in vs wherefore it was geuen namely the health saluatioÌ„ of our soules For as it profiteth a man nothing to haue salue vnlesse it be well applied to the part affected So the death of Christ shall stand vs in no force vnlesse we applie it to our selues in suche sorte as God hath appoynted Almightie God commonly worketh by meanes and in this thing he hath also ordained a certaine meane wherby we may take fruite and profite to our soules health What meane is that forsooth it is fayth Not an vnconstant or wauering fayth but a sure stedfast grounded and vnfaigned fayth GOD sent his sonne into the worlde sayth Saint John. To what end that whosoeuer beleueth in hym shoulde not perishe but haue lyfe euerlasting Marke these wordes that whosoeuer beleueth in him Here is the meane whereby we must apply the fruites of Christes death vnto our deadly wounde Here is the meane whereby we must obtaine eternall lyfe namely fayth For as saint Paul teacheth in his Epistle to the Romanes With the heart man beleueth vnto ryghteousnes and with the mouth confessioÌ„ is made vnto saluation Paul beyng demaunded of the keeper of that prison what he should do to be saued made this aunswere Beleue in the Lorde Jesus so shalt thou and thyne house both be saued After the Euangelist had described and set foorth vnto vs at large the life and the death of the Lorde Jesus in the end he concludeth with these wordes These thinges are written that we may beleue Jesus Christe to be the sonne of God a through sayth obtayne eternall lyfe To conclude with the wordes of saint Paul which are these Christ is the ende of the lawe vnto saluation for euery
assure them selues of his loue and fauour towardes them and nothing doubte but that as his lawe and ordinaunces wherein he commaunded them that they shoulde open their hande vnto their brethren that were poore and needye in the lande were accepted of them and willingly perfourmed So he woulde on his part louyngly accept them and truely perfourme his promises that he had made vnto them The holy Apostles and disciples of Christ who by reason of his dayly conuersation saw by his deedes and heard in his doctrine how much he tendered the poore the godly fathers also that were both before and since Christ indued without doubt with the holy ghost and most certaynly certified of Gods holy wil they both do most earnestly exhort vs and in all their wrytinges almost continually admonishe vs that we woulde remember the poore and bestowe our charitable aimes vppon them Saint Paul cryeth vnto vs after this sort Comfort the feeble mynded lift vp the weake and be charitable toward all men And agayne To do good to the poore and to distribute aimes gladly see that thou do not forget for with such sacrifices God is pleased Esai the Prophete teacheth on this wyse Deale thy bread to the hungrye and bring the poore wandering home to thy house When thou seest the naked see thou cloth him and hyde not thy face from thy poore neighbour neyther despise thou thyne owne fleshe And the holy father Tobi geueth this councell Geue almes sayeth he of thine owne goodes and turne neuer thy face from the poore eate thy bread with the hungry and couer the naked with thy clothes And the learned and godly doctour Chrisostome geueth this admonition Let mercifull almes be alwayes with vs as a garment that is as mindefull as we will be to put our garmentes vpon vs to couer our nakednes to defende vs from the colde and to shewe our selues comely So mindfull let vs be at al times and seasons that we geue almes to the poore shewe our selues mercifull towardes them But what meane these often admonitions ernest exhortations of the prophetes apostles fathers holy doctours Surely as they were faythful to Godwarde and therefore discharged their dutie truely in telling vs what was Gods wyl so of a singuler loue to vs ward they laboured not only to infourme vs but also to perswade with vs that to geue almes and to succour the poore and needie was a very acceptable thing and an high sacrifice to god wherin he greatly delighted and had a singuler pleasure For so doeth the wyse man the sonne of Syrach teach vs saying Who so is mercifull and geueth almes he offereth the right thanke offring And he addeth thereunto The ryght thanke offering maketh the aulter fat and a sweete smell it is before the hyghest it is acceptable before God and shall neuer be forgotten And the trueth of this doctrine is veryfied by the examples of those holy and charitable fathers of whom we reade in the scriptures that they were geuen to mercifull compassion towardes the poore charitable releeuing of their necessities Such a one was Abraham in whom God had so great pleasure that he vouchsafed to come vnto him in fourme of an Angell and to be intertayned of him at his house Such was his kinseman Lot whom God so fauoured for receauing his messengers into his house whiche otherwyse should haue layne in the streete that he saued him with his whole familie from the destruction of Sodome and Gomorra Suche were the holy fathers Job and Toby with many others who felte most