already done and past: Antichrist is known throughout all the world. Wherefore the day is not far off. Let us beware, for it will one day fall upon our heads. St. Peter saith, "The end of all things draweth very near.' If St. Peter said so at his time, how much more shall we say so? For it is a long time since St. Peter spake these words.

All

All those excellent learned men, whom without doubt God has sent into this world in these latter days to give the world warning, all those men do gather out of Scripture that the last day cannot be far off. And this is most certain and sure, that whensoever he cometh, he cometh not too soon. If he come this night, or to-morrow, he cometh not too early. Therefore, good people, let us make ready towards his coming. And though he come not at this time, yet let us make ready; for we are not sure when we shall be called to make account before the Lord. good and godly people since the world began endeavoured to make themselves ready towards this day. But, O Lord, how wretched and miserable, yea, and how careless we are! Therefore it will be like as he saith, "When they say, All things are well and quiet, then they shall be suddenly taken, and perish;" like as that rich glutton did: he ate and drank, he builded a new barn, for the old was too little for him; then he said to himself, " Now my soul, now be merry and take thy pleasure; for thou hast riches enough for many years." But what said God? What said he?" Thou fool, this night they will fetch thy soul from thee; whose shall those riches be then which thou hast heaped up?" And so shall all those be taken and trapped like this glutton, who will not make ready, who refuse the warnings of God; they shall be taken suddenly to their everlasting woe. For Scripture giveth warning unto every one, saying, " Like as in the days of Noah they will eat and drink, and marry,' &c. To eat and to drink, and marry, is godly and lawful; but to do it otherwise than God hath commanded, is wicked and damnable. To eat without thanksgiving, or to eat either man's flesh,† or to play the glutton, more than suffices nature, this is wicked. To marry upon other respects than God hath appointed, and expressed in his most holy laws, is wicked and damnable; else "Marriage is honour

*The reformers both on the continent and in England generally supposed the day of judgment was at hand.

He eats other men's flesh that oppresses other men to maintain his own delicious diet.

able amongst all men," but to marry for wantonness' sake, that is wicked. "The sons of God saw the daughters of men. This did Noah rebuke in his time, but they laughed at it; he prepared the ark, and went into it; at length the flood fell upon their heads. "As in the days of Lot:" what did they? "Thou art come hither a stranger," said they; regarding nothing God's word, which was showed unto them through that good man Lot; they were wicked, whoremongers, drunkards, covetous persons. But what follows-what follows, I say? Consider the end: "The fire from heaven fell upon them suddenly and consumed them all." But we are not in darkness. We have the word of God, we know what is his will; therefore let us watch, for he will come like a thief in the night; happy are we if he shall find us watching.

This is the effect of this petition, wherein we desire that God will send down faith from heaven, that he will continue in me my faith, and every man's, so that we may be ready to go with him when his kingdom shall come.

Now as many as pertain to this kingdom of God, shall have one property amongst other things; they shall have an earnest mind and steadfast purpose to leave sin, according to St. Paul's saying, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies." God's kingdom shall reign in us, and not the devil's. Therefore when the devil tempts thee, withstand him; give not over, let him not get the victory: as for example; when thou seest a fair woman, an ill desire rises up in thy heart towards her: this lust is of the devil; call therefore for help, let him not occupy thy heart; then surely God will help, for he hath promised. "There is no condemnation to such as are in Christ Jesus;" when we do not allow sin nor agree unto it. Therefore dispose yourselves so to live according unto his will; who can and will preserve us from the devil, and bring us into his kingdom: which grant us, O God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. Amen.

THE

FOURTH SERMON

UPON

THE LORD'S PRAYER.
.

MATTHEW vi.

Thy will be done.

AFTER this form our Saviour, a perfect instructor, taught Christian people to pray, "Our Father, which art in heaven; thy will be done." And here he teaches us two things, as he did in the other petitions. First, he teaches us to understand what we are of ourselves; namely, nothing at all, not able to do any thing pleasant to God; and so he plucketh us down, cutteth off our combs, and bringeth us low, who else would be proud, as though we could do somewhat that we cannot do indeed; like as those meritmongers do, who esteem themselves after their merits, and think themselves perfect; so that their works shall not only help themselves, but also others: therefore they undertake to sell them for money.

