our life might become thankful for such an excellent grace, and in no wise to contemn or despise it.

A scornful thing is it, and the evidence of a great unbelief, whereas some think by these words to prove, that forasmuch as all things are not written in the book, it is lawful for certain men to add the rest, and to devise and ordain what they will. For in these things that are written doth John comprehend the whole sum of faith; which consisteth in this, that Jesus is the Son of the living God, who for our salvation came down from heaven, died, rose again, and purchased for us eternal life. Jesus the Son of Mary

is the anointed King and High Priest, the Saviour of the world promised of God, and spoken of afore by the prophets. And even he it is, who being of the heavenly Father anointed king everlasting, was to come after David, and to reign for ever. This king is the Redeemer and Saviour of mankind, and the very true Son of God. If we believe in Christ, we believe in the true God; one only God we honour, one only God we worship. Seeing now that we honour and worship Christ, we worship God; for only God is to be worshipped. Forasmuch now as we worship the Son no less than the Father, it is certain that Christ is of one nature with the Father; yea, this ought we to believe, and that he came down into this world to die for us, to wash and wipe away our sins, and to kill sin in our mortal flesh, when he maketh us partakers of his passion, and mightily worketh in us by his Spirit, in mortifying our carnal desires. We must also believe, that he by his godly power arose again from death to a new, glorious, and immortal life. For if we thought that he died, and believed not that he were risen to life again, we should have no life in him. For us he died, for our sakes he rose again, for our welfare reigneth he for ever. A new godly and blessed life worketh he in us with his resurrection, and after this life have we in him life everlasting.

[John xxi. 1-14.]

AFTERWARD did Jesus shew himself again at the sea of Tiberias. And on this wise shewed he himself. There were

together Simon Peter and Thomas, which is called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I will go a fishing. They say unto him, We also will go with thee. They went their way, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night caught they nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore; but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto them: Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he saith unto them: Cast out the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast out therefore, and anon they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Then said the disciple whom Jesus loved to Peter: It is the Lord. When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and sprang into the sea. The other disciples came by ship; for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits; and they drew the net with fishes. As soon then as they were come to land, they saw hot coals, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish that ye now have caught. Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to the land full of great fishes, an hundred and three and fifty. And for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none

of the disciples durst ask him, What art thou? for they knew that it was the Lord. Jesus then came and took bread, and gave them, and fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus appeared to his disciples, after that he was risen again from death.

DOCTRINE AND FRUIT.

WE read in the holy evangelists, that at the first Christ called his disciples, namely Peter and the others, from fishing; which they also left, and came to Christ, who told them that he would make them fishers of men. Now, when he will send

Matt. x.

1 Cor. ix.

2 Thess. iii. Job v.

them out to that office, and depart from them, he appeareth again unto them at their fishing. And, like as he did afore at their vocation, he doth before them a great miracle; in the which he admonisheth them of their office, and chargeth them diligently to care for his sheep committed unto them. But first he proveth his resurrection, to stablish and confirm their weak faith thereby; commanding them afterward, to bring other folks also thereto.

This history in itself is evident enough: therefore ought we first to consider it after the letter; for the letter also teacheth for itself. Christ, like as he appeared unto those that were sorrowful and mourned, so doth he appear unto those that labour and travail. Christ gave his disciples authority out of the gospel, that they preach, to take a competent honest living, as food and necessaries of the body; and yet did he not restrain them, that they should not or might not labour, when occasion serveth. Therefore Paul also used not that liberty at certain times, but laboured with his own hands, and won his meat. So did the disciples of Christ exercise themselves in their labour. For when they were come into Galilee from the feast of Easter, which they had kept at Hierusalem, afore the Holy Ghost was given unto them, they would not go idle, and thereby become a burthen unto other men, (for he that goeth idle liveth upon other folks, eating that theirs is, and overchargeth them,) but undertake to get their own living with their handy-work, which they had used afore. Whereby we must learn to apply ourselves unto labour, and not to be idle; for idleness is the mother of many and great vices. Every man ought to have an honest travail, to be exercised either with the body or with the mind. Whoso laboureth not, must not eat. Man was created to labour, as the bird to fly. Therefore ought every father to bring up his children in honest exercise from their youth up, that the devil get no place in their hearts; which yet cometh to pass, if he find them idle. The first commandment given to our forefather Adam after the fall was this: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread."

