Sermons Upon all the Sunday Gospels, Sermon 13
An other sermon of the Baptisme of Christ vponupon Twelfth daye. Math. iii.
THen came Iesus from Galile to Iordan vntounto Iohn to be baptised of hym. But Iohn forbad him, saying: I ought to be baptised of thee, and comest thou to me? Iesus answeryng, sayd to hym: Let it be so nowe. For thus it becometh vsus to fulfyll all righteousnes. Then he suffred him. And Iesus as soone as he was baptised, came straight oute of the water. And loe, heauen was open vntounto hym: and Iohn sawe the spirite of God descendynge lyke a doue, and lightyng vponupon hym. And loe, there came a voyce from heauen, saying: This is my beloued son, in whom I am welpleased.
THE EXPOSITION.
OF the feast of the Epiphanie hauehave we intreated, how that it hath his name of this that Christ opened hymselfe, not onelyonly by the starre,Of the baptism of Christ but also at Iordan, where hee was baptised. But forasmuche as this reuelation is the greatest and chiefest, and most comfortable vntounto vsus, it should not be against reason. if it wer called the feast of Christ baptised,Math. 3. and opened at Iordan, when he was thirtie yeares old. The Euangelist dothe shew the hystorie playnly. That he moued from Galile, and came to Iohn vntounto Iordan, to be baptised of hym, as other synners were, whiche knew their synne, and desired remissiō of them. Iohn is troubled with this strange case. For he knew Christ from his childhode. And he thinketh him self not worthye to baptise hym. But Christ saith, suffer me, this must be done, that all righteousnes may be fulfilled, that is,Math. 3. that he may bring it to passe, that all miserable synners may come to righteousnes, and be saued.
Wherfore herein is now set forth a confortable example vntounto vsus,Christ hath no nede of baptisme. wheras the sonne of God offered him self to be baptised, which neuerthelesse synned not, and doth that that he was not bounde to doe, wheras we do not that yt we are boūde to do. And it is farre vnlyke, that we should do more than oure duetie, when we through oure wickednes are very farre from that that we shoulde do.
Wherfore this ought especially to be marked in this place, that Christ the sonne of God,Christ came to baptisme. Baptisme therfore is a waighcie matter. whiche is holyer then al baptisme, is notwithstanding baptised, & gaue commandement, that baptisme should be kepte in the congregation, and that al that wold be saued, should be baptised. And by this is it now euident, that al men are damnable and accursed, and stryken with madnes and blindnes of God for a punishemēt, which can not intreat and obtayne so much of their eyes and eares, as to marke what is done in this matter, but contēne and dispraise baptisme, and speake vilanously therof. For why doste thou, and thy childern refuse baptisme, seing ye sonne of God receaued it? what great madnes or what great furie is this in the, that thou shouldest denye suche a great worke? Doth not baptisme seme worthye of great renoume for this cause, if it were profitable for nothing els, yt this so great a mā vsed it? wher as this is euident, yt he is ye sonne of God, & came to baptisme, yt thou sholdest come to baptisme for ye renoume therof, if thou hadst no other cōmoditie therby?
Baptisme is profitable for vsus. The Father reueleth hym self vntounto vsus at baptisme.But this matter is not without oure profyte. For what good it doth vntounto vsus, it appeareth in this, wher as God by this baptisme sheweth foorth hym selfe wholye. For as the Euangelist beareth witnes, Iohn sawe the heauens open. Whiche is a signe that God is delighted with baptisme, whiche Christ hym selfe the Sonne of God sanctifieth with his body. Wherfore heauen is opened which was shut vp before, and now aboue the baptisme of Christ is ye gate and windowe of heauen made wyde open: so that from henceforth there is no distance betwene vsus and God, bycause GOD is now fallen downe vntounto Iordane. What is a reuelation then, if this be none? Wherfore if the feast of Epiphanie (that is) of reueling and appearing, be requisite, why is not this constitute and appointed, wheras so playne a manifestation and opening of the Father, of the Sonne, and of the holye Ghost is sette foorth?The reueling of the holy Ghost. For the holy Ghost procedeth here after a moste gentle sight, as a symple doue, whiche amongest all byrdes is moste tame, and is affirmed to be voyde of all wrathe. To the entent that we might conceaue hereby a sure token, that the holy Ghost will declare no crueltye towarde vsus, but bestowe that on vsus thorough Christ, wherby we may be iustified and saued. And for this cause is Christ also opened after suche a gentle sorte to be the Sonne of God:The sonne of God. and wher as he had no nede of baptisme for his owne behalf, he is present therat, and receaueth baptisme, not only for an example, but also for a sacramēt, that his baptisme might profite vsus also, & may cause vsus to hauehave sure truste, that God is mercifull vntounto vsus.