sensible profes of Gods especiall loue towardes them And as all these by their mercifulnes and tender compassion which they shewed to the miserable afflicted membres of Christe in the releeuing helpyng and succouring them with their temporall goodes in this life obteyned gods fauour were deare acceptable and pleasaunt in his sight so now they them selues take pleasure in the fruition of God in the pleasaunt ioyes of heauen and are also in Gods eternall worde set before vs as perfect examples euer before our eyes both howe we shall please God in this mortall lyfe and also howe we may come to lyue in ioy with them in euerlastyng pleasure felicitie For moste true is that saying whiche S. Augustine hath that the geuing of almes and releuing of the poore is the right way to heauen Via coeli pauper est The poore man sayth he is the way to heauen They vsed in tymes past to set in hye wayes sides the picture of Mercury poyntyng with his fynger whiche was the ryght way to the towne And we vse in crosse wayes to set vp a wodden or stone crosse to admonishe the trauailing man whiche way he muste turne when he commeth thither to direct his iourney aright But Gods worde as S. Augustine sayth hath set in the way to heauen the poore man his house so that who so wyl go aryght thyther and not turne out of the way muste go by the poore The poore man is that Mercury that shall set vs the redy way and if we loke well to this marke we shal not wāder much out of the ryght path The maner of wise worldly men amongst vs is that if they knowe a man of meaner estate then thē selues to be in fauour with the prince or any other noble man whom they eyther feare or loue suche a one they wyl be glad to benefite pleasure that when they haue neede they may become their spokes man either to obteyne a commoditie or to escape a displeasure Nowe surely it ought to be a shame to vs that worldly men for temporall thinges that last but for a season should be more wise prouident in procuring them then we in heauenly Our sauiour Christ testifieth of poore men that they are deare vnto him that he loueth them especially For he calleth them his litle ones by a name of tender loue he sayth they be his brethren And saint James sayth that god hath chosen them to be the heires of his kyngdome Hath not God sayth he chosen the poore of this worlde to hym selfe to make thē hereafter the rich heires of that kyngdome which he hath promised to them that loue hym And we knowe that the prayer which they make for vs shal be acceptable and regarded of God their complaynt shal be hearde also Thereof doth Jesus the sonne of Sirach certaynely assure vs saying If the poore complayne of thee in the bitternesse of his soule his prayer shal be heard euen he that made hym shall heare hym Be curteous therfore vnto the poore We knowe also that he who acknowledgeth him selfe to be their maister and patrone and refuseth not to take them for his seruantes is both able to pleasure and displeasure vs and that we stande euery houre in neede of his helpe Why shoulde we then be eyther negligent or vnwylling to procure their frendship and fauour by the whiche
this a full perfect and blessed estate Coulde any thing els be well added hereunto or greater felicitie desyred in this worlde But as the common nature of all men is in tyme of prosperitie and wealth to forget not only them selues but also God Euen so did this first man Adam who hauing but one commaundement at Gods hande namely that he shoulde not eate of the fruite of knowledge of good ill dyd not withstanding most vnmindefully or rather moste wylfully breake it in forgetting the straight charge of his maker and geuing eare to the craftie suggestion of that wicked serpent the deuill Whereby it came to passe that as before he was blessed so nowe he was accursed as before he was loued so now he was abhorred as before he was most beautifull and pretious so nowe he was moste vyle and wretched in the sight of his Lorde and maker Insteade of the image of God he was nowe become the image of the deuill Insteade of the citezin of heauen he was become the bondslaue of hell hauing in hym selfe no one part of his former puritie cleannesse but being altogether spotted defiled insomuch that nowe he seemed to be nothing els but a lumpe of sinne and therfore by the iust iudgement of god was condempned to euerlasting death This so great and miserable a plague if it had only rested on Adam who first offended it had ben so muche the easyer and myght the better haue ben borne But it fell not only on hym but also on his posteritie children for euer so that the whole broode of Adams flesh should sustaine the selfe same fall punishment which their forefather by his offence most iustly had deserued Saint Paul in the fifth Chapter to the Romanes sayth By the offence of onlye Adam the fault came vpon all men to condempnation by one mans disobedience many were made sinners By which words we are taught that as in Adam al men vniuersally sinned so in Adam all men vniuersally receaued the reward of sinne that is to say became mortall subiect vnto