in that he died and fuffered death; what other thing did he elfe declare, but only this, that he was perfect man as we are? For which caufe he is called in holy Scripture fometime the Son of David, fometime the Son of man, fometime the Son of Mary, fometime the Son of Jofeph, and fo forth. Now in that he forgave fins, in that he wrought miracles, in that he did caft out devils, in that he healed men with his only word, in that he knew the thoughts of men's hearts, in that he had the feas at his commandment, in that he walked on the water, in that he rofe from death to life, in that he afcended into heaven, and fo forth; what other thing did he fhew therein, but only that he was perfect God, coequal with the Father as touching his Deity? Therefore he faith, The Father and I are all one, which is to be understood of his Godhead. For as touching his manhood, he faith, The Father is greater than I am. Where are now those Marcionites, that deny Chrift to have been born in the flesh, or to have been perfect man? Where are now those Arians, which deny Chrift to have been perfect God, of equal fubftance with the Father? if there be any fuch, we may easily reprove them with thefe teftimonies of God's word, and fuch other. Whereunto I am most fure they shall never be able to answer. For the neceffity of our falvation did require fuch a Mediator and Saviour, as under one perfon fhould be a partaker of both natures: it was requifite he should be man, it was alfo requifite he fhould be God. For as the tranfgreffion came by man, fo was it meet the fatisfaction fhould be made by man. And because death, according to St. Paul, is the juft ftipend and reward of fin, therefore to appease the wrath of God, and to fatisfy his juftice, it was expedient. that our Mediator fhould be fuch a one, as might take upon him the fins of mankind, and fuftain the due punishment thereof, namely death. Moreover, he came in flefh, and in the self-fame flesh afcended into heaven, to declare and teftify unto us, that all faithful people which fteadfaftly believe in him fhall likewife come unto the fame manfion-place, whereunto he, being our chief Captain, is gone before. Laft of all, he became man, that we thereby might receive the greater comfort, as well in our prayers, as alfo in our adverfity, confidering with ourfelves, that we have a Mediator that is true man as we are, who alfo is touched with our infirmities, and was tempted even in like fort as we are. For these and fun dry other causes, it was moft needful he should come, as he did, in the flesh. But because no creature, in that he is only a creature, hath or may have power to deftroy death, and give life; to overcome hell, and purchase heaven; to remit fins, and give righteousness; therefore it was needful that our Meffias, whose proper duty and office that was, fhould be not only full and perfect man, but also full and perfect God, to the intent he might more fully and perfectly Matt. iii. make fatisfaction for mankind. God faith, This is my well-beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. By which place we learn, that Chrift appeafed and quenched the wrath of his Father, not in that he was only the Son of man; but much more in that he was the Son of God. Thus ye have heard declared out of the Scriptures, that Jefus Chrift was the true Meffias and Saviour of the world, that he was by nature and fubftance perfect God and perfect man, and for what cause it was expedient it fhould be fo. Now that we may be the more mindful and thankful unto God in this behalf, let us briefly confider, and call to mind the manifold and great benefits that we have received by the nativity and birth of this our Meffias and Saviour. Before Chrift's coming into the world, all men univerfally in Adam were nothing elfe but a wicked and crooked generation, rotten and corrupt trees, ftony ground, full of brambles and briers, loft fheep, prodigal fons, naughty and unprofitable fervants, unrighteous ftewards, workers of iniquity, the brood of adders, blind guides, fitting in darkness and in the fhadow of death; to be fhort, nothing else but children of perdition, and inheritors of hell-fire. To this doth St. Paul bear witnefs in divers places of his Epiftles, and Chrift alfo himself in fundry places of his Gospel. But after he was once come down from heaven, and had taken our frail nature upon him, he made all them that would receive him truly, and believe his word, good trees, and good ground, fruitful and pleasant branches, children of light, citizens of heaven, theep of his fold, members of his body, heirs of his kingdom, his true friends and brethren, sweet and lively bread, the elect and chofen people of God. For as St. Peter faith in his first Epifle and fecond chapter, He bare our fins in his body upon the crofs; he healed us, and made us whole by his ftripes: and whereas before we were Sheep going aftray, he by bis coming brought us home again la the the true Shepherd and Bishop of our fouls, making us a chofen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people of God, in that he died for our offences, and rofe again for our juftification. St. Paul to Timothy, the third chapter; We were, faith he, in times paft, unwife, difobedient, deceived, ferving divers lufts and pleasures, liv. ing in hatred, envy, maliciousness, and fo forth. But after the loving kindnefs of God our Saviour ap peared towards mankind, not according to the righteouf nefs that we had done, but according to his great mercy, he faved us by the fountain of the new birth, and by the renewing of the Holy Ghoft, which he poured upon us abundantly, through Jefus Chrift our Saviour, that we, being once juftified by his grace, fhould be heirs of eter nal life, through hope and faith in his blood. In these and fuch other places is fet out before our eyes, as it were