Sermons Upon all the Sunday Gospels, Sermon 6
The second sermon vponupon the saying of the Angel as concerning that Christ was borne.
WE hauehave rehersed vntounto you the history of the feast, in the which is made mentiō also of the saying of the Angel, to the whiche ther were also assembled many thousand of Angels, whiche did shewe and synge altogether to these two or three shepheardes. This is the sermon of one Angell.
Feare ye not, for behold I declare vntounto you great ioy, that shall be to all ye people, because ye hauehave a sauiour borne for you this day, which is CHRIST the Lord in the Citie of Dauid.
ALthough this sermon of the Angell is repeted eueryevery yeare, yet may it now be conueniently renewed agayne in mynde. For we shall neuer come to ye perfecte knowledge of this thyng, as long as we lyue here. And this sermon of the Angell was very necessarie. For if CHRIST hadde neuer so much bene borne,Christ not knowen profiteth lytle. yet should it hauehave profited vsus nothing, if it had bene vnknowen. For to what purpose is that treasure that lyeth hyd, if thou knowest not wher it is? Thou shalt take no pleasure nor profite therby, as the Prouerbe saith: There is no pleasure in the vnknowen treasure.Prouerb. A hyd treasure is no treasure. For all men passeth ouer it as they do durt, caring not for it. So is it also with this moste ioyfull byrth, if the Angels had not brought tydings therof, and had not opened this treasure to men, no man could hauehave taken the fruition therof. The cause why, is common. A man setteth not his affection on that he knoweth not. Neither doth this thyng delight or displease: but it is, as though it were not, and neuer shalbe. Wherfore it is one of the especiallest things in this Gospell, that the Angel by his sermō doth speake openly of this byrth, and sheweth vsus this treasure, that we passe not ouer it, and that we be not ignorant of the presence therof, but come and take part of the confort therof. Wherfore he saith: I declare vntounto you great ioy.
THESE words are weightie. For ye shepheards were greatly astonyed at this meruailous light, and celestial shyninge, as at an vnwonted thyng, because there was sodeinly both in heauen and earth suche great light, as though all the earth had bene on fyer. To this hath the Angell respect, and applieth his words therto, saying: Feare ye not, as if he shold say: ther is no cause to feare. But your feare sheweth that ye knowe not what is in doing. For if ye did, ye wold put away feare, and reioyce at your owne felicitie. And I am come, to bring you tydings of great ioy, of a great work and miracle:Gods messengers conforte the fearefull. whiche thyng if ye wold well consyder, ye wold much reioyce. This is therfore the entent of this Angels tydings, to make men to regard it earnestly, and not to let it passe without effecte. Wherfore he speaketh of no common ioye, but of a great ioye, and of a thing moste necessary. For the diuell by synne hath brought vsus to naught, and disturbed all that belongeth vntounto vsus, so that we do not only sustayne originall synne, and therby eternall deth, but also that al yt we hauehave are in his danger, that almoste we maye at eueryevery moment, looke for his dartes in body, lyfe, and goodes. For all these things are in a thousande perils and casualtyes. Yea the Gospell testifieth, that the dyuell possesseth men, and dryueth them to madnes, so that it may be worthely said, that such a man is the fylthy puddle and syncke of the dyuell.Satā thorow sinne reigneth in men. Suche corruption is engendred in vsus by synne, that we hauehave no sure helpe in any thing in the worlde. I will not speake of the greatest misery of all, that they muste abyde the wrothe of GOD and eternall damnation. What is, if this be not the moste horrible and violent kyngdome of the diuell. And when we consider well, and compare both together, this myserie in the kyngdome of the dyuell can not be compared with this glorie and reward, with this great ioy, wherof the Angell preacheth hēre, that there is a sauiour borne for vsus. Wherfore the Angell entendeth chiefely to remoue this myserie out of oure sight? and to geue vsus this chyld to behold and see▪ And let him know that he hath done the office of a good preacher, if he brynge vsus to the true beholding of this sauiour, and to the knowledge of oure owne flesh and bloud. And doughtles if this were prynted in vsus, all the plague wherwith the dyuell vexeth vsus, should seme light, be it neuer so paynfull and pernicious.
