Isai. liii.

DOCTRINE AND FRUIT.

THE last words which Jesus spake upon the cross, ought all faithful believers well to write in their hearts, and therein diligently to keep them. First, he spake a loving friendly word, a word full of grace and sweet comfort to all sinners, sufficient and enough to break all hardness of heart, and to provoke fruitful repentance: "Father, forgive them." O how great goodness and lovingkindness is this! how ready is Jesus unto mercy! how well willing is he to forgive his lovers, that sheweth himself so mild and gracious unto his enemies! No angry word, no displeasure poureth he out against those that crucified him; no vengeance nor plague desireth he to fall upon that ungracious people, but speaketh most sweet words, full of ardent love: "O Father, forgive them," &c.

In these words appeareth his exceeding great love with unoutspeakable softness of mind, which through no malice might be overcome. They, like mad and blood-thirsty men, cried: "Away with him; crucify him, crucify him." O the wonderful great lenity of our Lord Jesus Christ! They revile and misentreat him to the uttermost; he prayeth for them, that they, being converted from their wickedness, may acknowledge him the very true Son of God to have appeared in the flesh.

Here is fulfilled that Esay said: "He hath borne the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors,' that they should not perish.

Who now being in sin, will despair in the mercy of God, when the great offenders, that crucified and slew the giver of all remission, found so great grace and goodness?

A stedfast hope therefore ought we to conceive and to be sure of, how great soever our sin be. The hope of life standeth yet open, the bowels of mercy are yet ready prepared. Only unto him let us resort; full graciously will he receive us, so far as we give over ourselves unto him. Here likewise, by the example of our foregoer, we must learn to forgive our neighbour, to pray also for our enemies, and for those that do us harm. If we gladly forgive that little, God will forgive us the great. If we so do, we find grace, and are the children of the heavenly Father. As for the recom

pensing of all despite, and taking of vengeance, we must commit and refer that unto our Father, who judgeth right- 1 Pet. ii. ii. eously.

O Jesu, thou heavenly schoolmaster, teach us this, and grant us grace to do it. Give us also an assured hope of thy mercy and grace, that we fall into no despair through the multitude of our sins; but with faithful minds to consider, that for to heal sin thou camest into this world, and hast shed thy blood. O grant unto us free refuge and sure defence under the shadow of thy wings, and under the invincible token of thy holy cross. Receive us poor sinners, which utterly trust not in any good deed or merit of our own, but only in thy mercy. Amen.

Very spiteful extremity is shewed unto our Saviour, in that he must behold and see, how the vile unthrifts part his clothes amongst them. By this is there set forth unto us a doctrine, how we ought to behave ourselves, if our temporal goods be withdrawn and taken from us. We must be readier to suffer temporal harm, than to be revenged, or with unquiet suit at the law to require our own. He that created the whole world, hath not a corner where to rest his head. He that beautifieth and decketh all things, hangeth bare and naked himself. Whereby we must learn to be patient, if that which is ours be taken from us: we must learn to be content with few things, and to take in good part things of small reputation, and not to grudge, but with quiet minds to be thankful unto God.

O Lord, grant unto us, that we appear not naked and bare before thee; clothe us with the wedding-garment of faith and love; and when we suffer wrong, give us grace to follow thine example in patience, that no sorrow nor heaviness for loss of temporal goods lead us away from thee. Amen.

[Matthew xxvii. 39-44. Mark xv. 29-32. Luke xxiii. 35—43.]

THEY that passed by reviled and blasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying: Lo, thou that breakest down the temple, and settest it up again in three days, help now thyself: if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

The high priests also mocked him, together with the scribes and elders, and said amongst themselves: He helped others; can he not help himself? If he be Christ, the chosen of God, the king of Israel, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe him. He setteth his hope and trust in God let him deliver him, if he will have him; for he hath said: I am the Son of God. The murderers also that were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth, and reviled him. The people stood there, and waited; and the chief of them mocked him, and said: Hath he helped others, and cannot help himself, and is Christ the chosen of God? The soldiers also mocked him, came, and proffered him vinegar, and said: If thou be king of the Jews, help thyself. One of the murderers that hanged by him reviled him also, and said: If thou be the Christ, help thyself and us. But the other rebuked him, and said: Fearest thou not God, seeing thou art in the same damnation? As for us, we are justly punished, for we receive according to our deeds; but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus: Lord, remember me, when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him: Verily, I say unto thee, this day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

DOCTRINE AND FRUIT.

