Sermons Upon all the Sunday Gospels, Sermon 27
The fourthe Sondaye in Lent. ¶The Gospell. Iohn. vi.
IEsus departed ouer the sea of Galile, whiche is the sea of Tiberias, and a greate multitude folowed him, because they saw his miracles whiche he dyd on them that were diseased. And Iesus went vp into a mountayne, and there he sat with his Disciples. And Easter, a feaste of the Iewes was nye. When Iesus then lyfte vp his eyes, and sawe a great company come vntounto hym, he sayde vntounto Philip: whence shall we bye bread that these may eate? This he sayde to proue hym, for he hym selfe knewe what he woulde do. Philip aunswered him: two hundred penyworth of bread, are not sufficient for them, that eueryevery man may take a lyttle. One of his Disciples (Andrewe Simon Peters brother) sayeth vntounto hym. There is a lad whiche hath fiue Barlye loaues and two fishes: but what are they a monge so many? And Iesus sayde: make the people sit downe. There was muche grasse in the place. So the men sat downe, in number about fiue thousande. And Iesus toke the bread, and when he had geuen thankes, he gaue to the Disciples, and the Disciples to them that were set downe, and lykewyse of the fyshes as muche as they would. When they hadde eaten ynough, he sayde vntounto his Disciples: gather vp the broken meate whiche remayneth, that nothyng be lost. And they gathered it together, and fylled .xii. baskettes with the broken meate of the fyue barley loaues, which broken meate remayned vntounto them that had eaten. Then those men (when they had sene the miracle that Iesus dyd) sayde: this is of a trueth the same Prophete that shoulde come into the worlde.
THE EXPOSITION.
IN this Gospell we learne, that our Sauiour CHRIST hath a syngular and special care for them that folow him,Math. 6. that seeke the kyngdom of God, and the rightuousnes thereof, and sette theyr chief delectation and pleasure in hearyng the worde of God, and in practisyng the same, so that all such shall want no good thyng necessary for theyr lyuynge,Psalm. 34. but shall hauehave abundantlye what so euer is needfull, so farre is it of,Christ prouideth for his. that they neede to despayre of Goddes prouidence in this behalfe, as though he were ledde wyth no care at all towarde theym, and theyr necessities. Thys doctrine the wicked worldlyngs and couetous carles are not woorthy to heare, muche lesse to beleue, seyng theyr myndes are otherwyse sette. In dede they heare, that Christe bounteously wroughte thys great miracle, but they doo not beleue, that Christe wylle doo the same for theym.Worldlings. Therefore are they all together gyuen to the worlde, scrape and rake together, what so euer they can gette by hooke or by crooke, by ryght or by wrong, by laufull or vnlaufull meanes, declaryng by all theyr doynges, that they hauehave no good and faithful persuasion of Gods prouidence, and that Christe neyther can nor wyll deale with them, as he dyd with this people, of whom oure Gospell maketh mencion. Yea some of them after the maner of Epicures, thynke God to bee a carelesse God, and not to regarde hys people, but to sytte ydell in heauen, gasing about I can not tell vponupon what. And therefore they thynke it to bee their charge and duetie, to carke and care, to aforesee and prouide all thynges necessary for them selues that they suffer not hunger and colde. &c. But suche men, yea rather monsters of men, Christe regardeth not. They that embrace his word, Christe conforteth them in this place,The faithfull shall want to good thyng. that he will fede theym, not with wordes, but with dedes, euen with all thinges necessarie. Let vsus not doubt, thynke, or compasse in our mynde,Psalm. 