as wee bee when he seeth that wee haue no minde of him and that euen his benefites are an occasion vnto vs to dispise him so as wee turne them the cleane contrarie way frō the lawfull vse wherevnto hee had ordained them Might hee not iustly leaue vs in that state as cursed creatures and vnwoorthy that euer hee shoulde open his mouth to speake to vs Yes and yet for all that he commeth to seeke vs. Beholde saieth he I knowe yee bee inclined to forget mee when I haue fed you well and fat and the more abundance that you haue the more ye refuse to come to me and therefore ye deserue to be shaken off that I should neuer remember you any more Yet notwithstanding my desire is not that you should perish but that ye should returne vnto mee What naughtinesse or lewdnesse so euer I espie in you I am contented to take you still for my children I will preuent the vices whereto you bee giuen therefore take heede y t ye forget me not when you be at your ease Seeing that our Lord beareth with vs after that fashion ought it not to breake our hearts though they were harder than stone So then first of all let vs mistrust prosperitie In deede we couet it for the loue thereof wee shun the things that are hard and combersome If we suffer hunger and thirst it grieueth vs we neuer leaue storming vntill God haue prouided for it but yet for all y t it would be more for our profit oftentimes to indure hunger than to haue abundance Howsoeuer the case standeth whensoeuer God bestoweth his benefites vpon vs let vs haue prosperitie in suspitiō as I said afore Not that it ought of it selfe so to deceiue vs blindfold our eyes as wee should not knowe God but for that it behoueth vs to perceiue our owne nature to be so sinfull and euill giuen as we cannot profit our selues by any of the benefites which we receiue at Gods hand Yea and we see howe euen Salomon was afraide to bee ouerriche Prou. 30.9 for feare of aduauncing himselfe against God least he should despise him and forsake him See here howe Salomon who was indued with so excellent giftes of grace did neuerthelesse see the frailtie of man to bee such that when he had all y t his heart could wish yet he might forget himselfe be ouersotted as he should fall to renouncing of God by aduauncing himselfe against him Phil. 2.12 Now then let vs liue in feare and aw and if God giue vs not such aboundaunce as we would desire but doe cutte our morsels very small let vs vnderstande that the same is for our benefite in that wee haue neede to bee dyeted for feare least fatnesse stoppe our eyes and so make vs starke blinde If wee thinke well vppon this it will make vs to beare pouertie the more patiently When wee want our pleasures and delyghtes when wee want our delicate morselles and when wee want abundance to fill our selues withall let vs knowe that our Lorde hath a regarde to holde vs in awe by that meane for we shoulde bee in daunger of forgetting him if we shoulde growe too fatte And therefore when wee haue wealth at will let vs bethinke vs thus why was it sayde to the people of Israel forget not thy GOD when thou hast thy fill It was bicause men can not brouke their wealth in so much that if they haue all that they haue neede of yea and mor◠too they ouershoot themselues they play the loose coltes they arme themselues against GOD and they haue no more care of him Is the winde in that doore Let vs learne to haue God alwayes before our eyes so as if he deale graciously with vs and giue vs more than he doeth to other men wee may haue the skill to consider See howe my God commeth to me and to what intent but that I shoulde bee as it were brooded vnder his wings and liue obediently towardes him honouring him and referring my whole life to the glorifying of his holy name so as it may bee as a bond whereby to binde mee straytlyer vnto him than others on whome hee hath not bestowed the lyke benefites as he hath doone vppon mee Thus ye see that both poore and riche ought to tend to God-ward eche one according to his degree Againe the comparing of the people of Israel with our selues ought to quicken vs vp yet better to stand vppon our garde It is said when the Lorde thy GOD shall haue giuen thee thy fill And of what goods Of wyne which thou shalt haue gathered of other mens labours and of all other thinges to lyue by which thou haste not earned when thy God shall haue fedde thee so of his owne free goodnesse see thou forget him not If the people of Israel myght forget GOD hauing had most apparant recordes of the fauour that was shewed vnto them what will become of vs which are helde here vnder the common order of nature For wee haue no myracles to spurre vs foorth to Godwarde wee haue not a lande of Chanaan as a speciall elected and chosen dwelling place And therefore wee myght easilyer forget GOD than that people coulde if wee shoulde not remember this present lesson earely and late And for as much as wee see our owne coldnesse let vs learne to matche the spirituall benefites as well which God hath bestowed vppon vs heeretofore as which we looke for heereafter with the thinges that pertaine to the maintenaunce of this transitorie lyfe True it is that although wee thought vppon no more than the thinges that are giuen vs for this bodie yet were wee sufficiently bounde to God yea and a hundred folde more than wee coulde discharge our selues of Notwithstanding besides all this our Lorde giueth vs cause ynough to serue him in that he graunteth vs so many spirituall benefites that belong to the sauing of our soules whereof wee haue a portion alreadie Eph. 2.8 Rom. 7. For whereof commeth fayth wherof commeth it that wee bee graffed into the bodie of our Lorde Iesus Christ by being baptized in his name and that wee bee taken into Gods housholde to bee auowed for his children Whereof come these thinges but of his giuing of the spirit of adoption vnto vs Eph. 1.5 2 Gal. 4.6 Eph. 2.14 to the intent wee should call vppon him as our father bee assured of the heauenly heritage stande in awe of him and liue according to his woord And is not this dooing of his a speciall gift Yes and yet besides this there is a lyfe prepared for vs whereof wee haue but onely a taste as yet For wee haue receiued as yee would say some first fruites of it but wee shall not haue the full fruition of it vntill God haue taken vs quite and cleane away to himselfe it is ynough for vs as nowe that we followe after it aloofe Now then sith we see that besides y e
Because God bindeth vs one to another But yet for al y t we haue our consciences at liberty so as wee knowe that the thinges are free to vs which were not permitted to the fathers of olde time Nowe then ought not this to moue vs the more to serue God which sheweth himself so freeharted towardes vs For if we were vnder the bondage of the Lawe wee ought to abstaine from manslaughter seeing that the bloude of beastes were forbidden vs which at this day is permitted vnto vs. And therefore let vs beware wee abuse not such goodnesse of our God but rather the more that hee graunteth vs the more let euerie of vs bethinke him to holde himselfe in his obedience subiection that we play not the loose Colts as the prouerbe saith That is the effect of the thinges which wee haue to note vppon this text Now as touching the Vowes and Oblations wherof Moses speaketh so much let vs remember what hath bin saide heretofore namely howe it is not Gods will that his people should eate and drinke without hauing some recorde that all commeth of him As for example whereas at this day he giueth vs leaue to eate and drink euerie man according to his abilitie his meaning is that wee shoulde giue our neighbours part with vs and shewe by our almosedeeds that wee doe homage vnto him with the things that he hath giuen vs as belonging vnto him alone There is not nowadayes the like order that was vnder the Lawe of Moses concerning oblations firstfruites and Sacrifices but Almosedeedes are the sacrifices that God liketh of as is shewed vnto vs Hebr. 13.16 specially in the Epistle to the Hebrewes And it is a doctrine that is verie rife in the holy scriptures But there it is saide expresly that wee must not forget the brotherly loue which wee ought to haue in succouring our neighbours that are distressed for they bee the sacrifices which God requireth and alloweth Sith it is so then let vs marke well that if a man haue wherewith to maintaine himselfe abundantly hee must not exempt himselfe from doing seruice vnto God therewithall And after what manner Euerie man must streine himselfe to the vttermost of his power to succour and releeue such as haue scarcetie want of worldly goods Thus yee see howe the right vse which our Lorde appointeth to all his creatures is to offer them vp vnto him to shew that we holde all of him That is the very meaning that was intended in all the first fruites of olde time And although the Ceremonie continue not at this day yet ought the truth thereof to reigne still among vs. Wherefore let vs learne to cherish our selues in such sort as wee forget not other folks and specially let vs beare in minde that our vnthankfulnesse will defile all our good fare if wee acknowledge not God to bee the giuer of all thinges vnto vs. Wee heare what our Lorde Iesus Christ saide to the hypocrites that tooke greate paines to make clean their vesselles that there might bee no spotte in them Mat. 13.23 â—5 26 Make cleane the insides of them too quoth hee And afterwarde hee addeth that the right way for men to make themselues cleane is to giue to the poore and not to busie themselues about a sort of pelting trifles as the worlde doeth continually who thinke to dally with God and woulde giue him rittlerattles to play with as if hee were a babe but they cannot beguile him so Therefore according to Iesus Christes exhortation if wee meane that the meates which we take shoulde be sanctified vnto vs let vs looke that God bee honoured by them and let vs beare well in minde howe it is of his onely freegoodnesse that wee bee nourished by them And forasmuch as wee can neither doe him good nor harme neither hath hee neede of any thing let vs shewe our good will towardes his poore seruauntes For they bee his bailifes whome hee sendeth to vs to receiue the fines and other dueties that wee owe him for all his benefites Thus yee see in effect what wee haue to gather vppon that saying Nowe it is saide further that if the people doe the thinges that are right and iust before God they shal bee blessed both they and their children Hereby wee bee still warned that if wee will direct our life aright wee must not followe our owne good intents as they cal them but hearken what God sayth vnto vs and rest simplie vppon his will as shal be declared more at large to morrowe by Gods will Neuerthelesse Moses warneth the people here as he doth in manie other places y t they must not demeane themselues after their owne fancies but in any wise giue eare vnto God If thou doe that which is good and righteous saieth he And in whose sight In the sight of men True it is that we ought to liue in such sort as wee giue no cause of offence to any bodie so as if any speake euil of vs they may haue their mouthes stopped But yet must not men bee made iudges of their liues that authoritie must bee reserued vnto GOD. And that is the cause why the scripture meaning to betoken an angelicall perfection saieth that such a man hath walked before God For if wee shoulde fashion our selues after the worlde what a thing were it Wee see howe the greatest multitude liue out of all order and so shoulde wee make euill custome a Lawe When whoredome drunkennesse outrage violence and blasphemie reigned wee woulde beare our selues in hande that such thinges were permitted vs. And why Because they be growen into custome Nowe therefore if wee shoulde followe the guise of the worlde wee should bee caried quite away Againe euen they that pretende to bee fullest of deuotion may chaunce to vse some pelting trash and baggage in the seruing of God they may happe to make a number of geugawes and rifferaffe but all such thinges are nothing worth they bee but flatte mockerie So then it behoueth vs to walke before God although wee see thinges vtterly out of order and all brought to confusion yet must wee holde the right way still which GOD sheweth vnto vs. If wee see men goe astray and deuise neuer so many fonde deuotions let vs leaue all such thinges and be contented to follow Gods ordinance Surely although the worlde like neuer so well of our doings yet shall wee not faile to bee condemned but if God allowe of vs then haue wee a good warrant As for example because that nowadayes wee vse not the gewgawes of the Papists we haue not any puppets here wee haue no decking of altars wee haue no tapers nor such other stuffe they laugh our plaine dealing to scorne and they thinke there is no seruing of GOD among vs. But howsoeuer wee fare wee haue heere a good recorde which is that wee doe the thinges that are good in the sight of our God And it is not for once onely that Moses
of breade without it be giuen vs from aboue not onely for that he hath created all thinges but also for that it behoueth vs to receiue all things as at his hande Therefore whensoeuer we eat or drinke we must not onely call to minde that God hath created all things for mans vse but also that hee feedeth vs as a father that cutteth out meate to his little children so as our hauing of thinges is as it were by his deliuerance as if he should say to vs I doe the office of a father I haue a care to nourishe you If wee knowe not this it is vnpossible for vs to thanke God hartily and vnfainedly True it is that euen they that haue no such thought will say grace but that is but for fashion sake and in way of hypocrisie Wil wee then magnifie Gods goodnesse truely then must we bee fully resolued not onely that God hath created all thinges for mans vse but also that he stil sheweth himselfe a father and giueth vs assurance that he will susteyne our bodies and maintaine vs in this transitorie life Sith it is so is it not an incouragement vnto vs to yeeld him the thankes as he deserueth Yes For it is not without cause that hee listed to put a difference betweene the ceremonies of the Lawe and the thinges that we haue at this day But although this prohibition was done away by the coÌ„ming of our Lorde Iesus Christ yet cease wee not to come backe still to this point that forasmuch as our Lord Iesus Christ giueth vs leaue to vse all his creatures indifferently we must vse them in such wise as he may be glorified by them so as wee referre all to him and take all as at his hande And herewithall we see what priuiledge wee haue in that we may quietly and with safe conscience eate the thinges that God giueth vs. For as for the wretched papists which behaue them selues after the maner of the worlde in forbearing certaine meates that are forbidden them whereas they think themselues to serue God in making but small meales vppon some certayne dayes and absteyning from egges and whytemeates on some other dayes and beare themselues in hand that their so doing is great deuotion and that God is greatly bound to them for it and yet in y e meane while suffer themselues to be led like silie beastes by the tyrannie of men in what case are they before God They can not eat one bitte of breade without doubting because they knowe not who it is that giueth it to them But sith we see that our Lorde hath set vs at libertie 1. Tim. â—4 so as we may vse all manner of meats with thanksgiuing let vs consider that it is such a priuiledge as cannot be esteemed sufficiently and therfore let vs acknowledge it in our eating and drinking Sith we perceiue y t God hath such a care of vs 1. Cor. â—â—â— as to stoope so lowe as to be chary of our food let vs assure our selues y t although our bodies be but carions yet notwithstanding God wil giue them sustenance to maintaine theÌ„ Seeing wee haue such a certeintie knowledge which cannot be without faith that is to wit that we be sure what God hath graunted vnto vs we ought greatly to magnifie his grace and therewithall to vse all his creatures with such sobrietie as we may yeeld him good account of them at the last day glorifie him in al pointes as long as he keepeth vs in this world Now let vs kneele downe before y e maiestie of our good god w t acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs feele them better than we haue done by touching vs to the quicke so as we acknowledging him to bee the authour of all good things may learne to seeke him in all our life and cleaue wholy to his will and that for the bringing thereof to passe it may please him to graunt vs the grace to forsake all our corruptions and to fence vs so from the wiles and suttleties of satan and the world as nothing may keepe vs from being truely vnited to him that is the fountaine both of life of ioye and of al happinesse That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and Nations of the earth c. On Wednesday the xxiij of October 1555. The XCj. Sermon which is the second vpon the fourteenth Chapter 21 Ye shal not eat of anie dead bodie but thou shalt giue it to the Straunger that is within thy gates that he may eat it or else thou shalt sell it to a straunger For thou art a holy people to the Lord thy God Thou shalt not seeth a kidde in his dammes milke 22 Thou shalt giue the tenth of all the increase of thy seede which groweth yeerely on thy Land 23 And in the place which the Lorde thy GOD will choose to put his name in thou shalt eate before him the tythe of thy grayne and of thy wine and of thine oyle and the first borne of thy kine and of thy sheepe that thou maist learne to feare the Lord thy God alwayes YEsterday I tould you the cause why God forbad the people of olde time to eate of some certaine kindes of meats For in as much as we be fed sustained by his hand it is good reason y t we should vse his creatures purely and that we should haue leaue of him so as euery man take not leaue to doe what he listeth but what Gods word permitteth vs to doe Therew tall I shewed also y t although the ceremonie be no more vsed nowadayes nor we any more bound thereto as the fathers of old time were which liued vnder the law yet notwithstanding the doctrine thereof ceasseth not to be profitable for vs. And hereby we be doone to vnderstand that it is not lawfull for vs to eate or drinke without faith as S. Paul speaketh of it in the xiiii to the Romanes that is to say 〈◊〉 14.23 vnlesse we be sure that God giueth vs the thinges which wee receiue for our sustenaunce as if a father shoulde feede his children On the other side wee haue farre greater libertie nowadayes than was vnder the Lawe Wee see how liberall GOD is towardes vs and wee haue the more cause to yeeld him thankes Moreouer the thing that was set downe in figures to the Iewes in olde tyme is vttered as nowe vnto vs without figure that is to say that in all cases all respects we must bridle our selues so as we medle not w t the defilements of y e vnbeleeuers but separate our selues from them seeing y t our Lord hath gathered vs into his flock and sheepefold And this figure of the old time is a warning for vs nowadayes For although we be no more bound to the keeping of it yet notw tstanding it ought to moue vs y e more to serue our god purely sith we see he hath giuen
bring them after such a sorte before the face of our GOD as the veryest straungers and those that are furthest off from vs may bee partakers of our mirth and feele the benefite of it bicause it is made common according to the same saying of Moses in this present Text that the strangers the widowes and the fatherles must be merrie with those that present themselues after that manner to God to offer sacrifice vnto him Now let vs fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him to make vs feele them better that being vtterly in misliking with them we may seeke to be reformed by his worde and profite therein more and more And that for as much as he doth chiefely commaund vs to passe through the world and to aspire to y e kingdome of heauen we by this making of vs to feele our owne wretchednesse may bee stirred vp by the same meane to seeke the saluation which he hath promised vs and whereinto our Lord Iesus Christ is entered to guide vs thither by his example And that in the meane while we may be confirmed by the power of his holy spirite in the doctrine y t he giueth vs so as we may neuer be turned from it for any impedimentes that can befal vs but that we may alwaies keepe on our course till he haue rid vs of this mortall body and clothed vs againe with his owne immortall glory That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and Nations of the earth c. On Saturday the ix of Nouember 1555. The Cj. Sermon which is the fifth vpon the sixeteenth Chapter 18 Iudges and Officers shalt thou make thee in all thy Cities which the Lorde thy God giueth thee throughout all thy Tribes to iudge the people with iust Iudgemement 19 Thou shalt not wrest the Lawe nor haue regarde of persons Thou shalt not take any reward For gifts blinde the eyes of the wise and peruert the woordes of the righteous HAd wee continued in the same soundnesse of nature wherein God created vs y e order of Law as men terme it should not be so needefull bicause euery man should cary the law in his heart so as no man needed to be compelled to obedience but euery man should know his rule wee should all with one accord followe that which is good rightful And therefore law is as a remedie against the corruption y t is in men As oft as there is any talk concerning earthly gouernmēt we must vnderstand y t therein we haue a mirror of our frowardnes in y t we are faine to bee compelled to y e following of vprightnes reason For they that are in authoritie Rom. 13.4 1. Pet. 2.14 haue the sworde in their hand and to what end To represse such as burst out into excesse and outrage And wherof commeth that but that whereas mē ought of themselues to seeke the thing that is good and iust they turne it vpside downe and goe about to bring all to confusion if they bee not letted Surely it is a great shame Gen. 1.26 considering that God hath created vs after his own image giuen vs dominion soueraigntie ouer al his creatures y t we should be faine to be inforced to it by reasō of our naughtines Picke me out the most despised of all men yet doeth he carie in himselfe the image of God and the saide token of soueraigntie Yet for al that wee bee faine to become vnderlings and that is bicause of our sinne as I said afore Let vs know therefore that God hath not stablished the order of earthly gouernment without cause but that he had an eye to y e corruption y t is in vs. Hereby we be well warned as I saide afore to humble our selues seeing our sinnes require such remedie But yet ought wee to magnifie Gods goodnes for y t he hath prouided aforehand y t all should not go to vnrecouerable confusion among vs which thing woulde come to passe if we might do what we listed For if the strongest might goe away with the goale what would com◠of it It were much better for vs to be in y e forestes among wolues and wilde beasts thā to be among mē if all things were at libertie For no beastes are so woode as are our own lustes Therfore let vs acknowledge y e wonderful goodnes of our God in y t he hath had such care to preserue vs y t forasmuch as he sawe wee coulde not maintaine our selues vnlesse there were lawes to hold vs in Iudges to execute y ◠things y t are set down in writing he hath prouided for al. Also hereby we are put in mind to loue the state of Iustice forasmuch as we know it is a singular gift of God a meane to preserue mākind If we loue the light of the Sunne bicause we cannot liue without it and if we loue bread and whatsoeuer else belongeth to our sustenance let vs also loue y e order of Iustice. For it is to no purpose to haue meate drink all other commodities seeing y t without lawes Magistrates wee should bee depriued of all Gods blessings and it were better for vs to be dispatched out of hand than to eate vp one another as it would come to passe And therefore we must esteeme y e order of Iustice to be a president of Gods grace and wee must make account of it as it is worthy euery of vs indeuouring al y t he can to maintaine it For wee shewe our selues to bee deadly enemies to peace to the cōmon weale if we loue not the state of Iustice. And all such as trouble it go about to peruert it are as theeues and are to bee esteemed as enemies of mans welfare In so much that all men ought to fight against them when wee see them goe about to bring in such horrible confusion among vs. Now it is not for nought faid here againe that when the people were come into the lande which had bin promised vnto them they should make them Iudges and Magistrates euerywhere This matter hath beene expounded alreadie in the first Chapter Deut. 〈…〉 but yet is it not without cause that GOD repeateth it heere againe For he intendeth to shewe that it is to no purpose to haue good and iust Lawes vnlesse there be men to set them in force and to put them in execution This hath beene told you afore neuerthelesse it is requisite that you be put in mind therof again For we see how God spekeath of one thing oftentimes to the intent we should set y e more store by it and thinke vpon it and not forget it Euen so doth he now confirme the former speeche which he had concerning Magistrates And indeede it is not without cause y t the common prouerb termeth them the soule or life of the Lawe For
there was no meane to appease Gods displeasure but that for all his flattering of Samuell 1. Sam. 15.27.28 yet hee auayled so litle thereby that when hee had rent the Prophetes Cote the Prophete saide vnto him euen so will God rende the kingdome from thee hee cryed out and flang himselfe out of his bounds saying thus What should I doe more Seeing that God hath forsaken mee I also on my side must forsake him And what was the end hereof He went after Witches Whereas hee hadde punished inchaunters before nowe he goeth to seeke them And what came of it Samuell was shewed him in a shape that is to say in a shadowe and imagination so as he thought the Prophete to haue beene raised vp againe by meanes of the Witch Sith we see it befell thus to such a king as God had chosen and to whom hee had giuen the sacred authoritie til the kingdome of Dauid were set vp what shall wee say to it Let vs applie it to such instruction as I haue touched alreadie to make vs liue in feare For when men doe feele themselues after that sort in euil and wilfully shrinke away from God Satan must needes take possession of them and then is there not any thing vnpossible vnto him Wee shall heare incredible thinges reported of Witches and wee must not maruell though God execute so exceeding great vengeaunce For when men haue once turned their backes vpon him and forsaken him euen of wilfull malice they must needs become starke beastes Finally here is mention made of such as aske counsell of the deade For it is not our Lords will that wee shoulde haue anie thing to doe with the deade Therefore they that vse such coniurations goe about to peruert the whole order of nature For doe men what they can yet can they not bring the liuing and the deade together but the deuill steps in betwixt them and pretendeth the persons of the dead so as to outward seeming the dead man himselfe appeareth as was not long since rehearsed whereas in very deed it is the diuell that worketh such illusions And therefore let vs marke wel that seeing our Lord hath forbidden vs to haue to doe with the dead we cannot be deceiued so long as wee keepe within our bounds and attempt not anie thing which we see not to bee comprised within the order which he hath set And thereby we see also that al the things y t euer haue bin said of y e comming vp againe of dead mens ghosts haue bin but sleights of satan when men haue bin beguiled by thā it was al one as if they had wilfully yeelded thēselues slaues to satan And yet was it held for great deuotion in Poperie The cause why they made pilgrimages and Masses to be sung yea and their feast of all soules to be kept once a yeare was by reason of a Reuelatiō or dreame of some deuout Monke that had an idle head He heard y e crying of deadmens soules and thereupon the Papistes concluded that a solemne feast was to be kept for the dead such and such things were to be done for them To be short in that men haue inuented seruice for the dead in the Popedome that was nothing els but meere witcherie euen such as God disliketh in this text and vtterly abhorreth And all they y t haue their deuotion after y t fashion to pray for y e dead are witches and sorcerers for they beleeue in Satans inchantments in despite of God And now let vs marke that these thinges here are not noted as smal tolerable faults but it is said expresly that they be abhominable before God that the people of Chanaan were to be rooted out for such crimes misdeeds Wherby we see y t although other vices were to be pardoned yet ought this to be punished and vtterly roted out Therefore if we will be taken for Gods people let vs see that we vnderstand what this word Abhomination betokeneth namely y t we must be very ware of sorceries inchauntments such other like things And indeed wee see how such things haue euer bin misliked euen among y e heathen How much soeuer witchcraft had raigned yet was it a great thing for a man to haue asked is this well done For euery man would haue said How so It is a monster it is a shamefull cursed thing After y t maner did the heathen speake thereof For it was Gods will y t it should be so ingrauen in mens harts as it might be reproued euen without y e doctrine of the lawe True it is y t in Poperie all are witches in their idolatries for in y e fiftenth of the first booke of Samuel 1. S◠15.23 God cuppleth those two sins togither yea I haue told you already y t the seruice of y e dead is a kind of witchcraft Yet notwithstanding they alwaies abhorre y e terme and vtterly mislike thereof And why Because God hath suffered it to make thē y e more vnexcusable So then let vs marke y t it is not for vs to suffer either inchanters or witches amōg vs. And if these be forbidden we must vnderstand therwithall y t all other kinds of Wisardrie are deadly crimes before God And if Iudges Magistrats do their duties it is certain y t they wil no more beare with them than with murthers It seemeth a smal fault to turne about y e siue as we terme it in this coūtry but it is more worthy to be punished than y e fleaing of a man quicke For why It is an ouerthrowing of Gods seruice and a peruerting of y e order of nature Were it not worthy of punishment and punishment againe if the order of nature should bee confounded betweene men and bruit beasts Were there any reason in so doing And surely when men begin with such inchauntments it is certain y t they fall into a deeper and dreadfuller dungeon than if they giue ouer their bodies to companie with the bruit beastes And yet wee see the selfe same illusions to bee wrought by satan vpon al witches sorcerers And what is the originall cause thereof but that they bee turned away from Gods truth Although there were no further euill in it than the attributing of Gods office vnto satan yet were it a matter in no wise to be borne with There is a thing concealed from me I wold know it yea but God is not minded to discouer it vnto thee That 's no matter I will find it out by some meanes or other though he say nay to it yea I will haue vnderstanding of it by diuelish illusion Is it not a making of warre against God if this be suffered So then let vs marke that if we will be taken for Christians Witchcraftes inchantments such other like thinges must bee lesse borne with among vs than Robberies and murthers Also it ought to make indeede the hayres to stand vp vpon our heads when
