The New-Years Gift
fragment from Thomas Becon
I will rehearse another text of St Paul to the Hebrews, and make an end of this matter: "He was tempted and made like to us in all things, sin alone except." If he were like unto us in all things, sin alone except, then follows it that he had a body of flesh as we have, and that there was no difference, but that his most blessed body was without all sin, and our bodies are sinful. For he was born, wrapped in cloths, laid in a manger, fed, circumcised, embraced in arms, grew, was made strong in the spirit, profited in wisdom and age, hungered, thirsted, wept, was weary, rejoiced, was moved with wrath and indignation, sorrowed, was heavy, sad, and at the last suffered the most spiteful death of the cross. Are not these very signs and manifest tokens of man?
Could he have done these things, if he had had either a fantastical body, or else a body from heaven? Nay verily; for what fantastical or heavenly thing hungers, thirsts, weeps, sleeps, rejoices, &c.? Which all Christ did. A little before his passion was he not in such "an agony, that his sweat was like drops of blood trickling down to the ground"? Did he not so greatly fear death, that he desired his Father to withdraw the cup of his passion from him? Are not all these evident tokens of a very man, seeing his flesh so greatly feared death? Seeing then that he was very man, whence had he this body but of the most holy virgin Mary, through the marvellous operation of God's Spirit?
Confounded, therefore, be Manicheus, which deny the humanity of Christ. Confounded be Valentius, which affirmed that Christ brought his body with him from heaven, and took no flesh of the virgin Mary. Confounded be the anabaptists, and so many as hold and maintain this wicked doctrine, contrary to God's truth. For "God was showed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the gentiles, believed on in the earth, and received up into glory."
Thus see you, neighbours, that Christ "the gift of God, which brings salvation to all men, has appeared,"yea, and that in the flesh, which he received of the most blessed and pure virgin Mary. "He appeared," says St John, "that he might take away our sins," and yet was there no sin in him. Again: "For this cause appeared the Son of God, that he might loosen the works of the devil."
But of all these things you have heard abundantly before; therefore will I go forth with your new-year's gift. It follows: "And teaches us that we should deny ungodliness and worldly lusts."
We heard before that Christ, being born of the virgin Mary, brought health and salvation to all men, both Jew and gentile. Here again St Paul teaches what pleasure he has done us more. He has not only brought salvation to us, and by that means delivered us out of the miserable state wherewith we were detained before; but he has also taught us what we should do, that through our own fault we lose not again the dignity which we have gotten through the free mercy of God. And in this behalf also are we much bound to this our gift. For what does it profit to have a treasure given us, and to lose it again straightways? Are we not much bound to them which both give us treasures, and show us also how we may safely keep them, to our great pleasure and comfort? How much then are we indebted to our Saviour Christ, which has not only given us the treasure of salvation, which of all treasures is most excellent, but also taught us how we shall behave ourselves, that we lose it not hereafter!
31.12.2011. 11:28