kind saved, and that the fault is not in him if we are damned. For it is written thus, “ God would have all men to be saved:" his salvation is sufficient to save all mankind, but we are so wicked of ourselves that we refuse the same, for we will not take it when it is offered unto us; and therefore he saith, "Few are chosen;" that is, few have pleasure and delight in it; for the most part are weary of it, they cannot abide it. And there are some that hear it, but they will not abide any danger for it, they love their riches and possessions more than the word of God. And therefore few are elected, there are but a few that stick heartily unto it, and can find in their hearts to forego this world for God's sake and his holy word.

There are some now-a-days that will not be reprehended by the gospel; they think themselves better than it. Some again are so stubborn, that they will rather forswear themselves, than confess their sins and wickedness. Such men are the cause of their own damnation; for God would have them saved, but they refuse it; like as did Judas the traitor, whom Christ would have had to be saved, but he refused his salvation; he refused to follow the doctrine of his master Christ. And so, whosoever heareth the word of God, and follows it, the same is elect by him. And again, whosoever refuses to hear the word of God, and to follow the same, is damned. So that our election is sure if we follow the word of God.

Here is now taught you how to try out your election, namely, in Christ, for Christ is the accounting book and register of God; even in the same book, that is, Christ, are written all the names of the elect. Therefore we cannot find our election in ourselves, neither yet in the high counsel of God; for "Secret things belong to the most High." (Deut. xxix.) Where then shall I find my election? In the counting book of God, which is Christ; for thus it is written, "God hath so entirely loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, to that end, that all that believe in him should not perish, but have life everlasting." Whereby appears most plainly that Christ is the book of life, and that all that believe in him are in the same book, and so are chosen to everlasting life; for only those are ordained which believe.

Therefore when thou hast faith in Christ, then thou art in the book of life, and so art thou sure of thine election. And again, if thou art without Christ, and have no faith

in him, neither art sorry for thy wickedness, nor have a mind and purpose to leave and forsake sin, but rather exercise and use the same, then thou art not in the book of life as long as thou art in such a case; and therefore shalt thou go into everlasting fire, namely, if thou die in thy wickedness and sin, without repentance.

But there are none so wicked but he may have a remedy. What is that? Enter into thine own heart, and search the secrets of the same. Consider thine own life, and how thou hast spent thy days. And if thou find in thyself all manner of uncleanness and abominable sins, and so seest thy damnation before thine eyes, what shalt thou then do? Confess the same unto the Lord thy God. Be sorry that thou hast offended so loving a Father, and ask mercy of him in the name of Christ, and believe steadfastly that he will be merciful unto thee in respect of his only Son, who suffered death for thee; and then have a good purpose to leave all sin and wickedness, and to withstand and resist the affections of thine own flesh, which ever fight against the Spirit; and to live uprightly and godly, after the will and commandment of thy heavenly Father. If thou go thus to work, surely thou shalt be heard. Thy sins shall be forgiven thee; God will show himself true in his promise, for to that end he sent his only Son into this world, that he might save sinners. Consider therefore, I say, wherefore Christ came into this world; consider also the great hatred and wrath that God beareth against sin; and again consider his great love, showed unto thee, in that he sent his only Son to suffer most cruel death, rather than that thou shouldest be damned everlastingly.

Consider therefore this great love of God the Father, amend thy life, fly all occasions of sin and wickedness, and be loth to displease him. And in doing this thou mayest be assured that though thou hadst done all the sins of the world, they shall neither hurt nor condemn thee; for the mercy of God is greater than all the sins of the world. But we sometimes are in such a case that we think we have no faith at all, or if we have any, it is very feeble and weak. And therefore these are two things; to have faith and to have the feeling of faith. For some men would fain have the feeling of faith, but they cannot attain unto it and yet they may not despair, but go

forward in calling upon God, and it will come at length: God will open their hearts, and let them feel his goodness.

