I Tim. i.

shalt not desire or lust, wherefore good children, locke vp this lesson in the cofer of your memories, by the whiche you shall learne truly to feare God. For we ought not then only to dreade. God, when by outwarde acte or worke we breke his lawes, but also as often as we feale in vs these yll lustes and carnal desires. And although these lustes do for a time, as it wer slepe in vs, and do not sturre or moue vs, yet not withstandynge theyr quiet rest, we ought to know that they lye hyde in the pryuie corners of our hartes, and that for al their slomberyng they be synnes before God. For yf God had not taken them for synnes, then he woulde not haue forbide them by this commaundement. Thou shalt not long or lust. For as sainct Paul sayth. The lawe was not gyuen to the iust man, nor doth forbid any thing but sinne only. Wherefore (good children) forasmuche as we know, that concupiscence lust or longyng is synne, we ought to eschewe and bridle it (asmuche as we maye) by Gods grace. And it is our parte chiefly to take hede, that we consent not to the request of oure yll lustes, nor fulfil in outwarde acte the desires of the fleshe. And that you maye the better attayne to the vnderstandyng of this commaundement, I wyll declare vnto you the other wordes of this commaundement, thou shalt not desier thy neyghbours house. Where you shall note, that this worde, house, doth not onely signifie the house wherin men do dwell, but it betokeneth al the hole householde, and the whole state of the householder, and all thinges that belong vnto him. Some tyme it is taken for a stocke or kynrede. As when we say, he and I come out of one house, meanyng therby that we be both of one stocke or kyndrede. Wherfore this is the perfit sense of this commaundemente. When thy neighbour is a noble man borne, and hath goodly manors, great cupbordes of plate, costlye hanginges of cloth of arris, great plentie of riches and aboundance of all thynges as apperteyne to suche a

housholde, then thou shalt not desier his house, that is to say, thou shalte in no wyse wyshe that he might lese any of these thinges, to thentent that thou myghtes haue them nor couetousnes or worldly desier ought not so to rauish thy minde, that thou woldest be in that state of lyfe that he is in, but let that kynde of lyuyng please the, whervnto it hath pleased God to call the. Wherfore good children lerne without booke (I praye you) this short lesson, and put it daylye in execution. Couet not, nor longe not for a more noble or welthy state, then God hathe already gyuen vnto you. But let euery man be content with his proginie, office, callyng, state and degree, for so ye shall please God, and obey hys wyll.

Furthermore they, breake this commaundemente, that be desyrous to put theyr neyghbour out of his house or lande, to thentente that they maye haue the same. Also thou offendest herein, when thou arte glad to see thy neyghbour fall in decaye, and in hys nede dost offre to lende hym monye, to the entent he maye runne so farre in thy dette, that at length he shall be compelled to offre to the his inheritaunce to be solde, now in this case if thou bie the same, thou dost synne, yea although thou paye as moche money as the lande is worth. For thou oughtest to loue thy neyghboure as thyne owne selfe, and to wyshe vnto hym as good chaunce and great prosperitie, as thou wouldest to thy self. Nowe thou wouldest not gladlye be put from thyn owne patrimonie, thou wouldest not be oppressed with dette or pouertie. Therfore thou mayest not wyshe or do to thy neyghbour, that thou wouldest not other men shoulde do to the. Therefore thou mayste not hauke or hunte for his patrymonie, thou mayst make no traynes to brynge him in to thy snare, and to cause him to sell the same, but thou oughtest rather to helpe thy neyghbour both with thy counsel and wyth thy money, to kepe still hys inherytaunce and not to defraude his heyres or posteritie of those landes,

Gen.xxxix.

whiche hys auncesters by longe succession haue left to him and his heires. Now good children you haue hearde the true meanynge of the nynth precepte, and because it teacheth you, howe to ordre your herte, I praye you learne it by harte, that when you be demaunded, how vnderstande you the nynth commaundement, you maye answere we oughte to feare and loue oure Lorde God aboue all thynges, and for hys sake so to chastice oure eyes and lustes, that we desyer not oure neyghboures house, nor other thynge belongynge vnto hym, that we putte hym not frome hys possessyons or goodes but helpe him (asmuche as shall lye in vs) to retayne and kepe hys landes, goodes and all that is his.

