Twenty-Seven Sermons, Sermons 1 · Sermon 3
The third Sermon vponupon the Lordes prayer made by M. Latymer.
ADueriat regnum tuum. Thy kingdom come. This is the seconde petition of the lordes praier. I truste you hauehave not forgotten your. 2. lessons before rehearsed vntounto you. Fyrste the beginning of the lordes prayer, what a treasure of doctrine is contayned in euerye worde. Our what it signifieth. Father, what it meaneth:A short re hersall of that is raught in the other, …. and than this additiō vvhichwhich art in heauen. How many thin ges is to be noted by eueryevery one of those wordes: and I trust also you hauehave remembred the contentes of the first petition Sanctificetur nomen …, Halowed bee thy name. Here I tolde you wherein standeth the holines of his name, & what it meaneth namely we requyre yt his name may be sanctified in vsus, that is to say, we requyre that all oure conuersati ons maye be to the honour of God: which foloweth whan we indeuour our selues to doe his pleasure, whan we heare hys worde with great diligence, and earnest reuerence, and so walke in the workes of our vocation eueryevery man whereunto God hath appointed him. And because the worde of God is the instrumente and fountayne of all good thinges, we praye to god for the continuance of his worde, that he wyll sende godly and well learned men amongest vsus, which may be able to declare vsus his will and pleasure. So that we may glorifye hym in the honour of our visitation, when god shal visite vsus, and rewarde eueryevery one according vntounto his desert.
One thing we must well consider and not forget it, namelyeVVe must not forget that vve are able to do nothing of our selfe, ac cording to gods vvill. that our sauiour teacheth vsus to praye and desire of God that his name may bee halowed. Where he paynteth vsus in our owne colour, and would hauehave, vsus to confesse oure owne …, that we be not hable to doe any thyng accordyng to gods will, excepte we receiue it first at his handes. Therfore he teacheth vsus to praye, that god will make vsus able to do all thinges according to his will and pleasure.
Adueniat regnum tuum. This is our request. Thy … VVe praye not for … selues a lone.come: yu father we beseche let thy kingdom come to vsus. Here we praye yt the kingdom of god come not to one onelyonly, but to vsus al. So yt when I say this praier, I require god that he wil let his kingdom come to you, as well as to me. Again when you pray, you pray as well for me as for your owne selues.
Let thy kingdome come. You muste vnderstande that to speake properly, these wordes are not to bee vnderstande of godnes inferiour kyngdome, of his earthlye kyngdome, asVVhat king dome it is that we … for. though it did hange vponupon our petitions, so that he could not bee Lorde and ruler ouer the earthe, excepte we praye for hym. No, we praye not for his inferiour kingdom to come, for it is come alreadye: he ruleth and gouerneth all thingesEzech. 26 He is called in scripture Rex regum, The king aboue al kin1. Tim. 6. ges, Dominus dominantium, the lord aboue al lordes, therfore be reuleth and gouerneth all thinges, according to his will and pleasure, as scripture saith, Voluntati eius quis resiRom. 9. stet, who will withstand his will.
So our saulor reporteth saieng Pater meus operatur vsus que moIoh. 5. do. My Father worketh hitherto & I worke also. what wor keth he? he worketh the workes of gouernaunce. For at the first beginning he did create all thinges. But he lefte them not so. He assisteth them, he ruleth thē accordyng to his wil. Therfore our sauior doth not teach vsus to pray for his world ly kingdome to come. For he ruleth alreadye as lord & kyng yea and all the kynges and rulers rule by him, (by his permission) as Scripture witnesseth: per me Reges regnant.Prouer. 8. Thorough me, that is, by my permission kynges do reigne:A good ad monitiō for … and rulers. I would wishe of god that all kynges and potentates in the world would consider this well, and so endeuor themselues to vse their power to the honor and glory of god, and not to presume in their strength. For this is a good monition for them, when god saith: per me reges regnant, Thorough me kynges do reigne: yet they bee so vnderunder gods rule, that they canne thynke nothing nor do any thing withoute GoddesProuer. 2. permission. For it is written: Cor regis in manu domini & A good les son for sub iectes.quo vult vertit illud. The heart of the king is in the hand of the lord, and he turneth the same whether soeuer it pleaseth him. This is good to be considered, and specially subiectes shoulde marke this texte well, whan the rulers bee harde, and oppresse the people, thinke euer: Cor … in manu domini. The kynges hearte is in the gouernaunce of GOD. Yet whan thou art ledde to prison, consyder that the gouernoures hearte is in the hande of the Lorde. Ther fore yelde obedience, make thy mone vntounto GOD, and he wyll helpe, and canne helpe. Surelye I thynke there bee no place in scripture more pleasaunte than thys. The heart of the kynge is in the hande of GOD. For it maketh vsus sure, that no man canne hurte vsus wythoute the permission of god our heauenly father. For all those greate rulers that hauehave bene from the beginning of the worlde till now, hauehave bene set vp by the appointmente of god, and he pulled them doune when it pleased him.
