Sermons Upon all the Sunday Gospels, Sermon 68
The xxv Sonday after Trinitie Sonday. ¶The Gospell of Iohn. vi.
WHen Iesus lift vp his eyes, and sawe a greate company come vntounto hym, he saithe vntounto Philip: Whence shal we bie bread that these may eate? This he sayde to proue hym, for hee hym selfe knewe what he woulde do. Philip aunswered him: Two hundreth penyworthe of bread are not sufficient for them, that eueryevery man may take a litle. One of his Disciples (Andrewe, Simon Peters brother) sayde vntounto hym: There is a ladde here whiche hath fiue barly loaues and two fishes, but what are they among so many? And Iesus sayd: Make the people sit downe. There was much grasse in the place. So the men sat downe, in number aboute 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, & likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they had eaten enough, he saith vntounto his disciples: Gather vp the broken meate whiche remayneth, that nothynge be loste. And they gathered it together, and fylled twelue baskettes with the broken meate of the fiue barlye loaues, which broken meate remayned vntounto them that had eaten. Then those men (when they hadd sene the miracle that Iesus dyd) saide: This is of a trueth the same prophet that shoulde come into the worlde.
THE EXPOSITION.
THe Gospell of this present Sondaye is red in the temples of the Christiās twyse in the yeare. Fyrst, on ye fourth sonday in lent. Secondly, on this present Sonday, as ye hauehave hearde. And albeit we treated of this Gospell in lent and declared what good and confortable doctrine is contained in the same: yet for asmuche as it is reade this day in the Church, I will speake somewhat of it again, that our faith may be increased, and we wel cō forted thorow the mercifull promises of god againste the care of the bellye.Belly care is a g…eat enemy to religion. For there is not at this present daye a greater obstacle and let to the gospel of Christ, then this belly care. It vtterly plucketh vsus awaye frō the true faith, which we ought to hauehave in God and in his promises, & enforceth vsus vntounto diuerse vices, sinnes, and wickednesses, as we maye see in these our dayes thorow out the worlde. For what is it, that is not attempted to auoyde belly care, and that we may hauehave, wherof commodiouslye and wealthely to lyue? One playeth the vsurer, an other the Iugler, the thirde a baude, the fourth an extorcioner. &c. As I may speake nothing of the whoredome, theafte, murder, periury, flattery, dissimulation, fayned frendshippe, contempte of true religion, and such other most vile and wicked vices, which are practised in this our time, yt the bellye may not lacke. Forasmuch therfore as this belly care prouoketh men vntounto all kynde of wickednes, and suffreth them not to aspire vntounto any point of godlines: our Sauiour Christ in this our gospell laboureth to heale this disease, and to cure this mischiefe, by fedyng a great multitude of people in the wildernes, by this meanes declaryng, what a fatherly care he hath for all them that seke the kyngdom of God & the righteousnes therof, and that we therfore ought not to be carefull for corruptible thynges appertainynge vntounto this mortall lyfe, but rather study to walke worthely and faithfully in our vocation and callinge,All care of lyuinge is to be cast on christ. and as for all other thinges cast our care vpō him. Therfore taking an occasion thorowe this miracle, we will exhorte all godly men to caste all care for their liuinge vponupon Christ, which is careful for ye faithful, as a most kynde and louing father for his children, and liberally nourisheth and fedeth them. I beseche you therfore geue good eare, and harcken well to that, whiche shal now be spoken in this behalfe. For the often meditation of this miracle shalbe a moste present remedy againste ye vngodly carefulnes, whiche many times disquieteth and vexeth our mindes. It shall therfore be your parte diligētly to cōsider this miracle, that ye may be ye more able to ouercome the tentation of hunger, and learne to truste in Christ, and to looke for all good things at his hande. Christ accordinge to his naturall disposition and singuler bountie was greatly moued with the necessitie of the people, and miraculously fedde in the wildernes a mightie great company of people, that we mighte hauehave a moste certein signe, and sure argument of his carefulnes for vsus, and so commit all oure whole life vntounto him, with all that euer partayneth to the same.