THE TENTH SERMON.

An exposition of the tenth commaundement.

Thou shalte not desyre thy neyghboures wyfe, nor hys man seruaunte, nor woman seruaunte, nor his oxe, nor his asse, nor any thynge that is his.

I WYL not be long good children in declarynge vnto you the tenth commaundement, partlye bycause the wordes and sense of the same be so playne that they nede no longe declaration, partly bycause I haue all ready ex

For these two

pounded the same in the former sermon. last commaundementes be so coupled together, that he whiche vnderstandeth the one perfitely, shal easely perceyue the other, for they bothe haue one purpose and entent, to clense the inwarde manne, and to purge the hearte from all yll affections and lustes. But wheras the former commaundemente dyd forbydde vs, that we or shuld not wishe to succede our neyghbour in his landes, honours dignities, a carnall man woulde peraduenture reason on this fashion. I graunt in deede, that I am forbyd, to couet al my neyghbours landes or goodes, but yet I may desire and intice from him one seruaunt, I may conuey from hym an oxe, asse or an horse. For he hathe greate plentye of all these thinges, and maye spare one or two of them without any hinderaunce or great losse. And that whyche doeth hym but small seruice, by reason of hys greate aboundaunce, woulde do me moch pleasure, and greatly releaue my necessitie. To this obiection God himselfe doth answere in this last commaundemente, saying. Thou shalte not desire thy neyghbours wife, seruaunte, mayde, oxe or asse, no thou shalt desire no thing that is thy neyghbours. For God is the maker of all thynges, and Lorde of all creatures and he gyueth them to whom it pleaseth hym. Wherfore yf he haue gyuen anye thynge to thy neyghbour, whiche he hathe not sente to thee, enuye not thy neyghbour therefore, nor go about to conuey it from hym, but thynke this. Yf it were Goddes pleasure, that I shoulde possesse suche a thynge, or yf he knew that it wer for my welthe, to haue it, he woulde haue sente it to me, aswell as to my neyghboure. For surely good chyldren, these rauenynge woulfes, that be euer thrystynge after other mennes goodes, lacke the benediction of God and therefore they can not long prosper, no not in this world For other they bryng nothyng to passe wyth all theyr gapyng glenyng and carefulnesse, or yf they obteyne

theyr purpose, yet verely (all thinges accompte) theyr losse is greater then theyr gaynes. For in this worlde they lese the fauoure both of God and man, they lese their good name and fame, and ar called of euery man extorcioners, brybers pollers and piellers, deuourers of widowes houses, and oppressers of fatherles and motherles children. And what a gaynyng is it I praye you, by purchasynge of a lytle lande herein this lyfe to purchase therwithal euerlastynge damnacion in hel? What profyteth it a man (sayeth Christ) yf he wynne all the worlde and lese hys awne soulle? what dyd Dauid wynne, when he lusted after the wyfe of Urie, and had his pleasure of her? did not God therfore so punyshe him, that he hymselfe lost all his awne wifes? For his sonne Absolon in the sight of al the people entred vnto his fathers wyfe, and defloured them all in his fathers owne house, and after dyd purswe his father Dauid euen vnto death. What did it profit Achab, that he slewe Naboth and toke possession of his vyneyarde? Ueryly God did punyshe him therfore in such sorte, that he caused him to be slayne in the next battayle that he went vnto and toke the kyngdom from al his succession, and destroyed all hys lynage, and lefte not one man alyue, and beside all this, the dogges licked Achabes bloude in the same place wher he caused Naboth to be slayne. What gayned Judas, when he solde oure Lorde Jesus Christ for thirtie peaces of syluer? verilye he was punyshed of God therefore, and was so tormented with the horrible feare of conscience, that he ran to the halter for succour, and hanged himselfe. Wherwith as he ended the miseries of this life, so he began, the paines of the other lyfe. Lykewyse God, euen nowe a dayes doth punyshe these glyerynge keytes, that seke their pray in euery place, for commonly either they be deceaued of theyr expectacion for all their gapyng and pryenge, or yf they obteyne their praye, they purchase to themselfes therwith great mys