now here attayne a meane that the worde and oth of God be true wherin thynges so contrary do mete That shall God surely do whiche can accomplysh that he hath promysed though noman couet it before it be done Therfore do hys wordes and dedes requyre no naturall wytte but a fre and pure fayth Lo how he hath vnyed these two thynges He geueth vnto Abrahā a naturall sede of one of hys doughters the pure and chaste virgine Mary by the holy gooste wythout the workynge of man There was not the naturall concepciō and generacion wyth hyr curse nother coulde it stayne the sede and yet neuerthelesse is thys the naturall sede of Abraham as well as all other Abrahams yssue Beholde than thys is the blessed sede of Abraham whereby all the worlde is delyuered of hys curse For from hym that beleueth on thys sede calleth vpon it confesseth it and cleueth there vnto is the curse taken awaye and forgeuen as a cryme and al blesse is geuen him for the sounde of the word and oth of God namely In thy sede shall all nacions be blessed That is Loke what is to be blessed that shal be blessed by thys sede and none other Lo thys is y e sede of Abrahā the which is borne of none of hys chylderen as the Iewes haue alwaye loked for to haue ben but of hys only doughter the virgine Mary That same meaneth here the bewtyful mother of God whan she sayeth that God hath taken vp Israell accordynge to the promyse made vnto Abraham vnto Abrahā I saye and all hys sede Veryly she sawe that the promyse was than fulfylled in her and therfore sayd she It is now fulfylled he hath now taken hym vp he hath accōplyshed hys worde by the only callynge to mynde hys mercy Here do we beholde the fundamente of the gospell wherfore all doctrines preachynges of hym do dryue vnto Christes fayth and Abrahams bosome For ther is no counsell nor helpe yf thys fayth is wantynge whereby y e blessed sede maye be vnderstand And veryly ⧠all the scripture hangeth vpon thys oth For all that is wrytten in y e whole Bible doth behold and concerne Christ Besydes thys do we se that al the fathers of the olde testamente and all Prophetes also had thesame fayth and thesame gospell that we haue as Paule doth testifye .i. Corinth x. For in thys testamente of God Abrahās bosome dyd they all remayne by stedfaste fayth and therfore are saued sauynge that they beleued in the sede that was promysed and for to come but we beleue in y e sede that hath appeared and is geuen Neuerthelesse the truth of the promyse remayneth on both partes it is all one fayth one sprete one Christ one LORDE that was at that tyme and is now and shall be for euer as the .xiii. chapter to the Hebrues doth beare witnesse But that the Iewes had a lawe geuen them afterwarde that is not lyke vnto thys promyse for it was done therfore that by y e lyght of the lawe they myghte knowe theyr cursed nature and that they shulde more feruently and wyth more whoter desyre sygh and longe for thys promysed sede of blessyng in the whiche they had a prerogatiue before all nacions on earth But they haue turned the prerogatiue into hurte and dammage haue thought to accomplysh and fulfyll the lawe by theyr owne strength and therfore haue not they sene theyr wretched mysery And after thys maner haue they shut y e dore to themselues so that y e sede promysed muste nedes go by them in y e which opiniō they remayne yet God geue it be not longe Amē Thys hath ben the debate that all the Prophetes haue had wyth them for seynge the Prophetes knew wel ynough the meanyng of the lawe namely that thereby the wyckednesse of our nature shulde be knowē and to learne how Christe shulde be called vpon therfore refused they all the workes lyues of the Iewes that wente not in that waye for the whych cause the Iewes cōceaued an anger agaynst thē slew thē as those that refused y e gods seruice good workes and the good lyuyng as y e hypocrytes and graceles sayntes d◠sometyme Of whome ther were not a lytle to be spoken That she sayth and to hys sede foreuer is to be vnderstāde y e such grace shall laste in Abrahams bloud which are y e Iewes frō that tyme forth thorow all tymes vntyll the laste daye For though y e moost parte be hardened yet are ther somtyme parte of them though but a fewe that turne vnto Christ beleue in hym seynge thys promyse of God both not fayle namely y e the promyse was made vnto Abraham hys sede not for one nor for a thousande yeares but for euer that is from one mās tyme vntyll another without ceassynge And for thys cause ought not we to intreate y e Iewes so vncourteously for amonge thē are yet some that shalbe Christians and dayly do some of thē turn to Christ Moreouer they