man leaue to put away his wife for that is against the order of nature and against the first institution or ordinance of mariage Gâ—â— 2. which ought to continue to the worlds end But it is all one as if God tolde vs that men cannot behaue themselues euenly vprightly that they presume vpoÌ„ many things which are not permitted to theÌ„ And therfore like as men put shackles vpon euill conditioned horses euen so to the intent y t men also should not ouershoot theÌ„selues too far God setteth them a barre to stop at not that he correcteth their vyces altogether but that hee maketh some restraint of them If wee haue an eye to the perfection which God requyreth whosoeuer hath once marryed a wife 〈◊〉 â—9 6 must keepe his faith and troth towardes her to the vttermost that is to say euen vnto the death And although there bee faultes to bee founde in her yet must hee beare with her as with the weaker vessel Likewise the wife must behaue herself so quietly towardes her husbande that to the vttermost of her power shee must frame herselfe to his disposition 1. Pet. 3.5.6 The thing then which marryage requireth is that the two parties liue togither with one consent in the obedience of God and that neyther of them drawe aside by themselues but that if there bee any faultes in the one or in the other Eph. 5. â—1 22 they beare with them passe them ouer as I sayde afore If a man put away his wife whome hee tooke as a prisoner among his enemies although hee doe not hold her still in bondage yet is the marriage broken thereby Yea verily and yet is not that putting away made lawfull by God as who shoulde say hee had set men free at their owne choyce Neither must men soothe themselues or thinke themselues acquit because they bee not blamed by earthly iustice but Gods intent was onely to shew that although a man be so leawd as to breake his faith yet must hee not presume so farre as to play the tyrant too and to sel his wife as though shee were his bondslaue still for euer For he hath dishonored her Wee see then as I haue touched afore howe mannes wickednesse is so great that it cannot bee reformed and that it is much if hee can bee brought to some measure And therefore wee must put a difference betweene humane policie and the lawe of God which serueth to rule our life to the intent wee may walke as before him Humane policie keepeth a certaine meane It is no such perfectnesse as can acquit vs before God though wee haue not transgressed the lawes thereof But our Lorde draweth vs yet further in shewing vs the way to liue wel Hee resteth not vppon the thing that is possible in mannes sight but sheweth vs what is due to himselfe and wherein wee bee bounde vnto him Why bee not mennes lawes perfect in all poyntes Because that in them respect is had what is possible to bee obtained Lawes are not made in respect that it is good that men should do so but to the ende that men might liue togither one with another But when our Lorde giueth vs his doctrine shewing vs the way to liue well and holily hee respecteth not our abilitie to perfourme it For can wee loue him with all our heartes with all our strength with all our soule and with all our reason Alas it is much if wee did take paines about it and enter into the way and indeuour to set foreward Although wee were still farre from the marke yet had wee profited very much But yet doth not this barre God from demaunding his right You must loue mee sayeth hee with all your heart If a man reply that it lyeth not in vs to doe it it is nothing to the purpose Wee must tender thereunto whatsoeuer come of it He will haue vs to bee cleere from all euil affections from all wicked lustes of our flesh and is that possible No. And yet are wee bounde vnto it and the lawe requireth it And for the cause did I say according to my treating of the same matter heretofore that it standeth vs in hande to discerne well the spirituall law whereby God gouerneth our soules from all that euer is set downe in the lawes of this worlde for the ciuile ordering of this present life And hereof wee haue examples in this present place For as I haue declared before what meaneth mariage but that a man shoulde holde himselfe to the companie of his wife euen vnto the death quietly maintaining her and bearing with her But God seemeth here to giue a man leaue to put away his wife It is no giuing of leaue as I sayde afore For the bonde standeth still in force Mal. 2.15 that hee which putteth away his wife is accursed because hee hath broken the order which God hath set and sanctified But yet as in respect of worldly gouernement such a man was not punished among the Iewes As for nowadayes that libertie is not permitted For it is good reason that Christians shoulde vse a more perfect kinde of gouernement than the Iewes had considering that our Lorde Iesus Christ hath shewed himselfe in the worlde and vttered the will of God his father vnto vs more fully Therefore wee must not take such libertie nowadayes as the Iewes did in old time Nowe let vs come to the seconde lawe that is set downe here It is sayde If a man haue two wiues What Is this agreeable to the order of marryage Nay it is cleane contrarie to it A man cannot breake wedlocke more than by taking two wyues Gen. 3.24 It is sayde that they shal bee two in one flesh It is not sayde there that they shal bee three or foure Mal. 2.15 But our Lorde created onely one woman to the intent shee should bee the mannes companion And before he created her 1. Cor 7.2 hee sayth not it were good for a man to haue many helpes Let vs make him one helper quoth hee to bee with him Now seeing that God thinketh one helper to be ynough for a man surely whosoeuer goeth beyonde that rule turneth all thinges vpside downe it is al one as if hee would disanul the ordinance of God Yea verily For who is the author of maryage Hath not God spoken the thing that ought to stande inuiolable namely y t they shal be two in one flesh and that a man shall haue but one helper Now if notwithstanding this a man will needes take two wiues is it not an open defying of God Yes verily And therefore our Lorde sayeth by his Prophet Mal. 2.15 Matt. 19.8 that it were more tolerable for a man to put away his wife by giuing her the leaue that was permitted vnder y e lawe than to haue two wiues at once And there he sendeth such vnruly persons backe againe to the creation Behold sayeth hee God created but one man
againe to the matter that wee were in hande with Which is that Moses meaneth not to excuse himselfe he seeketh no startinghole to lessen his fault but the thing that he alledgeth is reasonable he setteth foorth the heynousnesse of the peoples offence shewing y t their sedition was so forcible that euen he him selfe also was ouerthrowen with it The meaning then of Moses was as if he should haue said thus Beholde yee wretches God hath chosen me to supply his place among you and he hath gouerned me in such wise by his holy spirit that I haue had as it were his image printed in me yet not withstanding I haue done amisse I haue offended And what is the cause of it I excuse not my selfe but yet are you giltie before God of corrupting me your murmuring hath ouerthrowen me for by reason thereof I haue forgotten my duetie and not yeelded God such glorie as was due vnto him Seeing it is so I may well say it is not long of you that you bereft mee not of all the grace that I had receiued at Gods hande for where as he made me your heade to guide you you haue done ynough to carie mee away to Satan through your naughtinesse and rebellion Nowe then acknowledge the sinne that you haue committed for God hath brought me low and it is his will to shewe you in my person that you bee well worthie to perish eueriechone of you Therefore besides the thing that I haue touched alreadie which is that we must not like y e better of our selues whē our faults are vnknowen to our selues or when we can couer them for Gods eies are not blindfolded for al y t and the thinges that scape men are inrolled before him wee must marke moreouer that if wee giue anie man an occasion of stumbling or offending although hee on his parte is not thereby discharged yet must our offence needs be the more grieuous and heauie according as it is in very deede Wherefore let euery man so behaue himselfe as hee giue not his neighbours any occasion of stumbling For if any man sinne vnder pretence of mee if hee be misseled by my lewde conuersation if he take ill example by my vices all the whole mischiefe shal be laide in my necke before God I shal be discharged wo shal be vnto mee as saith our Lord Iesus Christ Matt. 18.6 Mark 9.42 Luk. 17.2 and it were better for mee that I were cast into the middes of the sea with a milstone about my necke than to haue giuen my neighbour any cause of misbehauiour And therefore let vs liue in such sorte as it may not bee cast in our teeth before GOD that wee haue beene the cause of other mens ruine and destruction For it will cost vs very deare if the sillie soules whom God hath created after his owne image and whom Iesus Christ hath so deerely redeemed be lost through our fault and wickednesse Thus we see in effect what we haue to note vpon this sentence where Moses saith that GOD was angrie with him by meanes of the people And furthermore we haue to mark here that Gods laying of his temporall chastisementes vppon his faithfull ones is not to driue them to despayre but to humble them for a time for in the ende all turneth to their benefite and therefore they must not bee out of heart for it It was a verie harde and bitter punishment vnto Moses to bee banished out of the lande that had beene promised him The time is come that the people shoulde bee deliuered out of the thraldome of Egypte to bee conueyed into the Lande of promise Moses is chosen to bee their guide so as hee supplyeth Gods office in deliuering them and yet notwithstanding this shame is done vnto him that GOD shutteth the gappe against him and saieth thou shalt not come there Yee see then howe Moses is as yee woulde say bronded with a marke of reproch before God Nowe had hee taken it in despyte it had beene ynough to haue plunged him into some blasphemie But hee bare this correction patiently knowing that it shoulde bee to his benefite because it was but temporall And therefore let vs marke this saying of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 11. ◠that Gods punishing of vs is to the intent we shoulde not perish with the worlde Seeing then that GOD procureth our welfare thereby and his mortifying of vs for a time as in respect of the fleshe and his condemning of vs in such wise as we bee ashamed afore men 1. Cor. 5. is to the intent that our soules should be saued at the latter day and wee liue in his presence seeing that that is the end butte that he shooteth at let not vs on our part be so headstrong as to chafe or fume at his corrections but rather follow the example of Moses who as wee see did make no wordes against God It might seeme hee had some occasion to say howe falles this out that I am driuen out of the lande of promise What shall a man say to it For thou hast ordeyned mee to be as a redeemer in thy steede and nowe must I tarie heere still It was thy will that I should serue in this office to put the people in possession of the promised lande and why shall I not be partaker of the benefite that thou hast purchased them by my hande What though there haue beene some little distrust in mee which continued not the turning of a hande Is the offence so heynous that I must bee so grieuously punished for that Moses then might haue helde such plea with God but hee holdeth his peace and yeeldeth to the sentence of condemnation willingly Therefore let vs followe that which is shewed vs here by example and as I said afore when GOD is so gratious to vs that in steede of casting of vs away as he might iustly doe he doth no more but chastise vs as in respect of the flesh and shame vs before men to the ende to bring vs to repentance and to humble vs let vs bee quiet and let it not cast vs into sorrowe but let vs plucke vp a good heart to follow our vocation This is the thing wee haue to remember For if hee spared not Moses what will he doe to vs Ought wee to chalenge greater priuiledge than he But heerewith all let vs marke that Moses ceased not to bee an heire still of the heauenly kingdome though hee were bereft of the outwarde signe of it And thereby wee be warned that if God make vs not to feele his fauour and loue in this worlde so fully as wee woulde wish it must not make vs to bee out of patience For it may happe that we shall take our selues to bee miserable yea and that when wee looke vppon our owne state we shall deeme it had bin much better for vs to haue gone astray with the world But what for that Coloss. 3.3 Of al y t time
downe here Now it is set down consequently that before they passed Iordan Moses did seuer out three Cities in the land that had ben conquered from the Amorrhits as we haue seene heretofore from their neighbours as the land of Basan and those three Cities were appointed for such to flie vnto as had slaine any bodie through vnaduisednes This Law is declared more fully in other places Num. 35.15 22. and thence must wee fetch the exposition of this present text God had said and ordeyned Deut. 19.4 that if a man bearing no hatred to another man did slea him vnaduisedly that is to say by chaunce medly as they term it without pretensed purpose hee shoulde not be punished For why the manslaughters that are punishable must either be wilful or else proceed of reuenge or of spyte or of lying in wait which is worst greatest fault of al. But if a man seing no bodie did shoot an arrow hit a man the man dyed this manslaughter was not punishable as a felonie Neuerthelesse God woulde not haue it simplie pardoned and that was for two causes The one was to the ende that men shoulde in any wise mislike of any murder and the shedding of mans bloude and the other was that the kinsfolke of the partie that was slaine shoulde not be prouoked to reuenge And therefore God had ordeyned that hee which had giuen the stroke shoulde get himselfe out of the way and keepe himselfe as a prisoner till the death of the high Priest And then had hee as it were a Iubilee so that when there was once a newe high Priest then the partie that had so fled to the place appointed whether it were at the ende of tenne twentie or thirtie yeeres might returne to his owne house if he listed but vntil that time it behoued him to be as a banished man That is the thing which is spoken of here as nowe Moses rehearseth not the Law as it was giuen of God as it is set down in the booke of numbers but yet in reporting the storie Num. 35.15 therewithall hee giueth an incling of the foresaide lawe and ordinance as we haue saide Nowe for the better vnderstanding hereof we must first marke the thing that I touched afore that is to wit that God abhorreth murther insomuch that although he punish not vnaduised manslaughters rigorously yet he chastiseth them wherby hee sheweth that he mislyketh of bludshed This is a thing well worthy to bee noted For first wee see thereby how greatly God loueth vs he sheweth the cause thereof in the ninth of Genesis Gen. 9.6 to be for that we be created after his image Hee saieth that the sleaing of a man is the doing of wrong to himselfe Yee see then that God beareth vs such loue that he taketh himselfe to bee wounded and misused in our persons because he hath made vs after his owne image And that ought to bee a warrant of his great goodnes and louing kindnesse towards vs to make vs to trust wholy vnto him to honor him And so ye see whereat we ought to beginne when it is tolde vs that God hateth murther and cannot abide it and therefore that when a man hath slaine his neighbour wilfully that is to say either through malice or in quareling or for reuenge or by laying waite for him hee is so detested of God that he is not worthy to liue in the worlde And in good sooth wee see the same by another Lawe where god curseth whole countries for suffering of murders Numb â—â—â— 35.33 For it is saide there that if a deade bodie bee founde search must bee made with all diligence to finde out the murtherer Why so To the intent saieth hee that the lande bee not defiled therewith Wee see hereby that if Magistrates and Iudges shut their eyes and make no reckoning to punish a murder it is as a coÌ„mon defiling which prouoketh Gods vengeance vpon the whole land And therefore it standeth them on hande to consider that God setteth great store by mens liues Againe if the dooer of the wicked deede bee not founde let the Iudges saieth hee make solemne protestation in this wise We haue inquired diligently whence this murther shoulde proceede but wee cannot finde the dooer thereof and therefore are wee cleare and guiltlesse of it before God And moreouer Gods will was that they shoulde offer sacrifice for the same Nowe then wee see howe lothsome wilfull murthers are before GOD. I call them all wilfull murthers which are committed through trecherie or in rage or howsoeuer else it bee where there was any enmitie or variance afore Yea although it be lawfull for men to kill their enemies in the warres that are good and holie 2. Chron. â— 8. and â—â— yet doeth the Scripture vse a manner of speech to shewe vs that GOD hath alwayes misliked of murthering For there it is saide of a valiaunt man howbeit without blaming of him that hee defiled his handes Is it so Nay rather it is worthie of praise that a stoute fellowe being inured to the warres shoulde goe through with his duetie For if hee offer no man any wrong but behaue himselfe valiantly when hee commeth to the incounter doeth that deserue blame No but as I saide afore Gods meaning is to shewe vs that wee ought to tender our neighbours liues in such sort as not to wishe their death nor to further the same vnlesse wee intende to violate his image That is the thing in effect which is heere set out vnto vs. Nowe then if God doe so abhorre the manslaughters that are committed when men assaile vs so as we seeme to haue iust cause to defend our selues I pray you what is to be said to it wheÌ„ men fall to quareling with their neighbours will needes shed bloud of set purpose What meaneth this Suppose we y t Gods curse is not doubled vpoÌ„ the land when such crimes are borne withall and maintained It is said that if a murther bee let passe and the doer of it scapes vnknowen Gods wrath is thereby prouoked and if the murtherer be knowen then is it a more heynous crime to let him scape vnpunished But if a theefe lye in waite for a maÌ„ that mistrusteth no such thing and setteth vppon him is it not a plaine spiting of God if that bee suffered And if it be not any one man that is assaulted but there are such ouer lustie mates as will say let vs kill and slea when they haue their swordes out they care not against how many they drawe but make a common hauocke and such slaughter as all is on a gore bloud are not the folkes that stirre vp such broyles worse than the theeues and robbers in the woods Men wil at leastwise mistrust theeues in a forest but who woulde thinke that where there should be ciuill order where Lawes ought to raigne where there is a seate of Iustice there men
must haue the whol dominion of thee so as he possesse not only thy heart but also all thy senses And for the second point wee must learne to condemne our selues that we may glorifie God in cōfessing our selues to bee all giltie and that if hee call vs to a reckening we be all vndone and cast away if he vse rigor against vs. To that point must wee come or else we shall neuer profite in Gods Lawe as wee shoulde doe But here it might bee demaunded seeing that God knoweth mens frailtie why hee doth not either strengthen them better or else make a Lawe that were lesse straite and seuere For it should seeme that God ment to oppresse vs when he forbiddeth wicked lustes and thinks it not ynough for vs to yeld him obediēce in our willes without adding of the other worde And that is the cause why scoffers say that God ment to mocke men in his lawe and intended as yee would say to forbidde men to scratch when hee made them to itch But wee must come to the cursednes that is in our selues namely that wee haue neither thought nor affectiō in vs as I said afore but the same is disobedient to Gods righteousnesse Therefore let vs not wonder though there be such a battle betwene Gods law mens lusts For why when we haue throughly serched what is in vs we shall find nothing there but vtter corruptiō and damnable vice for we cannot conceiue so much as one thought which tēdeth not to euill Forasmuch as it is so beholde God giueth vs here a perfect rule of all goodnes and righteousnes Needes therefore must there rise vp as it were a thundering and the fire water must needes shewe their contrarie workings Nowe there is lesse agreement betweene mans nature and Gods righteousnes than is betwixt fire and water Therefore let vs not thinke it straunge that God doth so represse all our lusts And when we heare the blasphemies which the scoffers that I spake of doe spew out let vs abhor them as monsters For insteade of glorifying God for his righteousnes they come dashing against him like wild and mad beasts Thus much concerning this point of the frailtie of men Nowe although it be such yet is it not to bee marueiled at that God hath condemned it in his law Why so For in ordering of our life and in shewing vs howe we should walke God respecteth not what we be able to doe nor y e measure of our strength but what duety we owe to him what righteousnesse is although it be not to be foūd in vs. We be Gods creatures and ought we not then to giue our selues wholly to his seruice Yes certainly That is a peremptory reason And men may well grunt at it but yet shall they alwayes finde proofe in themselues that forasmuch as they belong to GOD they ought to dedicate all their senses all their affections and all that euer is in them both in bodie and soule vnto him Howbeit let vs mark well herewithall that wee cannot discharge our selues thereof and what is the cause thereof bu◠our owne naughtinesse And we take that from Adam That followeth not For although wee bee helde in bondage vnder sinne and this bondage hindereth vs from wel doing and driueth vs to all euill yet howsoeuer wee fare the roote of it is in our selues and euery man shall feele himselfe blame worthie so as wee shall not neede to say that wee bee driuen by any other force but euerie man is caried and driuen to it by his owne lust Iam. 1.14 And so is there no more excuse for vs. Whereby it appeareth that it is not for vs to measure Gods Lawe by our owne power and abilities Why so As I sayde afore GOD respecteth not what wee can doe nor what our abilitie can brouk but he respecteth wherein wee bee bounde vnto him and hee hath an eye to the perfection that is without vs. That is the thing which wee haue to marke And it is the thing that beguyleth the Papistes For they haue this principle among them That Gods Lawe is not vnpossible to men It is a wonder that they should bee so straught and that the diuell shoulde bewitch them after that fashion For it is most euident and apparant doctrine throughout the whole Scripture that men shall alwayes bee condemned by the Lawe and that they must bee fayne to flee for refuge to Gods onely mercie Gal. 3.10 When Saint Paule goes about to prooue that all men are cursed for as much as all men are sinners and that there is not so much as one righteous man what argument vseth he He alledgeth this text of Moses Cursed are all they that perfourme not the whole contentes of the Lawe Deut. 27.26 Nowe at the first blush it shoulde seeme that Saint Paule reasoneth amisse and that the sayde allegation is impertinent Well then it is sayde that all such as transgresse Gods Lawe are cursed but yet it followeth not therefore that all mankinde is accursed For if a man keepe the lawe and discharge his duetie in so dooing hee is exempted from the sentence of condemnation Some then there are to bee founde that haue perfourmed the lawe and therefore all are not accursed Yes But Saint Paule presupposeth that the lawe is vnpossible And if he should not presuppose that he had spoken as a witlesse and vnreasonable man Therefore we see that the Papistes haue taken a grounde that is cleane contrarie to Gods spirit and surely hee besotteth them in such wise as they knowe not the verye Apsie of the Christian faith and Religion So then let vs marke well that when wee treate of Gods lawe wee must not measure it by our abilitie nor looke what wee can doe but wee must looke what wee owe vnto God Yea but saye they not so howe shall wee doe then For to their seeming all the worlde shoulde bee damned It is true and so is it meete that it shoulde bee that is to wit that wee shoulde all be damned if wee will not haue saluation in Iesus Christ. For howe shall wee seeke Gods grace vnlesse wee thinke wee haue neede of it Men will not begge by their good willes So long as we thinke our selues to haue any rightuousnesse of our owne wee will not passe to seeke any else where than in our selues Therefore it behooueth vs to bee vtterly ridde of it and to feele Gods wrath and death lying heauie vppon vs for without that wee will neuer vouchsafe to submit our selues to God to obtaine mercie But this deserueth to bee layde foorth more at large Therefore let vs beare well in minde first of all that when wee feele any sinfull thought in vs and our lustes doe tickle vs vnto euill we be guiltie before God But here it might bee demaunded how then If a man doe but conceiue a thought so as he not onely hath no will to abyde by it but also mislyketh of it euen before
