will not hauc vs satisfied and contented with one gift, neither to aske simple and small gifts; and, therefore, he promiseth, and bindeth himselfe by his word, to giue good and beneficiall gifts, to all them that aske him with true faith, without which, nothing can be done acceptable, or pleasing, to God; for faith is the foundation and ground of all other gifts, vertues, and graces; and, therefore, I will praic and saie, Lord, increase my faith.’

For this is the life euerlasting, Lord, that I must beleeue thee to be the true God, and whom that thou didst send Jesus Christ. By this faith I am assured, and, by this assurance, I feele the remission of my sins. This is it that maketh me bold; this is it that comforteth me; this is it that quencheth all despaire.

I knowe, O my Lord, thine eies looke vpon my faith. St. Paule saith, "We be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the deeds of the lawe; for, if righteousnes come by the lawe, then Christ died in vaine.' St, Paule meaneth not here, a dead, humane, and historicall faith, gotten by humane industrie; but a supernaturall and liuelic faith, which worketh by charitie, as he himself plainfie expresseth. This dignitie of faith is no derogation to good works; for, out of this faith spring all good works, yet we may not impute to the worthinesse of faith or works our justification before God, but ascribe, and giue the worthinesse of it, wholie to the merits of Christs passion, and refer and attribute the knowledge and perceiuing thereof, onlie to faith; whose verie, true, and onlie propertie it is, to take, apprehend, and hold fast the promises of Gods mercie, the which maketh vs righteous; and to cause me continuallie to hope for the same mercie, and, in loue, to work all maner of waies allowed in the scripture, that I may be thankfull for the same. Thus I feele my selfe to come, as it were, in a new garment before God; and now, by his mercie, to be taken iust and righteous, which, of late, without his mercie, was sinfull and wicked; and, by faith, to obteine his mercie, the which the vnfaithfull can not enioie. And, although St. John extolleth charitie, in his epistle, saieng, That God is charitie, and he that dwelleth in charitie, dwelleth in God.' Truelic, charitie maketh men liue like angels, and, of the most furious, vnbrideled, and carnall men, maketh meeke lambes.

Yea, with how feruent a spirit ought I to call, crie, and praie to the Lord, o make his great charitie to burne and flame my hart, being stonie, and cuill affected, that it neuer would conceiue, nor regard, the great inestimable charitie and loue of God, in sending his onlie begotten, and deere beloved sonne, into this vale of miserie, to suffer the most cruell and sharpe death of the cross, for my redemption: Yea, I neuer had this vnspeakable and most high charitic, and abundant loue of God, printed, and fixed in my hart duelie, till it pleased God, of his meere grace, mercie, and pittic, to open mine cies, making me to see, and be hold, with the eie of liuelie faith, Christ crucified, to be mine onlie Sauiour and Redeemer. For then I began (and not before) to perceive and see mine owne ignorance and blindnesse; the cause thereof was, that I would not learne to knowe Christ my Sauiour and Redeemer.

But when God, of his meere goodnesse, had thus opened mine eies, and made me see and beho! I Christ, the wisedome of God, the light of

the world, with a supernaturall sight of faith, all pleasures, vanities, honor, riches, wealth, and aids of the world, began to waxe bitter vnto me: Then I knew it was no illusion of the diuell, nor false, ne humane doctrine I had receiued. When such successe came thereof, that I had in detestation and horrour that, which I erst so much loued and esteemed; being, of God, forbidden, that we should loue the world, or the vaine pleasures and shadowes in the same: Then began I to perceiue, that Christ was my onlie Sauiour and Redeemer; and the same doctrine to be all diuine, holie, heauenlie, and infused, by grace, into the harts of the faithfull, which neuer can be attained by humane doctrine, wit, nor reason, although they should trauell and labour for the same to the end of the world. Then began I to dwell in God by charitie, knowing, by the louing charitie of God, in the remission of my sinnes, that God is charitie, as St. John saith. So that of my faith (whereby I came to knowe God, and, whereby, it pleased God, euen bicause I trusted in him, to iustifie me) sprang this excellent charitie in my hart.

I thinke no lesse, but manie will wonder, and maruell at this my saieng, that I neuer knewe Christ for my Sauiour and Redeemer vntill this time. For many haue this opinion, saieng: Who knoweth not there is a Christ? Who, being a Christian, doth not confesse him his Sauiour?' And thus, beleeuing their dead, humane, historicall faith and knowledge (which they haue learned in their scholasticall bookes) to be the true infused faith and knowledge of Christ, which may be had, as I said before, with all sinne: They vse to saie, by their owne experience of themselues, that their faith doth not iustifie them. And, true it is, except they haue this faith, the which I haue declared here before, they shall neuer be iustified.