We ought worthely and not without a cause to cast our care on Christ, which can none otherwise do, but be careful for the faithfull that put their truste in hym. And that hath he here declared by this present miracle. For when Christ was accōpanied with great multitudes of people, and they had nothinge to eate. He was streightwayes moued with their necessitie, & willingly without any motion of other, cōsulted with his disciples concerning meate to be prepared for thē, before they should fall into daunger for lacke of sustenaunce. Whom woulde not this singuler goodnes of Christ moue, to commit him selfe wholy vntounto him, If this example can do no good, nor take any place with vsus▪ then are we no true Christians, but falsly and vniustly chalenge vntounto vsus that name, which ought only, to be appropriated to the faithfull. For he is no Christian, that disdaineth to cōmitt the care of his belly to Christ.Math. 6. In cōsideratiō wherof Christ himselfe admonisheth vsus of oure dutie, sayinge: Be not carefull, sayinge: What shal we eate, or what shal we drincke or wherwith shall we be couered? Do not the heathen enquire after all these things? your heauenlye father knoweth, that ye hauehave nede of all these things. Seke ye rather first of all the kingdom of God & the righteousnes therof, and all these things shall be cast vntounto you. Christ doth here take away frō vsus the care of temporall liuing▪ & attributeth that to the prophane Gentiles, which are without faith. It is therfore very vnsitting & vnwourthy a Christen man, after the maner of ye heathen to be troubled with belly care, whereby also he degenerateth & groweth out of kynde, & is made of a Christiā an Ethnicke, an heathen, an Infidel. Christ requireth this in a godly and faithfull man, that he should auoyde the carefulnes of the belly, and labour for the kyngdom of God, that is to say, the gospell, wherin he shal finde heauenly treasures, as Christ saith in an other place: worcke for ye meate,Iohn. 6. not for that meate which perisheth, but for ye meate, which abideth vntounto euerlasting life. We ought not only directly and plainly to caste awaye from vsus all belly care, but we are commanded of God in his holy worde.
So to do.Exod. 20. For what other thing meaneth this commandement: Thou shalt hauehave no strāge gods in my sight: but yt we shold trust to ye goodnes of god, alon, & aske and loke for at his hande all good things both for body & soule? He that is infected wt belly care, depēdeth not on god alone, neither can he beleue, that he shal receaue all good thinges of him, yea he putteth all hys hope and confidence in worldly richesse for the prouision of his life. This incredulitie and vnfaithfulnes doth merueillously fight with the law of god: & whosoeuer is infected therwith, he worshippeth that foule dombe Idoll Mammon in stead of the most noble God and liuyng Lord, which thing Christ himselfe also reproueth, saying: ye can not serue two maisters eyther he shall hate the one, and louelove the other: or he shal cleaue to the one,Math. 6. and neglect the other. (I meane) ye can not serue god and Mammon. Here is it euidēt, that belly care and the true worshippinge of God can not agree together. Therfore that we may not fall awaye from true godlines, it is necessarie, that we cast awaye that filthie care for the belly.
Furthermore the holy scriptures with many promises do commend and set forth vntounto vsus the fatherly goodnes of God.Sentences concerninge gods prouidence. For thus saith that Princelike Prophete Dauid in his psalmes: They that feare ye Lord shall hauehave no scarsenes.Psal. 3.3. They, whiche seke the Lorde, shall want no good thing. Beholde, the eyes of ye lorde are vponupon them that feare hym,Psal. 34. and vponupon them yt trust in his mercy, that he may deliuer their lyues frō death, and nourrishe them in time of honger. Laye thy care on the lorde,Psal. 55. Psal. 105. Psal. 4.5. and he shall nourrishe thee. All creatures depend vponupon thee, O Lorde, and thou geuest them meate in due time. For thou geuing it them, they take it: and thou opening thy hand, they are well satisfied. The eyes of all thinges loke vponupon thee) O Lord) and thou geuest them meate in due season. Thou openest thy hand, and fyllest eueryevery liuing thing with thy blessing.Psal. 146. The Lord geueth meate to the hongrie. Kynge Salomon also Dauids sonne saith: The Lorde wyll not let the soule of the righteous suffer honger,Pro. 10. but he putteth the vngodly frō his desire. The blessing of the lord maketh men rich, & there shall no griefe accōpanie thē. Iesus the sonne of Syrach sayth: Trust in God,Eccle. 1…. and abyde in thy place. For it is an easey thinge in the sight of god, quickly to enriche a poore man. Old Tobias said to his son: Feare not my son, we lede a poore life:Tobi. 4. Notwithstanding we shal hauehave plentie of al good thinges, if we feare the Lorde, departe from syn and do well. The blessed Apostle S. Paule saith: The lord is at hand. Be not carefull for any thing.Phil. 4. … timoth. 6. 1. Pet. …. God geueth vsus abundantly in all thinges to enioye them. Likewise saith S. Peter: Cast all your care vponupon God. For he careth for you. I omitte to reherse mo places of the holy scripture. These may seme for this present abundantly to suffise.
