The second part of the Homily concerning prayer.The second part of the Homilee concernyng prayer.

The second part of the Homily concerning prayer.

The second part of the Homilee concernyng prayer.

IN the first part of this sermon ye heard the great necessity, & also the great force of devout and earnest prayer declared & proved unto you, both by divers weighty testimonies, and also by sundry good examples of holy scripture. Now shall you learn whom you ought to call upon, and to whom ye ought always to direct your prayers. We are evidently taught in Gods holy Testament, that almighty God is the only fountain and wellspring of all goodness, and that whatsoever we have in this world, we receive it only at his hands. To this effect serveth the place of S. James: Every good and perfect ¹gift, saith he, cometh from above, and proceedeth from the father of lights. To this effect also serveth the testimony of Paul, in divers places of his Epistles, witnessing that the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of knowledge and revelation, yea every good and heavenly gift, as faith, hope, charity, grace, and peace, cometh only and solely of God. In consideration whereof, he bursteth out into a sudden passion, and sayeth: O man, what thing hast thou, which thou ²hast not received? Therefore whensoever we need or lack any thing, pertaining either to the body, or to the soul, it behoveth us to run only unto GOD, who is the only giver ⟨p. 236⟩of all good things. Our saviour Christ in the Gospel, teaching his disciples how they should pray, sendeth them to the father in his name, saying: Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye ask the father in my name, he will give it unto you. And in an other place, when ye pray, pray after this sort: Our father which art in ³heaven. &c. And doth not God him self, by the mouth of his Prophet David, will and command us to call upon him? The Apostle wisheth grace and peace to all them that call on the