34. how we should be nouryshed, but lette vsus put our whole confidence in Christ, whiche confydēce without al doubt shal not deceaue vsus, but bryng vntounto vsus no lesse bounteous blessynge, then these men receaued. For Christ is alway at hande to helpe, succour,Iosue. 1. Psalm. 55. 1. Pet. 5. and relieue them, that faithfully put theyr confidence and truste in hym. Cast thy care vponupon the Lord saithe the Psalmographe, and he shall nouryshe thee. Yea CHRIST is of suche power,The blessyng of God maketh all thynges plentifull. that if there remayne no more then fiue loaues, yet can he soo blesse them, that they shall suffise fiue thousand men besydes women and chyldren: And moreouer of theym also leaue so muche, that it shall farre excelle in quantitie the former stoare. For the fyrste was scarcely halfe a baskette full, but that remayned were .xii. baskets full: whereof wee are taughte: that yf we beleue the word of God, and doubte nothynge thereof, framyng our lyues accordynge to the same, GOD wyll vndoubtedly care and prouide for vsus, and abundantlye sende vsus what so euer is necessarye for our lyuynge, as we maye see in this hystorie. Although all be not godlye, that came here vntounto CHRIST, yet some of them were earnestly geuen to godlynesse, and sought more the woorde of God, than they were carefull for their bealy. Therefore Christe careth for theym,The prouidence of God. and bryngeth it to passe, that they bee fed, when they thought nothynge of the matter. As though he shoulde saye: Fyrst of all, whatsoeuer thou be, seke the kyngdome of God, beleue in me,Math. 6. and lyue accordynge to thy vocation: and as for all other thynges, leaue the care vntounto mee. Thoughe that thou hauehave not excesse, thoughe thou haste not thousandes: yet that thou shalte hauehave sufficiente, I wyll prouyde. For golde, syluer, money. &c. are not meete to bee eaten: thou haste nede of breade, whyche commethe oute of the grounde. If thou haste not plentie hereof oute of the earthe: if thou hast not ground, lande, possessions &c. onelyonly beleue, and folowe thy callyng: so shalt thou not want breade.
Dayely experience mynistrethe vntounto vsus exaumples of thys thynge.Labour. Hee that in the begynnynge is but a poore scholer, beynge dylygent in his office, thorow the blessynge of GOD becommeth a greate doctour. A mayde seruant beynge diligent in her seruyce, and studiosly lookyng vntounto thynges of the house, through the fauour of God, cometh vntounto suche mariage, that she is made maystresse of an housholde, hauyng substance, goodes, rychesse, and plentie of all thynges. There is greate abundance of suche exaumples in all ages. As on the contrarye parte, they that feare not GOD, care not for hys woorde, are negligente in theyr office,Idelnesse. are ydell, and geue theym selues to sluggyshenesse: They fall into myserie, pouertie, and beggerye, yea though they hauehave muche lefte vntounto them of theyr parentes or frendes, yet commeth it to naught, and wasteth away as snowe agaynste the sonne. Therfore many yong men now a days,Idelnes is ye chief mistresse of vices all. geuyng them selues rather to ydlenesse then to labour, to wyckednesse then to godlynesse, are forsaken of God, and by thys meanes fall into all kyndes of mysery and lewdnesse, so that eyther they dye in battaylle, or come to hangynge, or ells hauehave somme other shamefull ende. Whyche thynge is to bee vnderstande also of so many as feare not GOD, nor faythfully walke in their vocation, be it neuer so base and homely. All such must nedes be accursed of God, and be ouerwhelmed with myseries. And well worthy, for asmuche as they louelove not godlynes, beleeue not in Christe, folowe not hys woorde, walke not in theyr vocation. &c. For if they did thys, they shoulde hauehave God in all their affaires a moste sure defender, tutor, patrone, prouider, encreaser. &c. so that they shoulde lacke no good thyng.
