Sermon XXXII
OF THE WORKS WHICH CHRIST HATH WROUGHT FOR US
John 20:24–29. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe, &c.
I KNOW nothing more certain concerning St. Thomas, than that which this gospel mentioneth of him. Other things which are written of him in the book of legends are most impudent lies. And although they were partly true, yet they have no authority, neither make us anything the better. Wherefore we will leave them untouched, and speak something of this gospel. The former part of this gospel fell out about the eventide of the passover, when two disciples had returned from Emmaus, and showed unto the other disciples, that the Lord was risen again. The latter part fell out the eighth day after the passover. It is marvellous how comfortable this gospel is, showing unto you, the fruits of faith, namely, peace and joy, as Paul saith, Rom. 5:1, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." But now I will treat, in few words, what this is that the Lord showeth to his disciples, his hands and his feet, whereby is declared unto us, what advantage we have by Christ, whereunto he profiteth us, and what we must look for of him.
It is engrafted in the hearts of all men as it were by nature, to have a certain will to be honest and godly, and every one thinketh how he may come to salvation, whereby it hath come to pass, that one hath invented this thing, another that, being verily persuaded, that thereby he should make God favourable unto him, and obtain heaven, but none such at any time hath stood in the right way, forasmuch as all have had this drift, that they might procure God's
favour by deeds and good works. Notable doctors also and holy fathers have written and taught many things, how we might attain unto godliness. About this they have miserably troubled themselves, but as we see, and to our notable loss have felt, they have done little. Wherefore it is exceeding necessary, that some knowledge be had thereof, whereby we must endeavour to obtain true godliness, forasmuch as it is a thing of no small importance. For he that is deceived here, loseth the sum and chief point of all Christianity; hereof therefore we must now speak somewhat. True and sound righteousness consisteth not in our own works, but in the works of another. Take an example hereof: One buildeth temples, another for religion's sake goeth to St. James, to Aquisgrane, to Rome, to the holy sepulchre; the third pineth himself with fastings, prayeth, weareth a cowl, goeth barefoot, or worketh some other such work whatsoever it be; these are our own works, God hath not commanded them, but men and hypocrites, justifiers of themselves have invented them, and have thought that they are precious good works, and greatly esteemed of God, sweetly persuading themselves, that they are by them delivered from sins, and that God is pacified towards them. But these works, chosen of their own proper will, are nothing worth at all, neither can stand, forasmuch as they proceed not of faith, yea, they are sins, as Paul saith, Rom. 14:23, "For whatsoever is not of faith, is sin." These our works therefore are defiled and unclean in the sight of God, yea, he doth abhor and loathe them. Wherefore if we will have to do with God, we must not trust to our own works, but to the works of another.
But which are those works of another, that are allowed of God? Truly the works of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom God the Father sent down from heaven, that by his death and passion he might satisfy for our sins. This satisfaction fell out upon this occasion. We were subject to great danger, grievous tyrants and powers over us, which day and night without ceasing did vex us. The law which God gave unto man did urge us, and required many things of us, which we were not able to perform, and therefore it condemned us. Sin also did lie upon us as a heavy burden, which the law did oftentimes make greater and
greater. Death went about to devour us, inasmuch as it is the wages of sin; Satan also endeavoured to throw us down headlong to hell, inasmuch as he would punish us for our sins committed; all things are full of trembling and anguish. God taking pity upon this so great calamity, sent his only begotten Son, and that of his mere grace and goodness, without our desert, that he might deliver us out of so great tyranny, which he mightily did after this sort: He satisfied the law, and fulfilled it perfectly. For he loved God with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his strength; he loved his neighbour also as himself, in these the whole law and the prophets do consist. Now whatsoever Christ did, it consisted in these two: he loved God, inasmuch as he obeyed his will; he took upon him the nature of man, and performed in all obedience those things that were enjoined him of the Father, as Paul saith, Phil. 2:8, "He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Secondly, he loved his neighbour; for all the works which he did in the earth, tended unto this end, that he might thereby profit his neighbour, and therefore he so loved his neighbour, that he even died for him, as he saith himself to his disciples, John 15:13, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend." Paul doth more set forth this saying, for his enemies when he writeth thus, Rom. 5:8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." Forasmuch then as Christ hath so fulfilled the law, it could not accuse him, neither was sin of any force with him: he set upon it, and did prevail over it, and swallowed it up, it was enforced to be extinguished of him, no otherwise than a spark of fire in the most wide sea: for in him was nothing but mere righteousness. Death also came, and went about to devour him; it devoured him indeed, but it could not digest him, it was enforced to yield him up again, yea, and this devouring was an utter disadvantage to death, for the case being quite altered, Christ devoured death itself; for it had set upon him, against whom it had no right, forasmuch, as not a whit of sin did appear in him; where sin is not, there death hath nothing to do, as Paul saith, 1 Cor. 15, "The sting of death is sin," with this it killeth, otherwise it should be dull, and have no strength. Satan also made a trial of his strength in him,
but in vain, and to his own grief, for he laid hands on him, with whom he had nothing to do; the wretch was overcome in this conflict, and went away with shame, as Christ saith, John 14:30, "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." Hell also did open its mouth, and would have devoured Christ, but on the contrary it was devoured of him; and so in this conflict, the law, sin, death, Satan, and hell were vanquished, over all which he triumphed and gloried with great pomp, as Paul saith, Col. 2.
