them that shall be saved, may be here gathered of the Apostle Jude. First, he saith, they believed in God, the Father: secondly, they be preserved in Christ Jesus and thirdly, they be called by Jesus Christ, through his word, to be obedient to do those things gladly and freely, that the word of God teach-. eth them. This thing St. John testifieth (John, xvii.), saying; " Father, I have shewed thy name to men, whom thou hast given to me of the world:. they were thine, and to me thou hast given them, and they have kept thy word. Now truly they have known that all things, which thou hast given to me, were of thee; for the words, which thou didst give me, I did give to them, and they have received them, and they have known truly, that from thee I have gone, and that thou sentest me."

Here, we may learn the mean, which God useth towards them, that shall be saved. Although God only save us by himself, by Jesus Christ, and of his mere mercy and grace; yet he useth a mean, whereby he bringeth men to salvation: that is, to save by the word of God preached, the giving credence to it, and the working after it. Wherefore, if the word of God be not preached nor had amongst us, it is a great token, that we be not in the favour of God, nor of elected people to salvation.

Also, if we in ourselves do perceive no desire, nor love to the word of God; but disregard it, esteem it at little value, think other things more precious than it, or think it foolishness, or as a vain thing: then it is a token, that those, who think so, be none of the people of God, nor yet in the favour of God, as long as they shall think so, Of these tokens and signs every one in himself may soon perceive, whether he is in the favour of God, or no; in that he hath, or hath not a desire or a love to God's word,

to hear it, to read it, to believe it, to work after it, and to esteem it above all worldly things.

Ver. 2. Mercy be to you and peace, and may cha= rity be multiplied.

In this salutation what things St. Jude desireth and wisheth to them, to whom he writeth, here it is shewed. He desireth that God would increase and multiply his gifts in them, and specially give them Inercy, peace, and charity with him: which three gifts be very necessary for every Christian man and woman, as long as they shall live in this world.

The Apostle here teacheth us what things we should desire, one unto another; that is to say, the gifts of God to be increased and multiplied amongst us, and in all men. Far from this wholesome counsel of the Apostle Jude be those men and women, who do not desire nor wish good things unto their neighbours or other men; but desire vengeance, evil: chance, death of their neighbours, or evil fortune to chance unto their neighbour, or neighbour's cattle or goods; who do curse and bann their neighbours, desiring God to take vengeance upon them, or to send some sudden sickness, or disease upon them, as the. pestilence, the small-pox, the falling sickness, or such-like. Those men follow not the counsel of the Apostle in this place. Let therefore all such evil persons, that follow not the counsel of the Apostle, leave their evil and devilish affections and desires, which bring everlasting death, if they be not left and forsaken with repentance before death: and let them follow the wholesome counsel of St. Jude, who desireth mercy, peace, and charity to be multiplied to every one.

First, he desireth to them the mercy of God, that it would please God to give them his mercy and grace, that they might repent them of their old vices and sins, and utterly forsake them, and have a new

life in Christ Jesus: which thing no man can do without the mercy and grace of God; therefore mercy and grace are first of all to be desired.

Secondly, he desireth peace between men and God in men's consciences: which peace and quietness in conscience evil men have not, for to evil men is not peace with God in their conscientes, as the prophet saith, but evil men hate God alway, and fear him sore, lest he should punish them. For they count God, as a strict judge or a cruel tormentor, that will suffer no fault to go unpunished, but will extremely punish every fault, or trespass done against him. The evil sometimes do abstain from vices and sins, but not for love of God, or of justice, but for fear of pain, or for hope of reward of men, or favour of men. The evil sometimes have peace outwardly, as with men and with the world; but inwardly in their conscience they lack peace and quietness. In their heart they have God, as one wroth with them, their consciences bite them and trouble them sore: day or night they be not quiet in conscience, but ever, when they remember God, they fear pain and punishment. This considering, Jude desireth to them peace in their conscience with God, which peace only is given to men, that be justified by faith; as witnesseth St. Paul (Rom. v.): " We, being justified by faith, have peace with God." Whether they have peace with the world, and the men of the world, or no; good men, that be justified by faith, have peace with God inwardly in their conscience.

Thirdly, he desireth charity, that they should be charitable and loving one to another, knit together in mutual love, one loving another heartily, and shewing their love by mutual works, and deeds; and that their love should be only for God's cause, but not for any carnal lucre, or advantage, honour,

or any carnal cause. Thus in this salutation we be taught what Christian men should desire and wish one to another, that is to say, mercy, peace, and charity of God, as the Apostle teacheth us.

2. A Commentary upon St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians

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3. An Exposition upon the Epistle of St. Paul to the Philippians