Learne therfore of this Gospell to beleue in Christ, and that he wyll conserue and kepe vsus, and prouyde all thynges necessarye for vsus, if we wyll applye oure selues to godlynes, and louelove Christs word. As though he should say: If thou be godly, and fearest God, loke thou for thy meate at my hande, moste certainly: despayre not, though thy lyuynge be smalle, I will blesse thy stoare, and prouyde abundantly for thee. But yf thou folowe those waies, that ar wicked and vngodlye, if then thou falle into miserie, meruaile not, neyther blame thou God, but thy selfe: yea thoughe thou hauehave gotten the goodes of the worlde,The absidāce and prosperitie of the vngodly shall not long continue. yet if thou bee vngodlye, they shall not surely prosper with thee, but they shall sodeynly consume and come to naughte, so that thou mayste be well assured, that he whych despiseth the word of God, and. obeyeth not Gods cōmandement, shall neuer be pleasured at the hand of God. Thys thyng doth Christ teache vsus in this his miracle, in that with fyue loaues he fedeth fyue thousand men besydes women and chyldren, whose numbre peraduenture was equall with the other. They all were filled, and yet there remayned muche. In thus doynge Christe setteth not foorthe the bare worde, as he dothe in the syxt Chapter of S. Mathews Gospell, but hee expresseth the same in very acte, and geueth an example therof. As though he should saye: I am ryche, and can easily fede thee. OnelyOnly see, that thou behauest thy selfe godly. Folowe the worde of God, and kepe that. As touchyng thy foode, laye the care therof vponupon my backe. This is the doctrine of Faith which Christ setteth foorth in this miracle vntounto vsus. The faithfull only vnderstande it: the vnfaithfull regarde it not, but rather laugh it to scorne, as they doo all the other mysteries of God.
But besides this doctrine, there are remaining two thyngs, which the Euangelist doth diligently set forth The first is, that Christ asketh a question of his disciples, and they answer what they thinke good.The cause of incredulitie cō cernīg liuing. The second is, that he commaundeth to gather vp the fragmentes, that nothyng perishe. Nowe as concerninge these .ii. disciples, Philip, and Andrewe: it euidently appereth, what is the cause, that although he prouoketh vsus vntounto faythe by this his vnloked for blessyng, yet it can not be founde in vsus so true, ryght, and perfect as it ought to bee. For that letteth vsus, that was also an impediment to the disciples: I meane, when we onelyonly consyder, howe muche wee hauehave nede of, and hauehave noo regarde,Philip. howe muche Christe is able to dooe, wyth his blessynge. Philyppe leaueth to reason and sayeth, that two hundred peny worthe of breade is not sufficient, that eueryevery manne may hauehave a litle morsell. If a count be here taken of the people, and compared with that summe of money that Philip here nameth: it semeth to be lytle in dede. For there were not only fyue thousande men,Math. 14. but there were also many women and chyldren, as S. Mathewe saythe, whiche are not numbred. Philyp foloweth the rule of reson,Reason is an euyll counsailer in matters of God. and accordynge vntounto that maketh his accompt. Euen so we go to worke. Reason altogether ruleth in vsus, and we caste our accomptes, how much we hauehave nede for our necessary dayly and yerely expences. But when we perceaue that our goodes fayle vsus, then are we out of countenance: then fall we to desperation, and thynke verily, that we shall neuer bee able to susteyne our selues and our familie.
And euen thus goeth it with Andrewe also. He perceauyng the good wyl of Christ toward the pore people,Andrewe. wold gladly that they were relieued, & therfore telleth Christ what prouision there is, & how that a boye had fiue barley loues and two fishes. But notwithstā dyng when he remembred what a great cōpany there was of hungry folke, and considred how sclender the prouision was, he counted it nothing at all. What are these (saith he) among so many? Streight wais considering the nomber, he casteth away faith, & thinketh it not possible yt such a multitude can be holpen and relieued with so litle quantitie of bread & fishe. And this is a cōmune fault among vsus al, not only when we think of liuing, but also in all our other troubles and daungers. For we run streight wais for help vntounto reson.Note well. yf reason se no help, then out of hand we fall vntounto mourning & lamenting, vtterly despairing of confort. But it were much better, if we did cast al our care vponupon God & fall to no reasoning about necessary thinges. For by this meanes there shold be but one