But now let vsus come to the moste requisite and necessary knowledge of this diuine worke of God.Christ only ouercommeth Satan. For the dyuell with all his poyson can be ouercome by no other meanes then by this godly power, of the which the Angel speaketh to vsus in this place, when he saith: A sauior is borne for you. Whē mās minde attaineth to this knowledge, thē is ye synner oute of perill. For than is the matter more depely consydered after this sorte: I hauehave bene defiled of the dyuel and wholy opprest, and ouerthrowen headlong into Gods wrathe and eternall damnation: but my myschance is not so great, but that I hauehave greater helpe geuen me from GOD agaynst it. That is, that God possesseth not mankynd after that sorte as the diuell doth, but he him self is made man, that of God & mannes nature might be made one person. The diuell can not ioyne him self so nighe to mā. But God is made man, and yet he remayneth a man. And by this meanes he set him self more depely in mannes fleshe, than the dyuell can, which may enter into mannes body and vexe it, but he can not be made man, that the diuell and man might become one person.
Betwene these two natures is ther alway remayning a difference of persones, not only in substance, but also in person. But in CHRIST that is borne, these things be one. For the sōne of God is made one flesh and one bloud, borne of the virgyn Mary; after the course of nature as all be,Math. 1. Luc. 1. excepte that he was not conceaued of mā, but of the holy Ghost, and hath escaped the fylthy mark of the dyuell, and was borne with very pure flesh and bloud, wheras oures is full of synne. In all other things he is lyke vsus, which was subiecte to all naturall actions,Psal. 51. Ephe. 2. Phil. 2. in all poyntes as other men. As sayth Paule: He was found in behauiour as a man, so that all that sawe hym or heard hym, dyd affirme that he muste nedes be a true and naturall man, & not any phantasme or appearing only, for he had all the properties, that belonge to this lyfe. And this is the ioy, as touching the which speaketh ye Angel. I speake only of the glorie & not of the fruite. For therof is it wont to be declared in the history of the passion and resurrection. Now do we speake only of the glory, that GOD is so nighe ioyned vntounto vsus, that he is of my flesh bloud and soule, very man as we be. With this so great and meruailous glory hath he begon this matter, and aduaūced mankind therby to high renoume. And the Angell setteth this forth vntounto men, and sayth: I shew you great ioy, which shall be to the whole people. The word sheweth yt his mynde was rauished with some great ioy: He telleth it boldly to the shepheards. He wold that all men with hym shold know of this great honour, wherby mannes nature is come to such dignitie, that GOD whiche made all things, is become oure flesh and bloud.
And if we wold ponder this well, although we had no other profite therby:The byrth of Christ ought to moue vsus, vntounto mutuall charitie and louelove. yet wolde it make together amongest vsus a great flame of charitie and louelove. I speake not yet as I said before, of the profyt & vse, but only of the glory therof. If we were moued earnestly therwith, yt wold suffer no malice to remayne amongest vsus. The reason is: Who is there that wold hate this kinde or hurt it, which is euen as oure God in body and sowle? shall we not for this glories sake, wher with God hath garnished vsus, louelove all men? do the best that we can for all men? The Angels are more excellent creatures, then we men are. But this glory is not geuen them. God was not made an Angell, neither an Angell was made God. Furthermore, the Angels are innocent and holy, which condicion was more agreable with Gods maiestye. But it semeth otherwyse to him, he choseth the viler creature, which was subiect to syn, which is hold captiue vnderunder the kyngdom of the diuell, and the tyrannye of death. Whom the dyuel vexeth and troubleth extremely. He could not humble him self any lower. But should not we be stirred hereby to louelove and charitie, to esteme one an other, and not to neglecte, but to proue mastries who can do other moste good?
Note.Certayn of the fathers, and amongest them, (as it now cometh to mynde) Bernarde, thought that the diuell whan he was in heauen, did se before, that the sonne of God should become man, and for that cause enuied at man, and began to hate God, because he had not chosen rather to become an Angell, than a man, and that for this enuie and pride he was caste out of heauen. Whether this were fayned, or done in dede: yet wold the holy fathers signifie hereby, howe great is oure renoume in that that God became man, and tooke the very same mannes nature, which belongeth to vsus all, whiche hauehave ben in the dyuels daunger, and captiue to synne and death. In what wretched case then are they, whiche are ignorante of this renoume. But yet are they much more wretched, which, when ye Angels or Apostles shew such things, that God hath visited mans nature, and tooke it on him, and made it Lord ouer al creatures: yet do not reioyce? O how wretched are they that are not moued with this tidings? If one amongest many bretherne should come to be a kīg, how wold al ye other reioyce? how bolde would they waxe? As Iosephs bretherne may be an example of this. And this is a naturall zeale. But how chāceth it that we reioyce not in such a great matter? that we are not moued? neither do geue thanks to GOD, that oure God hath taken oure flesh and bloud, and now sitteth at the right hand of God, Lord ouer all creatures?