our hearts but also of al our thoughts imaginatioÌ„s and conceits There is not that thing in vs which commeth not then to triall and knowledge In so much that the things which we tooke to be no faultes at all must be condemned before God and hee must haue the iudging of them vnlesse wee play the iudges with our selues aforehand And herewithall wee haue to magnifie the mercie of our God Rom. â—â— 23. in that although we be faultie so greatly so many wayes yet notwithstanding he accepteth vs for righteous Let vs make comparison here betweene the righteousnesse which we obtaine by faith and the curse that is vppon vs. Whereinto be we plundged Are we faultie but in some one offence or in some two or three or in some certaine nomber Nay we be plundged in such a gulfe that if wee begin once to fall to reckening wee must needes be confounded A hundred Millions of faultes is not the hundred part of the offences that wee haue committed before God Then are we so guiltie as there is none ende nor measure of our sinnes Yet notwithstanding God receiueth vs to mercie so as wee bee counted as righteous before him as though there were such full soundnesse and perfection in vs that nothing were amisse but that we had performed the whole Lawe Seeing then that God forgiueth vs such an infinite nomber of offences and clotheth vs with his owne righteousnesse through the operation of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ in as much as wee lay hold by faith vppon the grace that is purchased for vs and do him the honour to say Lord it is in thy meere and free bestowed goodnesse that our saluation consisteth doeth it not appeare therein how much wee bee bound vnto him Yes So then wheÌ„ Gods Law hath brought vs to our wittes end not only bicause of the infinite nomber of our lustes but also bicause wee shoulde lye buried vnder them as vnder huge mountaines if God should deale rigorously with vs let vs call to minde that Gods intent is not to leaue vs in despaire but to lift vs vp againe as soone as wee be sunke downe When he sees our feeblenesse he reacheth vs his hand and calleth vs to him and will haue vs to bee comforted for as much as he of his mercie layeth not any of al our sinnes to our charge Thus ye see howe the faithfull ceasse not to be of good cheere though they bee so condemned in themselues But yet must wee begin at this ende of being vtterly dismayed in our selues that our Lorde may deliuer vs from the dungeon of death and wee acknowledge y t our saluation consisteth in his only grace Howbeit let vs notwithstanding liue warely and keepe good watch assuring our selues y t when we haue trauailed neuer so much and taken neuer so much paine to serue God so as wee haue on the one side eschewed all occasions of euill and on the otherside subdued our affections lusts also indeuored to represse al wicked thoughts yet wee must not ceasse to condemne our selues still and to stand still in awe Although we haue had victory through the grace of God and sinne hath not ouermaistred vs yet doth it dwell coÌ„tinually in vs and there is still some vncleannesse and spot in vs. Therefore let vs sigh and let vs sigh in such sort as it may sharpen vs to doe our duetie We see how S. Paule speaketh of it After he had profited as much as might bee and was come to an Angelicall holinesse yet notwithstanding he saith still wretch that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body of death Rom. 7.24 And what is the cause that he considereth death in himselfe but for that he sawe sinne there Neuerthelesse let vs vnderstand that wee must not bee out of heart Although wee perceiue a Million of sinnes day by day in vs yet must wee still passe on further And therefore when Saint Paule exhorteth the faithfull to eschew sinne He saieth not Rom. 6.12 Let not sinne dwell in you but he sayeth Let not sinne raigne in you In deede it were to be wished that sinne dwelled not in vs but seeing it is in vs yet must wee not bee too much discomforted For whereas it is saide that sinne dwelleth in vs first it warneth vs of our wretched state and secondly it willeth vs to consider that wee must bee occupyed in continuall warfare and therefore flee the earnestlyer to our God for succour praying him to strengthen vs with his power by the grace of his holy spirit which he hath giuen vs for our Lord Iesus Christes sake Nowe let vs fall downe in y e presence of our good God with acknowledgment of our faultes praying him to make vs feele them better and that wee may learne to frame our lyues to the obeying of him which beholdeth not onely our outward woorkes intentes and affections but also euen all our thoughtes and conceytes And for as much as wee can not attayne to such perfection out of hand let vs beseeche God that the same may bee an occasion to humble vs and therewithall to stirre vs vp continually to fyght lustilyer so as euerie of vs may inforce himselfe to correct the vyces that are in his nature vntill our Lorde hauing rid vs from this corrupt fleshe doe clothe vs againe with his owne righteousnesse and fashion vs al wholly like to his glorious image That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people c. On Tewsday the xvj of Iuly 1555. The xlij Sermon which is the thirteenth vpon the fifth Chapter 22 These are the woordes which the Lorde spake to your multitude vpon the Mount from the middes of the fire out of the Cloud and darkenesse with a great voyce And he added no more thereunto but wrate them in two tables of stone and gaue them vnto mee FOr as much as wee finde not a better excuse of our lewdnesse disobedience towardes God than to pleade ignoraunce we coulde finde in our heartes to haue alwayes that shrouding sheete so as wee myght saye wee vnderstand not what GOD sayeth or that hee speakes not vnto vs or else that his voyce is too farre off for vs to heare But GOD foreseeing such lewdnesse meant to preuent all that men could alledge to the ende they might haue nothing to defend themselues withall And therefore in setting forth his Lawe it was his wil that the doctrine which is contained therein should be vttered with a loud shirle voyce Yea he spake it not onely to three or foure but to all the people both great small without exception Besides this Matt. 5.18 it was his will that the lawe should be put in writing that it might continue and not serue for one age onely but stand in force and authoritie to y e worldes end And y t is the cause why it is said in this place
Iesus Christ and to make our selues partakers of so diuelish a thing I say were ought to bee afraide in our selues to thinke of it And if the Altars shoulde haue stoode stil had it not beene as it were a spiting of God to play mockeholyday with him after that fashion that whereas wee had shrunke away from Christianitie wee bee neuer a whit sorie for it no nor greeued at all to see the badges thereof And in verie deede the Iewes were cast in the teeth with their reteyning still of those thinges as who shoulde say they weltered still in their owne filthinesse And if a leawde woman that had giuen her bodie to dishonestie for a time shoulde afterwarde reioyce to see still the markes of her whooredome were it not a signe that shee repented not at all Yes and euen that is the cause why this exception is purposely added that when the kinges went about to serue God 1. Kin. 15.14 and 22.44 2. king 12 3. 14.4 and had beaten downe the ydolles yet they helde still some relikes of them and this blemish sticketh expresly vppon them that God mislyked them as if hee shoulde saye they were not worthy to bee allowed without exception but bee driuen to beare this marke of reproch alwayes in their faces that they had not throughly clensed the lande from the former superstitions when they left the groues standing still If a man say why and was that so euill a thing Are not trees the creatures of God Yes but when men shall haue misused them and put them to such heathenish vncleannes as to spyte God with them then must they bee wyped quite and cleane away Men must not take ouermuch libertie in that case for our nature is too much giuen to euill of it selfe as I saide afore without anye intycing of it thereunto Thus yee see howe wee ought generally to indeuour to abolishe all superstitions and all things that may serue thereto And likewise particularly let euerie man looke well to his owne house that hee retaine not any thing which may couer any wickednesse or which is not fully agreeable and conformable to the simplicitie of Gods worde For as manie as dispence with themselues in that case shall feele it turne to their ruine in their ende Iudg. 8.27 Wee see howe it befell to Gedeon who was chosen of God and by whom so many noble deedes were done Onely because he made an Ephod and caused a certaine deuotion to be set vp there insued great destruction after his death And after the same manner wee see howe a great number doe keepe still their chappels If they haue any Castle or great house there must bee a chappell for a memoriall of their aunceters in rememberance that there was such a thing and such an antiquitie They then which will needes haue some remnant after that fashion for vaineglorie must seele at length that they haue couered a fire which shall consume themselues and their children as the deede of Gedeon was the cause of the vndoing and destruction of his Image as I saide afore And therefore let vs beare in minde that wheresoeuer GOD giueth vs power wee muste so hate all the markes of superstition as wee must doe what wee can to wype them out y t they may no more be had in remembrance And let vs alwayes bethinke vs of the two reasons which I alledged before Now for cōfirmation hereof Moses addeth that the people of the Iewes are holy and that they ought to dedicate themselues wholly vnto God euen because they had beene chosen saith he to bee a peculiar people in the whole worlde Whereas he saith that the Iewes are a holy people hee meaneth that they ought to be separated from the Heathē and Infidels For if wee take example at those to whom God hath not graunted such grace as hee hath done to vs is it not as good as a thrusting of the priuiledge vnder foote which hee hath giuen vs Beholde God sheweth vs his will and hee vouchsafeth to haue his worde preached vnto vs and is that to no purpose is it for nought Whereas God commeth downe vnto vs and communicateth himselfe so familiarly vnto vs doeth that honour which he doth vs and that grace which hee vouchsafeth to vse towards vs serue to no vse nor profite Surely it ought at leastwise to sanctifie vs vnto him that is to say to make vs redy to say Alas Lord we were miserable creatures and thou vouchsafest to retaine vs to thy selfe therefore behold we be here gouerne thou vs and let vs be thy flocke But nowe if we fall to defiling of our selues with the superstitions of the heathen is it not a renouncing of the priuiledge that God had giuen vs Is it not a forsaking of the couenant whereby hee had knit and vnited himselfe vnto vs Yes That then is the cause why Moses addeth heere that the Iewes are a holy people As if hee should say Looke to your selues for God hath shouled you out from all Nations and hee hath called you euen by shewing you that you shall bee his heritage accordingly also as he hath giuen him selfe to you Nowe then if yee goe and take example at these blinde wretches so as ye alledge Our neighbours doe so and so Eph. 2.12 what a thing is that Your neighbours are straungers to God they be as wilde beasts God hath not vouchsafed to behold them with pitie and mercy to deliuer them from the brutish ignorance wherein they be To be short yee haue them as mirrors of Gods wrath and rigour Al they that perish do shewe you what you were and what you shoulde be stil if god had not reached you his hand Now therefore acknowledge that benefite and take no more example at those whom God hath forsaken and to whom he hath not granted the like fauour as he hath done to you Thus much concerning the Iewes Now remaineth that we apply this doctrine to our owne vse What is it that maketh vs a holy people to our God Iohn 15.3 Euen his worde For it is saide you be cleane because of the worde which I haue preached vnto you Ye see then that the mean wherby God sanctifieth vs to himselfe that is to say draweth vs out of the common perdition of all the children of Adam and taketh vs to be of his owne householde is his vttering of his will vnto vs. And so to bee short it is as yee woulde saye a solemne consecration or hallowing of a people by God when hee vouchsafeth to haue his worde preached vnto them Wee neede not goe seeke the gewgawes of poperie to make a dedication or hallowing for the meane whereby God dedicateth his temples is by sending his ministers to preach his doctrine faithfully and it is also the meane wherby we be hallowed vnto him Nowe he hath graunted vs this grace Wee see howe the wretched Papistes are gone astray and runne gadding ouer the fields without
be of his Church in which respect we be say I more bound vnto him than were the Iewes Now it is true y t gods writing of his law in two tables of stone as I haue declared already heretofore specially in the first place was to y e intent y t his doctrine should abide sure For he had an eye to y e cōmon trade among men who vpon the making of leags alliances are wont to haue thē ingrauen in stone or brasse After y e same maner it was Gods wil y t his law should for y e better continuance therof be grauen in two stones Ye see then how God doth as it were passe a solemn couenant Neuerthelesse wee must therwithall also come to the figure namely y t the writing of the law after y t fashion in a cupple of stones serued to shew y t it was not ynough for folke to haue y e law giuen thē to vnderstand it vnlesse it were ingrauen in their hearts For we must come to y e similitude y t is made by y e prophets For although God shewed his law to be sufficiently authorised by vouchsafing to ingraue it so in these stones yet did he giue an incling y t that would nothing boote verily because y e true tables wherein it behoueth vs to write the doctrine of God are our harts howbeit not as they be by nature For what maner of ones are they Euē of stone as it is said of them in Ezechiel So then let vs marke that y e letter of y e law is nothing worth Ezec. 11.19 36.26 vntil god worke in vs by his holy spirit And that is the cause why he hath promised to make a newe couenant Ier. 31.32.33 not after the maner y t hee made it with the fathers for that continued not saith he And why Hee sheweth y t the blame fault therof is in men be cause they turne away runne at rouers as soon as God hath called them neuer follow him at all Although they pretend to make great account of his grace yet is there no stedinesse in them but rather vtter lightnesse for by and by they fling away after their own wicked affectiōs The couenant of God then yea though it were written in stones could not hold them in And why so Not for that God abode not faithful on his part or that hee persisted not to shewe that his choosing of Abrahās linage was not in vaine but for that they were bereft disappointed of that great benefite dispossessed of Gods freebestowed new againe But there were fourtie yeares betweene the one and the other For Aaron dyed at such time as the people had outworne their terme of fourtie yeares during which time god had forfended them the lande of promise Now in the ende of that terme Aaron was depriued of the dignitie of the priesthood and Eleazer his son was made highpriest in his stead But here Moses comprehendeth all that had bin done by the space of fourtie yeares from the publishing of the lawe vnto the verie same day that he exhorted the people to put themselues in better readinesse to enter into their inheritance than they had beene in at the beginning He telleth them that although there had happened many changes in the meane time yet had God in effect prouided that his lawe was to bee had alwayes in estimation to be honored and that the world might perceiue that his maiestie was therein that all men ought to submit thēselues thereunto And for that cause doth Moses say that hee had chosen the children of Leuye notwithstanding that Aaron had sinned For to what ende doeth Moses speake here of his brothers death Euen to make it knowen that God had shewed fauour towardes the trybe of Leuye as well as towards all the rest of the people The trybe of Leuye was chosen to offer sacrifice it was a prerogatiue which God had giuen them And were they worthie of it Could they boast themselues to haue beene more worthie than their brethren It is true that they executed vēgeance vpon the ydolaters but yet was Moses faine to call them to him and to command them to sanctifie their handes Exod. 32.29 Yee must hallowe your hands to the Lord sayth he howe in slaying those that haue so grieuously offended and been an occasion of turning all thinges vpside downe This day therfore it behoueth you to vtter what zeale ye haue towards the maintenance of gods honour and to sanctifie his name without sparing of your own brethrē or your neerest neighbours forasmuch as they haue so defaced Gods glorie to the vttermost of their power therefore they must be vtterly rooted out The Leuites did well execute the thing that Moses cōmaunded them Exo. 32.2.4 but yet did the high priest Aaron make the golden calfe True it is that hee withstoode it or at leastwise consented not to it but yet did he swarue at length by graunting the peoples importunate request and therefore was he faine to beare the punishment which GOD tolde him of saying thou shalt not come within the land which I will giue vnto my people Albeit that he represented the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ Hebr. 5.1 ◠and was a figure of him although he was a mediatour betweene God and men so as he made intercession for the sinnes of the people offered sacrifices for the reconciling of them to the maiesty of God yet was he banished out of that lande to his shame hee dyed hee was stripped out of his robes before his death hee was as a man disgraded and God left him as a dishonoured person and as a man defaced with perpetuall reproche Now if God extended such punishment vppon the person of Aaron what had they deserued which were inferiors to him So then Moses telleth them that Gods choosing of the trybe of Leuye to carrie the Arke and to be occupyed about his seruice was not for that they were worthie of it Deut. 〈…〉 but because hee was minded to shewe the same thing to the successours of Leuye which he had spoken of the rest of the whole bodie of Abrahams ofspring namely that they had all things of his only free goodnesse That is the cause why the death of Aaron is rehearsed here But by the way we see that Moses spared not his own brother For here he repeteth the sentence y t God had giuen also executed against him y t was not for y e honor of his own house But what His meaning was y t God should be glorified men condemned Yea we see that his intent was not to conceale his owne fault but to shew that God had punished him for it though there were great cause of excuse in him al the blame was to haue bin layd vpon the people because his ouershooting of himselfe was but in y t one case that not through malice but
the end they should be mainteined altogether in the true vnion of faith that they might alwaies haue men to put them in mind to liue in obedience towardes God and that the Religion might be preserued in y e purenes therof This is not for y e peculiar benefite of y e Leuites but for y e general welfare of the whole Church of God Now hereupon Moses repeateth y e same thing again which I haue expounded heretofore that is to say That the Iewes might eat flesh through as all the land of Iuire conditionally that the sacrifices were reserued for the sanctuarie for the temple thē the time were come that it were builded I haue tolde you already that the cause why God gaue such leaue was to the end that men should learne to refraine frō the attempting of any thing which they were not sure to be lawfull for them to do And howe shall we knowe that the things which we doe are acceptable to God By hauing his word which he giueth vs. For it is not for vs to be further of his counsell than he discloseth vnto vs. To be short it is shewed vs here that in all our life wee must not stirre one finger except we be sure that GOD hath giuen vs leaue Now he for his part leaueth vs not in doubt but hath giuen vs a sure and vnfallible rule so as we may alwayes discerne the certaintie at leastwise if wee will holde our selues contented with the thing that God alloweth without adding any thing to his doctrine and his lawe For there he hath vttered his wil in such wise vnto vs that if we want any thing nowe it is because we list not to harken to him that hath all dominion ouer vs. As for example all the doubtes that are among the Papistes proceede of nothing else but of a foolish curiositie which they haue to do better than GOD commaundeth them O say they I woulde be so holy as nothing might passe from mee which shoulde not be good And is it not enough to obey GOD Yes say they but I would do yet more He y t passeth those bounds shall but torment himselfe and dwell in vnquietnesse al the time of his life as wee see these hypocrites are which are alwayes tossed and turmoyled with some doubt And what is the cause thereof It is a reward which they deserue verie well because they will not rule themselues by Gods worde Isa. 55.3 But as the Prophet Esay saieth if we walk purely and simplie according to Gods word we shall haue rest in our soules and wee shall be free from all these troubles and debates which the wretched vnbeleeuers make for they wote not at which ende to beginne neyther knowe they where to make an end Therefore let vs marke well howe it is not without cause that GOD speaking of eating and drinking doeth giue here expresse leaue to his people to the ende we shoulde not aduenture anie thing but in his name and to doe vs to vnderstand that he hath such a care of vs that hee will guide al our steppes and therefore we must liue as in his presence Furthermore let vs learne to receiue the libertie which GOD hath giuen vs that we may enioy it so far forth as is expedient for we know y t this libertie of ours ought to carie a restraint with it 2 Cor. 6.12 10.23 S. Paul telleth vs y t al the things which are lawfull are not alwaies behoueful bicause they do not always edifie our neighbors But yet howsoeuer the case standeth we must haue our consciences free so as wee may vse the thinges that GOD hath graunted vs by his worde And therefore both in eating and drinking wee may giue him thankes with a cheerefull hearte as they that knowe howe it is hee that feedeth vs and that we doe receiue all thinges at his hand Moreouer we bee continually put in mind hereby y t he is neere at hand with vs and y t his prouidence extendeth euen to y e least things For it may well seeme that eating and drinking are no such thinges as are worthie that God shoulde haue regarde of them But yet it is Gods will to beare sway in that behalfe to the ende that we shoulde knowe the fatherly care that hee that of vs not onely in respect of our soules but also in respect of our bodies though they bee transitorie and corruptible Hereunto Moses addeth that the people shoulde refrayne from eating the bloude of beastes Whereby he doeth vs to vnderstande that wee must so vse Gods creatures as we abhorre all crueltie For at the first sight it seemeth an vnnaturall thing to kill the beastes to whome GOD hath giuen life by knocking of them downe and by cutting of there throtes It seemeth to be a chaunging of Gods ordinaunce and an vtter peruerting of all thinges when men take leaue to doe such thinges Yet notwithstanding our Lorde sayth that men may lawfully eate the fleshe of beastes Gen. 9.3 and that hee hath created them for mans vse Neuertheles to the intent to inure his people to meekenesse hee willeth them to absteyne from bloude But that serued but for the time of the Lawe and the ceremonies For as wee haue seene alreadie our Lorde gouerned the people of olde time as little babes And wee knowe that men teach young children all thinges that are good but for asmuch as they haue not yet the capacitie to vse thinges as they that are come to mans estate men holde them in awe and suffer them not to haue thinges at will which are lawfull of themselues As howe Men beate a childe for handling a knife because hee cannot tell yet howe to vse it So then GOD vsed a childishe kinde of instruction and as it were rudimentes or euen as wee say the A B C to enter that people withall which was yet rude and weake but yet wee knowe what the ende and intent of the Lawe was in commaunding men to absteyne from the bloud of beasts For Gods will was that men shoulde abhorre all crueltie And the same exposition hereof is set downe by Moses himselfe in the ninth Chapter of Genesis Gen. 9.4 For after the floude God declareth that men may well eate the fleshe of beastes so they forbeare to eate of their bloud And why is that Because it is to bee considered that the soule or life of euerie liuing thing is after a sorte represented by the bloude And I forbidde you all manslaughter sayth GOD Gen. 9.5 beare well in minde that men are created after myne owne image and therefore yee muste not worke any outrage one to an other For whosoeuer sheddeth mans bloode shall haue his bloude shedde by man Wee see I saye that the respect which our Lorde hadde was not of the brute beastes but rather that his meaning was to holde vs together in brotherly loue And therefore hee gaue the people of olde time a figure
vs goe and serue other gods which thou hast not knowen nor yet thy fathers 7 That is to wit any of the gods of the nations that are about thee whether they bee neere thee or farre off from thee from the one side of the earth to the other 8 Consent not to him neither giue eare vnto him neither let thine eye fauour him shewe him not any pitie neither conceale him 9 But thou shalt put him to death thy hande shal be the first vpon him to put him to death and afterward the hand of all the people 10 And thou shalt stone him with stones and so he shall die for he hath sought to thrust thee from the Lorde thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage 11 That all Israell may heare and be afraide and not doe such a wicked thing among you any more Psal. 69.10 HAd we the zeale in vs that is spoken of in the Psalme that wee tooke the reproch which is done vnto GOD as if it were offered to our selues this lawe here were in a manner needelesse For euerie of vs woulde willingly of his owne accorde indeuour to maintaine Gods honour But nowe inasmuch as manie men thinke it to be too excessiue rigour to put the troublers and peruerters of religion to death thereby it appeareth that we despise Gods honour and make no greate account of it For euerie of vs would faine haue his owne honour maynteined and if anie man haue stormed against vs wee thinke the time will neuer come soone ynough for vs to bee reuenged If a man doe vs any wrong or iniurie wee woulde that euerie man shoulde sette himselfe against it in our defence but if Gods honour bee trampled vnder foote wee lette it slippe Wee see then howe colde and vnlustie wee bee but this vnlustinesse of ours deserueth a more shamefull name For if a man suffer his father to bee scorned folke will say hee is not worthie to liue in the worlde because he doeth against his kinde And beholde GOD is as it were torne in peeces by wicked mennes aduauncing of themselues to rend asunder the vnion of the fayth wherethrough it is his will to bee knowen and whereby it is his will to reigne among vs and that is borne withall And is not that a token that if it lay in vs wee woulde neuer haue any remembraunce of GOD at all But forasmuch as there is so litle zeale in vs therefore is this Lawe giuen vs. And GOD declareth that hee is not vnmindefull of his owne maiestie but that hee will haue the defacing thereof to bee punished Naye rather hee sheweth that hee disclaymeth vs for his people if we haue not a speciall regarde of this case of his Wee haue hearde heeretofore what hath beene sayde concerning false prophetes namely that if anie man troubled the Churche of GOD hee shoulde bee stoned to death without sparing Nowe God expresseth yet better the thing that he hadde spoken which is that we must put all affections of nature vnder foote when his honour commeth in question so as the father must not spare his sonne nor the brother his brother nor the husbande his wife nor the friend his friende y t is as deere to him as his own life y t he be not put to death And good reason For doe not all the friendeshippes in the worlde proceede of that order of nature whiche the creator hath established Then if wee will not sette the carte before the horses wee muste alwayes beginne at GOD. And Saint Paule doeth not without cause say Eph. 3.15 that al kinred commeth from thence and issueth out of that fountayne Also when there is any friendshippe betweene man and man it must alwayes bee referred to this marke that GOD haue still the cheife preheminence and that wee be ioyned together in him And cursed be al alyaunce that separateth vs from our maker in whome consisteth all our life welfare and ioye Then if a husbande loue his wife without regarde of GOD hee is woorthie to bee thrust out amonge the brute beastes In like case is the father which aimeth not at the same marke in louing of his children If wee be so linked together and haue so plighted our faith and trothe one to an other as wee may seeme after a forte to haue as ye would say but one soule in two bodies and in the mean while GOD be lette alone vnthought on doe yee not see that it is too shamefull a beastlinesse Then is it not without cause that GOD hath tolde vs expresly that his honour is to bee preferred before al worldely or naturall considerations And lette vs marke well the wordes that are sette downe heere for they bee of great weight Moses coulde haue sayde singly If thy brother thy wife thy sonne or some friende of thine indeâ— thee and goe aboute to allure thee to naughtinesse but hee addeth which is of much more vehemencie If thy brother the sonne of thy mother which laye in the same bellie that thou thy selfe diddest And to what ende is this doone of GOD but to searche the bottome of our affections by entering euen vnto our bowels as if hee shoulde say I will see whether yee loue mee better than yee doe these carkesses For what is thy brother Hee is but a mortall creature and I will see whether thou sette more store by him than by mee Naye say wee but he and I laye both in one bellie That is trewe sayth GOD but is it not meete that I shoulde alwayes haue the vpper hande and highest preheminence The same case is it when hee sayeth thine owne sonne thine owne daughter thy wife that sleepeth in thy bosome Hee coulde haue sayde singly thy wife but hee sayeth No thou muste forgette and quite and cleane shake off all the loue which thou bearest to thy wife if shee goe about to plucke thee away from me Agayne If thou haue a friende sayeth hee which is as deere to thee as thine owne life thou must lay thy hande vppon him also to stone him thou must not onely bee his accuser and giue euidence against him but thou must also sette hande vppon him without sparing all mercie and pitie must bee put away in that case Hereby wee see in effect as I sayde afore that Gods will is to trie vs whether wee truely loue him And for that cause doeth he sette downe vnto vs whatsoeuer might holde vs backe or hinder our desire from shewing such zeale as wee ought to haue to the mainteinaunce of his honour declaring vnto vs that if any thing bee an impediment to our continuall keeping of the vnion of fayth aboue all thinges in such wise as it is contayned in his woorde wee bee traytoures and false hearted towardes him and hee will shake vs off and in steede of taking vs for his children hee will giue vs ouer and banishe vs from his kingdome and his Churche for hee will haue