There hauehave bene principallye foure monarchies in thePoure mo … hauehave … in the vvorld. world, the first were the Babilonians, which had great and many nations vnderneth them: which was gods ordinance and pleasure, for he suffred them so to do.
After those came the Persians, which were greate rulers and mightye kynges, as it appeareth by stories written of learned men at that tyme.
Then came the Gréekes and toke the dominion from the Persians, and ruled themselues for a whyle, tyll they were plucked doune.
At the laste came the Romaines with their empire, which shalbe the last: and therfore it is a token that the ende of theThe cause … the monar chies vvere pulled doune, world is not farre of. But wherfore were those mighty potentates plucked doune? mary for wickednes sake. The Ba bilonians, Persians and Grecians (and a good parte of the Romaines) were caste doune for wickednesse sake. what were their doinges? they would not execute instice: the magistrates were wicked, lofty, and high mynded. The subiectes taking ensample of their magistrates, were wicked too, and so worthy to be punished together. Therfore the wysedome of god sayeth, Vidi sub sole in loco iuditii impietatē & Eccle. 3.in loco iustitiae iniquitatē, in ye place where poore men ought to be herd, there I hauehave sene impiety, I hauehave sene … & … this I hauehave sene. Yea & in ye place of iustice, there I hauehave sene bearing and bolstryng. So for these causes sake these great emperours wer destroied: so shal we if we folow their wicked ensamples. Esay that heartye Prophet confirmeth the same, saying: … vt facerēt …, & ecce iniquitas, expectaui vt facerent institiam & ecce clam of. I loked that they shoulde execute iustice, defende the good, and punish the yll: but there was nothing but crying. This is aThe cry of the … is a great matter. greate matter (Clamor populi,) the crye of the people: whan subiectes be oppressed so that they crye vntounto god for deliuerance, truely god will heare them, he will helpe and deliuer them. But it is to be pitied, that the deuill beareth so muche rule, and so muche preuaileth bothe in maiestrates and subiectes, in so muche that … beareth almoste all the rule, not that he ought to do so. For God he is the laufull … of theThe deuill is not the right lorde of the worlde. worlde, vntounto hym we owe obedience: but the deuyll is an vsurper, he … to his … by crafte and subtiltie, and so maketh hymselfe the great ruler ouer the worlde. Nowe, he beeynge the greate ruler woulde hauehave all the other rulers to goe after hym, and folowe his ensaumple, whyche … happeneth so. For you knowe there isLike to like that is …, delite … the great vsurper … than. a common sayeng Similis simili gauder, Lyke to lyke: therfore he vseth all homely trickes to make all rulers to goe after hym: yea he intendeth to inueigle euen very kynges, and to make theim negligent in their busynesse and office. Therefore suche kynges and potentates were pulled down, because they folowed the instructions of the deuyll.
But oure Sauiour speaketh not of suche worldley kyngdomes, whan he teacheth vsus to saye: Thy kyngdome come. For these worldly kyngdomes bryng vsus not to perfect felicitie, they be full of all maner of calamities and myseries, deathe, perditions, and distructions. Therefore the kingdomGod onelyonly … rule in his kingdome. yt he speaketh of, is a spirituall kyngdome: a kingdom where God only beareth the rule, & not the deuil. This king dome is spoken of eueryevery where in Scripture, and was reueled long agoe. and dayly God hathe his preachers, which bryng vsus to knowledge of this kyngdom. Nowe we pray here that that kyngdome of God may bee increased, for it is Gods felowshyppe, they are Goddes subiectes that dwelle in that kyngdome, whiche kyngedome doothe consyste inGods kingdome … vsus from all mi …. rightuousnesse and iustice, and it … from all calamities and miseries, from death and all perill.
