you from the beginning of the world." We esteem it to be a great thing to have a kingdom in this world, to be a ruler, to be aloft, and bear the swing; how much more then should we regard the kingdom which Christ our Saviour offereth unto us, which kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, where there shall be no end of joy and felicity; therefore all they that will be content to follow our Saviour's steps, to suffer with him here in this world, and bear the cross after him, they shall reign with him in everlasting glory and honour: which grant us God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

CHRIST THE TRUE MESSIAH.

A SERMON

Preached on the Third Sunday in Advent, 1552.

MATTHEW Xi.

When John being in prison heard the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that shall come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again what ye have heard and seen, &c.

THIS gospel is read in the church this day, and it shall serve us this day for our lesson.

It begins thus: "When John being in prison heard the works of Christ;" and here is to be considered of whom he had heard of these wonderful works which our Saviour did, for he could not hear them without a teller-somebody told him of them. The evangelist St, Luke, in the seventh chapter, shows how, and by whom John Baptist heard such things which our Saviour Christ did; namely, by his own disciples. For when our Saviour had raised up the widow's son, who was dead at Nain, the disciples of John came by and by unto John their master, and told him all things; namely, how Christ raised up that same young man who had been dead already. And this is a thing to be marvelled at, that John had so much liberty, that his disciples could come at him, and speak with him: Herod the king being a cruel man, a heathen king, a miscreant, a man of unbelief. No doubt it is a great matter that his disciples could have liberty to speak with him; for a man would think that no man should have been permitted to come near him. For I know that in Christian realms, some being cast into prison for the truth's sake, for God's word sake, it has not been suffered that their friends should 273

24*

have come near unto them. And here it appears most manifestly that Christian princes have sometimes used God's preachers more cruelly and extremely than the Gentiles used the preachers sent unto them from God to teach them; they were more straitly holden and more extremely handled than John was. So we read likewise of St. Paul, who was cast into prison at Rome by that wicked and cruel tyrant the emperor Nero; which emperor, though he was a cruel tyrant, a wicked man, and a venomous persecutor of God's church, and his holy word, yet for all that Paul had liberty to speak with every one that would come unto him, and commune with him. So that there came unto him those that would, and they might speak with him what they would; for St. Luke saith, in the last chapter of the Acts, these words: "And Paul dwelt two full years in his lodg ing, and received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus with all confidence, no man forbidding him." Here by these words we may perceive, that Paul had liberty to say his mind, and to commune with his friends, he was not so straitly kept. But we see and have had experience, that preachers who profess the same word which Paul taught, are more straitly handled in Christian realms, than they were in times past, when the rulers and princes were not Christians. Christian princes so called are more earnest to extinguish God's word and his true religion, than the heathens were who knew not, or would not know God.

But now you might ask, what manner of works were those which our Saviour had done in the presence of John's disciples, who directly afterward went and told their mas ter? What special things had our Saviour wrought? Answer, Luke the evangelist shows a great and marvellous act, which Christ our Saviour had done immediately as John's disciples came unto him. The story is this: "When Christ went into a city which is called Nain, and many of his disciples following him, and much people: when he was come nigh to the gate of the city, behold there was a dead man carried out, which was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and much people of the city went with her." And here you may note by the way, that these citizens had their burying-place without the city, which no doubt is a laudable thing: and I do much marvel that London, being so rich a city, hath not a burying-place

without; for no doubt it is an unwholesome thing to bury within the city, specially at such a time when there are great sicknesses, so that many die together. And I think that it is the occasion of much sickness and disease: therefore the citizens of Nain had a good and laudable custom, to bury their corpses without the city, which example we may follow.

Now when our Saviour saw this corpse, and the widow, who was now a miserable and sorrowful woman, for she had lost first her husband, and afterwards her son, in whom she had all her hope and comfort in this world: him she had lost now, therefore she was sorrowful, and not without cause. But what did our Saviour? He comforted her, saying, "Weep not." Here may all widows, who are destitute of comfort in this world; here, I say, they may learn to trust in Christ, and to seek aid and help by him. For no doubt, like as he comforted this miserable widow, so he will comfort and help all those who call upon him in their need and necessity. For his hand is not shortened, or his power diminished; he is as strong, as rich, and as mighty as ever he was; therefore let widows learn here to seek aid and help by him.

Now, when he had comforted her with his words, he came nigh, and touched the coffin, and they that bare the coffin stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say unto thee, arise." And he that was dead sat up and began to speak. Now upon this there went such a rumour of it throughout all the countries, that every man marvelled at it. And John's disciples. went to their master, and told him of it, what wonderful things he did. Note here, that when we hear that our Saviour is a doer of such wonderful supernatural_works, it should be a wondrous great comfort to us. For by this his deed, it appeared manifestly, that he is master oyer death, and has power to command him: so that death is in his dominion. For to raise a man up, whom death hath devoured already, is as much as to command death. But I tell you, Death is such an arrogant fellow, and so proud, yea and of such great might and strength, that he will give no man place, nor submit himself to any man, save only unto God-unto him he must obey, and humble himself before his divine majesty. And therefore it appears here that our Saviour is very God, because death, that stout fellow, must obey him; he is not able to withstand or disobey his commandments; which is

a most comfortable thing unto us who believe in such a Saviour, who hath power over death. And therefore, if he hath power over death, then we shall be sure that death shall not and cannot hurt us who believe in him: for when we believe in him, he is able to defend us from death, hell, and the devil, so that they shall not be able, with all their might or power, to hurt us, or do us any mischief; but we shall have life everlasting. For he saith, "He that believeth in me, though he die, yet he shall live." (John xi.) That is to say, though he depart out of this natural bodily life, yet for all that, he shall live everlastingly with me, world without end.

This is now an exceeding comfort to all Christian people for they may be assured that when they believe in Christ, and Christ taketh their part, there shall be nothing either in heaven or in earth that shall be able to hurt them, or hinder them of their salvation: and so we learn by this wonderful miracle which our Saviour did before all the multitude, that he proved himself to be very God, and one that hath power over death. But peradventure you will say, No; it follows not that because he raised up the dead, that he is very God; for we read in the Old Testament, that Elias and Elisha, those holy prophets of God, did such works also; they raised up the dead as well as he; and yet for all that they were not gods, but sinful men as we are: though they had such a special gift of God, yet they were not gods, nor yet took upon them to be gods.

ཝཱ

To this question or objection I will answer hereafter, if I forget it not. In the mean season, I will ask another question, which is this: What should move John's disciples to come, and tell him the miracles which Christ our Saviour did? Think you they came with a good will to set outChrist, and to magnify his doings, or came they with an ill will, or envious heart, which they bare towards Christ? Answer, They came with an ill will and envious heart which they bare against Christ, as it appears most manifestly, by the circumstances, being well considered. For you must understand, that John had very much ado to bring his disciples to Christ: they thought that Christ and his doings, his conversations, were nothing, in comparison of John. For John's strait* life which he led in the wil derness, made such a show and outward glistering, that

* Strict.