He therfore that wold esteme this, as it is in dede, wold louelove all flesh and bloud in the worlde, for this flesh and blouds sake, and wold hate no mā. The only gloriouse sight and contemplation of the humanitie of Christ oure God, wold so chere vsus & replenishe vsus with ioy, yt we should neuer be angry with any man? Yea, and he that beholdeth this image continually, that the sonne of God is made man, wold not loke for any wrathful displeasure frō Christe, but hope for all goodnes at his hand. For no man is angry with him self, or hurteth him self. Now is Christ one of vsus and a man. How could he hate him self, yt is to say vsus, which are his flesh & bloud. And if this sight were well printed in vsus, it wold sone put away all exāples of Gods wrathe out of oure myndes, as is Noes floud, the punishement of Sodom and Gomor. All that wold vanishe away at such a contemplatiō, if I wold muse of this only man, which is God, & hath estemed mannes nature so greatly, that he became man. But be these things neuer so inestimable: yet some mē are so mad, yt they care not, they caste away this treasure, and set their mynd on other things, to heape vp riches, to purchase & get, whereto mens myndes are wont wholy to be stirred. And this is the cause that we fele no ioy rise in vsus at the tydinges of the Angell.
Wherfore this thing may wel make vsus ioyful and proude, that we are preferred before all creatures in this renoume, yea before Angels, and may boaste, and say: My flesh my bloud sitteth on the right hand of God, and hath the rule of all. No Angell or creature hath suche renoume, but my flesh and my bloud. This fier ought to melt as it were in one all mens hartes, and to inflame men with suche mutuall louelove, that we should embrace one an other with al oure hartes. But this is the continuall working of the diuell, to make vsus forget at home, that that we lerned in the Churche. This enemy doth corrupte oure ioy with other cares, so that we neuer regarde this sight as we ought. If we had nothyng els but this renoume therof: yet wer it a thynge worthy to be reioyced at. But now besydes this glorie, this great ouerplus ther is also, that this man is IESVS & a sauiour. And this in dede is the true cause, of this ioy that the Angell sheweth. And here I say agayn, that they are in a miserable case, which do neither heare, nor know these thyngs: but they are much more miserable that here and know, & yet regard it not. For these words wold melte heauē and earth, and make vsus not to care for death. For who is it that can thynke this sufficiently, that a sauiour is borne for vsus? This treasure doth not the Angel shew to the mother Mary the virgin, but to you (saith he) to you is this sauiour borne, which is CHRIST the Lord.
He speaketh with the shepheardes, whiche were Iewes,What Christ is. and were well acquainted with this word, knowing that Christ dyd signify a kynge and Lord. But a great parte of the people were deceaued in that they thought he should be a corporal king.Christ is no corporal thing But it was not so. For the Angell hath a higher respect, and saith almoste this: hytherto hauehave ye ben captiue vnderunder the dyuell, which hath persecuted you with water, fier, and moreyn. And who can comprise al his myschefe? Under his moste cruel tyranny are yow misers. He seduceth your myndes with errours, which hurte the sowle a thousand tymes more, than any moreyn can hurt the body. To yow (I say) to yow whiche with body and sowle are vnderunder this slanderous and hurtfull spirite, to yow is borne a sauiour. For with whom doth he speake?Christ is the sauiour of mē. Not with the stones & brute beastes, but with you men, and not with one or two, buth with the whole people.
Why dare we than be so bold as to reproue the voyce of this Angell, when we take Peter and Paul for oure sauiour? But do we flee from hym, because we be sinners? For if thou say this: I hauehave nothing to do with hym, then will I demand of thee whose he shalbe? Was he borne for the beastes? For thou muste hauehave respecte to this, who he is: for if he wold hauehave ben the sauiour of anye other creature, he wold hauehave taken on hym the forme & shape of that creature. But he is become the sonne of man. Who art thou? who am I? are we not men? yes truely. To whō than doth this chyld belong more then to men? The Aungels hauehave no nede of him, the dyuels despise him. But we hauehave nede of hym, & for vsus is he made man. Wherfore we must count hym ours, that we may loke surely for helpe of him. As the Angell sayth: He is borne for you. And aboue: This ioy shall be great to all people.