death hauing in them selues nothyng but euerlasting dampnation both of body and soule They became as Dauid sayth corrupt abominable they went all out of the way there was none that dyd good no not one O what a miserable wofull state was this that the synne of one man should destroy and condempne al men that nothyng in all the worlde might be looked for but only pangues of death paynes of hell Had it ben any maruaile if mankinde had ben vtterlie driuen to desperation beyng thus fallen from life to death from saluation to destruction from heauen to hell But beholde the great goodnes tender mercie of god in this behalf Albeit mans wickednes sinfull behauiour was such that it deserued not in any part to be forgeuē yet to the intent he might not be cleane destitute of al hope and comfort in tyme to come he ordeyned a new couenaunt made a sure promise thereof namely that he would send a Messias or mediatour into the world which shoulde make intercession put him selfe as a stay betweene both parties to pacifie the wrath indignation conceaued against sinne to deliuer man out of the miserable curse and cursed miserie wherinto he was fallen headlong by disobeying the wyll commaundement of the only Lord maker This couenaunt and promise was first made vnto Adam him selfe immediatly after his fall as we reade in the thirde of Genesis where God sayd to the serpent on this wyse I wyll put enmitie betweene thee and the woman betweene thy seede her seede He shall breake thyne head thou shalt bruse his heele After warde the selfe same couenaunt was also more amplie plainely renued vnto Abraham where God promised him that in his seede all nations families of the earth should be blessed Agayne it was continued and confirmed vnto Isahac in the same fourme of wordes as it was before vnto his father And to the intent that mankinde myght not dispaire but alwayes lyue in hope almightie god neuer ceassed to publishe repeate confirme continue the same by diuers and sundrye testimonies of his prophetes who for the better perswasion of the thing prophesied the tyme the place the maner and circumstaunce of his birth the affliction of his life the kinde of his death the glory of his resurrection the receauing of his kingdome the deliueraunce of his people with all other circumstaunces belonging thereunto Esaias prophesied that he should be borne of a virgin and called Emanuel Micheas prophesied that he shoulde be borne in Bethlehem a place of Jurie Ezechiel prophesied that he shoulde come of the stocke and lynage of Dauid Daniel prophesied that all nations and languages shoulde serue him Zacharie prophesied that he should come in pouertie riding vpon an Asse Malachie prophesied that he shoulde sende Elias before him whiche was John the Baptist. Hieremie prophesied that he should be solde for thirtie peeces of siluer c. And all this was done that the promise couenaunt of God made vnto Abraham his posteritie concerning the redemption of the worlde myght be credited and fully beleued Nowe as the Apostle Paul sayth when the fulnesse of time was come that is the perfection and course of yeres appoynted from the beginning then God accordyng to his former couenaunt and promise sent a Messias otherwyse called a mediatour vnto the worlde not such a one as Moyses was not such a one as Josua Saul or Dauid was but suche a one as shoulde deliuer mankinde from the bitter curse of the lawe and make perfect satisfaction by his death for the sinnes of all people namely he sent his deare and only sonne Jesus Christ made as the Apostle sayth of a woman and made vnder the lawe that he might redeeme them that were in bondage of the lawe make thē the chyldren of God by adoption Was not this a wonderfull great loue towardes vs that were his professed and open enemies towardes vs that were by nature the children of wrath and fyrebrandes of hell fyre In this sayth Saint John appeared the great loue of God that he sent his onlye begotten sonne into the worlde to saue vs when we were his extreme enemies Herein is loue not that we loued him but that he loued vs and sent his sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes Saint Paul also sayth Christ when we were yet of no strength dyed for vs being vngodlye Doubtlesse a man wyll scarse dye for a ryghteous man Peraduenture some one durst dye for him of whom they haue receaued good But god setteth out his loue towardes vs in that he sent Christe to dye for vs when we were yet voyde of all goodnesse This and such other comparisons doth the Apostle vse to amplifie and set forth the tender mercie great goodnes of God declared towardes mankinde in sendyng downe a sauiour from heauen euen Christe
