Sermons Upon all the Sunday Gospels, Sermon 17
The iiii. Sonday after Twelfth day. Upon the Gospell. Math. viii.
AND when he entred into a shyppe, his disciples folowed hym. And behold, there arose a greate tempest in the sea, in somuch as the shyppe was couered with waues, but he was a slepe. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying: Master, saue vsus, we perishe. And he sayd vntounto them: Why are ye fearefull, O ye of litle sayth? Then he arose, and rebuked the wyndes and the sea, and there folowed a great calme. But the men meruailed, saying: What maner of man is this, that both windes and sea obey hym? And when he was come to the other side into the countrey of the Gergesites, there mette hym two, possessed of deuylles, whiche came out of the graues, and were out of measure fierce, so that no man myghte go by that way. And beholde, they cried oute, sayinge: O Iesu, thou sonne of God, what hauehave we to doo with thee? Arte thou come hither to tourment vsus before the tyme? And there was a good way of from them a hearde of many swyne feedyng. So the deuyls besought hym, saying: If thou cast vsus out, suffer vsus to go into the hearde of swyne. And he saide vntounto them: Go youre wayes. Then went they out, and departed into the hearde of swyne. And beholde, the whole hearde of swine was cried hedlong into the sea, and perished in the waters. Then they that kept them fledde, and went theyr wayes into the Citie, and tolde eueryevery thyng, and what had happe ned vntounto the possessed of deuyls. &c,
THE EXPOSITION.
THE hystorie,A doctrine of faith. that is sette foorth vntounto vsus in this Gospelle, is not suche as teacheth vsus, what is oure duetie in doyng good workes. For it toucheth nothynge the tenne commaundementes, it teacheth vsus not what we ought to doo, but that we ought to hauehave the ayde of Fayth in all peryls, and in the most desperate temptations. Wherefore the doctrine of it, is of the hyghest sorte, and belongeth to Faith, as touchyng the whiche all men thynke this, that they hauehave it, and it hath place moste especially in aduersitie.
Wherfore, that it may be the better perceiued, what the matter is, we will deuide it after this sorte: Fyrste, we wyl entreate as touching the crosse and affliction. And then as concerning Christ, and the faith in Christ for because that onelyonly he beyng our sure ayde, delyuereth frome euyll. And laste of all we wyll entreate of the fruite and profite, which ensueth after deliuerance out of temptation through faythe. And all these partes shall shewe how weightie an hystorie the Euangelist setteth foorth in so fewe wordes, which ought greatly to be estemed of vsus.
The fyrst is, for that that Iesus with his disciples taketh shyp, & then ther is no tēpest, but al thing calme & quiet, yea & the sea also is pacified, & without all tossing. For ye disciples could not be persuaded to take ship shyppe,Christs companye in the shyppe is no… without condition of a tē pest. and especially to their perill. But as soone as Christ taketh shyp with his Disciples, and loose their cable ropes and tacklings, they sayle with all hast into the mayne sea, there ariseth sodeinly suche a tempeste, that the flouds couer the shyppe, and put them in ieopardie of drownynge. This hystorie ought to be vsed so commonly of vsus, that it myghte bee vsed for a prouerbe: that when we will signifie the troubles of the Churche, we myght speake it in a prouerbe after this sort: When Christ dooth into the shyppe enter, Peace wyll not longe continue there:Prouerbe. But foorthwith foloweth storme and tempest, thou must not loke for bodyly reste.