He

JESUS for our sake took upon himself the most extreme shame, rebuke, and derision, to deliver us from eternal villany1, and that we should learn gladly to suffer reproach and shame, and to despise the vain glory of the world. is mocked and contemned of high and low, of spiritual, of temporal, and of every man. For they, being full of gall, bitterness, and poison, pour it out with their false tongues and outward gestures, casting out wicked slanderous words, and sharpening their venomous tongues against the innocent Saviour. They rather should have bewailed their own great sins: but there is no compassion nor mercy in them; their

[1 Villany: slavery.]

Yet

hearts are stopped, Satan hath the leading of them. cannot their malice overcome good Jesus; through their wickedness and despite cannot his patience be vanquished. No opprobrious or vile word might cause him to omit the work of our redemption; but he continueth in love, and performeth it with an honourable end. Even as he teacheth us Matt. xxiv. to endure unto the end, so doth he practise it himself, and declareth it unto us in deed and example.

We therefore that will be followers of Jesu Christ, should set before us this excellent example of our foregoer, and learn to contemn the world, and stoutly to abide in our holy vocation and purpose. It is the work of Christ that we have in hand; and before us we have an high perfect example-giver, of whom we ought to learn, even Christ Jesus, who for our sakes was obedient to the Father until the death of the cross. Phil. ii. Wherefore, seeing we are become children of God through grace, we must be obedient to our heavenly Father, looking to his good pleasure, bidding the world farewell, despising the mocks and scorns thereof, looking up ever diligently unto the crucified Lord Jesus, who waiteth for us with outstretched arms, calleth us lovingly unto him, and for a short travail promiseth us eternal reward, and saith: "If thou suffer with 2 Tim. ii. me, thou shalt reign with me; if thou die with me, thou shalt also be crowned with me."

O Lord Jesu Christ, our foregoer and protector, grant us grace stedfastly to continue in our holy vocation, and to abide in thy service; that through no tediousness or sloth we shrink or cease from the ferventness of good works and holy exercises; that we, being alway ready furnished with watching and prayer, may stedfastly stand, and with a constant mind despise all bodily provocations, shewing patience in adversity, not fearing the slanders and despiteful words of the people, neither desiring the praise and honour of this world; that in the only eternal wealth we may set all our trust, and never to go back from the cross for wealth nor woe; but that under the same banner, through true patience, meekness, and obedience, we may finish our life with a blessed end. Amen.

In the offender that received of Christ the promise of grace, there is set before us a comfortable example of the mercy and love of God. For he that afore had been a mur

derer, and now was become a penitent and repentant person, as soon as he acknowledged the trespass, and was unfeignedly sorry for his offences committed, confessing Christ the fountain. of life, there was promised unto him forgiveness of his sins and entrance into joy. Whereby we see, that no true penitent cometh too late, and that no conversion is unfruitful, if it be done unfeignedly from out of the heart. Here should we learn to go into ourselves, to acknowledge and confess our sins, to complain unto God with lamentation, and to desire grace at his hand; affirming also, that we are well worthy of all rebuke and shame, all punishment, pain, and adversity. Nevertheless, in the consideration of God's eternal mercy, we ought not to despair, but to turn us unto the Bishop and chief Shepherd of our souls; and say: "Lord, remember us in thy kingdom, where thou sittest at the right hand of God thy Father" so shall we undoubtedly hear this cheerful voice: "To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." This word of consolation, this gracious promise, shall strengthen and comfort our troubled heart in the careful and terrible hour; so that we shall be able quietly to die, forasmuch as Jesus so friendly speaketh to us, and receiveth us so graciously.

Great and unsearchable is the mercy of God, that pardoneth so great a sinner and offender, and doth not cast him off: neither will he reject our fervent prayer, which we in Ezek. xviii. true confidence make unto him. He "desireth not the death of a sinner, but willeth that he convert and live." "So loved he the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life;" neither came he to call the righteous, but sinners.

John iii.

Matt. ix.

O Jesu, be mindful of thy promise; think upon us thy servants; and when we shall depart hence, speak unto our soul these loving words: "To day shalt thou be with me in joy." O Lord Jesu Christ, remember us thy servants that trust in thee, when our tongue cannot speak, when the sight of our eyes faileth, and when our ears are stopped. Suffer not the old serpent and wicked enemy, the devil, to find anything in us, though he subtilely tempt us, and craftily lay wait for us. In thee shall we overcome him; for in thee is our strength. Thou takest all our sins upon thyself; so that