the expresse and liuelye image of God he woulde notwithstanding humble him selfe and take vppon him the fourme of a seruant and that onely to saue and redeeme vs O how much are we bounde to the goodnesse of God in this behalfe Howe manye thankes and prayses do we owe vnto him for this our saluatiō wrought by his deare and onely sonne Christe who became a pilgrime in earth to make vs citizens in heauen who became the sonne of man to make vs the sonnes of God who became obedient to the lawe to deliuer vs from the cursse of the lawe who became poore to make vs rich vyle to make vs precious subiect to death to make vs liue for euer What greater loue coulde we seelye creatures desire or wishe to haue at Gods handes Therefore dearelye beloued let vs not forget this exceeding loue of our Lorde and sauiour let vs not shew our selues vnmyndful or vnthankefull towardes him but let vs loue him feare him obey him and serue him Let vs confesse him with our mouthes praise him with our tongues beleue on him with our heartes and glorifie him with our good workes Christe is the light let vs receaue the light Christe is the trueth let vs beleue the trueth Christ is the way let vs folowe the way And because he is our onely maister our onely teacher our onely shepheard and cheefe captayne therfore let vs become his seruantes his schollers his sheepe and his souldiers As for sinne the flesh the worlde and the deuill whose seruantes and bondslaues we were before Christes comming let vs vtterly cast them of and defie them as the cheefe onely enemies of our soule And seing we are once deliuered from their cruel tyrannie by Christ let vs neuer fal into their hands againe lest we chance to be in a worse case then euer we were before Happy are they saith the scripture that continue to the ende Be faythful sayth God vntil death and I wil geue thee a crowne of lyfe Agayne he sayth in another place He that putteth his hand vnto the plough and looketh backe is not meete for the kyngdome of god Therefore let vs be strong stedfast and vnmoueable abounding alwayes in the workes of the lord Let vs receaue Christ not for a tyme but for euer let vs beleue his worde not for a tyme but for euer let vs become his seruaunts not for a tyme but for euer in consyderation that he hath redeemed saued vs not for a time but for euer and will receaue vs into his heauenly kingdome there to raygne with him not for a tyme but foreuer To him therfore with the father and the holy ghost be all honour prayse glory foreuer and euer Amen ¶ An homilee for good Friday concerning the death and passion of our sauiour Iesu Christ. IT shuld not become vs welbeloued in christ being that people whiche he redeemed frō the deuil from sinne and death and from euerlasting damnation by Christ to suffer this time to passe foorth without any meditation and remembraunce of that excellent worke of our redemption wrought as about this time through the great mercy and charitie of our sauiour Jesus Christ for vs wretched sinners and his mortall enemies For if a mortal mans deede done to the behofe of the common wealth be had in remembrance of vs with thankes for the benefite and profite whiche we receaue thereby How much more redily shoulde we haue in memorie this excellent act and benefite of Christes death whereby he hath purchased for vs the vndoubted pardon and forgeuenes of our sinnes whereby he made at one the father of heauen with vs in suche wyse that he taketh vs now for his louing children and for the true inheritours with Christe his naturall sonne of the kyngdome of heauen And verily so muche more doth Christes kindnes appeare vnto vs in that it pleased him to deliuer him selfe of all his godly honour which he was equally in with his father in heauen and to come downe into this vale of miserye to be made mortall man and to be in the state of a most lowe seruaunt seruing vs for our wealth and profite vs I saye whiche were his sworne enemies whiche had renounced his holy law and commaundements and folowed the lustes and sinfull pleasures of our corrupt nature And yet I say did Christe put him selfe betwene Gods deserued wrath our sinne and rente that obligation wherein we were in daunger to God and payde our dette Our dette was a great deale to great for vs to haue payde And without payment God the father coulde neuer be at one with vs Neyther was it possible to be losed from this dette by our owne habilitie It pleased him therefore to be the payer thereof and to discharge vs quite Who can now consyder the greuous det of sinne whiche coulde none otherwyse be payde but by the death of an innocent and will not hate sinne in his heart If God hateth sinne so much that he would allowe neither man nor Angell for the redemption thereof but onely the death of his onelye and welbeloued sonne who will not stande in feare thereof If we my freendes consyder this that for our sinnes this most innocent lambe was driuen to death we shall haue much more cause to bewayle our selues that we were the cause of his death then to crye out of the mallice and crueltie of the Jewes whiche pursued him to his death We did the deedes wherefore he was thus stricken and wounded they were onely the ministers of our wickednes It is meete then we shoulde step lowe downe into our heartes and bewayle our owne wretchednes and sinful liuing Let vs know for a certainetie that if the most dearly beloued sonne of God was thus punished and stricken for the sinne which he had not done him self how muche