Trouble with Christ. Luc. 11.And this order of thynges is verye necessarye. As Christ saith: A strong armed man obteyneth his palaice in peace, vntyll a stronger commeth on hym. For then all thynges are filled with enmitie and trouble, there is no where peace, no where quiete. All thinges by malicious enuying and horrible spoylyng, falle into a flame. To the whiche thynge, the whole hystorie of the Gospell beareth recorde. Where as before, all thynges were without trouble: as soone as Christ entreth into his shyp eyther by preachynge, or by doyng miracles, thou mayst see that al thyngs ar turmoiled with fiery myndes and seditious. There flocketh and routeth together the Phariseis, the Scribes, the hyghe Priestes, and as the Poete saith, they set on all vponupon one man: with spite, with dartes, with foote and hād: Neither can their woodnes be satisfied withoute the death of Christ: But that tempest is muche more greuous, that is stirred vp by the deuyll. Thereof dothe Christ prophecie long before in the tenth of Mathew:M…h. 10. Thynke not that I came to send peace into the earth, I came not to sende peace, but the swoorde, for I came to sunder the sonne agaynste his father, and the daughter agaynste the Mother, and the daughter in lawe against her mother in law, and that a man shoulde hauehave to hys ennemies theym of hys owne housholde.
All these thynges tende to this end,A christē man must thynke to byde trouble. that thou sholdest well consyder, whether it be expedient for thee to be a christian. For if thou purpose verily to become a christian, loke more certainly for nothing, than for this tempest and battayle.Eccles. 2. Wherfore Syrach in the second chapter admonisheth and saieth: Sonne, when thou commest to serue the Lorde, be vpright in Iustice and feare, and prepare thy mynd to temptation, subdue thy heart, and be pacient. As though he should say: if thou cōmest not to the seruice of GOD, thou shalt hauehave no nede to be supported, y• deuil wil not trouble thee. But cōtrarily, if thou regardest Gods seruice, & louest christianitie, thou must not refuse to byde tempest & great trouble. Wherfore make thy selfe bold and strong, and tremble not at the tempest, but feare GOD rather, yt thou mayst not therfore fall frome his worde. Thys thyng muste thou purpose with a strong and vnabashed hearte, that nothynge here is taken in hande to wynne the fauour of the worlde, neyther ought to be lette passe for feare of the worldes displeasure. And thys is the very thynge, that the Euangeliste entendeth to teache vsus, in that that hee sayeth: That the tempest then fyrst beganne, when Christ entred into the shyppe, and was caried frome the earth into the mayne sea.
But in the meane season it maye profyte in thys poynte, euen that we maye hauehave whereby to geue a checkemate to the raylers, to the lewde whiche can do nothing but blaspheme the Gospell, whyche speake on this wise,The gospell cōmeth with a tempest. Before that this doctrine came foorth, all thynges were at quiete, and we had great plentie: but now there is so great miserie and combrance, that no man can number the sectes, battailes, seditions, ommotions, famine, Turkes, and encreasement of myschiefe. These may be put to sylence very well by this example, euen that at Christes entryng into the shyppe the tempest rose. But this befell not through the fault of Christ, but of the dyuell, whiche hateth Christ, and can not suffer hym. So dothe he hate the Gospell also, and endeuoureth to make it so odious, by manye tragedies and commotions, that it may at lengthe be forsaken of all men.The vnkynd worlde. But a man can not preuayle soo muche with these blynde persones, as to make them consyder the thyng as it is in dede, they hauehave respecte onelyonly to the troubles, and impute them to the Gospell. But they hauehave no regard to those thynges whiche procede out of the Gospel, as is the knowledge of god, remission of synnes, Iustification, and sanctification. Euen as the ouerthwart,The example of the Iewes vnkynde, and styffenecked people of the Iewes dyd in the wyldernesse, when they were in Egypte, and their taskes doubled, they prayed to GOD very feruently for helpe: they had a greate deuotion and godlynesse: And it was not long after theyr departure and delyuerance, but they forgat all that was done for them in the wyldernesse. They had no remembrance of theyr miserie and anguishe in Egypt. They called to mynd in the meane tyme their pottes of fleshe and their breade,Exod. 16. Num. 21.21. that they had so plentuously in Egypte. Neither were they vnlyke our Papistes in this poynt. They heaped togither very counnyngly the commodities of theyr olde state, and kepe close the heynous discommodities, of the whyche they were delyuered. After that, whenne God gaue them Manna plentuously, foorthwith they were wearie of it, they set muche more by the delicates of Egypt. So froward is our nature through originall synne. Gods great benefite can be nothyng estemed amongst them. All thynges are vnacceptable, and not worthye thankes, whiche God geueth of his great good wyll. And hereby is the long suffrance of God meruailously espied that he can suffer the moste vnkynde worlde so long.The tyme of the Popedom If any man twentie yeares past had put vsus in choyce, whether we would abyde the hardnes of one yeares dearthe, that we myght be delyuered from the wronges and pillages of monkes and priestes: either suffer these common iniuries, and to hauehave therewith plentie of victuall? Who would not than rather hauehave had and wished for that dearth, then the daily spoilynges of those deuourers and cormorants. Thys might than cōfort vsus, that other yeres shuld make that good, which was by one yeres derth cōsumed: but yt wicked neuer leaue spoilyng, but ware dayely more and more greuous. But where as thys choyce is proffred to vsus so promptly, that we may be delyuered from these cormorauntes by the lyght of the Gospell, yet we do forgette all this to soone. And in thys case doo we highly commende that quiete state, neyther doo we consyder the end therof, how that in yt ydlenesse we could not repelle and put from vsus, that craftie conueyinge awaye not onelyonly of oure goodes, but also of bodye and soule, where as all thynges were made noysome with false doctrine and idolatries.
