Sermons Upon all the Sunday Gospels, Sermon 52
The ninthe Sonday after Trinitie. ¶The Gospell. Luke. xvi.
IEsus sayde to his Disciples. There was a certayne ryche man, whiche had a Stewarde, and the same was accusede vntounto hym, that he had wasted his goodes. And he called hym, and saide vntounto him: Howe is it that I heare this of thee? Geue accoumptes of thy stewardshyppe, for thou mayst be no longer Steward. The Steward sayde within him selfe: What shall I do? For my maister taketh awaye from me the Stewardshyp. I can not dygge, and to begge I am ashamed. I wote what to do, that when I am put out of the Stewardshippe, they maye receyue me into there houses. So when he had called all his maisters detters together, he sayde vntounto the firste: how muche owest thou vntounto my maister? And he sayd, an hundred tonnes of oyle. And he sayde vntounto hym, take thy byll, and sitte downe quickelye, and writte fiftie. Then saide he to another: how muche owest thou? And he said an hundreth quarters of wheat. He sayd vntounto him, take thy byll, and write fourescore. And the Lorde commended the vniust Stewarde, because he had done wysely. For the chyldren of this worlde, are in theyr nation wyser then the chyldren of lyght. And I say vntounto you: Make you frindes of the vnryghteous mammon, that when ye shall hauehave nede, they maye receyue you into euerlastinge habitations.
THE EXPOSITION.
THis gospel is a sermon of good workes, & maketh specially against couetousnes, yt mē shold not abuse their riches and goods, but help the nedy & poore with them, as Christ at the ende with expresse and plaine wordes saieth: Make ye frendes of wicked Mammon, that is to saye, healpe the poore, and suche as be in necessytie wyth youre rychesse. For thys woorde Mammon signifieth richesse in englishe.Mammon what it signifieth. This doctrin dothe Christ set foorth by parable, as his maner was, that the people might ye better beare it away: & he warneth vsus to folow the example of the vnrighteous steward. This stewarde perceaued aforehande, that if he must nedes geue vp his stewardshyp, he should hauehave nede of other mens helpe. Therfore in tyme of wealth he prouideth for hym self. To one he forgeueth the half of his debtes, & to an other the fourth part, that when he shall hauehave nede, he may fynde kyndnes and liberalitie again at their hande.
Christes meaning is not, that we shold study to be vnrighteous, & deceiue one an other, & so geue almes: but he meaneth that we should folow his forsight or prouidence, his circumspection, prudence, and wisedome, and so bestowe our riches, that the fruict thereof may redounde to vsus in an other lyfe, and that wee make vsus frendes of our wycked Mammon, as the steward made hym frendes of wicked Mammon.
And here is it fyrst of all to be learned, why Christ calleth it the Mammon of vnryghteousnes.Why it is called vnryghteous Mammō For goodes wrongefully gotten muste be restored and paide home agayne, neyther oughte they to bee conuerted and turned into the vse of almose,Esa. 61. as the prophet Esai saith: I am the Lorde that loueth iudgement, and hateth robbery to do sacrifice therwith. Which is asmuch to say: If any man will do sacrifice, or geue almes, or do any worshyp to God with money: let hym do it of his owne, or els leaue it vndone. For we ought to do no suche thyngs of other mens goodes, but to restore them home agayne to the trewe owners.
How doth this then agree with that whych Christ sayth here, yt we shold make vsus frends of ye Māmon of vnrighteousnesse, and healpe the poore? Christe calleth it not vnryghtous or wicked Mammon, because it is vnrighteously or wyckedly gotten.Goods wrōgfully gotten are to be restored. (For as I sayde before, thynges vnryghteously gotten must be restored) but because no man vseth Mammon well, the Godly excepted, whyche lyue in the feare of God, and accordynge to the tenne commaundementes. All other vse theyr goodes vntounto ryottous lyuyng and delicious fare, without any regarde had to the poore, whiche ought to bee succoured by theyr rychesse. For this cause is thys fylthye name geuen to Mammon, that it shoulde bee called vnrighteous or wycked. Howe greatly this abuse of richesse displeaseth God,Ezech. 6. it maye easily bee gathered of the Prophete Ezechiels sayenge: Behold (saieth he) this was the iniquitie of Sodoma thy syster: pryde, plentifulnesse of breade, abundance, idelnesse of her, and her systers, and because they reached not foorthe their hande to the needy and poore: Agayn, because they were hyghe mynded, and wrought abhominations before me, saieth the Lorde. Here are ioyned together, ydlenesse and abundance, because they doo not knowe howe to liue dissolutely enough in all kynd of excesse and wantonnesse, and yet notwithstandyng they hauehave no regarde to the poore, This corrupte order is commonlye practised in the worlde: and therefore it is called the Mammon of iniquitie, hurtefull money, and robbery, yea although that it bee gotte neuer so iustly:Note well. not because it is so of hys owne nature (for what hurte can there bee in moneye, and in other thynges, the whyche be appoynted for the necessarye vse of manne?) but thoroughe the faulte of suche as dooe not welle and rightely vse it.