more ought we sore to be stricken for our dayly and manifolde sinnes whiche we commit agaynst God if we earnestlye repent vs not and be not sorye for them No man can loue sinne which God hateth so much and be in his fauour No man can saye that he loueth Christe truely and haue his great enemie sinne I meane the aucthour of his death familiar and in frendship with him So much do we loue God and Christe as we hate sinne We ought therefore to take great heede that we be not fauourers thereof least we be founde ennemies to God and traytours to Christe For not onelye they whiche nayled Christe vppon the crosse are his tormentours and crucifiers but all they sayth saint Paule crucifie agayne the sonne of God as muche as is in them whiche do commit vice and sinne which brought him to his death If the wages of sinne be death and death euerlasting Surely it is no small daunger to be in seruice thereof If we liue after the fleshe and after the sinfull lustes thereof saint Paule threatneth yea almightie God in saint Paule threatneth that we shal surely dye
if we suffer to be euill spoken of for the loue of Christe this is thankfull afore God for so did Christ suffer He neuer did sinne neyther was there any guyle found in his mouth Yea when he was reuyled with tauntes he reuyled not agayne When he was wrongfullye dealt with he threatned not againe nor reuenged his quarrel but deliuered his cause to him that iudgeth rightlye Perfect pacience careth not what nor howe much it suffereth nor of whom it suffereth whether offrende or foe but studyeth to suffer innocently and without deseruing Yea he in whom perfect charitie is careth so litle to reuenge that he rather studieth to do good for euill to blesse say well of them that curse him to pray for them that pursue him according to the example of our sauiour Christe who is the most perfect example paterne of all meekenes sufferaunce whiche hanging vpoÌ„ his crosse in most seruent anguish bleeding in euery part of his blessed body being set in the middes of his enemies crucifiers hee notwithstanding the intollerable paynes which they saw in him being of them mocked scorned despitefully without all fauour and compassion had yet towardes them such compassion in heart that he prayed to his father of heauen for them said O father forgeue them for they wote not what they doe What pacience was it also which he shewed when one of his own apostles seruaunts which was put in trust of him came to betray him vnto his enemies to the death He said nothing worse to him but Frend wherfore art thou come Thus good people shoulde we call to minde the great examples of charitie which Christe shewed in his passion if we will fruitfully remember his passion Suche charitie and loue shoulde we beare one to another if we will be the true seruauntes of Christe For if we loue but them which loue say wel by vs what great thing is it that we do saith Christ Do not the Panims open sinners so We must be more perfect in our charitie then thus euen as our father in heauen is perfect whiche maketh the light of his sunne to rise vpon the good the bad and sendeth his rayne vpon the kind vnkind After this maner should we shewe our charitie indiffereÌ„tly as wel to one as to another as wel to frende as foe lyke obedient children after the example of our good father in heauen For if Christe was obedient to his father euen to the death and that the most shameful death as the Jewes esteemed it the death of the crosse Why should we not be obedient to God in lower pointes of charitie and patience Let vs forgeue then our neighbours their small faultes as God for Christes sake hath forgeuen vs our great It is not meete that we should craue forgeuenes of our great offences at Gods handes and yet will not forgeue the small trespasses of our neighbours agaynst vs We do call for mercy in vayne if we will not shew mercy to our neighbours For if we will not put wrath and displeasure forth of our hearts to our christian brother no more wil God forgeue the displeasure and wrath that our sinnes haue deserued afore him For vnder this condition doth God forgeue vs if we forgeue other It becommeth not Christian men to be harde one to another nor yet to thinke their neighbour vnworthye to be forgeuen For howsoeuer vnworthy he is yet is Christ worthy to haue thee do thus much for his sake he hath deserued it of thee that thou shouldest forgeue thy neighbour And God is also to be obeyed which commaundeth vs to forgeue if we will haue any part of the pardon which our sauiour Christ purchased once of God the father by shedding of his precious blood Nothing becommeth Christes seruantes so much as mercy and compassion Let vs then be fauourable one to another and praye we one for another that we maye be healed from all frailties of our lyfe the lesse to offende one the other and that we maye be of one mynde and one spirite agreeing together in brotherly loue and concord euen like the deare children of god By these meanes shal we moue God to be mercifull to our sinnes yea and we shall be hereby the more redy to receaue our