incōmoditie when any miserie shold chance. where as now thorowe our care it is doubled, and yet nothynge amended. Care maketh no man riche:Care pro…fyteth nothing. yea it rather bryngeth disease of body & disquietnes of mynde, two great pestilences to mans lyfe. Examples in this behalfe want not. Therfore seyng that reason can no otherwise do, but bee occupied about those thynges that we hauehave nede of, and shewe her selfe carefull about necessaries, as thoughe our whole wealthe depended of her carefulnesse and deuise, whiche is directly against faithe: The Euangelist wold not let passe this thing vnremembred, that by the exāple of the disciples we may learne, how leude and wicked such toyes of reason are, namely in Christians, whiche oughte onelyonly to depend on Christe and his worde. After the rule of reason Philippe and Andrewe iudged truely: neither is it possible,The worde of God, and not reason is to be considered. that a man onelyonly ledde with reason can otherwyse thinke, or hauehave any better Iudgement. But we Christians may not looke vppon Reason, but vppon the woord of God. Therfore we ought not so subtilly to reason, as constantly & stedfastly to beleue: & where reason faileth, there to lean vntounto the worde of god & faith, & diligently to cōsider, what a noble and faithful steward Christ is to the Christianes. We can geue no more then wee hauehave. But Iohn saith here of Christe: He gaue of the loaues and fyshes, not so muche as was at hand, but so muche as he would. Neyther is it to be thoughte, that he dyd this only but ones, and that he from hensforth wyll doo no more so among his.God is at all tymes beneficiall. For, as I sayde before, his examples and miracles are publyshed and sette abrode at all tymes, not onelyonly concernyng foode when GOD respecteth and healpeth them that are nedye and without comforte, but also in all other necessities and miseries. For he is almyghtye, and hath promysed to vsus healpe and defence. Therfore all oure power is onelyonly in thys:3. Reg. 17. 4. Reg. 4. Where reason suffiseth not, that we shoulde make the matter vp with faythe and prayer, and vndoubtedly beleue, that he is also a God vntounto vsus, whiche is not onelyonly able wyth his blessyng, to amplifie and encrease that lyttle we hauehave, as he dyd the hony and oyle of the wydowe of Sarepta, but also that he is able of nothyng to make all thinges.
This consolation and confort ought we diligently to consyder, and onelyonly (as Christ sayth) respecte thys, that fyrste of all we seeke the kyngdome of God, and the rightuousnes therof.Math. 6. As for all other thyngs that we hauehave nede of, lette vsus cast our care vponupon our heauenly Father, whyche wyll geue vntounto his, euen when they slepe,Psalm. 127. as the Psalmograph sayth: that is to saye, they shall be blessed and prouyded for, and yet shal they not vnderstande, howe and whence it commeth, as as wee maye playnely see in thys myracle. For so soone as CHRIST toke the bread into his handes, and added therto his blessyng, it was streight wayes perceaued, how it was multiplied and encreased. The fyshes also when Christe distributed theym, and commaunded them to be delyuered to the people were encreased meruailous greatly.
Thus woulde Christ hauehave vsus bothe to perceaue, and to beleue, that we by this meanes myghte attribute more to the secrete and inuisible richesse of God, then to our present reason and store.The miseries of thys our tyme.
Miserable is the face of this worlde. Ennemies are on eueryevery syde of vsus. Discord, debate, and strife encreaseth dayly more and more. Our men and our money decay dayly.The wickednes of the byshop of Rome The common wealthe is come vntounto lamentable ruine. All thynges go to hauocke generally, neyther is ther any hope of amendment. The pope also is not ydell, neither sleapeth he, but seketh all meanes possible to disturbe realmes, to set Princes together by the eares, to bring desolation to all those countreys that resyst his tyrannye, caste awaye his intollerable yoke, refuse his wicked doctrine, despise his diuelyshe decrees, ydell inuentions, crooked constitutions, vnwritten verities. &c. and embrace, beleue, and professe the true and liuely Gospell of oure Sauiour Iesus Christ. For the Turk hateth not more the name of Christe, than the Pope dothe abhorre the Gospelle that we professe. Therefore seketh he all corners, and studyeth by all meanes that may bee, to take awaye the Gospell from vsus, and to restore vntounto vsus the olde abhominations. Which thyngs when a Christen man dothe remembre, it can no otherwyse then greue him. Nowe reason begynneth to compasse with her selfe, what is