And thus may you see who are in the book of life, and who are not. For all those that are obstinate sinners, are without Christ, and so not elect to everlasting life, if they remain in their wickedness. There are none of us all but we may be saved by Christ, and therefore let us stick hard unto it, and be content to forego all the pleasures and riches of this world for his sake, who for our sake forsook all the heavenly pleasures, and came down into this miserable and wretched world, and here suffered all manner of afflictions for our sake. And therefore it is right that we should do somewhat for his sake, to show ourselves thankful unto him; and so we may assuredly be found among the first, and not among the last; that is to say, among the elect and chosen of God, that are written in the counting book of God, who are those that believe in Christ Jesus; to whom, with God the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen..

Extract from the Sermon on Repentance, preached on the first Sunday in Advent, 1550.

How can we be so foolish as to set so much by this world, knowing that it shall endure but a little while? Therefore let us remember that the time is very short, let us study to amend our lives, let us not be so careful for this world, for the end of it, no doubt, is at hand; and though the general day* come not yet, our end will not be far off, death will come one day and strip us of our coat, he will take his pleasure of us. It is a marvellous thing to see, there are some who have lived in this world forty or fifty years, and yet they lack time; when death comes they are not ready. But I require you, for God's sakerise up from your sleep of sin and wickedness; make yourselves ready, set all things in order, so that you may be ready whensoever death shall come and fetch you; for die we must, there is no remedy; we must one day leave this world; for we are not created of God that we should abide here always.

Therefore let us repent in time of our wicked life; for God willeth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he shall turn from his wickedness and live. "As truly as I live, saith God, I will not the death of a sinner, but rather that he shall turn from his wickedness and live." (Ezek. xviii.) These are most comfortable words; for now we may be sure, that when we will leave our sins and wickedness, and turn unto him with all our hearts earnestly, then he will turn himself unto us, and will show himself a loving father. And to the intent that we should believe this, he sweareth an oath-we ought to believe God without an oath, yet he sweareth to make us more sure. What will he have us to do? Truly, to rise up from this sleep of sin, to leave wickedness, to forsake all hatred and malice, that we have had towards our neighbours, to turn from envying, from stealing, and make restitution; from slothfulness, to diligence and painfulness; from gluttony and drunkenness, to soberness and abstinence; from chambering and filthy living, to an honest and pure life. And so finally from all kinds of vices, to virtue and godliness. And whatsoever hath been in times past, to be sorry for it, cry to God for mercy, believe in Christ, and rise up from * Of judgment.

sleep-do no more wickedly, but live as God would have thee to live.

Extract from the Sermon preached before the Convocation of the Clergy, June 9, 1536.

He is

CHRIST is man, seeing that he is God and man. rich not only in mercy, but in all kinds of riches; for it is he that giveth to us all things abundantly. It is he of whose hand we received both our lives, and other things necessary for the conservation of the same. What man hath any thing, I pray you, but he hath received it of his plentifulness? To be short, it is he that "openeth his hand, and filleth all beasts with his blessing," and not only giveth unto us in most ample wise his benediction. Neither can

his treasure be spent, how much soever he layeth out: how much soever we take of him, his treasure remaineth still, ever taken, never spent.

Extract from the Sermon preached on Twelfth-day, 1553.

CHRIST was circumcised, and kept the law to deliver us from the condemnation of it; for if he had not kept the law, the law had such power, that it would have condemned us all; for so it is written, "Cursed be he that abideth not by all that which is written in the law." So that the least cogitation which we have against the law of God, brings this curse upon our heads; so that there never was a man, nor shall be one, that could remedy himself by this law, for it is spiritual, it may not be fulfilled but by the Spirit. It requires us to be clean from all spot of sin, from all ill thoughts, words, and deeds; but we are carnal, and as St. Paul saith, "sold under sin and wickedness." Therefore he concludeth thus: "And by the works of the law no man can be justified." For you must consider the works of the law how they ought to be done, and again, how we do them. As Christ did them, they merit, for he did them perfectly, as they ought to be done; but as we do them, they condemn, and yet the lack is not in the law, but in us.

The law of itself is holy and good, but we are not able to keep it, and therefore we must seek our righteousness