r
looked for a reward for his deeds; and that is it, which is the let of
altogether,(5) if a man come to the Gospel and hears the same, and
afterwards looks for a reward, such a man shall be "the last." If these
sayings were well considered by us, surely we should not have such a
number of vain gospellers as we now have, who seek nothing but their own
advantage under the name and colour of the Gospel. Moreover, he teaches us
to be meek and lowly, and not to think much of ourselves; for those that
are greatly esteemed in their own eyes, are the least before God: "For he
that humbleth himself shall be exalted;" according to the scripture, which
saith, "God resisteth the proud, and advanceth the humble and meek." And
this is what he saith, "The first shall be the last," teaching us to be
careful and not to stand in our own conceit, but ever to mistrust
ourselves; as St. Paul teacheth, saying, "Whosoever standeth let him take
heed he fall not; and therefore we may not put trust in ourselves, but
rather in God."

Further, in this saying of our Saviour is comprehended a great comfort;
for those that are accounted by the world to be the vilest slaves and most
abject, may by this saying have a hope to be made the first and the
principal; for although they are ever so low, yet they may rise again, and
become the highest. And so this is to us a comfortable sentence, which
strengthens our faith, and keeps us from desperation and falling from God.
And at the end he saith, "Many are called, but few are chosen." These
words of our Saviour are very hard to understand, and therefore it is not
good to be too curious in them, as some vain fellows, who seeking carnal
liberty, pervert, toss and turn the word of God, after their own mind and
purpose. Such, I say, when they read these words, make their reckoning
thus; saying, "What need I to mortify my body with abstaining from all sin
and wickedness? I perceive God hath chosen some, and some are rejected.
Now if I be in the number of the chosen, I cannot be damned; but if I be
accounted among the condemned number, then I cannot be saved: for God's
judgments are immutable." Such foolish and wicked reasons some have; which
bring them either to desperation, or else to carnal liberty. Therefore, it
is as needful to beware of such reasons, or expositions of the scripture,
as it is to beware of the devil himself.

But if thou art desirous to know whether thou art chosen to everlasting
life, thou