All these things were not only done for our advantage, but also if we believe in Christ, they are given unto us; for whatsoever he hath it serveth for us, yea, he himself is ours, as Paul saith, Rom. 8:31, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" So that I may boldly glory of all victory which he obtaineth over the law, sin, death, the devil, and may challenge to myself all his works, even as if they were my own, and I myself had done them, so that I believe in Christ; otherwise his works shall profit nothing at all, if they were not given unto me: these are the works of another which do commend us before God and save us, our own works shall do nothing, we are weaker than that we can even resist the least sin; of so great consequence is it, that we are able to encounter with death, Satan, and hell; wherefore, when the law shall come, and accuse thee that thou dost not observe it, send it unto Christ, and say, There is that man which hath fulfilled the law, to him I cleave, he hath fulfilled it for me, and hath given his fulfilling unto me; when it heareth these things it will be quiet. If sin come, and would have thee by the throat, send it unto Christ, and say, As much as thou mayest do against him, so much right shalt thou have against me, for I am in him, and he is in me; if death creep upon thee, and attempt to devour thee, say unto it, Good Mistress Death, dost thou know this man? Come and bite out his tooth, hast thou forgot how little thy biting prevailed him with him once? Go to, if it be a pleasure unto thee, encounter with him again: thou hast persuaded thyself, that thou shouldst have prevailed somewhat against him, when he did hang between two thieves, and died an ignominious death, which was counted cursed
both before God and the world; but what didst thou gain thereby? Thou didst bite indeed, but it turned worst to thyself; I pertain to this man, I am his, and he is mine, and where he abideth there also will I abide. Thou couldst hurt him nothing, wherefore also let me alone. After the same sort, if the devil, if hell, come violently upon thee, and trouble thee, send them unto Christ, and thou shalt easily make them to cease.
And thus you see what Christ is unto us, namely, such a man as is given unto us of God, that he might extinguish sins, vanquish death, destroy hell, overcome the devil, and all these for our advantage. If he had not done this, nor given unto us these things, we had been for ever under the curse of the law, under sin, under death, under the devil, and under hell: God delivered us from these by Christ. Wherefore Paul saith out of the Prophet Hosea, 1 Cor. 15:54, "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Hereof we may easily understand what kind of works those be, which do make us entire and righteous before God; surely they are the works of another, and not our works chosen of ourselves; wherefore the whole papacy falleth here, with all the most precious and holy works thereof which hath this drift only, that miserable, wretched, and blinded men may be persuaded that they obtain heaven by their merits, and their own works. Hereupon have sprung so many orders that they cannot almost be numbered, of which one striveth to be holier than another, according as they exercise harder, greater, and weightier works; but this their miserable labour, anguish, prayer, fastings, chastising of the body, and such like, were vain works, and of no value at all; neither had they so much power, that they were able to take away so much as even the least sin which they call venial; they were altogether unmindful of this saying, Isaiah 29, which the Lord repeateth, Matt. 15:8, "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far
from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Hereupon now thou mayest gather with thyself, that all holy men, although they be exceedingly holy, yet do obtain salvation, not by their own holiness, merits, or works; and not so much as Mary herself, the mother of God, was made righteous and holy in respect of her virginity, or in that she was the mother of God, but salvation hath come unto all by Jesus Christ, as by the works of another; wherefore this is diligently to be noted, that our felicity doth not consist in our own works, but in the works of another, namely, of Christ Jesus our Saviour, which we obtain through faith only in him. This also the history of the gospel seemeth to signify, whenas the Lord showeth to his disciples, but especially to Thomas, his hands and feet; by which deed he declared, that it was necessary that those hands and feet should do these things, and that no other works, that is, their own, and not the works of another, do pertain unto salvation; for in the scripture, by hands and feet, works and conversation are signified; these hands and feet Christ doth as yet oftentimes show unto us, and say, Behold I am that only man, whose works and conversation are of force with God; thou shalt labour in vain with thine own works, mine own righteousness maketh nothing hereunto, it hath another end. If thou be righteous, it is profitable to thee among men; here in earth thou hast the glory and praise thereof, as Paul saith, Rom. 4.