And in this petition we pray that God wyll sende vntounto vsus his spirite, whiche is the leader vntounto this kyngdome, & al those which lacke this spirite, shall neuer come to god. For … Paule saythe, Qui … non habet,Rom. 8. non est …, Who so euer hath not the … of Christ he pertayneth … vntounto hym: … oure Sauyoure sayth, Regnum dei intia nos …, The kyngdome of God isL 117. within you, signifieng that those, whiche hauehave the spirite ofThe king dome of god begin neth here. God shalbe sure of that kingdome: yea it beginneth here in this worlde with them that be faithfull.
The instrument wherwith we be called to this kyngdome is the office of preachyng. God calleth vsus daily by preachersPreachyng is the instrument to cal vsus to gods kyng dome. to come to this kyngdome, to forsake the kyngdome of the deuyll, to leaue all wyckednesse. For customable synners, those that be not content to leaue sinne, they pertaine not to that kyngdome, they are vnderunder the dominion of the deuyll, he ruleth them: lyke as our sauiour sayth to the Iewes: VosIohn 8. ex patre diabolo estis, The deuil is your father. Item, quifacit…. Iohn. 3. peccatum ex diabolo est, he that dooth sinne is of the deuill. Therfore by this petition we pray that we may be deliueredThis is a nedefull petition. from all sinne and wickednes, from the deuill and his power. We desire God that we may be his subiectes, which is a verie godlie and nedefull prayer.
Further by this petition we be put in remembrance what we bee, namely captiues of the deuyll, his prysoners, and bondmenne, and not able to come at … thorough oure owne power: therefore we desyre Gods healpe and ayde, as Christe hath taughte vsus to calle hym Father: he knewe hisChriste …: … his father is de lited vvith. affection, therefore he commaundeth vsus to call hym Father, and to desire his healpe to be … out of the kyngdom of the deuyll. Happye are those whiche are … this kyngdome, for they shall lacke nothynge: and this kyngdome commeth to vsus by preachyng, by hearyng of Goddes word. Therfore those that fynde scholers to schole they are helpersExhibitors to scholers and furtherers toward this kyngdome, and truly it is nedefull that there be made some prouision for them. For excepte schooles and … be maynteined, we shall hauehave no preachers: when we hauehave no preachers, whan we hauehave none which shewe vntounto vsus Gods woorde, howe shall we come toIt is better to lack liue lode than gods vvord that blessed kyngdome whiche we desire? What … it whan you hauehave gotten many hundred pounds for your children, and lacke goddes woorde? Therefore I saye this office must nedes be mainteined: for it is a necessarie office which furthereth to this kyngdome, of which our sauiour speaketh in the gospel to the Iewes, saying: Instat regnum …, The kingdome of God is come nere. Likewise he sayeth to one, Sequere me, & annuncia verbum Dei, Folow me, and preache the kingdom of god. So ought all preachers to do,Luc 10. they ought to allure eueryevery man to come to this kyngdome,Luc, 9. that this kyngdom may be replenished. For the more that beThe … of …. conuerted, the more is the kyngdom of god. Agayne, those that be wicked lyuers, they helpe to multiplie the kingdomewhat vvic ked … doo. of the deuill. To this heauenly kyngdome our sauioure exhorteth vsus, sayeng: Querite primum regnum Dei & iustitiam eius, & caetera omnia aducientur vobis, Seeke first the kyngdome of god and his rightuousnesse, and all other thinges shall come vponupon you vnloked for. Cast all thy care vponupon god, as Dauid saith: Iacta super dominum curam tuā. ThenPsal. 54. our principall studie shalbe to heare gods worde, and whanTvvo com modities that come of casting our care vp pon God. we hauehave … it, we … beleue it and folowe it, eueryevery man in his vocation. Then seruants shall yeld their obedience to their maisters, as god requireth of thē. Thē the parentes shal bryng vp their chyldren in the feare of god. Than the children shall be obedient to their parentes. Then subiects shall be obedient to their kyng and prince, and all his officers vnderunder hym. So goe thorough out all estates, eueryevery one shall lyue vpryghtely in his callyng, than god wyll blesse vsus, so that we shall not lacke necessaries in this worlde: and than at the ende we shall come to that perfect … and ioy that god hath layd vp and prepared for them that studie here to lyue accordyng to his will and commaundemente. But we must labour and trauaile as long as we be in this worlde:2. Tess 3. we muste be occupied. For saint Paule sayth: Si quis nonPsal. 