The second tome of homilies of such matters as were promised, and entitled in…The second tome of homilees of such matters as were promised, and intituled in…

If god declared so great love towards us his silly creatures: how can we of right but love him again? Was not this a sure pledge of his love, to give us his own Son from heaven? He might have given us an angel if he would, or some other creature, and yet should his love have ben far above our deserts. Now he gave us not an angel, but his Son. And what Son? His only Son, his natural Son, his well beloved Son, even that Son whom he had made Lord and ruler of all things. Was not this a singular token of great love? But to whom did he give him? He gave him to the whole world, that is to say, to Adam and all that should come after him. O lord what had Adam or any other man deserved at Gods hands, that he should give us his own Son? We are all miserable persons, sinful persons, damnable persons, justly driven out of paradise, justly excluded from heaven, justly condemned to hell fire: And yet (see a wonderful token of Gods love) he gave us his only be gotten Son, ⟨p. 377⟩us I say, that were his extreme and deadly enemies, that we by virtue of his blood shed upon the cross, might be clean purged from our sins, and made righteous again in his sight. Who can chose but marvel, to hear that god should she we such unspeakable love towards us, that were his deadly enemies? Indeed, O mortal man, thou oughtest of right to marvel at it & to acknowledge therein Gods great goodness and mercy towards mankind, which is so wonderful, that no flesh, be it never so worldly wise, may well conceive it or express it. For as Saint Paul testifieth, God greatly commendeth and ¹setteth out his love towards us, in that he sent his Son Christ to die for us, when we were yet sinners, and open enemies of his name. If we had in any manner of wise deserved it at his hands, then had it ben no marvel at all, but there was no desert on our part wherefore he should do it. Therefore thou sinful creature, when thou hearest that GOD gave his Son to dye for the sins of the world, think not he did it for any desert or goodness that was in thee, for thou wast then the bondslave of the devil: But fall down upon thy knees, and cry with the prophet David, O Lord, what is man, that thou art so ²mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou so regardest him?

If god declared so great loue towardes vs his seely creatures: how can we of ryght but loue him agayne? Was not this a sure pledge of his loue, to geue vs his own sonne from heauen? He myght haue geuen vs an angel if he would, or some other creature, and yet should his loue haue ben farre aboue our desartes. Nowe he gaue vs not an angell, but his sonne. And what sonne? His only sonne, his naturall sonne, his welbeloued sonne, euen that sonne whom he had made Lorde and ruler of al thinges. Was not this a singuler token of great loue? But to whom did he geue him? He gaue him to the whole worlde, that is to say, to Adam and all that should come after him. O lord what had Adam or anye other man deserued at Gods handes, that he should geue vs his owne sonne? We are all miserable persons, sinfull persons, dampnable persōs, iustly driuen out of paradice, iustly excluded from heauen, iustly condempned to hell fyre: And yet (see a wonderfull token of Gods loue) he gaue vs his only be gotten sonne,