And yet neuerthelesse in the myddest of these pestiferous euyls, wee coulde not be free from other discommodities: Scarsitie, pestilence, battayle, troubled the commonaltie neuerthelesse. Which thynges where as they chaunce at our tyme, are thought to hauehave the Gospell as cause therof. As though that if the Gospell were rydde oute of the waye, all men shoulde lyue a golden lyfe, and shoulde not bee oppressed with suche great calamities as be nowe. But the long sufferance of God appeareth in the sufferynge of these vnkynde and froward persons. But loke howe muche the longer God doothe suffer, the more greuous shall the punyshement be, that at length shall fall. God loueth and estemeth nothynge more then his word, and we hauehave no safegarde agaynst synne and death, any where els but in the Gospell, and yet through great vnkyndnes and wyckednes do we still inuent how to defame it.
The punishemente of the vnkynde, and of them that embrayde the Gospell.Wherfore these sclaunderers at the laste when the tyme sha come, shalbe punyshed, they shall be stryken of God with madnes and blyndnesse, that they may lyue voyde of the great light of God, and then may be hardened and cast away with the Iewes, so that they can speake nothyng but blasphemously against God, vntyll at laste they yealde them selfe wholly into the kyngdom of the deuill. And so shall they hauehave at ye last a worthy reward of their foly and madnes, neyther is there any other ways for them. Withoute these troubles and miseries, there can bee no man lyuynge, although the Gospell be away. There are always mutuall wronges, hatreds, battailes. &c. The imperie of Rome, which neuertheles was most mightiest in power coulde not be without calamities & diuers cōmotions, yea before they hadde the Gospell. Wherfore it ought not to be imputed to the Gospell, in yt they wer plagued after the receiuyng of the Gospel.Whereof the euyls in the world come. All the faut therof lyeth in the deuyll, and in our vnkyndnes. The dyuell can not abyde the Gospelle, he woulde hauehave it wholly destroyed, and for that cause he stirreth vp so great tempestes at the commyng therof: and by howe muche the clerer the lyght of the Gospell goeth abrode so muche the more cruell and greuous is the deuyll agaynst it.Note well. But God is moste offended with oure vnkyndnes, for that that we regarde not suche a greate treasure, and wyll not suffer oure selues to bee helped in a matter that bryngeth death. He punisheth the vnkynde as it is mete with all calamities and plagues, that men may perceaue, that there is no helpe in idols against these euyls.
And this is the first part of the thre matters, whereof wee purposed to entreate: If thou lykest the state of Christianitie, refuse not to abide tempests. But if thou doo not, thou shalte not be violently handled therfore: but thou shalt perceaue what thou haste doone, when thou muste suffer the agonie of deathe.
