shall find that we are even as wicked as they were. For are not we given now-a-days to covetousness, so that we regard not the poor, needy, and miserable people? Seek we not our own advantage, and despise and neglect the poor? Therefore if you will cry out upon the Bethlehemites, then cry out on yourself, for you are as wicked, yea more wicked than they were. For the most part of all Bethlehem knew nothing of our Saviour Christ that he was born; but we know it, therefore we are inexcusable. God has sent unto us his preachers, who teach us the way to heaven: they show us wherein standeth our redemption, they exhort us to godliness, to do good works, to be pitiful, and liberal unto the poor, to help them, and comfort them: but what do we? Verily, we despise the preachers, we abhor their doctrine, and so consequently refuse Christ himself; for he saith, " He that receiveth you, receiveth me." (Matt. x.) This Christ speaketh by his preachers: therefore, as I said before, we need not to cry out against. Bethlehem, but let us cry out on ourselves, for we are as ill in all points as they were.

But I warrant you, there was many a jolly damsel at that time in Bethlehem, yet amongst them all there was no one found that would humble herself so much, as once to go see poor Mary in the stable, and to comfort her. No, no; they were too fine to take so much pains. I warrant you they had their bracelets, and vardingals, and were trimmed with all manner of fine and costly raimént, like as there are many now-a-days amongst us, who study nothing else but how they may devise fine raiment; and in the mean season, they suffer poor Mary to lie in the stable; that is to say, they suffer the poor people of God to perish for lack of necessaries.

But what was her swaddling clothes wherein she laid the King of heaven and earth? no doubt it was poor stuff, peradventure it was her kerchief which she took from her head, or such like gear, for I think Mary had not much fine linen, she was not trimmed up as our women are now-a-days. I think indeed Mary had never a vardingal, for she used no such superfluities as our fine damsels do now-a-days: for in the old time women were content with

* Or farthingale, a hoop petticoat; these were often of a very large size, and were worn as full dress till nearly the close of the eighteenth century.

honest and single garments. Now they have found out these round-abouts, they were not invented then, the devil was not so cunning as to make such then, he found it out afterward. Therefore Mary had it not. I will say this, and yet I judge not other folks' hearts, but only speak after daily appearance and experience; no doubt it is a token of pride to wear such vardingals, and therefore I think that every godly woman should set them aside. It was not for nought that St. Paul bade all women to give a good example of sadness, soberness, and godliness, in setting aside all wantonness and pride. And he speaks of such manner of pride as was used in his time: not with laying out the hair artificially: not with laying out the tussocks.* (1 Tim. ii.) I doubt not but if vardingals had been used in that time, St. Paul would have spoken against them too, like as he spake against other things which women used at that time to show their wantonness and foolishness. Therefore, as I said before, seeing that God abhorreth all pride, and vardingals are nothing else but an instrument of pride, I would wish that every woman would follow the counsel of St. Paul, and set aside such gorgeous apparel, and rather study to please God, than to set their minds upon pride: or else, when they will not follow the counsel of St. Paul, let them scrape out those words wherewith he forbiddeth their pride, otherwise the words of St. Paul will condemn them at the last day. I say no more, wise folks will do wisely, the words of St. Paul are not written for nothing; if they will do after his mind, they must set aside their foolish vardingals: but if they will go forward in their foolishness and pride, the reward which they shall have at the end, shall not be taken from them.

Here is a question to be moved, Who waited upon her? It is like that Joseph himself did so, for, as I told you before, those fine damsels thought great scorn to do any such thing for Mary; notwithstanding that she had brought into the world the Lord over heaven and earth.

And shall we murmur and grudge against God when we are in distress or poverty? Shall we cry out against him, seeing that Christ the Saviour of the world himself was handled so extremely? Therefore let us learn to be patient in all our troubles, let us be content with all that God shall

*Large bunches of hair plaited and twisted on the crown of the head.

send us: if we do so, he will plenteously reward us in everlasting life.