only and not we Gentiles haue the promyse made vnto thē that ther shalbe euer some Christiās in y e sede of Abraham that shall knowlege y e blessed sede Our matter is founded vpō the mere grace with out the promyse of God who knoweth how and whan Yf we lyued godly Christenly and with mekenesse brought them to Christ that veryly were the beste maner and way Who wolde become a Christian whā he seyeth Christen men deale so cruelly w t mē Not so ye welbeloued Christiās Let y e truth be shewed them after a good maner y e which yf they refuse leaue thē alone Howe many Christiās are ther now adayes that regard not Christ nother heare hys worde beynge worse thā y e Gentiles or Iewes whome neuerthelesse they do let be in reste yee do thē reuerēce makyng nearehand an Idol of thē Here wyll we rest at thys tyme prayng god for y e true vnderstādyng of thys virgins sōg of prayse called Magnificat y e which not only do shyne and speake but also inflame lyue in the body and soule the which oure Saueoure Christe graunte vs. Amen Now do I returne vnto you moost boūteous prince desyrynge youre hyghnesse to take my boldenesse in worth Though I know that your goodnesses youth hath many instructers and dayly admonicions yet coulde I not represse the care of my subiection and due faythfulnesse and besydes this the charge of my conscience and the exhortacion of your hyghnesse Seynge we all do hope that in tymes to come the rule of the commune welth the which oure mercyfull god geue to prosper shall come to your hyghnesse handes the which is a greate thyng yf it do well befal and agayne a peryllous and myserable thynge yf it do befall otherwyse But vnto vs it becōmeth to loke and praye for the beste neuerthelesse carefully to feare is the worst of all Let your hyghnesse call thys to mynde
be destroyed of God wyth theyre pryde and arrogācy But seynge ther is noman that so persueth y e truth ryghteousnes as these do though they thynke it be ongods behalfe as we haue sayde before therfore amonge the thre enemyes of God muste they go before and beare the standarde the seconde leest are the rych whome the greate men and rulers the thyrde enemyes do passe in executynge power But these learned men excell ether of the other farre beyonde the nocke for they do hurte on both partyes with theyr bloudy entysynge The rych men quenche y e truthe by themselues only The men of authorite chace her from other But these learned men quenche her cleane out in themselues in steade thereof they brynge forth y e imaginacion of theyr owne harte so that she can neuer ryse agayne Now as the truth is better in herselfe than men in whome she hath hyr dwellynge so much are the learned men worse than the greate men or rych mē O how doth God abhorre and hate such as they be worthy The thyrde worke is to subdue the proude He putteth dovvne the myghty from the seate Thys worke wyth the other followynge maye easely be perceaued by the two workes aboue rehearsed For lyke as he destroyeth the wyse and suttyll in theyr imaginacions and good meanynges where vnto they sticke and vse theyr pryde agaynste suche as feare God whiche must suffre wronge and theyr wytte and ryghteousnesse must be cōdemned the whiche all is chefely done for y e loue of Gods worde Euen so he destroyeth and putteth downe the myghty great men wyth all theyr power and dominion where vpon they leanynge vsed theyr crueltye and pryde vpon theyre inferiours and on the good lowlyones the whiche must suffre punyshmente death and all euell of them And as he comforteth thē that must suffre wrōge and shame for ryghteousnesse the truth and hys wordes sake euen so strengtheth he thē that suffre hurte and wronge but the more he cōforteth those that must suffre wronge so much the more frayeth he the other But thys all muste be perceaued and loked for in fayth For he destroyeth not the myghty as soone as they haue deserued it sufferyng them sometyme vntyl theyr power or authorite be fynisshed for than doth God kepe thē nomore nother can they kepe themselues but do vanyshe fayde of theyr owne swyng wythout ony rumoure or sedicion and than such as are oppressed comeforth and reioyce without ony vprour or noyse For the power of God is in them which only abydeth Marke that she sayeth not he destoyeth the syes or trones but he putteth the myghty dovvne out of the seates nother sayeth she that he leaueth the oppressed vnder foote but setteth them vp For as longe as thys worlde doth endure so longe muste Superiorite Rule Power the Trones continue But that they are euell vsed contrary to the wyll of God in doynge iniurye and wronge vnto such as are good and