Isai. ii. Psal. cx. John iii. DOCTRINE AND FRUIT. THE Lord, minding to make his disciples assured of his resurrection, instructeth them first well in his passion, which he declareth out of the scripture, and printeth it in their hearts. He teacheth them, that it was necessary that Christ should suffer and die, yea, even thus to die, namely, upon a cross, upon a tree. On the tree was the transgression committed, upon the tree behoved it the restitution to be made; upon the tree was death fetched, upon the tree was life given; upon the tree must satisfaction be made for the lusts of the flesh, which on the tree were first conceived. And would God that we rightly knew the passion and cross of our Lord Jesus Christ! Then should the glory of the resurrection be well known and loved of us. O Jesu, grant us grace right to consider, what, wherefore, and with what love and ferventness, thou hast suffered for us. Then shall our heart feel and profitably enjoy the sweet fruit of thy resurrection; then shall our life become new and of another sort, if we take upon us true penance, being sorry for our sins, converting us unto thee, amending and changing our conversation, which with the gracious forgiveness of our sins is declared and promised unto us in the gospel, according to thy commandment. O what a joyful message is this, that such great grace should out of Sion be shewed unto us, which come of the heathen! From this grace is no man shut out: it is common unto every man, unless the unthankful exclude himself; as do they that love darkness more than the light, and they that disdainfully inclose thy grace, and hedge in thy church, which thou, by the preaching of repentance and forgiveness of sins, hast commanded to be gathered unto thyself in the whole world, not only at Hierusalem, but also in Samaria and Galilee, even unto the end of the world. O God, suffer us not to be subject unto vain-glory and headiness; remove all contention and strife out of thy holy church. Preserve us from schisms and all dissensions; knit us together in uniform love, which is an undoubted token of thy children. It behoved Jesus Christ to suffer, not for himself, but for our sakes, to become the sacrifice for our sins; that he, so satisfying the justice of God, might make amends for our trespass, and deliver us from death. It behoved him also to rise again, that he by his power might raise us up from the death of sin to a new life, and by his own resurrection to make us assured of ours, and of immortal life. [Matt. xxviii. 18-20. Mark xvi. 15—18. John xx. 21-23.] ye JESUS came to his disciples, and said unto them: To me Matt. xxviii. is given all power in heaven and in earth. As my Father John xx. hath sent me, so send I you. And when he had thus spoken, he breathed upon them, and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins ye forgive, they are forgiven; and whose sins retain, they are retained. Go therefore, and teach all people, Matt. xxviii. baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And, behold, I am with you every day until the end of the world. Go ye therefore into the whole world, and preach the gospel unto all creatures. Whoso believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but Mark xvi. he that will not believe shall be condemned. The tokens which shall follow those that believe are these: In my name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take away serpents; and if they drink any venomous thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands upon the sick, and they shall be whole. DOCTRINE AND FRUIT. WHEN Jesus with many evidences had certified his disciples of his resurrection, he sheweth them now, to what excellent glory and how high power his heavenly Father had brought him, whereby their hearts might be established; and how that all things are justly subdued unto him, who through the cross hath overcome, gotten a glorious victory, and suppressed the prince of this world. And though some 24 [COVERDALE.] Luke xix. Psal. ii. Psal. cx. John xvii. Phil. ii. Matt. x. now declare themselves contrary to his kingdom, and are not obedient unto his power, but persecute and kill him in his members, saying, "We will not have him to reign over us," resisting and gathering themselves together against God and his anointed King; how mighty soever they be, yet shall he bruise them with an iron rod, and as an earthen vessel all-to break them; yea, they must become his footstool, and he shall reign for ever. As if he would say: "In most perfect humility, in highest patience, and being in greatest contumely, I have hitherto served you and all mankind; but now is the time come, that my Father will glorify me, and bring me to high honour, which I had afore the world was made, that in my name all knees should bow; for I am set above all power and dominion, having all things in my hand. From henceforth shall I be worshipped and honoured of the angels in heaven, and of all men upon earth. And forasmuch as I have received a whole power over all flesh, I send you, not only unto the Jews as afore, but unto all nations in the whole world; for in myself have I sanctified the whole nature of man. Look therefore, that ye declare this joyful and gracious message unto all men, and plant them in with baptism unto the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. And those whom ye baptize, see that ye teach to observe and keep all that ye have received of me. Ye must also be stout, and not