Seing then we hauehave so many noble and liberal promises of god, it is mete, that we geue credit vntounto thē. For whatsoeuer God hath promised, that will he vndoubtly performe to them that beleue. It were then very vnsittinge & vnsemely for Christians to doubt of his truth & of the performaunce of his promise,…ohn. 14. seinge he is not only true, but also the selfe trueth, & suche one as neither will nor can deceaue, and to accuse God of vanitie: wheras we ought to be thorowly persuaded, & most certeinly assured of his promises, seing he hath not onelyonly promised, but the heauenly father also hath confirmed and ratified those his promises at diuers times with many & diuers miracles, wherin contrary to all reason he vouched saffe to fede many people, when they were oppressed wyth greate penurie and hunger. Who knoweth not,Examples. …xod. 6. that God in times past maruelously did fede the people of Israell many yeres in the wyldernes with meate from heauen, and gaue them drincke out of the hard rocke, so that they wāted nothing, that was necessary for them? Dyd not God send meat by the Rauens to Helias ye Prophete? How liberally God dealt with the wydow of Sarepta Helias hostesse,3. Reg. 17. who knoweth not? did not the Angell of god take Abacuck the Prophet by the top, & bare him by ye heare of the head, & thorough a mightie wynd set him in Babylon vponupon the denne,Dani. 14. where Daniell was prisoner for ye Lords cause, & gaue him ye meate, which the Prophet had prepared for his reapers? Our Sauiour Christ being at a certein mariage,Iohn. 2· whē they lacked wine, supplied their necessitie by turning water into wine.Iohn. 6. And in ye gospel of this presēt sonday we heard, that Christ with fyue barly loues & two fyshes fedde fyue thousand people: And yet therof remained xij. baskettes ful of ye fragmēts. At an other time in like maner,Math. 15. Marc. 8. with seuen loues & fewe litle fishes he fedde foure thousand menne besides women and children, and yet there remained seuen baskettes ful of ye broken meat. There are many other miracles, which ought to moue vsus not to distruse the goodnes of our heauenly father. but to flee vntounto that, as vntounto an holy ancker, in all our necessities. Seing then that God hath corfirmed his promises with so many noble and notable miracles: how can we otherwise, then resigne and geue ouer our selues, our thought for liuing, and our whole care for the bodie, to the prouidence of God, and loke for al necessarie thinges at his mercifull goodnes. This requireth our profession, our faith, our doctrine, our vocation & calling. Otherwise we shew our selues no Christians, but Ethnickes, not faythful, but vnfaithfull, not such as beleue the promises of God, but suche rather as count God a lyar: whiche thinge ought to be farre from a Christen heart.