in a glass, the abundant grace of God, received in Chrift Jefus, which is fo much the more wonderful, because it came not of any defert of ours, but of his mere and tender mercy, even then when we were his extreme enemies. But for the better understanding and confideration of this thing, let us behold the end of his coming, fo fhall we perceive what great commodity and profit his nativity hath brought unto us miferable and finful creatures. The end of his coming was to Matt. i. fave and deliver his people, to fulfil the law for us, to Matt. v. bear witnefs unto the truth, to teach and preach the Luke iv. words of his Father, to give light unto the world, to call John viii. finners to repentance, to refresh them that labour and be Matt. ix. heavy laden, to caft out the prince of this world, to re- John xii. concile us in the body of his flesh, to diffolve the works Coloff. i. of the Devil; laft of all, to become a propitiation for our Heb. x. fins, and not for ours only, but alfo for the fins of the Rom. ii. whole world. These were the chief ends wherefore Chrift became man, not for any profit that should come to himself thereby, but only for our fakes, that we might understand the will of God, be partakers of his heavenly light, be delivered out of the Devil's claws, released from the burden of fin, juftified through faith in his blood, and finally received up into everlasting glory, there to reign with him for ever Was not this a great and fingular love of Chrift towards mankind, that, being the exprefs and lively image of God, he would notwithstanding humble himself, and take upon him the form of a fervant, and that only to fave and redeem us? O how much John xviii. Matt. xi. are are we bound to the goodness of God in this behalf! How many thanks and praises do we owe unto him for this our falvation, wrought by his dear and only Son Chrift! who became a pilgrim in earth, to make us eitizens in heaven; who became the fon of man, to make us the fons of God; who became obedient to the law, to deliver us from the curse of the law; who became poor, to make us rich; vile, to make us precious; fubject to death, to make us live for ever. What greater love could we filly creatures defire or wish to have at God's hands? Therefore, dearly beloved, let us not forget this exceeding love of our Lord and Saviour, let us not shew ourfelves unmindful or unthankful toward him: but let us love him, fear him, obey him, and serve him. Let us confefs him with our mouths, praise him with our tongues, believe on him with our hearts, and glorify him with our good works. Chrift is the light, let us receive the light. Chrift is the truth, let us believe the truth. Chrift is the way, let us follow the way. And because he is our only mafter, our only teacher, our only fhepherd, and chief captain; therefore let us become his fervants, his fcholars, his fheep, and his foldiers. As for fin, the flesh, the world, and the Devil, whose servants and bondslaves we were before Chrift's coming, let us utterly caft them off, and defy them, as the chief and only enemies of our foul. And feeing we are once delivered from their cruel tyranny by Chrift, let us never fall into their hands again, left we chance to be in a worse case than ever we were before. Happy are they, faith the Scripture, that continue to the end. Be faithful, faith God, until death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Again, he faith in another place, He that putteth his hand unto the plough, and looketh back, is not meet for the kingdom of God. Therefore let us be ftrong, fteadfast, and unmoveable, abounding always in the works of the Lord. Let us receive Chrift, not for a time, but for ever; let us believe his word, not for a time, but for ever; let us become his fervants, not for a time, but for ever; in confideration that he hath redeemed and faved us, not for a time, but for ever; and will receive us into his heavenly kingdom, there to reign with him, not for a time, but for ever. Το him therefore, with the Father and the Holy Ghoft, be all honour, praise, and glory, for ever and ever. Amen. AN AN HOMILY FOR Good-Friday, concerning the Death and Paffion of our IT fhould not become us, well-beloved in Christ, being that people which be redeemed from the Devil, from fin and death, and from everlafting damnation, by Chrift, to fuffer this time to pass forth without any meditation and remembrance of that excellent work of our redemption, wrought as about this time, through the great mercy and charity of our Saviour Jefus Chrift, for us wretched finners, and his mortal enemies. For if a mortal man's deed, done to the behoof of the commonwealth, be had in remembrance of us, with thanks for the benefit and profit which we receive thereby; how much more readily fhould we have in memory this excellent act and benefit of Chrift's death? whereby he hath purchased for us the undoubted pardon and forgiveness of our fins, whereby he made at one the Father of heaven with us, in fuch wife, that he taketh us now for his loving children, and for the true inheritors, with Chrift his natural Son, of the kingdom of heaven. And verily fo much more doth Chrift's kindnefs appear unto us, in that it pleafed him to deliver himself of all his godly honour, which he was equally in with his Father in heaven, and to come down into this vale of mifery, to be made mortal man, and to be in the ftate of a moft low fervant, ferving us for our wealth and profit; us, I fay, which were his fworn enemies, which had renounced his holy law and commandments, and followed the lufts and finful pleafures of our corrupt nature. And yet, I fay, did Chrift put himself Coloff. ii. 1 between God's deferved wrath and our fin, and rent that obligation, wherein we were in danger to God, and paid our debt. Our debt was a great deal too great for us |