And yet it is not false, that, by faith onlie, I am sure to be iustified. Euen this is the cause, that so manie impugne this office and dutie of true faith, bicause so manie lacke the true faith. And, euen as the faithfull are forced to allow this true faith, so the vnfaithfull can, in no wise probablic, intreate thereof; the one feeling in himselfe that he saith, the other hauing not in him for to saie.

I haue, certeinlie, no curious learning to defend this matter withall, but a simple zeale, and earnest loue, to the truth inspired of God, who promiseth, to powre his Spirit upon all flesh; which I haue, by the grace of God (whom I most humblie honour) felt in my selfe to be

true.

THE FOURTH CHAPTER.

Of the great Loue of God towards Mankind, and of the inward Beholding of Christ crucified.

LET vs, therefore, now, I praie you, by faith, behold and consider the great charitie and goodnesse of God, in sending his sonne, to suffer death for our redemption, when we were his mortall enemies; and, after what sort and maner he sent him.

First, It is to be considered, yea to be vndoubtedlie, and, with a perfect faith, belecued, that God sent him to vs freelie; for he did giue him, and sold him not; a more noble and rich gift he could not haue giuen. He sent not a seruant, or a friend, but his onlie sonne, so deerelie beloued; not in delights, riches, and honours, but in crosses, pouerties, and slanders; not as a Lord, but as a seruant, yea, and in most uille and painefull passions, to wash us; not with water, but with his owne pretious bloud; not from mire, but from the puddle and filth of our iniquities. He hath giuen him, not to make vs poore, but to enrich vs with his diuine vertues, merits, and graces; yea, and in him, he hath giuen vs all good things, and, finallie, himselfe, and with such great charitie, as can not be expressed.

Was it not a most high and abundant charitie of God, to send Christ to shed his bloud, to loose honour, life, and all, for his enemies? Euen, in the time, when he had done him most iniurie, he first shewed his charice to vs, with such flames of loue, that greater could not be shewed. God, in Christ, hath opened unto vs (although we be weake and blind of our selues) that we may behold, in this miserable estate, the great wisedome, goodnesse, and truth, with all the other godlie perfections, which be in Christ, Therefore, inwardlie to behold Christ crucified vpon the Crosse, is the best and goodliest meditation that can be.

We may see also, in Christ crucified, the beautie of the soule, better than in all the bookes of the world: for who, that with a liuelie faith, seeth and feeleth, in spirit, that Christ, the Sonne of God, is dead, for the satisfieng and purifieng of the soule, shall see, that his soule is appointed for the ueric tabernacle and mansion of the inestimable and incomprehensible maiestie and honour of God. We see also, in Christ crucified, how vaine and foolish the world is, and how that Christ, being most wise, despised the same, We see, also, how blind it is, because the same knoweth not Christ, but persecuteth him. We see also, how vnkind the world is, by the killing of Christ, in the time he did shew it most fauour. How hard and obstinate was it, that would not be mollified with so manie tears, such sweate, and so much bloudshead of the Sonne of God, suffering with so great and high ebaritie?

Therefore, he is now verie blind, that seeth not how vaine, foolish, false, ingrate, cruell, hard, wicked, and cuill the world is. We may also, in Christ crucified, weigh our sinnes, as in a diuine ballance, how grecuous, and how weightie they be, seeing they haue crucified Christ; for they would neuer haue beene counterpaised, but with the great and pretious weight of the bloud of the Sonne of God. And, therefore, God, of his high goodnesse, determined, that his blessed Sonne should rather suffer bloudshead, than our sinnes should haue condemned vs. We shall neuer knowe our owne miserie and wretchednesse, but with the light of Christ crucified; then we shall see our owne crueltie, when we fecle his mercie; our owne vnrighteousnesse and iniquitie, when we see his righteousnesse and holinesse. Therefore, to learne to knowe trulie our owne sinnes is to studie in the booke of the crucifixe, by continuall conuersation in faith; and to haue perfect

and plentifull charitie is to learne, first by faith, the charitie that is in God towards vs.

We may see also, in Christ upon the Crosse, how great the paines of hell, and howe blessed the ioies of heauen be; and what a sharpe and painefull thing it shall be to them, that, of that sweet, happie, and glorious ioie, Christ, shall be depriued. Then this crucifixe is the booke, wherein God hath included all things, and hath most compendiousle written, therein, all truth, profitable and necessarie for our saluation. Therefore, let vs endeuour, our selues,. to studie this booke, that we, being lightened with the spirit of God, may giue him thanks for so great a benefit.

THE FIFT CHAPTER.

Of the glorious Victories of Christ ouer all Enemies.

