And John bare come down as a

Israel, therefore I baptize thus in water. witness and said, that he saw the Spirit dove from heaven, and dwell on him. But God that sent me to wash in water, he taught me and said thus, On whom thou seest the Spirit come down, and dwelling upon him, that is he that baptizeth men in the Holy Ghost. And I say and bear witness that this is God's own Son.

III.

THE GOSPEL LIGHT.

Arise, shine, for thy light is come; and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee, &c. Isaiah lx.

Men expound commonly this prophecy of Jesus, that Isaiah saw in spirit how Christ should be worshipped of the three kings of the east soon after that he was born; and what Matthew telleth teacheth well of this text, to what purport it was spoken of the prophet Isaiah.

First he beginneth thus," Rise, and be thou lightened, Jerusalem, for thy light is come; and the glory of thy Lord is sprung up on thee." Here true men understand of Jerusalem, that was the head city in the land of Judea, the holy church that wandereth here on earth. For Jerusalem, in divers places, betokeneth in divers manners; now the city of that country, now the church that wandereth here, and now the church that is above. And all are figured by this city. Jerusalem also, by interpretation, betokeneth a sight of peace. But here men see afar and in bliss, true peace.

This Jerusalem should rise from sin, and be lightened with knowledge and grace; since Christ, who is the first Light, is made man for this end, and Christ who is the Father's Wisdom; and so the glory of the Lord is sprung of this kindred, and is in it, since he is Mary's son.

And thus it is a great sin not to rise and to open our windows. For this spiritual light is ready to shine to all men that will open. That man receiveth in vain the grace of God, as Paul saith, who taketh of God many gifts, both of fortune and of nature, and will not thank God thereof. He is an unkind man, upon whom the sun shineth and yet will not open his window to take light that should save him. And here men say commonly, that first man's folly is unkind, and because of this unkindness, God giveth man no more his gifts; since God approveth not that unkind

man should ever sin thus. But yet God maketh sinful man and unkind man, a good man; and all the goodness of this cometh of the goodness of God. And let us not busy us about further cause, for God is the first cause.

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But the prophet saith, For lo, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick mist shall hide the peoples." Here we may know two manner of men by these words of Isaiah. Some men are evermore dark, and want grace to come to bliss; as the earth is ever dark, and taketh not light by clearness of its own. And God's word saith that these men shall be damned. But some have mists for a time, but yet they are a people, as the men of holy church, for the time that they are in sin. And these men, by grace of God, take light that pierceth them, and disposeth them to heaven, and putteth away their sin from them. And such two manner of men were in Judea before Christ came. And thus darkness of sin covered the earth till Christ came; and thick mists covered the peoples that should be saved. But this Light that came to men pierced the mist, and made it clear and so this Light, that was made man, cleared those men that he would save.

:

And

And of this Light speaketh this prophet, and of these men that shall be saved; "But upon thee shall the Lord spring, and upon thee his glory be seen." For of the kindred of Jacob, and in that kindred, was Christ born. many of them were saved by Christ; and many others of heathen men. "And folk wander in thy light; and kings in springing of thy birth." For about the time of Christ's birth three kings came out of the east; and they and many others saw the light of this star. And muse we not when this star appeared first in the east; and how long time these three kings were in coming to Bethlehem; for soon after Christ was born they came, and thus worshipped Christ. For as the gospel witnesseth, they found the child with his mother; and it is likely in the same stable wherein Christ was born in Bethlehem. And so it must needs be soon after the time that Christ was born.

And afterward this prophet speaketh to the glory and joy of Christ; "Lift up all about thine eyes, and see; all these are gathered and are come to thee, to do worship as they should. And all these are figures to thee, that thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall rise from aside; and many countries shall believe in thee. Then shalt thou see and abound, and thine heart shall wonder

and be enlarged, when the multitude of the sea shall be turned to believe of thee, and the strength of heathen men shall come to thee, and believe in thee. The flowing of camels shall be unto thee; men that shall ride upon dromedaries; men of Midian, and of Ephah. All they of Saba shall come, whom God hath ordained for this journey, bringing gold and incense, and telling of hearing to God." This letter seemeth somewhat misty, and therefore men tell divers senses of it.

Some understand these words to the spiritual understanding of them. And so men doubt here oft of what country these three kings were. And it is enough here to know that they were of the east; whether they were of Arabia, or of Saba, or of other place, such knowledge is not needful for us to know now; but do we worship to this Child with gold, incense, and with myrrh. For we should know that his Godhead, as gold, is more than other metals; and his wisdom, as gold, shineth before other. We should acknowledge that Christ is the first Priest of all, and offer to him devotion, since he is both God and man. We should also acknowledge that Christ was dead, for our sake, and rose again, as he ordained. And so shall we all do at the last resurrection, either to bliss or to pain. And live we all just life; and love this Lord up to our power; and then he will reward us in bliss after these three gifts. And here many men think that men should lightly pass over this, and speak of things that are certain, which profit to men that hear them.