Besyde this, wheras ye Father openeth hym self by a voyce: This is my dearly beloued sonne, in whom I am delighted. This is an other maner of voyce, then was shewed in ye mount Sinay, when the earth and hylles dyd shake, & the men that hearde it thought them self to be in danger of their lyfe. He sheweth not now such a cruell voyce. All things are full of swetnes & humanitie. And God doth almost pronounce wt this, saying on this wyse: To you mortall men, is this man put forth in baptisme. If ye desyre to know him, it is my dearely beloued sonne, in whome is my chief and only pleasure. Neither is there any cause why ye shoulde feare him. He is set forth to you, as naked, without armour, & without all cruel sight. And there is no cause, why ye should feare me. For I come not now with thunder & lightninge, wt a horrible & a dreadful trumpe as I came to ye mount Sinay, but all things are peaceable, quiet & calme. For what spice of crueltye may here be? The sonne of God, which is innocent & without synne, standeth in Iordane & receaueth baptisme. The holy Ghost commeth with the meeke forme of a doue. Besides this God sheweth forth a very humane and gentle voyce, declaringe that he sendeth vntounto vsus no Apostle, no Prophet, no Angell, but his Sonne, in whome he may greatly delyght.
What greater recorde can ye hauehave at al,The baptisme of Christ is co…fortable. to make vsus to marke, and obserue the sonne of God? Sith it hath pleased God to geue this cōmendation, yt his sonne is with vsus, that all maye be sure of this moste certain & tried will of God: If they wil hauehave God merciful vntounto them, let them imbrace his sonne only, from whom ye Father can by no meanes turne his fauour, & for the sonnes sake, all his must nede be accepted to ye Father. Wherfore let all men regard diligently this commandement, that they heare him, & obey his precept. For he had no nede of circumcision and baptisme, bycause he was voyd of synne. But the baptisme of Iohn was made of God for sinne, that al that acknowlegde their synnes, & be sory for them, & desyer that they might be pardoned, should go to baptisme, & thinke for a suerty, yt God is merciful vntounto them. But why is Christ baptised, which neuerthelesse is without synne? Not for his owne behalf but for ours, which are synners. For he taketh oure synnes vponupon hym, and deliuereth vsus from them. And for this cause he cometh to baptisme, as the Euangelist sheweth very properly, wheras he saith: Christ forbidden of Iohn, aunswereth: Suffer me, for this is it mete to fulfill all righteousnes. Which is as much as to say: In his baptisme is conteyned ye righteousnes of al the world. For wheras al ye worlds synnes are put on me, if the recouer of the worlde be sought for, I muste do that that God commanded synners to do, (that is) that they should be baptised of the. Do not thou forbyd it, but rather further it, that euen as I do gladly take vponupon me baptisme for synnes sake: so do thou gladly procure baptisme for me, that the wrath of God may be pacified, and remission of synnes ordeyned. To this meaning sendeth the Father this voyce out of heauen: This is my dearly beloued sonne,Math. 3. in whom I am well pleased. He speaketh these words at that tyme, when Christ is baptised, that we may vnderstande, that this is oure baptisme, and thinke surely that the wrathe of God is pacified, and oure synnes purged by this baptisme, and that God wil receaue vsus again into fauour for his sonnes sake.
No difficultie or combrance be it neuer so great, should take the sound of this voyce, and so magnificēt a reuelation out of oure sight and mynde, wheras the Lord oure GOD openeth the heauens, and sendeth doune the holy Ghost in the forme of a doue, & wher as God the Father hym self sendeth forth such a pleasant voyce saying: Beholde, here is for you my sonne, whome I louelove and esteme aboue all things, yea and my self also wholy for you. But what doth the sonne? he behaueth hym selfe as a miserable and wretched synner, and is baptised of Iohn. There coulde be no gentler and meker reuelatiō of al the godheade according to ye three persons in three sortes, than this was, so that all men may be sure of this, that he that receaueth Christ, and beleueth his word, and trusteth in his working, pleaseth God in all pointes. Which thing is set forth and confirmed in this place. Whatsoeuer he commandeth, saith, or doth, all that is verily after the will and pleasure of the Father. Blessed were we, if we wold obey his will, and embrace his sonne with a stedfaste faith and confidence.
