Christ, and follow him. His passion is not only the ransom and whole amends for our sin, but it is also a most perfect example of all patience and sufferance. For if it behoved Christ thus to suffer (Acts xvii. 3), and to enter into the glory of his Father; how should it not become us to bear patiently our small crosses of adversity, and the troubles of this world? For surely, as saith St. Peter, Christ therefore suffered, to leave us an example to follow his steps (1 Pet. ii. 21). And if we suffer with him, we shall be sure also to reign with him in heaven (2 Tim. ii. 12). Not that the sufferance of this transitory life should be worthy of that glory to come (Rom. viii. 18); but gladly should we be contented to suffer, to be like Christ in our life, that so by our works we may glorify our Father which is in heaven (Matt. v. 16) And as it is painful and grievous to bear the cross of Christ in the griefs and displeasures of this life; so it bringeth forth the joyful fruit of hope in all them that be exercised therewith (Heb. xii. 11). Let us not so much behold the pain, as the reward that shall follow that labour (James i. 12). Nay, let us rather endeavour ourselves in our sufferance to endure innocently and guiltless, as our Saviour Christ did. For if we suffer for our deservings, then hath not patience his perfect work in us; but if undeservedly we suffer loss of goods and life, if we suffer to The patience of be evil spoken of for the love of Christ, this is Christ.

thankful before God; for so did Christ suffer. He never did sin, neither was any guile found in his mouth. Yea, when he was reviled with taunts, he reviled not again; when he was wrongfully dealt with, he threatened not again, nor revenged his quarrel, but delivered his cause to him that judgeth rightly (1 Pet. ii. 20, 22, 23). Perfect Perfect papatience careth not what nor how much it tience. suffereth, nor of whom it suffereth, whether of friend or foe; but studieth to suffer innocently, and without deserving. Yea, he, in whom perfect charity is, careth so little to revenge, that he rather studieth to do good for evil, to bless and say well of them that curse him, to pray for them that pursue him (Matt. v. 44), according to the The meekness example of our Saviour Christ, who is the most of Christ. perfect example and pattern of all meekness and sufferance, which hanging upon his cross, in most fervent anguish, bleeding in every part of his blessed

For

body, being set in the midst of his enemies and crucifiers; and he, notwithstanding the intolerable pains which they saw him in, being of them mocked and scorned despitefully without all favour and compassion, had yet towards them such compassion in heart, that he prayed to his Father of heaven for them, and said, O Father, forgive them for they wot not what they do (Luke xxiii. 34). What patience was it also which he shewed, when one of his own apostles and servants, which was put in trust of him, came to betray him unto his enemies to the death! He said nothing worse to him, but, Friend, wherefore art thou come (Matt. xxvi. 50)? Thus, good people, should we call to mind the great examples of charity which Christ shewed in his passion, if we will fruitfully remember his passion. Such charity and love should we bear one to another, if we will be the true servants of Christ. if we love but them which love and say well by us, what great thing is it that we do? saith Christ. Do not the Paynims and open sinners so? We must be more perfect in our charity than thus, even as our Father in heaven is perfect, which maketh the light of his sun to rise upon the good and the bad, and sendeth his rain upon the kind and unkind (Matt. v. 45-48). After this manner should we shew our charity indifferently, as well to one as to another, as well to friend as foe, like obedient children, after the example of our Father in heaven. For if Christ was obedient to his Father even to the death, and that the most shameful death (as the Jews esteemed it), the death of the cross; why should we not be obedient to God in lower points of charity and patience? Let us forgive then our neighbours their small faults, as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us our great [Eph. iv. 32].

It is not meet that we should crave forgiveness of our great offences at God's hands, and yet will not forgive the small trespasses of our neighbours against us. We do call for mercy in vain, if we will not shew mercy to our neighbours (Matt. xviii. 35). For if we will not put wrath and displeasure forth of our hearts to our Christian brother, no more will God forgive the displeasure and wrath that our sins have deserved before him. For under this condition doth God forgive us, if we forgive other. It becometh not Christian men to be hard one to another, nor yet to think their neighbour unworthy to be forgiven.

For howsoever unworthy he is, yet is Christ worthy to have thee do thus much for his sake; he hath deserved it of thee, that thou shouldest forgive thy neighbour. And God is also to be obeyed, which commandeth us to forgive, if we will have any part of the pardon which our Saviour Christ purchased once of God the Father, by shedding of his precious blood. Nothing becometh Christ's servants so much as mercy and compassion. Let us then be favourable one to another, and pray we one for another, that we may be healed from all frailties of our life, the less to offend one the other; and that we may be of one mind and one spirit, agreeing together in brotherly love and concord, even like the dear children of God (James v. 16; Eph. v. 1, 2). By these means shall we move God to be merciful unto our sins; yea, and we shall be hereby the more ready to receive our Saviour and Maker in his blessed sacrament, to our everlasting comfort and health of soul. Christ delighteth to enter and dwell in that soul where love and charity ruleth, and where peace and concord is seen. For thus writeth St. John, God is charity; he that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him (1 John iv. 16). And by this, saith he, we shall know that we be of God, if we love our brethren. Yea, and by this shall we know that we be delivered from death to life, if we love one another. But he which hateth his brother, saith the same apostle, abideth in death (1 John iii. 14; 1 John ii. 11), even in the danger of everlasting death, and is moreover the child of damnation and of the devil, cursed of God, and hated (so long as he so remaineth) of God and all his heavenly company. For, as peace and charity make us the blessed children of Almighty God, so doth hatred and envy make us the cursed children of the devil.

