The Parable of the Wicked Mammon, Parable · Part 21 – Part 22
MAry hath chosen a good parte whiche shall not be taken fromWhat the parte was yt Marye hadde chosen. her. Lucc. x. She was fyrst chosen of God and called by grace both to knowe hir sinne, & also to heare, the worde of fayth health & gladtidiges of mercy in Christe and faith was gyuen hyr to beleue and the spirite of God losed hyr hert from the boundage of sinne.
Then consented she to the will of God agayne, and agayne, and a boue all thinges had delectaciō to heare that worde wherin she had obtayned euerlastinge health, and namly of his mouth whiche hade purchased so grate mercy for hyr God choseth vsus first and loued vsus fyrst and optneth our eyes to se his exceadinge abundaunt louelove to vsus in Christ, and thē louelove we againe and accepte hys wyll aboue all thynges, and serue him that office where vntounto he hath chosen vsus.
Selle that ye hauehave and giuegive almes. And make you bagges whyche wax not old, and treasure which faileth not, in heauē Lu. xii. This and souch lyke are not spoken that we shoulde worke as hyrelinges in respecte of reward, and as though we should obtayne heauen with merite. For he saith a litle afore, feare not litel flocke for it is youre fathers pleasure to geue you a kingdome. The kingdome cometh then of the good will of Almyghty God thorowe Christ. And souche thinges areScriptur speketh to vsus dine…s wayes. spoken partlye to put vsus in remenbraūce of our dutye to be kinde agayne. As is that sainge let your light so shine before men that they se your good workes and gloryefye your father which is in heauē. As who shoulde saye, if God hauehave geuen you so greate gyftes bee not vnthankefull, but bestowe them vntounto hys prayse.
Some thinges are spoken to moue vsus to put our trust in God, as are thes. Beholde the bryddes of the ayre. If youre childerne aske you bred will ye profer thē a stoon? and many souch lyke. Some are spoken to put vsus in remembraunce to be sober, to whatche and praye, and to prepare our selfes against temptacions, and that we shoulde vnderstande and know, howe that tentacions and occasion of euil come then most, when they are lest loked for: lest we shoulde be carelesse and sure of oure selues, necligent, and vnprepared. Some thinges ar spoken, that we shoulde feare the wonderfull and incōpre hē …ible iudgmētes of God lest we should presume. Some to confort vsus yt we despayre not. And for lyke causes are all the ensamples of the olde testament▪ In conclusiō ye scripture speaketh mani thingeswhere the spirit is not ther is no vnderstā dynge of scrip ture. as the worlde speaketh. But they maye not be worldly vnderstande, but goostlye and spirituallie, yea the spirite of God only vnderstandeth them, and where he is not ther is not the vnderstandinge of the scripture. But vnfrutefull disputynge and braulinge about wordes.
The scripture saith, God seeth, God heareth, God smelleth, God walketh, God is with thē, God is not with them, God is angrie, God is pleased, God sendeth his spirite, God taketh his spirite a way, and a thousande suche like. And yet is none of them true after the wordly ma ner and as ye words sowne. Rede the secound Chapter of Paul to the Corinthi ans, the naturall man vnderstandeth not the thinges of God, but ye spirite of god only and we (saieth he) hauehave receyued the spirite which is of God, to vnderstande the thinges which are geuen vsus of God.
For without the spirite it is inpossibleIt is impossible to vnderstand the scripture without the spirite of God. to vnderstande them. Rede also the. viii. to the Romains They that are led with the spirite of God, are the sōnes of God. Now the sōne knoweth his fathers wil… and the seruant not He that hath not the spirite of Christ (saieth Paul) is none of his. Likewise he that hath not the spirite of God is none of Gods, for it is bothe one spirite, as thou mayste se the same place. Now he that is of God hereth the worde of God Io. viii. & who is of God but he that hath the spirite of God. For ther more, saieth he ye here it not, because ye are not of God, that is, ye hauehave no lust in the worde of God, for ye vnderstāde it not, and that because his spirite is not in you. For as muche then as the scripture is no thinge els but that whiche the spirite of God hath spoken by the Prophetes and Apostls, and can not be vnderstandePray ye spirit to leuse you from your natural blindnes and to gyue you vnderstan dyng of spiritual thynges. but of the same spirite: Let eueryevery man praye to God to send him his spirit to loose vsus from oure naturall blindnes and ignoraunce, and to geue vsus vnderstā ding and fealinge of the thinges of God and of ye speakinge of ye spirite of God And marke this processe. First we are dāned of nature, so conceyued and borne, as a serpēt is a serpēt, and a tode a todeMarke the or dre of Goddes workes. & a snake a snake bi nature. And as thou seest a yonge chylde (which hath pleasure in mani thinges wherin is present death, as in fire, water and so forth) wolde sle… hym selfe with a thowsande deathes, if he were not wayted opon and kept therfroe. Euen so we, if we shoulde lyue this thousand yeares coulde in all that tyme delite in no other thinge nor yet seke any other thinge, but that where in is death of the soule.