127. vult operari, nec manducet, Who soeuer wil not labour, letw hiles vve shall be in this lifevve must labor and … hym not eate. Likewise Dauid saith, Labores manuum tuarum comedes, & bene tibi erit, Thou shalt eate the labours of thy hande, and it shall go well with the. For he that wil labour, and is contente to trauaile for his lyuing, god will prosper hym, he shall not lacke. Lette eueryevery man therefore laboure in his …. For so dydde oure Sauioure hym selfe, whiche came into this worlde to teache vsus the waye to heauen, and to suffer deathe for vsus. Nowe howe … he hath ben in his office, it appereth eueryevery where. For the Enangeliste sayeth: I oquebatur Illis de regno Dei, he talked with theim of the kyngdome of GOD. MarkeChrist … not of the king dom of this world. here he taught them of the kyngdome of God: he taughte them nothynge of the kyngdome of this worlde. For he sayth, standyng before Pylate, Regnum meum non est de hoc mundo, My kyngdome is not of this worlde. He reignethIoh. 18. by faith thorough his holy ghoste, in all those whiche pertain vntounto hym. He is not an earthly kyng … the Jewes hope to hauehave their Messias. Therfore whan I fele such motions within me than is it tyme to call vponupon God: for sucheVVe must flye to god for reskue. motions come of the deuill, therfore I must tunne to God, sayeng: Thy kyngdom come moste louyng father: healpe thou, fyght thou for me agaynst my enemies, suffre me not to be taken prisoner: lette not my … hauehave the victorie ouer me. So we muste call vponupon god without …. For you may be sure, we shall neuer bee without battaile & trauaile, and we are not able to withstande our aduersarie by oure owne power. Therfore it is most nedefull for vsus to call and crye vntounto hym for helpe: When we doo so, than we shall hauehave grace to withstande the deuyll. For he can not, neither is he able to striue with God for all hisProuer 21 crafte. For Scripture sayth: Non est consilium contra dominum,None can … a … god. No wisedome, no craft can preuayle agaynste the Lorde: He will healpe and delyuer vsus whan he seeth his tyme. For commonly the nature of God is to healpe whan all mans helpe is past: whan the … thynketh himselfe cocksure, than GOD commeth and subuerteth his wycked intentes, as it appeared in our sauiour hymselfe. For when the deuyll had brought the Iewes to suche a madnes, that they wente and crucified hym: whan this was …, the deuyll triumphed and made mery: he thought hymselfeThe deuils triumphe is … to … sure mough of hym. But what was the ende of it? his triumphyng was turned to his owne destruction. For Christe hangyng vppon the Crosse, dyd by his deathe destroye the power of the deuyll. So wee see howe GOD suffereth the deuyll for a whyle, and then when he seeth his tyme, he commeth wyth hys gracious helpyng hande. But as I told you before, the diuell hath many inuentions, many impedimentes and lettes wherewith he trappeth vsus. For we see there bee a great many gospellers whiche begunne very wellA note …. and godlye, but nowe the moste parte of theym become ambicious and couetous personnes: all the worlde is full of suche fellowes.
But what than? God wyll preserue hys kyngdome: he wil wrastle wyth the deuylles kyngdome, and so shall preuayle and pull it downe to the bottome. Therfore all those whiche bee in the kyngdome of GOD must wrastle, stryue and fighte with the diuell: not as the carnall gospellers doe, whicheCarnal gos pellers. commonly begyn wel at the …, but nowe hauyng rest and tranquillitie, and al things goyng with them, they leaue the Gospell, and sette theyr myndes vponupon thys naughtye worlde. Therfore it is good and needefull for vsus to hauehave afflictions and exercises, for as sainct Augustine sayeth. … The bloud of … is the seede of the … of the gospell.Christianorum est veluti semen fructuū Euāgelicorum. For whan one is hanged here, and another yonder, then God goeth a sowyng of his seede. For lyke as the corne that is cast into the …, ryseth vppe agayne, and is multiplied: euen so the bloude of one of those whyche suffre for Goddes woordes sake, sturreth vppe a greate manye: and happye is he to whome it is geuen to suffre for Goddes holye woordes sake. For it is the greatest promotion that a man canne hauehaveTo dye for Christ is the greatest promotiō. in thys worlde, to dye for Goddes sake, or to be despysed and contemned for hys sake. For they shalbce well rewarded for theyr paynes and laboures. Merces vestra multa est in coelis. Youre rewarde, sayeth our Sauiour, shalbe great in ….Mat. 5.