God give us all grace to follow Christ's example in peace and in charity, in patience and sufferance, that we now may have him our guest to enter and dwell within us, so as we may be in full surety, having such a pledge of our salvation. If we have him and his favour, we may be sure that we have the favour of God by his means. For he sitteth on the right hand of God his Father, as our proctor and attorney, pleading and suing for us in all our needs and necessities (Rom. viii. 34). Wherefore, if we want any gift of godly wisdom, we may ask it of God for Christ's sake, and we shall have it. Let us consider and

examine ourselves, in what want we be concerning this virtue of charity and patience. If we see that our hearts be nothing inclined thereunto, in forgiving them that have offended against us, then let us acknowledge our want, and wish of God to have it. But if we want it, and see in ourselves no desire thereunto, verily we be in a dangerous case before God, and have need to make much earnest prayer to God, that we may have such an heart changed, to the grafting in of a new. For unless we forgive other, we shall never be forgiven of God. No, not all the prayers and good works of other can pacify God unto us, unless we be at peace, and at one with our neighbour. Nor all our deeds and good works can move God to forgive us our debts to him, except we forgive to other. He setteth more by mercy than by sacrifice. Mercy moved our Saviour Christ to suffer for his enemies: it becometh us then to follow his example. For it shall little avail us to have in meditation the fruits and price of his passion, to magnify them, and to delight or trust in them, except we have in mind his examples in passion to follow them. If we thus therefore consider Christ's death, and will stick thereto with fast faith for the merit and deserving thereof, and will also frame ourselves in such wise to bestow ourselves, and all that we have by charity, to the behoof of our neighbour, as Christ spent himself wholly for our profit, then do we truly remember Christ's death: and being thus followers of Christ's steps, we shall be sure to follow him thither, where he sitteth now with the Father and the Holy Ghost, to whom be all honour and glory. Amen.

[A suitable Prayer after reading the foregoing Homily. By thine agony and bloody sweat; by thy cross and passion; by thy precious death and burial; Good Lord, deliver us.-Litany.

...

REMEMBERING always, that baptism doth represent unto us our profession; which is, to follow the example of our Saviour Christ, and to be made like unto him; that, as he died, and rose again for us, so should we, who are baptized, die from sin, and rise again unto righteousness, &c.—Baptismal Service.

CHRIST alone... upon the cross fully paid the pains of our sins. . . He hath, therefore, appointed our easiness to forgive, not as a cause to deserve pardon of God, but to be a pledge to confirm our hearts with sure confidence of God's mercy.-Nowell's Catechism, p. 103.]

THE SECOND HOMILY

CONCERNING THE

DEATH AND PASSION OF OUR SAVIOUR CHRIST.

THAT we may the better conceive the great mercy and goodness of our Saviour Christ, in suffering death universally for all men, it behoveth us to descend into the bottom of our conscience, and deeply to consider the first and principal cause wherefore he was compelled so to do. When our great grandfather Adam had broken God's commandment, in eating the apple forbidden him in paradise, at the motion and suggestion of his wife, he purchased thereby, not only to himself, but also to his posterity for ever, the just wrath and indignation of God, who, according to his former sentence pronounced at the giving of the commandment, condemned both him and all his to everlasting death, both of body and soul (Gen. iii. 6, 17—19). For it was said unto him, Thou shalt eat freely of every tree in the garden; but as touching the tree of knowledge of good and ill, thou shalt in no wise eat of it; for, in what hour soever thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die the death (Gen. ii. 16, 17). Now as the Lord had spoken, so it came to pass. Adam took upon him to eat thereof, and in so doing he died the death, that is to say, he became mortal, he lost the favour of God, he was cast out of paradise, he was no longer a citizen of heaven, but a firebrand of hell, and a bond-slave to the devil. To this doth our Saviour bear witness in the gospel, calling us lost sheep, which have gone astray, and wandered from the true Shepherd of our souls (Luke xv. 4; [1 Pet. ii. 25]). To this also doth St. Paul bear witness, saying, that by the offence of only Adam, death came upon all men to condemnation (Rom. v. 18). So that now neither he, nor any of us, had any right or interest at all in the kingdom of heaven, but were become plain reprobates and castaways, being perpetually damned to the everlasting pains of hell-fire.

In this so great misery and wretchedness, if mankind could have recovered himself again, and obtained forgive