Secundarily of the hole multitude of the nature of man, whom God hath electe and chosen and to whom he hath apointed mercy and grace in Christe, to them sendeth he his spirit, whiche openeth their eies, showeth thē, theyr meserye, and bringeth them vntounto the knoledge of thē selues, so that they hate and abhorre thē selues, are astonyed and amased and at ther wittes endes, nether wote what to do or where to seke health. Then le…t they shoulde …ie from God by despetacion, he conforteth them agayne with his swete promises in Christe and certifieth ther hertes that for Christes sake they are receyued to mercye & theyr sinnes for geuen and they electe and made ye sonnes of God and heyres with Christe of eternal lyfe: and thys thorowe fayth are they set at peace with God.
Now maye not we are why God choseth one and not another, other thynke that God is vniust to dāme vsus afore we do any actuall deade, seing that god hath power ouer all hys creatures of right, to do with them what he lyst or to make of eueri one of thē as he lysteth. Our darknes can not perceyue his lyght. God wilbe feared & not hauehave his secret iudgemēts knowen. More ouer we by the light of fayth se a thousande thynges whiche are impossible to an infidle to se. So lyke wise no doute in the light of the clear vis…on of God we shall se thynges whyche now God will not hauehave knowen For pryde euer accompanieth hye knowledge but grace accompanieth mekenes. Let vsus therfore gyue diligence rather to do the will of God, then to search his secrettes which are not profitable for vsus to know.
When we are thus recōsyled to God, made the frendes of God and heyres ofHe that is recōciled to God eternal lyfe, ye spirite that god hath powred in to vsus testifyeth that we maye notmuste not liue after the olde lustes of iogno raunce. lyue after our olde deades of ignorance.
For how is it possible, that we shoulde repente and abhorre them, and yet hauehave lust to lyue in thē. Wee are sure therfore that God hath created and made vsus new in Christe, and put hys spirite in vsus that we shoulde lyue a newe lyfe, whiche is ye lyfe of good workes.
That thou maist know what are good workes, or what workes are good and the ende and entente of good workes, or wherfore good workes serue, marke this that foloweth.
The lyfe of a Christen man is inward betwene hym and God, and properly is the consente of▪ the spirite to the will of God, and to ye honour of god. And godesGood works. honour is the finall ende of al good workes. Good workes all thynges that are done wyth in ye lawes of God, in whych God is honoured and for whiche thākes are geuen to God.Fastynge
Fastinge is to absteine from sur…eting or ouer much ca…inge, frō dronkenes and care of the worlde (as thou mayste reede Lu. xxi.) and the ende of fastynge is to tame the bodie, that the spirite may hauehave a free course to God, and maye quyetly talke with God. For ouer much eatynge and drinkinge and care of worldly busynes persse downe the spiryte, choeke hyr and tāgle hyr that she can not lift vp hyr selfe to God. Now he that fasteth for anyThe cause of fastynge. other entente, than to subdue the bodye, that the spirite may wayte on God, and frely exersice hyr selfe in the thinges of God: ye same is blinde and woteth not what he doth, er reth & shoteth at a wrōge marke, and his entente and ymaginacion is abhomynable in ye sight of God. Whē thou fastest from meate and drinkest all day, is that a Christen fast? either to eate at one meale that wer sufficiēt for foure.
A man at foure tymes maye beare that he can not at ones. Some fast from meat and drinke, and yet so tangle them selues in worldli busines that thei can not ones thinke on God. Some abstayne from butter, some from egges, some from all manner witte meate, some this day, some that dai, sōe in the honoure of this saint, some of that, and eueryevery man for a sondr… purpose. Some for the tothache, sōe for the hed ache, for feuers, pestilence, for soden death, for hanginge, drounding, and to be deliuered from the paynes of hell. Some ar so mad that thei fast one of the thursdayes betwene▪ the two saynt marye dayes in the worshippe of that saynt whos day is halowed betwne cristēmas and candelmas, and that to be delyuered from the pestilence. All those men fast without conscience of God, and without knowledge of the true entēte of fastinge, and do no other thā honoure sayntes as the gentels and heathen worshiped, their ydolles, and are drowned in blindnes and know not of the testamēt that God hath made to manward in Christes bloud. In God hauehave thei nother hope nor cōfidēce, nether beleue his promyses nether know hys wyll, but are yet in captyuyte vnderunder they prince of the darkenes.
Watche is not only to absteyne from slepe, but also to be circūspectWhat watch signifieth and to cast al pereles: as a mā should watch a toure or a castell. We muste remembre that the snares of the deuill are infinite and innumerable, and that eueri momentIn al tentaciō we must cal vponupon God. aryse new temptations and that in al places mete vsus fresh occasiōs. Against whiche we must prepare our selues, and turne to God, and complaine to him, and make oure mone, and desyre hym of hys mercye to be our shylde, our toure, oure castell and defence from all euill, to put his strength in vsus (for wy thout hym wee can do nought) and aboue all thinges we must call to mynde what promises God hath made, & what he hath sworne that he wyll doo to vsus for Christes sake, and with stronge fayth cleue vntounto them, and desire hym of his mercye and for the louelove that he hath to Christe, & for hys truthes sake to fulfyll his promyses. If we thus cleue to God wyth stronge fayth, and be leue his wores: then (as sayth Paule i. Corint. x.) God is faythfull, that he wyll not suffer vsus to be tēpted aboue that we are able or aboue oure myght that is to say, if we cleaue to his promyses and not to oure fantasyes and ymaginacions, he will put might and power in to vsus, that shal be strōger then al the tentaciō which he shal suffer to be against vsus.