The seconde part is as concernyng Faith,Howe faythe fayleth not in trouble, which in temptations & agonies fleeth to Christ, and awaketh hym. This also is worthy to be printed in mynde. For our aduersaries the Papistes doo all that they can to deface faith. But they greatly extoll fre will. But they should wyshe for this, that they might be receyued into this shyppe, that they myght at the lest proue what power and strengthe free will hath in temptation and daunger. The apostles fele how the matter goeth. For although their faith was very smalle, yet if this smalle faith had not ben, they would hauehave despaired through their free wyll, and sunke downe with desperation, but when there is but a lyttell fayth, as Christ witnesseth, sayinge: O you of lytle faithe, they are helped so that they doo not vtterly perishe. They flee to Christ, they wake hym, they call to hym for helpe. If a small and lytle fayth can doo so muche, what can a greate and stronge fayth doo? As of late the examples of the leapre and Centurion declared.Frewyll in trouble is nothyng. Wherfore freewylle, when his vertue and strengthe was moste requisite, was nothyng at all. It vanysheth away, and can not stande styffe. Then man feleth no other wayes to escape peryll but by wepyng and cryinge, and wysheth hymselfe afarre of, That is to saye, freewyll can geue no comforte in peryll, but casteth vsus into desperation, by a lytle more and more, so that at the last they tremble at the sounde of a leafe blowen by the wynde. But Faith, although it be litle and weake, yet standeth and striueth against desperation. As it is perceyued in this place by the Disciples. For the waues fell so vehemently: that they couered the shyppe, who would not be afrayde in suche a doubtfull danger and peryll?
But Faithe, although it be but lytle, yet it standeth sure as a rocke of the sea, and as lytle Dauyd holdeth vp hym selfe agaynst great Goliad comyng towarde hym, that is, agaynst deathe, synne, and all daunger, It despaireth not, but seketh helpe there as it should. that is of CHRIST. It styrreth hym out of slepe, it cryeth: Lorde saue vsus, wee peryshe. So is Faithe wonte to doo. Althoughe destruction and myschiefe hangeth ouer vsus, yet it looketh and prayeth for helpe. As sayth the Psalme: I beleued, and therfore I hauehave spoken and prayde. For no man can praye, excepte he beleue. And free wyll can not doo it. For it onelyonly beholdeth the peryll and daunger:Psal. 11…. but it consyderethe not the persone, of whome he must aske helpe in suche a tyme. Neyther can a man be defended against synne and deathe by any thyng that belongeth to free wyll. But faythe be it neuer so lytle, yet dothe it apprehend Christe and obteyneth helthe.Faith praualleth in perill. And if this faythe were strong and sure, as was the fayth of Ionas the Prophete, whiche endured in the whales bealy thre days, they myght hauehave sayde to the sea and whaues: We no thynge feare you,Ionas. 2. neyther all your ragyng and vnrulynesse, we shall hauehave a quiete hauen agaynste youre wronges, in the myddest of youre surges, for to escape all perylle.
This is therfore true Faith, which hath not respect onelyonly to thynges presente, as hath freewyll, and therfore it feareth and dispaireth, but it considereth the promyse, whyche is not yet presently perfourmed, and in the myddest of mischiefe hopeth for saluation. Wherfore although he be in the middest of the wide chaws of deathe, yet he casteth not of hope of saluation,Power is not taken of f…ewyll. but trusteth constantely that he shall come to lande. As it appeareth in this place in the small faithe of the disciples. Wherfore faith is a thing of no common & small efficacitie,Rom. 10. neither is it without strength, but it is the power of God, which cōmeth not by fre will, but by ye word, through working of the holy ghost. Our aduersaries ye papists know not this: for if they knew it, they wold not set thēselues so stoutly against this sentēce: wherin we say, that only faith iustifieth & saueth:OnelyOnly faythe iustifieth and saueth. that is, only faith bringeth comfort, when synne, death, hell and damnation falleth on vsus, & sheweth all their poison against vsus. wherfore they ar only fierce and stout, when the sea is calme & the wether fayre. But when a dark cloude stādeth ouer ye hed, that maketh it to seme night and winter, & when the water waxeth darke: There dothe their heartes fall into their heles, and desperation ensueth forthwith. For they hauehave no faythe, but freewyll, whiche is voyde and without helpe, because it forgetteth the worde of God, and fyndeth no where any place of refuge.
