Exposition Upon Matthew 27(1), Matthew 5 · Verse 1
WHen he ſawe the people, he wente vp into a mountayne and ſat him downe, & hys dyſyples came to hym, and he opened hys mouthe and taught them ſaynge. Bleſſed be the poore in ſpirite, for theyrs is the kyngdome of heauen.
Chryſte Here in his fyrſt ſarmone begynneth to reſtore the lawe of the ten commaundementes vntounto her ryght vnderſtandinge, agaynſte the ſcrybes and Pharyſes whiche were ypocrytes, falſe prophetes and falſe preachers, and had corrupte the ſcrypture with the leauen of theyr gloſes,Pouertye in ſpyryte And it is not without a great myſtery that Chryſt begynneth hys preachynge at pouertye in ſpyryte, whiche is nether beggery nor agaynſte the poſſeſſynge of rycheſſe, But a vertue contrarye to the vyce of couetouſneſſe, the inordynate deſyre and louelove of reches and puttynge truſte in rycheſſe.
Ryches is the gyfte of God geuen man to mayntayne the degrees of thys worlde,Ryches. and therfore not euell ye and ſome muſte be poore and ſome ryche, yf we ſhal hauehave an order in thys worlde. And God our father deuydeth rycheſſe and pouertye amonge hys chyldren accordynge to hys godlye pleaſure and wyſdome. And as rycheſſe dothe not exclude the from the bleſſyng ſo dothe not pouertye certefye the. But to put thy truſte in the lyuynge God maketh the heyre therof. For yf thou truſte in the lyuynge god. Then yf thou be poore, thou coueteſte not to be ryche, for thou art certefyed that thy father ſhall mynyſtre vntounto the fode and rayment, and be thy defender, and yf thou hauehave ryches, thou knoweſt that they be but vanyte, and that as thou brough teſte them not into the worlde, ſo ſhalte thou not carye them out, and that as they be thyne to daye, ſo maye they be another mannes to morowe, and that the fauoure of God onelyonly bothe gaue and alſo kepeth the and them, and not thy wyſdome or power, and that they nether ought els can helpe at nede, ſaue the good wyll of thy heuenly father onelyonly, Happy and bleſſed then are the poore in ſpyryte, that is to ſaye the ryche that hauehave not theyr confidence nor conſolacyon in the vanyte of theyr rycheſſe, and the poore that deſyre not inordynatly to be ryche, but hauehave theyr truſte in the lyuynge God for fode and rayment and for all that partayneth ether to the body or the ſoule, for thers is the kingdome of heuen.
Ryche in ſpirite.And contrary wyſe, vnhappy and accurſed and that with the fyrſte and depeſt of all curſſes, are the ryche in ſpirite, that is to ſaye, the couetouſe that beynge ryche and truſt in thir rycheſſe, or beynge poore longe for the conſolacyon of rycheſſe, and comforte not theyr ſoules with the promyſes of theyr heuenlye father, confyrmed with the bloude of theyr Lord Chriſt. For vntounto them it is harder to enter into the kyngedome of heuen, then for a camell to enter thorowe the eye of an nedle. Mar. 10. No they hauehave no parte in the kyngedome of Chryſte and God. Ephe. v. Therfore it is euydent why Chryſte ſo dylygentlye warneth all hys to be ware of couetouſnes and why he admytted none to be hys dyſcyples excepte he fyrſte forſake altogether. For there was neuer couetous perſon true yet ether to God or man.
Yf a couetous man be choſen to preache goddes worde,Couetouſnes is a thynge contrary to the worde of god and to the mynyſters of the ſame. he is a falſe prophete immedyatlye. Yf he be of the laye ſorte, ſo ioyneth he hym ſelfe vntounto the falſe prophetes, to perſecute the truthe. Couetouſneſſe is not onelyonly aboue all other luſtes thoſe thornes that choke the worde of God in them that poſeſſe it. But it is alſo a dedelye enemye to all that interprete goddes worde trulye. All other vyces thoughe they laugh them to ſcorne that talke godlye, yet they can ſoffre them to lyue and to dwell in the contre. But couetouſnes can not reſte as longe as there is one that cleueth to goddes worde in all the land.
Take hede to thy preacher therof,By couetouſenes is a falſe prophete chefely knowen and be ſure, yf he be couetous and gape for promocyon, that he is a falſe Prophete and leueth the ſcrypture, for al his c…yenge fathers, fathers holy chyrch and fyftene hundred yeres, and for al hys other holy pretenſes.