Therfore the doctrine of this gospel tendeth specially to this point, that couetousnes may be repressed, and the true vse of worldlye goodes receaued, and that frendes maye be made by that whiche god geueth vsus, that when we dye, and hauehave nothyng leafte, but leaue all thinges behinde vsus, we may fynde frendes to receaue vsus into the euerlastyng tabernacles, for whatsoeuer benefite we bestowe here on the poore, the same in the last daye shall not onelyonly beare recorde for vsus, that we hauehave shewed Christen charitie, but it shal be also abundantlye recompensed: Then shall the poore come forth with diuerse witnesses. One shal say that he was holpen with a coate: an other with money: an other with bread: an other with house rome and harborow: yea as it is written in the Gospell, Christ hymselfe shall come foorth and declare before his heauenly Father, the glorious Angels, and all the blessed Sainctes, what good we our selues hauehave done, and howe we hauehave declared our fayth to be true and vnfayned by doyinge those good workes. We shall hauehave helpe of our frendes, and they shall promote vsus to the kyngdome of God, when we fayle here, and leaue all that euer we hauehave behinde vsus. He that wolde beleue this doctrine,Christen men ought not to spende their goods vnprofitable. wolde surely distribute his money and richesse liberally to the poore yt can not get their owne lyuinge: And so shold they make of the Mammon of vnrighteousnes, the Mammon of righteousnes. For he wold auoide the abuse, & folow ye true vse. For this is not agreable with Christen maners for a man to abuse his goods & richesse prodigally, wastefully & riotously in excesse of apparel, in gorgious buildinges, in delicate, fare, in folishe pastimes, in wicked playes and sportes, &c. As the maner of men is now a dayes both in Cities, Townes & villages. For this is their saying: Are not my goods mine owne? May I not spend them as I lust? my prouision is for my selfe. If thou hast nede of oughte, get it where thou may. I hauehave none that I can spare. All that euer I hauehave, is lytle ynough for me and mine.Riches ought to be bestowed vponupon the poore. This is the Mammon of vnrighteousnes, because it serueth in this case to wickednes: & yet might the vse therof be both good and godly, yea and right acceptable to God, if it were bestowed on our poore neighbour. But consider this with thy selfe: if they hauehave ye Māmon of vnrighteousnes, that wil forgo nothing therof to the vse of ye poore and nedie: Howe much more may their goods be called the Māmon of vnrighteousnes, which get al that euer they hauehave with thefte,Coue…osnes rulethe generally. deceipt, crafte subtiltie, extorcion, &c. As almost all craftes men marchants, brokers, vsurers and suche like dayly do both in byinge & sellyng, in chopping and changyng, in bargaines makyng. The riche oppresse the poore, & the hyrelinges thorowe their vnfaithfulnes paye them home againe. These shall not only come without frendes,Behold ye oppressors of the poore. but they shalbe accompanied also with many enemies, whiche shall accuse them before the iudgement seate of God. Suche as in this worlde were vniustly oppressed, and durst not so much as ones hysse againste those ryche & vnmerciful worldlyngs, but crouched vntounto them, saluted them with honorable names, and put of their cappes vntounto thē, shal at the great daye of Iudgement boldly say to the high Iudge Christ? Lord we were in great penurie, & this mā had exceding great plentie of all thinges: howbeit of his so large abundance he socoured vsus nothing at all: & if we bought any thinge of him, we gaue him much more, then it was worth. And by his euill example other dyd the lyke. Some did hyre out their houses at the greater price. Some vttered their victuals the dearer: Some solde their marchandise and wares at such excessiue prices, that we could not by them for our necessarie vses, so that many of vsus fel into extreme necessitie, some most miserably died for lacke of sustenance. These shal be in ye daye the complaintes not onelyonly of men, but also of Christ againste couetous men, and they shall accuse them of their wicked Mammon.Math. 25.But howe shall the matter go then? What sentence shall then be pronounced to those vnmerciful people? Ueryly euen this-Get ye hence ye cursed into euerlasting fyre, which is prepared for the deuill and for his angels. I hauehave ben hongrye, and ye gaue me no meat. I hauehave ben thirstie, and ye gaue me no dryncke,Iac. 2. &c. The Iudgement, sayth sainct Iames, shall be without merciemercy to hym, that hath shewed no merciemercy. For if they shal not escape vnpunished, that will geue nothinge to other, what shall be done to them, thincke ye, that hauehave don hurte and wronge to other, regardyng nothynge but their owne gayne, commoditie and profite, howsoeuer they come be it, and yet persuade themselfes that they do no wronge?
