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You haue the poore vvyth you al∣vvays, but me you shall not haue al∣vvayes.
I am alvvayes vvyth you, vntil the ende of the vvorld.
THe Lord Iesus speaketh of hīself in both places touching ye first, alowīg y• which Mary had don, he shewes how this seruice plesed hī, yt is not y• he toke
pleasure in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 which had bene poured out vpon him for the good ••auours sake: but in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 respecte of hys burial, bycause that by such a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he woulde geue them to vnderstand that his graue shuld be filled with good sa∣uour, as be did spred sauour of life and saluatiō through al the world. But sith that the truth of this figure hath bene perfectly accomplished, and the sonne of God when he came out of the graue performed with the good sauoure and quickening smel of hys death, not only one house, but the whole world. It wer a folly to begin again to do that which should be without cause or profite. And therfore he sendeth vs back to the pore to the end we shuld not excuse our selfe as though we could no more occupye ourselues in his seruice: for once he re∣quyred such seruice as that which Ma∣ry did to hym. But nowe seeing he is mounted into ye heauenly glory, ther is neyther golde nor siluer nor precious oyntments, nor sumptuousnesse what∣soeuer they be which we may offre vn∣to hym to do hym acceptable seruice.
Now wher he sayth, you shal not haue me alwais with you, that is to take frō vs al excuse, as though he said, that frō thence forward he would nomore take pleasure in that which once he woulde haue done to him. He maketh a distinc¦tiō betwene y• ordinary seruice, which must be euer vsed among the faythful, and that extraordinary seruice whyche had an end when he went vp into hea∣uen. Wil we bestow our money wel in true Sacrifice and in holy offering? Let vs bestow it to relieue the necessity of the poore and neady. For our Lord Iesus sayth that he is no longer wyth vs in this world to be serued with pom¦pes and outward preparations. And we know, yea and we feele by the expe¦rience of faythe that Christ is presente with vs by his strength & gostly grace. But he dwelleth not visibly among vs 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of vs earthly honor. He saith 〈◊〉〈◊〉 you vnto the end of the world. He had ••••yd that he was appoynted Kyng of heauen and of earth. Afterwarde vs promiseth to assist his Apostels whom he had enioined a hard office & charge,
warning them not to loke vpon that which they could do of themself: but to leane vpon his strengthe and inumer∣ble power. The maner of this presence which the Lord promiseth to his faith∣ful must be vnderstode spiritually: for it is not nedeful that he should not cōe downe from heauen to succour vs see∣ing he can help vs by the grace of hys holy spirite, stretching forth his hande to vs from the highest of the heauens. As touching hys humayne nature it is certaine that there is an infinite dis∣taunce betweene hym and vs. But he not onely spreads the efficacy of his spi¦rite through al the worlde: but also he dwelleth truely in vs. Moreouer thys promisse is not made only to the Apos∣tels: for it reacheth euen to the end of the world. Very true it is that he pro∣myseth hys ayde, chyefly to hys mini∣sters whyche for that they are weake and needy in euery condition, coulde not execute the lest part of their office. Seing then their charge is as trouble∣some and harde as it is healthful, assu∣redly they haue more neede than all o∣ther
of the assistance of oure Lorde Ie∣sus, to the end they may haue the victo¦rye of al the assaultes and battayles of thys world: as in these dayes it is she∣wed vs by playne experience, that christ worketh wonderfully by a secret manner, so that y• gospel hath his course though Sathan lay many lettes in the way. But generally al the faythfull ar partakers of thys promisse, to the ende no man shuld be discoraged as though he were forsaken.
Let vs then make thys conclusion that although Christ be departed into heauen, yet he is not so departed butte that hee euer is and wil bee to the ende with vs. He hath taken away the pre∣sence of hys body from our sight: but he leaueth not the whylest to assist hys faythfull which muste yet liue in thys worlde, but hee gouerneth the worlde wyth a more presente strength. Thys promysse of hys continuall assistaunce was accomplyshed by hys ascētion, in which as y• body of y• sōn of god was lif¦ted vp aboue al y• heauēs: so his power
and efficacy is spred beyond al the boū¦des of heauen and of earthe. So then these two things may wel be said, that the sonne of God is no more amōg vs, and yet he is among vs, and shal be e∣uer vntil the ende of the worlde. He is here no more according to the presence of hys humaine nature, but he is here acording to the presence of his Maies∣ty. For a few dayes the Church had hym present in his flesh, now not seing him with bodily eyes, shee possesseth hym by fayth.