that they do also delyte therin and exalte themselues therein and vse it not with the feare of God to his prayse and defence of iustice that can he not suffre longe As experience here of maye be sene in all storyes how that God setteth vp one kyngdome and putteth downe another howe he rayseth one prouince and putteth downe another howe he multiplyeth one nacion and destroyeth another as maye be sene in the Assyrians Babylonians Perses Grekes and Romanes which neuerthelesse imagined theyr raygnes to endure euer Euen so lykewyse doth he not destroye reason wysedome and lawes for they muste be had yf y e worlde shalbe mayntayned but pryde the hyghmynded which serue themselues w t these gyftes feare not God persecute y e good and gods lawe abuse such bewtyful giftes of god against hī Gods busynesse is in that case now that the wyse and proude meaners yf I maye so call them do mooste communely ioyne themselues with mē of authorite and steare them agaynst the truthe as Dauid wytnesseth in the .ii. Psalme sayenge The kynges of the earth stande vp the rulers are come together agaynst the LORDE and agaynst hys anoynted Because the lawe and ryght haue alwaye the wyse myghty and ryche agaynste them that is the worlde wyth hys greate and valeaunt powers therfore doth the holy gooste conforte them by the mouth of hys mother that they be not abasshed nor doute but let these wyse myghty and ryche alone seynge they shall not longe endure Yf the holyones and learned takynge to thē the myghty wyse rulers gouernours and y e rych shulde all not stande agaynst the truth but be of hyr syde where shulde vnryghteousnes remayne who shuld suffre wrōge or euel Not so For the holyones myghty superious the ryche and the beste of the worlde muste fyghte agaynst God and hys ryghteousnesse and be the Deuels darlynges as wytnesseth the prophet Abacuc in the fyrste chapter sayenge Hys meate is pycked and deynty That is the wycked sprete hath a denty touth he loueth to eate of the swetest moost deyntyeste and costlyest dyshes as y e Beer also doth hony Therfore are the learned the holy pharises the Herodes and the rych euen the deuels deynties Agayn what so euer the worlde doth refuse as the poore lowly symple vyle and despysed that dothe God chose as wytnesseth S. Paule .i. Cor. i. that he maye suffre the vylest of y e worlde to be myshādled of the best of the same that so it be euidently knowen that our saluaciō doth not stande in mans power but only in the power handes of God as Paule doth also testify Hereof cōmeth that these by wordes are cōmunely vsed They that be learned are peruerted And a ruler is venyson in heauen And here rych there poore For the learned alaye not theyr hartes pryde the myghty theyr oppressynge nother do the rych despyse theyr pleasures and fynally is it done that maye be done The fourth worke is to exalte thē of lowe degre And exalteth them of lovve degre They of lovve degre are not to be taken here for those that be lowly but such as be vnderlynges and of no reputacyon befor the worlde For it is euen the same worde y e she ment whan she sayd For he hath loked vpon the lowe degre of hys handmayden Neuerthelesse they that of theyr fre wyl are nought abiecte of harte not sekyng hyghe thynges they are lowly in dede Moreouer thys exaltynge is not to be vnderstande as that he shulde set them in the thrones places of them that be putte downe as he doth not set them that feare hym in the rowme of the learned that is proude another whā he sheweth mercy vpon them but he geueth thē such gyftes as do farre passe those namely y t they beyng exalted in God spiritually are set as iudges aboue all thrones powers and knowlege both here in thys worlde and in the worlde to come for they are better learned than al the learned
And Paule doth also proclame thys sayenge in the .ii. chapter vnto Titus that Christe gaue hymselfe for vs to redeme vs from all vnryghteousnesse to purge vs to be a peculiar people vnto hymselfe And Peter also in hys fyrst epistle the .ii. chapter sayeth Ye are that chosen generacion that kyngly prestholde that holy nacion that peculiar people c. These are the godly ryches and the greate mercyes of God the whych we haue optayned by none of oure deseruynge but of the only mercy and grace Wherfore she sayeth also He remembreth mercy She sayeth not He remebreth oure merite and worthynesse for we were in necessite and vnworthy Of this thā doth hys prayse and honoure springe oure boaste and presumptiō is suaged He had nothynge at whose syghte he myght be moued saue only hys owne mercy the whiche also was therfore to be shewed on all nacions But wherfore