He had no goods, nor lands, nor money, to give by his testament. A rich man when he dieth, bestoweth the money which he hath gathered, and forgiveth many debts which are owing him, but Christ had nothing to give, nor any thing to forgive. The Lord of all had least of all, and he might say like his servant Peter, 1Gould and silver have I none, no not a grave to bury his body in, but the grave which Joseph made for 2himself, served to bury Christ. His Father was a Carpenter, but never made any house for himself: 3his Mother lay in a stable 4for want of a Chamber: his Disciple was fain to borrow twenty 5pence for him of a fish: therefore when one offered, Master, I will 6follow thee, thinking to gain by ⟨image 105⟩his service, like them which retain to noble men; he replied unto him, The foxes have holes, and the fowls have nests, but the Son of man hath not a house to hide his head: showing, that the beasts & fowls were richer than he; therefore when he had nothing to give, he gave himself, and when he had no debtors to forgive, he forgave his enemies: what then, this is a 7poor and weak testament, which gave nothing; oh the goodlyest testament that ever was made, for it bringeth to us the remission of sins. Is it such a matter to forgive sins? yea, the greatest benefit in all the world, nay, a greater benefit than all the world: for 8thus it stood, thou haddest committed high treason against the Queens person, thou art detected, apprehended, accused, convicted, ⟨image 105⟩and condemned upon it, to be hanged, and drawn, and quartered, and thy quarters to be set up for a spectacle, like a carcass which thou hast seen hanging upon a gibbet, & the Crows pecking upon it. What a horror, and shaking to thy mind to think of that day, when all these torments, and shame, and fear shall surprise thee at once, which would make thee quake and tremble if thou shouldest see but another so dismembered before thy face? Thou hast no comfort now but this, when I have suffered I shall be free; before to morrow at this time all my pain will be past, though my shame continue and my children be beggars. What grace, what favour, what mercy, now, to pardon thee all this, and save thy life, and set thee at liberty, ⟨image 106⟩as though thou haddest never offended?
He had no goods, nor lands, nor money, to giue by his testament. A rich man when he dieth, bestoweth the money which he hath gathered, and forgiueth many debts which are owing him, but Christ had nothing to giue, nor any thing to forgiue. The Lord of all had least of all, and he might say like his seruant Peter, 1Gould and siluer haue I none, no not a graue to burie his body in, but the graue which Ioseph made for 2himselfe, serued to burie Christ. His Father was a Carpenter, but neuer made any house for himselfe: 3his Mother lay in a stable 4for want of a Chamber: his Disciple was faine to borrow twentie 5pence for him of a fish: therefore when one offered, Maister, I will 6follow thee, thinking to gaine by ⟨image 105⟩his seruice, like them which retaine to noble men; he replied vnto him, The foxes haue holes, and the fowles haue nests, but the sonne of man hath not a house to hide his head: shewing, that the beasts & fowles were richer than hee; therefore when he had nothing to giue, he gaue himselfe, and when he had no debters to forgiue, he forgaue his enemies: what then, this is a 7poore and weake testamēt, which gaue nothing; oh the goodlyest testament that euer was made, for it bringeth to vs the remission of sinnes. Is it such a matter to forgiue sinnes? yea, the greatest benefit in all the world, nay, a greater benefit than all the world: for 8thus it stoode, thou haddest committed high treason against the Queenes person, thou art detected, apprehended, accused, conuicted, ⟨image 105⟩and condemned vpon it, to bee hanged, and drawne, and quartered, and thy quarters to bee set vp for a spectacle, like a carkasse which thou hast seene hanging vpon a gibbet, & the Crowes pecking vpon it. What a horror, and shaking to thy mind to think of that day, when all these torments, and shame, and feare shall surprise thee at once, which wold make thee quake and tremble if thou shouldest see but another so dismēbred before thy face? Thou hast no comfort now but this, when I haue suffered I shall bee free; before to morrowe at this time all my paine will bee past, though my shame continue and my children bee beggers. What grace, what fauour, what mercie, now, to pardon thee all this, and saue thy life, and set thee at libertie,
- 1Act. 3. 6.
- 2Mar. 15. 46
- 3Mat. 13. 55
- 4Luk. 2. 16.
- 5Math. 17. 27.
- 6Luk. 9. 57.
- 7Luk. 23. 34.
- 8A similitude of mans state.
