Seven godly and learned sermons preachedSeuen godly and learned sermons preached

James also saith, See that ye be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any hear the word and do it not, he is like unto a man that beholdeth his bodily face in a glass: for as soon as he looketh on himself, he goeth away and forgetteth immediately what his fashion was. But who so looketh in the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, (if he be not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work) the same shall be happy in his deed. If ye therefore hear the word of God preached unto you, if you know the gospel of Christ never so well, if ye daily and hourly read and study the same: yet if you live not according to the word of God, if you walk not after the gospel of Christ, you do nothing else but deceive your selves, you do I say, nought else but deceive your own selves. S. John the Baptist when he preached and prepared the way of the Lord, he began with this lesson,¹ Penitentiam agite: do you (said he) the works of repentance. For hereunto are we all called, not only ⟨image 25⟩to know Gods way, but also to walk in Gods way: not only to know God & his name, but also to confess God and praise his holy name. Therefore do we receive Christs holy Sacraments, therefore are we baptised, therefore eat we the Sacrament of Christs body, and drink his most holy blood. But O merciful God, how many are there that say they know Gods way, & yet walk not in that way! how many that say they know their faith & promise made in baptism, & yet forsake the same! how many that receive the Sacrament of Christs body & blood, & yet continue in their old sin & wickedness! But God saith, God I say, that cannot lye,² saith, Qui manet in peccato non novit me, he that continueth in sin knoweth not me. Ezekiel declaring the folly of the people in his time,³ saith: O these come unto thee after the manner of a great people: yea my people sit down before thee, and hear thy words, but they do not thereafter: For in their mouths they show themselves as though they were fervent, but their heart goeth after their own covetous lucre. They ⟨image 25⟩have my word in their mouths, they speak ever of my name, saith God, but their hearts are far from me. And so likewise Jude the Apostle of Christ,