If we worship god with a true faith, depēd wholly vponupon his fatherly prouidence, cast the care of our body vponupon him, and loke for all necessary thinges at his liberal hande: we shall do that,Iere. 5. which most highly please god, whose eyes loke only vponupon faith, as the Prophet saith: Yea by this meanes we shall obtaine al things nedefull and expedient for this present lyfe. For God geueth to the faithfull his blessing,Psal. 37. and graunteth to them all thinges, whatsoeuer they hauehave nede of, as the Psalmographe testifieth saying: I hauehave bene yonge, and am nowe old: and yet did I neuer see righteous mā forsaken, nor his sede begging their bread.Psal. 107. Again he sayth in an other place: He satisfied ye emptie soule, and fylled the hongry soule wt goodnes. These present places & such like declare, yt god wil not forsake ye faithful, but yt he wil helpe & blesse them in all their necessities, as god himselfe saith: I wil not faile thee,Iosue. 1. neyther forsake thee. How mercifully dealt he in times paste with that poore widow, which was Eliseus hostesse, in multiplying & encreasing her oyle. Herof cōmeth it, that Iesus Syrach conforteth & exhorteth vsus moste goodly, saying: Abide thou in ye word of god,Heb. 13. 4. Reg. 4. Eccle. 11. & exercise thy selfe in it, & remaine in thy vocatiō. Let it nothing moue thee, yt the wicked are rich & welthy, put thou thy trust in God, & abide in thy callyng. For it is an easye thing to god, sodenly to make a poore man riche. God blesseth ye goods of ye righteous. This place fortresseth vsus against ye couetousnes of ye wicked & exhorteth vsus to truste in god, and to do our dutie in our vocatiō, & in so doing it promiseth that GOD will prosper and encrease, the goodes of the righteous, that is to saye, of them that do beleue. Labour or paines takinge is not here excluded, but faith is required, whiche faith doth her office in eueryevery vocation,Labour is not forbidden, but gredy carefulnes. and yet committeth all care to God.
Therfore he that desireth to lyue in this worlde cō modiously, and to want no good thinge, let him cōmit himselfe wholy to god▪ and truly beleue in him, and at his hand loke for all necessarie thinges: so shal he hauehave good successe in all his doinges, and hauehave abundance of all thinges necessary for this present lyfe. Of this thinge the present miracle contayned in the gospell of this daye is a most euident testimonie, and sure witnesse, wherin is expressed Christes hospitalitie toward the people whiche for the feruent affection and dere louelove that they bare both toward ye hearing of Christs doctrine, and the beholding of his miracles, folowed him euen into the wyldernes, hauinge no regard neyther to their thinges at home, nor to their thinges abrod: yea the care of fedinge their belly they vtterlye neglected, and thought them selues most happye, in yt they might heare and see Christ. Here appeareth it manifestly, that they shall lacke nothynge, whiche follow Christ with a faithfull mynde.
Moreouer if we cōmit the care of our belly to god, then shall we be free from many and diuerse troublesome cares, wherewith the vnfaithfull and couetous persons are wrapped, vexed, and entangled: We shall also be preserued and kepte from many greuous and noysome sinnes. For we see, that the wycked moyle & turmoyle them selues, swyncke and sweate beyond all measure, carcke and care without ende, to get ye goods of the worlde: neither can they hauehave any quietnes in theyr breaste, but are lyke to men that are diseased of the dropsye, whyche the more they drynke, the more they thyrste. For suche insatiable couetousnesse occupyethe theyr heartes, that the more they hauehave, the more they couete, accordynge to this sayenge of the Poete: Crescit amor nummi, quantum ipsa pecunia crescit, That is to say: The more money a man hath, the more dothe he desyre.1. timoth. 6. Blessed S. Paule paynteth out this matter very lyuely and truely. They, saythe he, that wyl be ryche, fall into temptation and snares and into many foolyshe and noysome lustes, whyche drowne men into perdition and destruction. For couetousnes of money is the roote of all euyll: whyche whyle some lusted after, they erred from the faythe, and tangled theym selues with manye sorowes. But thow manne of God, flee such thynges. Folow Ryghtuousnesse, Godlynesse, Faith, LoueLove, Pacience, Meekenesse. &c. These woordes of the Apostle proue sufficiently, that the wycked and vngodlye are troubled wyth meruailous great cares and lustes, yea and holden captiue at the deuyls pleasure: in danger of perdition and vtter destruction: free from all goodnes and godlynes. These ragyng lustes and carkinge cares do so greatly vexe the vnfaythfull, that to satisfie theyr couetous desires, they attempt all kynde of mischiefe: to gette money, they spare no man, neyther are they afrayde of God,Couet…snes. nor stande in awe of Gods vengeance. For couetousnes blyndeth mens eies, and prouoketh them vntounto all vngodlynes and crueltie, so that it is not without a cause called of the Apostle,1. timoth. 6. the roote of all euyls. But Faith delyuereth vsus frome all these thynges.Faythe. For faith taketh away from vsus all bely care and pensiuenes for the sustentation of this present lyfe: it worketh accordyng to her vocation and callyng: it taketh in good part, whatsoeuer God sendeth, be it muche, bee it lyttell: it vseth no vnlaufull meanes to get the goodes of this world: it dependeth onelyonly vponupon the blessyng of the heauenly Father, and with that is abundantly content. Godlines is great riches (saith ye apostle) if a man be cōtēt with yt he hath. For we brought nothyng into the world: neyther may we cary any thing out. But when we hauehave foode and rayment, we must therwith be content.