faint-hearted. Many afflictions, much evil-will, great persecution, shall happen unto you: but consider how mighty a Lord ye have, unto whom is given all power in heaven and earth; he is able enough to defend and save you from all enemies. And albeit that I go now from you, as touching corporal habitation, yet will I be still remaining with you with my power, grace, working, and protection, until the end of the world. Wherefore go your way, set your whole delight in me, keep yourselves unto me alone; so can ye not miscarry." O how excellent and great consolation is this unto all faithful and believing hearts! O how mighty a strength is it in all adversity and dangers of this world, to hear and consider, that all power in heaven and earth is given unto Christ our Lord and King, under whose protection and wings we are safe and well preserved! And who cannot understand, that this promise reacheth not only unto the twelve disciples, unto whom it was then made, but unto all faithful believers, which through their doctrine are come John xvii. unto Christ? For those twelve did not continue in this life until the end of the world; and yet he saith: "I will be with you until the end of the world." Wherefore we may well perceive, that Christ, until the end of the world, will be with all the faithful believers; that is to say, with his holy church, to instruct, teach, strengthen, comfort, defend, and deliver it against all malicious violence of this world. In his hand they are safe and well kept; and no man is John x. able to pluck them out of his hand. Although the world rage, and the devil, the prince of the world, set all his power, great as it is, against the church of Christ; yet are not the gates of hell able to do anything against it; for Matt. xvi. it is founded and strongly builded upon Christ the rock; and he that is with it unto the end of the world is mightier than all enemies. Now, forasmuch as the disciples of Christ should bring the heavenly doctrine throughout the whole world, man being yet of himself unable to comprehend the doings of God; he therefore first expounded and declareth the scriptures unto them, as Luke mentioneth; and seeing they were simple unlearned men, he opened to them their understanding. But to the intent they might not think, What should we poor simple bodies do against so many learned and wise men? who will arm us against those that are so mighty? therefore he breatheth upon them, and saith, "Receive the Holy Ghost," whom he there giveth them, and therewith strengtheneth them inwardly; but with much more power and might upon Whit-Sunday. Whereupon he commandeth them to wait at Hierusalem, where he will send them the promise of the Joel ii. Father; clothing the weak with heavenly strength, as with a garment, and arming them as with a shield. What good thing then can he lack, or what evil thing can hurt him, which is his messenger, that hath all power in heaven and in earth, and with whom such a king is ever abiding? But when Christ would send out his disciples, he saith unto them: "As my Father hath sent me, so send I you." Whereunto did the Father send his Son into the world? Luke xv. Matt. ix. John vi. Even that he should open the glory of the Father unto the world; that he should declare the will of the heavenly Father; that he should offer health unto the world. This to do, Christ also sent forth his disciples. He sent them not to seek after vain-glory, after power and riches, after bodily pleasure and worldly pomp; but to do as he himself did. Christ sought the lost sheep, brought men unto the knowledge and love of the true living God, taught them to lead a virtuous and honest life. He was a physician, went to the sick, helped them, and healed them; he was not come to do his own will, but the will of his Father; he was not come to condemn the world, but to save it. In all this ought the ministers of the word to follow Christ, and to do as he did. Unto this new, heavenly, and godly life and work, Christ giveth them the Holy Ghost. For like as he himself was risen into a new life; even so through his holy Spirit will he grant and give a new life unto those that are his. Therefore breatheth he upon them, to declare, that it is he, who at the beginning made man, and now by his death had quickened him, and renewed him; and that even he is the fountain and giver of the Spirit. Thus unto his disciples he gave the firstlings of the promised Spirit, and with it a taste of more and greater perfection, as an earnest-penny. All this declareth, what belongeth to true apostles and ministers of the word, which are sent of Christ, (for no man sendeth himself;) what their office is; and that they which seek the pleasures of the body, honour, praise, and riches, are not followers of Christ and successors of the apostles. Wherefore ought we most diligently to pray unto God, that he will give us faithful ministers of the word, which, looking truly to the work of Christ, may lead us unto God. But forasmuch as without the Holy Ghost nothing can be fruitfully done, we must nevertheless pray for his holy Spirit, who may in us stir up holy thoughts and devout desires, directing and moving our will, and so giving power and strength to accomplish the works of God, and stedfastly therein to continue; and that the same Holy Spirit may illuminate and kindle our minds, and provoke them unto all good and godly works. Considering then, that the keys which were promised unto Peter, and in him to the whole |