truth, the perfect the very life eternal, which is Christ Jesus, and there is eternal peace. God grant that all they which read this little book, and consider this matter, may so burn in love and fervent devotion, that they continue and live in Christ, and he in them for ever! Amen.

[CHAPTER I.]

THE PASSION OF CHRIST OUT OF THE HOLY

EVANGELISTS.

[Matthew xxvi. 1–9. Mark xiv. 1-25. Luke xxii. 1—19.
John xiii. 1.]

THE feast of sweet bread, which is also called Easter, drew nigh, namely, after two days. Then said Jesus to his disciples: Know ye, that after two days shall be Easter, and the Son of man shall be betrayed and crucified. At the same time were the chief priests and council gathered together in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiphas; and there they counselled, how they might craftily apprehend, take, and kill him. Howbeit they feared the people. Therefore said they together: Not on the holy day, lest there be an uproar among the people. But Satan was entered into Judas called Iscariot, one of the twelve, who went out to the high priests and rulers, intending to deliver him unto them: therefore how he would deliver Jesus unto them, he told them, and said: What will you give me, and I will deliver him unto you? When they heard that, they were glad, and agreed with him, promising him thirty pence. Then promised he them, and sought from thenceforth opportunity, how he might deliver Jesus unto them handsomely and without any uproar.

But afore the feast which is called PASSAH, Jesus, knowing that his hour was come, and that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, while he loved his own that were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

On the first day of sweet bread, when they offer passah, the disciples came to Jesu and said: Where wilt thou that

[COVERDALE.]

14

we go and prepare passah for thee? Then sent he two of his disciples, namely, Peter and John, saying: Go and prepare for us, that we may eat passah. They said: Where? Then said he: Go into the city to one: behold, when ye enter in, one shall meet you bearing a pitcher with water; follow him into the house that he entereth into, and say unto the householder, The Master saith unto thee, My time is now here, that I will eat passah with thee. Where is now the place where the multitude shall be kept? Where is the parlour, that I shall eat passah in with my disciples? Then shall he shew you a great parlour that is paved; there make ye ready.

So the disciples went, and found as the Lord had told them; and they made ready the passah. At even came Jesus with the twelve, and when it was time, he sat him down at the table, and the twelve with him.

Now when he sat at the table with his disciples, and they did eat, he said: I have greatly longed and heartily desired to eat this passah with you afore I suffer. For I say unto you, that now from henceforth I will not eat of it, till it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

Now as they did eat, Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, and brake it, gave it to his disciples, and said: Take, eat, this is my body, which shall be betrayed and delivered for you; do this in remembrance of me. Likewise also when they had eaten, he took the cup, rendered thanks, and gave unto them, saying: Take and divide among you, and drink ye all thereof. This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for you, and for many, to the forgiveness of sins. I I say unto you, that from henceforth I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the day that I shall drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father. And they all drank thereof.

NOW FOLLOWETH THE DOCTRINE AND MEDITATION.

Luke xxii.

HERE should we children of belief diligently ponder and consider, what Christ hath done for our sakes; namely, that he, when he had fulfilled his ministration committed to him of the Father, and now would offer up himself upon the cross for the sins of the world, and with his own death deliver mankind from the captivity of Satan, and from eternal death, declared, how he loved his own until the end, and with what John xiii. desire he longed to eat the Easter lamb with his disciples, before he suffered. 1 Cor. v. Isai. liii. John i.: giving them thereby to understand, that he was the true paschal Lamb, which, being slain for us, should take away the sins of the world, that the figures of the old testament might be reduced into the truth; that like as the Jews, to whom with a prescribed ordinance it was commanded yearly to eat the Exod. xii. Easter lamb, did the same for a memorial of their deliverance out of Egypt; so we believers also might in the new testament have a remembrance and exercise of the gracious redemption, whereas we by his death are delivered from the power of darkness, of the devil, and of sin, and brought to eternal life.

And to the intent now that the remembrance of such excellent benefits, grace, and merits of the passion of Christ, might ever be fresh and new with his disciples and all believers, our Lord Jesus Christ, when he now would go unto death, and pay the ransom for the sins of all the world, he then did eat the Easter lamb with his disciples, to finish the shadow of the old testament; and that he might be remembered thereby, he instituted the bread and wine for a sacrament and memorial of his holy body and blood.

1 Pet. i.

1 Cor. xi.

Seeing then that we are cleansed, delivered, and redeemed with so dear and worthy a treasure, namely, with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the undefiled Lamb; we 1 Cor. v. ought never to forget such an high benefit, but at all times John i. with thankfulness to remember, that Christ our paschal Lamb i Cor. x. was slain and offered up for us upon the cross, that we from henceforth should walk in pureness, singleness, and innocency 1 Pet. ii. of life; and that, when we in the supper by true faith do eat his body, and drink his blood, we might through him be so strengthened and fed to eternal life, as to abide and

John vi.

John xv.

live in him for ever.
down from heaven, to nourish and strengthen our weak and
hungry souls, yea, to make us dead to live again.

For he is the bread of life that came

But then eat we his flesh, and then drink we his blood, when we through true belief do ponder and consider, what he hath done and suffered for our sakes; then are we partakers of his supper and feast, when we for his sake do live, as he did for his Father's sake. He gave himself whole unto us: so ought we to give ourselves whole unto him, and to our neighbour; to him through belief, to our neighbour through charitable love. Through faith we abide in him; by working love he abideth in us. The more we love, the more enjoy we of this meat; the more we believe, the more we love. In this shall all men know that we are his dis1 John ii. iii. ciples, if we love one another. God is love; and he that abideth in love, abideth in God, and God in him. What greater love can there be, than to give his own life for us? The death of Christ ought never to come out of our hearts; that we may do and suffer all things for his sake that died for us.

John xiii.

iv.

John xv.

THE SECOND PART.

[John xiii. 2-17.]

WHEN supper was ended, after that the devil had put in the heart of Judas Iscarioth, Simon's son, to betray him; Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God, he rose from supper, and laid aside his upper garments, and took a towel and girt himself. After that poured he water into a bason, and began to wash his disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girt. Then came he to Simon Peter: and Peter said unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter said unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet.

Jesus answered him: If I wash thee not, thou hast no