This sermon therfore is against couetousnes, teaching that a Christen man ought not to be so redy to take, as to geue.Act. 20. For he is bounde wyllingly and liberally to helpe ye poore, so muche as is he able. And this seruice is don to God, which also wyll abundantlye rewarde it: Whereas they that serue the deuill, and do nothyng but increase their owne, which also geue eyther nothynge or very litle to any man, shall hauehave their due rewarde of the deuill.
All the Sainctes, specially in that daye, shall testifye againste them and saye: These men did nothynge all their lyfe tyme, but scrape together all that they could, and enlarge their possessions either by hooke or by crooke, by right or by wrong, they cared not howe we had great nede of their helpe, but nothing wolde they geue vsus, no scarsely wold they aforde vsus a good word, much lesse wold they succour vsus with their money.
Suche a Prosopopaeian or personall action doth Christ imagine in this place, where he describeth the matter as it were in doing, howe the poore Sainctes shall be about the Lorde Christ, and put foorth their cause againste the vnrighteous and niggardly riche men. But the riche men that hauehave vsed their goods well, and hauehave frendelye geuen to other, shall be in greate honour, and shall fynde many frendes, and specially Christe, whiche shall declare, set forth, celebrate, praise, and magnifie their benefites and good dedes. All these thinges doth Christ set forth here to this ende,Good works are wytnesses of our faythe. that we shoulde earnestly and studiously embrace godlines, declare our fayth by good workes, and therby hauehave wytnesses of our fayth before God at the last daye, that we were not geuen to the vice of couetousnes, whiche is most shamefull, moste fylthye, and must abhominable, and nothynge els but idle seruice,Ephe. 5. whose nature and propertie is onelyonly to get, to scratte together, hourde vp, nothing regardynge,Couetousnes what becometh of other men, syncke they, swimme they, as Cain sayd to God: Am I the keper of my brother?Gen. 4. Synck my brother, Swymme my brother: What hauehave I to do with my brother? EueryEvery man for himselfe, and god for vsus all, &c.
It is said moreouer of christ in the parable, that the maister of the housholde did prayse the vnrighteous Steward. This is not so to be taken,Howe the master praised the vnrighteous st…eward as thoughe he alowed vnrighteousnes, but he only prayseth the prouidence and wisedome of the Stewarde, & commandeth vsus to folowe it in a good cause, that we should vse lyke care and diligence in that, as this Steward vsed in an euil cause to his owne cōmoditie, although to the damage and losse of his maister. Euen as if I should prayse an harlotte for setting foorth of her selfe euen to the vttermost for her owne, gayne,A similitude. lucre, and aduauntage. In that behalfe there is no fault in the golde, nor in other thynges, because the woman doth abuse them: yet this example tendeth to this ende, that I may admonishe thee, that seinge this woman for a litle aduauntage taketh so greate payne in deckinge and trymminge vp of her selfe to please her louers: thou muche more oughtest to sett a worke all the lymmes of thy bodye for the attaynment of euerlastynge lyfe, and that thou mayst please Christe thy louer. This is not so vnderstanded, as though filthynes and dishonestie semed worthy to be folowed, but this care and diligence is set forth for an example, to induce thee vntounto a better thyng.