sauiour and maker in his blessed sacrament to our euerlasting comfort and health of soule Christ delighteth to enter and dwell in that soule where loue and charitie ruleth and where peace concord is seene For thus wryteth saint John God is charitie he that abydeth in charitie abydeth in God and God in him And by this sayth he we shall know that we be of God if we loue our brethren Yea and by this shall we knowe that we be shifted from death to lyfe if we loue one another But he whiche hateth his brother sayth the same Apostle abydeth in death euen in the daunger of euerlasting death is moreouer the childe of damnation of the deuil cursed of God and hated so long as he so remayneth of God and all his heauenly company For as peace and charitie make vs the blessed children of almightie God so doth hatred and enuie make vs the cursed children of the deuill God geue vs all grace to folow Christes example in peace and in charitie in pacience sufferaunce that we now may haue him our ghest to enter and dwel within vs so as we may be in ful suretie hauing such a pledge of our saluation If we haue him and his fauour we may be sure that we haue the fauour of God by his meanes For he sitteth on the right hand of his father as our proctour atturney pleading and suing for vs in all our needes and necessities Wherfore if we want anye gyft of godlye wisdome we maye aske it of God for Christes sake we shall haue it Let vs consyder and examine our selfe in what want we be concerning this vertue of charitie and patience If we see that our hearts be nothing inclined thervnto in forgeuing them that haue offended against vs then let vs knowledge our want and wishe to God to haue it But if we want it and see in our selfe no desyre thereunto veryly we be in a daungerous case before God and haue nede to make muche earnest prayer to God that we may haue such an heart changed to the graâ—â—ing in of a newe For vnlesse we forgeue other we shall neuer be forgeuen of god No not all the praiers and merites of other can pacifie God vnto vs vnlesse we be at peace and at one with our neighbour Nor all our deedes and good workes can moue God to forgeue vs our dettes to him except we forgeue to other He setteth more by mercy then by sacrifice Mercye moued our sauiour Christ to suffer for his enemies it becommeth vs then to follow his example For it shall litle
to be coÌ„dempned vnto death to take vpon him the rewarde of our sinnes and to geue his body to be broken on the crosse for our offences He sayth the prophete Esai meaning Christe hath borne our infirmities hath caried our sorowes the chastisement of our peace was vpoÌ„ him by his stripes are we made whole Saint Paul like wyse sayth God made him a sacrifice for our sinnes whiche knewe not sinne that we should be made the righteousnesse of God by him And saint Peter most agreeably wryting in this behalfe sayth Christe hath once died suffered for our sinnes the iust for the vniust c. To these myght be added an infinite number of other places to the same effect but these fewe shal be sufficient for this tyme Now then as it was said at the beginning let vs ponder weigh the cause of his death that therby we may be the more moued to glorifie him in our whole lyfe Whiche yf you wyll haue comprehended briefelye in one worde it was nothyng els in our parte but onlye the transgression and sinne of mankinde When the angell came to warne Joseph that he should not feare to take Mary to his wife Did he not therefore will the childes name to he called Jesus because he should saue his people from their sinnes When John the Baptist preached Christ and she wed hym to the people with his finger Dyd he not playnely say vnto them Behold the lambe of God whiche taketh away the sinnes of the worlde When the woman of Canaan besought Christ to helpe her daughter which was possest with a deuil did he not openly confesse that he was sent to saue the lost sheepe of the house of Israel by geuing his life for theyr sinnes It was sinne then O man eueÌ„ thy sinne that caused Christe the onlye sonne of God to be crucified in the fleshe and to suffer the most vyle slaunderous death of the crosse If thou haddest kept thy selfe vyryght if thou haddest obserued the commaundementes yf thou haddest not presumed to transgresse the wyll of God in thy fyrst father Adam then Christe being in fourme of God needed not to haue taken vppon him the shape of a seruaunt being immortall in heauen he needed not to become mortal on earth beyng the true bread of the soule he needed not to hunger being the healthfull water of lyfe he needed not to thirst being life it selfe he needed not to haue suffred death But to these and many other suche extremities was he dryuen by thy sinne which was so manifolde great that god could be onlye pleased in hym and none other Canst thou thinke of this O sinful man and not tremble within thy selfe Canst thou heare it quietlye without remorse of conscience and sorowe of heart Did Christ suffer his passion for thee and wylt thou shewe no compassion towardes hym Whyle Christe was yet hangyng on