friendes 1. Thess. 4.13 he saith expressely Sorrow not as the vnbeleeuers doe In deede Saint Paul sawe well that we can not bee senselesse for in verie deede it were no patience if wee felte no greefe If wee were starke blockes it were no vertue at all If a man shoulde laugh at the death of his wife or of his father it were a beastly brutishnesse Therefore it behoueth vs to feele the inconuenience and to be touched with it so as it pinch vs and greeue vs But yet must God assuage it againe because we know that he hath all superioritie ouer our liues and wee must suffer him to dispose of vs as hee thinkes good Againe we must goe boldly vnto him being well assured of his goodnes and mercie and we must not doubt but that death shall bee to our saluation and that whether we liue or die al shal without fayle turne to our benefite and welfare so we be in Christ Iesus Thus yee see what we haue to beare in mind To be shorte that we may benefit ourselues by this lesson of Moseses let vs vnderstand first of all that vntill God brydle vs our affection wil euer be inordinate whether it be in mirth or in mourning If wee haue prosperitie by and by it makes vs to forget our selues what we be so as we thinke not our selues to be mortall men And wee see howe all men fall to flinging as it were in despite of God when they haue their ease and delightes Likewise on the contrarie part if our Lorde afflict vs whether it be by the death of some kinseman or friende of ours or by some other aduersitie we be piteously forlorne wee cannot measure our greefe wee be so ouerwhelmed with sorrowe as is pitifull to beholde and finally our heart is full of bitternesse and poyson Wee see howe a number doe spewe out blasphemies against God Let vs consider all these vices in our selues and seeke the remedie of them as it is set vs downe here Let vs beare in minde I say that our Lorde commaundeth all of vs to holde our selues as in captiuitie that if our nature be faultie in that behalfe we shoulde not nourishe the euill but withstand it asmuch as is possible This cannot be doone except we vse force in subduing our selues to the obeying of God and euen streyne our selues to the vttermost And one of the cheefest sacrifices that God requireth of vs and whereof he liketh best 1. Su. 15.22 is that wee consider that wee must not sorrowe out of measure when we be afflicted but flie vnto God praying him to giue vs the grace to submitte ourselues wholly to his wil so as if the husbande be bereft of his wife he may beare it patiently And why Because he knoweth it is Gods will to trie his obedience in that behalfe Let the wife doe the like by her husbande and let euery body submit themselues to this order of Gods that wee may bee able to say that like as he hath set vs in the world so also it is good reason that hee shoulde take vs hence againe not at our pleasure but at his For it is not without cause that he hath limited the race of our life that it pleaseth him to take away one rather than an other Psal. 39.5.6 We be mortall before we come into this worlde for a yong babe may die as well in his mothers wombe as after here is borne Sith it is so as soone as God giueth vs discretion let vs applie our indeuour to vnderstande that death beseegeth vs euerie minute of an houre and that we must not promise our selues life till the nexte morrowe nor set any terme to God for his daylie prolonging of our life is but so much respiting of vs. But howesoeuer wee faâ—e let vs bee mindfull of our owne frailtie and let the same leade vs to consider that if GOD take vs out of this worlde sooner than wee looked for it is meete that he shoulde haue vs at commaundement and that euerie of vs shoulde offer vp our owne bodies to him in that manner of sacrifice in suffering GOD to separate vs asunder that what friendshippe or bende of kinred soeuer there haue beene betwixt vs yet wee may not faile to glorifie God when he taketh away our kinsefolke and friends nor vse this beastly impatience in pulling our selues by the hayre of our heades and in scratching and disfiguring of our faces as though wee knewe not what it were to liue in the obedience of God and to die in the same likewise And moreouer as well in this as in all other thinges let vs take heede to that which is tolde here to the Iewes by Moses namely that when God is so gratious as to dedicate vs to him selfe and to gather vs together to bee his people we must giue our selues so much the more earnestly vnto him True it is that in respect of nature we differ nothing at all from the sillie ignorant vnbeleeuers For our being of Christs Church befalleth vs not by the right of inheritaunce Indeede the promise extendeth to a thousande generations but yet for all that it is of his freegoodnesse that we haue the prerogatiue to bee of his house Sith it is so let vs acknowledge the honour that he doeth vs in separating vs from the heathen and vnbeleeuers though we were forlorne and damned as wel as they and let vs benefite ourselues by that grace that it perishe not through our owne wickednesse Thus ye see for what purpose Moses said Thou art a people shooled out to thy God haue a care to maintaine thy selfe in thy calling acknowledge the good that is doone vnto thee goe not about to bereaue thy selfe wilfully of such fauour Let vs thinke vppon it say I and that in such sort as God may be glorified in vs accordingly as hee hath vouchsafed to call vs. And Moses speaking here expressely of God his election or choyce whereby hee had chosen the Iewes addeth That they must bee a holy people For God gathereth not the ofskowringes of the worlde to keepe them in his Church his intent is not to haue his Church to bee as it were a Swine stie so as there shoulde bee nothing but filth and infection but hee purgeth vs from all vncleanesse Nowe then whereas God calleth vs vnto him it is with condition that we should worshippe and serue him in all purenesse True it is that he findeth vs as it were drowned in the depth of all leawdnesse so as by nature we haue nothing but vtter vncleanesse and we be altogether so defiled that we be euen loothsome to him but yet doeth hee purge vs and make vs cleane by his holy spirit and it behooueth vs to lead a holy conuersation al the time of our life And so yee see howe hee woulde that men shoulde ratifie their free election 1. Pet. â— â—â— as Saint Peter speaketh of it And that is a thing which
was much more reason that if a man were ouerpinched he shold not be pursued with rigour of Lawe But in the yeare of Iubyle which was euery fiftith yeare there was a greater freedome and such a one as extended much further Leui. 25.38 For if a man were in bondage hee was then made free vnlesse it were that hee liked so well of his master that he bound himselfe to bee his slaue for euer as long as he liued Afterward all possessions returned home againe Leuit. 25.29.30 True it is that the houses in Cities could not reuert again vnlesse y e sellers of them redeemed them within a yeare But as for Farmes and other possessions in the countrie the purchacer was to conuey them backe againe at the fiftith yeare so as they returned home againe to their former owners And according to the neerenes or farnesse of the yeare of Iubyle men sold their possessions the dearer or the cheaper insomuch that the lands so purchased were released againe within thirtie twentie or ten years after the purchasing of theÌ„ And of this dealing there was one special reason which was y t God hauing diuided y e Land of Canaan by lot inteÌ„ded to haue it continue in that order for euer to the ende that mens possessions should not be intermingled together And hee saieth expresly Other Nations possesse their landes in feesimple but I holde you as my farmours Leuit. 25.23 I will not haue you to be as owners so as yee might say this is mine neither shall yee bee as purchasers of the Lande at my hande yee shal haue as it were but a soiourning place in it for a time and yee shall bee but as a Farmer vnder a master Loe heere the cause why our Lordes will was that the possessions shoulde returne to the fiâ—st owners againe But as for that which is spoken heere concerneth but the seuenth yeare at which time euerie man ought to bee released and no man ought to sew his detters yet euerie man ought to reteyne his owne right neuerthelesse still For Gods meaning was not that hee which had lent money should lose it so as hee shoulde haue no meanes to recouer his dette againe for so shoulde one man haue robbed another of his substance and the vntrustie merchant that had wasted his goods in riot and excesse at his ease without care shoulde haue laughed his creditor to scorne as soone as the seuenth yeare were come which had beene a greate disorder and woulde haue caused vnthrifts to haue become the worse but Gods intent was onely that there shoulde a kinde of respit bee giuen that the poorer sort might not be pinched out of measure But nowe let vs returne to that which is set downe in the texte In the seuenth yeare there shall bee a Forgiuing that is to say a forbearing or a giuing of further respite Hee meaneth not that there shoulde bee a cleare acquitall or releasing for euer but onely that hee which had lent money shoulde not chalendge his dette out of hande nor bee so greedie and hastie as to seeke it by sute of Lawe that yeare And hee speaketh expresly of the ende of the yeare to shewe that this forbearing or respitting shoulde not onely bee at the beginning of the yeare but euen throughout to the seuenth yeares ende And here God meant to bounde his Lawe according to the circumstance that is to saye because the seuenth yeare was a kinde of resting time as well as the seuenth day was therefore our Lordes will was that the same shoulde bee obserued Therefore saieth hee at the terme howebeit not to signifie the ende of the yeare but to betoken the continuance of the time appointed by the Lawe You shall giue a respit saieth hee and the manner thereof shall bee thus If any man owe thee aught thou shalt not constraine him at leastwise for the dette of thy hande As if hee had saide thou shalt not take the thing by force but shalt rather forbeare the dette And why so For this forbearing commeth specially of God that is to saye God reserueth that yeare specially to himselfe and hee will haue it openly proclaimed as it was indeede and he will haue the order thereof to be kept Hee addeth In any wise let there bee no poore bodie among you This speech is somewhat darke because the first worde that Moses vseth signifieth Nothing or it is not at all and sometimes when it is ioyned with another worde as it is in this place it betokeneth except that or sauing that And for that cause some men vnderstande that our Lorde setteth downe an exception heere namely so there were no poore folkes For if the detters were riche they might alwayes bee well contented to pay But the poorer sort were to bee borne with and to haue some easement the vexing of whoÌ„ after y t sort was a kind of sucking of their bloud and a drawing of the marrowe out of their bones Againe the seuenth yeares respit was as a meane for them to gather somewhat towardes their discharge Moreouer there was the more cause why the poore should bee borne withal the seuenth yere the ground was not tilled that yeare and therefore Corne might become the dearer by reason that there was no gathering of any thing that yere For it was not with them in those dayes as it is with vs in these dayes that when one peece of grounde lay fallowe as they say another peece was with corne so as they might haue a croppe euerie yeare one after another wherewith to finde themselues In the Lande of Iewrie they gathered not so much as one kernell of wheate Otes or other kinde of graine in the seuenth yeare neither was it lawfull for them to till the grounde that yeare by reason whereof the poorer sort had much adoe to get their liuing by their â—abour and trauell That was the cause why some haue taken it to bee as an exception when our Lorde saide if peraduenture you haue no poore among you Well may yee demaunde your dets of such as are welthie and well able to pay but beware that ye pinch not your neighbours that are behinde hande Othersome take it thus So as there bee no poore among you that is to say deale in such wise as no man bee brought vnder foote by you but that the poore and meaner sort may liue with the rich and let no man bee so greedily minded as to put thinges out of order by his excesse like the great fishes that eat vp the smaller fishes Take heede that yee vse no such cruelnesse towardes your neighbours Also a man might take the said word as betokening Nothing as though our Lorde had spoken after our common manner and saide No no there must bee no poore among you But as for the meaning of the Lawe it is certaine ynough to vs which thing ought to suffice vs and it is all that wee shoulde looke for Therefore let vs vnderstand
doing him homage for the goods that wee haue receiued at his hande bee by such force and constreint Nowe wee see in effect what is imported in these two speeches namely that wee must not haue our hearts locked vp to hinder vs from well doing but that not onely our handes but also our heartes must bee open towards such as are distressed to haue pitie vppon them and to vse kindnesse to them Where this is not there must needes bee all manner of crueltie as wee commonly see that such as haue most to spare doe fall to repyning if a bodie go about to wring an almes from them and they make a grudging at it like a dog when one woulde take away a bone out of his mouth And if they happe to giue any thing bee it for shame or for any other cause it is a death to thē to part from it And surely it were better that such rakehelles were rooted out of the worlde than that they should liue among men For they bee monsters against kinde they bee foule churles that coulde finde in their hearts to deuour and swallowe downe all the worlde into their mawes Or rather they bee men full of vnbeliefe which haue no more trust in God than diuels bearing themselues in hande that the earth is not able to finde them By reason whereof if it come to the point that they must giue any thing it striketh them to the heart it killeth them insomuch that the asking of an Almes at their hande is as the drawing of a sworde to cut their throtes Therefore let vs looke to our selues and when we heare our Lord speake of the not hardening of our hearts let vs beginne at this point of kindnesse in hauing pitie and compassion vpon such as are in distresse And therewithall let our hande bee at libertie afterwarde in such sort as wee may protest that wee offer GOD a sacrifice with a free heart And nowe Moses addeth Beware that this wicked thought come not in thy heart to say Beholde the Seuenth yeare is at hande and if I lende my money must lie dead for the time He calleth it a wicked thought when we be helde backe by it too much to our owne profite and in the meane while forsake the partie that is in neede For were our thoughts well ruled surely wee should not bee so greatly wedded to our owne profite but that we would also thinke vpon those whom God commendeth vnto vs. 1. Cor. 13.15 It is saide that loue seeketh not his owne True it is that it cannot bee but that euerie man will bee mindfull of himselfe But Saint Paules meaning in saying so is that men must not bee caried away with the loue of their owne profite as who shoulde say they woulde haue no fellowshippe with their neighbours nor streine themselues to doe any thing for them Therefore as for those which say I must haue regarde of my selfe and therewithall doe despise others and passe not what they endure those seeke their owne gaine and in so doing shewe themselues to be vtterly voide of charitie Contrariwise if wee bee kindhearted although wee be mindfull of our selues yet are we not so caried away with it but that wee beare an euen hand and proceede to the louing of our neighbours as our selues Whereas our nature wholly draweth vs to our owne priuate profite let vs bethinke our selues thus What I cannot separate my selfe from those to whom God hath knit me for that were a wicked diuorce If I should holde my selfe alone and haue no regard but of mine owne aduantage It were a cutting of my selfe off from mankinde I were worthie to be cut from the rest of the world for it is against kinde So then it is not without cause that Moses saith that when a man is so mindful of his owne profite and seeketh it in such sort that he taketh it as an occasion to refuse to help his neighbors at all it is a wicked thought for thereby wee bee done to vnderstand that we must not iustifie our selues because that although men be not able to accuse vs so as we may condemned by mans Lawe yet doth it not followe therefore that wee be quit before God If a man come to borrowe mony of mee and I thinke thus with my selfe I cannot tell whether this man be able to pay me againe or no he is a poore man and when I haue taried a long time hee may chaunce to growe poorer and poorer and then is my money loste Nowe then if this poore man that was to be succoured abide still in distresse and in the end perish the other that woulde not lend him shall not be accused for it nor brought to answere for it before men And if men cast him in the teeth with it O will hee say It was for mee to seeke mine owne profite I listed not to hazarde my selfe after that fashion Well this excuse may serue afore men but in the meane while what saith the heauenly Iudge to it It is a wicked thought saieth hee and let men flatter themselues neuer so much they shall winne nothing by it Therefore let vs marke that wee must not wey our woorkes in our owne scales as who shoulde say wee shall goe scotfree because wee haue some startinghole For our Lorde telleth vs that the thing which beares a shewe to be excusable of it selfe is cursed in his sight that is to wit if wee succour not the partie that hath neede at leastwise according to our abilitie And it is the selfesame thing that our Lorde Iesus Christ putteth vs in minde of where hee saieth that wee must doe good to such as are not able to requite vs with the like Luke 6.35 and that wee must lende without looking for any gaine For neither in lending nor in giuing commonly is there any liberalitie among men but euerie man hath an eye to his owne gaine If a man giue it is to the ende to receiue giftes againe and if a man lende alwayes his respect is that such a one may doe him pleasure and recompence him with the like good turne againe It is no Liberalitie when wee doe good in hope to bee recompensed for it againe But if wee do good to a poore man at whose hande wee cannot by any meanes reape any profite that is a point of free goodnesse and God alloweth of it for it is an acceptable sacrifice vnto him And that is the cause why hee saieth that we should not giue to such as are able to requite vs but to such as are vtterly vnable and of whom wee haue no hope to recouer the principall for it is no Almesdeede that is to say no deede of mercie vnlesse there bee neede and where is neede but among such as are not able to recompence Yea and euen where our money may seeme to bee cast into the water insomuch that wee haue succoured such a man as it may bee saide Verily this is quite lost
Lord haue giuen vs experience of aduersity we must be the readier to succour the distressed not play the proud fooles which cannot abide to heare their former state spoken of when they haue beene in pouertie but are more scornefull and disdainfull than such as haue liued continually at their ease Nay if our Lorde haue suffered vs to bee pinched and to stande in neede of otherfolks seruice let vs print it throughly in our mindes let it bee as a spurre to quicken vs vp that whensoeuer we see any folke in necessitie it may alwayes runne in our mindes Alas when I was in their case what desired I I could haue founde in my heart that all men should haue opened their heartes and their bowels towardes mee and shall I nowe shut vp mine Lo what the declaration that is set down here importeth And it is not in this place onely that Moses vseth to say so For there is not any thing more rife in all his bookes insomuch that euer after the peoples deliuerance out of the lande of Egypt Remember sayeth hee from time to time that thou thy selfe hast beene in bondage Therefore let vs marke that looke what experience euery of vs hath had in his life Gods will is that the same shoulde serue vs for an instruction and that wee shoulde beare it continually in minde As for example when a man hath beene a traueller of countryes he ought to consider into what distresses a man might fall and hee shal bee the more inclyned to succour others whome he seeth in like daunger Againe when a man hath beene pinched for a time with pouertie and afterwarde commeth to wealth his former pouertie ought to bee a teacher to him for euer after to bee the forewarder to put foorth himselfe where neede requireth True it is that although a man had liued all the dayes of his life in ease and neuer wist what neede or want meant yet shal hee not therefore be helde excused before God But yet forasmuch as wee bee so slacke and slowe to doe good wee had neede to take to vs the helpes that may serue to quicken vs vp withall And so let euery of vs for his owne parte cheere vp himselfe to do good As for the riche which neuer haue tasted any want of the goods of this worlde if they looke into them selues they shall finde that God hath visited them some way or other so as they haue had neede of other folkes helpe And if they be not starke churles the same must needes bee as a stroke with a spurre to thrust them forwarde to weldoing To conclude in fewe wordes the principall purpose of this place is that besides the vprightnesse which is of nature our Lord wil haue euery man to bee inclined to mercie to do good to such as haue neede But put the case there were none other respect why wee shoulde succour our neighbours but onely this that wee be men is not that respect great ynough Yes for vnder this worde Man wee comprehend many miseries When I see a man in distresse I finde in my selfe that I shoulde bee subiect to the like thinges if God had not a speciall regard of mee There is neither sickenesse pouertie nor any other like thing in any body but that wee our selues are subiect to the same miseries And what is the cause that wee bee cleare from them The goodnesse of our God And the cause why hee spareth vs and beareth with vs is to the ende that wee shoulde bee mindfull of such as haue need For it is a very great proofe of Gods goodnesse towardes mee that hee not onely exempteth mee from the aduersities which I see in my neyghbours but also giueth mee wherewith to remedie theirs And therefore it ought to be a sufficient prouocation for mee that they bee of mine owne flesh and of mine owne nature so as there is no difference betwixt vs but that God hath aduaunced the one of vs and put the other backe For wee be all of one lumpe and it is not for any man to glorie as though hee had his riches of him selfe If a man bee not so miserable as a number of others are hee ought not to bee proude of it but rather to consider that he is so much the more bounde vnto God Accordingly therefore as God bestoweth his benefites vppon vs let vs beware that wee acknowledge it towardes him by doing good to our neighbors whome he offereth vnto vs so as wee neither exempt our selues from their want not seclude them from our aboundance but gently make them partakers with vs as folke that are linked togither in an vnseparable bond And nowe let vs fall down in the presence of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him to make vs so to feele them as we may returne to him with true repentance and misliking our former life craue forgiuenes and mercie at his hande and bee alwayes ready hereafter to yeeld our selues to his obedience so as our whole seeking may be to glorifie him in all cases after such a sort as our whole life may shewe that wee haue well profited in his holy worde And so let vs all say Almightie God heauenly father c. On Munday the iiij of Nouember 1555. The XCvj Sermon which is the fourth vpon the fifteenth Chapter 16 And if hee happen to say to thee I will not depart from thee because I loue thee and thy house by reason that he findeth himselfe well with thee 17 Then shalt thou take an Aule and bore him through the eare to the doore and hee shal bee thy bondman for euer And likewise shalt thou do to thy womanseruaunt 18 Let it not grieue thee to let him go free from thee for he hath serued thee sixe yeares as a hyreling of double wages And the Lorde thy God will blesse thee in all thy dooings 19 All the first borne males that breede of thy cattell and of thy flockes thou shalt sanctifie to the Lord thy God Thou shalt not labour with the first borne of thy kyne nor shere the first borne of thy sheepe 20 But thou shalt eate them thou and thy houshold from yere to yere in the presence of the Lord thy God in the place which the Lorde will choose 21 But if there be any blemish in it so as it be lame or blinde or haue any euill fault in it thou shalt not offer it to the Lorde thy God 22 But shalt eate it within thy gates as well the vncleane as the cleane both alike as the fallow deere and the Red deere 23 Only thou shalt not eat the bloud of it but shalt powre it vpon the ground as water WEe haue seene already the lawe which God placed among the Iewes whereby bondage was not to continue for euer but y t the person which had bin solde should serue sixe yeres and afterward be set at libertie And I told you that although the like law be not among
And the very same thing doth our Lorde Iesus Christ meane in saying that at the beginning it was not so For God created but one man namely male and female created he them Nowe the Prophet Malachie in alleaging this sayeth further that God had sufficient aboundance of spirite in himselfe And therefore what shoulde haue letted him to haue created two wiues for Adam if he had thought it good But God thought one to bee ynough Therefore it is to bee concluded that he which coueteth to haue two wyues marreth all and regardeth not the keeping of wedlocke in such sorte as God hath ordeyned it Then is it whordome and not wedlocke for a man to desire a seconde wife after that fashion Yet notwithstanding this vyce hath beene of olde tyme thereby a man may see iudge what certeintie there is in grounding our selues vpon custome Tush say wee it hath beene so in all ages it hath euer beene wont to bee so Yea but that will not serue to discharge vs before God For this Polygamie as they terme it that is to say this hauing of many wyues at once shoulde haue a very goodly couer for it if it might rest vppon custome and antiquitie But what Gods institution or ordinance went afore custome and ought to continue vnto the last ende Wee see then that it was too disordered and vnruly dealing when men tooke such scope and libertie to haue many wiues at once And yet the thing fell out euen in the Patriarkes themselues Whereby it appeareth that men doe but deceiue themselues when they ground themselues vppon men though they bee the holyest that euer were Yee see that Abraham who is the father of the faithfull had mo wiues than one Yea but hee fayled not to bee condemned for it In all the residue of his life hee was a mirrour of Angelicall perfection but in this case he ouershot himselfe Therefore let vs holde our selues to Gods pure worde and not pretende that any thing is lawfull for vs except it be ruled after the same Thus much concerning the hauing of many wyues at once which is spoken of heere In so much that if any man haue two wyues hee doeth contrary to the order which God hath set By reason whereof the men that doe so passe their boundes are neuerthemore acquit though they bee not punished for it by the lawes of men but they must alwayes come backe to this poynt that God hauing an eye what might bee obtayned of mennes infirmities ordeyned it as a lawe of policie And this is no impedimēt at al to the perfection that is conteyned in Gods worde whereto it behoueth vs to aspire And if wee swarue neuer so litle from it wee bee guiltie before him by and by And well may wee alleage this or that As for example men require nothing at our hands yet must wee come to account for it before the heauenly Iudge It is sayde heere expressely If a man hate the one and loue the other Whereby it is shewed vnto vs that the hauing of many wyues at once proceedeth of a corrupt affection in that a man beareth not such loue to his wife as he ought to do For if a man loued his wife chastely as hee is commaunded his heart will neuer bee withdrawen from her to desire a newe marriage Then must a man needes bee corrupted and infected in his heart and conceiue a mislyking of his wife so as hee is loth to yeeld his duetie vnto her before hee can long for a seconde mariage It is sayde Ep. 5.28.29 Yee husbands loue your wiues for no man hath euer hated his owne flesh The same matter is alleaged concerning all men by the Prophet Esay Esa. 58.7 because wee haue one resemblance of nature common to vs all It is sayde there thou shalt not despise thine owne flesh and it is meant euen of the furthest straungers in the worlde But betweene man and wife there is another respect for to speake properly they bee both but one man And so doeth the Scripture terme them saying They shal bee two in one flesh that is to saye in one person Nowe if any man hate his owne body must i◠not needes bee that he is worse than mad Hereupon Saint Paul concludeth that if a man loue not his owne wife hee is as a monster True it is that wyues will oftentimes giue their husbandes cause to hate them and that there bee some of them such feendes as were able to vexe euen the Angels of heauen and to put them out of patience That is true But yet must a man fight against such temptations and ouercome them howsoeuer hee fare by the power of Gods spirite When he is once matched with a wife hee must not thinke it to bee by haphazarde but that it was by Gods will And therefore hee must brydle himselfe in so much that although it bee right harde and grieuous to do yet must hee take paynes to reforme the vyces of his wife that is so euill disposed and yet in the meane while beare with her and vse her as gently as is possible for him To that poynt must a man come Hereunto Saint Paul addeth the example of our Lorde Iesus Christ besides the inward vnderstanding which we haue of nature Eph. 5.25 Marke sayeth hee howe Iesus Christ loueth his Church For hee hath giuen him selfe to death to make vs cleane from all spottes euen vs that are fowle and full of vncleannesse If our Lorde Iesus haue not spared his owne bloud for the washing of vs what ought a mortall man to doe for his wife But wee knowe that wedlocke is as a liuely picture of the sacred vnion which our Lorde Iesus vouchsafeth to haue with vs. Therefore when so euer the husbande is displeased or greeued at his wife though hee bee neuer so angry with her let him haue an eye to this example Beholde the sonne of God offereth me his owne bloud to wash me withal shewing mee thereby that I must brydle my selfe in this behalfe and performe my duetie throughly towardes my wife howesoeuer the worlde goe So then let vs marke that a man will neuer couet a seconde wife except hee haue first falsified his faith and troth towardes her whome he putteth away For if he loued her truely soundely and rightly hee woulde leuer dy than let his minde runne vpon any seconde mariage Let vs marke well I say that heere our Lorde ment to bring vs backe to the wels head of the mischiefe to the intent that euery of vs should examine his owne vices and specially the vices that are hid from men vnder this wicked roote that is within vs. He that forsaketh his wife to marrie another shall perhaps bee condemned by the common iudgement of men but to iudge thereof as is meete we must goe to the welspring thereof and then shall wee finde that the greatest euill is euer inwarde Now then if the hauing of many wiues at
