"which gave himself for our sins," or such like, yet doth she not apply this pronoun (our) unto her self, but unto others which are worthy and holy; and as for herself, she will tarry till she be made worthy by her own works. This then is nothing else, but that man's reason fain would that sin were of no greater force and power than she herself dreameth it to be. Hereof it cometh, that the hypocrites, being ignorant of Christ, although they feel the remorse of sin, do think, notwithstanding, that they shall be able easily to put it away by their good works and merits, and secretly, in their hearts, they wish that these words, "which gave himself for our sins," were but as words spoken in humility, and would have their sins. not to be true and very sins indeed, but light and small matters. To be short, man's reason would fain bring and present unto God a feigned and counterfeit sinner, which is nothing afraid, nor hath any feeling of sin. feeling of sin. It would bring him that is whole, and not him that hath need of a physician; and when it feeleth no sin, then would it believe that Christ was given for our .sins. The whole world is thus affected, and especially they that would be counted more holy and righteous than others, as monks, and all justiciaries. These confess with their mouths that they are sinners, and they confess also that they commit sins daily, howbeit not so great and many, but that they are able to put them away by their own works: yea, and besides all this, they will bring their righteousness and deserts to Christ's judgment-seat, and demand the recompence of eternal life for them at the judge's hand. In the mean while, notwithstanding, (as they pretend great humility) because they will not vaunt themselves to be utterly void of sin, they feign certain sins, that, for the forgiveness thereof, they may with great devotion pray with the publican, "God be merciful unto me a sinner!" (Luke xviii. 13.) Unto them, these words of St. Paul, "for our sins," seem to be but light and trifling; therefore, they neither understand them, nor in temptation, when they feel sin indeed, can they take any comfort of them, but are compelled flatly to despair. This is then the chief knowledge and true wisdom of Christians, to count these words of Paul, "that Christ was delivered to death, not for our righteousness or holiness, but for our sins," (which are very sins indeed, great, many, yea, infinite and invincible) to be "most true, effectual, and of great importance." Therefore, think them not to be small, and such as may be done away by thine own works; neither yet despair thou for the greatness of them, if thou feel thyself oppressed therewith, either in life or death; but learn here of Paul, to believe that Christ was given, not for feigned or counterfeit sins, nor yet for small sins, but for great and huge sins; not for one or two, but for all; not for vanquished sins, (for no man, no, nor angel, is able to overcome the least sin that is) but for invincible sins. And except thou be found in the number of those that say our sins," that is, which have this doctrine of faith, and teach, hear, learn, love, and believe the same, there is no salvation for thee. 66 Labour therefore diligently, that not only out of the time of temptation, but also in the time and conflict of death, when thy conscience is thoroughly afraid with the remembrance of thy sins past, and the devil assaileth thee with great violence, going about to overwhelm thee with heaps, floods, and whole seas of sins, to terrify thee, to draw thee from Christ, and to drive thee to despair, that then I say, thou mayest be able to say with sure confidence, Christ, the son of God, was given, not for the righteous and holy, but for the unrighteous and sinners. If I were righteous, and had no sin, I should have no need of Christ to be my reconciler. Why then, O thou peevish holy Satan, wilt thou make me to be holy, and to seek righteousness in myself, when, in very deed, I have nothing in me but sins, and most grievous sins? Not feigned or trifling sins, but such as are against the first table: to wit, great infidelity, doubting, despair, contempt of God, hatred, ignorance, and blaspheming of God, unthankfulness, abusing of God's name, neglecting, loathing, and despising the word of God, and such like. And moreover, these carnal sins against the second table: as not to yield honour to my parents, not to obey the magistrates, to covet another man's goods, his wife, and such like; albeit that these be light faults in respect of those former sins. And admit that I have not committed murder, whoredom, theft, and such other sins against the second table, in fact, yet I have committed them in heart, and therefore I am a transgressor of all God's commandments; and the multitude of my sins is so great, that