But before God this thy righteousness is of no estimation, thou must set in place thereof another, namely, mine, this God my Father doth allow; for I have delivered thee from sins, death, the devil, hell, and from all evil; thou shouldst never have escaped out of these by thine own power, but hadst lain as yet most deeply drowned in them: I have appeased the wrath of God, and of an angry judge have made him a gentle, merciful, and gracious Father: believe this and it goeth well with thee, thou art then safe, entire, and righteous; beware that thou presume not to deal before God with thine own works; but if thou wilt do anything with him, creep into me, put on me, and thou shalt obtain of my Father, whatsoever thou desirest and askest, as he himself saith unto his disciples, John 16:23, "Verily, verily, I say unto
you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." Wherefore, as from the beginning, sin, which was another's, hath been derived unto us from Adam, for neither I, nor thou, have eat of the apple; so also by the righteousness of another we must be restored unto righteousness and integrity. This other is Christ Jesus, by whose righteousness and works are all saved, as I have now sufficiently declared. This Paul hath very well comprehended even in one sentence, where, 1 Cor. 1:30, he saith thus, "Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." And Rom. 4:25, he saith, "Jesus Christ was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." In these two little sentences are briefly comprised, and joined together, whatsoever things we must look for from Christ. Howbeit, all these things are enjoyed by faith, for he that is without faith, to him they are impossible to be comprehended, yea, they are counted foolishness to reason and to the world, as Paul saith, 1 Cor. 1:23, "We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;" that is, when Christ is preached, that he is our righteousness, that salvation cometh unto us by him, and that by him we are made the children of everlasting life, without our own works and righteousness, then those holy men, and justifiers of themselves, are offended no otherwise than the Jews. Moreover to the prudent and wise men in this world, it seemeth foolishness, and a certain ridiculous thing, that a man, being fastened to the cross and put to death doth perform these things.
Whatsoever therefore is counted righteous, holy, wise, and prudent in the eyes of the world, it is offended and stumbleth at Christ: but Paul saith moreover, "But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God." He saith also, Rom. 1:16, "The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation, unto every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith." Where the Lord saith very well to the disciples of John, "Blessed is he that shall
not be offended in me." So thou seest now plainly, that this faith which we have in Christ cometh by the preaching of the gospel, as Paul affirmeth, Rom. 10:17, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Here, here I say, doth all the force consist, by the word of God, not by the word of man. The word of God doth these things, not when we publish indulgences, or preach of works, as hitherto, alas! it hath been done, to our exceeding loss, as well in the good things of the body, as of the soul. We made no account of goods which we bestowed plentifully, unless we had afflicted our body with fastings, chastisement, pilgrimages, and such like trifles. Indeed these things might have been borne with, if they had not with a false confidence in such doing, so miserably and lamentably led us away, and seduced us from a true, faith and confidence in God through Christ; but praise be unto God, that we have for the most part perceived such delusions; for the world was so full of this misery and preaching, that it did almost overflow, which surely came by the vengeance and wrath of God, for that we contemned his word, and followed men's fables, yea, our own wits and opinions. Then we were in so great blindness, that we did almost without difference believe every man, what kind of work soever he brought and gloriously set forth. From these deceitful follies our consciences are now delivered and set free, but no man doth so much as once give thanks to God therefore.
If we shall be contemptuously negligent, a more grievous misery shall light upon us than this was; neither should that come unto us undeservedly, forasmuch as we do greatly procure these evils against ourselves by our unthankfulness. Whenas before we gave with so great abundance and plenty, that by our liberality they were made almost lords of the world, how hardly six or seven poor men are maintained in a city, yea, now the minister of a parish church hath not sufficient wherewith to live. Howbeit do not impute this perverse kind of living to the gospel, as our adversaries now impudently do. It is not meet that thou suffer thy poor neighbour by thee to want: Yea, rather the whole gospel doth epecially urge this, that thou have a care of thy neighbour, and that thou be serviceable toward him, that thou
help him both with thy counsel and substance, even as God hath holpen and instructed thee.
Such a one, without doubt, he that is endued with true faith showeth himself, for he bursteth forth, and behaveth himself so toward others, as he hath tried God towards himself, and as he desireth to be done to himself, if he were pressed with poverty, anguish, and necessity; God needeth not our good works; our prayers, fasting, and building of temples, founding of masses, do displease him; he requireth not our sacrifices, but rather, as Isaiah saith, hateth and abhorreth them. He is content with this one thing, that we acknowledge him for our God, trust in him, give him thanks, as he saith, Psalm 50:7, "Hear, O my people, and I will speak: O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices, or thy burnt-offerings, to have been continually before me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor hegoats out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains; and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee, for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the Most High. And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." But God sendeth us downward with our works to our neighbours, to the miserable, afflicted, and them that be void of comfort. It is our parts to help them, to comfort them, to teach, and instruct them; and whatsoever benefit we shall bestow upon them, that we shall bestow upon God, and his Christ, as he shall say in the last day, "Whatsoever ye have done unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done unto me." Thus ye now have heard, that we are justified and made righteous by the works of another, namely, by the works of Christ, which we enjoy only by faith: the same faith charity doth naturally accompany, whereby we do so to our neighbour, as we do acknowledge that God hath done unto us: Hereof ye have elsewhere heard more; we will now make an end, and call for the grace of God.