But is not this an honorable thyng, that an Angell from heauen bryngeth this tydings to men, and after that so many Angells come with gratulations and melodious verses, that we men should reioyce and receaue so great grace with thākes geuing. Wherfore this saying is vncōparable, that we heare, yt to vsus is borne a Sauiour. For what other thyng doth he say than this? this byrth is not belonging to me, I can requier no part therof, I reioyse for your sake. But it is yours that are, that are myserable, corrupte, and damnable men. He is the sauiour of suche. Wherfore embrace him: for you hauehave nede of such a sauiour, that thynk how ye might escape ye dungeon of syn & death.
The glory wherof I spake before, in that yt God is made man is very great, but this passeth it farre, for that that he is a sauiour in things that be eternall and spirituall. He that knew this and beleued it, and had the fruition of a whole ioy, wold peraduēture die for ioy. But as longe as we are in this lyfe, we shall neuer receaue and know this ioye. For this lyfe is narow and straight, and we are weake. For if it were possible, that mannes mynde could truely esteme it, it wold not be able to hold it self for ioye. But for as much as this can not wholly be performed, let vsus yet at least learne so muche hereby, that we may shewe mutuall louelove, and cease from slaundering, deceauing, and other vices, by this maruelous example, that God is made mā. But here is perceaued a great infirmitie, this ioy can not perce so farre as it shold, & we forgett both, ye words of the Angel & also this sauiour, & geue our self to customable vices, to couetousnes & such like And this is a tokē, yt we beleue this word veri litle. For if we dyd beleue it in dede, there wold be excedīg great ioy inwardly in vsus, because this sauiour is geuē to vsus. In time of syckenes & plague, a mā wold hauehave a good hope, if he knew some remedie. And this hope should be open & sensible. But here, wheras we hauehave put before vsus a sure remedy, against sin & death, no man is made chereful therby. Wherfor we testifie of our self, yt we heare this good tidings as mē yt be a slepe, & herby we declare our great frowardnes, yt wheras we hauehave this great treasure before vsus, yet we are nothing moued by it. He therfore yt cā not regard this great thing, doth worthely bewayle his owne miserie. For what thing might make ye minde ioyfull, if yt so great vertue of ye angels tidings, yt a sauiour is borne, cā not do it? He that is not ye better by these words, neither applieth him self to godlines herby, he yt is nothing affectioned at these moste cōfortable & effectuous sayīgs: ye mā cā not be amended wt grace, but muste nedes be tamed wt euil & crueltie. And this is a sure tokē, yt al such are dāned & cursed. But if so be yt he hauehave any grace at all, let him make his hūble petitiō to God for ye holy Gost, to bring into his hart an other vnderstāding & sence.
And wher as ye angel saith, yt a sauiour is borne in ye citie of Dauid, & calleth hym ye Lord Christ, yt he doth to make vsus hauehave respect vntounto ye scriptures. For so was it prophesied of before by Micheas,Miche. 5. yt Bethleem shold be ye place of his natiuitie. And wheras he calleth him Lord, it is not to be taken for such a lordshippe as masters hath ouer their bondmen. But as God saith to Adā, yt he oure Lord wil defend vsus, & resiste ye diuell,Gene. 3. & do ye office of such a lord, yt he maye challenge vsus to his kingdō, & withdraw vsus frō ye diuels power,Why the Angell calleth Christ a Lord. seing yt al the power of ye diuel falleth hereby, when Christ doth take vsus as his owne not only because he made vsus, but because he redemed vsus also wt his body. Wherfore he contendeth with al his might to hauehave that that is his. So that Christ after this sort may be taken for a Lord wt a right to challenge & reclayme for our saluatiō, because he disturbeth ye false vsurped power of the diuell, to recouer his owne from him, and commeth before his enemies face, and indighteth him openly of robbery, in yt that this cursed spirit hath takē so much vponupon him, that he hath caste vsus misers headlong in to synne and death, and in that he hath vsed crafte and gile in entycinge away his couenant seruantes, which belonged nothing vntounto him, for that that he is the true Lord, and not the dyuell, which vsurpeth power ouer them by violence.