But who wold not meruaill at the great madnes of them,The vnkindnes of the world. which at the sound of this most magnificent voice, passe by as deafe. But yet the rable of Papistes adde to this contempte a more greuouse crime. They curse and persecute this voyce, and they speake with open blasphemy, that Christ is not only he, in whome the Father is delighted, but that he is delighted also in Mounkes, Masses, Pilgrimages, and suche lyke. He that wold earnestly ponder with hym selfe, what a blasphemy this is, to dishonour and disgrace Gods goodnes and humanitie with such pryde, wold thynk it better to dye then to lyue, leaste he should fede on that ayer with this wicked kinde.
Wherfore my childern learne this, whyle ye hauehave occasion.An adhortatiō to baptisme. A fewe yeares paste ye knew not these things. Then was heauen shut vppe. Then were we fayne to hear and beleue Mounkes dreames as touchyng purgatorie, and terrible spirits, and soules, and suche other lyes. But now other things are taught, and only it remayneth that men learne. But for as muche as we preuayle nothing with the worlde as touching this, at leaste wyse let vsus remember oure duetye, and geue GOD thankes for this benefite, for that he reueleth his mynde vntounto vsus on this daye, geuing vntounto vsus a thing of inestimable pryce, euen the holye Ghost, in the lykenes of a doue, his owne sonne at Iordane in baptisme, and hym self in a voyce full of maiestie and confort. Who woulde not therfore condemne hym worthely, whiche geueth not thanks, which reioyceth not, which receaueth not the sonne of God with a feruent desyer, whiche standeth here in Iordane, receueth baptisme as a synner. Upon whom commeth the holy Ghost in the sight of a doue, where the Fathers voyce is so nighe, that it can be no nigher? There is no doubt but that the angels of God were present. For where as is the Father, the sonne, and the holy Ghoste, there muste nedes be a great multitude of Angels. Wherfore see that ye esteme this hystory hyghly. In dede it is a reuelatiō wher as CHRIST openeth hym self to the wyse men by a starre. But this reuelation passeth that very farre. For these are three especiall kynges, God the Father, God the sonne, and God the holy Ghost, whiche are al present together, when Christ is baptised. If it had so pleased hym, this reuelation might hauehave ben done as well either in the wildernes, or in the temple of Ierusalem: But it was shewed euen at baptisme of the set purpose of God, that we might learne religiously and reuerently to esteme baptisme: And bycause we also are baptised, let vsus esteme oure selues no other wyse, then fresh and new made sayntes.
The pratynge of the Anabaptistes is very great, where as they say now,Baptisme is not water only. that baptisme is nothyng els than water. But with what word myght a man sufficientlye curse these execrable heddye persons? This is the Iudgement of brute beastes, and not of Christians. For there is not only water, but also the worde of GOD as it is seen at CHRITES Baptisme. For God the Father, the Sonne, and the holye Ghost is present. Wherfore it is no more water of the Element, but suche water as in the which the Sonne of God is washed, vponupon the which the holy Ghost is caried, God the Father preacheth, that this water might not be counted symple water, but sanctified, whereat God the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost is present.Math. 23. As Christ also for that cause appoynteth the forme of baptisme, that it should be geuen in the name of the Father, of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghost.
Wherfore when a chylde is now baptised, the Sonne of GOD is present at this baptisme, whiche with his body, The holy Ghoste, whiche with his presence, God the Father whiche with his voyce hath consecrated and halowed baptisme. Wherfore it can not be said, that it is but water. For all the Godhead is present. And for this cause we iudge baptisme no mans worke. For although a man baptiseth, yet he baptiseth not in his name but in the name of the Father, of the sonne, and of the holy Ghost, whiche come and are present at the worke of their owne accorde. Or els that wold neuer folow at baptisme that ought to folow. Now who is he, that wold count this vile and of no valew, that God the father, the sonne, & the holy Ghost, is present? who will be so bold as to calle it very water? Is it not euident, what God of his owne addeth to the water? If water be mingled, now it loseth her name.Baptisme is no work of man. Why then doe we in this place seue… the word from the water, and pronounce it to be water only, as though the word of God, or as though God hym self were not in this water? But it is not so, for the Father, the sonne, & the holy Ghoste are present, and be in this water. As in Iordane, when Christ stode in the water, the holy Ghost was caried aboue it, and God preached by it.