This day on which our Saviour was come into the world, we were made one flesh with the Son of God. O what a great honour is this unto us! which honour exceedeth the dignity of the angels. For though the angels are better in substance, yet we are better in the benefit; for Christ took not upon him the nature of angels, but he took our nature upon him, man's nature, I say. Oh what an exceeding thing is this! Oh how much are we bound to give him thanks for these his profound and inestimable benefits! We read a story, take it as you will, though it is not a true story:* The devil came once into a church while the priest was saying mass, and when he was at these words, "Et homo factus est, He was made man,” the devil looked about him, and seeing no man kneel down or bow his knees, he strake one of them in the face, saying, “What? will you not reverence him for this great benefit which he hath done unto you? I tell you, if he had taken upon him our nature, as he hath taken upon him yours, we would more reverence him than you do." This story is prettily devised, for we should reverence him, we should honour him, and show ourselves thankful for those inestimable benefits that he hath showed unto us miserable wretched sinners, in taking upon him our nature.

Now Christ was born as on this day of the Virgin Mary, and very man except sin: for sin hath not defiled his flesh; for he was not begotten after the manner of other men, but by the power of the Holy Ghost. Mary was his natural† mother, and he was born to that end that he might deliver us from our sins and wickedness. To whom, with God the Father and the Holy Ghost, be praise and honour everlasting, world without end. Amen.

* But only a popish legend.

+ Real.

JOSEPH AND MARY AT JERUSALEM.

A SERMON,

Preached on the first Sunday after Epiphany, 1553.

LUKE ii.

And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem, after the custom of the feast.

HERE in this gospel is to be noted, how Mary the mother of our Saviour Christ, went to Jerusalem, having her husband, and the child Jesus, who was but twelve years of age, in her company, &c. But before I come to this gospel, I will rehearse unto you something which I took in hand last holyday; where I, taking occasion from the gospel that was read the same day, made mention how Jesus the Son of God, and Saviour of the world, was born in Bethlehem, and how God opened his birth unto the Gentiles, which were the three wise men, commonly called the three kings of Colen:* but they were not kings, as the fondt opinion of the common people is, but they were religious men, and men that feared God. Yea, and as some learned men gather, they were of the remnant of those whom Daniel the prophet had taught and instructed in the knowledge of God, and of his will. For Daniel being in captivity, bare great rule among the Gentiles, as appears in his book of prophecy, and therefore was able to set forth and promote the true religion of God, which was known at that time only among the Jews: which knowledge these wise men had, and had also a

* At Cologne some relics are preserved which are said to be the bodies of the three wise men who came from the east to worship the Saviour. Various miracles are said to have been wrought by these relics, and some prayers used in the Romish church are addressed to them.

+ Foolish.

special understanding of astronomy. And now, they seeing the star, perceived that it was not a common appearance, but a token that the greatest king was born, of whom they had heard their forefathers talk, and therefore they came to Jerusalem, and inquired for this king, &c.

The last holy day I had no time to treat of this matter fully, and therefore I intend to speak somewhat of it at this time. And first of this word Jesus, what it is.

The evangelist saith here, "When Jesus was born." What is JESUS? JESUS is a Hebrew word, and signifies in our English tongue a Saviour and Redeemer of all mankind born into the world. This title and name, TO SAVE, pertains properly and principally unto him: for he saves us, else we had been lost for ever. Notwithstanding, the name of saviour is used in common speech, as the king is called a saviour, for he saves his subjects from all danger and harm that may ensue of their enemies. Likewise the physician is accounted a saviour, for he saves the sick man from the danger of his disease with good and wholesome medicines. So fathers and mothers are saviours, for they save their children from bodily harm that may happen unto them. So bridges over the waters are saviours, for they save us from the water. Likewise ships and boats, great and small vessels upon the seas, are saviours, for they save us from the fury, rage, and tempest of the sea. So judges are saviours, for they save, or at least should save, the people from wrong and oppression.

But all this is not a perfect saving. For what avails it to be saved from sickness, calamities, and oppression, when we shall be condemned after our death both body and soul, to remain with the devil and his angels for ever? We must therefore come to Jesus, who is the right and true Saviour: "And he it is that hath saved us from sin." Whom hath he saved?-His people. Who are his people? All that believe in him, and put their whole trust in him, and those that seek help and salvation at his hands, all such are his people. How saved he them? First, by magistrates he saved the poor from oppression and wrong: the children he saved through the tuition of their parents, from danger and peril; by physicians he saveth from sickness and diseases; but from sin he saveth only through his passion and blood-shedding. Therefore he may be called, and he is, the very right Saviour, for it is he that