And this a very dangerous thyng, that Christ sleapeth when they are in peryll of death and lyfe.Christe sleapeth in the shyppe. Which thyng perchance came hereby, for that he was wearye of teachyng in the day, and praying, and fightynge against temptations in the nyght. For this doo I surely thinke, that he was muche vexed in the night season of the diuell, whiche tempted hym. As he complaineth in the .88. Psalme. I am poore and in greate trauaile from my youth. I hauehave dronk of thy wrath, and was troubled.Psal. 8…. And this was the cause, that he was counted of the people a melancholike person, which shewed mery countenance but seldom, but went musyng and hangyng downe his heade, shewyng outwardlye no pryde, or stoute stomacke. And although this slepe had a trewe cause, yet it behoued that it shoulde serue for the encreasyng of the Apostles faith, as all his works hath chiefe regarde therunto.
Christ also slepeth in the cō gregation.And this is it, that Christe euen this tyme also, sheweth such a countenance of himself vntounto his churche, as thoughe hee nothynge regarded it, and as thoughe he hadde forgotten vsus, as he dothe here in the shyppe. He sleapeth, and regardeth not the tempest, the disciples, the shyppe. But yet he is in the shyppe, be he neuer so muche a slepe. And these be the temptaions that vexe the Churche, where as CHRIST sufferethe the fluddes to ryse agaynste the shyppe, that is, hee suffereth the deuyll and the worlde, to bee so troublesome vntounto his Christians, so that hereof riseth feare, that all thynges shall come to naught. And we also at this tyme see the very same things come to passe. The Pope with his rable hateth the worde, he stirreth the high powers continually against vsus. The Turkes ar set forward by the diuell. We are in the shyppe. There be tempestes and the wyndes, among the which, we can not looke for safegard. And it is possible, that the Lorde may wynke at these thynges, and shewe no token of helpe for vsus., And yet this sleape of hys is in the shyppe.
But here we must take a good heart,Christe is to be waked. and think that we must not vtterly dispair, because the Lord is with vsus in the shyppe. And although he faineth, that he regardeth vsus not, yet this ought we to declare, yt we do not let him go out of our syght, but that we thynk constantly of hym, yt he may make the sea calme, although it be now neuer so muche opprest with waues & tempestes. So must we doo also in oure priuate temptations: when the deuyl layeth thy synnes to thy charge and feareth thee with the wrath of God, yea, & threatneth euerlasting damnation also. And herin must thou not thynke, but that Christ is at hand, and yet a slepe, and that thou must not sette it lyght, and be negligent to go vntounto hym, and wake hym by prayer when he is founde, as the Disciples do in this place. They thinke it better to saue them selues, then to suffer Christe to slepe. They thynke thys▪ Now hauehave we nede to hauehave Christ waked, or els we are vndoone. Wherfore they cease not from callyng, vntill they had hym wakynge.
Folowe thou this example also. For bothe must nedes be done. If thou enter with Christ into the shyp,Christ foloweth the true christians alwaye. the tempest wyll not bee lackynge. Christ layeth him down to slepe, that we myght fele temptation in dede For yf he shoulde not slepe, and afterward represse the tempest, we should neuer well perceaue what is true christianitie: yea and we myght soone be brought in belefe, that we were saued by oure owne power. But here is faith strengthned through temptatiō, that this confession myght be made a thyng necessarie. No power of man coulde here hauehave preuayled, this deliuerance came onelyonly by GOD, and his worde.