the Crosse and yelding vp the ghost the Scripture witnesseth that the vale of the temple did rent in twaine and the earth dyd quake that the stones claue asunder that the graues dyd open the dead bodyes rise And shall the heart of man be nothyng moued to remember how greeuously and cruelly he was handled of the Jewes for our sinnes Shall man shew himselfe to be more hard hearted then stones to haue lesse compassion theÌ„ dead bodies Call to minde O sinful creature and set before thyne eyes Christe crucified Thinke thou seest his body stretched out in length vppon the crosse his head crowned with sharpe thorne his handes his feete pearsed with nailes his heart opened with a long speare his fleshe rente and torne with whippes his browes sweating water and blood Thinke thou hearest hym nowe crying in an intollerable agonie to his father saying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Couldest thou behold this wofull sight or heare this mournefull voyce without teares consydering that he suffered all this not for any desart of his owne but only for the greeuousnes of thy sinnes O that mankinde shoulde put the euerlasting sonne of God to such paines O that we should be the occasion of his death the only cause of his condempnation May we not iustly crye wo worth the time that euer we sinned O my brethren let this image of Christe crucified be alwayes printed in our heartes let it stirre vs vp to the hatred of sinne prouoke our mindes to the earnest loue of almightie god For why Is not sinne thinke you a greuous thing in his sight seing for the transgressing of Gods precept in eating of one apple he condempned all the world to perpetuall death and would not be pacified but only with the blood of his own sonne True yea moste true is that saying of Dauid Thou O Lorde hatest all them that worke iniquitie neyther shall the wicked and euill man dwell with thee By the mouth of his prophete Esai he cryeth mainely out agaynst sinners and sayth â—o be vnto you that draw iniquitie with cordes of vanitie and sinne as it were with cart ropes Dyd not God geue a plaine token howe greatly he hated abhored sinne wheÌ„ he drowned all the world saue only eyght persons when he destroyed Sodome Gomorra with fire and brimstone when in three dayes space he killed with pestilence threescore and ten thousande for Dauids offence when he drowned Pharao and al his hoast in the red sea when he turned Nabuchodonozor the kyng into the fourme of a bruite beast creeping vppon all foure when he suffered Achitophel Iudas to hang them selues vpoÌ„ the remorse of sinne whiche was so terrible to theyr eyes A thousand such examples are to be found in scripture yf a man would stand to seeke them out But what neede we This one example which we haue now in hande is of more force ought more to moue vs then all the rest Christe being the sonne of god and perfect God him self who neuer committed sinne was compelled to come downe from heauen to geue his body to be bruised broken on the crosse for our sinnes Was not this a manifest token of Gods great wrath and displeasure towardes sinne that he could be pacified by no other meanes but onlye by the sweete precious blood of his deare sonne O sinne sinne that euer thou shouldest dryue Christe to suche extremitie Wo worth the tyme that euer thou camest into the world But what booteth it now to bewayle Sinne is come and so come that it can not be auoyded There is no man liuing no not the iustest man on the earth but he falleth seuen times a day as Salomon sayth And our Sauiour Christe although he hath deliuered vs from sinne yet not so that we shal be free from committing sinne But so that it shal not be imputed to our condempnation He hath taken vpon him the iust rewarde of sinne which was death by death
resteth al wysdome al habilitie to know God and to please hym For he writeth thus Be know that it is not in mans power to guide his goinges No man can know thy pleasure except thou geuest wysdome sendest thy holy spirite frō aboue Send him downe therefore prayeth he to God from thy holy heauens from the trone of thy maiestie that he may be with me and labour with me that so I may knowe what is acceptable before thee Let vs with so good heart pray as he dyd we shall not faile but to haue his assistance For he is sone seene of them that loue him he wyll be founde of them that seeke him For very liberall and gentle is the spirite of wisdome In his power shall we haue sufficient abilitie to knowe our duetie to God in him shall we be comforted and couraged to walke in our duetie in hym shall we be meete vessels to receaue the grace of almightie God for it is he that purgeth and purifieth the minde by his secrete working And he onlye is present euery where by his inuisible power and conteineth all thinges in his dominion He lyghtneth the heart to conceaue worthy thoughtes to almyghtie God he sitteth in the tongue of man to stirre him to speake his honour no language is hyd from him for he hath the knowledge of al speache he only ministreth spiritual strength to the powers of our soule body To