And to know this thing, good children, is a point of high wisdom, to the which every man doth not attain For the apostle Paul doeth confess, that he had not known this sin, if the law had not given him warning of it. For he sayeth, I had not known concupiscence, if the law had not said: Thou shalt not desire or lust. Wherefore ⟨image 118⟩good children, lock up this lesson in the coffer of your memories, by the which you shall learn truly to fear God. For we ought not then only to dread God, when by outward act or work we break his laws, but also as often as we feel in us these ill lusts & carnal desires. And although these lusts do for a time, as it were sleep in us, and do not stir or move us, yet not withstanding their quiet rest, we ought to know that they lye hide in the privy corners of our hearts, and that for all their slumbering they be since before God. For if God had not taken them for since, then he would not have forbid them by this commandment. Thou shalt not long or lust. For as saint Paul saith. The law was not given to the just man,1 nor doth forbid any thing ⟨p. xcv⟩but sin only. Wherefore (good children) forasmuch as we know, that concupiscence lust or longing is sin, we ought to eschew and bridle it (as much as we may) by gods grace. And it is our part chiefly to take heed, that we consent not to the request of our ill lusts, nor fulfil in outward act the desires of the flesh. And that you may the better attain to the understanding of this commandment, I will declare unto you the other words of this commandment, thou shalt not desire thy neighbours house. Where you shall note, that this word, house, doth not only signify the house wherein men do dwell, but it betokeneth all the hole household, and the whole state of the householder, and all things that belong unto him. Some time it is taken for a ⟨image 119⟩stock or kindred. As when we say, he & I come out of one house, meaning thereby that we be both of one stock or kindred. Wherefore this is the perfect sense of this commandment.
And to knowe this thing, good chyldren, is a point of high wisedom, to the which euery man doth not attain For thapostle Paule doeth confesse, that he had not knowen this synne, yf the lawe had not gyuen him warnyng of it. For he sayeth, I had not knowē concupiscence, yf the lawe had not sayed: Thou shalt not desire or lust. Wherfore ⟨image 118⟩good children, locke vp this lessō in the cofer of your memories, by the whiche you shall learne trulye to feare God. For we oughte 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 & carnal desiers. And althoughe 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 knowe that they lye hyde in the priuye 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 cō maūdement. Thou shalt not long or lust. For as sainct Paule saith. The lawe was not gyuen to the iust mā,1 nor doth forbid any thing ⟨p. xcv⟩but synne only. Wherefore (good childrē) forasmuche as we knowe, that cōcupiscence 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 fulfyl in outwarde acte the desiers of the fleshe. And that you maye the better attayne to the vnderstandyng of this commaū dement, I wyll declare vnto you the other wordes of this commaū dement, thou shalt not desire thy neyghbours house. Where you shall note, that this worde, house, doth not onely signifye the house wherin men do dwell, but it betokeneth al the hole householde, and the whole state of ye householder, and all thinges that belong vnto him. Some tyme it is taken for a ⟨image 119⟩stocke or kynrede. As when we say, he & I come out of one house, meanyng thereby that we be both of one stocke or kyndrede. Wherfore this is the perfit sense of this commaundemente.
- 1i. Timo. i.