Now when we in true faith and confidence unto God do take in hand the work that he hath committed unto our charge, we ought not to doubt God shall prosper it, and give

us his rich and gracious blessing in it; as it is written, Prov. iii.: “In all thy ways remember the Lord, and he shall direct and order thy doing." Eccles. v. ix.

Here is also to be considered, how Christ uttereth his godly power before his disciples, in the great miracle that he did in their sight, to confirm our faith in him. For out of the appearing of Christ groweth faith. Psalm lxxxv. And [Psal. his true resurrection will he print in them, in that he appeareth unto them, and eateth with them.

Ixxxvi.]

Here we see the ardent desire of Peter, which leapeth into the sea, as soon as he heareth that it is the Lord: he that afore had denied him, maketh now speedy haste again unto him. Though we of man's feebleness and fear, do fall into sin, yet always when we hear God in his word, we ought forthwith to turn again unto him; and so shall he with the Luke xv. lost son graciously receive and embrace us again.

In that Peter covereth himself being naked, we learn nurture and shamefacedness, to walk and dwell with all honesty in the sight of men, specially in the presence of our superiors and governors.

In the corporal works and deeds of Christ, there is nothing in vain, nothing without effect. Besides the outward appearance of the work, there is described somewhat more excellent, whereunto a faithful believer ought to direct the eyes of his mind. As when he maketh the blind to see, it is an outward act, and a declaration of his godly power, and an alteration there is outwardly in the eyes of the blind, in that his sight is restored unto him again: nevertheless over and besides the outward work there is given us to understand, that Christ is the true light of the whole world, which driveth away the blindness of our heart, and illuminateth the eyes of our mind, according to the scriptures. Esay xlii. xlix. John i. ix. xii., &c.

Christ, taking bread and wine, giveth the same to his disciples to eat and drink. This, as no man can deny, was an outward act, and they commanded outwardly to do it, albeit in the remembrance of him. Besides and above the outward eating and drinking, the faithful believer must lift up his heart, and look with the eyes of faith unto that which is spiritual; namely, how that Christ is the true living bread, which feedeth our souls to eternal life; how his body was

Acts ii.

broken for us upon the cross; how we through his death are made living, and washed away from our sins by his blood. In this is set forth unto us the highest love of all, namely, that Christ gave himself unto the death for us: whereby we are admonished of his grace, yea, not only in this described unto us, but also the Holy Ghost doth mightily and fruitfully work the same in the hearts of the true believers, which in faith at the supper receive the true body and blood of Christ; whereby their hearts are kindled in love towards God and their neighbour, so that they dwell in Christ, and he in them, &c.

So here likewise the outward fishing representeth a fishing spiritual. Like as in fishing it lieth not in the fisher's power or wit to take many or few, but it is the power and blessing of God; and as the labour of the disciples is in vain afore Christ commandeth them, but when they have his commandment, and cast out the net upon the same, they draw up a multitude of fishes: even so cometh it to pass at this present day, that we bring forth no fruit, so long as the Holy Ghost worketh not with us inwardly; but when Christ biddeth cast out the net, that is, when he giveth his Spirit, we are able to draw up many men, and to win them unto Christ. For all the night long had they taken nothing, till Christ came unto them: even so can we do nothing, if Christ be not with us by his Spirit. On Whit-sunday, when the Spirit came upon his disciples, they brought much fruit, and drew many men unto Christ.

Hereby declareth Christ unto them in this taking of fish, how it should go in their office, and how the time was now at hand, that they should shortly draw many men out of the sea of this world unto him, and that they should prosper and have good success therein. The world is this wild raging sea; the shore is the quietness of eternal life that we have in Christ, unto whom we make haste with Peter and the other disciples; neither do we bring men unto ourselves, but unto Christ, and to the haven of everlasting life. Faith is not idle, but is always occupied in the Lord's business, causing us to contemn all perils, and to speed us apace unto Christ with the clothing of virtues, especially with faith, the weddinggarment; that we appearing not naked, may make haste unto the land of the living, where Christ is, the conqueror of death;