Further whan we saye. Adueniat regnum …. Thy kyngdome come, we desyre of GOD that there may come more and more to the knowledge of Goddes worde. And … we desyre of GOD to brynge those whiche bee come alreadye, to the perfecte knowledge of hys woorde,He that en … shal be saued. andso to kepe them in it still to the verye ende, for not he that beginneth, but he that endureth shalbe saued.
This kyngdome of GOD is double. Regnum gratiae,Math. …. & regnum …. The kyngdome of grace and the kyngdomeThe kingdome of … is …. of glorye, honour ioye and felicitye. As longe as we be in this worlde, we be in the kingdome of grace: whan we are gone, than we shall come to the kyngdome of glorie. For as long as we be here god sheweth himselfe vntounto vsus by grace: he ascertaineth vsus thorough his spirite, of his fauoure, and so he reigneth within vsus by grace. But whan we bee ones gone, than we shall see hym face to face, which we cannot as long as we be here. For he … hymself vntounto vsus not soplainly as he doth vntounto his angels which be with hym inThe mea ning of this … vvords the kyngdome of glorie. Therfore whan we say, Thy kingdome come, we desire of God that he will helpe vsus to this perfecte kingdome, that he will deliuer vsus out of this troublous worlde, and geue vsus euerlasting rest.
I feare there be a great Humbre in England which if thei knew what they ment in speaking these wordes, Thy kingdome come, they wold neuer say them. For they ar so geuen to the world, and so set their mynde vponupon it, that they could be content that there should neuer be any ende of it. Such worldlings whan they say these words, Thy kyngdom com, they praye against them selues. For they desyre god to takeVVorldlin ges pray a gainst thē selues … they say this praier. them out of this world spedily, & yet they hauehave all their delite in it. Therfore suche worldlyngs whan they say, Thy kyngdome come, either they mocke GOD, or … they vnderstande not the meanyng of these woordes. But we oughte not to … with GOD, we shold not mocke hym, he will not be despised. Quicquid petimus, ardenter petamus, tanquam cupientes …. Lette vsus praye hartily vntountoVVe muste be desirous to … vve pray for. him, desirous to hauehave the thing wherfore we pray. But the customable impenitent synner, can not … from the bottome of his heart, this praier. For he would hauehave no ende of this worldly lyfe, he would hauehave his heauen here. Such felowes are not mete to say. Thy kyngdom come: for when they do, they pray against them selues. Therfore none can say this petition, but suche as be a … of this worlde. Such faithfull folke woulde hauehave hym to comme spedily, and make anVve cā not praye truly this petitiō … vvery of this vvorld ende of their miseries. It is with the Christians lyke as it is in a realme, where there is a confusion, and no good order, those whyche are good, woulde fayne hauehave a parliament. For than they thynke it shalbe better with them, they trust all thynges shall be well amended. Sommetimes the councelles be good, but the constitutions lyke not the wicked, and so they begyn to cry out as fast as they dyd before. Sometimes the councels be naught, than the good people crieth out, and so they bee neuer at reste. But there is … A parlia ment thae vvilieme die all mat ters.parliament that will remedy all the matters, be they neuer so … or heauie, it wil dispatch them cleane. And this parliament will be sufficient for all realmes of the wholle worlde, which is the laste day. Where our sauior hymselfe will beare the rule, there shall be nothing doone amisse I warrant you: but eueryevery one as he hath deserued, so he shal hauehave. The wicked shall hauehave helle, the good shall possesse heauen. Nowe this is the thing that we pray for, whan we say, Thy kyngdome come. And truly the faithfull … sinners, doo desyre that parliament, euen from the botome of theyr heartes. For they know that therin reformations of all thynges shall be had, they knowe that it shall be well with theym in that daye. And therefore they saye from the bottome of their heartes, Thy kyngdom come. They knowThe faith full and pe nitent sin ners make this petitiō from the bottome of their hear tes. that there shall be a great difference betweene that parliament that Christ shall keepe, and the parliamentes of this worlde. For in this worlde this is the common rule, Quo sceleratior, eo fortunatior, the more wicked, the better luck. Whiche is a wonderfull thynge to consyder howe it commeth to passe, that for the most part wicked bodies hauehave the best lucke: they are in wealth and health: in so muche thatThe more vvicked the more lucky a man maye muche meruayle at it, as Esdras, Dauid, and other doo: specially considering that God curseth … in his lawes, and threatneth them that they shall hauehave none of his benefites. Sinon audieris vocem Domini, maledictusGod cur seth the vvicked and yet they hauehave the blessinges of god in this vvorld. in agro, If thou wylte not heare the voyce of the Lorde thy GOD, thou shalte be cursed in the fielde. &c. These bee the wordes of God whyche he speaketh agaynst the wycked, and it must nedes be so, but yet we see by experience dayely the contrary. Wherfore dooth God suffre the wicked to subuerte his ordre? the order is, that those whiche dooe welle, shall receaue good thynges at goddes hande, they shall be blessed, and all thynges shall goe welle with them. Nowe, howe chaunceth it, that we see dayly the wycked to be blessed of God, to hauehave and possesse his benefites, and the good to bee cursed? whyche is a wonderfull thyng.