deede they coulde well finde in their heartes that their children were taught what to doe To thinke vpon their houshould businesse and dealinges or to occupy some trade that they might put them to no cost when they came to age but rather that they might reape some profite by them For these wayes there is commonly care ynough But as for the feare of GOD honestie of conuersation and all other vertues they neuer thinke vppon them For as the prouerbe sayes there is no likelihoode that those thinges will bring gryst to the mill and therefore a father can finde in his hart to winke at y e vices of his child so long as he sees no disaduantage to insue of it But there is malice also matched with it insomuch that if a man goe about to reforme their children they will steppe vp against him and fauour their children and maintaine them euen against GOD. And our Lorde payeth them the wages which they haue deserued Wee see howe the veriest pinchpennies in a whole Citie or countrey and the veriest niggardes and vilanes which would gnawe off their fingers endes for a pennie or for a dodkinne to white their teeth withall haue whoremongers to their children who can not but picke their fathers purses for a harlotte will alwayes be crauing The child therefore becomes a robber of his father and yet the father is contented to maintaine him and will be angry that any body should chastise him for it spewing foorth his poyson like a diuell as hee is In deede this is no newe thing for it falles out so in all cases and likewise also in this behalfe Nowe when such thinges are to be seene ought we not to beholde Gods vengeance also Thou art a pinchpenny thou art so giuen to couetousnesse y t thou pinest vpon the ground thou darest not eate one bit of breade but with greefe and yet in the meane while thou hast a Sonne that filcheth and stealeth from thee to maintaine his whoredome Because thou art a despiser of God and a wicked keytife and wilt needes haue thy sonne to resemble thee and thy mainteyning of him after that fashion is a furtherance of his sinne and wickednesse Therfore doeth God recompence thee according to thy desert For thou art worthy to haue thy goods deuoured and to be mocked at of the whole worlde so as all men may beholde thy shame thou thy selfe neuer perceiue it Herein we see Gods manifest iudgement Whatsoeuer it be let vs beare in minde this lesson that if fathers and mothers be negligent they be as blameworthy before God as if they had giuen their children leaue to doe all maner of wickednesse But if they be offended at other men for correcting them for indeuoring to bring thē backe into the right way they shew thēselues to be become starke diuels and y t God hath giuen them vp to a reprobate sense Therefore let euery of vs for his owne part take warning to discharge ourselues of his duetie And let such as haue children take pains to teach them howbeit not for the reaping of any earthly profite by them Truly that may well be an accessarie to it but it ought not to be the chiefe point Wherunto then must they haue regarde Forasmuch as God hath done them the honour to set them in the degree of fathers they must do their best to yeelde vnto him their children whom he hath put into their handes to make true sacrifices of them vnto him that there may alwayes remaine some good seede to honour him withall For we see howe y e scripture telleth vs oftentimes that Gods name must florish from generation to generation And that is to the end y t hauing serued him all the time of our life we should indeuour to the vttermost of our power that there might remain a good ofspring after our decease so as Gods glory might not be quenched nor buried but y t his praise might indure for euer That say I is the marke whereat fathers mothers ought to aime insomuch that euen they y t haue no children ought to haue the same minde and desire yea and to shewe it also by their doings as much as they can possibly What ought he then to doe who is bound to it by some speciall reasō When he seeth a mirrour of Gods grace in his house Psal. 128. it is the blessing which the scripture doth so highly commende as who would say I haue my yong children about me God sheweth me as it were with his finger y t he loueth me hath a care of my house He hath created mee heere yong children of my seede after his own image and they be baptised in his name to the intent I should bee the more mooued to dedicate them to him to frame them to the obeying of him If a man haue such a teaching and such a marke to set his eyes vpon and yet is neuer the more prouoked to doe his duetie must it not needes be that he is worse than a block So then let this respect bee well marked and let men beare it in mind that it may stirre them vp to do the thing that is tolde them heere namely to bring vp their children faithfully if they haue any And moreouer when they see any euill touch or vice in them let them labour to reforme it so as the father and mother may protest that they haue done their dueties Nowe moreouer heere is expresse mention made of stubbornnesse For as concerning peculiar faultes a father and a mother ought to indeuour continually to bring their children into the right way True it is that God ment not to haue other faultes to goe vnpunished When a childe hath any way offended hauing a father or mother aliue it is not meant that hee should be exempted from punishment vnder colour that he is vnder correction of his father and mother But heere God speaketh of an other case which is that fathers and mothers should bring their children before the Iudge to haue them put to death Loe heere is a great extremitie We knowe well what a heartbreaking it is to a father to see his sonne punished by Lawe euen though it bee by some other bodyes meane Then is it not possible for a father to deliuer his sonne to death vntill he haue assayed all the remedies that can bee for otherwise it were against kinde Therefore not without cause is heere mention made of so great pride and stubbornnesse that the father hauing streyned himselfe and done what hee can to the vttermost to reclayme his childe perceiueth that it booteth him not to doe any more and therefore that he must bee faine to deliuer him into the Iudges hande to be put to death And so wee see that fathers and mothers must proceede in chastisesing their children vntill they see them vtterly past hope of amendement And I adde this because that parentes are so out of patience sometimes when
are offered vs. We haue already sayd that our Lorde meant to restraine vs vnto a sober moderate vse of his benefites And therefore I conclude that wheÌ„ men be ouerlauish and mingle thinges together to satisfie their lustes it is a defiling of the benefits of God It is sayd Thou sanctifiest that is to say thou defilest The fulnesse of the seede that is to say the thinges which thou shouldest gather For the Hebrewes take sometime this word Holy for cursed Yea and y e name of an harlot which they vse is deriued hence as a cursed thing which we ought not to touch For an holy thing and that which is dedicated vnto God ought not to be touched After y e same maner that which is defiled and cursed is called Sanctifyed that is to say such a thing as a man must not touch although it bee in an other respect And so it is said that we sanctifie the fulnes or encrease of y e benefites which God giueth vs when we apply theÌ„ vnto an ill vse Let vs therefore note that we vnhallow the pure and naturall vse of Gods benefites when we for our lusts sake doe make any great mingling of them Now we are not to seeke for this vice onely in y e fields wheÌ„ wheate is mingled with oates or with some other graine but we must also cast our eye vpon our tables where there is vsed such varietie as would make a man to wonder Whereby it is to be seene how men are giuen ouer vnto this vice so as they labour to disguise all thinges and they seeme to haue conspired to alter and chaunge whatsoeuer is in nature I pray you is it not a defiling of thinges when men doe so disguise the order of God Is it not euen a spring of him And are we worthie to enioy the benefits which he bestoweth on vs when we know not how to keepe any meane in them If a man perceiue a childe to cramme himselfe without measure to take away that vice he will cut his morsels smaller And if he perceiue that he is ouer lickerous and giuen to his lusts he will giue him the clean contrarie to that which he desireth And why Because that otherwise hee marreth him cleane And if he should bee foaded still in his delightes hee should bee vndone when he is olde Seeing it is so If when wee come to mans estate wee so abuse the benefites which GOD hath distributed vnto vs in so good order and we mingle them together so as no varietie can please vs must not our Lorde needes see to it and vse a forcible remedie when hee perceiueth that by our good will wee can not keepe any staye If one demaund of mee and say yea sir but are all minglinges sinne No. I will not speake so strictly Yet neuerthelesse the beginning of them proceeded from a wicked desire They which inuented so many varieties to feede the fond appetites of men did questionlesse offend God and wee ought to detest them notwithstanding that they haue bin lyked of in their times and that men haue said Oh here is an excellent cooke oh here is a good Steward Although they haue gayned glory by making so many delicates and by their compounding of so many thinges to make their fine and new sauces and I know not what other conceites to feede the humors of such as desire to bee entertained ouerdelicatelie yet must wee detest such thinges and it were to bee wished that such men had had their mothers wombe for their graue But now what haue wee to doe but to represse al superfluitie and all that euer maketh vnto vice Ought wee not to indeuour this with all our might Yes verily But what Euery of vs is so farre from mending of one that it seemeth rather that wee intend to pleade prescription against God Whatsoeuer is told vs wee fare not the better by it one whit And why Because we haue taken it vp of custome Yea but God wil in the end shewe that there is no lawfull possession but such as is ruled by his lawe and according vnto his will Nay doubt wee not but GOD will punishe such superfluities by cutting our commons shorter In deede our nature is inclined to this wickednesse of retchlesse confounding of thinges which God had distinguished but yet must wee therefore feele the tokens of his anger when he sheweth not himselfe so liberall a father towardes vs as hee was woont to doe And if wee were wise or but well aduised wee would not waite for the declaration hereof That which is â—aid here woulde suffice vs namely that we ought not to mingle the creatures of God but alwayes to holde vs vnto a plaine simplicitie in our maner of liuing Ye see then what wee are to note touching our meate and drinke namelie that men ought so to content themselues with that which they haue that being nourished of God they may reknowledge it in this sorte Behold our God hath a care to feede vs and wee may well see that he is a father towardes vs in that hee sheweth himselfe to haue so great a care of our lyfe Let men therefore take heede that they be not drunken with their delicacies and besotted in their varieties but y t they haue an eye alwayes vnto God Now the lyke ought also to be obserued in our apparaile It is said in effect that a man shall not clothe himselfe with diuers fortes This serueth to teach vs that we ought to keepe as great sobrietie as wee can possiblie aswel in our apparaile as in our meates and drinkes For if men decke themselues with diuers sortes and vse in their attire many fond disguisings whereof procedeth it surely nature teacheth them no such thing For the heathen men had skill to say that if euery man would so loue nature herein there needed not such varieties of meats or diuersities of apparaile Men of themselues doe martyr themselues Lo what our lustes doe leade vs to For they busie vs in taking paynes about this and that and make vs also to trouble others and so all y e world is disquieted And why is that If we could be content wee shoulde liue much more quietly But we are still giuen vnto superfluities and that is the cause why wee can haue no end of our trauailes we are become lyke the damned soules And where is y e fault thereof buâ— in our selues So then let vs note as I haue touched already that these diuers sorts of varieties which men long after serue for so many warrants to prooue that we cannot stay within the true contentation of nature I graunt it were but a meere follie to hold vs to the rigor and extreme precisenesse of liuing which some fantasticall and brainsicke men haue vsed that wee should be contented with nature y t we must haue neither glasse nor goblet but our bare hand only to drink out of these be follies in deed Nay wheÌ„ our Lord vseth
liberalitie towards vs let vs consider of it Psal. 104.14 15. It is sayd in y e 104. psalme y t God hath bestowed on men not only bread and water for the necessitie of their lyfe but also wine to comfort their harts and to make them merrie WheÌ„ we see y e God of his exceeding grace giueth vs beyond our very necessitie that which we neded not well let vs accept of his liberalitie know that he giueth vs leaue to vse it in good conscience with giuing of thankes He could wel bring forth corn for our sustenaÌ„ce although no bloome came before it and hee could wel enough cause fruite of the trees to encreace w tout either leafe or blossome But wee see how our Lord intended to delight all our sences and meant to present vs with his blessinges in all sortes and in all the creatures which he offereth vnto vs to reioyce in So then this barbarous rigor that men should bee debarred of that which God hath bestowed vppon them is not to bee spoken of or admitted Let vs but onely restreine our couetous desires let vs consider well of that which God graunteth vnto vs to goe so farre forth and no further wheÌ„ we once perceiue that the thing is not lawful before God Now our Lord commaundeth vs to keepe our selues vnto plaine simplicitie It followeth then that all needelesse minglinges and disguisings of thinges are alwayes euill For they are as so many vices which God reproueth And if this wickednesse bee euidently seene in meates and drinkes it is yet more apparantly knowen in apparaile I pray you to what excesse are wee growen herein nowadayes In deede this wickednesse raigned in men long agoe and it is not for naught that the scripture speaketh thereof but yet it is much more nowadayes than euer it was Esa. 3.15 â—â— The Prophet Esay speaking of the attire of women because they were so curious in trimming vp themselues and had such a sorte of pettie trinkets deciphereth them particularly as if he had had some inuentorie of their Chistes euen from y e crowne of their head vnto the sole of their feete as their ouches and brouches and such lyke knackes And hee tels them that God can well skill to make a violent reformation seeing they were so set vppon their brauerie and toke no care of amending that wickednesse But we may see nowadayes more of this than euer was heretofore and no varietie can please men They are as it were beginning stil a fresh to deâ—ise some new thing or other and are neuer at an ende And what is the cause hereof but that we shew in deed how we haue no care at all of our soules when we are so busied about our bodies that we let our soules to ruft when through our foolish desires we seeke so many beautiful deckings such strange inuentions to make a shew of our selues to the worldward Let vs therefore note that all these curiosities doe bewray that men and women despise God because they cannot hold themselues within the order of nature which is the true rule to liue by and so consequently they defile the vse of his creatures So then we must not stand so much on the threedes where y â— our garments are wouen as who would say God hath forbidden vs to weare Linciewolcie but wee must vnderstande that our Lordes meaning is we should obserue a simple natural fashioÌ„ in our apparail not vse such gay glorious flimflams to disguise things nor to seek after such superfluous deckings For when we doe so it is al one as if a man would come disorder an whole house For example sake there is an houshold well ordered now if one would come and ouerturne the pottes and platters and mingle the sheetes with the handtowels and table-napkins and so tumble all thinges together what a thing woulde that bee The lyke is done when we cannot keepe such measure as to apply vnto our vse that which God hath giuen yea which hee hath giuen vs as I haue tolde you on condition that wee should eschewe all excesse and not mingle thinges together after our owne fantasies Now if this were well noted we would by effect shewe that wee are a people shooled out for God and that we haue his word which withholdeth vs from intermingling our selues with the defilementes of this world But if a man would lay forth all the vices which are committed in this behalfe one sermon woulde not serue For we see to what a maze this wickednesse is growen at this day And that is a great shame But yet for al that euery man looketh to his owne profite When we see that mens fond desires tickle them then beginne wee to reare vp some new deuice in our braine and this wil be trimme saith one I must needes haue an other new deuice and yet an other yet a third to that There is no talke of the necessitie nor of the vse of thinges but first of pleasing the desires of men and secondly alwayes of making our gayne And is mony spent vpon those superfluities Wee must finde out more And in the meane while there is nothing else but wickednesse and naughtinesse wilynesse and vnfaithfulnesse among men And I would to God this were not to be found But wee ought to thinke better hereon than wee haue done Ye see how we are to practise this doctrine where God hauing spoken of food commeth to speake of apparaile and sayth there shall be no such varietie as might serue to paint out men and to peruert al the simplicitie which is in nature And in deed if our sight were not ouerdimme we should easily discerne this matter and say this and this is not conuenient But what wicked custome hath so put vs out of the right way that we be as blind herein as Beetles Why can we not iudge that there is nothing but confusion in our lyfe Because we are so drunken with the filthie dregges of our superfluities that wee haue lost all sense and are become more than blockish But if wee would take vnto vs such as haue liued in playne simplicitie and bring them aside a little to beholde how men leade their lyfe and to see how they haue to day one thing to morrow another and how they are euery day to beginne againe and how they are alwayes forging of some new deuices to put that out of vse which was in fashion but three dayes agoe and all to gaine mony afresh and to see how others spend to maintaine their shewes and their braueries if I say some of these good meaning men which haue bin brought vp in playnesse should see this they would spit at such follies But yet for all that we are not to be excused Although our vices blinde vs yet the Lawe of God shall alwayes remaine It shall remaine I say to our vtter confusion if we aduise not our selues better to reclaime our selues and to
were y e next way to make vs forget the duetie which we owe vnto God We also on our side must take heede of these things not in y e manner as the Iewes did which straitely obserued this law other such like touching the ceremony but we must keepe ourselues vnto y e truth and substance therof which they so much despised according to the coÌ„mon custom of y e world which is euer wont to busie it selfe about the formalitie or shew of things to make no account of the substance Let vs therefore learn to know y t whereas the Iewes obserued this ceremony w tout any minding at all of y t which God required of them they did but dally play with God and their whole obseruation thereof was but hypocrisie so as they did nothing else but prouoke y e anger of God For when men wrest peruert his word in such sort it is such a trecherie as he can not suffer But it is no wonder to see this abuse among men For they would faine content God with such outward things it is ynough for theÌ„ so they set a good face on y e matter And being theÌ„selues carnall they measure God by their owne ell But contrariwise let vs note y t when God coÌ„maÌ„deth vs smal things it is to lead vs to a farther matter therefore let vs alwayes aime at this mark not stay ourselues on things which are of no gret importaÌ„ce according to y e rule which our Lord Iesus hath deliuered vnto vs in this behalf Maâ— 23. â—3 Ye ought in deede saith hee to doe these small things wheÌ„ they are coÌ„manded by y e law but yet ye must alwaies come vnto y e chiefe principall point And we know what God sayth namely y t he requireth mercy not sacrifice his will is y t there shoul be faithfulnes iudgement and vprightnes among men And as for sacrifices washings such like thinges his meaning was y t by theÌ„ men shold be trained to put the assurance of their saluatioÌ„ in y e fauor which he hath promised vnto theÌ„ y t they be sory for their sins when they see them before their eyes y t they should serue theÌ„ for witnesses to endite themselues to y e intent y t when they offer themselues to God being in such displeasure with their sinnes they might attaine pardon and mercie of him Thus ye see what we haue to beare in minde And now seeing the figure is passed done away we haue no neede to busie ourselues in the outward obseruatioÌ„ of this law What remaineth then Is this law needeles nowadaies in respect of vs Ought not we to reade it Yes for ye see that God ment it should be an instruction for his church euen vnto y e end of y e world It remaineth then y t letting the figure passe we gather y t which is taught both to the Israelites to vs namely y t in all things we must take heede of stayning and defiling our selues Nowe we are not ignoraunt what the things are which defile a man Maâ— 15.18 It is not y t which entereth into a man as our Lorde Iesus Christ speaking of meats sayth but it is y t which coÌ„meth out of a maÌ„ Look how many wicked affectioÌ„s we haue so many stainings of vs haue we before god For froÌ„ whence coÌ„meth fornication Proceedeth it not out of the heart of man From whence coÌ„meth ambition From whence come other wicked desires as couetousnesse enuie pride and all the rest Now when y e soule of man is so full of such foule staines y t it is infected before God it draweth the body by by vnto theÌ„ and if we put wicked thoughtes in practise beholde howe our bodies also are wrapped in the same filthines with our soule we become altogether defiled Let vs therefore learne so to dedicate ourselues vnto God as our infectious filth be not a cause to driue him away from vs. And therewithall let vs beare in minde that which S. Paule sayth namely that seeing God will dwell within vs we must purifie both our minds bodies â— Cor. 6.20 2. Cor. 6.16 And this is the reason which Moses alleadgeth when he sayth That God alwayes dwelt in the middes of the campe of Israel to deliuer theÌ„ to giue vp their enemies into their handes And afterwarde he addeth Take heede that the Lorde thy God depart not from thee when he shall find any vncleanesse in thee At this day this fauour is bestowed in more ample maner vpon vs than it was then vpon the auntient people For we know howe God is ioyned vnto vs in the person of his only sonne Now seeing y t the fulnes of the godhead doth dwell in our Lord Iesus Christ that not vnder a shadowe as in the arke of the couenant where y e lawe was enclosed but is assuredly our God being manifested in the flesh seeing it is so y t we are members of Iesus Christ 〈…〉 3. â—6 that he hath vouchsafed vs so great a benefite as by coÌ„ming downe from heauen to ioyne himselfe w t vs let vs note y t at this day God is more neere vnto vs than he was vnto y t people yea he will make vs to haue more feeling of his vertue and power For we are alwaies in such sort vnder his protection y t we neede not to feare but that his power is still stretched out to maintaine preserue vs. When our Lord Iesus sayd vnto his disciples I am with you euen vnto the ende of the worlde 〈◊〉 28.20 surely he ment to strengthen them in all the conflictes which they were to suffer in preaching of the Gospel and it serued likewise to declare vnto vs also y t he will neuer forsake vs as in respect of his power Seeing it is so then that we are vnder the gouernment of the sonne of God and y t although he be ascended vp into heaueÌ„ he faileth not to fill all y t he is also our shepheard to the intent y t none of them whoÌ„ his heauenly father hath giuen vnto him should be lost 〈…〉 .10 〈◊〉 5.30 that we are bone of his bone flesh of his flesh as S. Paul sayth and y t there is no greater coniunctioÌ„ betweene y e husband the wife than is betwene the son of God vs. Seeing it is so I say let such gratious fauour as this prouoke vs to withdraw ourselues froÌ„ al filthines let vs keepe this holy vnitie which we ought to haue with our God And moreouer let vs also diligeÌ„tly note how precious a thing it is y t God dwelleth with vs to giue vp our enemies into our hands to deliuer vs froÌ„ all euill For hereby we are warned y t were it not for his fauour we are set open to ten thousande deathes And in very deede let euery of
to vse such compassion towardes all that are vniustly oppressed and whom men torment beyond measure without any cause how ought we to behaue our selues toward those poore soules which are afflicted for the worde of God By much more reason is it that wee should giue them refuge and succour them in their afflictions and if we doe not relieue them let vs also feare that which is said by the Prophet vnto the Moabites Esa. 15. For he addeth that God will hunt them out of their secretest lurking corners And why Bicause they discouered the people which fled vnto them and set them foorth for a pray Therefore if we cause the children of God to be persecuted by tyrantes and ioyne with tyrantes in such wickednes by driuing Gods children out from among vs doubtlesse the Lorde will not faile to punish such crueltie But when our turne commeth to bee visited after the same manner as it must needes come men shall hunt vs also out of our corners and we shall finde no harbouring place for our selues in the whole world bicause wee haue laboured to cast them away whom God deliuered into our handes Yee see then in fewe wordes what wee haue to beare in minde And moreouer as touching the matter which I haue treated of alreadie wee must vnderstand that our Lorde commandeth vs to straine our selues to the vttermost to bring them vnto the knowledge of the trueth which haue strayed heeretofore in superstition The seruants which offered themselues out of straunge Countries were in the ende framed vnto the seruice of God For albeit they were at the first rude and rawe yet was it behoouefull that they should accustome themselues vnto the Lawe and that in the ende they should frame themselues wholly vnto it Seeing then it is so let vs gather vppon this place that God ment to stirre vs vp to seeke after the poore wandering sheepe to bring them into the way of saluatiō and to gather them into his flock And so ye see what we haue to beare in minde as touching this custome Moses in the third place sayth Let there be no whore in Israell nor any filthie infamous fornicator And whereas he speaketh heere of fornicators it is not meant of common fornication but of that outrageous filthynesse which is contrary to all nature And verily it is a dreadfull thing to consider that the people which was dedicated vnto GOD should bee forbidden such wickednesse and especially that they should at that time so exceede in villainous behauiour that they had not onely stewes for strumpets where women abandoned themselues vnto filthie lustes but also that men with men were giuen to such filthynesse Is not this a thing which ought to make euery hayre of our head to stande on ende But heereby wee are warned what men of themselues are except GOD holde them backe and gouerne them by his holy spirite Wee must not thinke that these corruptions neuer came into the worlde before this day They haue beene in it from all time For since the time that Adam estraunged himselfe from GOD it was of necessitie that hee shoulde beare the punishment of his sinne and that all his posteritie should bee abandoned vnto wickednesse For the roote of all vices yea of all outragious crimes doeth then budde foorth when man is forsaken of GOD and hath the brydle layd loose on his necke as it is to bee seene heere For wee see that naturall fornications suffice not but more than beastly enormities are committed Common filching theeueries suffice not but there are robberies and piracies there are inuentions and practises more wicked than all the theeueries in the world Men are growen so farre out of kinde that they are dayly inuenting of strange fashions they thinke it not ynough to haue put their enemies to death except they extend their crueltie yet farther To bee shorte if wee consider well of all that is in man vntill GOD gouerne him we shal find within him euen a sinke and gulfe of hell And as euery man nourisheth in himselfe much wickednesse so must it needes be that the mischiefe thereof shall increase except GOD prouide a remedie for it And whereas among the Paynims themselues there was alwayes kept some honestie it came so to passe through the wonderfull prouidence of GOD who meant still to reserue some honestie among mankinde In deede the Paynims had neuer this intent of seruing GOD as was reason they should but yet although none of their workes were accounted pure before GOD he notwithstanding so ruled them as thinges might not bee vtterly confounded Sith wee see this let vs learne that when God sheweth vs any signes of his prouidence by retayning men in some order and honestie it is to make vs perceyue thereby that he watcheth ouer mankinde And on the otherside let vs knowe also that if hee helde not out his hande to keepe men vnder some order wee should see such villainous and detestable things that euen the brute beastes should behaue themselues more honestly than men See I say what wee are to consider of to the ende we may pray God to receiue vs and not to suffer vs to fall into any such enormities as euen our selues should bee constrayned to abhorre them And for as much as wee see y t examples of these things haue beene giuen so long time since and perceiue by experience that the worlde ceaseth not to growe worse and worse what woulde come of it if God shoulde not redresse it What would bee the ende of it Questionlesse were it not for Gods wonderfull prouidence in this behalfe it must needes come to passe that all honestie among men should be cleane wiped out Thus yee see what wee haue to consider vppon the forewarning which GOD maketh in this place And moreouer let vs note that this lawe of GOD himselfe coulde not vtterly disappoint the raigning of such abhomination euen in the people which named themselues holy and elected aboue all the rest of the world Insomuch that sometimes the holy Scripture speaking of Kinges which were not ouer diligent in dooing their dueties saith that there were Stewes yea euen against nature not onely of harlots which were there at hire but also of other shamefull filthynesse not to bee named and that this wickednesse raygned And where In Iuda Therefore when wee heare this rehearsed vnto vs wee ought to tremble and walke in feare and warinesse praying GOD to hide vs vnder his wing◠and not to suffer such corruptions to happen vnto vs. And let vs note that from the one wee steppe to the other For when loose behauiours is once permitted men beare themselues in hande that euery thing is lawefull When such infamous thinges are suffered and lawlesse libertie of vsing them is graunted in any countrey men not onely giue themselues to lechery lyke dogges but also in the ende doe fall into greater and more outragious filthynesse Therefore seeing it is so let vs learne in generall to
