HOLY weeke.
Continuing his Sermon, he bringeth two parables, of ten Virgins, and of Talents, to shew how it
shal be in Domesday with the Faithful that prepare, and that prepare not them selues. 31. Then also
without parables he sheweth that such Faithful as doe workes of mercy, shal haue for them life
euerlasting: and such as doe not, euerlasting damnation.
1.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon S. Catharines day. Nouemb. 25. And for some other holie
Virgins.
THEN shal the Kingdom of Heauen be like to ten
Virgins.
Good works necessarie.
These Virgins fiue wise, and fiue foolish, signifie that in the Church militant there
be good and bad: which bad shal be shut out at the later day, although they haue lamps
(that is faith) as the other, because their lamps are out; that is, their faith is dead
without charitie and good works to lighten them. Greg. ho. 12.
Virgins, which taking their
Lamps.
These lamps lighted, be good works, namely of mercy, and the laudable conuersation
which shineth before men. Aug. ep. 120. c. 33.
lamps went
forth to meet the Bridegrome and the Bride.
2. And fiue of them were foolish, and the fiue wise.
3. But the fiue foolish, hauing taken their lamps, did not take
Oyle.
Right intention.
This oyle is the right inward intention directing our works to Gods glorie, and
not to the praise of our selues in the sight of men. Aug. ep. 120. c. 33.
oile with them:
4. but the wise did take oile in their vessels with the lamps.
5. And the Bridegrome tarying long they slumbered al and slept.
6. And at midnight there was a clamour made: Behold the Bridegrome commeth, goe ye
forth to meet him.
7. Then arose al those Virgins, and they trimmed their lamps.
8. And the foolish said to the wise: Giue us of
✟
If we be not in the fauour of God, and haue not our owne merits, we shal not be holpen
by other mens deserts at the day of iudgement.
your oile, because our lamps are going
out.
9. The wise answered, saying: Lest peraduenture there there suffice not for vs and
you, goe rather to them that sel, and buy for your selues.
10. And whiles they went to buy, the Bridegrome was come: and they that were ready,
entred with him to the mariage, and the gate was shut.
11. But last of al come also the other Virgins saying: Lord, Lord, open to vs.
12. But he answering said: Amen I say to you, I know you not.
13. Watch ye therfore, because you know not the day nor the houre.
14.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon S. Nicolas day Decemb. 6. and for some other Confessours Bishops.
For
*
Luke 10,12.
euen as a man going into a strange countrie, called his seruants, and
deliuered them his goods.
15. And to one he gaue fiue talents, and to an other two, and to an other one, to
euery one According to his proper facultie: and immediatly he tooke his iourney.
16. And he that had receaued the fiue talents, went his way, and occupied with the
same, and gained other fiue.
17. Likewise also he that had receaued the two, gained other two.
18. But he that receaued the one, going his way digged into the earth, and hid his
Lords money.
19. But after much time the Lord of those seruants commeth, & made acount with them.
20. And there came he that had receaued the fiue talents, & offred other fiue talents,
saying: Lord fiue talents thou didst deliuer me, behold
✟
Free wil with Gods grace doth merit.
I haue gained other fiue besides.
21. His Lord said vnto him: Wel-fare thee good faithful seruant, because thou hast
benn faithful ouer a few things I wil place thee ouer many things: enter into the ioy of thy Lord.
22. And there came also he that had receaued the two talents, & said: Lord two talents
thou didst deliuer me: behold I haue gained other two.
23. His Lord said to him: Wel-fare thee good & faithful seruant: because thou hast
been faithful ouer a few things, I wil place thee ouer many things, enter into the ioy of thy Lord.
24. And he also that had receaued the one talent, came forth, and said: Lord, I know
that thou art a hard man; thou reapest where thou didst not say, and gatherest where thou strawed
not:
25. and being afraid I went, and hid my talent in the earth: behold here thou hast
that which thine is.
26. And his Lord answering, said to him:
✟
A terrible example for al such as doe not employ the very least guift of God, to
his glorie.