But how goeth the worlde? Christ pronounceth an horrible sentence, & saith: The children of this worlde are more prudent, more forecastyng, more circumspect, more wise in their generation, then the children of lyght. The matter is plaine. For when there is any hope of game and aduantage, howe doth the children this worlde carcke and care, swyncke and sweate, moyle and turmoyle? They spare no labour, no diligence, no payne, no trauaile: with howe great combraunces, perilles and dangers are robbers & theaues afflicted and vexed? Their care and pensiuenes ceasseth neither night nor daye. Pursepickers, stealers, whoremongers, adulterers, &c. HaueHave their paines & labours, and sweate not a litle to gratifie & pleasure the deuill, and to satisfye their wicked lustes. But contrariwise Christen men lye as it were oppressed with a dead slepe,The sluggishnes of christeans. secure, carelesse, wtout any thought, when they shold do the workes of charitie and serue god. They thincke al things to much, when they either do or suffer any thyng for Gods cause, or for the commoditie of their neighbour. And whereas the worlde bestoweth so greate payne in purchasing, hell, and in pleasing the deuil, there muste the Christians be vrged and drawen, as it were a beare to a stake, to do their dutie although, god knoweth, they do it both slenderly and slowly.
It is therfore a most goodly and trymme example, that Christ setteth forth here vntounto vsus. If we hauehave any consideration of our dutie, we nede not fetche examples a farre of, or borowe them out of these bookes and those monumentes: only let eueryevery man consider his owne famely or housholde, and diligently marcke, howe diligent and paineful his children or seruauntes are to do a mischeife, and to worke that which is acceptable and pleasant to the deuill. All these may be an example vntounto vsus, that we shoulde with like diligence and care embrace the worde of God and the thinges yt belōg vntounto euerlasting life. For seing they be careful in euil & wicked things: ought we not much more to be careful & painefull about good and godly thinges? Let vsus not thincke this by any meanes to be suffred, that the wicked lymmes of the deuill shold make such haste to hel: and we that wil be counted Christians to stande still lyke dastardes, & to go about nothing, that may further vsus vntounto the kingdome of heauen and vntounto euerlasting life.
But the worlde doth here helpe vsus notably well with an holsome example concernynge the busines,An example of acouetous man. wherof Christ speaketh in this place. For, set before thee som man yt is geuen to couetousnes: Thou shalt see, that he can take no reste neither night nor daye. The desire and care of money doth so tosse hym, as it were the sea, when it is most vnquiet. He inuenteth suche subtile wayes to get goods, as those that be witty men can none otherwise then greatly marueille at his doinges. To be shorte, he will not let scape so much as a farthing, if there be any hope to come by it. For his drie iawes are as gredy & as wide gaping for ye litle as for the greate. Al is fysh yt cometh to the net.
This couetous miser, this miserable Mammonisie, this wycked worldlyng, ought to moue vsus all by hys example,Note well. that as he hath an vnsaciable desire vntounto the getting of money: so we likewise shold hauehave as gredy a mynde, as feruent a desyre, as wel willing an hearte to obtaine and get euerlasting lyfe.
But where are these Christians, that study thus to do their dutie? That are as muche delighted to helpe their neighbours nede wyth a lytle money eueryevery man accordyng to his habilitie, as this couetous man is delighted to see his stocke of money encreased eyther by vsurie or by any other vnlawful meane. When notwithstandynge all that the couetous man getteth (as I may speake nothing of the shame & dishonestie) is but transitorie and soon passeth away and cometh to naught. But looke what things we get be Christen liberalitie, & by doing good to the poore members of Christe, they bringe with them euerlastinge fruites and cōmodities. For thus sayth Salomon: He that pitieth the poore,Pro. 19. lendeth to the Lord: and looke what he layeth out, it shall be paid hym again. Here a man nedeth not to feare the losse of his stocke or gaynes thereby, for he is promised, that he shall loose nothing, but whatsoeuer he bestoweth vponupon the poore, it shalbe abundantly recompenced hym. But this wil take no place among vsus, neither do we beleue it. For by the deuil are the sences and iudgements of the vnfaithful hindered and letted, that they can not perceaue this, nor hauehave any mynde to this gayne and aduantage, whiche farre surmounteth and passeth all worldly lucre and profite. Wherfore we are worthely punished for oure madnes, seinge that we set more by thynges present although frayle & tran…itorie, then by ye things that are heauenlye and euerlastynge, so that we do not only synne by couetousnes, but we also make our Mammon the author of our destruction and damnation both of bodye and soule.
