which the Lord of Hosts doth show Himself. In them God speaketh to us: in them we hear the words of everlasting life. We must be sanctified, and wash our garments, and be ready to hear the Lord. We must strip off all our affections: we must fall down before Him with fear: we must know who it is that speaketh, even God, the Maker of heaven and earth; God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; God, which shall judge the quick and the dead, before whom all flesh shall appear.

His Word is holy; let us take heed into what hearts we bestow it. Whosoever abaseth it shall be found guilty of high trespass against the Lord. We may not receive it to blow up our hearts, and wax proud with our knowledge: we may not use it to maintain debate and contention: we may not use it to vaunt ourselves, or to make show of our cunning.

The Word of God teacheth lowliness of mind it teacheth us to know ourselves. If we learn not humility, we learn nothing. Although we seem to know somewhat, yet know we not in such sort as we ought to know. The Scriptures are the mysteries of God: let us not be curious; let us not seek to know more than God hath revealed by them. They are the sea of God: let us take heed we be not drowned in them. They are the fire of God: let us take comfort by their heat, and warily take heed they burn us not. They that gaze over hardly upon the sun take blemish in their eye-sight.

When the people of Israel saw the manna in the desert they said, Man Hu? "What is this?" So they reasoned of it, when they took it up in their hands and beheld it: they asked one another what good it would do. The Scriptures are manna, given to us from heaven, to feed us in the desert of this world. Let us take them and behold them, and reason of them, and learn one of another what profit may come to us by them: let us know that they are written for our sake, and for our learning, that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures we may have hope.

They are given us to instruct us in faith, to strengthen us in hope, to open our eyes, and to direct our going.

If we withhold the truth in unrighteousness; if we know our Master's will, and do it not; if the name of God be ill spoken of through us; the Word of God shall be taken away from us, and given to a nation which shall bring forth the fruits thereof. God shall send us strong delusion, that we shall believe lies; our own heart shall condemn us; and we shall be beaten with many stripes. Therefore we ought diligently to give heed to those things which we hear; we must consider of them; we must chew the cud. Let us be poor in spirit, and meek in heart; let us be gentle, as becometh the lambs of Christ; and, as His sheep, let us hear His voice, and follow Him. Let us be of a contrite spirit, and tremble at the Words of God; let us, when we know God, glorify Him as God. So shall God look upon us; so shall the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, and of counsel, and of knowledge, and of the fear of God, rest upon us; so shall we be made perfect to all good works; so shall we rejoice in His salvation, and with one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

FROM THE EXPOSITION UPON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS.

Chap. ii., v. 13. "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, that, when you received of us the Word of the preaching of God, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is indeed, the Word of God, which also worketh in you that believe."

As the minister's duty is to teach the Word of God, and divide it aright, without deceit or guile; so ought the people to receive it with reverence, and to give obedience unto it. But herein have we not power of ourselves: our readiness cometh of God: unless it please God to work within us, and

to remove the vail, and to mollify our hearts, whatsoever we hear, it moveth us not, it helpeth not our unbelief, it bringeth us not to the obedience of Christ.

If an earthly prince speak or send message unto us, we give all show of reverence, and hear him with all diligence. This Word is not of flesh and blood: it proceedeth not from kings, or emperors, or from parliaments, or from councils of men, but from God the Father, and from Jesus Christ. When this Word is read, princes and emperors stand up, and lay down their sword, and uncover their head, and bow their body, and do reverence; because they know it is the Word of God, which God Himself uttered, that it should be as the dew of heaven to moisten our souls, as a well of water springing up to everlasting life, as a savour of life unto life, and the very power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Without this Word we can

receive no comfort, we cannot see the light, nor grow in faith, nor abide in the Church of God. It is the Word of reconciliation. By it God maketh atonement between Himself and the sons of men.