best to be done, and what prouysion may bee made to wythstande so great euyls. And when reason with all her deuyses and counsayles seeth no way howe to brynge to passe that she hath imagined, or els can deuyse no apte counsailes, howe eyther to preuent or dyspatche so greate malice and displeasure, then falleth she to confusion, and at the last vntounto desperation. Neither can reason frustrate of her purpose be free frō sadnesse and desperation.Marke this, & practise it. For fleshe and blood can no otherwyse doo, thenne her nature requyreth. But the Christians are in a farre better case. For when reason fayleth, they lay hande on the word of God, and with stedfast fayth beleue to receaue healpe and conforte at the hand of God,Iohn. 16. accordyng to his promise. But what is the commaundement of the word or what is to be beleued in suche an extremitie and difficultie of thynges?Math. 16. Uerily euen this, that Christ hath ouercome the world, and that the gates of hell shall not preuayle agaynst his churche:Psalm. 34. The eyes of the Lorde are vponupon the rightuous, and his eares attent vntounto theyr praiers Who shall hurte you (saithe S. Peter) if ye followe that is good?1. Pet. 3. Not withstandyng if ye suffer for righteousnesse sake, blessed are ye. The Lorde knowethe howe to delyuer the rightuous out of tentation, and to reserue and kepe in store the wicked and vngodlye against the day of iudgement vntounto their condemnation and euerlastyng payne,2. Petr. 2. as S. Peter in that place bringeth in Loth and the Sodomites for an example.
Faithe in the worde worketh constācie in the heart.He that on this sort setteth before him the word and promyse of GOD, and holdeth theym faste wyth a stronge Faythe, hym all the reasons of the worlde, though they shoulde fayle, can not dismay, nor cause hym to despayre. For he dothe knowe, that the Lorde is aboue them, whyche ruleth in the myddes of hys ennemye, and therefore is he contented wyth all thynges,Exod. 3. that he maye gloryfye his name agaynste theym, that are aduersaries to his worde, vexe the churche of GOD, and make neyther ende nor measure against God and hys woorde, euen as Pharao, and the Egyptians dydde: so that through the helpe of the word the Christians thoroughe Faythe hauehave a mooste certayne and sure hope, where reasone seeth no hope at all. For reason, when it perceauethe no healpe to bee at hande, despayreth streyghte wayes. But the Lord sheweth trewe healpe, yf wee holde it faste, and followe godlynesse. For he that geuethe hys mynde to wyckednesse and synne, and careth not for his conscience, thoughe it be neuer so muche defyled and spotted with all abhomination, and yet thynketh to enioy the promyse and the comfort therof, he is vtterly deceaued, and shall brynge nothynge vntounto good effecte
And thys faulte was in the Disciples. Wyth reason they were well instructed, but they had no respect vntounto the healpe of Fayth, neyther dyd they consyder, what a Lorde they had of Christe. Or elles Phylippe would hauehave tolde an other tale after this sorte. Two hundred penye woorth of breade are not sufficient for so greate a multitude, that eueryevery one myght hauehave a lyttell morsell. But we are in case good ynoughe, in as muche as thou arte wyth vsus, whyche art able to fulfyll and to make good, what so euer we doo lacke, for as muche as wee are in suche place, where no prouysyon canne bee made. For thou haste that power and knowledge, the whyche other hauehave not. Andrewe also wold hauehave spoken otherwyse, as thus: There is a boye here, that hathe fyue barley loaues, and twoo fyshes. If I shoulde hauehave the distribution of theym, they woulde scarcely suffise two persones. But forasmuch as thou art present, put thy helpynge hande vntounto it, and they shall suffise as manye as are here, ynough and inough agayn, with a great portion left. This would the word and faith hauehave taught thē. But when by the reason of their carefulnes, both the word and Faith was vanyshed away, it was no meruayl though they could remember no such thing.Note thys counseil. Therfore this rule is to be obserued: If thou louest ye name of Christ, and notwithstanding, thou leanest vntounto reason, and vntounto the deuises therof, beyng compelled, as it were of necessitie, yet see that the woorde of GOD beare the chiefe rule, and hauehave the vppermoste place alwaies, so that thorowe Faith, thou depende wholly vponupon God and his promyse. Otherwise thy helpe wil be vncertain, yea it wyl be nothing. For cursed is that man (saith the Prophet) that putteth his trust in mā,Hier. 17. and maketh fleshe his strength, and suffreth his heart to go from the Lord.