IV.

THE LEPER AND THE CENTURION.

And behold there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, &c. And there came unto him a centurion beseeching him, &c. Matt. viii.

This gospel telleth of two miracles that Jesus did, and containeth much instruction about these two miracles. The history telleth how Jesus came down of the hill, when he had given his law to his disciples; and much people followed him, for the devotion that they had to his law and his words. And, lo, there came a leper man and bowed to him, and said, Lord, if thou wilt, thou mayest heal me. And Christ said he would, and bade him be whole. It is

commonly supposed that this leprous man knew that Christ was both God and man, and so that Christ might heal him, but in his own worthiness trusted he nought. And there

fore he said that if Christ would, he might heal him of his leprosy. And then was Christ God; and God would that proud men and leprous heretics would well confess the faith, and then should they be whole. And Christ stretched out his hand and touched him; and said, "I will make thee whole, and able thee thereto." And thus doeth God to whom he giveth his grace. And straightway the leprosy of this man was cleansed. And this speedy healing betokens this miracle. And that Christ touched this leprous man, teaches us now that the manhood of Christ was instrument to his Godhead, for to do miracles that he would were done; and that touching of leprous men was lawful to men that thus would help them. But Christ might not be blemished with touching of this leprous man. And so taught Christ his everlasting good will, and taught us to perform the good will that we have. And afterwards Christ bade him, See that thou tell no man; but go and show thee to the priest, and offer that gift which Moses bade in witness of such health.

Men say this word may be understood on three manners. First, that this man should tell no man hereof before he had offered what Christ bade him. The second cause and the better is, that Christ bade this to teach us to flee boasting and thanks of men to whom we do good. And thus we should not tell this to obtain man's thanks. The third saith, that Christ bade this to flee slandering God's law among men, and to flee boasting of himself, and the conceiving evil of God. And as the old law was then ceased, Christ bade fulfil this law, as author thereof. And thus, when a man showeth by his holy life, active life, (as by two dove-birds,) or contemplative life, (that is, a pair of turtles ;) by these signs he showeth that his sins be forgiven, and that unto priests who well understand this.* And thus sinful men should counsel with priests, and take of them medicine to flee more sin.

The second miracle teaches how Christ healed a heathen man, for love of the centurion that kept Capernaum, which was the head town of the country of Galilee. This centurion told Christ that his child† lay in his house, sick of the * Leviticus xiv.

+ Or servant. The term child was often applied generally to young

persons.

palsy, and was evil tormented. But Luke telleth how this knight did this by old men of the Jews, who much praised this knight; and said that he was a friend to them, and had built them a synagogue. And Christ came with them nigh to this knight's house; and this knight said thus unto Jesus Christ, Lord, I am not worthy that thou enter under my roof, but say only with word, and my servant shall be whole. For I am a man put in this place by power of the emperor, having under me knights for to do mine office. And I say to one, Go, and he goeth; and I say to another, Come, and he cometh; and I say to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. And by this the knight would mean that Christ had no need to enter into his house to heal his sick man, since Christ is God almighty, under no power. And Jesus, hearing these words, wondered, although he knew and ordained before that this knight should be thus true. And therefore Christ said to the folk that followed him, Truly I say to you, I found not so much faith in all the folk of Israel, neither priests nor commons. Christ meant not of his apostles, nor of his mother, nor of his attendants, for they were taken from Israel, as Christ was there a strange Lord. And therefore Christ telleth of his church that shall be of heathen men-that many of the east and the west shall come and rest with the patriarchs in the kingdom of heaven, where the children of this realm shall be put out, and cast into hell; there shall be weeping, that is, sensible sorrow; and gnashing of teeth, which is more, for it is pain of the loss of bliss, which passeth all sensible pain. And Jesus said to this knight, Go, thy servant shall be whole; for as thou believedst, by my grace, be it done unto thee. And the child was made whole in the same hour

that Christ spake thus.

We shall know that faith is a gift of God; and so God gives it not to man, unless he gives it graciously. And thus all good things that men have are gifts of God. And thus, when God rewardeth a good work of man, he crowneth his own gift. And this is of grace; for all things are of grace, that men have of the will of God. And God's goodness is the first cause which giveth men these good things. And so it may not be that God do good to men, unless he do these good things freely by his grace. And with this we shall grant that men deserved of God, for in grace they make them worthy to have this good of God. But we shall not understand that each grace of God may not be by himself,