Wherfore baptisme is suche water, that taketh away syn, death, and all euill, and geueth saluation and euerlasting lyfe. So great price is now added to this water, in the which God demitteth hym selfe. But God is the God of lyfe. And sith he is in this water, it muste nedes be ye water of lyfe,Baptisme taketh away syn & death. which taketh away death and damnation, and geueth lyfe euerlastinge. This ought baptisme truely to be knowen and highly estemed. For he is not baptised in the name of any Angell or man, but in the name of the Father, of the sonne, & of the holy Ghost. Or as it is in the actes of the Apostles,To baptise in the name of Iesu. in the name of Iesu, which is as much. For he that confesseth Iesus Christ truely, with the same confession compriseth the Father and the holy Ghost. For Christ saith, that he commeth from the Father, and that he sendeth the holy Ghost. He then that confesseth truely Iesus Christ, can not dyminish the authoritie of his word, but shall beleue that the sonne is not alone, but that the Father, the sonne, and the holy Ghost, be there together, although the Father and the holy Ghost be not named.
Wherfore let vsus not lightly esteme this, let vsus not separate ye word frō the holy baptisme or water, wher with he is baptised, but let vsus confesse,What is the vse of baptisme. that this is therfore appointed of God to purifie vsus from oure syn for Christs sake, through the holy Ghost. For if it were not for this, what should the Father, the sonne, and the holy Ghost, hauehave to do ther? Wherfore if thou beleuest that a new borne chyld is synfull, dippe hym into baptisme, that God may worke his work in hym, as his word commandeth, and doth promise a new byrth by the water and the holy Ghost, and also this,Marc. 16. that he that beleueth and is baptised, might be saued. Lykewyse if thou confesse that he is in death, dippe hym in this baptisme and lauer after the commandement of Christ, and then shall death be swalowed vp.
Neither muste thou, that art baptised, thinke any otherwyse, than that baptisme is a seale and pledge of assurance, that God hath forgeuen thee thy synnes, and hath promised lyfe euerlasting for Christs sake. For baptisme hath a godly power, to take away death and synne. For therfore are we baptised. And although synnes be committed after that, and the works of godlynes not perfectly done, yet they that repente agayn, do not forfeit their couenant of baptisme and the promise therof. For this can by no meanes agree, that a man should desyer remission of syn, and also geue vp hym self wholy to synne. But this is in all poyntes necessarie to repent, and to consyder with hym self vprightly and truely, that God hath promised vsus his grace and fauour. When he cam to the baptisme of his Sonne, and that we should retourne to that grace, and beleue surely, that oure synnes are forgeuen, not for vsus or for any creatures sake, but for CHRIST oure Lord, whiche hath commanded this baptisme, and was baptised hym self also as a synner.
Wherfore this reuelation passeth not a litle the other, whiche was shewed to the wyse men by a starre. For out of this the frute redoundeth to all Chrystian men, where as in that reuelation of the wise men, a few Gentiles only cam to the knowledge of the kynge of the Iewes. Wherfore it were not without a good cause, if this were called the day of the Baptisme of Christ, and in the whiche Christ was baptised. Then should we hauehave a iuste cause geuen, to pleade the matter of Baptisme agaynst the Anabaptistes and the dyuell, whiche may soner be entreated of vsus for any matter, then that we should consyder the busynes of oure saluation. For ther he setteth agaynst vsus with tooth and nayle, that we may not come to the sight of oure inheritance. As the example of the Popedome doth yet admonishe vsus, vnderunder the whiche litle or nothing was set foorth in the congregation, as touching this reuelation at Iordane. Wherfore thynke this to be a thing most worthye to be remembred, where as God this daye, with a moste euident sermon as touching his Sonne, opened hym self, euen that all matters that are betwene Christ and vsus do highly please God the Father. For he that obeyeth the sonne and kepeth his word, he is accepted to God, and receaueth the holy Ghost. Whiche openeth hym self at this Baptisme in a very amiable and pleasant sight. And herevnto also it agreeth, that the Father sendeth foorth a verye bounteous voyce, when he sayth: Behold, here is for you, not an Angell, nor a Prophet, nor an Apostle, but my sonne, and my owne self also. What reuelation can be greater? And what seruice can we do that is more acceptable to hym, than that we obey his decree and proclamation? But he that is not moued with this, let hym after his seeking perishe with the dyuell, neither is he worthye to heare this Godly sermon. Wherfore let vsus geue thankes to God for this great and vnspekeable grace, and let vsus pray that he will preserue it in vsus, and thereby at lenghth saue vsus.
AMEN.