Malachie when he treateth of the matter of hauing moe wiues than one If thy wife please thee not put hir away rather than ioyne thy selfe with many Not that hee gaue a man leaue to put away his wyfe but hee sayeth it were better for a man to put away his wife than to keepe hir so with griefe and sorrowe And he maketh a comparison betwixt two euilles of which a man ought to shunne the woorst Yee shall haue some man keepe his poore wife but it shall bee for no other ende but to brawle with hir and to molest and vexe hir with all the disquietinges in the world Nowe there is no reason to the contrarie but that a poore creature shoulde at the least haue peace and quietnesse So then as I haue told you let this place of the Prophet serue to shewe vs whereunto wee are bound that is that a man put not away his wife by diuorcing of hir But when wee are commaunded euerie man to keepe his wife except it bee for adulterie it is all one as if it were sayde that a man must bee gentle towardes his wife and loue hir as his owne flesh as Saint Paule warneth vs in another place in the fifth to the Ephesians and if there bee vices in hir hee must beare with them in such sort as there may bee peace and concord maintayned in the housholde If men vnderstoode that they are such debters vnto their wiues that is to say that marriage requireth a peaceable kinde of life betweene man and wife so as if there bee any thing amisse yet they ought not to bee ouer frowarde therefore but quiet and patient wee shoulde see an other manner of blessing in al houses and families than we doe now see But nowadayes the most part of husbandes and wiues are like Dogges and Cattes For they haue no such regard of their duetie that if a man bee vexed of his wife hee will call vppon God and desire his holy spirit to represse his affections but he falleth rather into worse and worse If a man espie any spot of wickednesse he defieth his wife by and by thereupon and casteth hir off The Diuell is a stickler betweene both and lyke a wylie Pye in this behalfe hee knoweth well ynough howe to finde occasions and meanes to seuer that asunder which God hath coupled together but neuerthelesse wee see what a lesson is giuen vs by our Lord Iesus Christ to wit that because the husband is not at libertie to put away his wife for any cause but for fornication he must moderate himselfe And that albeit his wife be not altogether perfect but haue her infirmities yet he must seeke to amend them by gentlenes and howsoeuer hee fare he must take heede that hee shew himselfe gentle and nourish peace and concord with his wife And heereuppon let women on their parte bethinke themselues to acknowledge the fauour which GOD sheweth them and to magnifie him for it Seeing GOD hath vouchsafed them such honour as to ioyne them to their husbandes who are their heads let them not perke vp aboue them but let them enforce themselues so much the more to take paynes in the thinges whcih are appointed them to serue their husbandes in and let them haue this consideration to say behold the husband is as it were the head of mankinde and women are as it were the body Now sith God hath ioyned mee vnto an husbande to bee his ayde and companion I must endeuour to please my husbande in such wise that he haue no cause to be grieued by me He is to beare with me as God hath commaunded him and seeing God hath such a care of me ought I not to haue the more heedefull eye to gouerne my selfe so as I be not a torment and vexation vnto my husband And if there bee in me any euill qualitie let mee bee the first my selfe to correct it and to fight so against it that I bee not forced and constrayned otherwise to reforme my selfe but let me of my owne goodwil seeke to please my husband that there may be peace and quietnesse among vs and not brawling fighting as it were betweene diuels Ye see in what sort euery man ought to haue an eye vnto his dewtie when our GOD speaketh of the pure coniunction which ought to be in marriage sheweth that as touching men it is by no meanes to be broken But nowe let vs passe farther in this matter pursuing that which our Lorde Iesus Christ saith when hee was asked Matt. 19.8 And why then did Moses permit that bill of diuorcement Hee did it saith hee because of the hardnesse of your heartes but it was not so in the beginning This is rehearsed in the nineteenth Chapter of saint Matthew Nowe note for one point that our Lorde vpbraideth the Iewes with the hardnesse of their heartes and that is to the intent wee should learne to condemne our selues if ciuill order bee not so perfect among vs as it ought to bee When wee see that the Church of God may be founde faultie in many thinges when wee are not reformed according to the order and practise of the Apostles when we keepe not that purenesse which was in the primatiue Church when wee see howe wee offend in these pointes let euery one of vs sigh for sorrowe and examining our selues say Alas we ought to haue this thing wee ought to haue that but we are farre from hauing of them Wee see what order hath beene heeretofore First as touching the almes of the Church there were Deacons in that behalfe We see how liberall euery man shewed himselfe so as there was no necessitie there was but one minde and one affection so as the faithfull were but one Wee see also touching the supper of our Lorde Iesus Christ that it was administred in such wise that if there were any man of a loose and dissolute life he was put from it And excommunication was of an other force than it is men vsed it after an other fashion than they do nowadaies And likewise as touching Baptisme it was ministred with such reuerence that euery man was attentiue vnto it the congregation was assembled together as if one were to receiue an holy freedomship as in very deede it is But among vs none of these thingâ— ere so as they should be After the state of ciuill gouernment faults are not halfe punished therein And if there be any punishments they are but playes and pastimes as a man may say What ought wee to call to minde heereupon when we see that both generally and particularly things are not so well ordered as they ought to bee Surely euery man ought to consider and to say alas it is because of the hardnesse of our hearts that we can haue no such order as ought to be among the children of God that things are so wasted and that no remedie can be had in this behalfe What is the cause heereof To whom
commaundeth vs. Let vs therefore note wel that although it be sayde in this place that the Iudges shall beare the plainetifes and iudge their cause yet is it not lawefull for any man to accuse his neighbour if he doe it thorough enmitie and euill will And this letteth not but that we ought alwayes to be patient for those iniuries which men doe vnto vs. For what doeth patience impose Not that wee shoulde not onely not bee set vppon reuenge but also that wee should seeke to doe them good which persecute vs and that we should pray for them which curse vs. This is the thing which we are commaunded and therefore let vs followe it and then it shall be lawefull for vs to flee for refuge vnto them which are armed with authoritie to maintaine the good and to punish the wicked and to represse all wrongful and outragious dealings we may then I say haue our recourse vnto them Nowe it followeth That the wicked man shal be condemned according to his desert There is here no mention of such offences as were to be punished by death For if there were murder committed or adulterie or such like thinges they were punished by death We haue seene howe God commaunded that all such kindes of wickednesse should be vtterly rooted out but here he speaketh but of such iniuries as deserue some other chastisement And that is the cause why it is sayde That the malefactour shall be punished according to his desert yet so that he shall not haue aboue fortie stripes For they vsed a whippe made of an oxe hide to chastise them which dealt wrongfully and outragiously with their neighbour alwayes prouided that the offence deserued not death It is sayde That they shall no◠passe the number of fortie stripes And why To the intent that the man shoulde not be mangled or disfigured in his body but remaine whole and sounde Ye see then in effect what is heere declared to wit first that the sentence must not be giuen in vaine and secondly that some moderation must be vsed so as the rigour be not excessiue First I say the sentence must not be in vaine but it must be put in execution For sometimes yee shall see Iudges make a countenaunce of thundring at a man howebeit that shal be but for some policie When they are minded to let an offender escape they will condemne him to doubble and trebble punishment What say they This wicked fellowe is not worthy to liue A man would maruaile to heare them but when the thing should be put in execution it falleth out to a mockerie But our Lorde sheweth that they may not dally so with him and that seeing the magistrates beare not the sworde in vaine nor are armed with authoritie in way of dallyaunce they must vse their power and when they haue pronounced sentence they must afterwardes doe Iustice in executing of it And that is the very cause why they are called the soules of the Lawe For a lawe without magistrates is as a bodie which hath neither sense nor mouing And when the bodie is idle and stirreth not it is a signe that the soule is altogether blockish And therefore when there are good lawes and some outwarde forme of Iustice and yet for all that there is no execution thereof Insomuch that it shal be sayde Thus it must be and yet the Statutes shal be disobeyed yea and sentence shal be giuen and yet slippe away vnexecuted Surely it is a token of too grosse blockishnesse in those which shold giue strength to y e law y t it might not be vnprofitable That thē is y ◠thing which God declareth in the first place For speaking of the executing of sentence hee sayeth Lette the iust be declared for such a one and lette him which hath doone wrong bee condemned lette him bee punished according to his deserts Nowe heereby he giueth vs to vnderstand that we must not lette any such faultes scape as ought to be punished neither behoueth it vs alonely to shewe our zeale in punishing of greate enormities but also to consider that smaller faultes drawe on the greater when they are let alone as buried God therefore pronounceth expressely that the malefactour shall be punished And when Not onely when hee hath offended so grieuously that his fault is vnpardonable but if the fault be litle he will haue the punishment and correction aunswerable thereunto hee will not haue men to say O it is a small fault lette it passe Well the matter is not great he may escape the better cheape No howe small soeuer his offence be hee will haue him smart for it and be an example vnto others Let vs therefore weigh this worde well yea let vs weigh it so much the better because wee see that the practise noweadayes runneth cleane contrarie for men seeke nothing else but to lessen their faultes In deede a man shall not bee altogither excused when he hath offended but yet neuerthelesse hee which doeth the wrong shall finde alwayes some aduocate to pleade for him yea euen without bearing the name of it He ought to be as a Iudge in the case and yet he will so mitigate the faulte as it shall not be punishable faire gloses shall still be founde to colour the matter withall O sir will one say There is such a circumstaunce there is this and that to be considered in the case so the tenth part of mens faults shal not bee punished For why They bee not found so grieuous and hainous as they be in deede No but yet for al y t if the fault bee small God will haue the chastisement answearable thereunto and if it be greate he wil haue the punishment the more seuere and greeuous Thus yee see in effect what wee haue to beare in minde Nowe whereas GOD speaketh thus vnto earthly Iudges let vs knowe that for his parte he might well punish vs by his iustice and that not for petie faultes but for notorious transgressions Who is so iust and innocent among vs that he findeth not himselfe faultie before God yea and that in many offences Moreouer how many faults do we commit through vnaduisednesse when we thinke not on them And therefore if God vsed not great mercie towardes vs he should lift vp his hand against vs and drowne vs in the pitte of destruction euerie minute of an houre So then whereas wee liue still and are preserued lette vs acknowledge that it is thorough the infinite goodnesse of our God For if as touching earthly Iustice hee commandeth the least faultes to be punished he might himselfe by greater reason lay his hande vpon vs euen to roote vs out of the earth especially considering the infinite number of faultes whereof we be guiltie before him And if it be alleadged Well then seeing God is so mercifull ought not men also to be mercifull and so to followe him it is easily aunswered That GOD hath this libertie to forgiue whome hee will besides this
followe the grace of God and to receiue it and hauing accepted it to make it to preuaile To bee short the Papistes make a parting of stakes as if it lay in vs to seeke God then that it were in vs to put his grace in effect in such wise as it should not be vnprofitable and that there is also a certaine agreement betweene God and man so as God for his part doth one peece and we doe the other yea and the principall part But the meaning of Moses is nothing so For he sheweth not what belongeth to man as in comparison and in respect of God But it is the common fashion of the holy scripture first to shew vs what is our dutie and then to adde that although we be not able to resort vnto God when he calleth vs yet we must not be faintharted at y e feeling of our weaknesse but rather resort vnto him that is able to helpe it according as he hath promised to do it Let vs marke wel then that when holy Scripture speaketh of that which men doe owe vnto God wee must not in that case stand scanning of our owne power and ability for we shall not faile to be euermore detters as we haue said and yet we must note also that the vnabilitie which is in vs proceedeth of our fault Yet notwithstanding the Papists alleage that it were a crueltie in God to require of vs to do more than we can It seemeth indeed that God ought to be contented if a man doe what he can Now then if we cannot haue a good desire 2. Cor. 3.5 and if we haue yet lesse power that we caÌ„not so much as think a good thought wherfore doth God constraine vs to loue him perfectly There seemeth to be no vpright dealing in y t. But we must repaire to our originall sinne which hindereth vs so as we serue not God no nor haue not the will to serue him Indeede God hath imprinted a will in vs by nature Rom. 1.20 and for as much as we are meÌ„ we haue a discretion to discerne good and euill whereby we be inexcusable and when we sin it commeth not of compulsioÌ„ neither are we forced by other meanes but it proceedeth of our own will and inclination But now let vs see whether our wil can bend it selfe both the waies and is able to chuse either good or euill No. For we be captiues vnder sinne Rom. 6.17 7.14 and whence coÌ„meth this captiuitie and bondage From the offence of Adam Seeing therefore that the euill is in our selues wee must not seeke for fonde and vnprofitable excuses for we shall win nothing thereby but let vs stoope and condemn our selues If God therfore require aught of vs he doth vs no wroÌ„g and yet notwithstanding men may not reply that they be feeble and weake for the euill shall euermore be imputed vnto them they shal be found guiltie thereof But now let vs come back to the matter which we haue touched The holy scripture setteth before vs the lawe of God as y e thing which we ought to follow and that is our rule We for our part doe draw cleane contrary Whereto then serueth the law of God so long as it is but a dead letter that is to say so long as we haue but our eares beaten therewith or so long as it is written but in paper parchment or in stones as this was as it is in deede so long as it is but preached vnto vs It serueth but to our condemnation so as we be there conuicted and can no more pleade ignorance but rather shew our selues open rebels in that we bow not downe our neckes to receiue the yoke which God hath ordained for vs. That is the cause why the lawe of God vnder Moses did bring nothing but wrath Therefore he saith y t it doth augment sinne Rom. 4.15 Rom. 5.2 2. Cor. 3.7 and consequently that it is vnto vs the messenger of death So then let vs marke well that whereas God teacheth vs what wee ought to doe albeit y t the same doctrine ought of it selfe to serue vs to saluation yet neuerthelesse it bringeth vs nothing but condemnation euen bicause of our sin Such is the falling out of it but howsoeuer y e case stand yet must the law of God alwaies condeÌ„ne vs. Now after that God hath conuicted men beaten downe their pride to the intent they should not presume of themselues he addeth the promise and saith Go to It is true y t your hearts be incircumcised it is certaine y t you haue blind motions and that you be corrupted in all your nature but I will change your heartes I will renue your mindes I will reforme you to my selfe whereas heretofore you haue been rebellious against me there hath bin nothing in you but malice henceforth there shal be a readines to obey my lawe God giueth that very promise Whereby hee sheweth that whatsoeuer hee commaunded vs afore our doing thereof shal be by his only power not in any part by our own In this case it is not for vs to father the cheefe part vppon our owne free will no nor the one halfe neither for God must haue all the prayse without exception and that whatsoeuer we doe doe proceede of his woorking of it in vs and of his reforming of our wittes and of his changing of vs. And for that cause the holy Scripture sayth 2. Cor. 5.17 that we be made newe creatures When it sayth so doth it meane that men were â—arst good No but that GOD doeth reforme them And in deede if it were in vs to amende our soules and to renewe them wee shoulde doe more than GOD doeth GOD hath created our bodyes and also our soules but yet notwithstanding what bring wee from our mothers wombe but all maner of cursednesse For as I haue sayde wee bee infected with originall sinne Thus doeth GOD make vs mortall men yea but in the meane whyle there is this mischeefe namely that wee bee aliened from him and from all goodnesse Nowe if men were able to deliuer themselues out of the curse wherein they bee and could giue themselues a newe power shoulde not they then doe more than GOD hath doone Nowe then whereas Moses sayeth in this place The Lorde will circumcise thy heart to loue thy GOD with all thy hearte and with all thy soule hee sheweth thereby that if wee doe amisse as we doe indeede wee cannot haue so much as any one good motion to come vnto GOD vntill wee be altogether renewed by Gods working in vs and therefore that we must not be fainthearted Wherfore For when he hath taught vs what we ought to doe he giueth vs also the power to performe it After hee hath taught vs by the voyce of men hee teacheth vs also by his holy Spirite in our heartes and that teaching is of efficacie so as wee doe not onely knowe the good but also wee
for himself to this seruice so as his glory may shine forth in vs but yet is not that enough For wee shall see men vnhallowe the name of God some by blaspheming him and some by rushing out into all vices and enormities Now therefore whē we see such thinges our zeale ought to be kindled to withstand them to the vttermost of our power to shewe that we desire nothing more than that God should bee honored and abide vnappayred so as men should not abridge him of any thing When wee haue this zeale then shall we sanctify Gods name not onely in our owne soules and bodies but also euen among those which doe so vnhallowe and defile it And for that cause are we commaunded to be as burning Cressets in the midest of a froward crooked generation Phil. 2.15 When wee dwell among the vnbeleeuers and enemies of Gods word or among such as despise it and make no account of it then in stead of our accustomed seeking of vaine excuses with I would faine serue God but there are so many corruptions that I must needes howle among woolues as they say then say I is the time for vs to streyne ourselues so much the more and to enforce our selues to sanctifie y e name of God And where Euen in y e midst of those among whom we be conuersant That is y e thing which is shewed vs in this place True it is that Moses was most bound thereto because God had chosen him aboue the rest Yet neuerthelesse it behoued euery other man also to streine himselfe thereunto And let vs vnderstand that seeing hee taketh vs for his children wee ought at the least to maintaine his honor as much as wee would doe the honor of our earthly fathers And for that cause it is sayd that he and Aaron had transgressed Wherby we see that men may well acquit themselues and besprinkle themselues with holywater as they say but yet must they passe by the sentēce which God hath pronounced for only he is the competent Iudge Although then y t Moses was not ware that he had offended and although also y t wee cannot discouer his offence yet doeth our Lord say y t he had offended so as it was not ynough for him not to haue done any euill deede nor to haue absteined from murmuring nor also to haue withheld his consent from the murmurings of the people but he was a transgressor in that he was too cowardly had not y e foresayd inuincible courage that I spake of to set himselfe against the mischiefe and to stoppe it as he ought to haue done Nowe for a conclusion we haue yet to marke this saying which is added Thou shalt not goe in thither but thou shalt see it euen the land which I giue to the children of Israell to possesse For here Moses had occasion to bee further out of patience whē our Lord exempted him alone saying All y e rest of this people shall inioy y e land but thou shalt be set beside it If we be driuen to indure any cōmon aduersitie we make y e lighter of it But if a man be cut off alone see that God leueleth at none but him y t is much harder and heauier And at the same point was Moses But it was Gods will to trye his obedience and subiection Also hee meant to set vs a faire lookingglasse before our eyes to the intent we should not be prouoked to rebel though hee deale more roughly with vs than with our fellowes and neighbors For we be wont alwayes to alledge How now Haue I offended more than others I see God dealeth full roughly with me and yet there are others which are no better than I and what fault findeth he in me Such complaintes shall a man oftentimes heare But it is not for vs to looke how God handleth others Let vs content our selues that he knoweth what is meete for vs and let euery of vs beare his owne burden patiently and not fall to vsing of such replyes for we shall win nothing thereby Thus ye see what is set downe here in the person of Moses in that he was faine to bee banished out of y e land when all the children of Israell and all the rest of the people went in among whom neuerthelesse there were many despisers of God and many hypocrites to bee short they were as a clowte patched together of many peeces Yet notwithstanding as in respect of possessing the land they were to be preferred before Moses And therefore let vs vnderstand that when God hath once made vs to enter into the way of saluation it is not enough for vs except wee attaine vnto it and that for the bringing thereof to passe we hold out to the end I haue told you heretofore that the land of Canaan was as a common Pawne which GOD gaue to all the children of Israell of his calling of them to the inheritance of the heauēly kingdome namely to as many as entered into the land that is to say to those which were newe sprong vp in y e wildernesse For as for those which came out of Egypt Num. 14.29 30. none of them all but onely two did enter into y e land of Canaan But those which were then little children as it were about a foure or fiue yeeres old all those entered in Neuerthelesse there were many of them which serued not God faithfully but played the naughtipackes and backslyders Whereby we be done to vnderstand that seeing God hath once reached vs his hand it behooueth vs to liue in such sorte as we quaile not ne turne not our backes vppon him but continue still in his obedience so as faith may euermore reigne in vs to withdrawe vs from the lustes and cares of this world And although we haue not the land of Canaan at this day for a visible signe let vs resort to our Lord Iesus Christ who is much more woorth without all comparison than the outward inheritance which was giuen to the people of olde time And seeing we be entered into the trace of Iesus Christ that is to say be put as it were into his body and he accounteth vs as of his flocke and is become our shepheard let vs looke that we behaue our selues towardes him as sheepe hearkening to his voyce and following him whithersoeuer he calleth vs. And in y e meane while let vs pray this good God to holde vs so vnited to him in the person of his onely Sonne as wee may continually hold out to the end in all holynesse and all goodnes and that at the last wee may be gathered vp by him not as children of Adam in the generall curse but as children of Abraham in the promise of saluation which was made to vs in our Lord Iesus Christ. Now let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God praying him to make vs feele our faultes and offences more and more and that for the more mislyking of