Therefore when the epistles, the psalms, the chapters, and the gospel are read in our hearing, let us remember whose Word we hear. Let us think thus with ourselves: These are the Words of our gracious God. My God openeth His mouth from heaven above; He speaketh to me that I may be saved; He speaketh to me to keep me from error, to comfort me in the adversities and troubles of this life, and to lead me to the life to come.

What is the cause why so many so little regard the Word of God; why they doubt it and suspect it; why they are so soon weary of it, and bear it not that reverence that belongeth to it? Because they think not, neither from whom it cometh, nor with whose blood it is sealed, nor to whose benefit it is written. Let us not be ashamed to give place to the Word of God, to awake our senses, and to submit them, and our wisdom, and learning, and bodies, and souls unto it. Let us not harden our hearts. Let us

humble ourselves before God, and say: "Behold, here am 1: let Him do to me as seemeth good in His eyes."

"Which also worketh in you that believe." Whosoever heareth the Words of God, and doeth them not, shall be likened to a foolish man that builded his house upon the sand. "If ye know these things," saith Christ, "Blessed are ye if ye do them." The same Word of God which Paul taught the Thessalonians, which was preached by Peter and the rest of the apostles to the faithful, which Christ received of His Father, and delivered to His Church, is this day, by the mercy of God, purely and truly set down unto you. By it you are required to amend your lives, and comforted in the promises of God to the forgiveness of your sins. If there be any in whom it worketh not this effect, if there be any which (though they hear it) believe it not, nor are thereby renewed in their minds, it is a token that they have not received the love of the truth of the Gospel they despise the Word of salvation: and it shall judge them in that day.

BISHOP COVERDALE.

THE only Word of God is the cause of all felicity; it bringeth all goodness with it, it bringeth learning, it gendereth understanding, it causeth good works, it maketh children of obedience; briefly, it teacheth all estates their office and duty. Seeing then that the Scripture of God teacheth us everything sufficiently, both what we ought to do, and what we ought to leave undone, whom we are bound to obey, and whom we should not obey; therefore, I say, it causeth all prosperity, and setteth every thing in frame; and where it is taught and known, it lighteneth all darknesses, comforteth all sorry hearts, leaveth no poor man unhelped, suffereth nothing amiss unamended, letteth no prince be disobeyed, permitteth no heresy to be preached; but reformeth all things, amendeth that is amiss, and setteth everything in

order. And why? Because it is given by the inspiration of God; therefore is it ever bringing profit and fruit, by teaching, by improving, by amending and reforming all them that will receive it, to make them perfect and meet unto all good works.

As touching the evil report and dispraise that the good Word of God hath by the corrupt and evil conversation of some that daily hear it and profess it outwardly with their mouths, I exhort thee, most dear reader, let not that offend thee, nor withdraw thy mind from the love of the truth, neither move thee to be partaker in like unthankfulness; but seeing the light is come into the world, love no more the works of darkness, receive not the grace of God in vain. Call to thy remembrance how loving and merciful God is unto thee, how kindly and fatherly He helpeth thee in all trouble, teacheth thine ignorance, healeth thee in all thy sickness, forgiveth thee all thy sins, feedeth thee, giveth thee drink, helpeth thee out of prison, nourisheth thee in strange countries, careth for thee, and seeth that thou want nothing. Call this to mind, I say, and that earnestly, and consider how thou hast received of God all these benefits, yea, and many more than thou canst desire; how thou art bound likewise to show thyself unto thy neighbour as far as thou canst, to teach him if he be ignorant, to help him in all his trouble, to heal his sickness, to forgive him his offences, and that heartily, to feed him, to cherish him, to care for him, and to see that he want nothing.

Go to now, most dear reader, and sit thee down at the Lord's feet, and read His Words, and, as Moses teacheth the Jews, take them into thine heart, and let thy talking and communication be of them, when thou sittest in thine house, or goest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And, above all things, fashion thy life and conversation according to the doctrine of the Holy Ghost therein, that thou mayest be partaker of the good promises of God in the Bible, and be heir of His blessing in Christ;