they cannot be numbered: "for I have sinned above the number of the sands of the sea." Besides this, Satan is such a cunning juggler, that he can make of my righteousness and good works, great sin. For so much, then, as my sins are so weighty, so infinite, so horrible, and invincible, and that my righteousness doth nothing further me, but rather hinder me before God; therefore "Christ, the Son of God, was given to death for them, to put them away, and so save all men which believe." Herein therefore consisteth the effect of eternal salvation, namely, in taking these words to be effectual, true, and of great importance. I say not this for nought, for I have oftentimes proved by experience, and I daily find what a hard matter it is to believe (especially in the conflict of conscience) "that Christ was given," not for the holy, righteous, worthy, and such as were his friends, "but for wicked sinners, for the unworthy, and for his enemies, which have deserved God's wrath and everlasting death.” Let us therefore arm ourselves with these, and such like sentences of the holy scripture, that we may be able to answer the devil (accusing us, and saying, "thou art a sinner, and therefore thou art damned,") in this sort: Because thou sayest, I am a sinner, therefore I will be righteous and saved; Nay, (saith the devil) "thou shalt be damned." No, (say I) for I fly unto Christ, "who hath given himself for my sins;" therefore, Satan, "thou shalt not prevail against me," in that thou goest about to terrify me, in setting forth the greatness of my sins, and so to bring me into heaviness, distrust, despair, hatred, contempt, and blaspheming of God. Yea, rather, in that thou sayest, I am a sinner, thou givest me armour and weapons against thyself, that with thine own sword I may cut thy throat, and tread thee under my feet; for Christ died for sinners. Moreover, thou thyself preachest unto me the glory of God; for tho puttest me in mind of God's fatherly love towards me, wretched and damned sinner; "Who so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life," (John iii. 16.) And as often as thou objectest that I am a sinner, so often thou callest me to remembrance of the benefit of Christ my Redeemer, upon whose shoulders, and not upon mine, lie all my sins; for the Lord hath "laid all our iniquity upon him,” (Isaiah liii. 6.) Again, "For the transgressions of his people was he smitten," (chap. liii. 8.) Wherefore, when thou sayest I am a sinner, thou dost not terrify me, but comfortest me above measure. Whoso knoweth this one point of cunning well, shall easily avoid all the engines and snares of the devil, who, by putting man in mind of his sins, driveth him to despair, and destroyeth him, unless he withstand him with this cunning, and with this heavenly wisdom, whereby only sin, death, and the devil, are overcome. But the man that putteth not away the remembrance of his sin, but keepeth it still and tormenteth himself with his own cogitations, thinketh either to help himself by his own strength or policy, or to tarry the time till his conscience may be quieted, falling into Satan's snares, and miserably afflicteth himself, and at length is overcome with the continuance of the temptation; for the devil will never cease to accuse his conscience. Against this temptation we must use these words of St. Paul, in the which he giveth a very good and true definition of Christ in this manner : "Christ is the Son of God, and of the Virgin, delivered, and put to death for our sins." Here, if the devil allege any other definition of Christ, say thou, the definition, and the thing defined, are false: therefore, I will not receive this definition. I speak not this without cause: for I know what moveth me to be so earnest, that we should learn to define Christ out of the words of Paul. For indeed Christ is no cruel exac tor, but a forgiver of the sins of the whole world. Wherefore, if thou be a sinner (as indeed we are all) sit not Christ down upon the rainbow, as a judge, (for so thou shalt not be terrified, and despair of his mercy) but take hold of his true definition, namely, that Christ, the Son of God, and of the Virgin, is a person, not that terrifieth, not that afflicteth, not that condemneth us of sin, not that demandeth an account of us for our life evil passed: but hath given himself for our sins, and with one oblation hath put away the "sins of the whole world,” (Col. ii. 14.) hath fastened them upon the cross, and put them clean out by himself. Learn this definition diligently, and especially so exercise this pronoun our, that this one syllable being believed, may swallow up all thy sins: that is to say, that thou mayest know assuredly, that Christ hath taken away the sins, not of certain men only, but also of thee, yea, and of the whole world. Then let not