sayeth she more He remembreth mercy than he loked vpō hys mercy Euen because he had promysed thesame as the verse followynge doth declare Moreouer he wytheld y e same mercy so lōge that he semed nearehande to haue forgotten it euen as all hys workes do seme to haue no care for vs neuerthelesse whā he came it was euidently knowen that he had not forgotten vs but that he was euer mynded to fulfyll hys promyses Truth it is that by Israell the Iewes only are ment and not the Gentiles but seyng they refused hym he chose a few of them and satisfyed the name of Israell therewith and made a spirituall Israell Thys is figured Gen. xxxvii by the patriarke Iacob wrastlynge wyth the angel whose thygh the angell touched and made hym to halte For therby was signifyed that the chylderen of Israell shulde not from thenceforth boaste theyr carnall byrth as the Iewes do where he also obtayned the name Israell that he thenceforth shulde so be called as a Patriarke which were not only Iacob the father of carnall chyldren but also Israel the father of spirituall chylderen To thys doth agre also the name Israel the which is as muche to saye as the LORDE of God That is surely a very holy hygh name cōteynynge in it selfe that great mirakle that a man by the Godly fauour hath in a maner brought God in his power so that God do accōplysh all mans requestes as we se also that the church is made one w t God thorow Christe euē as a bryde vnto the brydegrome which hath power of hyr brydegromes body and all that he hath All this is done by fayth whereby a man obeyeth the wyll of God and God agayne agreeth vnto mans wyll so that Israel be so conformable to God and of suche power ouer hym y t in God w t God by God he do all thynges be able to do all thynges Thys lo signifyeth Israell For Schar in Hebrue is as muche to saye as a lorde or a prince and El signifyeth God ioynynge them together maketh Israel Such an Israell wyll God haue wherfore whan Iacob hadde wrestled wyth the angell ouercome him y e angel sayd Thou shalt nomore be called Iacob but Israell for thou hast stryuē wyth God and with men hast preuayled Many thynges more were to be sayde hereof for Israell is a hygh mystery Euen as he promysed vnto oure fathers Abraham and to hys sede for euer Here are all merites and presumpcion ouerthrowen and the grace and mercy of God are lyfte vp For God hath not holpen vp Israell for hys owne merites but for hys owne promyse Of only and mere grace hath he promysed and of mere grace also hath he fulfilled it Therfore sayeth Paule in the .iii. chapter to the Galathians that God dyd bynde hymselfe to Abraham foure hundreth yeare before he gaue the lawe by Moses lest ony man myghte saye or boast that he had deserued or obtayned so greate grace and promyse by the lawe or the workes of thesame Thys same promyse doth the mother of God laude and prayse aboue all thynges attributynge the mooste cleare worke of the incarnacion vnto the pure vndeserued godly and fre promyse made vnto Abraham Thys promyse of God vnto Abraham is specially wrytten in the .xii. and .xxii. chapters of Genesis and diuerse other plades soundynge on thys maner In thy sede shall all the naciōs of the earth be blessed The which wordes of God S. Paull and al Prophetes as they be worthy lyfte vp vnto the cloudes for in those wordes both Abraham and all hys posterite are saued because that Christe is comprehended in thesame and promysed to be the Saueoure of all the worlde Moreouer thys is Abrahams bosome wherein all they that were saued before Christes natiuite dyd remayne Nother was ony man euer saued without these wordes though he had done all the good dedes that euer were done the which we wyl loke vpon continently Fyrst doth it fellowe by these wordes that all the worlde excepte Christe was in thraldome and daunger of synne damnacion and curse wyth all hys workes and connynge For whan he sayeth that not some but all nacions shalbe blessed in Abrahams sede it is manifeste that wythout thesame sede ther shalbe no blesse What neded God to promyse the blesse wyth so earneste so greate and so preciouse an oth yf the blesse and not rather the curse had ben in the worlde Out of thys place haue the Prophetes sucked and concluded many thynges as namely that all men are euell vayne lyars fayners blynde and brefely Godlesse or wythout Godlynesse so that it be no worshyppe in scripture to be called a man For that name is nomore worth by God than yf a man were called before the worlde a lyar or periured So wholy dyd he perysh by Adams fall y t the curse beynge borne w t hym was nearehāde become one nature w t hym Secondely it followeth