Naughtie and sloughtful seruant, thou didst
know that I reape where I sow not, & gather where I strawed not:
27. thou oughtest therfore to haue committed my money to the bankers, and comming I
might haue receaued mine owne
With vsurie.
Vsurie is here taken for the lawful gaine that a man getteth by wel employing his
goods. When God giueth vs any talent or talents, he looketh for vsurie, that is, for
spiritual increase of the same by our diligence and industrie.
with vsurie.
28. Take ye away therfore the talent from him, and giue it him that hath ten talents.
29. For to
*
Mark 13,12.
Luke 8,18.
euery one that hath shal be giuen, and he shal abound: but from him that
hath not, that also which he
That which he seemeth to haue.
We must vse Gods guifts.
He is said to have Gods guifts, that vseth them, and to such an one God wil increase
his guifts. He that vseth them not, seemeth to haue, rather then hath them, and from
him God wil withdraw that which before he gaue.
seemeth to haue, shal be taken away from him.
30. And the vnprofitable seruant cast ye out into the vtter darknes. There shal be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.
31.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon munday the first weeke of Lent.
And when the Sonne of man shal in his maiestie, and al the Angels with him, then
shal he sit vpon the seat of his maiestie:
32. and al Nations shal be gathered togeather before him, and he shal
Separate.
Good and bad in the Church.
Loe here is the separation; for in the Church militant they liued both togeather.
As for Heretikes, they went out of the Church before, and separated them selues,
and therfore are not to be separated here, as being iudged already.
separate them
one from an other, as the pastour separateth the sheep from the goats:
33. and shal set the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at his left.
34. Then shal the King say to them that shal be at his right hand:
Come ye. 42. Get ye away.
Heauen is the reward of good workes, and Hel of the contrarie.
It is no incongruitie that God should say: Goe into euerlasting fire, to them that
by their free wil have repelled his mercie; and to the other: Come ye Blessed of
my Father, take the Kingdom prepared for you, that by their free wil haue receaued
faith, and confessed their sinnes, and done pennance. Aug. li. 2. act. cum Fel.
Manich. c. 8.
Come ye Blessed
of my Father, possesse you the Kingdom
✟
This Kingdom then is prepared for those only that doe good works: as Christ also
signifieth els where, saying that it is not in his power to giue it otherwise.
See the annot. c. 20. 23.
prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35. For I was an hungred, and you gaue me to eate: I was thirst, and
You gaue me.
Hereby we see how much almes-deedes and al works of mercy preuaile towards
life euerlasting, and to blot out former sinnes. Aug. in Ps. 49.
you gaue me to
drinke.
36. I was a stranger, and you tooke me in: naked, and you couered me: sick, and you
visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.
37. Then shal the iust answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee an hungred, and
fed thee, a thirst, and gaue thee drinke?
38. and when did we see thee a stanger, and tooke thee in? or naked, and couered thee?
39. or when did we see thee sick or in prison, and came to thee?
40. And the King answering, shal say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it
to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me.
41. Then he shal say them also the shal be at his left hand: Get ye away from me you
cursed into fire euerlasting, which was prepared for the Diuel and his Angels.
42. For I was an hungred, & you gaue me not to eate, I was a thirst, & you
Gaue me not.
He chargeth them not here that they beleeued not, but that they did not good works.
For such did beleeue, but they cared not for good works, as though by dead faith
they might haue come to Heauen. Aug. de fid. & op. c. 15. & ad Dulcit. q. 2. 4.
gaue me
not to drinke.
43. I was a stranger, and you tooke me not in: naked, and you couered me not: sick,
& in prison, and you did not visit me.
44. Then they also shal answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee an hungred, or
a thirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, & did not minister to thee?
45. The he shal answer them, saying Amen I say to you, as long as you did it not one
of these lesser, neither did you it to me.
46. And these shal goe into punishments euerlasting: but the iust, into life
euerlasting.