These fellows know not themselves, and therefore they do contrary to this petition. Where our Saviour teaches us, that we can do nothing of ourselves; they, contrary to that petition, will do all things alone, and with their merits bring to pass all matters. But our Saviour, contrary to that, teaches us two things in this petition. First, he pulls down our stomachs and teaches us to know ourselves. Secondly, he shows us what we should do; namely, call upon God our heavenly Father, that he will help us, that we may be able to do his will; for of our own selves we are not able to do any thing acceptable unto him. And this is a good doctrine, which admonishes us to give all

praise unto God, and not to ascribe it to our own selves; for so did St. Paul when he said, “ I am able to do all things that pertain to God's honour and glory, through him that strengtheneth me:" he said not, through mine own self; but through God who helpeth me. And here appears the right humiliation, and lowliness, which our Saviour teaches us in this petition. For he would have us know our own impossibility and unableness to do any thing; and then, again, he would have us call for aid and help to God; therefore he teaches us to say, "Thy kingdom come." So that though we are not able through our ownselves to do any thing, yet when we call upon him he will help. For Christ knew his Father's will and loving affections towards us; he knew that he would help us, for he was a perfect teacher; else he would not have commanded us to pray, Thy will be done." Here we must understand, that the will of God is to be considered after two sorts. First, as it is omnipotent, unsearchable, and that it cannot be known unto us. Now we do not pray that his will so considered should be done. For his will, so considered, is and ever shall be fulfilled, though we should say nay to it. For nothing, either in heaven or in earth, is able to withstand his will. Wherefore it were but folly for us to desire to have it fulfilled, otherwise than to show thereby that we consent to his will, which is to us unsearchable.

But there is another consideration of God's holy will; and in that consideration, we and all faithful Christians desire that it may be done: and so considered, it is called a revealed, a manifested, and a declared will; and it is opened unto us in the Bible, in the New and Old Testament-there God has revealed a certain will; therefore we pray that it may be done, and fulfilled of us. This will was opened by Moses and the holy prophets, and afterwards by our Saviour himself and his apostles, whom he left behind him that they should instruct the world and teach them his will: which apostles have done according to their Master's commandment; for they not only spake it, but also wrote it, that it should remain to the world's end. And truly we are much bound to God, that he has set out this his will in our natural mother tongue, in English, I say, so that now you may not only hear it, but also read it yourselves; which is a great comfort to every Christian heart. For now you can no more be deceived, as you have been in times past, when we told you that popery

was the word of God; which falsehood we could not have brought to pass, if the word of God, the Bible, had been abroad in the common tongue. For then you might have perceived yourselves our falsehood and blindness. This I speak to move you to thankfulness towards him, who so lovingly provides all things necessary to our salvation.

Now to the matter: Almighty God, I say, set out his will by Moses and his prophets, and this will is contained in certain laws, which laws God commands that we should ever keep before our eyes, and look upon them as in a glass, and so learn to order our lives accordingly. And in case a man swerve from the same, and so fall into the danger of damnation, God revealed further his will how to remedy the matter, namely, by repentance and faith; so that whosoever from the bottom of his heart is sorry for his sins, and studies to leave them and to live uprightly, and then believes in our Saviour, confessing that he came into this world to make amends for our sins; this man or woman shall not perish, but have forgiveness of sins, and so obtain everlasting life. And this will God reveals specially in the New Testament, where our Saviour saith, "Whosoever believeth in me hath everlasting life;" where we learn that our Saviour is ordained of God to bring us to heaven, else we should have been all condemned, world without end. So that in this prayer, when we say, "Thy will be done," we desire of God that he will help and strengthen us, so that we may keep his holy laws and commandments. And then again we desire of him, that he will endue us with the gift of faith, so that we may believe that all those things which we do contrary to his laws, shall be pardoned and forgiven unto us through his Son, for his passion's* sake. And further, we desire him that he would fortify and strengthen us, that we may withstand the devil's will and our own, which fight against God's will. So that we may be able to bear all tribulations and afflictions willingly and patiently, for his sake. This is the simple meaning of this petition, when we say, "Thy will be done." I will go a little further, and show you somewhat more of it; yet I intend not to tarry long, for I am not very well at ease this morning, therefore I will

make it short.

I have said now many times, and I say it yet again, Whatsoever we desire of God, let us desire it from the * Sufferings.