Therefore Christe concludeth very truly, when he sayth, that the children of this worlde are wyser in their generation, then the Sonnes of God. For the deuill receaueth an hundred times more of his children, then God doth of his. Yet must we not ceasse from teachyng and admonishyng men, be they neuer so sluggyshe and mad,Preachers must do their duties in preachinge wh… ther the people amende or not. but we must be alwayes spurryng and prickyng them forewarde vntounto the study of good workes, if that by oure importune labour they may be brought vntounto some goodnes, euen as other by the subtle suggestions of the deuill & ye wicked councelles of naughtie packes are moued and brought vntounto all kynde of lewdnes, for although oure matters procede but slowlye in this enterpryce, yet this is the stay we leaue vntounto, that we are the children of lyght. If we do but only kepe this name diligently,Marke well. and not go from the knowledge of this light, althoughe all thinges be not the perfectest, nor done with ye greatest prouidence and forecaste, as the matters of the childrē of this lyfe are, yet are we not excluded from the possession and glorie of this light, if we hauehave but only beginne to take in hand ye workes of godlines, that we may be nombred among them that are called the children of light. For this is certein and sure, that in the prouision of thynges, we shall neuer be of lyke diligence with the children of this worlde, so long as we liue. Therfore this ought not to discourage vsus, though oure olde man go slenderly forward vntounto godlines, wheras the children of this world runne spedily without any stay vntounto hell:Wee oughte daylye to encrease in the waye of godlynes more and more. neither let vsus suffer our selues by any obstacles or lettes to be drawen out of ye waie, but rather let vsus go forwarde dayly somwhat in modestie, lenitie, softnes, gentlenes, merciemercy, compassion, & in suche other workes of godlines. For if thou haste but ones begūne, there is a good hope: halfe ye matter is done, when it is ones well begunne. And although thou procedest but slowly, yet geue not ouer, neither go thou out of the waye, but styll folowe on after the example of S. Paule,Phil. 3. if by any meanes thou mayste comprehend that wherin thou arte comprehended of Christe Iesu. For that bringeth forth the children of light, in that we are comprehended of Christ Iesu,Phil. 2. & reconciled to God the Father thorowe hym, as he calleth also in the chapter that goeth before, Christians great lightes in the worlde. But as concernyng these lyghtes, thus he putteth forth his example: This one thing, sayth he, I do: I forget those thinges which are behinde, and endeuour my selfe vntounto those thinges whiche are before, and accordyng to the marcke appointed, I preace to the rewarde of the high callinge of God thorow Christ Iesu.
This is therfore our cōforte, that he wil not condēne vsus, that are made the children of light by the grace of god in Christ,Rom. 8. with the children of this worlde whiche ronne hedlong vntounto hell, although we be yet weake, for asmuche as we alwaies striue, and to thuttermost of our power labour to obtaine the rewarde of the high callyng of God. For although he might well and worthely reproue vsus, because we beinge the children of light, ronne so slowly in our course: Yet he by his grace in forgeuynge vsus our synnes doth supply that, which lacketh in vsus: whiche his grace as the wyde heauen, is extended ouer all our lyfe, so that it lyeth hydde with all her imperfection and poore state vnderunder his heauen of Gods merciemercy and grace continually. If we stycke fast to this purpose, we shall at the lest fynde some frendes there,We ought liberally to geue vntounto the poore. but specially the highest frende of all, which is able to geue heauen and euerlastyng saluation, euen our Lorde Iesus Christ. And this is the doctrine, which is to be learned out of this our gospell, euen that we vse iustly and truly the Mammon of iniquitie, or the wicked Mammon, that is to say, our goods and worldly possessions, and make vsus frendes of them, namely, that we transpose them vntounto the benefites of other, & vntounto the helpinge of such as be in necessitie, as this steward maketh him frendes of an other mans goodes.