worde He sayeth immediatly in gathering the heads of the people and the Trybes of Israel together Heere hee expresseth the concorde which ought to bee in Gods Church euen from the greatest to the least Whereas hee sayeth in gathering or assembling hee sheweth that as soone as GOD hath spoken there ought to be a conformitie and true vnion amongs vs. We must not be at variaunce one drawing one way and another another but euery of vs must yeelde assemble together that none but God may haue any preheminence ouer vs and that we may be gathered together in one as it were vnder his winges That then is the gathering together which Moses speaketh of heere And therfore we may conclude thereupon that when Gods word is not preached although mē agree together yet their agreement is cursed there is nothing but confusion in it Will we thē be so knit together as God may allowe of the concorde that is among vs Let him be alwayes our head let his word be the mean to fashion vs one like an other let there be no brotherhoode but because there is one father cōmon to vs al and y t wee be his children together by one common accorde And herein it is to be seene that all the fond bragging of the Papists is but smoke leasing when they say that they agree among themselues For it is alwayes to bee considered what the bonde is Now the Papistes agree in all disobedience so as they must needes bee stubborne in refusing Gods worde and trample his truth vnder their feete or else we see that without that there is no accesse to be had vnto them Seeing then that their linking in together is but to withdrawe themselues from God wo worth that vnion But if we will haue a holy and commendable concorde such as God may allowe of let vs begin at this point namly that we hearken to his voyce and y t we followe it shewing therby that we bee his true sheepe that we take him for our sheepeheard And in so doing let vs take him also for our king as it is sayde in this text that he also may take vs for his people and Church and then we may be bolde to defie all such as behaue themselues after their owne inuentions and fancies Nowe therewithall Moses sheweth that there is no man which ought not to submit himselfe to Gods worde when he sayeth in gathering the heades and all the Trybes together Heere then is no exception neither ought y e great ones to alleage either their authority or their power for they be the folke which ought to shewe the way and which ought by their exāple to induce the meaner people to obedience Therefore when our Lord speaketh let the heads be as lowely as the inferiour sort let them lead the daunce and reach their hands to all the residue For in very deede when the great men and rich men of this worlde and such as are in any estimation despise Gods worde set light by it it is a dubble stumblingblocke because men haue an eye to them they be as it were set vp on a hygh stage The disorder therefore which they make is such that they must yeelde dubble account vnto God for y t they haue bin the cause of the backeslyding of many simple weake soules And therefore let vs learn y t whensoeuer God speaketh those to whō he hath giuen y t greater giftes of grace which haue any dignity or excellency must shewe that Gods prouoking of thē to come vnto him is not in vaine they must be the first that obey him And on the other side the rude vnskilful must not alleadge We be no Clerks we be no men of great vnderstanding for it is sayde that all the Trybes of Israell must likewise assemble together Let vs conclude then y t as the great ones must shew the way to the litle ones so all the people generally and without exception must submit them selues to God al of vs must become his scholers seeing he vouchsafeth to be our scholemaister and al of vs must be his people seeing he doth vs the honor to set his royall seate among vs. That is the effect of the thing which wee haue to remember vpon this place But let vs come to the blessinges which Moses giueth to the Tribes of Israell I haue tolde you afore that they be not single prayers made as by a priuate man but that forasmuch as God had appointed him to be his deputie he declareth that the state of the Church shal be alwayes blessed that God will haue a care therof Moses then speaketh heere not in his owne person nor of his owne authoritie but as one gouerned by the holy Ghost and as one whom God caused to shewe foorth the fatherly care which he would alwayes haue of his Church To be short there is nothing heere which ought to be fathered vppon a mortall man but by the mouth of Moses God sheweth that hee hath not chosen the children of Abraham in vaine but that hee will continue his goodnesse towardes them to the ende and shew in very deede that they be a people whom he hath adopted to himselfe and dedicated to his owne seruice and of whom he wil be the defender Howebeit forasmuch as these thinges shal be layd foorth more at large I doe but touch them shortly as nowe Let vs come to that which is spoken of Ruben Let Ruben liue and not dy We know that Ruben was Iacobs eldest sonne and ought to haue obteyned the right of the first begotten and ought to haue had a double portion and to haue reigned among his brothers but he was bereft of it by his owne leaudenesse For he committed incest which was a crime worthy of more than death he deserued to haue beene wyped out of the worlde and to haue had his name reprochfull for euer Gen. 35.22 Neuerthelesse God pardoned him Yea but not without chastisement as we see by the blessing which was giuen him and he seemeth rather to haue beene accursed For Iacob his father sayde vnto him Gen 49.3 Ruben thou wast my first borne the beginning of my force and strength but thou hast also beene the beginning of my sorrowes And therefore thou must slippe away like water and drie vp For thou diddest loose the title of thy birth right when thou wentest vp vpon thy fathers bedde and committedst incest which is a horrible crime Forasmuch therefore as thou hast beene a greefe and sorrowe to me whereas I ought to haue receyued ioye and comfort of thee thou must be banished and excluded from thy birthryght and from the dignitie which thou shouldest haue had It shold seeme y t Iacob taketh too great displeasure against his eldest son when he ouerwhelmeth him so with infamie thundereth so against him Howbeit y t is but a temporall correction For notwithstāding this yet he continueth stil a
if we thinke the fault small our Lorde will account it great If we should iudge after the imagination of men concerning this deede of Moses what is to be sayde but that he shewed great stoutnesse For he resisted the people and vsed very rough and sharpe wordes Thinke yee sayth he that God is not able to make water to issue out of this Rocke Num. 20. See howe Moses stryueth with them through fayth with obedience to God and he glorifieth him To be short in all his words there is nothing to be seene which is not worthy prayse and yet notwithstanding he did amisse and seeing that God pronounceth it so it is not for vs to gainesay it Therefore let vs learne to walke in humilitie for feare least it happen vnto vs according to this saying of Salomon Prouer. 2◠that whē we haue weyed our waies and thoughtes and that to our owne seeming there is nothing amisse God will not agree to our balaunce for hee hath another measure whereby he will iudge more vprightly And we haue his worde to iudge vs. Let euery man then examine himselfe and when we finde that our Lorde reprooueth any thing let vs assure ourselues it is not without cause Againe when we once knowe our faultes let vs assure ourselues that there are a hundered thousande times moe than we can perceiue and we must cry out with Dauid Lorde who can tell the number of his faultes Psal. 19.13 Clense thou mee from my secret sinnes Moreouer wee haue to comfort ourselues in all the temporall punishmentes which God sendeth vs because they serue to bring vs lowe whereby God ceaseth not to further our saluation continually and to holde vs euermore in the hope which we haue that he acounteth vs of his houshoulde and Church So long then as we be sure that we belong to our God and that he acknowledgeth and auoweth vs to be his it ought well to content vs as wee see heere that Moses was contented with the onely sight of the Land Truely he neither possessed nor inioyed it but it suffised him that he was a partener in the promise to the ende he might attaine to the heritage of heauen Forasmuch as Moses had that it was a comfort and ioy vnto him And it behoued him thence foorth to forbeare the making of that request any more afterwarde Deut. 3.25 So then although the punishmentes bee harde vnto vs when God chastiseth our sinnes that we may desire him to deliuer vs from them yet if we see that his will is not so but that it is good for vs to be corrected let vs strengthen ourselues to it and pray him to giue vs power to holde out vnquailed And therewithall let vs vnderstande that our strength consisteth in faith in y t we haue an eye to the hope wherunto we be called True it is that we possesse not in deede the thing that is promised vs but yet God giueth vs such a tast thereof as ought to suffise vs we haue the certeinetie thereof printed in vs by his holy spirite Therefore let that bee a meane to holde vs in that we may patiently beare all the corrections which God listeth to lay vpon vs. That is y e thing which we haue to gather here vpon the example of Moses Now in the end it is sayd That God buried him In deede the word God is not expressed y e text sayth only Moses dyed and he buried him in Nebo but yet it setteth down also according to the mouth of God and buryed him in Gay Hee went vp into Nebo on the other side of the hill there was a place named the valley of Gay and there was his sepulchre We see then y t it is spoken of God where it is set downe that Moses dyed according to his mouth For Gods mouth signifieth nothing else but his worde In deede God declareth not the dying time of euery of vs he reserueth that to himselfe We haue our boundes which wee can not passe Iob. 14.5 but we shall die euery chone of vs and we be to die according to Gods decree The only difference betweene vs and Moses is this that God telleth vs that we be mortall as soone as we come into the worlde Heerewithal we see also how short flyghtfull our life is insomuch that we haue but a shadow which slippeth away Iob. 14.2 We see it but we haue not a day certaine assigned vs God prolongeth the life of one shortneth the life of another And in that case it behoueth vs to submit ourselues to his determination All of vs then die according to Gods decree but Moses dyed according to his mouth that is to say according as hee had declared it afore Nowe as touching his buryall it behooueth vs to see wherefore Moses was not buried after the common fashion of men and why he would haue his sepulcher to remain vnknowen Soothly we must not expounde the worde so grossely which is set downe heere as to say y t God made a pit to burie Moses in but hee so ordeined that he was buried by his power God needeth not to set his hande to a thing when hee will haue it done it is ynough that his power bee knowen For all creatures must needes obey him the earth will open when it pleaseth him as the which was made of nothing God then may cōmaunde and the thing is by and by done performed accordingly as it is saide in the Psalme Psal. 33.9 that his commaundement is of as great force as all the executinges of the worlde Ye see then that y e burying of Moses by God was that God willed the earth to open to giue him buryall to hyde his body in such sort as neuer man might knowe what became thereof And it was not without cause y t God would haue the graue of Moses so hidden Nay rather wee haue to note what S. Iude sayth thereof in his epistle y t is to wit Iude. 9. that Michael tharkeangell fought with the deuill for the graue of Moses And that battell was not stirred vp by Satan for nought For needes must it be that hee pretended some aduauntage if the graue of Moses had bin knowen and that had bin a meane to beguyle men with superstition So then Gods purpose and intent is nowe manifest vnto vs which is that he would not haue men to abuse the body of Moses in ydolatrie And seeing that God prouided for it it is a signe that he knewe mens inclinations to be such as they would hardly forbeare to make ydolles if they had any occasion at all Beholde Moses excelled all Prophetes as it is said of him in the ende of this booke as by Gods will we shall see to morrow Insomuch that after his death there came not a prophet in Israel like vnto him All of them were as expounders of the Lawe but yet had he as it were the principall
anthoritie Againe we knowe howe God wrought by him how he deliuered the children of Israell from the bondage of Egypt howe hee ruled them by the space of fortie yeeres in the wildernesse yea and that he was taken vp into the mountaine to set foorth the Lawe Exod. 19.3 and had taryed there fortie dayes and fourtie nightes together without eating or drinking liuing like an Angell of heauen Exod. 24.18 as one that was no more subiect to mortall state For we knowe that men can not continue if they want sustenance Yee see then howe Moses was caught vp to the glorie of heauen Moreouer when he came to the people he had beames streaming from his face so as men could no more abide to looke vppon him than vpon the Sunne The brightnesse of God shewed it selfe in such wise in him that the people were astonished at it Exod. 34.29 33 and hee was fayne to put a veyle before his face to shewe that he was no more a common man nor ought to bee taken as he was afore Seeing then that Moses had done so notable thinges and God had so hyghly inhonored him no dout but the people would haue beene led to some superstition and haue made an ydol of his bodie That is y e cause why his body was hidden and God would not haue it to be perceiued Nowe wee haue in this text a very profitable warning First of all how great frailtie there is in vs if wee bee not restrained and brydled by God and that aboue all things our nature is so giuen to superstition that God is faine to reclaime vs from that vyce as it were by force Therefore let vs suspect our selues in that behalfe and consider that it standeth vs in hande to remoue all obiectes and all other things that may intyce vs to ydolatry because wee be so much giuen vnto it alreadie Marke that for one poynt But if men had wel considered this there had neuer beene so great and horrible confusion as is to be seene in the Popedome What is the cause the Papistes are so whot after their ydols and puppets Whereupon haue they taken so great libertie to fill all their Churches with them without ende or measure buylding so many altars and chappels and making so many images and pictures It is for want of the knowledge of that which is tolde vs heere that is to wit that as soone as men haue neuer so litle occasion to commit ydolatrie by and by they bee rauished with it and as it were starke mad They knewe not this They bore themselues in hande that they might buylde altars make images and fill all places with the filthines of their ydolatrie and yet not offend God They persuaded themselues so Howbeit they shewed by experience that God doth not without cause condemne all mankinde to bee giuen to superstition Seeing then that wee perceiue this mischiefe to bee come to passe let vs the rather take warning to liue soberly and as I sayd afore let vs distrust our owne nature seeing it is so sinfull and corrupted Also let vs note that God meant to shewe by his owne authoritie howe greatly all ydolatries and superstitions displease him Hee hath hidden the graue of Moses and shall men nowe pleade against it No for it is a fighting against God when wee will nowe dispute whether it be good to haue meanes of ydolatrie For our Lord pulleth them away from vs because he seeth well that wee shall by and by bee snarled in Satans snares vnlesse hee take from vs all obiectes Seeing then that God declareth the matter so plainly it behooueth vs to agree fully thereunto And specially wee haue to note that heere God condemneth all the superstitions which are committed in the persons of Prophets or Apostles as well as vnto Idols which the Heathen haue made And that is yet one other thing wherein the Papistes do ouer grossely ouershoote themselues For when ydols are spoken of they beare themselues in hand that if a man worship not the gods which were renowmed among the Heathen it makes no matter that it is no ydolatrie at all For if the virgin Marie should bee called an ydol among them what a thing were it If the Saints as well Apostles as Martyrs euen those whom they them selues haue imagined should be called ydols it were a cursed speech among the Papists And why For they take none to be ydols but those which were so vsed among the Heathen Yea but in the meane time they perceiue not that ydolatrie may as wel be committed in the person of an Angel yea euen in the person of God as in the persons of these peâ—idinels which were so forged among the Infidels I say that ydolatrie may be committed euen in the person of God Let a man followe all the abominations that are committed in the world how be they coloured There is a thing in the Popedome which they terme Gods seruice and what is that The Masse But we knowe it is most lothsome diuelish ydolatrie that can be specially because y e name of God is intermedled with it So then we may wel say that we serue God that we worship him yet in the meane while there shal be shameful excessiue ydolatrie as when men turne away from Gods worde followe their owne inuentions fancies But as for the Papists it is certeine that of the virgin Mary they make an ydol For wheras they attribute vnto her the office of an Aduocate to make intercession betweene God men terme her their life light hope what remaineth more to our Lord Iesus Christ Is he not by that meane bereft of his Priesthood which was giuen vnto him of God his father As much is to bee said of all the rest of their Patrones as they beare themselues in hand So then we ought to marke well this text where God would haue the body of Moses to be hidden And why Because that if the people had giuen themselues that way it had bin no lesse abhomination than their receiuing of strange gods their intangling of themselues in the superstitions of the Heathen I grant there had been a more apparant shrowding sheete For they would haue sayd he was y e seruant Prophet of God who published the law and therefore in the honor of God whom he serued hee must nowe bee worshipped and haue his bodie aduaunced among vs. And if the rod which he bare had such vertue in it Exod. 7.20 8.17 Nom. 20.11 howe much more shall his bodie haue Therfore wheÌ„ we would bee heard of God wee may resort to his tumb and there pray vnto God For needes must he be present with y e bodie of Moses seeing that so great notable miracles were wrought by his rod only Such things might they haue alledged But yet for all that where are so many enticements of Satan there ought we to be the more afrayde
the people bin vnthankfull they shoulde ere that time haue beene conueyed into the lande of promise and then had Moses gone in with them But his life was prolonged a great time because of the leawdnes of the people Heere we see a wonderfull goodnes in God For seeing that the people that is to wit as many of them as were then of discretion to knowe good from euill were condemned to die in the wildernesse it had beene a great discomfort to them if Moses should haue dyed out of hand 〈◊〉 14.23 But God reserueth him and although he chastise the people yet notwithstanding hee moderateth his rigour Heere then we see in effect that when God tolde the people that they should die in the wildernesse hee meant not to punish them with such extremitie but that hee prouided them first of y e principall point which was y t they might haue a good loadesman For that is an inestimable treasure And againe we see howe God wrought in Moses by a power that was not common to men that is to wit that at the age of Sixscore yeeres there was in him still all that euer was requisite in so difficult and weightie a charge as wee knowe was committed vnto him True it is that he had Iudges with him Exod. 18.25 but yet for all that no one man no nor a doosen men had beene able to haue gone through with that charge though they had bin chosen of the excellentest men in the worlde Needs must it be thē that God aided him Now whereas in so old age men are wont to be drooping and halfe dead or at leastwise in such case as they can scarsly crawle and are halfe doted and yet Moses continueth still in his perfect state therein it appeareth that God had compassion of his people And this is expresly declared that the children of Israel shoulde knowe that God neuer forsooke them that although they had grieuously offended him and were worthy to be cut off from his house and to bee stripped out of his gratious giftes yet he ment not to vse such rigour for hee reserued Moses and gaue him wherwith to go through with his charge continually To be short in this text it is shewed vs that if God giue vs such men to bee our guides as behaue themselues faithfully and haue abilitie matched with their will and that they bee maintained to doe their office to the full it behoueth vs to perceiue therin that God hath pitie vppon vs and we must acknowledge such a benefite vnlesse we wil be condemned of vnthankfulnesse Nowe it is saide that the children of Israel mourned thirtie days for the death of Moses It was a common thing to make such sorrowe for the deade But forasmuch as Moses was a father to all the whole people it was verie requisite that not some one house or kinred but that all those which had beene gouerned by him shoulde weepe for him Euerie man is to be mourned for in his owne house by his kinsfolfe and neere friendes but there was another speciall reason in Moses because God had giuen him to all the people and he had guided them with a fatherly care as we knowe The people therefore doe witnesse openly howe much they were bounde and beholden vnto Moses and al of them shewe themselues as his children But here it might be demaunded whether it be lawfull to make such lamentation for a man that is departed for it shoulde seeme to bee an incountering of Gods will Wee knowe that the life and death of men is in Gods hande nowe if hee call vs away it behooueth vs to goe without any gainesaying as I saide yesterday They that outliue vs must not sorrowe for our death for it were a kinde of striuing against God But wee must euer haue an eye to the end of our sorrowing when wee mourne for the decease of men and againe we must come to the measure therof Those two things then must we obserue to the intent that our sorrowing may bee lawfull The first thing is that our mourning for a partie departed be vpon iust cause For we haue good occasion to weepe because death is a common lookingglasse and record vnto vs of Gods curse not vppon one or two folkes but vpon all mankinde When we see any man deade God sheweth vs to the vew of our eye that we be all of vs cursed of him and that wee be all of vs inclosed in that curse because of Adams sin For whence comes death but of the estraunging of vs from the fountaine and welspring of life God then giueth vs good occasion to weepe when any man dyeth but that must bee done because of our sinnes so aswe feele what we haue deserued and bee ashamed of our selues and bee touched with the feare of Gods vengeance and bee so wounded therewith as it may prouoke vs to make sorrowe But this ende is ill regarded welneere of all men For when wee weepe we wote not why wee weepe and scarsly shall yee finde one among a hundred which is mooued and stirred vp to acknowledge the punishment of sinne the curse of God which is spred ouer all the sonnes of Adam That then is the thing which we haue to remember in the first place There is another seconde ende That is to wit when God taketh away a man that was able to doe seruice in his Church either publikely or priuately wee ought to bee sorie for it forasmuch as our Lorde chastiseth vs. If there bee a good Sheepeherd a good Prince a good Magistrate a man of counsell or any other that is fitte to serue the whole bodie and God taketh him away we ought to bee sorie for him and not without cause for it is a signe that hee is minded to diminish his grace in vs. And ought wee not to bee grieued in feeling Gods wrath On the other side we see how it is said that our Lorde taketh away the righteous Esa. 57.1 when he hath any vengeance in a readinesse hee calleth away his seruaunts to rest that they may be free from the mischiefe which is at hande Therefore when God taketh away the excellent men from among vs it is alwayes a threatning vnto vs. For it is all one as if he told vs that wee bee not worthie to haue him to dwell in our companie according to this saying in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Heb. 11.38 that the worlde was not worthie to haue the men that serued God with such vertuous conuersation True it is that men mislike of them and thrust them out of their company as though they were not worthie to goe vppon the earth But yet on the contrarie part God telleth vs that we forgoe the company of the good men and of those whom hee hath reserued to himselfe Therefore when we bewaile the death of honest men which haue liued in the feare of God which were indewed with excellent vertues and gifts of grace
vaineglorie in giuing our Almes that we must refraine from the same 900. a 30.40 Almesdeedes Defaults in Almesdeeds what Christ teacheth vs concerning the same 856. b 40.50.60.857 a 10. c. How God rewardeth Almesdeeds and how he esteemeth of them 577. a 50.60 b 10 Howe Moseses wordes that a mans Almesdeedes shal be counted vnto him for righteousnesse are meant 857. b 30.40.50.60 Of Almesdeeds and that they are the sacrifices which God liketh of 517. a 20.30 Our Almesdeeds are the sweetesmelling sacrifices which God accepteth 852. b 50.60 c. Howe Almesdeedes shal be reckened for righteousnesse 856. b all An exhortation to Almesdeedes and how we ought to bethinke our selues to Godward for his prouidence 570.10.20 c. By Almesdeedes we doe God homage with such goods as hee hath bestowed vpon vs and that must bee at all times 619. a 30.40 c. What is to be respected in our doing of Almesdeeds 630. b 30.40 The place of Osee that God requireth the sacrifice of Almesdeedes amplified 610. a 40.50.60 Something else besides Almesdeedes is required of vs to Godwarde 619. b 10 God in the time of the lawe required not only sacrifice but Almesdeedes also to the poore 609. b 50.60 The repining of some when they be spoken to concerning Almesdeedes 589. b 10.20 It is oftentimes greater Almesdeeds to lend a competent summe than to giue a verie little 583. a 60 Though we do Almesdeeds yet are our hearts streitened and scarse wel willing 581. a 60. b 10 What circumstances make our Almes-deeds vnacceptable to God 582. b 40 Howe we should bethinke our selues in our Almesdeeds and sesse our selues according to our abilitie 582. b 50.60 583. a 10 God putteth our Almesdeeds doone to the poore into his owne accounts 585. a 60. b 10 Why our Lord calleth Almesdeeds sacrifices 581. b 10 They be no Almesdeeds vnlesse they be bestowed where there is neede 582. b 10.20 Almesdeedes please not God vnlesse they come from a willing heart 581. a 50 Of extorted Almesdeeds y t are wrung from y e giuer as a bone out of a dogs mouth 581. b 30.40 S. Pauls admonition to induce vs to doe Almesdeeds 577. a 50.60 Almightie What is the thing wherein God sheweth himselfe Almightie 713. a 10. All Soules The cause why the Papists caused their feast of All soules to be kept once a yeare 671. a 10.20 Looke Feastes Altar Why it is saide that God woulde haue but onely one Altar whereuppon to offer sacrifice 628. b 60. 629. a 10 Of the Altar of the Papistes wherein they offer their abhominable ydoll of the Masse and of other their corruptions 629. a 40.50.60 Why the Iewes were commaunded that they shoulde not plant any tree neere to the Altar of God c. 627. b 20. c. Why the Iewes were commanded that they should not make their Altar of carued or pollished stones c. 918. a 60. b 10. c. 919. a 10. Why God willed that no straunge fier shoulde be brought vnto his Altar 502. b 50.60 Iesus Christ is our onely spiritual Altar 509. a 40 The meaning of Paul in saying that such as serued at the Altar shoulde bee maintained by the Altar 429. b 40 Of the Altar which the two tribes and the halfe erected at their returne home from the conquest of Chanaan and what mischiefe insued 918. b 10.20 Why God commaunded the Iewes to reare him an Altar of rough and vnhewen stones 918. b 10.919 a 30 Of Ieroboams Altar which he erected in Bethell 919. a 10. Of an Altar which the Iewes made and whereon the lawe was ingrauen 918. a 40 That the Iewes shoulde haue but one Altar to sacrifice vnto God 918. b 10 and the reason why ibid. 20 Altars Of the Altars of the Papistes whereby they deface the death and passion of Christ. 629. a 10 The heathen for deuotions sake made shadowes about their Altars and how 628. a 30. where also the Papists superstition in the like case is touched ibid. 40 Altars for sacrifices altars for y e shew-bread altars for perfumes c. 661. b 20 The meaning of these wordes that at y e comming of Christ there shoulde be three Altars one in Aegypt another in Assyria and the third in Iurie 509. a 30 What imagination woulde remaine in mens minds if Altars were retained still 491. b 10 The beating down of the Altars of the heathen commanded to the Iewes 490. b 20.491 a all Of the things that are termed Altars in the Popedome what they be 509. a 30.40 Altars erected by Balac and his people to coniure God withall 804. b. 50. What mischiefes haue insued the building of manie and seuerall Altars 920. a 40.50 The spite that is done to God by suffering Altars to stand still 311. a 50.60 b 10 Against Altars vsed in poperie wherto they serued 311. a 30.40 Two reasons why God commaunded the Iewes to breake downe the heathen mens Altars 309. b 50.60 310. a 20. c. Alteration In what case the Alteration of a thing is allowed of God 64. a 10 What Alteration or change it is that commeth of God 64. a 10 Wee must acknowledge if we peceiue any chaunge or Alteration in our selues that it is the hand of God 86. a 60. b 10 Reasons why wee must make no Alteratiō in Gods church 181. a 60. Looke Change Alterations Whereof it commeth that wee see so manie changes and Alterations in the world 627. a 60 What is the cause that we see not Alterations of kingdomes daylie 63. b 50 To what ende the Alterations of kingdomes do serue 63. b 60 The changes and Alterations of countries and cities come by Gods hand 71. a 10. Looke Changes Amalekites The Israelites are charged to reuenge themselues sharpely on the Amalekites and why 887. b all What we haue to learne by the destruction commanded to be shewen vpon the Amalekites 887. a 50.60.888 a 50.60 b 10.20.30 The rebellion of the Amalekites and howe they withstoode the Iewes in comming to possesse the lande of Chanaan 888. a 10.20 c. That we Christians are mingled among Amalakites the mischiefe thereof 889. a 10 The Amalakites spared of God the space of foure hundred yeares 887. b 20.30 Amazednesse Of the Amazednesse wherewith God threateneth the breakers of his law 979. b 40.50 Whom GOD manaceth to smite with Amazednesse and howe 980. a 10.20 Ambition Considerations for the correction of Ambition and foolish loftinesse in vs. 13. b 30.40.50.60 Ambition and pride was the cause why they chose a king in Israel 981. a 50 What mischiefe Ambition doeth and hath doone among men 1117. a 10 20.30 Moses vtterly voide of Ambition and vaineglorie 1073. a 30.40 Ambition reigneth generally which we must shake off if wee meane to prepare our selues to Gods seruice 217. b 10 In rebuking and finding fault with other men we must keepe our selues from all fond Ambition 238.