that that sede of Abraham neded not to be borne by naturall sede of man and wyfe For suche byrth is cursed and bringeth forth cursed frutes as is sayde euen now Yf now all the worlde was to be delyuered from thys curse by Abrahams sede and to be blessed it was requyred that y e sede were blessed before and vntouched or vndefyled of suche a curse and to be a mere blesse full of grace and truthe Agayne yf God that is no lyar doth promyse and that wyth an oth a naturall sede vnto Abraham that is a naturall and lawfull chylde whyche shalbe borne of hys flesh and bloude it was necessary that such one shulde be a true naturall man borne of the fleshe and bloude of Abraham Now do these two thynges stryue together To be the naturall fleshe and bloude of Abraham and yet not to be borne by man and wyfe after the course of nature And therfore vseth he thys worde thy sede and not thy chylde or thy sonne that so it were clere and euident that it must be hys naturall fleshe and bloude as it is also hys sede Who wyll
that preached Iesus Christe that we for hym onely haue the forgeuenesse of synnes by the fayth in hym Nother is there ony other waye to obtayne the true saluacion thā by the fayth in Christe Iesu nor yet also is ther geuen vnto men ony other name wher in we be saued Actu iiii For the glory of God is to saue as many as are ordined ther to and that glory geueth he to none other Seynge than Ihon dyd opē shewe declare Iesus Christ the doer away of our synnes ▪ he is ryghtfully sayd to haue geuē or to haue taught the people suche knowlege whereby they obtayne the remission of theyr synnes that is ryghteousnesse and lyfe euerlastyng But for what deseruynges or merites sake hath y e people obtayned such benefites that they shulde learne the waye of saluacion get the remission of theyr synnes Veryly not for the circumcision nor sacrifices nor ciuile honesty the whych though they haue a worthynesse in theyr kynde yet were they not such thynges before God that therfore he shulde bestowe on vs the benefyte of forgeuenesse of synne What are then the thynges wherfore we haue such benefyte bestowed on vs Thorovv the the tender mercy sayeth he of our God He sayeth not onely by the mercy ▪ but by the tender mercy that is thorowe the great and vnsearcheable mercy for thorow the same and for none of mās merites dyd the daye sprynge frō on hygh visite vs. For as the remissiō of synnes happened vnto vs for none of our merites but only of the mere grace and tender mercy of God euen so doth thys fayth also The day sprynge doth Zachary call here Christe as thoughe he were buddynge and spryngynge lyke a braunch of a tre alludynge to the sayenge of Ieremy in hys .xxiii. chap. sayenge I wyll rayse vp the ryghteous braunch of Dauid which shall beare rule discusse matters with wysedom shal set vp equite and ryghteousnesse agayne in the earth And also to the prophecy of Zachary in hys .vi. chap. sayenge Beholde the man whose name is y e braunch and he that shall sprynge after him shall buylde vp the temple of the LORDE Thys braunch than or daye sprynge is rysen from aboue and hath visited vs whā Iesus Christ came into thys world sente Ihō baptiste before to beare opē wytnes of him To what intente That he myght geue lyghte vnto thē that syt in darknesse and shadovve of death and to gyde oure fete into the vvaye of peace These wordes of Zachary concerne the prophecy of Esaye in his .ix. chap. sayenge The people that haue dwelte in darknesse shall se a great lyght to thē that dwell in the lande of the shadowe of death to thē shall the lyght shyne And agayne in y e .lx. chap. And therfore get y e vp by tymes for thy lyght cōmeth and the glory of the LORD shall ryse vpon y e. In the darknes and shadovv of death do they syt whiche are so wrapped in wretchednesses y t they se nought saue euē euerlastyng dānaciō That is done whan the synnes are vttered and y e conscience knoweth the iudgement of synne Therfore whan Ihon dyd shew Christe takynge awaye the synnes of the worlde surely he shewed vs such a lyghte whereby we maye not only auoyde the darkenesse of infelicite or wretchednesse and the shadowe of death but also to gyde our fete into y e way of peace so to obtayne y e true saluaciō felicite For ther is none other way of peace or felicite saue Iesus Christ our LORD by whose faythe we beynge iustifyed haue peace to Godwarde A foote in scripture is takē oftymes for y e affection desyre wyll of the harte as in y e .xxxv. Psal Let not the foote of pryde ouertake me That is the affections thoughtes of pryde lest I conceaue a proude opinion of meselfe in my mynde of my ryghteousnesse