Christ is true and naturall God.And for as much as the Angell geueth hym such a great title, and calleth hym Lord, it is a sure token that this child the sonne of Mary, is verily by nature eternall GOD. If it wer otherwyse, he wold neuer hauehave called him Lord. Our Sauiour him self and not an Angell, (as the Angell sayth with expresse words) for yow is borne a sauiour. And he is not only oure Lord,Christ is the Lord of Angells also. but Lord also of the angels, which (as touching this Lord) be all of one familie with vsus. They are counted vnderunder one Lord with vsus, that we men, that were the thralls and slaues of the dyuell, might be aduaunced by this child to so great renoume, that we be receaued with the holy Angells, as it were into one citie, which are now ioynte felowes with vsus: so that we may well boste, that in this childe we are come to the moste familiar felowshippe of the Angells, and may be as bold & homely with them, as we wold be with oure houshold felowes. The Angels might well behaue them selues stately with vsus, because they passe vsus in worthines: firste, for their nature and substance: and also because they are without synne, but they are not disdainfull of oure felowshippe, neither despise vsus for oure misery. But it greueth them to see vsus vexed with death, synne, & calamytie. And this is the cause that they are so gladde of oure saluation, that cometh to vsus by this chylde. They are as glad to see oure saluation as their owne,Why the Angells reioyced in the byrth of Christ. therfore they reioyce, that we this day hauehave gotten that child, which is their Lord, & bryngeth vsus to the same degree, so that now we are become their felowes and the members of his body. They despise vsus not, they say not: Away with these synners, that are stinkinge & rotton dead carcases in their graues with adulterers, & wicked doers. They are not proude, but glad with all their hart, that suche synners are come into their felowshippe. They geue thāks to God, that we are deliuered from synne, that we come to dwell with them in one house vnderunder one Lord. And for this grace they glorifie God, although they hauehave no profyt therby. Howe much rather were it oure deutie, to geue God thanks, to louelove one an other, as the sonne of God loued vsus, whiche is made oure flesh and moste nighly ioyned vntounto vsus? He that regardeth not this, and loueth not his neighboure; can not be saued.
This is the fyrst sermon, that was made after the byrth of Christ, as touchīg this childe, which endureth after that for euer, to ye ende of the worlde. Wherfore eueryevery man ought diligētly to hauehave his mynd theron. For hereby is this mistery opened, how the angels are become oure frends, and brought vsus ioyful tydings, commanding vsus to put asyde al feare, for as much as this child is borne for vsus, which is oure sauiour. This is an hygh, true & most excellent confort in the which the mercy of GOD may be perceaued and felte very sensibly and conueniētly, that God for oure sake hath humbled him self so lowe, yt he gaue vsus his sonne, after a moste boūteouse sorte by a maydē. He layeth him in her lappe, and sendeth vsus word and tydings, that he is oure sauiour. Let vsus seke helpe of him in oure nede, let vsus trust surely to hym for succoure: that all wrothe betwene God and vsus may after this depart for euer, & that we may vse all kynd of humanitie & gentlenes one to an other. And now iudge here thy self whether God is to be blamed of vnrighteousnes, sith that suche thyngs are declared vntounto men, and they regard it not, but despise their owne saluation, euen as the mad Papistes do, that thynke that this sauiour is not sufficiēt, setting vp other besydes, to whome they may truste. But the sermon of the Angell is not obscure as touchyng this only chyld to be oure sauiour, that he as the very grounde of oure saluation, may confort vsus, and replenishe oure hartes with ioy. And this man only is he that tourneth bothe the Angell, and also Gods eyes on hym self. He putteth not only this treasure in the mothers bosome, but also he geueth hym vntounto vsus as oure owne, and all that belongeth vntounto hym, both in heauen and in earth. He that heareth this, and is not moued therwith, is worthye to be caste into hell with lyghtninge.Esai. …. Ioan. 3. Rom. 8. Wherfore let vsus geue God thanks for his grace, & pray instantly vntounto hym, that he will printe this sermon of the Angell in oure hartes, that we may conceaue true hope of this sauiour, and that by hym we may ouercome death and the dyuel. The which to obtayne, oure Lord and sauiour Iesus CHRIST, graunt vsus. Amen.