in the middes of vs reade the place 289. a all b 10.20 Slander To Slander our neighbours is to beare false witnesse against them 235. b 60. 237. a 10. c. That by great reason they are to be punished that bring a Slander vpon any bodie and why 783. a 30.40 and howe Gods lawe prouided in that case ib. 60. b 20. 786. all It is not lawful for a stranger to Slander one in respect of chastitie which is founde innocent 785. b 20.30 Lawes for a husbande to be punished if he Slander his wife 785. b 30.40 Looke Backbite and Report Slaue Reasons why a Slaue deserued more wages than an hiered man 594. a 10.20 Looke Bondmen Slaues Of those that were called Slaues among the Iewes and other heatheÌ„ nations 587. a 60. b 10. Looke Bondseruantes Sleepe Of bodilie Sleepe the comfort comming thereby and what doctrine dependeth thereupon Read page 490. b 10 Smite A curse vpon him that doth Smite his neighbour secretly what doctrine we haue to gather thereof 934. b 10.20.30.935 a b 50.60.936 a 10. c. What it is to Smite the soule of guiltles bloud and who offende in that case 936. a 60. b all Smooth It is God to whom wee must pray to make vs able to Smooth our heartes 423. a 10 What are the chizzels and hammers which wee must vse to Smooth and plaine our heartes withall 423. a 10 The meaning of these wordes Make the two tables Smooth c. 422. a b all 423. a b all Snares The summe of the doctrine that wee haue to gather vppon the saying of Moses where hee speaketh of the Snares that are layde for vs. 522. a 30 Of the Snares that the Chananits were fallen into with a paraphrase vppon the summe of that text 521. b 10.20 The onely meane whereby wee must withstande the Snares of Satan 530. a 30.529 b 50.60 Howe we cast our selues into the Snares that Satan hath laid for vs. 522. b 20 30 Notable doctrine vppon these wordes Beware thou fall not into the Snares after them 521. a 50.60 c. Sobernesse What kinde of Sobernes Paul requireth at our handes 227. b 20.30 Sobernesse and temperance in meares drinkes coÌ„manded to the Iewes why and that the same pertaineth also vnto vs. 556. al. Vprightnes and Sobernesse are thinges inseparable 224. b 20.30 Sodome The fruites of Sodome and Gomor what they were 1153. all Looke Armes Souldier How euerie true Christian ought to bethinke himselfe 722. a 60. b 10 Souldiers Notable doctrine for Souldiers that be Christianlie minded 720. all 721. a 10.20.30.811 b all 812. a 10 Two causes why weakhearted Souldiers were thought vnworthie to be in the host of God 720. a all The marke whereby Christians may be knowen to be Christes Soldiers 721. b 10.20 Looke Lawe of Armes Song Three thinges to be noted in the conclusion of Moseses Song 1171. a 50.60 b all It was no pleasant thing to the Iewes to heare the contentes of Moseses Song and why 1172. a 30 What is to be learned where it is sayde that the Iewes gaue hearing to Moseses Song euen to the very end 1102 b all What wee haue to gather by these wordes where is it saide that Moseses Song shall serue for a witnesse to the Iewes reade the whole 176. sermon and page 1095. b 10 Songs Wanton Songes serue to impeach and corrupt good manners 343. b 40 Sonne In what case the â—ldest Sonne may bee dispossessed of his birthright as for example 752 b 40.50.60 How Christ is saide to be the Sonne of God how Angels are Gods sons 647. b 60 The punishment of a stubborne and disobedient Sonne openly executed by Gods lawe 756. b all The follie of parentes noted in bestowing all they haue vppon their eldest Sonne 752. all Sorcerie Sorcerie hath borne sway in all ages and in all nations 670. a 20.30 Sorceries Whereof Sorceries come and what a foule sinne the same is 670. a 10 Sorcerers Of Sorcerers and what we ought to do when we heare of them 670. a 10 Sorrowe Of Sorrowe for sinnes and that such sorrowe pleaseth God 612. a 40.614 a 10.1179 b 30 Of measure to be obserued and kept in Sorrowe 1242. b all Looke Moorning and Weeping Soothsaiers Of Soothsaiers and whether it be possible for them to foretell of thinges 669. b 40.50.60 Soule Howe the Iewes vnderstoode these wordes Thou shalt loue God with all thy Soule 272. b 10 The excellent giftes or endowmentes of the Soule recorded 274. b 20.30 In how many sundrie senses this word Soule is taken 272. b 60. 273. a 10 Of the powers of the Soule and howe they are peruerted 1015. b 10 We resemble God not in outwarde lineamentes of bodie but in Soule Reade the place 135. a 50 Notable doctrine vpoÌ„ this point Take heede to thy selfe and keepe thy Soule 124. b 20.30.40.50.60.134 b 10.20 That the worde Soule betokeneth the life and why 936. a 50.60 Soules Why God commandeth vs to keepe our Soules cleane 492. b 60 4â—3 a 10 The foode and nourishment of our Soules what it is 355. a 20.30.299 a â—0 a 83. a. 10 Howe God would deale with vs if wee were founde in our Soules 360. b 20 From our Soules proceede all the occasions of sinning 970. b 20.30 A comparison betweene God and our Soules 135. a 50 60. b 10 The cause why wee must take heede to our selues and our Soules 125. a 20 The heathen imagined that the Soules of the vnburied wandered vppe and downe and what they did in that case 762. b 10.20 Against the vsurping of dominion and souereigntie ouer mens Soules 945. a 50.60 b 10.118 all No shape can be made of our Soules much lesse of God 135. â— 50. â— 10 Sowe The meaning of these wordes that men breake vp their layes and Sowe not among bushes 222. a 10.20 Looke Seedes Speake Why God doth Speake of one thing oftentimes 621. a 10 Howe terribly God doth Speake vnto vs in the lawe and howe kindly in the gospel 254. b 50.60 255. a 10.20 30.256 b all 946. b 20.30 Notable doctrine vpon these wordes God did Speake loude and shril 248. a 40.50.60 b 10.20.30.40 What we are to learne by these wordes God did Speake once and I haue heard him c. 250. a 30.40 The contempt of men noted when God doth Speake vnto them 1081. b 20.30.40.50.60 What wee must doe whensoeuer wee Speake of the name of God 286. b 30 We must Speake of God with all reuerence specially when his workes come in talke Reade howe 198. b 40.50 In what sort God Speaketh vnto vs and by whom 179. a 30.254 b 50.60.468 b 15.115 b 30 In what case men must be when God Speaketh vnto them 131. b 50.126 a 30.40.186 a 40.50.126 b 10 Howe it may be saide that God Spake face to face seeing men cannot coÌ„prehende his infinite glorie 182. b 40.183 b 10.20 When a
world so many neighbors haue we And wheras in this text y e word is a Brother indeed it had respect to the linage of Abraham But nowadaies wee haue all one father 1. Tim. 2.4 who is called vpon in al languages and in all countries He hath not chosen the race of any one man nor shut vp his seruice within any one certaine countrie For the partition wal is broken downe 〈◊〉 â— 16 so as there is not now any difference of Iew and Gentile accordingly as is told vs that we bee all one body in our lord Iesus Christ and y â— seeing God is proclaimed by the Gospell to be our Sauiour father we must maintaine a brotherhood among vs. And as touching the word Neighbour the law hath vsed it of purpose to shew meÌ„ y t they may well shrink away one froÌ„ another but yet they be all of one knoweÌ„ kinde according to this saying of the Prophet Esay Esa. â—8 7 Thou shalt not despise thine owne flesh If I can say This man is of a far countrie there was neuer any acquaintaÌ„ce betwixt vs one of vs can not speake a word y t the other can vnderstande what is all this to the purpose Let me looke vppon him beholde him throughly I shal find the same nature in him that is in my selfe I shall see that God hath made him so like me as if we were but one fleshe And all mankind is of such shape and fashion that wee haue good cause to loue one another and to know y t we ought to be all one Although there bee some difference as touching this present life yet ought we to consider that we spring al out of one roote therefore that we should tend all to one end euen vnto God who is the father of vs all And therefore it is not without cause that in steede of saying thou shalt doe so to al men our Lorde saith thou shalt do so to thy neighbors And albeit we fall to disputing of the matter and would slippe our heades out of the coler seeking to shift off y â— matter by alledging that we bee straungers one to an other yet can we not bring to passe that all men should not be our neighbors because we are al of one selfe same nature wherby God hath knit vs linked vs all together The thing then which we haue to mark in this part of the texte vpon y â— word Brother is y t whereas God speaketh after that maner to the Iewes because hee had adopted the linage of Abraham it sheweth vs nowadaies that we must al be as brothers forasmuch as our Lord Iesus Christ hath proclaimed peace through the whole worlde and God is at one agayne with all nations all men Seeing it is so it behoueth vs to maintaine the brotherhood which was procured by Christs bloudshed whereunto God calleth vs. And although many spiteful persoÌ„s go about to violate it by their vnkindnes in shrinking away from the Church and become our enemies by guing vs occasion to do them harme yet notwithstanding let vs striue against their naughtines labour to procure the saluation of their soules and y e welfare of their bodies so far as we can And wheÌ„ we see y t we on our side are weak caÌ„not frame our affections to y e obeying of God so wel as were to be wished let vs pray our good God to streÌ„gthen vs by his holy spirit y t we may outstand all assaults y â— are put vnto vs so as we may haue y e vpper hand of them when hee hath once rid vs of our flesh Now let vs kneele downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our sins praying him to make vs so to feele theÌ„ more more as y t being cast downe in our selues wee may be lifted vp again by his hand y t being so lifted vp vpheld by him we may follow his example towards our neighbors indeuoring to coÌ„tinue in good peace concord bearing with y e weaklings so as we may al with one coÌ„mon coÌ„sent keep our way vnto him attaine thither by his grace That it may please him to graunt this grace c. On Fryday the iij. of Ianuarie 1556. The Cxxvj. Sermon which is the second vpon the two and twentith Chapter 5 A woman shal not weare the apparel of a man neither shal a man put on the garments of a woman For whosoeuer doth so is an abhomination to the Lord thy God 6 When thou goest abroad and findest a birds nest in a tree or on the grounde and young birdes or egges therein the dam sitting vpon her young or vpon the egges thou shalt not take the dam with her young birdes 7 But thou shalt let the dam goe take the young ones to thy selfe that it may goe well with thee and that thou maist prolong thy dayes 8 When thou buildest thee a newe house thou shalt make a battlement about the roofe of it that thou bring not bloud vpon thy house by the falling of some man downe from it THe first law which I haue rehearsed here sheweth y t in all our behauiour we must haue a care to be honest eschue al loosenes Truely it should seeme to be no matter of great importance for a man to be apparelled after one fashioÌ„ or other but yet for all that God wil haue things done in order For if men go disguised weare such apparell as serueth not for necessitie but for follie that is not conuenient If women bee dissolute what a thing is that They forget their nature for women ought to bee modest If there bee no shame but that they will needes be out of order it is a very beastlines That is the effect of Gods intent in saying that men ought not to put on womens apparell nor women ought not to bee cloathed in mens apparell For it is good reason that there should be a difference betweene men and women And although there were no lawe written doeth not euen nature teach it vs And when S. Paul telleth vs that women must come to the Church with their heades couered not with their haire about their eares 〈◊〉 1â— 5 hee sheweth the same thing What saith he haue we need to speake to you of such things For if a womaÌ„ were polled durst she shew her head abroade A man may well be bold to shew his head bare though he be polled and shall a woman do so too That were a shame euerie bodie would mocke at her and she shoulde be faine to hide her heade Now sith ye know this without any scripture or worde written doe ye not see howe God hath sowen as it were a seede of modestie in you to the intent that euerie man shoulde haue a regarde to that which is comelie for him So then let vs mark y t here God intended to shew vs that euery bodies attyring
of themselues ought to be such as there may be a difference betweene men and women And truly we see what daungers doe insue when folke go so disguised many inconueniences doe accompanie them God is offended with thē Therefore the setting downe of this lawe is not without cause For they that loue to go so disguised do despise God as for example in these maskings mummings when men put themselues into womens apparel and women put thēselues into mēs as ye know what comes of it Although no euil ensued thereof yet the verie thing it self displeseth god We heare what is said of it in this place Whosoeuer doth it is an abhominatiō Ought not this saying to make the haire of our heades stand vp rather than wee would prouoke Gods wrath vpon vs wilfully But besides this we are sure y t the suffring hereof is the opening of a gap to all whoredome At a word such disguisings are but inticements of baudry as experience prooueth Therfore let vs not think that it was more than needed for God to appoint men a seuerall kind of apparelling by themselues and the women another kinde of attiring by themselues agreeable to their seuerall sexes Whereupon wee haue to remember that God liketh well y t there should be an honestie euen in our apparel Truely as I haue said afore y t is not the cheefe point For if a man should set y e perfection of our life in this thing it were al one as if he should set the cart before the horse but yet is it not to bee omitted For euen the Heathen themselues haue shewed vs our lesson telling vs that if there bee no regard of honestie men do bewray y t the rest of their vertues are not counted for vertues any more For if they obserue not some order discretion and modestie in their behauiours maner of dealings they may seeme to bee degenerated into brute beastes Then is it as a witnes that we walke as before God when we regarde a kind of honestie in our apparell Truely men may soone ouershoot themselues Although they attire not themselues like women yet if they vse any gaudishnes and make themselues to bee as gasing-stocks such superfluitie displeaseth God already in another respect Likewise though women attyre not themselues in the raiment of men Yet if they be too gallant braue and couet to haue too great a show they faile not to offende God euen in another respect as I said afore Yet notwithstanding we must first of all see that men be so apparelled as they become not womanlike as we see diuerse times y t they attire thēselues like brides In so doing they seeme to be sorie y t God made them not women to bee desirous to renounce their owne sexe And that is a shamefull thing Againe when women go apparelled like men of war as there be some which had leuer to beare a hackebutte on their shoulder than a distaffe in their hand it is against kinde and we ought to abhorre it Although wee were not spoken to ne had any law or ordinance of God yet do we euen of ourselues perceiue it to be strange and whosoeuer hath any sparke of purenesse in him wil iudge so Ye see thē y t first of al the fashiō which men do vse in apparelling thēselues must shew y t God hath created them to be as men and that the women also must obserue the modestie that is agreeable to their sexe Thus much concerning the first point And as touching the second let vs marke also generally that in our apparelling of our selues God wil haue vs to respect vse honesty Those are the two things which we ought to set store by The first is vse And my meaning by vse is y t men should be contented with such apparell as will defend them from cold and heate And by honestie I meane that they shold not be clad attired after a disguised fashion as though they went to play an enterlude or were desirous to make folke to gase at them for the strangenes of their apparell that it might be said who is this O it is such a one Now then if wee obserue the vse that is to say if we hold it enough to bee clothed onely and therwithall do keepe such measure as we breake not common order it is a rule that God alloweth Also whē women be not too curious in attyring themselues nor desirous to drawe all mens eyes vnto them to behold them in their decking that is the honest kinde of behauiour which God commendeth vnto vs. And in the same respect doeth S. Paul say that womē ought to haue a holy honestie 1. Tim. 2.9 or a comelie holines In speaking of the attire and apparell of the faithfull women he vseth a worde which importeth that they must not onely bee honest but also therewithal haue a certaine mark of holinesse that men may know them to haue profited in Gods word And soothly if we considered wel what was the first cause of apparel we would not be so greatly giuen to superfluous brauerie as we be For as oft as we put on either shirte or Cote we be put in mind that our Lord commādeth vs to hide our selues because his image is disfigured in vs and our clothing of ourselues ought to make vs thinke vpon the sinne of our father Adam For by reason of sin we become subiect both to heat cold And againe God telleth vs that it is a signe of our shame For nakednesse of it selfe is not vnhonest were it not y t Gods image is disfigured in vs by our corruption Had we this regard with vs surely we would be warer to keepe order and measure in our apparel than we be Howsoeuer the worlde go let vs learne y t God wil haue vs not only to be pure and cleane from all lecherie but also to preuent all inconueniences As for example when he saith Thou shalt not commit aduoutrie that commaundement hath an eye to this present text I haue tolde you alreadie that all the lawes which are writtē here cōcerne maners are rules of good lyfe are to bee referred to the ten commandements For God hath not added anie thing to those tenne sentences Therefore whereas in this text it is said y t the man shall not weare the apparell of the woman doeth God set downe an eleuenth commaundement Did God bethinke himselfe better afterwarde and adde somewhat else to that which we had heard of him heretofore No it is but onely an exposition of this saying of his Thou shalt not commit adulterie As how For in forbidding aduoutrie God not onely forbiddeth y e act it selfe which were punishable worthie of reproch euen before men but also hee forbiddeth in effect al vnchast behauiour so as none may appeare neither in apparell nor in any part of our conuersation We must keep such a measure as our apparell tend not to vnchastitie least