wysdom strength wyll lest I coūte meselfe somewhat where I ame nothynge seynge I fynde no good thynge in my flesh The clause wherwith Zachary doth ende hys songe is veryly a pythy one namely into the vvay of peace For yf we walke not in the wayes of God in hys commaundemētes in the lyfe that is blessed and happy because of the assuraunce of Gods goodnesse wherby such tranquillite rest of conscience is procured y t we take all thynges in worth and as neare as we can haue peace wyth al men than veryly do we wander in darknes goynge astraye as shepe hauyng no sheperd He doth worthely cal the ignoraunce of god the shadowe of death wherwith are holdē all those into whose hartes Christe the true Sonne of ryghteousnesse hath not spred hys beames seynge y e true knowlege of God is lyfe euerlastynge What tunge cā expresse y e misery of thē that want y e knowlege of God For in thys lyfe they haue a cōscience captiuate restlesse marked wyth a whote yron sekynge now thys waye to be saued thā puttynge y e body to such payne to deserue heauē so y t it can nomore reste thā Euripus the ryuer which ebbeth and floweth .vii. tymes in a daye and nyghte And agayne what tunge can vtter the felicite happinesse of such as haue thys knowlege that Ihon is come to geue for they beynge suffysed y e God is theyr God that he careth for thē that he forgeueth thē theyr synnes thorow the tēder mercy of theyr God wherewyth the daye sprynge or braūch frō on hygh hath visited vs they kepe an euerlastyng Sabbat cōmyttyng al y e care ether of lyuelode of clothyng or of ryddaūce and delyuerynge frō al theyr enemyes both bodyly and goostly to hym only that hath created and gouerneth all thynges trustyng in him that as he is only good so cā not he do other wyse but good vnto them Thys veryly is a peace passynge the peace of y e worlde Thys peace maye be felte inwardly but can be vttered sufficiently with no tunge outwardly Yee noman can synge nother thys nor lyke songes worthely frutefully wythout he be contrite of harte endued w t the holy goost Therfore is it a haynous iniury vnto God to synge thys lyke wholsome songes only for auauntage wythout ony consyderaciō of the benefites that God hath shewed vs as it testifyeth God graunte that abuses may be redressed by the breth of hys holy worde ¶ Thys is the songe of prayse that Zachary dyd synge at hys chyldes natiuite whereby seynge the truth mercy of God and the benefites which we haue gottē thorow Christ whome Ihon by by hys preachyng testimony doth auaūce are chefely praysed let vs stablysh our fayth declare our thankfulnes towarde God that we maye kepe retayne with thankfulnesse y e godly benefites which of liberalite we haue receaued by Iesus Christe AMEN ¶ The songe of the aunciente father Simeon called Nunc dimittis the whyche he dyd synge whan Mary was puryfyed LORDE novv lettest
wyll departe in peace To departe wyth ioye or dye in peace is a goodly worde in y e eares of hym that can so do But where of hath he such a pleasaunt death Euen of the chylde Who hath euer sene suche lyke death But all they that put theyr truste in ony other saue in thys chylde the Saueoure whan they shall dye they tremble and quake and are very sorowfull at the harte chaūge theyr coloure theyr wytte reason vnderstādynge and all theyr strength faydeth euen awaye death ouercōmeth them Yee though all the kynges princes powers of y e world were by wyth theyr horses armes to helpe them and the feare of death came vpon thē they shulde stande as styffe as a stake before death But the good Simeon reioyceth y t he wyll departe in peace as though ther were no death He calleth not y e passynge a death he disdayneth to honoure it so much He sayeth LORD novv lettest thou thy seruaūt departe in peace not thou lettest me dye He calleth the passynge a swete easy slepe From whence hath he the connyng that he feareth not death but counteth it a swete slepe for the whych not wythstandynge all the worlde is afrayed Euen frō thence that synne the law and death were banyshed out of hys harte he dyd not regarde them For where the lawe is there is also a conscience of synne but where she is not there is nothynge saue ryghteousnesse and Moses is exiled and so wholy out of syghte that hys sepulture is not sene nor knowen where it is Where Moses is gone frō thence is synne taken awaye also and so becommeth death a louely slepe But whereby getteth he that Veryly not by hys deseruynges workes but onely by the beholdynge of the saueoure For he sayeth Myne eyen haue sene thy Saueour He maketh no mencion nor is once thynkynge that he hath done or procured it wyth hys handes but hath