Certain Sermons or Homilies (First Book of Homilies)

For what deadly grief may a man suppose it is, to be under the wrath of God, to be forsaken of him, to have his holy spirit, the author of all goodness, to be taken from him, to be brought to so vile a condition, that he shall be left mete for no better purpose, then to be for ever, condemned to hell. For not only such places of David do show, that upon the turning of Gods face from any persons, they shall be left bare from all goodness, & far from hope of remedy: but also the place, recited last before of Isaiah, doeth mean the same, which showeth, that God at length doth so forsake his unfruitful vineyard, that he will not only suffer it, to bring forth weeds, briers, and thorns, but also, further to punish the unfruitfulness of it, he saith: he will not cut it, he will not delve it, and he will command the clouds, that they shall not rain upon it, whereby is signified, the teaching of his holy word: which saint Paul, after a like manner, expresseth by planting and watering, meaning, that he will take that away from them. So that they shall be no longer of his kingdom, they shall be no longer governed by his holy spirit: they shall be frustrated of the grace & benefits, that they had, and ever might have enjoyed through Christ. They shall be deprived of the heavenly light, and life, which they had in Christ, whiles they abode in him. They shall be,¹ (as they were once) as men without God in this world, or rather in worse taking. And to be short, they shall be given into the power of the devil, which beareth the rule in all them, that be cast away ⟨image 53⟩from God, as he did in Saul and Judas, and generally, in all such, as work after their own wills, the children of diffidence and infidelity.

For what deadly greif may a mā suppose it is, to be vnder the wrath of God, to be forsakē of hym, to haue his holy spirit, the aucthor of all goodnesse, to be taken from hym, to be brought to so vile a condicion, that he shalbe left mete for no better purpose, then to be for euer, condempned to hel. For not onely such places of Dauid do shewe, that vpon ye turnyng of Gods face frō any persons, thei shalbe left bare from al goodnesse, & far from hope of remedy: but also the place, recited last before of Esaie, doeth meane thesame, which sheweth, that God at length doth so forsake his vnfruitful vineyard, that he wil not only suffre it, to bryng furth wedes, breirs, and thornes, but also, further to punish the vnfruitfulnesse of it, he saith: he wil not cut it, he wil not delue it, and he will cōmaunde the cloudes, that they shal not rain vpon it, wherby is signified, the teachyng of his holy worde: whiche sainct Paule, after a like maner, expresseth by plantyng and wateryng, meanyng, that he will take that awaye from theim. So that thei shalbe no lenger of his kyngdō, they shalbe no lenger gouerned by his holy spirite: thei shalbe frustrated of the grace & benefites, that thei had, and euer might haue enioyed through Christ. Thei shalbe depriued of the heauenly light, and life, whiche they had in Christe, whiles they abode in hym. They shalbe,