After that Christ hathe moste noblye declared hys blessyng among vsus,The worlde abuseth the gyfts of God thorowe riot. we may not forget this commandement, that Christ gaue his disciples, concernyng the gatheryng vp of suche bread & fyshe as remained, that nothynge myght be lost. For as our reason in tyme of necessitie can do nothing but recken and acompt how to compasse thinges to serue our ned…, and can not away with Faithe, nor yet constantly cleaue to the promyse of God: so lykewise, when the blessyng of God is plentuous, the world neither can nor will rightly & thankfully vse the same. For many do abuse the blessynge of God vntounto excesse, prodigally and wastfully they spende it about naughte, as experience teachethe vsus. If there bee a good wyne yeare, so that there is plentie of wyne, then fall the people to drinkyng, gullyng, glosyng, quaffyng, and most vnthankfully abuse that precious and good gyfte of God, as though god that yere had sent suche abundance of wyne onelyonly to this ende, that the people shoulde drinke dronke. The blessing of God they ought to vse, & not to abuse:In time of wealth prouid for death. & if we hauehave more then presēt necessitie requireth, it ought diligently to be gathered to gether, & laide vp in store, that it may supply ye lacke & necessitie that is to come, as Ioseph coūcelled Pharao king of Egipte, yt with ye greate & plentifull encrease of the seuen former yeres, he should prouide for the other seuē dere yeares yt shold followe,Gene. 41. that by this meanes there mighte be store of grayne for all his lande. In like maner when god sendeth to artificers & men of occupation a good yeare,Artificers. so that their wares be well solde, & they hauehave good vtteraunce of such thinges as they occupie: they maye not therfore abuse this blessing of God, & wastefully spēde away their gaynes, but they must kepe them in store, & warely laye thē vp, yt they in time to come may serue ye lacke yt is lyke to followe. But forasmuch as many do not this, but spēd as faste as they get, & spare nothyng for the necessitie yt is to come, therfore in time of nede they lacke, & God withdraweth from thē his blessing. It is mete, that they whiche abuse the gyftes of God, & riotously & wastfully spend them away, should at an other time lacke, yt by this meanes they maye learne, what it is to neglecte & not to regarde the blessing of god. And as some do, to much wastfully consume the good gyftes of god, so on ye cōtrary part som do abuse thē by hourdyng them vp & niggardly kepyng them, yea & that vntounto this ende, yt when a dearth come, they may hauehave ye more gayne, thoughe it be vntounto the vtter vndoinge of their poore neighbours, as we may see in our couetous cormorantelyke cornemongers,Cornemongers. whiche hourde vp corne in the time of cheape, that in the time of dearth they maye sel it the dearer vntounto the profit of thē selfes, but vntounto the disprofit of other, so that they bringe not forth the blessyng of God to the comoditie of other, as & when they ought, but only at suche time as maye serue their couetous desires, & they reape the greater profit.Prou. 11. Salomon sayth: He that hourdeth vp his corne, shall be cursed of the people: but the blessynge of the Lord shal fall vpō the heades of them that bring it forth, & sel it for a reasonable price. These catarpillers of the comon wealth whiche only seke their owne priuate lucre, whether it be in Corne, cattel, or otherwise, are a spitefull kinde of people, hated of God and of all godly men.Note this O ye riche men. For as touching that Christ cōmandeth y• fragments & suche thinges as weare lefte, to be gathered vp, it was not cōmanded to that end, yt it shold serue the couetous lustes of the most couetous worldlinges, but that we hauing them in store might be the more able to helpe the nedye & hungrye. But carnall reasō saith: hourde it vp that thou maiste be the richer, although other by that meanes be beggered. As though God gaue his blessinge vntounto thee to serue thy couetous affections, & not rather yt by it thou sholdest serue at all times the comon necessities of other. But by this meanes it cōmeth to passe, that these gredye gryffes lokyng continually for gayne, do not only not worke accordynge to the blessing of God to the profit of other, but they them selues also thorowe their couetousnes take no pleasure nor vse of the thinges, which they professe.The