sene it wyth hys eyen though the outwarde syght wythout the inwarde do auayle so lytle as the handes They are two poyntes to se and the Saueoure To se Christ perteyneth vnto a quiete and peaceable death Yf we se hym than can we dye merely but yf we se hym not thā is he there in vayne vnto vs. Many haue sene hym in the temple but not aryght Ioseph Marye Anna and Simeon haue sene hym aryghte but all the other that behelde hym not lykewyse they haue not sene Christ nor the Saueoure Caiphas Annas Pilate Herode dyd beholde hym in dede but they sawe not that he was the Saueoure But where in is the faute that they can not se hym In the eyen of the harte they must be cleare that they may beholde y e yonge LORDE that is entred in to the wynepresse for vs and hath suffred wronge for vs settynge vs at lyberte not for our merytes or deseruynges but for hys truth and loues sake Who so beholdeth him after thys maner the same hath ouercome the law synne death despysynge all theyr assaultes The true seynge consisteth not in the bodely eyen for many haue sene hym after that maner which were neuer the better for it but in fayth in the harte It maye well be that they haue sene hym wyth bodyly eyen but yet not beleued that he was the Saueoure thynkynge on thys wyse Shulde thys chylde be he it is scarce syxe wekes olde nother can it lyfte vp the heade The true Saueoure thought they shal come wyth an armye wyth horses and al maner of weapens But the good Simeon hath sene hym other wyse He was warned in hys hart a worde was geuen hym sayenge The same is he ▪ He had another lyght and another syghte Euen so muste we also not onely heare at Christes mouth but also beleue in the harte thorowe the holy goost and so must y e harte be illumined by the holy goost for it is naturally stony hardened and darkened so sore that it can not knowlege such saluacyon and se such lyghte Nother is it ynough that Mary Ioseph Simeō and other haue sene hym I muste se hym also I muste knowlege hym also I muste knowe also that he is the true Messias Simeon myght wyth few wordes haue vttered the cause of hys ioy and sayd Therfore lettest thou me depart in peace because I haue sene Christe But that he myght declare the maiesty of Christe more clearelye he leaueth the name of Christ and in steade therof he setteth thre tytles wherewyth Christ is set forth moost playnly and his vse is shewed moost manyfestly The fyrst tytle that Christ is declared wyth is Saueoure sayenge Myne eyen haue sene thy Saueoure vvhome thou hast prepared before all people Thys sayenge semeth Simeon to haue taken out of the .lii. Chapter of Esaye where he sayeth The LORDE wyll make bare hys holy arme shewe it forth in the syght of all the Gentyles and all the endes of the earth shall se the sauynge health of oure God That Esaye doth prophecy for to come that sayeth Simeon to be now fulfyllynge That is that our LORDE Christ whych as the true Saueoure is shewed in y e fleshe and set vp therfore that he myghte be shewed vnto al nacions both the Iewes and Gentyles Yf the synnes do racke oure consciences and cast them to the euerlastynge damnacyon than is Christ oure Saueoure the wholsome playster whyche layed to the sores of our synnes doth so drye vp clense heale the etter of them that although he fele hymselfe greued wyth synnes and yet do beleue in Christe yeldynge hymselfe wholy to hys cure yet is he for all that rekened clene from all synne ryghteous and holy And yf Christe be wholsome to clense and heale synnes it followeth also that he is wholsome in al aduersites troubles grefes and paynes of death and hell For yf ony man be payned or greued than is Christe wholsome vnto hym For in forgeuynge synnes he maketh the same grefe to be no instrumēt or accasion of misery vnto hym Yf ony mā be cast before death and hell in hys cōscience Christ is a Seueoure vnto hym the whych seynge he hath satisfyed hys father for our sinnes he chaungeth the feare of death and hell in a waye not vnto perditiō but vnto lyfe euer lastynge saluacion Let vs therfore embrace thys Saueoure of God the whych Simeon dyd beare in hys armes and let vs lykewyse beare hym by fayth that we maye be letten go in peace lykewyse The seconde tytle that Simeō decketh Christ wyth is the lyght For he sayeth A lyght for the lyghtenynge of the Heythē he shall not onely be a Saueoure but also a lyghte to lyghten the Heythen that is He is a lyght that shall not only shyne amonge the Iewes but also amonge the Gentyles and lyghten them that they also maye come to the eternall blesse oute of the darkenesse of death and hel Thys part of y e songe semeth to be taken out of the