GOD the almyghtie, whyche is moste …, yea the truthe it selfe, doothe it not without a cause. One cause is,One … why ged … of this … the … that it is his pleasure to shewe his benefites as welle vntounto the wyeked as to the good. For he letteth theim hauehave theyr pasty, ne here, as it is …: Solem … sinit super iustos & iniustos, He letteth his … shyne as well ouer the wycked as ouer the good. And I telle you this is for…: A …. the exercyse of those, whyche serue GOD with godlye lyuyng: they are promysed, that it shall go wel with them, and yet hauehave they all the yll. This maketh … to thinke that there is an other worlde, wherein they … be rewarded: And so geueth them … to … and … for the other worlde, where as otherwyse they woulde forgette GOD, if they shoulde hauehave all thynges accordyng to their heartes desyre, as the wycked hauehave, whyche in verye deede doo forgette God, theyr mynde … so occupyed with other …, that they can hauehave no leysure … inquire for God or his kyngdome. Agayne, he … them to turneA thyrde cause. his …, to the intente that they may be broughte to … when they see his great goodnesse … vntounto them in that not … all … wyckednesse he … to enioy the good thynges of the …. And so by his … he wold … them occasion to leaue … and …. As S. Paul saith … read poenitentiā adducit. The goodnes of god allureth … to amendment of our lyfe, but whan they will not amende, then … sibi ipsis … in … irae they heape vp to … the wrath of god in the day of wrath.
Now you hauehave hearde the causes, wherfore god suffereth the wicked to … his gyftes. But I would wyll and desire you moste heartely for goddes sake, to consyder that the iudgement of GOD at the latter daye shalbee ryghte, accordyngGods iuge … be … ous. vntounto iustice. It wyll then appeare who hathe bene good or badde. And thys is the onelye comeforte of all … people, that they know that they shalbe deliuered from all theyr troubles and vexations. Lette vsus therefore hauehave aThe comforte of all christians. besyre that this daye maye come quicklye: lette vsus hasten GOD forwarde: Lette vsus crye vntounto hym daye and nyght: Adueniat regnum tuum, moste … father, thy kyngdome come. Saincte Paule sayeth, Non veniat dum nisi veniat defectio. The Lorde wyll not come tyll the swaruyngAntichrist is alreadie knowen in all the worlde. from faythe commeth, whyche thyng is alreadye done and past: Antichrist is knowē thoroughout al the world. Wherfore the daye is not farre of. Lette vsus beware, for it wyll one daye fall vppon oure heades. Saincte Peter sayeth. Finis omnium appropinquant, The ende of all thinges draweth very nere. Yfs. Peter sayd so at his tyme, how muche more shall we saye so? For it is a longe tyme sence Saincte Peter spake these woordes. The worlde was ordeyned to endure (as all learned men affirme and … it with scripture)The tyme of the vvorlde. syre thousande yeare. Nowe of that number there bee paste fyue thousande fyftie two, so that there is no more left but foure hundred and forty eighte. And furthermore those dayes shalbee shortened, it shall not bee full syxe thousande yeare, Nam abbreuiabuntur dies propter electos, the dayesThe dayes shall bee shortened for the cho sens …. shalbee shortened for the elects sake. Therfore all those excellent learned men, which withoute doute God hath sente into this world in these latter dayes to giuegive the world war nyng: all those men doe gather oute of Scripture that the laste daye cannot be farre of. And this is moste certayn and sure, that whansoeuer he commeth, he cometh not to timelye, for all thynges, whiche oughte to come beefore are past nowe. So that if he come this nyght, or to morowe, he cometh not to early. Therfore good people let vsus make ready towardes his commyng. And though he commeth not at this tyme, yet let vsus make ready. For we are not sure whan we shalbe called to make … before the Lord. All good and godly people sence the world began … to make ready