Suche as are vngodly and wycked people take vnrestfull paynes for a lyttell and transitorie pealfe of thys worlde. To gayne and to gette, they spare no laboure, no trauayle, bothe by sea and by lande, yea and that many tymes not without great daunger of theyr lyfe. Uerily no lucre, no gayne, no aduauntage ought so to be estemed, that for that any man shold rashely caste hym selfe into a daunger, or hasarde hys lyfe. Notwithstandyng at this day all men in a maner wythout exception, are so geuen to couetousnes and fylthye desyre of worldly goodes, that for their sake they neyther spare good name and fame, nor life, nor substaunce: yea the saluation of theyr soules wyll they not feare to hasarde for to gette money, so that it is truely sayde of the Prophete: Frome the leaste vntounto the moste,…ere. 6. they hange all vppon couetousnesse, and frome the Prophete to the Prieste, they go all aboute wyth falsehode and lyes. Agayne hee saythe: Frome the lowest to the hyghest, they folowe all fylthye lucre, and from the Prophete vntounto the prieste, they deale all with lyes.…. 8.
But the faithefull wyth muche lesse busynesse and trauayle doo gette all good thynges at the hande of the Lorde, seyng that they fyrst of all seeke the kyngdome of GOD, and the ryghteousnesse thereof, and truste only to the goodnesse of God, and afterwarde eschewyng ydelnesse, they laboure in theyr office, eueryevery man accordyng to his vocation & callynge. By this meanes it commeth to passe, that God blesseth theyr trauayle, and encreaseth theyr goodes dayely more and more, as the wyse manne saythe:Pro. 10. The blessyng of the Lorde makethe menne ryche: as for carefulle trauayle it doth nothyng therto. Thys is therfore the true and spedy way to waxe ryche, euen first of all to seeke the kyngdome of GOD,The true wa… to waxe riche and the righteousnesse thereof, to beleue the worde of GOD, to looke for all good thynges at the hande of God, to be content with that which is sufficient and diligently to labour in our office, eueryevery man accordyng to his vocation and callyng: and so may we be sure to hauehave good successe in all our trauayles, so that we shall want no good thing They therfore are vtterly deceaued, which otherwise go aboute to gette the go…des of the worlde,Pro. 28. and will sodeinly waxe riche by right or by wrong. Heare what Salomon sayth: A man that dealeth faithfully, shall be fylled with blessynges: and he that maketh to much haste for to be riche, shall not be vngyltie. He that wil be ryche, all to sone, hath an euyll eye, and consydereth not, that pouertie shall come vponupon hym.
Here we see, by this testimonie of Salomon, that the blessyng of GOD is graunted to the faythefulle manne: but contrarywyse, to hym that is vnfaythfull and couetous, pouertie and the curse of GOD is threatened, accordynge to our common prouerbe: Haste maketh waste. Agayn: Soone rype, soone rotten: Lette vsus not therfore thorough infidelitie make to muche haste vniustly to be ryche, but lette vsus paciently and with a faithfull mynde looke for all necessary good thynges at the hande of God: and so vndoutedly shall all thynges succede and come to passe accordyng to our desyre.