misery of couetous men. For a couetous man lacketh as well that he hath, as that he hath not. Therfore as they yt beleue the worde of god, although they lacke, yet shal so be encreased with goodes, that they shall hauehave gods plentie & ynough euen vntounto the vttermost: so lykewise they yt abuse the giftes of God vntounto their owne couetousnes, prouoke againste them selues his curse, that in their greatest abondance they are most nedie and miserable For this is the misery of the couetous worldlinges: it is no lesse griefe vntounto them to distribute and laye out their goodes, then it is to get them, and to scratch thē together. And when any calamitie or mischance happeneth, as it many times cōme to passe, so that their goodes hauehave some misfortune, as their corne to be eatē with vermine, their wyne to waxe sower, &c. Then are they so vexed in their mindes (a payne worthie suche a sinne, and a plague worthely cast vponupon them) that the losse of thē greue them more, than if they had neuer had them. What man, if he be a man in dede, and not rather the monsture of a man, had not rather to hauehave a litle in the feare of god with a quiet & mery conscience, then to hauehave greate abondance with gods anger and disquietnes of minde? namely, when this is most certen, that suche vnmercifull Mammonistes hauehave not only God their enemie, their conscience a continuall & vnrestfull accuser, all good men aduersaries, all poore men out cryers, cursers, and desyerers of vengeaunce to fall vponupon them, but also they hauehave the deuil at hande with them, whiche so be wytcheth them, and maketh them suche doltes, that they can not see what good and right is, nor lifte vp their mindes so muche as ones to be thankeful to God for his blessinges, nor yet to consider for what purpose they were geuē them of God, but remaine in such blindnes of minde, yt they know none other god, but Māmō, the riches & goods of this world, which so lōg as they abide safe, they are safe, but if they ones decay, then is all their hope gone, so that thorow the suggestion of Satā many of them fall vntounto desperation, hange vp them selues, drowne them selues, cut their own throte, or otherwise rid thē selues out of the waye, & at the last for abusynge the blessings of God, & for their vnmercifulnes they hauehave their porcion with the deuill, whom they hauehave so long serued, in that lake that burneth with fyre and brymstone.Apoc. …. And this is the payne of this sacrilege, when the blessyng of God is turned vntounto a pray of mans couetousnes. The blessynge of God is not to be caste awaye by riot and prodigalitie, but to be kepte and muche made of, that it maye helpe in the tyme of necessitie, and that thorowe it, the better prouision maye be made for the poore: Neither is it to be hourded vp, but lyberally to be brought forth vntounto the sustentation of the nedye, that we maye not seme to hauehave receaued Gods gyftes in vayne, but rather vntounto such an ende as he hath appointed, that is to saye, vntounto our owne necessarie conforte, and vntounto the reliefe of the poore and nedye, as it is written: He hath dispersed abrode and geuen to the poore:Psal. 113. Therfore his righteousnes abydeth for euer and euer. Thus in this our gospell we hauehave heard a confortable doctrine, howe we in all our necessities must hauehave an eye vntounto the Lorde Christe, and vntounto his worde, and altogether depende vponupon the same, and loke for blessing at his hand, nothing doubting, but that whatsoeuer he hath mercifully promised vsus, y• same wyl he most bounteously performe & geue vntounto vsus. For he is a lord both of will and power,Rom. 10. and abundantly riche for so many as call vponupon him: yea he will graunt vsus more, then we dare be bolde to aske,Ephe. 3. suche and so greate is his mercy vntounto them, that faythfully beleue on hym. God geue vsus his grace, and blesse vsus, that we maye dayly more and more encrease in godlynes, seke the kyngdom of God and the righteousnes therof, beleue his holy worde, and liue accordyng to our vocation, and calling, & in all our necessities, miseries, afflictions and troubles, whether it be concerning foode or otherwise cleaue vntounto him and to his gracious promises, alwayes lokyng for helpe at his most merciful hande, thorow our Lord Iesus Christ: to whome with the father and the holye ghoste be all honour and glorye worldes without ende. Amen.