towardes this day But O Lorde howe … and …, yea and howe carelesse we be. Therfore it wyll be lyke as he saythe, Cum … pax & …, Whan they saye, all thyng is well and quiete, Tunc repentious … illis interitus, than they shalbe sodenlye taken and …, lyke as Diues epulo, that ryche glutton dyd: … eate and dranke, he builded a new barne, for the olde was to little for hym. Than he sayde to hymselfe. Nowe my soule, Nowe be mery and take thy pleasure: for thou … riches … for many yeares. But what sayde God? what sayde he? …, hac …. Thou …, this nighte they wyll… doo make … sion for ple sure in this life. fetche thy soule from thee: whose shall those riches bee then, whiche thou haste heaped vppe? And so shall all those bee taken and trapped lyke this epulo, whiche will not make redy, which … the warnynges of God: they shalbe taken so sodenlye to their … woo. For Scripture geueth warnyng vntounto eueryevery one, sayeng: Sicut in diebus Noeh. &c LikeThe … shalbe … the day of Noah. as in the days of Noeh, they will eate and drynke, and mary. &c. To eate and to drynke, and marye is godlye and lawfull: but to do it otherwise then god hath commaūded, it is wicked and damnable. To eate without thanksgeuyng, or to eate either mans fleshe, or to playe the glutton, more than … He eateth other n … flesh that oppresse other men to maintaine his ovvne delicious diet.nature, this is wycked. Item to marye vppon other respectes then god hath appointed & expressed in his moste holy lawes, is wicked and damnable. Els Honorabile coniugium inter omnes, Mariage is honorable amongest all men, but to marrye for wantonnes sake that is wycked. Viderunt filii Dei fili as hominū, The somes of God sawe the daughters of men, This did Noch rebuke in his time, but they laughed at it: he… of god are the good men, and the childrē of men the …. prepared the arke, and wente into it: at the lengthe the flouds fell vppon theyr heades. Sicut in diebus Loth. As in the days of Loth, What did they? Ingressus es aduena. Thou art come … a stranger; regardyng nothyng gods word which was shewed vntounto them thorough that good man Loth, they were wicked, whormongers, drunkardes, couetouse persons. But what foloweth: What foloweth (I saye?) consyder the …. The fyre from heauen fell vponupon them sodenly and consumedVve are not in darknes. them al. At nos non sumꝰ in tenebris: we be not in darkenes, we hauehave the worde of god, we know what is his wyll. Ther fore lett vsus watche, for he wil come like a thefe in the night, happy are we if he shall fynde vsus watchyng.
This is the effecte of this …, wherein we desire that god wyll sende downe faythe from heauen, that he will continueThe effect of this peti tion. in me my faith and eueryevery mans, so that we may be rea dye to goe with him whan his kyngdome shall come.
Now as many as pertayne to this kyngdome of god shall hauehave one propertye amongest other thinges. They shal hauehaveA note vvhereby vve maye … oure selues to ap pertain to gods …. an earnest mynde and stedfast purpose to leaue synne, accordyng to S. Paules sayeng: Ne regnet igitur peccatum in vestro …, Let not sinne therfore reign in your mortal bodies. Goddes kingdome shall reigne in vsus, and not the deuilles. Therfore when the deuyll tempteth thee, wyth stand him, geue not ouer, lette him not hauehave the victorye: as for an ensample. When thou seest a faire woman, an yll desireGod vvill helpe … vve call. ryseth vp in thy … towardes her, this luste is of the deuyll, call therfore for helpe, let him not occupy thy hearte, then surely god wil helpe: For he hath promised. Nulla condemnatio … qui … in Christo. There is no condemnation to suche as are in Christe Iesu, When we doe not allowe synne … agree vntounto it. Therfore dispose youre selues so to liue accordyng vntounto his will: whych can and wil preserue vsus from the …, and brynge vsus into his kyngdome. whyche graunt vsus god the Father, god the Sonne and god the holy ghoste.
Amen.