But yf we truste not God, nor cast all our care vponupon hym, but walke in infidelitie and vnrightousnes: then shall we not onelyonly labour in vayne, but also thorowe our incredulitie, wee shall prouoke the whotte wrathe, fierse anger, and the vnquenchable displeasure of almyghty God against vsus. For God is most highly offended, when we beleue not his promises, but doubt of his fatherly care and bounteous liberalitie toward vsus, whiche he hath confirmed, declared & shewed with so many signes tokens and miracles. Therfore Christ in a certayne place of the Gospell dyd vpbrayd his diciples by theyr incredulitie and vnbelefe, sayeng: Why take ye thought,Marc. 8. because ye hauehave no bread? Perceaue ye not yet, neyther doo ye vnderstande? HaueHave ye your heartes yet blynded? HaueHave ye eyes, and see not? And hauehave ye eares and heare not? Doo ye not remembre, when I brake fyue loaues among fyue thousand men howe many baskets full of broken meate toke ye vp? They sayde vntounto hym, twelue. When I brake seuen loaues among foure thousande: Howe many baskets of the leauynges of the broken meat toke ye vp? They sayd seuen. And he sayd vntounto them: How happeneth it then, that ye do not vnderstande? Here may we see howe greatly the slownesse and vnbeliefe of the disciples greued Christ, and how sharply he reproued them that by this meanes he myght heale and redresse their infirmitie. If we also wyll not caste away our vnbeliefe, surely we shal worthyly deserue the wrath of god and moste greuous punyshement. Therefore blessed Paule dothe dehorte and dissuade vsus from incredulitie or vnbelefe, saying: Let vsus not tempt Christe, as some of them tempted hym,1. Cor. 10. and were slain of the serpentes: neyther murmure ye, as some of them murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. The apostle in this place very wittily fraieth vsus away from incredulitie by the example of other, that is to saie, the old Israelites. It is a faire thing to beware by an other mans madnes. Hitherto pertaineth an other exaumple, wherin we reade, that a certayn noble man was troden downe of the people euen vntounto deathe, because he woulde not beleue the promise of Helizeus the prophete,4. Reg... whiche he prophecied concerning the deliuerāce frome famyn to be at hande. This present fact threatneth also to the vnfaithfull the vengeaunce of GOD whiche shall fall vppon them that beleue not the promyse of God. Therfore that we may not so wretchedly peryshe with them: let vsus caste the care of our lyfe on God, beleue his promyse, and loke for all good thinges at his mercyfull hand.
Ye hauehave heard (derely beloued) howe Christe euen of his owne free wyl was moued with fatherly pitie and tender compassion towarde the people, whyche folowed hym, to heare his doctrine, and to se his miracles, and howe miraculously and meruailously hee fedde so great a multitude in the wyldernes, that hereby we shoulde hauehave a sure argumente and an infallible token of his fatherly care towarde vsus, and so commytte our lyfe vntounto hym. Ueryly this so ready care and goodnes of Christ toward the people, oughte of ryght to moue vsus, that we shold geue ouer our selues wholly vntounto hym. This requireth of vsus also the fyrst commaundement. And that we should thus doo, we are prouoked with many and noble promyses of GOD, which he hath also confirmed with so many noble and notable miracles. To ende, yf we worshyppe GOD with a true faith, and caste all the care of our lyfe vppon hym: thenne vndoubtedly wyll God geue vsus all thynges that we hauehave neede of for the sustentation of this present lyfe, and delyuer vsus from a greate multitude of cares, wherwith the heartes of the vnfaithfull are continually mooste myserably vexed and tormented. For there is no surer nor more easy waye to get richesse, then to truste in God, and with a faithful and constant mynde to looke for his blessynge, and to hope for to receyue of hym all thynges, wherof soeuer we hauehave nede. If we will not thus doo, then thorow our incredulitie shall we deserue the wrathe of GOD and hauehave our porcion with the Idolaters and hypocrites in that lake, that burneth with fyre and brymstone. Whyche thynge GOD for hys sonne Christes sake turne awaye from vsus,Apo 20. and make vsus partakers of his glorious kyngdom, thorow the same CHRIST our Lorde: To whom with God the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and glorye bothe nowe and euer. Amen.
¶Thus endeth the Postill vponupon al the Gospels that be redde in the Churche thorow out the yeare on the Sondayes.
To God the Father, to God the Sonne, and to God the holy Ghoste, whyche is one euerlastyng God, be prayse, glorie, and honour, for this wholsome doctrine, and for all his other benefites, bothe now and worldes without end. AMEN.
End of the text · Thomas Becon, Sermons Upon all the Sunday Gospels (1566)