IF we looke further in this booke, we shall see Christs great victorie vpon the crosse, which was so noble and mightie, that there neuer was 80 noble a mightic, that there neur was, neither shall be such. If the victorie and glorie of worldlie princes were great, because they did ouercome great hostes of men, how much was Christes greater, which vanquished, not onelie the prince of this world, but all the enemies of God; triumphing ouer persecution, iniuries, villanies, slanders, yea death, the world, sinne, and the diuell, and brought to confusion all carnall prudence?

The princes of the world neuer did fight, without the strength of the world: Christ contrarilie went to warre, euen against all the strength of the world. He fought, as Dauid did with Golias, vnarmed of all humane wisdome and policie, and without all worldlie power and strength. Neuerthelesse, he was fullie replenished, and armed with the whole armour of the spirit; and, in this one battell, he ouercame, for euer, all his enemies. There was neuer so glorious a spoile, neither a more rich and noble, than Christ was upon the crosse, which deliuered all his elect from such a sharpe and miserable captuitie. He had, in his battell, manie stripes, yea, and lost his life, but his victorie was so much the greater. Therefore, when I looke vpon the Sonne of God, with a supernaturall faith and light, so vnarmed, naked, giuen vp, and alone, with humilitie, patience, liberalitie, modestie, gentlenesse, and with all other his diuine vertues, beating downe to the ground all Gods enemies, and making the soule of man so faire and beautifull: I am forced to saie, that his victorie and triumph was maruellous; and, therefore, Christ well deserued to have this noble title, Iesus of Nazareth, King of the lewes.

But, if we will particularlie vnfold and see his great victories, let vs first behold, how he ouercame sinne with his innocencie, and confounded pride with his humilitie; quenched all worldlie loue with his

charitie, appeased the wrath of his father with his meekenesse, and turned hatred into loue, with his so manie benefits and godlie zeale.

Christ hath not onlie ouercome sinne, but, rather, he hath killed the same; in asmuch as he hath satisfied for it himselfe, with the most holie sacrifice and oblation of his pretious bodie, in suffering most bitter and cruell death. Also, after another sort, that is, he giueth all those that loue him, so much spirit, grace, vertue, and strength, that they may resist, impugne, and ouercome sinne, and not consent, neither suffer it to reigne in them. He hath also vanquished sinne, because he hath taken awaie the force of the same; that is, he hath cancelled the lawe, which was, in euill men, the occasion of sinne. Therefore, sinne hath no power against them, that are, with the Holic Ghost, vnited to Christ; in them there is nothinge worthie of damnation. And although the dregs of Adam do remaine, that is, our concupis cences, which, in deede, be sinnes; neuerthelesse, they be not imputed for sinnes, if we be trulie planted in Christ. It is true, that Christ might haue taken awaie all our immoderate affections, but he hath left them for the great glorie of his Father, and for his owne greater triumph. As for example: When a prince fighteth with his enemies, which, sometime, had the souereigntie ouer his people, and, subduing them, may kill them if he will, yet he preserueth and saucth them; and, whereas they were lords ouer his people, he maketh them after to serue, whome they before had ruled. Now, in such a case, the prince doth shewe himself a greater conquerour, in that he hath made them, which were rulers, to obcie; and the subiects to be Lords ouer them, to whome they serued, than if he had vtterlie destroied them vpon the conquest. For now he leaueth continuall victorie to them, whome he redeemed, whereas, otherwise, the occasion of victorie was taken awaie, where none were left to be the subiects. Euen so, in like case, Christ hath left in vs these concupiscences, to the intent they should serue vs, to the exercise of our vertues, where first they did reigne ouer vs, to the exercise of our sinne. And it may be plainlie seene, that whereas, first, they were such impediments to vs, that we could not mooue our selues towards God; now, by Christ, we haue-so much strength, that, notwithstanding the force of them, we may assuredlie walke to heauen. And although the children of God, sometime, do fall, by frailtie, into some sinne; yea, that falling maketh them to humble themselves, and to reknowledge the goodnesse of God, and to come to him for refuge and helpe.

Likewise Christ, by his death, hath ouercome the prince of diuells, with all his hoast, and hath destroied them all. For, as Paule saith, it is verified, that Christ should breake the serpents head, prophefied by God. And although the diuell tempt vs, yet if, by faith, we be planted in Christ, we shall not perish, but rather, by his temptation, take great force and might. So it is euident, that the triumph, victorie, and glorie of Christ is the greater, hauing, in such sort, subdued the diuell; that, whereas he was prince and lord of the world, holding all creatures in captiuitie, now Christ vseth him as an instrument to punish the wicked, and to exercise and make strong the elect of God in Christian warfare.