But here som doubt and demaunde, how this doctrine agreeth with the doctrine of iustification by fayth alone. The papistes busye them selues in this place beyonde all reason, and expounde it on suche sorte,Papistes abuse the scriptures of god. as thoughe euerlastynge lyfe were gotten by workes, and that only fayth can not do it, seynge Christ saith: make ye frendes of wycked Mammon, that when ye shal departe, they may receaue you into euerlastynge tabernacles. Although the Papistes are not worthy to be answered as touchyng this question or any other (for they do not, nor wyll not accept it whatsoeuer be answered, but they go styll forwarde to exercise their tyranny against the truth of gods worde and the faithfull professours of the same) yet for theyr sakes, in whom there is some good hope of amendment, I will answere somwhat to this doubte or question: Firste of all the Papistes them selues must nedes graunte, that these frendes, of whome CHRIST speaketh here, are men,Note this reason. whiche are conuersant among vsus. For otherwise could we geue them nothyng. But how shall they geue vsus heauen, that as yet are not in it them selues? And yet this is true, that they geue heauen. For they are the wordes of Christ, which can not be chaunged, nor called into question. make ye frendes of wycked Mammon, saith he, yt when ye fayle, they may receaue you into ye euerlasting tabernacles. But how this cometh to passe, Christ teacheth in ye gospel of s. Mathew where he saith,Math. 25. that he himself at the last day wil come forth & testifie, that whatsoeuer we hauehave done in our life time to his poore members, we did it vntounto him, and that he wil abundantlye recompence it with the reward of euerlasting life, not that ye hauehave deserued the same by our workes, but for his promis sake: as he saith: Come ye blessed of my father, possesse the kyngdome, whiche was prepared for you from the beginning of the worlde. But here is a difference to be made in this question. For the right and true frend, which is both able & also wil geue vsus heauen, is Christ This is without all paraduenture. As for the poore beggers, whome we hauehave holpen with our goods in this worlde, they shall not do it. But here ryseth an other question, whether we by our almose and other good workes are able to deserue heauen and euerlasting lyfe? This question is sone answered. Paul saith: whatsoeuer is not of faith,Whyther by oure good workes wee deserue heauen. Rom. 4. is synne. It foloweth therfore that God doth not allowe thee almose of the vnfaithfull: again, that he will not geue heauen and euerlastynge lyfe for that. But they that beleue in Christe, and afterwarde declare their fayth by theyr workes: their workes please God for their faiths sake: and he will also rewarde suche workes in the lyfe to come. But yet for all that this doth not herof folowe, that euerlasting life is geuen vsus for our workes sake. For that is annexed only vntounto faith, as in the gospell he doth oftentimes testifie: He that beleueth in me, sayth he, shall neuer see death. I am the waye, the truth and the lyfe. Iohn. 11. Iohn. 14.God deliuered his sonne, that all that beleue in him, should not perishe, but hauehave euerlasting lyfe. This is a true certein and sure solution. For Paules sentence is,Iohn 3. Rom. 14. as we heard before: Whatsoeuer is not of faith, is synne. Therfore if any almose shall please god, there must nedes be first of all fayth in Christ.Faythe. That fayth hath euerlasting life folowynge it: It obtayneth remission of sinnes, and causeth, that God aloweth our workes, althoughe they be imperfect and not altogether pure: again, that God of his liberalitie and munificence will rewarde them in the lyfe to come, as we hearde before out of the gospell of S. Mathewe. And Paule saith,Rom. 8.12. Cor. 12. 2. Timoth. 2. Heb. 12. that the passions or suffringes of the Sainctes shall be rewarded in the lyfe to come.
Therfore when Christ sayth: make you frendes of wicked Mammon, that when ye departe or fayle, they maye receaue you into euerlastinge tabernacles: the sence and meaning of these wordes can be none other but this If we be the Disciples of Christ, and do good workes, that god will rewarde those good workes in the life to come. But what saith Paule? good workes can not be don but of fayth. And Christ saith,Rom. 4. that we obtaine remission of sinnes and euerlastynge lyfe by fayth. Thou must conferre these sentences with this present text. But howe can these be made to agreee? Uerily none otherwise,Scriptures oughte to be conferred. then that thorowe fayth in Christ we hauehave remission of sinnes and euerlastynge lyfe: and that god for this faithes sake doth approue and allowe our Almoses and other good workes, and of his owne liberalitie for his promise sake,An aunswere to the quistiō of the iustification of good workes. which we do firmely beleue and sticke vntounto, will abundantly & liberally rewarde in the worlde to come: So that although it be laborious and painful vntounto vsus when we do obey god and worke well, yet this hope conforteth vsus, and maketh vsus chereful, and encourageth vsus to go forward in doing good workes, forasmuch as we are most certeinly assured, that they shal not be vnrewarded at gods hand in the lyfe after this. This is the proper true & natiue sence, or meaning of this sentēce, and a good and substanciall answere vntounto the question of good workes.
God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ helpe vsus and by his holy spirite stirre vp our heartes, that this exhortation vntounto good workes, & the liberall promes ioyned to the same beinge done in fayth, maye take good effect in vsus, and so worke in our mindes, that in this worlde we maye plentifully sowe the seede of good workes and in the worlde to come reape the fruites of euerlastinge lyfe,Galat. 16. thorowe Iesus Christe our Lorde and alone Sauiour: to whome with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glorie both now and euer. Amen.