thy sins be sins only, but even thy own sins indeed; that is, to wit, believe thou that Christ was not only given for other men's sins but also for thine. Hold this fast, and suffer not thyself by any means to be drawn away from this most sweet definition of Christ, which rejoiceth even the very angels in heaven: that is to say, that Christ, according to the proper and true definition, is no Moses, no lawgiver, no tyrant, but a mediator for sins, a free giver of grace, righteousness, and life; who gave himself, not for our merits, holiness, righteousness, and godly life, but for our sins. Indeed Christ doth interpret the law, but that is not his proper and principal office. These things, as touching the words, we know well enough, and can talk of them. But in practice, and in the conflict, when the devil goeth about to deface Christ, and to pluck the word of grace out of our hearts, we find that we do not yet know them well, and as we should do. He that at that time could define Christ truly, and could magnify him and behold him as his most sweet Saviour and High-priest, and not as a strait judge, this man hath overcome all evils, and were already in the kingdom of heaven. But this to do in the conflict, is of all things the most hard. I speak this by experience. For I know the devil's subtleties, who at that time not only goeth about to fear us with the terror of the law, yea, and also of a little mote maketh many beams; that is to say, of that which is no sin he maketh a very hell (for he is marvellous crafty both in aggravating sin, and in puffing up the conscience even in good works): but also is wont to fear us with the very person of the Mediator: into the which he transformeth himself; and, laying before us some place of scripture or saying of Christ, suddenly he striketh our hearts, and sheweth himself unto us in such sort as if he were Christ indeed, leaving us sticking so fast in that cogitation, that our conscience would swear it were the same Christ whose saying he alleged. Moreover, such is the subtlety of the enemy, that he will not set before us Christ entirely and wholly, but a piece of Christ only, namely, that he is the Son of God, and man born of the Virgin. And by-and-by he patcheth thereto some other thing; that is to say, some saying of Christ, wherewith he terrifieth the impenitent sinners, such as that it is in the thirteenth of Luke, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." And so, corrupting the true definition of Christ with his poison, he bringeth to pass that albeit we believe him to be Christ the true mediator, yet, in very deed, our troubled conscience feeleth and judgeth him to be a tyrant and a judge. Thus we, being deceived by Satan, do easily lose that sweet sight of our High-priest and Saviour Christ, which, being once lost, we shun him no less than the devil himself. And this is the cause why I do so earnestly call upon you, to learn the true and proper definition of Christ out of these words of Paul," Which gave himself for our sins." If he gave himself to death for our sins, then undoubtedly he is no tyrant or judge which will condemn us for our sins. He is no casterdown of the afflicted, but a raiser-up of those that are fallen, a merciful reliever and comforter of the heavy and broken-hearted. Else should Paul lie in saying, "which gave himself for our sins." If I define Christ thus, I define him rightly, and take hold of the true Christ, and possess him indeed. And here I let pass all curious speculations touching the divine majesty, and stay myself in the humanity of Christ, and so I learn truly to know the will of God. Here is then no fear, but altogether sweetness, joy, peace of conscience, and such like. And herewithal there is a light opened, which sheweth me the true knowledge of God, of myself, of all creatures, and of all the iniquity of the devil's kingdom. We teach no new thing, but we repeat and establish old things, which the apostles and all godly teachers have taught before us. And would to God we could so teach and establish them, that we might not only have them in our mouth, but also well-grounded in the bottom of our heart, and especially that we might be able to use them in the agony and conflict of death. VERSE 4. That he might deliver us from this present evil world, In these words also Paul handleth yet more effectually the argument of this epistle. He calleth this whole world, which hath been, is, and shall be, the present world, to put a difference between this and the everlasting world to come. Moreover he calleth it evil, because that whatsoever is in this world, is subject to the malice of the devil reigning over the whole world. For this cause the world is the kingdom of the devil. For there is in it no thing but ignorance, contempt, blasphemy, hatred of God, and |