hold the way whiche God had prepared for vs to walke ryghtly in our iourney we must acknowledge that it is in the power of his spirite which helpeth our infirmitie That we may boldly come in prayer and call vpon almyghtie God as our father it is by this holy spirite whiche maketh intercession for vs with continuall sighes If any gyft we haue wherewith we may worke to the glory of God profite of our neyghbour all is wrought by his owne selfe same spirite whiche maketh his distributions peculierly to euerye man as he wyl If any wysdome we haue it is not of our selues we can not glory therein as begun of our selues but we ought to glory in God from whō it came to vs as the prophete Jeremie wryteth Let him that reioyceth reioyce in this that he vnderstandeth knoweth me for I am the lord which sheweth mercie iudgement and righteousnes in the earth for in these thinges I delight saith the Lorde This wysdome can not be attayned but by the direction of the spirite of God therefore it is called spiritual wysdome And no where can we more certainely searche for the knowledge of this wyll of God by the which we must direct al our workes deedes but in the holy scriptures for they be they that testifie of hym sayth our sauiour Christe It maye be called knowledge and learnyng that is other where gotten out of the worde but the wyse man plainely testifieth that they al be but vaine which haue not in them the wisdome of god We see to what vanitie the olde Philosophers came which were destitute of this science gotten searched for in his worde We see what vanitie the schole doctrine is mixed with for that in this world they sought not the wyll of God but rather the wyll of reason the trade of custome the path of the fathers the practise of the Churche Let vs therfore reade reuolue the holy scripture both day nyght for blessed is he that hath his whole meditatiō therin It is that that geueth light to our feete to walke by It is that whiche geueth wysdome to the simple and ignoraunt In it may we finde eternall lyfe In the holy scriptures find we Christ in Christ find we God for he it is that is the expresse image of the father He that seeth Christ seeth the father And contrary wyse as Saint Hierome sayth the ignorance of scripture is the ignorance of christ Not to knowe Christ is to be in darknesse in the middes of our worldly and carnal light of reason and philosophie To be without Christe is to be in foolishnes For he is the only wysdome of the father in whom it pleased hym that all fulnesse perfection shoulde dwel With whō whosoeuer is indued in heart by faith rooted fast in charitie hath layde a sure foundation to buylde on whereby he may be able to comprehende with al saintes what is the breadth length deapth to know the loue of Christe This vniuersal and absolute knowledge is that wysdome which S. Paul wisheth these Ephesians to haue as vnder heauen the greatest treasure that can be obteyned For of this wysdome the wyse man wryteth thus of his experience All good thinges came to me together with her and innumerable ryches through her handes And addeth moreouer in that same place She is the mother of all these things For she is an infinite treasure vnto men which who so vse become partakers of the loue of god I might with many wordes moue some of this audience to searche for this wysdome to sequester their reason to folowe gods commaundemēt to cast frō them the wittes of their braines to fauour this wysdome to renounce the wysedome pollicie of this fonde worlde to taste and sauour that whereunto the fauour wyll of god hath called them and willeth vs finally to enioy by his fauour if we would geue eare But I wil haste to the thirde part of my text wherein is expressed further in sapience how God geueth his electe an vnderstandyng of the motions of the heauens of the alterations and circumstaunces of time Whiche as it foloweth in wordes more plentifull in the text which I haue last cited vnto you So it must needes folow in them that be indued with this spiritual wysdome For as they can searche where to finde this wysdome and know of whom to aske it So know they againe that in time it is found and can therefore attemper them selues to the occasion of the time to suffer no time to passe away wherein they maye labour for this wysdome And to encrease therein they knowe how God of his infinite mercie and lenitie geueth all men here tyme and place of repentance And they see howe the wicked as Job wryteth abuse the same to their pride therfore do the godly take the better holde of the time to redeeme it out of suche vse as it is spoyled in by the wicked They which haue this wisdome of God can gather by the diligent and earnest studye of the worldlinges of this present lyfe howe they wayte theyr times and apply them selues to euery occasion of time to get riches to encrease their landes patrimonie They see the tyme passe away and therefore take holde on it in such wise that otherwhyles they wyll with losse of theyr sleepe ease with suffering many paynes catche the offer of their time knowyng that that which is once past