Besyde this doctrine, Christ is described and sette forth vntounto vsus as a very man,Christ is very god & man and accordyng to mans nature, whiche consisteth of body and soule, and therfore had nede of the naturall actions, of eatyng, drinkyng, sleapyng, and such other thyngs, that are without synne, euen as we hauehave. That we myght bee defenced agaynst the dotage of the Manichees, whiche iudged Christ to hauehave but a counterfait body, and not a very body. And as he declareth him selfe to be verye man by this, that he slepeth as an other naturall man dothe: so dothe he declare his godhead and almyghtinesse in this that he maketh the sea calme agayne by the worde. For thys is no worke or dede belongynge to mans power. Herein is gods power requisite, that the violence of suche a great creature of God may bee restrained by his word: That for that cause we might the more esteme this miracle, forasmuche as here it is open, howe God and man is one person in Christ. For the which cause he both can and wyll helpe in all combrance and affliction all suche as call vponupon hym.How this godhead & māhod ioyneth together in one person. And if this can not be doone without the felynge of feare and peryll, as well he declared before, we must be content therewith. For not so muche as the wicked can bee withoute affliction. And therefore they are neuer free frome an euyll conscience, and fynally they goe to damnation with all that they hauehave.
The thirde part is as touchynge the fruite,The fruicte that foloweth a tempest. whiche ryseth of suche a Faythe, that is, that other consyderynge thys myracle, fall to repentaunce, and say with greate admiration? What man is this, that the wyndes and the seas are obediente vntounto hym? It is lyke, that these hytherto tooke hym but for a carpenter, neyther thoughte they, that ayde agaynste the perylle of deathe oughte to bee asked and desyred of hym. Nowe they atteyne to so farre knowledge of hym, that he hathe greate and sure myghte to helpe, where as in man there is no helpe. And this is the continuall nature of these thynges: by howe much the temptation is the more greuous, so much the fruict is greater in the ende. Nowe is the rage of the worlde very great against vsus, so that almost we can hope for none other thyng then very destruction, and that the tempest and the sea shall hauehave the victorie to our destruction. But so that we hauehave this grace to sticke sure to the woorde and Faith, we shall see a more ioyful end, then we could thynke in heart. The hate of the Pope & Turk is greater then a man wold beleue, wherwith they persecute the congregation: for the whiche cause we grone & mourn as a woman in her trauaile, whiche hate neuerthelesse shall bring with it some comfortable thing that we neuer hoped for. So ought eueryevery man to thynk surely in his own behalf also, that when he is enuironned and belayd round about with temptations, that in the ende the fruict shall be moste certain, swete, and pleasant.
Wherefore. howe greate the doctrine of this Gospell is, and howe muche necessarye ayde it hathe, for to further true godlynes, that may be knowē by these thynges, whiche are setforth and intreated of, as touchyng the whole course of vertue and godlynes. And if we be sure to be in the congregation amōg the godly: let vsus take shyppe with Christ, and there let vsus not refuse to abyde the tempeste, and this moste greuous and troublous estate in the sea of this worlde. And when this greuous trouble commeth foorthe, lette vsus kepe our selues diligently within our hold and defence of faith, and of the word of God, and lette vsus thynke truely, that the tempest and temptation shall not only hauehave an ende, but that the conclusion shall folow with suche a prosperous successe of all thynges, and with suche abundance of ioye, that it shall soon recompence all myserie, whiche we felt in suffering, with the ioy of the victorie, and with the approued power of faithe & of the word: so that we can not be sory for the labours and afflictions that we hauehave bestowed and suffered, but rather we would condemne our owne nicenesse, except we had suffered it. Who then will tutne frome the crosse, wher as deliuerance and great glorie are set foorth to all them that are in peryl for the gospels sake But great grefe springeth hereof to the fleshe, and to the old man. It wyll not be gladly combred with this crosse. Wherfore we muste neuer let this example goe out of our eies. We must diligently consider the word that we may be defenced in temptation. Let vsus hauehave recourse vntounto Christ, which sleapeth among vsus, & sheweth as though he had no regarde of vsus. But let vsus with ardent and earnest praier aske help of him, & we shal surely fynd it most present. The which thyng as it is setforth vntounto vsus, wt sure knowlege as touchīg gods will, so god graūt it now come to passe in dede prosperously, vntounto ye glory of god, & ye saluaciō of our soules. Amen.